| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1以色列子民又行了上主視為惡的事，上主把他們交於米德楊人手中七年之久。 |
1The Israelites offended the LORD, who therefore delivered them into the power of Midian for seven years, |
| 2米德楊人的勢力勝過了以色列，以色列子民為了防禦米德楊人，修築了山洞、地洞和山寨。 |
2so that Midian held Israel subject. For fear of Midian the Israelites established the fire signals on the mountains, the caves for refuge, and the strongholds. |
| 3每逢以色列人撒種之後，米德楊人、阿瑪肋克人和東方子民就上來攻打他們； |
3And it used to be that when the Israelites had completed their sowing, Midian, Amalek and the Kedemites would come up, |
| 4對着他們紮營，毀壞地產直到迦薩一帶，沒有給以色列留下一點食糧，連羊、牛、驢也沒有留下； |
4encamp opposite them, and destroy the produce of the land as far as the outskirts of Gaza, leaving no sustenance in Israel, nor sheep, oxen or asses. |
| 5因為他們總是帶着家畜和帳棚上來，多如蝗蟲；他們來的人和駱駝多得無數，踏入境內，毀壞田地。 |
5For they would come up with their livestock, and their tents would become as numerous as locusts; and neither they nor their camels could be numbered, when they came into the land to lay it waste. |
| 6以色列為了米德楊人的原故，很是窮困，因此以色列子民呼籲了上主。 |
6Thus was Israel reduced to misery by Midian, and so the Israelites cried out to the LORD. |
| 7當以色列子民為了米德楊的原故，呼籲上主時， |
7When Israel cried out to the LORD because of Midian, |
| 8上主就派了一位先知到以色列子民那裏，對他們說：「上主以色列的天主這樣說：是我使你們由埃及上來，領你們離開了為奴之家； |
8he sent a prophet to the Israelites who said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I led you up from Egypt; I brought you out of the place of slavery. |
| 9是我從埃及人的手中，從一切壓迫你們的人手中救出你們來；是我從你們面前把他們趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。 |
9I rescued you from the power of Egypt and of all your other oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. |
| 10我曾對你們說過：我是上主你們的天主，你們在阿摩黎地方，切不可敬畏他們的神！但是你們沒有聽從我的話。」 |
10And I said to you: I, the LORD, am your God; you shall not venerate the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are dwelling. But you did not obey me." |
| 11上主的使者來到，坐在敖弗辣的一棵屬於阿彼厄則爾人約阿士的篤耨樹下，當時他的兒子基德紅正在釀酒池裏打麥子，躲避米德楊人。 |
11Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites, |
| 12上主的使者顯現給他，對他說：「英勇的壯士，願上主與你同在！」 |
12the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "The LORD is with you, O champion!" |
| 13基德紅回答他說：「我主，請原諒！如果上主與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這些困難？我祖先給我們所講過的那一切奇事，如今在那裏？他們曾向我們說過：看，是上主領我們出離埃及，但是現在上主拋棄了我們，將我們交在米德楊人的掌握中。」 |
13"My Lord," Gideon said to him, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian." |
| 14上主注視他說：「憑你這種力量，你去拯救以色列脫離米德楊人的掌握。看，是我派遣你。」 |
14The LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you." |
| 15他回答說：「我主，請原諒！我憑什麼拯救以色列？看，我家在默納協支派中是最卑微的，我在我父親家中又是最小的一個。」 |
15But he answered him, "Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the meanest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house." |
| 16上主對他說：「有我與你同在，你必擊敗米德楊人，如擊一個人一樣。」 |
16"I shall be with you," the LORD said to him, "and you will cut down Midian to the last man." |
| 17基德紅又向他說：「我若在你面前蒙恩，請你給我一個記號，證明與我說話的是你。 |
17He answered him, "If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. |
| 18請你不要離開此地，等我回到你這裏，帶來禮物，擺在你前。」他答應說：「我等你回來。」 |
18Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you." He answered, "I will await your return." |
| 19基德紅就去預備了一隻小公山羊，又用一「厄法」麥粉作了無酵餅，把肉放在筐裏，把湯盛在罐裏，帶到篤耨樹下獻給他。 |
19So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and an ephah of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. |
| 20天主的使者對他說：「拿出肉和無酵餅來，放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來！」他就照樣作了。 |
20The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth." When he had done so, |
| 21上主的使者遂伸出手中拿的棍杖，杖頭一觸及肉和無酵餅，磐石便起火，把肉和無酵餅吞噬了；上主的使者便從他眼前隱沒了。 |
21the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock which consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight. |
| 22基德紅遂知道他是上主的使者說：「哎呀！我主上主，我竟然面對面地看見上主的使者！」 |
22Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, "Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" |
| 23但上主對他說：「你放心！不必害怕，你不會死！」 |
23The LORD answered him, "Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die." |
| 24基德紅就在那裏給上主立了一座祭壇，稱為雅威沙隆；至今還在阿彼厄則爾人的敖弗辣那裏。 |
24 So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. |
| 25當夜上主對他說：「取你父親的一隻牛，即那隻七歲的肥牛，以後拆毀你父親的巴耳祭壇，打碎旁邊的阿舍辣； |
25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the seven-year-old spare bullock and destroy your father's altar to Baal and cut down the sacred pole that is by it. |
| 26給上主你的天主在這磐石頂上建一座祭壇，準備妥當，將那隻肥牛獻為全燔祭，用打碎的阿舍辣作木柴。」 |
26You shall build, instead, the proper kind of altar to the LORD, your God, on top of this stronghold. Then take the spare bullock and offer it as a holocaust on the wood from the sacred pole you have cut down." |
| 27基德紅就從僕人中選出十個人，照上主吩咐他的作了；但因為害怕父親的家人和城裏的人，不敢在白天行事，就在黑夜作了。 |
27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded him. But through fear of his family and of the townspeople, he would not do it by day, but did it at night. |
| 28城裏的人早晨起來，看見巴耳的祭壇已毀，旁邊所有的阿舍辣也被打碎，那隻肥牛也獻於新築的祭壇上， |
28Early the next morning the townspeople found that the altar of Baal had been destroyed, the sacred pole near it cut down, and the spare bullock offered on the altar that was built. |
| 29就彼此詢問說：「誰作了這事？」經過考察追問之後，斷定說：「必是約阿士的兒子基德紅作了這事。」 |
29They asked one another, "Who did this?" Their inquiry led them to the conclusion that Gideon, son of Joash, had done it. |
| 30因此本城的人對約阿士說：「將你的兒子交出來，將他處死！因為他拆毀了巴耳的祭壇，打碎了旁邊的阿舍辣。」 |
30So the townspeople said to Joash, "Bring out your son that he may die, for he has destroyed the altar of Baal and has cut down the sacred pole that was near it." |
| 31約阿士回答所有反對他的人說：「你們要為巴耳辯護麼？或者你們要救助他嗎？誰為他辯護，明天早晨便該處以死刑！他如果是神，讓他為自己辯護罷！因為有人拆毀了他的祭壇。」 |
31But Joash replied to all who were standing around him, "Do you intend to act in Baal's stead, or be his champion? If anyone acts for him, he shall be put to death by morning. If he whose altar has been destroyed is a god, let him act for himself!" |
| 32因此當天人就稱基德紅為「耶魯巴耳」，好像說：「讓巴耳與他爭辯，因為基德紅拆毀了他的祭壇。」 |
32 So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because of the words, "Let Baal take action against him, since he destroyed his altar." |
| 33那時，米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方子民都聚集起來，過了河，在依次勒耳平原安了營。 |
33Then all Midian and Amalek and the Kedemites mustered and crossed over into the valley of Jezreel, where they encamped. |
| 34上主的神充滿了基德紅，他一吹號角，阿彼厄則爾人便應召前來跟隨他； |
34The spirit of the LORD enveloped Gideon; he blew the horn that summoned Abiezer to follow him. |
| 35他又打發使者走遍默納協，默納協人也應召前來跟隨他；他又打發使者往阿協爾、則步隆和納斐塔里去，他們也都上來與他們會合。 |
35He sent messengers, too, throughout Manasseh, which also obeyed his summons; through Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, likewise, he sent messengers and these tribes advanced to meet the others. |
| 36基德紅就對天主說：「如果你按你所說的，真要藉我的手拯救以色列， |
36Gideon said to God, "If indeed you are going to save Israel through me, as you promised, |
| 37看我將剪下的一把羊毛放在禾場上，若露水單單落在羊毛上，而遍地都是乾的，那麼我便曉得，如你所說的，你真要藉我的手拯救以色列。」 |
37I am putting this woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If dew comes on the fleece alone, while all the ground is dry, I shall know that you will save Israel through me, as you promised." |
| 38次日清早起來，果然如此，基德紅把羊毛一擰，從羊毛裏擰出一碗露水。 |
38That is what took place. Early the next morning he wrung the dew from the fleece, squeezing out of it a bowlful of water. |
| 39基德紅又向天主說：「如果我再說一次，求你別對我發怒！請讓我用這羊毛再試一次：單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。」 |
39Gideon then said to God, "Do not be angry with me if I speak once more. Let me make just one more test with the fleece. Let the fleece alone be dry, but let there be dew on all the ground." |
| 40那一夜天主果然這樣作了，單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。 |
40That night God did so; the fleece alone was dry, but there was dew on all the ground. |
