| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1以色列子民又行了上主視為惡的事，因此上主把他們交於培肋舍特人手中四十年之久。 |
1The Israelites again offended the LORD, who therefore delivered them into the power of the Philistines for forty years. |
| 2那時，在祚辣有一個人，屬於丹支派，名叫瑪諾亞，他的妻子是個石女，從未生育。 |
2There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. |
| 3上主的使者顯現給那婦人，對她說：「看，你原是個石女，從未生育，但是你要懷孕生子。 |
3An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. |
| 4今後要留心：清酒濃酒都不可喝，各種不潔的東西也不可吃！ |
4Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. |
| 5看，你將懷孕生子，剃刀不可觸及他的頭，因為這孩子從母胎就是獻於天主的；他要開始從培肋舍特人手中拯救以色列。」 |
5 As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines." |
| 6那婦人遂去告訴自己的丈夫說：「有一個天主的人來到我這裏，他的容貌好像天主的使者，極其威嚴；我沒有問他從那裏來，他也沒有告訴我他的名字。 |
6The woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. |
| 7他對我說：看，你將懷孕生子，從今以後清酒濃酒都不可喝，各種不潔的東西都不可吃，因為這孩子從母胎一直到死，是獻於天主的。」 |
7But he said to me, 'You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.'" |
| 8瑪諾亞就向上主懇求說：「我主！求你叫你所派的那位天主的人再到我們這裏來！指教我們對於將生的嬰孩應該作什麼？」 |
8Manoah then prayed to the LORD. "O LORD, I beseech you," he said, "may the man of God whom you sent, return to us to teach us what to do for the boy who will be born." |
| 9天主聽了瑪諾亞的話；天主的使者又來到那婦人跟前；那時她正坐在田間，她的丈夫沒有同她在一起。 |
9God heard the prayer of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field. Since her husband Manoah was not with her, |
| 10那婦人就急速跑去告訴丈夫說：「看，那天來我跟前的那個人，又顯現給我了。」 |
10the woman ran in haste and told her husband. "The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me," she said to him; |
| 11瑪諾亞就起來，跟着妻子來到那人跟前，對他說：「你就是向這婦人說話的那人嗎？」他回答說：「我就是。」 |
11so Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he reached the man, he said to him, "Are you the one who spoke to my wife?" "Yes," he answered. |
| 12瑪諾亞向他說：「當你的話應驗的時候，我們應該怎樣管教這孩子？要怎樣待他？」 |
12Then Manoah asked, "Now, when that which you say comes true, what are we expected to do for the boy?" |
| 13上主的使者對瑪諾亞說：「我給這婦人所說的一切，她都當留神： |
13The angel of the LORD answered Manoah, "Your wife is to abstain from all the things of which I spoke to her. |
| 14凡葡萄樹所結的，她不能吃；清酒濃酒她不能喝，各種不潔的東西她不能吃；凡我所吩咐她的，她都該遵守。」 |
14She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor take wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. Let her observe all that I have commanded her." |
| 15瑪諾亞對上主的使者說：「請容許我款留你，為你預備一隻小山羊。」 |
15Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Can we persuade you to stay, while we prepare a kid for you?" |
| 16上主的使者對瑪諾亞說：「你雖然款留我，我卻不吃你的食物；假使你要獻一全燔祭，就當獻於上主。」因瑪諾亞當時還不知道他是上主的使者。 |
16But the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, "Although you press me, I will not partake of your food. But if you will, you may offer a holocaust to the LORD."Not knowing that it was the angel of the LORD, |
| 17瑪諾亞問上主的使者說：「你叫什麼名字？當你的話應驗的時候，我們好恭敬你。」 |
17Manoah said to him, "What is your name, that we may honor you when your words come true?" |
| 18上主的使者回答說：「你為什麼問我的名字？它是奧妙的。」 |
18 The angel of the LORD answered him, "Why do you ask my name, which is mysterious?" |
| 19瑪諾亞取了一隻小山羊和素祭，在一塊磐石上獻於行奇事的上主。 |
19Then Manoah took the kid with a cereal offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, whose works are mysteries. While Manoah and his wife were looking on, |
| 20當火焰從祭壇上向天升起時，上主的使者也在祭壇上的火焰中上升了。瑪諾亞和他的妻子看見這事，就俯伏在地。 |
20as the flame rose to the sky from the altar, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell prostrate to the ground; |
| 21上主的使者沒有再顯現給瑪諾亞和他的妻子，那時瑪諾亞才知道他是上主的使者。 |
21but the angel of the LORD was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah, realizing that it was the angel of the LORD, |
| 22瑪諾亞對自己的妻子說：「我們必定要死，因為我們看見了天主。」 |
22said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God." |
| 23但他妻子對他說：「如果上主有意叫我們死，必定不會悅納我們的手所獻的全燔祭和素祭，必不會使我們看見這些事，也不會使我們聽到像現在這樣的話。」 |
23But his wife pointed out to him, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a holocaust and cereal offering from our hands! Nor would he have let us see all this just now, or hear what we have heard." |
| 24後來那婦人生了一個兒子，給他起名叫三松；孩子漸漸長大，上主祝福了他。 |
24The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him; |
| 25在瑪哈乃丹，即在祚辣與厄市陶耳之間，上主的神開始感動他。 |
25the spirit of the LORD first stirred him in Mahaneh-dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol. |
