| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1上主的使者從基耳加耳上到波津說：「我使你們由埃及上來，領你們進入了我向你們祖先所誓許的地方；我曾說過：我永不廢棄我與你們所立的盟約， |
1An angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "It was I who brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land which I promised on oath to your fathers. I said that I would never break my covenant with you, |
| 2你們也不可與這地方的居民結約，且要拆毀他們的祭壇。但你們沒有聽從我的聲音；你們這是作的什麼事？ |
2but that you were not to make a pact with the inhabitants of this land, and you were to pull down their altars. Yet you have not obeyed me. What did you mean by this? |
| 3為此我現在說：我必不把他們從你們面前趕走，他們為你們將是陷阱，他們的神要成為你們的羅網。」 |
3For now I tell you, I will not clear them out of your way; they shall oppose you and their gods shall become a snare for you." |
| 4當上主的使者對全以色列子民說這話時，百姓便放聲大哭， |
4When the angel of the LORD had made these threats to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud; |
| 5因此給那地方起名叫波津。他們在那裏給上主奉獻了祭獻。 |
5 and so that place came to be called Bochim. They offered sacrifice there to the LORD. |
| 6若蘇厄遣散了百姓，以色列子民就各到自己應得的產業去，為佔領那地方。 |
6When Joshua dismissed the people, each Israelite went to take possession of his own hereditary land. |
| 7當若蘇厄在世時，和他去世後，那些見過上主為以色列所行的大事的長老們還在的時日，百姓都事奉上主。 |
7The people served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who had seen all the great work which the LORD had done for Israel. |
| 8上主的僕人，農的兒子若蘇厄一百一十歲時去了世。 |
8Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, was a hundred and ten years old when he died; |
| 9人們把他埋在他地業的境內，即在厄弗辣因山地，加阿士山北面的提默納赫勒斯。 |
9and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-heres in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. |
| 10當那一代人都歸於他們的祖先以後，在他們之後，興起了另一代，他們不認識上主，也不知道上主為以色列所行的事蹟。 |
10But once the rest of that generation were gathered to their fathers, and a later generation arose that did not know the LORD, or what he had done for Israel, |
| 11以色列子民行了上主視為惡的事，事奉了巴耳諸神。 |
11 the Israelites offended the LORD by serving the Baals. |
| 12他們離棄了上主他們祖先的天主，即領他們出離埃及地的天主，而隨從了別的神，叩拜他們四周各民族的神，因此觸怒了上主。 |
12Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD. |
| 13他們背離了上主，而事奉巴耳和阿市托勒特。 |
13 Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, |
| 14於是上主對以色列大發忿怒，把他們交在強盜手中，叫強盜搶掠他們；將他們賣給四周的敵人，使他們不能抵抗他們的敵人； |
14the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. |
| 15他們無論去那裏，上主的手總是加害他們，猶如上主所說的，猶如上主向他們所起的誓，使他們受極大的痛苦。 |
15Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress. |
| 16上主雖興起民長，拯救他們脫離強盜的手； |
16Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers, |
| 17但他們仍不肯聽從他們的民長，反而與外邦的神行淫，頂禮叩拜，迅速地離開了他們祖先所走的服從上主命令的路，沒有照樣行事。 |
17they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD. |
| 18當上主給他們興起民長時，上主與民長同在，在民長一生的歲月中，救他們脫離仇敵的手，因為上主聽見了他們受壓迫欺凌發出的歎息，而憐憫了他們； |
18Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors. |
| 19可是民長一去世，他們又轉而行惡，行為比他們的祖先更壞，去追隨外神，事奉叩拜他們，總不放棄他們祖先的惡行和頑抗的行為。 |
19But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct. |
| 20因此上主對以色列大發忿怒說：「因為這百姓違犯了我與他們祖先締結的盟約，沒有聽從我的聲音； |
20In his anger toward Israel the LORD said, "Inasmuch as this nation has violated my covenant which I enjoined on their fathers, and has disobeyed me, |
| 21為此，若蘇厄死後所剩下的民族，我也不再由他們面前，驅逐任何一個， |
21I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations which Joshua left when he died." |
| 22為試驗以色列是否謹守遵行上主的道路，有如他們祖先所遵行的一樣。」 |
22Through these nations the Israelites were to be made to prove whether or not they would keep to the way of the LORD and continue in it as their fathers had done; |
| 23因此，上主保留了那些民族，沒有迅速驅逐他們，也沒有把他們交在以色列人手中。 |
23therefore the LORD allowed them to remain instead of expelling them immediately, or delivering them into the power of Israel. |
