< 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。
Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose 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。
There was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep 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。
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. This woman was intelligent and had a beautiful face; but the man was surly and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his 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,
David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and 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!
Tell him, ‘Long life to you! Peace be to you! Peace be to your house! Peace be to all that you have!
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 have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have now been with us, and we didn’t harm them. Nothing was missing from them all the 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. Therefore let the young men find favour in your eyes, for we come on a good day. Please give whatever comes to your hand 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 came, they spoke to Nabal all those words in the name of David, and 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!
Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
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﹖」
Shall I then take my bread, my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men who I don’t know where they come from?”
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 young men turned on their way and went back, and came and told 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。
David said to his men, “Every man put on his sword!” Every man put on his sword. David also put on his sword. About four hundred men followed David, and two hundred stayed by the baggage.
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。
But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he insulted 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。
But the men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, and we didn’t miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.
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 to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
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 therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master and against all his house, for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t 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 containers of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five seahs of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid 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。
She said to her young men, “Go on before me. Behold, I am coming after you.” But she didn’t 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 she rode on her donkey, and came down hidden by the mountain, behold, David and his men came down towards 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 said, “Surely in vain I have kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. He has returned me 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! 」
God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”
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 hurried and got off her donkey, and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground.
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, “On me, my lord, on me be the blame! Please let your servant speak in your ears. 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。
Please don’t let my lord pay attention to this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, your servant, didn’t 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 therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has withheld you from blood guiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies and those who seek evil to my lord be as 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 this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
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 the trespass of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the LORD’s battles. Evil will not be found in you all your days.
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。
Though men may rise up to pursue you and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies as from a sling’s pocket.
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,
It will come to pass, when the LORD has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince 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」。
that this shall be no grief to you, nor offence of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. When the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”
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。
David said to Abigail, “Blessed is the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me!
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 discretion, and blessed are you, who have kept me today from blood guiltiness, and from avenging myself with 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」。
For indeed, as the LORD the God of Israel lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”
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」。
So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. Then he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. Behold, I have listened to your voice and have 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。
Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the 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 the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal, so that he died.
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。
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed is the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil. The LORD has returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself as wife.
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 David’s servants had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to him as 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 and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”
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。
Abigail hurriedly arose and rode on a donkey with her five maids who followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, 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 also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became 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。
Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.