撒母耳記上 6
1 上主的約櫃在培肋舍特地方七個月之久。
The ark was in the country of the Philistines 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﹖」
The Philistines called for the priests, and for the diviners, and for the magicians, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of YHWH? Tell us how we should send it to its place."
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。」
And they said, "If you are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return to him a reparation, then you shall be healed and he will be reconciled to you. Will not, then, his hand be removed 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。
Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They said, "Five golden tumors, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on you and your lords.
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。
Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of the mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off 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 then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
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 take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and take their calves from them back 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 take the ark, and lay it on the cart; and put the figures of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, 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 watch; if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."
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，
The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up 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 put the ark on the cart, and the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
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。
The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, mooing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the territory 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。
And those of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to meet 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 came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stopped there near a large rock. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to YHWH.
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。
The Levites took down the ark of YHWH, and the chest that was with it, in which the articles of gold were, and put them on the large rock. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to YHWH.
16 培肋舍特的五位酋長見事已成，當天就回了厄刻龍。
When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron 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。
These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to YHWH: 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 the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large rock on which they set down the ark of YHWH is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
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。
But the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the people of Beth Shemesh when they saw the ark of YHWH. So he struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned, because YHWH 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 is able to stand before this holy thing? And to whom should he go up 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。」
They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of YHWH; come down, and bring it up to yourselves."
