| 撒慕爾紀上 |
1 Samuel |
| 1克黎雅特耶阿陵人遂下來，將上主的約櫃抬上去，送到住在丘嶺上的阿彼納達布家裏，並且祝聖他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾，看守上主的約櫃。 |
1So the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, appointing his son Eleazar as guardian of the ark of the LORD. |
| 2自從約櫃停放在克黎雅特耶阿陵的那天起，過了很長的時間，大約二十年之久，以色列全家又歸向上主。 |
2From the day the ark came to rest in Kiriath-jearim a long time-twenty years-elapsed, and the whole Israelite population turned to the LORD. |
| 3那時撒慕爾對以色列全家說：「如果你們全心歸向上主，就該將外邦的神由你們中間剷除，一心歸向上主，惟獨事奉上主，他必由培肋舍特人手中解救你們。」 |
3Samuel said to them: "If you wish with your whole heart to return to the LORD, put away your foreign gods and your Ashtaroth, devote yourselves to the LORD, and worship him alone. Then he will deliver you from the power of the Philistines." |
| 4以色列子民遂剷除了巴耳和阿市托勒特，唯獨事奉上主。 |
4So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtaroth, and worshiped the LORD alone. |
| 5於是撒慕爾說：「你們把全以色列聚集在米茲帕，我要為你們懇求上主。」 |
5Samuel then gave orders, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, that I may pray to the LORD for you." |
| 6他們便聚集在米茲帕，汲了水來，倒在上主面前，並且在那一天禁食說：「我們犯了罪，得罪了上主！」從此撒慕爾在米茲帕治理以色列子民。 |
6 When they were gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out on the ground before the LORD, and they fasted that day, confessing, "We have sinned against the LORD." It was at Mizpah that Samuel began to judge the Israelites. |
| 7培肋舍特人一聽說以色列子民聚集在米茲帕，培肋舍特的酋長就上來攻打以色列，以色列子民聽說培肋舍特人前來，大為震驚， |
7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their lords went up against Israel. Hearing this, the Israelites became afraid of the Philistines |
| 8對撒慕爾說：「你不要停止為我們哀求上主，我們的天主，好叫他救我們脫離培肋舍特人的威脅。」 |
8and said to Samuel, "Implore the LORD our God unceasingly for us, to save us from the clutches of the Philistines." |
| 9撒慕爾遂拿了一隻還在吃奶的羔羊獻給上主，作全燔祭，為以色列呼籲上主，上主應允了他。 |
9Samuel therefore took an unweaned lamb and offered it entire as a holocaust to the LORD. He implored the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him. |
| 10當撒慕爾正在奉獻全燔祭時，培肋舍特人前來，要與以色列交戰；但上主在那一天使雷聲向着培肋舍特人大作，恐嚇他們，他們就在以色列面前潰退了。 |
10While Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines advanced to join battle with Israel. That day, however, the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines, and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. |
| 11以色列人遂從米茲帕出來追擊培肋舍特人，擊殺他們直到貝特加爾下邊。 |
11Thereupon the Israelites sallied forth from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, harrying them down beyond Beth-car. |
| 12以後，撒慕爾取了一塊石頭，豎立在米茲帕與耶撒納中間，給那石起名叫厄本厄則爾，說：「直到這時上主救助了我們。」 |
12 Samuel then took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer, explaining, "To this point the LORD helped us." |
| 13培肋舍特人受了這次挫折以後，不敢再來侵犯以色列的邊境；撒慕爾活着時，上主的手常壓制了培肋舍特人。 |
13Thus were the Philistines subdued, never again to enter the territory of Israel, for the LORD was severe with them as long as Samuel lived. |
| 14培肋舍特人由以色列奪去的城市，自厄刻龍直到加特，都歸還了以色列；以色列人由培肋舍特人手中收復了自己的領土；在那時以色列和阿摩黎人之間平安無事。 |
14The cities from Ekron to Gath which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to them. Israel also freed the territory of these cities from the dominion of the Philistines. Moreover there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. |
| 15撒慕爾一生做了以色列的民長。 |
15Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. |
| 16他每年去視察貝特耳、基耳加耳和米茲帕，在這些地方治理以色列人。 |
16He made a yearly journey, passing through Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah and judging Israel at each of these sanctuaries. |
| 17以後他回到辣瑪，因為他的家在那裏，他也在那裏治理以色列人，並在那裏給上主建了一座祭壇。 |
17Then he used to return to Ramah, for that was his home. There, too, he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD. |
