< 列王紀上 20 >
1 [本哈達得進攻阿哈布]阿蘭王本哈達得召集了自己所有的軍隊,帶同三十二個王子,乘坐戰馬戰車,前去圍攻撒瑪黎雅。
And Ben-Hadad king of Aram hath gathered all his force, and thirty and two kings [are] with him, and horse and chariot, and he goeth up and layeth siege against Samaria, and fighteth with it,
and sendeth messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, to the city,
3 對他說:「本哈達得這樣說:你的金銀全應歸我,只是你的妻子兒女,仍歸於你。」
and saith to him, 'Thus said Ben-Hadad, 'Thy silver and thy gold are mine, and thy wives and thy sons — the best — are mine.'
4 以色列王回答說:「我主大王,就依照你的話,我和我的一切都歸於你。」
And the king of Israel answereth and saith, 'According to thy word, my lord, O king: I [am] thine, and all that I have.'
5 不料,使者們又回答說:「本哈達得這樣說:我已派人通知你:將你的金銀和你的妻子兒女全交給我。
And the messengers turn back and say, 'Thus spake Ben-Hadad, saying, Surely I sent unto thee, saying, Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy sons, to me thou dost give;
6 須知,明天這時,我必派我的僕人到你這裏來,搜索你和你僕人的房屋,凡他們看中的東西,都要隨手拿去。」
for if, at this time to-morrow, I send my servants unto thee then they have searched thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it hath been, every desirable thing of thine eyes they place in their hand, and have taken away.'
7 以色列王將國內所有長老召來,說:「你們想想看:這人要求是多麼無理! 他先派人要我的金銀,我沒有拒絕他;現在竟又派人來我這裏,要我的妻子兒女。」
And the king of Israel calleth to all the elders of the land, and saith, 'Know, I pray you, and see that evil this [one] is seeking, for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I withheld not from him.'
8 眾長老和全體人民對他說:「你不要聽從,也不要應允! 」
And all the elders and all the people say unto him, 'Do not hearken, nor consent.'
9 因此,他對本哈達得的使者說:「你們回去告訴我主大王說:你第一次派人向你僕人所要求的,我必全照辦;至於這另一要求,我卻不能照辦。」使者遂回去,向本哈達得回話。
And he saith to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, 'Say to my lord the king, All that thou didst send for unto thy servant at the first I do, and this thing I am not able to do;' and the messengers go and take him back word.
10 本哈達得於是派人對阿哈布說:「如果撒瑪黎雅的塵土,足夠跟隨我的人每人抓一把,願眾神明嚴厲,且加倍嚴厲地懲罰我! 」
And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, 'Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who [are] at my feet.'
11 以色列王回答說:「有句俗話說:佩帶武器的人,不可像卸去了武器的人那樣自負。」
And the king of Israel answereth and saith, 'Speak ye: let not him who is girding on boast himself as him who is loosing [his armour].'
12 本哈達得和眾王正在帳內飲酒,一聽見這話,就對他的臣僕說:「列隊進攻! 」他們即刻列隊攻城。阿哈布賴主獲勝
And it cometh to pass at the hearing of this word — and he is drinking, he and the kings, in the booths — that he saith unto his servants, 'Set yourselves;' and they set themselves against the city.
13 這時,忽然有一個先知,來見以色列王阿哈布說:「上主這樣說:你不是看見這支強大的軍隊嗎﹖今天,我要將他們交在你手中,叫你知道我是上主。」
And lo, a certain prophet hath come nigh unto Ahab king of Israel, and saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, 'Hast thou seen all this great multitude? lo, I am giving it into thy hand to-day, and thou hast known that I [am] Jehovah.'
14 阿哈布問說:「藉著誰﹖」先知回答說:「上主這樣說:藉著眾省長的少年軍人。」阿哈布又問說:「誰指揮作戰﹖」先知回答說:「你自己。」
And Ahab saith, 'By whom?' and he saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, By the young men of the heads of the provinces;' and he saith, 'Who doth direct the battle?' and he saith, 'Thou.'
15 於是阿哈布檢閱了眾省長的少年人,計有二百三十二人;然後又檢閱了所有軍人,即全體以色列子民,共七千人。
And he inspecteth the young men of the heads of the provinces, and they are two hundred, two and thirty, and after them he hath inspecteth the whole of the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand,
16 到了中午,他們出發,那時,本哈達得正和協助他的三十二個王子在帳中飲酒。
and they go out at noon, and Ben-Hadad is drinking — drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings, helping him.
17 眾省長的少年軍人首先出發,本哈達得派出的探子回報他說:「有人從撒瑪黎雅出來了。」
And the young men of the heads of the provinces go out at the first, and Ben-Hadad sendeth, and they declare to him, saying, 'Men have come out of Samaria.'
18 他遂吩咐說:「如果他們前來,是為求和,將他們活活捉住;如果他們前來,是為交戰,也將他們活活捉住。」
And he saith, 'If for peace they have come out — catch them alive; and if for battle they have come out — alive catch them.'
And these have gone out of the city — the young men of the heads of the provinces — and the force that [is] after them,
20 個個見人便殺,阿蘭人逃走,以色列人在後面乘勝追趕;阿蘭王本哈達得急速上馬與騎兵一起逃走。
and smite each his man, and Aram fleeth, and Israel pursueth them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escapeth on a horse, and the horsemen;
21 那時,以色列王出來,擄掠了許多戰馬和戰車,使阿蘭人大敗。
and the king of Israel goeth out, and smiteth the horses, and the charioteers, and hath smitten among the Aramaeans a great smiting.
22 那為先知前來對以色列王說:「你要發奮圖強,留心認清你當作的事,因為明年春季,阿蘭王必要再來攻擊你。」阿蘭王整軍再戰
And the prophet cometh nigh unto the king of Israel, and saith to him, 'Go, strengthen thyself, and know and see that which thou dost, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram is coming up against thee.'
23 阿蘭王的臣僕對阿蘭王說:「以色列的神是山神,所以他們必我們強;但如果我們在平原上與他們交戰,我們必會得勝。
And the servants of the king of Aram said unto him, 'Gods of hills [are] their gods, therefore they were stronger than we; and yet, we fight with them in the plain — are we not stronger than they?
24 這是大王應該作的事:廢除眾王子各人的職位,另立軍長代替,
'And this thing do thou: turn aside the kings each out of his place, and set captains in their stead;
25 召募新軍,補充所損失的軍隊,照數補充戰馬戰車;然後在平原上與他們會戰,我們定能戰勝他們。」阿蘭王聽從了他們的建議,就這樣進行。本哈達得在戰再敗
and thou, number to thee a force as the force that is fallen from thee, and horse for horse, and chariot for chariot, and we fight with them in the plain; are we not stronger than they?' and he hearkeneth to their voice, and doth so.
26 過年以後,本哈達得檢閱了阿蘭人上到阿費克,進攻以色列。
And it cometh to pass at the turn of the year, that Ben-Hadad inspecteth the Aramaeans, and goeth up to Aphek, to battle with Israel,
27 以色列子民也動員起來,攜帶軍糧,出來迎戰;以色列子民在他們對面紮營,好像兩群山羊;至於阿蘭人卻遍地皆是。
and the sons of Israel have been inspected, and supported, and go to meet them, and the sons of Israel encamp before them, like two flocks of goats, and the Aramaeans have filled the land.
28 天主的人又前來對以色列王說:「上主這樣說:既然阿蘭人說:上主是山神而不是平原神,所以我必將這支龐大的軍隊交在你手中,叫你們知道我是上主。」
And there cometh nigh a man of God, and speaketh unto the king of Israel, and saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, Because that the Aramaeans have said, God of hills [is] Jehovah, and He [is] not God of valleys — I have given the whole of this great multitude into thy hand, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'
29 以色列人和阿蘭人相對紮營七天;第七天上,就交戰了;一天之內以色列子民殺死了十萬阿蘭步兵,
And they encamp one over-against another seven days, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day, that the battle draweth near, and the sons of Israel smite Aram — a hundred thousand footmen in one day.
30 其餘的人都逃入阿費克城內,城牆倒塌,壓死了殘存的兩萬七千人。本哈達得也逃入城內,藏在極嚴密的暗室內。本哈達得投降
And those left flee to Aphek, unto the city, and the wall falleth on twenty and seven chief men who are left, and Ben-Hadad hath fled, and cometh in unto the city, into the innermost part.
31 本哈達得的臣僕對本哈達得說:「看,我們聽說以色列家的君王,都是仁慈的君王,請你讓我們腰裏束上麻布,頭上繫上繩索,去見以色列王,或者他會保全你的性命。」
And his servants say unto him, 'Lo, we pray thee, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel — that they are kind kings; let us put, we pray thee, sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and we go out unto the king of Israel; it may be he doth keep thee alive.'
32 於是他們腰裏束上麻布,頭上繫上繩索,去見以色列王說:「你的僕人本哈達得說:求你保全我的性命! 」阿哈布問說:「他還活著麼﹖他是我的兄弟。」
And they gird sackcloth on their loins, and ropes [are] on their heads, and they come in unto the king of Israel, and say, 'Thy servant Ben-Hadad hath said, Let me live, I pray thee;' and he saith, 'Is he yet alive? he [is] my brother.'
33 這些人認為這話是個吉兆,急忙抓住他的話說:「本哈達得確是陛下的兄弟。」阿哈布說:「你們去領他來! 」本哈達得便出來參見君王;阿哈布請他上了自己的車。
And the men observe diligently, and hasten, and catch it from him, and say, 'Thy brother Ben-Hadad;' and he saith, 'Go ye in, bring him;' and Ben-Hadad cometh out unto him, and he causeth him to come up on the chariot.
34 本哈達得對君王說:「我父親從你父親手中搶去的城市,我都要歸還給你;並且你可在大馬士革設立市場,如同我父親在撒瑪黎雅所設立的一樣。」阿哈布說:「我就根據這條約放你走。」這樣,君王與他訂立了條約,放他走了。阿哈布失策受責
And he saith unto him, 'The cities that my father took from thy father, I give back, and streets thou dost make for thee in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria;' — 'and I, with a covenant, send thee away;' and he maketh with him a covenant, and sendeth him away.
35 那時,有個先知的弟子奉上主的命,對自己的同伴說:「請你打我! 」那人卻拒絕打他。
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour by the word of Jehovah, 'Smite me, I pray thee;' and the man refuseth to smite him,
36 他就對那人說:「既然你不聽上主的命,看,你一離開我,就有一個獅子把你咬死。」那人一離開他,果然路上遇見一隻獅子,把他咬死了。
and he saith to him, 'Because that thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, lo, thou art going from me, and the lion hath smitten thee;' and he goeth from him, and the lion findeth him, and smiteth him.
37 以後,先知的弟子有遇見一個人,對他說:「請你打我! 」那人就動手打他,將他打傷了。
And he findeth another man, and saith, 'Smite me, I pray thee;' and the man smiteth him, smiting and wounding,
38 先知便站在路旁,用頭巾遮住自己的眼睛,等候君王。
and the prophet goeth and standeth for the king on the way, and disguiseth himself with ashes on his eyes.
39 君王從那裏經過時,他便對君王呼喊說:「你的僕人出來交戰,忽有一個人轉來,給我帶來一個人說:你要看守這個人,倘若失蹤了,定要你替他償命,或賠償一「塔冷通」銀子。
And it cometh to pass — the king is passing by — that he hath cried unto the king, and saith, 'Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and lo, a man hath turned aside and bringeth in unto me a man, and saith, Keep this man; if he be at all missing, then hath thy life been for his life, or a talent of silver thou dost weigh out;
40 你的僕人正在東忙西亂時,那人不見了。」以色列王對他說:「這就是你的定案,你已經自下判決。」
and it cometh to pass, thy servant is working hither and thither, and he is not!' and the king of Israel saith unto him, Right [is] thy judgment; thou hast determined [it].'
41 他於是急忙拉下他遮眼的頭巾,以色列王纔認出他原是一位先知。
And he hasteth and turneth aside the ashes from off his eyes, and the king of Israel discerneth him, that he [is] of the prophets,
42 先知對君王說:「上主這樣說:你既然親手放走了我所要消滅的人,所以你要替他償命,你的人民必意抵償他的人民。」
and he saith unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah, Because thou hast sent away the man I devoted, out of [thy] hand, even thy life hath been for his life, and thy people for his people;'
43 以色列王悶悶不樂地回了撒瑪黎雅,進了自己的宮殿。
and the king of Israel goeth unto his house, sulky and wroth, and cometh in to Samaria.