列王紀下 3
1 猶大王約沙法特十八年，阿哈布的兒子耶曷蘭在撒瑪黎雅登極作以色列王，在位凡十二年。
Truly, Joram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned for twelve years.
2 他行了上主視為惡的事，不過還不像他的父親和母親那樣壞，因此他除去了他父親所立的巴耳神柱，
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as his father and mother did. For he took away the statues of Baal, which his father had made.
3 只是對乃巴特的兒子雅洛貝罕使以色列陷於罪過的事，仍戀戀不捨，從未脫離。
Yet truly, he did adhere to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; neither did he withdraw from these.
4 摩阿布人默沙原是一個以畜牧為業的人，他經常以十萬隻羔羊和十萬隻公山羊毛，巷以色列王進貢；
Now Mesha, the king of Moab, raised many sheep. And he repaid to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and one hundred thousand rams, with their fleece.
5 但在阿哈布死後，摩阿布王便背叛了以色列王。
And when Ahab had died, he transgressed the pact that he had with the king of Israel.
6 那時，耶曷蘭王從撒瑪黎雅出來，檢閱全以色列人，
Therefore, king Joram departed on that day from Samaria, and he took a count of all of Israel.
7 以後派使者去見猶大王約沙法特說：「摩阿布王背叛了我，你願意同我一起去攻打摩阿布嗎﹖」約沙法特說：「願意去；你怎樣，我也怎樣；我的人民就如同是你的人民，我的馬就如同是你的馬。」
And he sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying: “The king of Moab has withdrawn from me. Come to battle with me against him.” And he responded: “I will go up. What is mine, is yours. My people are your people. And my horses are your horses.”
8 約沙法特接著問說：「我們從哪條路上去﹖」耶曷蘭答說：「從厄東曠野那條路。」
And he said, “Along which way shall we ascend?” So he responded, “Along the desert of Idumea.”
9 於是以色列王、猶大王和厄東王出發，繞道而行，七天以後，軍隊和隨行的一大隊牲畜沒有水喝。
Therefore, the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Idumea, traveled, and they went by a circuitous path for seven days. But there was no water for the army or for the beasts of burden which were following them.
10 以色列王說：「哎! 上主召集這三個王子，原是將他們交在摩阿布手中啊! 」
And the king of Israel said: “Alas, alas, alas! The Lord has gathered we three kings, so that he might deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
11 約沙法特問說：「這裏有沒有一位上主的先知，我們可以託他求問上主﹖」以色列王的一個臣僕回答說：「這裏有沙法特的兒子厄里叟，就是常在厄里亞手上倒水的那一位。」
And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may appeal to the Lord through him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel responded, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who poured water upon the hands of Elijah.”
12 約沙法特說：「他必有上主的話。」以色列王、約沙法特和厄東王，於是一同下去見他。
And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” And so, the king of Israel, with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and with the king of Idumea, descended to him.
13 厄里叟對以色列王說：「我和你有什麼關係﹖你去找你父親和你母親的先知罷! 」以色列王說：「不要這樣說! 上主召集了這三個王子，原是要將他們交於摩阿布手中啊! 」
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel: “What is there between you and me? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Why has the Lord gathered these three kings, so that he might deliver them into the hands of Moab?”
14 厄里叟說：「我指著我所服事的永生萬軍的上主起示：我如果不是為了猶大王約沙法特的情面，我決不看你，也不睬你。
And Elisha said to him: “As the Lord of hosts lives, in whose sight I stand, if I was not humbled by the face of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, certainly I would neither have listened to you, nor have looked upon you.
15 現在，你們給我叫一個彈琴的人來。」原來每逢樂師彈琴的時候，上主的手就臨到他身上。
But now, bring a musician to me.” And while the musician was playing, the hand of the Lord fell upon him, and he said:
16 厄里叟說：「上主這樣說：你們在這山谷中遍挖壕溝，
“Thus says the Lord: Make, in the channel of this torrent, pit after pit.
17 因為上主這樣說：你們不見風，也不見雨，這山谷中卻要充滿了水，使你們、你們的軍隊和牲畜都有水喝。
For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind or rain. And yet this channel shall be filled with water. And you shall drink, you and your families, and your beasts of burden.
18 這在上主看來還是小事，他還要將摩阿布交在你們手中，
And this is small in the sight of the Lord. So, in addition, he will also deliver Moab into your hands.
19 使你們攻破所有設防的城市，砍倒所有的好樹，杜塞所有的水泉，用石頭毀壞所有的良田。」
And you shall strike every fortified town and every elect city. And you shall cut down every fruitful tree. And you shall obstruct all the sources of water. And you shall cover every excellent field with stones.”
20 果然，早上正獻祭的時候，從厄東方面來了大水，遍地滿了水。
Then it happened that, in the morning, when the sacrifices were usually to be offered, behold, water was arriving along the way of Idumea, and the land was filled with water.
21 全摩阿布人一聽說三個王子前來進攻，就召集了所有能佩帶武器的人，把守邊界。
Then all the Moabites, hearing that the kings had ascended so that they might fight against them, gathered all who had been girded with a belt around them, and they stood at the borders.
22 第二天早晨，日光照在水上，摩阿布人起來，看見對面的水紅得像血，
And rising up in early morning, and when the sun was now rising before the waters, the Moabites saw the waters opposite them, which were red like blood.
23 遂說：「這是血! 一定是那三個王子彼此混戰，互相殘殺。摩阿布，起來，前去奪取財物! 」
And they said: “It is the blood of the sword! The kings have fought among themselves, and they have slain one another. Go now, Moab, to the spoils!”
24 及至他們到了以色列營地，以色列人即奮起迎敵，摩阿布人從他們面前逃走，他們就乘勢追趕，擊殺摩阿布人，
And they went into the camp of Israel. But Israel, rising up, struck Moab, and they fled before them. And since they had prevailed, they went and struck down Moab.
25 破壞了他們的城市，個個用石頭拋滿了他們的良田，杜塞了所有的水泉，砍倒了各種好樹；只剩下克爾赫勒斯城，拋石頭的人仍包圍攻擊那城。
And they destroyed the cities. And they filled up every excellent field, each one casting stones. And they obstructed all the sources of water. And they cut down all the fruitful trees, to such an extent that only brick walls remained. And the city was encircled by the slingers of stones. And a great part of it was struck down.
26 摩阿布王見戰事激烈，難以敵抗，就帶領七百人，手持刀劍，企圖突圍，往投阿蘭王，卻沒有成功；
And when the king of Moab had seen this, specifically, that the enemies had prevailed, he took with him seven hundred men who draw the sword, so that he might break through to the king of Idumea. But they were unable.
27 於是將那要繼承自己位的長子叫來，在城牆上祭殺了，作為全燔祭。這事使天主向以色列人大發忿怒；他們便離開摩阿布王，各自回了本地。
And taking his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his place, he offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel. And they promptly withdrew from him, and they turned back to their own land.
