| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1那時厄弗辣因人對基德紅說：「你去攻打米德楊時，沒有召叫我們，你為什麼這樣對待我們？」他們激烈地與他爭吵。 |
1But the Ephraimites said to him, "What have you done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they quarreled bitterly with him. |
| 2他回答他們說：「我所行的怎能比得上你們呢？厄弗辣因所拾的不比阿彼厄則爾所收的葡萄更好嗎？ |
2"What have I accomplished now in comparison with you?" he answered them. "Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? |
| 3天主將米德楊的首領敖勒布和則厄布交在你們手中，我所能行的怎能與你們相比？」為了他這番話，他們對他的怒氣，就平息了。 |
3Into your power God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided. |
| 4基德紅來到約但河，就渡過河；他與跟隨他的三百人，雖然都疲倦，仍繼續追趕。 |
4When Gideon reached the Jordan and crossed it with his three hundred men, they were exhausted and famished. |
| 5他向穌苛特人說：「請你們給跟隨我的人幾個餅吃，因為他們疲倦了，我還願去追趕米德楊的兩個王子則巴黑和匝耳慕納。」 |
5So he said to the men of Succoth, "Will you give my followers some loaves of bread? They are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian." |
| 6穌苛特人的頭目回答說：「難道則巴黑和匝耳慕納的手已在你的掌握中，我們就該把餅送給你的軍隊嗎？」 |
6 But the princes of Succoth replied, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your army?" |
| 7基德紅說：「好罷！幾時上主把則巴黑和匝耳慕納交在我手中，我必要用茨條和荊棘鞭撻你們的身體。」 |
7Gideon said, "Very well; when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, I will grind your flesh in with the thorns and briers of the desert." |
| 8以後由那裏上去，到了培奴耳，也向他們說了同樣的話；培奴耳人回答他也像穌苛特人一樣。 |
8He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request of them, but the men of Penuel answered him as had the men of Succoth. |
| 9他也對培奴耳人說：「當我平安回來時，我必拆毀這座碉堡。」 |
9So to the men of Penuel, too, he said, "When I return in triumph, I will demolish this tower." |
| 10那時則巴黑和匝耳慕納正在卡爾科爾，他們的軍隊約有一萬五千人，這是全部東方子民所剩下的軍隊，因為已有十二萬持刀的被擊斃了。 |
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their force of about fifteen thousand men; these were all who were left of the whole Kedemite army, a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen having fallen. |
| 11基德紅從諾巴黑和約革波哈東面，順着住帳棚人的路上去，當敵人自以為安全的時候，襲擊了軍營， |
11Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when it felt secure. |
| 12則巴黑和匝耳慕納落荒而逃，基德紅在後面追趕，捉住了那兩個米德楊王子則巴黑和匝耳慕納，並使全軍覆沒。 |
12Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, captive, throwing the entire army into panic. |
| 13約阿士的兒子基德紅，從戰場沿赫勒斯斜坡回來， |
13Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from battle by the pass of Heres. |
| 14捉住了穌苛特的少年人，查問他。這少年人就給他寫下穌苛特的首領和長老的名字，共七十七人。 |
14He captured a young man of Succoth, who upon being questioned listed for him the seventy-seven princes and elders of Succoth. |
| 15基德紅遂往穌苛特人那裏去說：「看！這是則巴黑和匝耳慕納，你們為了他們曾譏笑我說：難道則巴黑和匝耳慕納的手已在你掌握中，我們就該把餅送給你疲倦的人嗎？」 |
15So he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you taunted me, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your weary followers?'" |
| 16他於是捉住那城的長老，用曠野裏的茨條和荊棘懲罰了穌苛特居民。 |
16He took the elders of the city, and thorns and briers of the desert, and ground these men of Succoth into them. |
| 17以後又把培奴耳的碉堡拆毀，殺戮了城內的居民。 |
17He also demolished the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city. |
| 18然後詢問則巴黑和匝耳慕納說：「你們在大博爾山上殺戮的那些人是怎樣的人呢？」他們答說：「他們像你們一樣，個個都像君王的兒子。」 |
18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where now are the men you killed at Tabor?" "They all resembled you," they replied. "They appeared to be princes." |
| 19基德紅說：「他們是我的兄弟，是我母親的兒子：上主永在：如果你們保留了他們不死，我也就不殺你們。」 |
19"They were my brothers, my mother's sons," he said. "As the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I should not kill you." |
| 20他遂對自己的長子耶特爾說：「起來，殺死他們！」但是這孩童害怕，拔不出刀來，因為年紀還小。 |
20Then he said to his first-born, Jether, "Go, kill them." Since Jether was still a boy, he was afraid and did not draw his sword. |
| 21因此，則巴黑和匝耳慕納說：「你親自起來殺死我們罷！因為人怎樣，他的力量也怎樣。」基德紅就起來殺了則巴黑和匝耳慕納，拿去他們駱駝頸上的月牙環。 |
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, kill us yourself, for a man's strength is like the man." So Gideon stepped forward and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels. |
| 22事後，以色列人便對基德紅說：「你既然從米德楊手中拯救了我們，請你和你的子孫作我們的君王！」 |
22The Israelites then said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son, and your son's son--for you rescued us from the power of Midian." |
| 23基德紅回答他們說：「我不作你們的君王，我的子孫也不作你們的君王，惟有上主是你們的君王。」 |
23But Gideon answered them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The LORD must rule over you." |
| 24基德紅又向他們說：「我只向你們要求一件事：請將每人掠奪的金環給我。」原來依市瑪耳人都有金環。 |
24 Gideon went on to say, "I should like to make a request of you. Will each of you give me a ring from his booty?" (For being Ishmaelites, the enemy had gold rings.) |
| 25他們答說：「我們情願給你。」於是舖開一件外衣，每人把所掠奪的金環擲在上面。 |
25"We will gladly give them," they replied, and spread out a cloak into which everyone threw a ring from his booty. |
| 26他所要的金環共有一千七百 「協刻耳」重；此外尚有月牙環、耳環和米德楊王所穿的紫紅衣，及他們駱駝頸上的項鏈。 |
26The gold rings that he requested weighed seventeen hundred gold shekels, in addition to the crescents and pendants, the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the trappings that were on the necks of their camels. |
| 27基德紅用這些金子造了一個「厄弗得」，安置在他本城敖弗辣。以色列眾人都到那裏行邪淫，因此這個「厄弗得」便成了基德紅及其家族的羅網。 |
27Gideon made an ephod out of the gold and placed it in his city Ophrah. However, all Israel paid idolatrous homage to it there, and caused the ruin of Gideon and his family. |
| 28米德楊在以色列子民前屈服，再沒有抬起頭來。基德紅在世時，境內平安了四十年。 |
28Thus was Midian brought into subjection by the Israelites; no longer did they hold their heads high. And the land had rest for forty years, during the lifetime of Gideon. |
| 29約阿士的兒子耶魯巴耳回去，安居在自己家中。 |
29Then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went back home to stay. |
| 30基德紅有七十個兒子，都是他親生的，因為他有很多妻子。 |
30Now Gideon had seventy sons, his direct descendants, for he had many wives. |
| 31他在舍根的妾也給他生了一個兒子，給他起名叫阿彼默肋客。 |
31 His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. |
| 32約阿士的兒子基德紅壽終正寢，埋在阿彼厄則爾的敖弗辣，他父親約阿士的墳墓裏。 |
32At a good old age Gideon, son of Joash, died and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. |
| 33基德紅死後，以色列子民又去跟從巴耳諸神行邪淫，立巴耳貝黎特當做他們的天主。 |
33 But after Gideon was dead, the Israelites again abandoned themselves to the Baals, making Baal of Berith their god |
| 34以色列子民忘記了上主他們的天主，曾從四周所有的敵人手中救了他們， |
34and forgetting the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from the power of their enemies all around them. |
| 35也沒有恩待耶魯巴耳即基德紅的家，以報答他施於以色列的恩惠。 |
35Nor were they grateful to the family of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel. |
