< 撒母耳記上 4 >

1 撒慕爾的話傳遍了全以色列。當時厄里已很老了,他的兩個兒子的品行在上主面前,比以前更壞了。那時,培肋舍特人集合起來攻打以色列人,以色列人便出來還擊他們,在厄本厄則爾旁紮了營,當時培肋舍特人已在阿費克紮了營。
The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 培肋舍特人就擺列陣勢攻打以色列人,戰鬥十分激烈;以色列人為培肋舍特打敗,在平原陣地上被擊斃的約有四千人。
The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3 軍隊回營後,以色列的長老說:「為什麼上主今天讓我們被培肋舍特人打敗﹖我們應從史羅把上主的約櫃抬來,讓約櫃來到我們中間,拯救我們擺脫敵人的壓迫。」
When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of the LORD’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come amongst us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”
4 於是軍隊就派人到史羅去,從那裏把坐於革魯賓上的萬軍之上主的約櫃抬來;厄里的兩個兒子曷弗尼和丕乃哈斯也跟天主的約櫃來了。
So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 當上主的約櫃來到營內的時候,全以色列民就大聲歡呼,大地也震動了。
When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.
6 培肋舍特人一聽見這樣的呼聲,就說:「希伯來人在營中為什麼這樣大聲歡呼﹖」後來纔知道,是上主的約櫃來到了他們的營中。
When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that the LORD’s ark had come into the camp.
7 培肋舍特人大為震驚,遂說:「希伯來人的神來到了他們的營中! 」繼而喊說:「我們有禍了! 至今從未有過這樣的事!
The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before.
8 我們有禍了! 誰能從這大能的神手中救出我們呢﹖用各樣災禍在曠野中打擊了埃及人的,就是這個神啊!
Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
9 培肋舍特人哪﹖你們應加強,要英勇,免得你們做希伯來人的奴才,像他們做過你們的奴才一樣。你們要英勇,奮鬥作戰! 」
Be strong and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!”
10 培肋舍特人就開始進攻,以色列人中陣亡的步兵有三萬;
The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.
11 天主的約櫃也被劫了去,厄里的兩個兒子曷弗尼和丕乃哈斯也同時陣亡了。
God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 有個本雅明人從陣地逃出,當天來到了史羅,衣服已撕破,頭上滿是灰塵。
A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.
13 他來到時,見厄里在門旁坐在椅子上,向大道觀望,因為他為天主的約櫃很是放心不下。那人一來到,就在城內佈開這凶信,全城因此哀號起來;
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out.
14 厄里一聽見哀號聲,就問說:「這樣喧嚷,是什麼事﹖」那人就趕快前來報告給厄里,──
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
15 那時厄里已是九十八歲的人,眼睛雖然瞪著,卻什麼也看不見。──
Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see.
16 對厄里說:「我是從營中來的,今天剛從戰場上逃回來的。」厄里問說:「我兒,事情怎樣﹖」
The man said to Eli, “I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.” He said, “How did the matter go, my son?”
17 報信的答說:「以色列人在培肋舍特人面前大敗,人民傷亡極大,你的兩個兒子也死了,天主的約櫃也被劫去了。」
He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter amongst the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured.”
18 他一提到天主的約櫃,厄里就從椅子上往後一仰,跌在門檻上,跌斷了頸項,死了,因為他已年老,且又肥胖。──他四十年之久做了以色列人的民長。
When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
19 他的兒媳,丕乃哈斯的妻子,已經懷孕,快要臨盆;一聽說天主的約櫃被劫去,他的公公和丈夫已死的消息,突然感到陣痛,就彎下身去生產了。
His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.
20 她臨死時,侍立在旁的婦女向她說:「不必害怕,你生了一個兒子! 」她沒有答應,也沒有留意,
About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it.
21 只給孩子取名叫依加波得,說:「光榮已遠離了以色列。」這是指天主的約櫃,她的公公和丈夫都已被劫去,
She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 所以她說:「光榮已遠離了以色列,」因為天主的約櫃已被劫去。
She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”

< 撒母耳記上 4 >