列王紀上 18
1 [預告旱災結束]過了許多時日，到了第三年，有上主的話傳於厄里亞說：「你去見阿哈布，我要在這地上降雨。」
After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 厄里亞就去見阿哈布；那時，撒瑪黎雅正遭受嚴重的饑荒。
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
3 阿哈布將自己的家宰敖巴狄雅召來，─敖巴狄雅原是一位很敬畏上主的人。
Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;
4 當依則貝耳殺害上主的先知時，他曾收留一百個先知，每五十人分藏在一個洞裏，私下供給他們飲食。─
for when Jezebel cut off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
5 阿哈布對敖巴狄雅說：「我們要走遍這地，到所有的水泉和小河那裏去，或許能找到一些青草，使騾馬生存，免得喪失許多牲畜。」
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”
6 他們於是分地巡行；阿哈布獨自走了一條路，敖巴狄雅也獨自走了另一條路。敖巴狄雅遇厄里亞
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 敖巴狄雅走路時，厄里亞恰巧遇見了他；敖巴狄雅認得他，便俯伏在地說：「你不就是我主厄里亞嗎﹖」
As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8 厄里亞回答說：「是，你去告訴你的主人說：厄里亞在這裏。」
He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”
9 敖巴狄雅說：「我犯了什麼罪﹖你竟要將你的僕人交於阿哈布手中，讓他殺死我﹖
He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
10 我指著永生的上主，你的天主起誓：沒有一個民族，沒有一個國家，我的主上不派人去尋找你的；如果人們說：厄里亞不在我們這裏；他一定要叫那個國家和那個民族起誓說：實在他們沒有找到你。
As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they did not find you.
11 現在你說：你去告訴你的主人說：厄里亞在這裏。
Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’
12 我一離開你，上主的神把你帶到我所不知道的地方去；我若去告訴阿哈布，而他找不到你，啟不要殺死我﹖你的僕人自幼也是個敬畏上主得人啊!
It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that the LORD’s Spirit will carry you I do not know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
13 難道我主沒有聽說過：當依則耳殘殺上主的先知時，我所作的事﹖我曾隱藏一百個上主的先知，每五十人分藏在一個洞裏，由我供給他們飲食。
Was not it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 現在你說：你去告訴你的主人，厄里亞在這裏，他一定要殺我! 」
Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”
15 厄里亞說：「我指著我所服侍的萬軍的永生上主起誓：今天我一定要叫阿哈布看見我。」阿哈布和厄里亞見面
Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
16 敖巴狄雅於是前去會見阿哈布，告訴他這消息，阿哈布就去迎接厄里亞。
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 阿哈布一見厄里亞，就對他說：「叫以色列遭難的人，不就是你嗎﹖」
When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
18 厄里亞答說：「不是我叫以色列遭難，而是你和你的父家，因為你們拋棄了上主的誡命，歸順了巴耳邪神。
He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.
19 現在，你派人去召集全以色列人，同受依則貝耳供養的那四百五十個巴耳的先知，【及那四百個阿舍辣的先知，】上加爾默耳山，到我跟前來。」
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 阿哈布便派人召集了所有的以色列子民，聚集了那些先知，一起到了加爾默耳山上。厄里亞與假先知比試
So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
21 厄里亞走向全體民眾面前說：「你們搖擺不定，模稜兩可，要到幾時呢﹖如果上主是天主，你們就應該隨從上主；如果巴耳是天主，就該隨從巴耳。」人民一句話也不回答。
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not say a word.
22 厄里亞對人民說：「上主的先知指剩下我一個人了，巴耳的先知卻有四百五十人。
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.
23 請給我們牽兩隻公牛犢來；他們可任選一隻，剖分成塊，放在木柴上，不要點火；我也照樣預備另一隻，放在木柴上，也不點火。
Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
24 你們呼求你們神的名字，我也呼求上主的名字：那降火顯示應允的神，就是真神。」民眾回答說：「你這話說得很好! 」
You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the LORD’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”
25 厄里亞對巴耳的先知們說：「因為你們人數眾多，你們應該先挑選一隻牛犢，準備好，然後呼求你們神的名字，只是不要點火。」
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
26 他們即將人給他們的公牛犢牽來，預備好，從早晨直到中午呼求巴耳的名字說：「巴耳，應允我們罷! 」但是沒有聲音，也沒有答應的。他們就在自己所築的祭壇旁，跪下又起來，跳個不停。
They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
27 到了中午，厄里亞嘲弄他們說：「你們再高聲喊叫，因為他是神，或者他正在沉思冥想，或者它暫時隱退，或者正在外旅行，或者他正在睡覺，必須把他叫醒。」
At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
28 他們遂更高聲喊叫，照他們的習慣，用刀用槍割傷自己，直到全身流出血來。
They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
29 過了中午，他們仍繼續狂喊亂叫，直到晚祭的時候，但仍然沒有聲音，也沒有答應的，也沒有理會。
When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.
30 厄里亞對全你人民說：「你們到我這裏來。」全體人民便都到他那裏去；厄里亞立即重修了已經坍塌了的上主的祭壇；
Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down.
31 依照雅各伯子孫的支派數目，取了十二塊石頭，─這雅各伯就是上主曾對他說過：「你的名字要叫以色列。」─
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 用這些石頭，為上主的名築成一座祭壇，在祭壇四周作了一個水溝，可容二「色阿」穀種。
With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed.
33 把木柴放好，將牛犢剖分成塊，放在木柴上，
He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
34 然後吩咐說：「盛滿四桶水，倒在全燔祭和木柴上! 」他們就這樣做了。他又吩咐說：「再倒一次! 」他們就再倒了一次；他再吩咐說：「倒第三次! 」他們就倒了第三次；
He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.
35 水沿祭壇四周奔流，溝裏滿了水。
The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 到了要奉獻晚祭的時候，厄里亞先知走近前來說：「上主，亞巴郎、依撒格和以色列的天主，求你今天使人知道：你是以色列的天主，我是你的僕人，是奉你的命作這一切事。
At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 上主，求你應允我，應允我! 使這人民知道你上主，是真天主，是你叫他們心回意轉。」
Hear me, LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”
38 於是上主的火降下，焚盡了全燔祭、柴木、石頭和塵土，也燒乾了溝中的水。
Then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 全體人民見了，都俯伏在地說：「雅威是天主，雅威是天主!」
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “The LORD, he is God! The LORD, he is God!”
40 厄里亞對民眾說：「你們捉住巴耳的先知，不要讓他們走脫一個! 」民眾立即捉住他們。厄里亞帶他們下到克雄小河旁，在那裏將他們全部殺掉。天降大雨
Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
41 厄里亞對阿哈布說：「你上去吃喝罷! 因為已聽到大雨的怒號聲。」
Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 阿哈布就上去吃喝，厄里亞卻上了加爾默耳山頂，跪伏在地，將臉放在兩膝之間。
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
43 以後，對自己的僕人說：「你上去，朝海那邊觀看! 」僕人就上去觀看，說：「什麼也沒有。」厄里亞說：「你來回觀看七次! 」他就去了七次。
He said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.
44 第七次僕人說：「看，有一片雲彩，小得像手掌那麼大，從海上升起來了。」厄里亞說：「你上去告訴阿哈布說：快套車下去，免得被雨阻止! 」
On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain does not stop you.’”
45 轉瞬之間，天空因風雲變為昏黑，落下大雨；阿哈布上車去了依次勒耳。
In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 上主的手臨於厄里亞身上，他就束上腰，跑在阿哈布前頭，直到依次勒耳的城門口。
The LORD’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
