| 撒慕爾紀上 |
1 Samuel |
| 1有一天，撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「上主曾打發我給你傅油，作他人民以色列的君王，如今你應聽上主的話！ |
1Samuel said to Saul: "It was I the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now, therefore, listen to the message of the LORD. |
| 2萬軍的上主這樣說：我要懲罰阿瑪肋克對以色列所行的事，因為當以色列從埃及上來時，攔截了去路。 |
2This is what the LORD of hosts has to say: 'I will punish what Amalek did to Israel when he barred his way as he was coming up from Egypt. |
| 3如今你去攻打阿瑪肋克，毀滅他們和他們所有的一切，絲毫不可顧惜，要將男女、孩童、嬰兒、牛羊、駱駝和驢，一律殺掉。」 |
3 Go, now, attack Amalek, and deal with him and all that he has under the ban. Do not spare him, but kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and asses.'" |
| 4撒烏耳調集了軍人，在特冷檢閱了他們，計步兵二十萬，猶大人一萬。 |
4 Saul alerted the soldiers, and at Telaim reviewed two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. |
| 5撒烏耳來到阿瑪肋克城時，在山谷裏設下了埋伏。 |
5Saul went to the city of Amalek, and after setting an ambush in the wadi, |
| 6撒烏耳對刻尼人說：「你們起來快走，離開阿瑪肋克人，免得我把你們同他們一起消滅，因為以色列子民由埃及上來時，你們善待了他們。」刻尼人便離開阿瑪肋克人走了。 |
6warned the Kenites: "Come! Leave Amalek and withdraw, that I may not have to destroy you with them, for you were kind to the Israelites when they came up from Egypt." After the Kenites left, |
| 7撒烏耳擊殺阿瑪肋克人，從哈威拉一直殺到埃及東面的叔爾， |
7Saul routed Amalek from Havilah to the approaches of Shur, on the frontier of Egypt. |
| 8活捉了阿瑪肋克王阿加格，用刀殺盡了其餘的人民。 |
8He took Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but on the rest of the people he put into effect the ban of destruction by the sword. |
| 9但撒烏耳和軍民卻憐惜阿加格和最好的牛羊，肥美的家畜和羔羊；凡是美好的，他們都不願毀滅，只把一切不值錢，不要的牲畜毀滅了。 |
9He and his troops spared Agag and the best of the fat sheep and oxen, and the lambs. They refused to carry out the doom on anything that was worthwhile, dooming only what was worthless and of no account. |
| 10那時有上主的話傳於撒慕爾說： |
10Then the LORD spoke to Samuel: |
| 11「我後悔立了撒烏耳為王，因為他背離了我，沒有遵從我的命令。」撒慕爾感到不安，整夜哀求上主。 |
11 "I regret having made Saul king, for he has turned from me and has not kept my command." At this Samuel grew angry and cried out to the LORD all night. |
| 12撒慕爾清晨起來去見撒烏耳；有人告訴他說：「撒烏耳去了加爾默耳，在那裏立了紀念碑，然後回來經過這裏，又去了基耳加耳。」 |
12Early in the morning he went to meet Saul, but was informed that Saul had gone to Carmel, where he erected a trophy in his own honor, and that on his return he had passed on and gone down to Gilgal. |
| 13撒慕爾來到撒烏耳那裏，撒烏耳就他說：「願天主祝福你！我履行了上主的命令。」 |
13When Samuel came to him, Saul greeted him: "The LORD bless you! I have kept the command of the LORD." |
| 14撒慕爾就問說：「怎麼我耳中聽見有羊叫，有牛鳴？」 |
14But Samuel asked, "What, then, is the meaning of this bleating of sheep that comes to my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?" |
| 15撒烏耳回答說：「那是從阿瑪肋克帶回來的，因為人民愛惜那些最好的牛羊，好獻給上主你的天主；至於其餘的，我們都毀滅了。」 |
15Saul replied: "They were brought from Amalek. The men spared the best sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD, your God; but we have carried out the ban on the rest." |
| 16撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「住口！讓我告訴你，上主昨夜對我說過的話。」撒烏耳答說：「請說罷！」 |
16Samuel said to Saul: "Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Speak!" he replied. |
| 17撒慕爾說：「雖然你自以為是最微小的，你豈不是已成了以色列眾支派的首領？上主不是曾給你傅油，立你作以色列的君王嗎？ |
17Samuel then said: "Though little in your own esteem, are you not leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king of Israel |
| 18上主派你去打仗，曾吩咐你說：去剿滅那些犯罪的阿瑪肋克人，攻打他們，直至將他們完全消滅。 |
18and sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.' |
| 19為什麼你沒有順聽上主的命令，只顧急忙搶掠財物，行了上主不喜歡的事？」 |
19Why then have you disobeyed the LORD? You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD." |
| 20撒烏耳回答撒慕爾說：「我的確聽從了上主的命令，走了上主指給我的路，擒獲了阿瑪肋克王阿加格，毀滅了阿瑪肋克人。 |
20Saul answered Samuel: "I did indeed obey the LORD and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban. |
| 21但是軍民由當毀滅的勝利品中，選出了最好的牛羊，要在基耳加耳祭獻上主，你的天主。」 |
21But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal." |
| 22撒慕爾回答說：「上主豈能喜歡全燔祭和犧牲，勝過聽從上主的命令？聽命勝於祭獻，服從勝過綿羊的肥油脂。 |
22 But Samuel said: "Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. |
| 23背命等於行卜，頑抗與敬拜偶像無異。因為你拒絕了上主的命令，上主也拒絕了你作王。」 |
23For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler." |
| 24撒烏耳對撒慕爾說：「我犯了罪，違背了上主的命令和你的話，因我害怕人民，纔聽從了他們的呼聲。 |
24Saul replied to Samuel: "I have sinned, for I have disobeyed the command of the LORD and your instructions. In my fear of the people, I did what they said. |
| 25現在，請你寬赦我的罪過，同我一起回去，讓我朝拜上主。」 |
25Now forgive my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." |
| 26撒慕爾卻對撒烏耳說：「我不同你回去；既然你拒絕了上主的命令，上主也拒絕你，不要你作以色列王。」 |
26But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, because you rejected the command of the LORD and the LORD rejects you as king of Israel." |
| 27撒慕爾轉身就走，撒烏耳用力抓住他外氅的衣邊，撕下了一塊。 |
27As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized a loose end of his mantle, and it tore off. |
| 28撒慕爾於是對他說：「上主今日從你身上撕下了你的王位，給了一個比你更好的人。 |
28So Samuel said to him: "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. |
| 29並且以色列的光榮絕不發虛言，也不會懊悔，因為他不像人，可以懊悔。」 |
29The Glory of Israel neither retracts nor repents, for he is not man that he should repent." |
| 30撒烏耳遂說：「我固然犯了罪，但如今請你在我民族的長老和以色列前，仍尊重我，同我一起回去，好讓我朝拜上主，你的天主。」 |
30But he answered: "I have sinned, yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Return with me that I may worship the LORD your God." |
| 31撒慕爾便隨同撒烏耳一起回去，撒烏耳朝拜了上主。 |
31And so Samuel returned with him, and Saul worshiped the LORD. |
| 32以後撒慕爾說：「將阿瑪肋克王阿加格給我解來！」阿加格到了他那裏，很是高興，阿加格心想：「死亡的苦的確過去了。」 |
32Afterward Samuel commanded, "Bring Agag, king of Amalek, to me." Agag came to him struggling and saying, "So it is bitter death!" |
| 33撒慕爾對他說：「你的劍怎樣使眾多婦女喪子，你的母親在婦女中也要怎樣喪子。」撒慕爾就在基耳加耳上主面前殺了阿加格。 |
33And Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." Then he cut Agag down before the LORD in Gilgal. |
| 34以後撒慕爾去了辣瑪，撒烏耳也回了撒烏耳的基貝亞本家。 |
34Samuel departed for Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. |
| 35撒慕爾至死再沒有見撒烏耳。撒慕爾為了撒烏耳很是傷心，因為，上主後悔立了撒烏耳作以色列的君王。 |
35Never again, as long as he lived, did Samuel see Saul. Yet he grieved over Saul, because the LORD regretted having made him king of Israel. |
