< 撒母耳記上 25 >
1 撒烏耳死後,全以色列人集會,舉喪哀悼他,把他埋葬在他的故鄉辣瑪。以後,達味起身,下到瑪紅曠野。
When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
2 在瑪紅有個人,他的產業都在加爾默耳,是個很富的人,有綿羊三千,山羊一千。那時他正在爾默耳剪羊毛。
Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
3 這人名叫納巴耳,他的妻子名叫阿彼蓋耳;妻子聰慧美麗,丈夫卻是粗暴,行為惡劣,是加肋布族人。
His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.
While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5 就打發十五個少年人去,向他們說:「你們上加爾默耳去,去見納巴耳,代我向他請安,
So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
6 對他這樣說:你好! 望你平安,望你全家平安,也望你所有的一切平安!
and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and your house and to all that belongs to you.
7 現今我聽說你正剪羊毛;你的牧童和我們在一起時,我們沒有難為過他們,他們住在加爾默耳的時候,從來沒有失落過什麼。
Now I hear that it is time for shearing. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.
8 你可問你的僕人,他們入會告訴你。為此,希望這些子年人在你眼蒙恩,因為我們正逢節日來到你這裏,請你把手中能給的東西,賜給你的僕人和你兒子達味」。
Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 達味的少年人就到了納巴耳那裏,代達味把上述的話都給納巴耳說了,等待答覆。
When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
10 納巴耳卻回答達味的少年人說:「達味是誰﹖葉瑟的兒子是什麼人﹖今天逃避主人的奴隸太多了!
But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
11 難道要我把我的餅和水,為剪毛的人所預備的肉,拿來給那些我不知道是從哪裏來的人嗎﹖」
Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”
12 達味的少年人就原路回去,把這些話都給達味回報了。
So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words.
13 達味就吩咐他的人說:「每人佩上刀! 」各人就佩上刀;約有四百人,跟達味上去,留下二百人看守輜重。
And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14 有個納巴耳的僕人告訴納巴耳的妻子阿彼蓋耳說:「達味從曠野派來了使者向我們主人請安,他竟侮辱他們。
Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s young men informed Nabal’s wife Abigail, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he scolded them.
15 那些人原來待我們很好,總沒有騷擾過我們;當我們在田野間同他們在一起時,總沒有失落過什麼。
Yet these men were very good to us. When we were in the field, we were not harassed, and nothing of ours went missing the whole time we lived among them.
16 我們同他們一起放羊的時期內,不分畫夜,他們常作我們的護衛。
They were a wall around us, both day and night, the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.
17 現今,請妳恩量一下,看妳應作什麼,因為達味已決定要加害我們的主人和他的全家,而主人又脾氣暴燥,無法同他交談」。
Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”
18 阿彼蓋耳急忙拿了二百個餅,兩皮囊酒,五隻宰好的羊,五「色阿」炒過的麥子,一百串乾葡萄,二百無無花果糕餅,放在幾匹驢上,
Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
19 對僕人說:「你們走在我前面,跟著你們去」。她並沒有將這事告訴她丈夫納巴耳。
and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 她騎著驢,由山嶺後面上來,同時達味帶著他的人也向著她走來,與她相遇。
As Abigail came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming down toward her, and she met them.
21 達味正思量說:「我白白地在曠野中保護了這些人的一切,使他所有的一點也未受損失,他竟對我以惡報德。
Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
22 若我把這人的一切和所有的男人還存留到天亮,就望上主這樣懲罰我達味! 」
May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
23 阿彼蓋耳一看見達味,急速由驢上跳下,俯伏在達味前,屈膝下拜,
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey, fell facedown, and bowed before him.
24 跪在達味足前說:「我主! 這過錯全歸於我,讓你的婢女向你進一言,請你垂聽你婢女的話。
She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.
25 請我主別將這人的事放在心上! 他脾氣急燥,是個糊塗人,他名叫「納巴耳」,真名實相符,他的確昏愚。至於我,你婢女卻沒有見我主派來的少年。
My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.
26 我主,我現今指著永生的上主和你起誓:是上主防止了你,不使你流人的血,也不使你親手報仇。從此,願你的仇敵和想加害我主人的人,都像納巴耳一樣!
Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and avenging yourself with your own hand. May your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.
27 現今,請你把你婢女給我主帶來的禮物,賞給隨從我主的僕人。
Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
28 請你原諒你婢女的過錯! 的確,上主要給我主建立一堅固的王朝,因為我主打是上主的仗,並且,你一生也沒有什麼過錯。
Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.
29 縱然有人起來迫害你的性命,但我主的生命是保存在上主,你的天主的錦囊中;至於你敵人的性命,上主卻用投石器將他們拋掉。
And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.
30 當上主對我主作了衪所說的一切好事,立你作以色列的元首時,
When the LORD has done for my lord all the good He promised, and when He has appointed you ruler over Israel,
31 我主不將不會流了無辜者的向,或因親手雪恨,而感到心中不安,良心有愧。當上主恩待我主時,望你不要忘了你的婢女」。
then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your maidservant.”
32 達味向阿彼蓋耳說:「上主,以色列的天主,是可讚頌的! 感謝衪今天派妳來迎接我。
Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day!
33 妳的聰慧是可讚美的,妳也是可讚美的,因為妳阻止了我傾流人血,親手復仇。
Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.
34 我指著那阻止我加害妳的上主,以色列的永生天主起誓:假使妳沒有急速來迎接我,明天天亮,一個男子也不會給納巴耳留下」。
Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”
35 達味從她手中接過她所帶來一切,向她說:「現在,妳可平安回到妳家裏去。看,我聽從了妳的勸告,顧全了妳的面子」。
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request.”
36 阿彼蓋耳回到納巴耳那裏,他正在家中設了像君王的盛宴。納巴耳心中非常快活,吃得大醉,直到早晨天亮,阿彼蓋耳一點也沒有將這事告訴他。
When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
37 第二天早晨,納巴耳酒醒了,他的妻子便將發生的事告訴了他;他一聽這話,嚇得魂不附體,呆如頑石。
In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him and he became like a stone.
About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.
39 達味聽說納巴耳死了,就說道:「上主應受讚美,因為衪給我伸了冤,洗淨了我由納巴耳所受淩辱,防止了衪的僕人行惡;上主把納巴耳的罪惡歸在他自己頭上」。以後,達味派人對阿彼蓋耳說要娶她為妻。
On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking for her in marriage.
40 達味的僕人到了加爾默耳,來見阿彼蓋耳,對她說:「達味派我們到妳這裏來,為迎娶妳做他的妻子」。
When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.”
41 她就起來,俯伏在地,下拜說:「你的婢女情願作奴隸,給我主人的僕人洗腳」。
She arose, then bowed facedown and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”
42 阿彼蓋耳遂急速起來,騎上驢,帶了她的五個婢女作陪,跟隨達味的使者去,作了他的妻子。
So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
43 那時達味已娶了依次勒耳人阿希諾罕為妻;她們二戈同作達味的妻子。
David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives.
44 那時,撒烏耳已把他的女身兒,達味的妻子米加耳,嫁給了加林人拉依士的兒子帕耳提。
But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.