| 撒慕爾紀上 |
1 Samuel |
| 1亞納祈禱說：「我從心裏喜樂於上主，我的頭因天主而高仰；我可開口嘲笑我的敵人，因為我喜樂於你的救助。 |
1 and as she worshiped the LORD, she said:"My heart exults in the LORD,my horn is exalted in my God.I have swallowed up my enemies;I rejoice in my victory. |
| 2沒有聖者，相似上主；除你以外，沒有另一位；沒有磐石，相似我們的天主。 |
2There is no Holy One like the LORD;there in no Rock like our God. |
| 3你們別再三說誑言，別口出豪語；上主是全知的天主，人的行為由他衡量。 |
3 "Speak boastfully no longer,nor let arrogance issue from your mouths.For an all-knowing God is the LORD,a God who judges deeds. |
| 4壯士的弓已被折斷，衰弱者反而力量倍增。 |
4The bows of the mighty are broken,while the tottering gird on strength. |
| 5曾享飽飫的，今傭工求食；曾受饑餓的，今無須勞役；不妊的生了七子，多產者反而生育停頓。 |
5The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,while the hungry batten on spoil.The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. |
| 6上主使人死，也使人活；使人降入陰府，也將人由陰府提出； |
6"The LORD puts to death and gives life;he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. |
| 7上主使人窮，也使人富；貶抑人，也舉揚人； |
7The LORD makes poor and makes rich,he humbles, he also exalts. |
| 8上主由塵埃中提拔卑賤者，從糞土中高舉貧窮者，使他與王侯同席，承受光榮座位；大地支柱原屬上主，支柱上奠定了世界。 |
8He raises the needy from the dust;from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,To seat them with noblesand make a glorious throne their heritage.He gives to the vower his vow,and blesses the sleep of the just."For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,and he has set the world upon them. |
| 9他保護虔誠者的腳步，使惡人在黑暗中滅亡，因為人決不能憑己力獲勝， |
9He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones,but the wicked shall perish in the darkness.For not by strength does man prevail; |
| 10那與上主敵對的必被粉碎。至高者在天上鳴雷，上主要裁判地極，賜予自己的君王能力，高舉受傅者的冠冕。」 |
10the LORD'S foes shall be shattered.The Most High in heaven thunders;The LORD judges the ends of the earth,Now may he give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed!" |
| 11以後厄耳卡納回了辣瑪本家。幼童卻留在厄里大司祭前，奉事上主。 |
11When Elkanah returned home to Ramah, the child remained in the service of the LORD under the priest Eli. |
| 12厄里的兩個兒子原是無惡不做的人，不懷念上主， |
12Now the sons of Eli were wicked; they had respect neither for the LORD |
| 13也不關心司祭對人民的義務；若有人來殺牲獻祭，到煮祭肉時，司祭的僮僕便來，手持三齒叉， |
13nor for the priests' duties toward the people. When someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork, while the meat was still boiling, |
| 14插入鼎裏，鍋裏，甑裏或鑊裏，凡叉上來的，司祭就拿去自用；他們常這樣對待所有到史羅來的以色列人。 |
14and would thrust it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would keep. That is how all the Israelites were treated who came to the sanctuary at Shiloh. |
| 15甚或在焚化油脂以前，司祭的僮僕來對獻祭的人說：「把肉給司祭去烤罷！他不向你要熟肉，他要生肉。」 |
15In fact, even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man offering the sacrifice, "Give me some meat to roast for the priest. He will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat." |
| 16如果人答應說：「先得將油脂焚化，然後你可隨意拿去。」他必答說：「不，應立刻給我；不然，我就來搶。」 |
16And if the man protested to him, "Let the fat be burned first as is the custom, then take whatever you wish," he would reply, "No, give it to me now, or else I will take it by force." |
| 17這兩個少年人在上主前犯的罪極重，因為輕視了獻於上主的祭品。 |
17Thus the young men sinned grievously in the presence of the LORD; they treated the offerings to the LORD with disdain. |
| 18撒慕爾幼童穿着細麻的「厄弗得」，在上主面前供職。 |
18 Meanwhile the boy Samuel, girt with a linen apron, was serving in the presence of the LORD. |
| 19他的母親每年給他做一件小外氅，當她同丈夫上來獻年祭時，就給他帶來。 |
19His mother used to make a little garment for him, which she would bring him each time she went up with her husband to offer the customary sacrifice. |
| 20厄里祝福厄耳卡納和他的妻子說：「願上主由這婦人再賞你一個兒子，代替獻給上主的這一個！」然後他們就回了本鄉。 |
20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, as they were leaving for home. He would say, "May the LORD repay you with children from this woman for the gift she has made to the LORD!" |
| 21上主看顧了亞納，她懷孕生了三男二女。撒慕爾幼童在上主前漸漸長大。 |
21The LORD favored Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three more sons and two daughters, while young Samuel grew up in the service of the LORD. |
| 22厄里已經很老。他聽說他的兩個兒子對眾以色列人所做的一切，和他們與在會幕門旁服役的婦女同睡的事， |
22 When Eli was very old, he heard repeatedly how his sons were treating all Israel (and that they were having relations with the women serving at the entry of the meeting tent). |
| 23就對他們說：「你們為甚麼作出像我由眾百姓那裏聽來的這些壞事？ |
23So he said to them: "Why are you doing such things? |
| 24我兒，不要這樣！我所聽見的風聲實在不好，你們竟使百姓遠離了上主！ |
24No, my sons, you must not do these things! It is not a good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading about you. |
| 25人若得罪人，尚有天主審斷；人若得罪上主，有誰為他求情呢？」但是他們仍不聽父親的話，因為上主有意使他們喪亡。 |
25If a man sins against another man, one can intercede for him with the LORD; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they disregarded their father's warning, since the LORD had decided on their death. |
| 26撒慕爾幼童漸漸長大，為上主和人所喜愛。 |
26Meanwhile, young Samuel was growing in stature and in worth in the estimation of the LORD and of men. |
| 27有一位天主的人來到厄里面前對他說：「上主這樣說：當你祖先的家人還在埃及法郎家中當奴隸時，我不是再三顯現給他們嗎？ |
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him: "This is what the LORD says: 'I went so far as to reveal myself to your father's family when they were in Egypt as slaves to the house of Pharaoh. |
| 28我不是從以色列眾支派中，特選了他們作我的司祭，上我的祭壇焚香獻祭，穿『厄弗得』到我面前來，並將以色列子民的火祭祭品全賜給了你的父家嗎？ |
28 I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod before me; and I assigned all the oblations of the Israelites to your father's family. |
| 29那麼，你為什麼還要嫉視我所規定的犧牲和素祭呢？竟重視你的兒子在我以上，用我的人民以色列所獻的最好的一份，養肥了他們？ |
29Why do you keep a greedy eye on my sacrifices and on the offerings which I have prescribed? And why do you honor your sons in preference to me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel?' |
| 30因此，請聽上主以色列天主的斷語：我曾許下，你的家和你的父家要在我面前永遠往來，但是現在，──上主的斷語──決不能如此！只有那光榮我的，我纔光榮他；那輕視我的，必受輕視。 |
30This, therefore, is the oracle of the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I said in the past that your family and your father's family should minister in my presence forever. But now,' the LORD declares, 'away with this! for I will honor those who honor me, but those who spurn me shall be accursed. |
| 31時日快到了，那時我要砍下你的臂膊和你父家的臂膊，使你家裏再沒有權威的長者。 |
31Yes, the time is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's family, so that no man in your family shall reach old age. |
| 32以後，你要嫉視我賜與以色列人的一切幸福，可是在你家裏永不會再有權威的長者； |
32You shall witness as a disappointed rival all the benefits enjoyed by Israel, but there shall never be an old man in your family. |
| 33我也不願將你的人由我的祭壇上盡行消滅，致使你的眼目昏花，心神憂傷；但你家中大多數的人要死在人家的刀下。 |
33I will permit some of your family to remain at my altar, to wear out their eyes in consuming greed; but the rest of the men of your family shall die by the sword. |
| 34你的兩個兒子曷弗尼和丕乃哈斯所要遭遇的，為你是個先兆：他們兩人要在同一天死掉。 |
34You shall have a sign in what will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: both shall die on the same day. |
| 35我要為我興起一位忠信的司祭，他要照我的心意行事，我要給他建立一個堅固的家庭，他一生要在我的受傅者前往來。 |
35I will choose a faithful priest who shall do what I have in heart and mind. I will establish a lasting house for him which shall function in the presence of my anointed forever. |
| 36那時，凡你家中所存留的人，必要叩拜他，為得到一點錢或一片餅說：求你容我參與任何一種司祭職務，使我可以糊口。」 |
36Then whoever is left of your family will come to grovel before him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and will say: Appoint me, I beg you, to a priestly function, that I may have a morsel of bread to eat.'" |
