| 列王紀下 |
2 Kings |
| 1猶大王約沙法特十八年，阿哈布的兒子耶曷蘭在撒瑪黎雅登極作以色列王，在位凡十二年。 |
1 Joram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria (in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned for twelve years). |
| 2他行了上主視為惡的事，不過還不像他的父親和母親那樣壞，因為他除去了他父親所立的巴耳神柱， |
2He did evil in the LORD'S sight, though not as much as his father and mother. He did away with the pillar of Baal, which his father had made, |
| 3只是對乃巴特的兒子雅洛貝罕使以色列陷於罪過的事，仍戀戀不捨，從未脫離。 |
3but he still clung to the sin to which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had lured Israel; this he did not give up. |
| 4摩阿布王默沙原是一個以畜牧為業的人，他經常以十萬隻羔羊和十萬隻公山羊毛，向以色列王進貢； |
4Now Mesha, king of Moab, who raised sheep, used to pay the king of Israel as tribute a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. |
| 5但在阿哈布死後，摩阿布王便背叛了以色列王。 |
5But when Ahab died, the king of Moab had rebelled against the king of Israel. |
| 6那時，耶曷蘭王從撒瑪黎雅出來，檢閱全以色列人， |
6Joram as king mustered all Israel, and when he set out on a campaign from Samaria, |
| 7以後派使者去見猶大王約沙法特說：「摩阿布王背叛了我，你願意同我一起去攻打摩阿布嗎？」約沙法特說：「願意去；你怎樣，我也怎樣；我的人民就如同是你的人民，我的馬就如同是你的馬。」 |
7he sent the king of Judah the message: "The king of Moab is in rebellion against me. Will you join me in battle against Moab?" "I will," he replied. "You and I shall be as one, your people and mine, and your horses and mine as well." |
| 8約沙法特接着問說：「我們從那條路上去？」耶曷蘭答說：「從厄東曠野那條路。」 |
8They discussed the route for their attack, and settled upon the route through the desert of Edom. |
| 9於是以色列王、猶大王和厄東王出發，繞道而行，七天以後，軍隊和隨行的一大隊牲畜沒有水喝。 |
9So the king of Israel set out, accompanied by the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After their roundabout journey of seven days the water gave out for the army and for the animals with them. |
| 10以色列王說：「哎！上主召集這三個王子，原是將他們交在摩阿布手中啊！」 |
10"Alas!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "The LORD has called together these three kings to put them in the grasp of Moab." |
| 11約沙法特問說：「這裏有沒有一位上主的先知，我們可以託他求問上主？」以色列王的一個臣僕回答說：「這裏有沙法特的兒子厄里叟，就是常在厄里亞手上倒水的那一位。」 |
11But the king of Judah asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" One of the officers of the king of Israel replied, "Elisha, son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here." |
| 12約沙法特說：「他必有上主的話。」以色列王、約沙法特和厄東王，於是一同下去見他。 |
12"He has the word of the LORD," the king of Judah agreed. So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went down to Elisha. |
| 13厄里叟對以色列王說：「我和你有什麼關係？你去找你父親和你母親的先知罷！」以色列王說：「不要這樣說！上主召集了這三個王子，原是要將他們交於摩阿布手中啊！」 |
13"What do you want with me?" Elisha asked the king of Israel. "Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel replied. "The LORD has called these three kings together to put them in the grasp of Moab." |
| 14厄里叟說：「我指着我所服事的永生萬軍的上主起誓：我如果不是為了猶大王約沙法特的情面，我決不看你，也不睬你。 |
14Then Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I respect the king of Judah, I should neither look at you nor notice you at all. |
| 15現在，你們給我叫一個彈琴的人來。」原來每逢樂師彈琴的時候，上主的手就臨到他身上。 |
15Now get me a minstrel." When the minstrel played, the power of the LORD came upon Elisha |
| 16厄里叟說：「上主這樣說：你們在這山谷中遍挖壕溝， |
16and he announced: "Thus says the LORD, 'Provide many catch basins in this wadi.' |
| 17因為上主這樣說：你們不見風，也不見雨，這山谷中卻要充滿了水，使你們、你們的軍隊和牲畜都有水喝。 |
17For the LORD says, 'Though you will see neither wind nor rain, yet this wadi will be filled with water for you, your livestock, and your pack animals to drink.' |
| 18這在上主看來還是小事，他還要將摩阿布交在你們手中， |
18And since the LORD does not consider this enough, he will also deliver Moab into your grasp. |
| 19使你們攻破所有設防的城市，砍倒所有的好樹，堵塞所有的水泉，用石頭毀壞所有的良田。」 |
19You shall destroy every fortified city, fell every fruit tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every fertile field with stones." |
| 20果然，早上正獻祭的時候，從厄東方面來了大水，遍地滿了水。 |
20In the morning, at the time of the sacrifice, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the land. |
| 21全摩阿布人一聽說三個王子前來進攻，就召集了所有能佩帶武器的人，把守邊界。 |
21Meanwhile, all Moab heard that the kings had come to give them battle; every man capable of bearing arms was called up and stationed at the border. |
| 22第二天早晨，日光照在水上，摩阿布人起來，看見對面的水紅得像血， |
22 Early that morning, when the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water at a distance as red as blood. |
| 23遂說：「這是血！一定是那三個王子彼此混戰，互相殘殺。摩阿布人，起來，前去奪取財物！」 |
23"This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have fought among themselves and killed one another. Quick! To the spoils, Moabites!" |
| 24及至他們到了以色列營地，以色列人即奮起迎敵，摩阿布人從他們面前逃走，他們就乘勢追趕，擊殺摩阿布人， |
24But when they reached the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked the Moabites, who fled from them. They ranged through the countryside striking down the Moabites, and |
| 25破壞了他們的城市，個個用石頭拋滿了他們的良田，堵塞了所有的水泉，砍倒了各種好樹；只剩下克爾赫勒斯城，拋石頭的人仍包圍攻擊那城。 |
25 destroying the cities; each of them cast stones onto every fertile field till they had loaded it down; all the springs they stopped up and every useful tree they felled. Finally only Kir-hareseth was left behind its stone walls, and the slingers had surrounded it and were attacking it. |
| 26摩阿布王見戰事激烈，難以敵抗，就帶領七百人，手持刀劍，企圖突圍，往投阿蘭王，卻沒有成功； |
26When he saw that he was losing the battle, the king of Moab took seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Aram, but he failed. |
| 27於是將那要繼承自己位的長子叫來，在城墻上祭殺了，作為全燔祭。這事使天主向以色列人大發忿怒；他們便離開摩阿布王，各自回了本地。 |
27 So he took his first-born, his heir apparent, and offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. The wrath against Israel was so great that they gave up the siege and returned to their own land. |
