撒母耳記上 6
1 上主的約櫃在培肋舍特地方七個月之久。
Now the ark of the Lord was in the region of the Philistines for seven months.
2 培肋舍特人召集司祭和占卜者說：「我們對上主的約櫃該作什麼﹖請告訴我們，用什麼方法可將它送回原處﹖」
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Reveal to us in what manner we should send it back to its place.” And they said:
3 他們回答說：「你們若將以色列天主的約櫃送回，不可空空的將它送回，必須奉上贖罪的禮品：這樣你們纔能痊癒，也會明瞭他的手為什麼沒有離開你們。」
“If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, do not choose to release it empty. Instead, repay to him what you owe because of sin. And then you will be cured. And you will know why his hand did not withdraw from you.”
4 他們問說：「我們應奉上什麼贖罪的禮品﹖」他們回答說：「按照培肋舍特酋長的數目，奉上五個金毒瘡像和五個金鼠像，因為你們所有的人和你們的酋長，都遭遇同樣的災禍。
And they said, “What is it that we ought to repay to him because of transgression?” And they responded:
5 所以你們應製造你們患的毒瘡像，和損壞你們地方的老鼠的像，應歸光榮於以色列的天主：這樣或許他會對你們，對你們的神和你們的地方放鬆他的手。
“In accord with the number of the provinces of the Philistines, you shall fashion five gold cysts and five gold mice. For the same plague has been upon all of you and your princes. And you shall fashion a likeness of your cysts and a likeness of the mice, which have destroyed the land. And so shall you give glory to the God of Israel, so that perhaps he may lift off his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.
6 你們為什麼像埃及人和法郎一樣心硬呢﹖不是上主玩弄了他們以後，埃及人纔放走了他們嗎﹖
Why have you hardened your hearts, just as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he was struck, did he not then release them, and they went away?
7 現今，趕快製造一輛新車，牽出兩頭正在哺乳，還沒有負過軛的母牛來，套上這輛新車，把小牛牽回棚裏去；
Now therefore, fashion and take a new cart, with two cows that have given birth, but on which no yoke has been imposed. And yoke them to the cart, but retain their calves at home.
8 然後把上主的約櫃裝在車上，把那奉上作為贖罪禮品的金器，都盛在一匣子內，放在約櫃旁邊，然後讓它去。
And you shall take the ark of the Lord, and you shall place it upon the cart, with the articles of gold that you have paid to him on behalf of transgression. You shall place these in a little box at its side. And release it, so that it may go.
9 但你們應留神：若是約櫃取道往自己的地方去，即往貝特舍默士去，那麼，這大災難，即是上主加給我們的；若不然，我們就知道，不是他的手打擊了我們，而我們所遭遇的是出於偶然。」
And you shall watch. And if, indeed, it ascends by the way of his own parts, toward Beth-shemesh, then he has done this great evil to us. But if not, then we shall know that it is by no means his hand that has touched us, but instead it happened by chance.”
10 人們就這樣作了；牽出兩頭正在哺乳的母牛來，套上那輛新車，將牛犢關在棚裏，
Therefore, they did it in this way. And taking two cows that were feeding calves, they yoked them to the cart, and they enclosed their calves at home.
11 把上主的約櫃，以及裝有金老鼠和毒瘡像的匣子，都放在車上。
And they placed the ark of God upon the cart, with the little box that held the gold mice and the likenesses of the cysts.
12 那對母牛直直奔向貝特舍默士的路上走去，一邊走，一邊叫，不偏左也不偏右；培肋舍特的酋長跟在後面，一直到了貝特舍默士的邊境。
But the cows went directly along the way that leads to Beth-shemesh. And they advanced only in one direction, lowing as they went. And they did not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left. Moreover, the princes of the Philistines followed them, as far as the borders of Beth-shemesh.
13 那時，貝特舍默士人正在谷中收割麥子，舉目一看，見是上主的約櫃，就前去歡迎。
Now the Beth-shemeshites were harvesting wheat in the valley. And lifting up their eyes, they saw the ark, and they were glad when they had seen it.
14 車來到貝特舍默士人約叔亞的莊田，就在那裏停住了。那裏有一塊大石頭，人就將車輛的木頭劈開，把母牛祭獻給上主作全燔祭。
And the cart went into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemeshite, and it stood still there. Now in that place was a great stone, and so they cut up the wood of the cart, and they placed the cows upon it as a holocaust to the Lord.
15 肋未人先把上主的約櫃和旁邊盛有金器的匣子搬下來，放在那塊大石上。貝特舍默士人當天給上主獻了全燔祭，宰殺了許多犧牲。
But the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that was at its side, in which were the articles of gold, and they placed them upon the great stone. Then the men of Beth-shemesh offered holocausts and immolated victims, on that day, to the Lord.
16 培肋舍特的五位酋長見事已成，當天就回了厄刻龍。
And the five princes of the Philistines saw, and they returned to Ekron on the same day.
17 以下是培肋舍特人奉獻給上主作為贖罪禮品的金毒瘡像：阿市多得一個，迦薩一個，阿市刻隆一個，加特一個，厄刻龍一個。
Now these are the gold cysts, which the Philistines repaid to the Lord for transgression: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.
18 金老鼠也是依照培肋舍特五酋長的城市數目，包括有垣墻的城市和所有的村落。那曾安放過上主約櫃的大石，直到今日還在貝特舍默士人約叔亞的田內，作為見證。
And there were gold mice, according to the number of the cities of the Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fortified city to the village that was without a wall, and even to the great stone upon which they placed the ark of the Lord, which was, at last in that day, in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemeshite.
19 當貝特舍默士人看見上主的約櫃時，耶苛尼雅的子孫沒有與他們一起表示歡樂，所以上主擊殺了他們中七十人。百姓就難受，因為上主這樣嚴厲打擊了百姓。
Then he struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had seen the ark of the Lord. And he struck down some of the people: seventy men, and fifty thousand of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.
20 於是貝特舍默士人說：「在這神聖的天主上主面前，誰還能站得住﹖從我們這裏把它送到誰那裏去呢﹖」
And the men of Beth-shemesh said: “Who will be able to stand in the sight of the Lord, this holy God? And who will ascend to him from us?”
21 他們遂派使者到克黎雅特耶阿陵的居民那裏，對他們說：「培肋舍特人送回了上主的約櫃，你們下來，將它抬上去，放在你們那裏。」
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying: “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Descend and lead it back to you.”
