撒慕爾紀下:Chapter 17

撒慕爾紀下:Chapter 17

撒慕爾紀下	2 Samuel
¹阿希托費耳向阿貝沙隆說：「讓我選拔一萬二千人，今夜起程去追趕達味。	¹Ahithophel went on to say to Absalom: "Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and be off in pursuit of David tonight.
²正當他困乏疲倦時，我忽然趕到，使他驚惶失措，隨從他的人必會逃散，我只把君王一人殺了，	²If I come upon him when he is weary and discouraged, I shall cause him panic. When all the people with him flee, I shall strike down the king alone.
³然後人民來歸順你，像新娘回到新郎那裏；你只須害一人的性命，全民眾就都平安無事了。」	³Then I can bring back the rest of the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband. It is the death of only one man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace."
⁴阿貝沙隆和以色列的眾長老，對這提議都很贊成。	⁴This plan was agreeable to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
⁵阿貝沙隆說：「請把阿爾基人胡瑟召來，我們也願聽聽他說什麼。」	⁵Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite also; let us hear what he too has to say."
⁶胡瑟來到阿貝沙隆前，阿貝沙隆向他說：「阿希托費耳說出這樣的話，我們應按他的建議去行嗎？若不，請你提議罷！」	⁶When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him: "This is what Ahithophel proposed. Shall we follow his proposal? If not, speak up."
⁷胡瑟回答阿貝沙隆說：「阿希托費耳這次所出的計謀卻不妙。」	⁷Hushai replied to Absalom, "This time Ahithophel has not given good counsel."
⁸胡瑟接着說：「你知道你父親和隨從他的人，都是勇將，現在心情惱怒，好像田野間喪子的母熊；何況，你父親又是歷經戰陣的人，夜間決不會讓軍民安睡。	⁸And he went on to say: "You know that your father and his men are warriors, and that they are as fierce as a bear in the wild robbed of her cubs. Moreover, since your father is skilled in warfare, he will not spend the night with the people.
⁹他現今必藏在一個山洞裏，或另一個地方；若起初我們的人就有傷亡，人們聽見必要說：跟隨阿貝沙隆的人慘遭失敗；	⁹Even now he lies hidden in one of the caves or in some other place. And if some of our soldiers should fall at the first attack, whoever hears of it will say, 'Absalom's followers have been slaughtered.'
¹⁰那麼，連性情兇猛如獅子的壯士，也要灰心喪膽，因為全以色列人都知道你父親是個勇將，跟隨他的人也都是些驍勇的人。	¹⁰Then even the brave man with the heart of a lion will lose courage. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave.
¹¹我的計劃，是先把所有的以色列人集合在你身邊，從丹直到貝爾舍巴，像海邊沙粒那樣多，然後由你親自率領，前去征討；	¹¹"This is what I counsel: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba, who are as numerous as the sands by the sea, be called up for combat; and go with them yourself.
¹²他不論到那裏，我們也突然到那裏；像露降在地上一樣襲擊他，使他和隨從他的人一個也不留下。	¹²We can then attack him wherever we find him, settling down upon him as dew alights on the ground. None shall survive--neither he nor any of his followers.
¹³若他退入一座城內，全以色列人就帶着繩索去攻擊那城，將那城拉到山谷裏，連一塊小石也不剩下。」	¹³And if he retires into a city, all Israel shall bring ropes to that city and we can drag it into the gorge, so that not even a pebble of it can be found."
¹⁴阿貝沙隆和全以色列人都說：「阿爾基人胡瑟的計謀比阿希托費耳的更為可取。」原是上主決定了要破壞阿希托費耳的好計謀，為給阿貝沙隆降下災禍。	¹⁴Then Absalom and all the Israelites pronounced the counsel of Hushai the Archite better than that of Ahithophel. For the LORD had decided to undo Ahithophel's good counsel, in order thus to bring Absalom to ruin.
¹⁵隨後，胡瑟報告匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾說：「阿希托費耳給阿貝沙隆和以色列長老出了那樣的計謀，我卻出了這樣的計謀。	¹⁵Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: "This is the counsel Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I counseled.
¹⁶現在，快派人去報告達味說：今夜不可在曠野的渡口露宿，要趕快過河，免得君王和隨從他的人民都遭殲滅。」	¹⁶So send a warning to David immediately, not to spend the night at the fords near the desert, but to cross over without fail. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be destroyed."
¹⁷那時，約納堂和阿希瑪茲已在洛革耳泉傍等候，因怕被人看見，不敢進城；有個使女出來給他們傳信，他們就去報告達味君王。	¹⁷Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, since they could not risk being seen entering the city. A maidservant was to come with information for them, and they in turn were to go and report to King David.
¹⁸但有一個少年人看見了他們，便向阿貝沙隆報告了；他們二人就急速逃匿，來到巴胡陵的一個人家裏，他院子裏有一口井，他們便下到井裏。	¹⁸But an attendant saw them and informed Absalom. They sped on their way and reached the house of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard. They let themselves down into this,
¹⁹那家的婦人取了一個蓋子蓋在井口上，蓋子上又撒上些麥粒，免得有人注意。	¹⁹and the housewife took the cover and spread it over the cistern, strewing ground grain on the cover so that nothing could be noticed.
²⁰阿貝沙隆的差役來到那家的婦人前問說：「阿希瑪茲和約納堂在那裏？」那婦人答說：「他們早過了蓄水池。」差役就去搜索他們，卻沒有找着，便回了耶路撒冷。	²⁰When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman replied, "They went by a short while ago toward the water." They searched, but found no one, and so returned to Jerusalem.
²¹差役走了以後，兩人就從井裏上來；去給達味君王報信，對達味說：「起身，趕快過河，因為阿希托費耳為害你們出了這樣的計謀。」	²¹As soon as they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the cistern and went on to inform King David. They said to him: "Leave! Cross the water at once, for Ahithophel has given the following counsel in regard to you."
²²達味和隨從他的人就起身過了約但河。到天亮時，沒有一個沒有過約但河的。	²²So David and all his people moved on and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed.
²³阿希托費耳見人不依從他的計謀，就備上驢，動身回家，回了本城，安排了自己的家務以後，就上吊死了。人將他埋在他父親的墳墓裏。	²³When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not acted upon, he saddled his ass and departed, going to his home in his own city. Then, having left orders concerning his family, he hanged himself. And so he died and was buried in his father's tomb.
²⁴阿貝沙隆率領眾以色列人過約但河時，達味已到了瑪哈納因。	²⁴Now David had gone to Mahanaim when Absalom crossed the Jordan accompanied by all the Israelites.
²⁵阿貝沙隆派阿瑪撒代約阿布為統帥。阿瑪撒是依市瑪耳人依特辣的兒子。依特辣曾走近過葉瑟的女兒，約阿布的母親，責魯雅的姊妹阿彼蓋耳。	²⁵Absalom had put Amasa in command of the army in Joab's place. Amasa was the son of an Ishmaelite named Ithra, who had married Abigail, daughter of Jesse and sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah.
²⁶以色列人同阿貝沙隆在基肋阿得一帶扎了營。	²⁶Israel and Absalom encamped in the territory of Gilead.
²⁷當達味來到瑪哈納因時，納哈士的兒子芍彼由阿孟子民的辣巴城，阿米耳的兒子瑪基爾由羅德巴爾城，基肋阿得人巴爾齊來由洛革林城，	²⁷When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi, son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir, son of Ammiel from Lodebar, and Barzillai, the Gileadite from Rogelim,
²⁸帶來了床、鋪蓋、杯盤、炊具、小麥、大麥、麵粉、炒麥、豆子、扁豆、	²⁸brought couches, coverlets, basins and earthenware, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
²⁹蜂蜜、奶油、奶餅、羊肉和牛肉，供給達味和隨從他的人吃用，因為他們想：這些人經過了曠野，必定感到饑渴和疲勞。	²⁹honey, butter and cheese from the flocks and herds, for David and those who were with him to eat; for they said, "The people have been hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert."