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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。
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned 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,
He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that 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。
Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.
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 king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he rendered to the king of Israel the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams.
5 但在阿哈布死後,摩阿布王便背叛了以色列王。
But it happened, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against 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,
King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all 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。」
He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?" He said, "I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as 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。」
He said, "Which way shall we go up?" He answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
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。
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. There was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed 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! 」
The king of Israel said, "Alas. For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand 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。」
But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" One of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on 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." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah and the king of Edom went down 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! 」
Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother." The king of Israel said to him, "No; for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand 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。
Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see 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 me a minstrel." It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came on him.
16 厄里叟說:「上主這樣說:你們在這山谷中遍挖壕溝,
He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Make this valley full of trenches.'
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 will not see wind, neither will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your animals.
18 這在上主看來還是小事,他還要將摩阿布交在你們手中,
This is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
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。」
You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land 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。
It happened in the morning, about the time of offering the offering, that look, water came by the way of Edom, and the country 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。
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.
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,
They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as 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! 」
They said, "This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil."
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,
When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites.
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。
They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the springs of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth only they left its stones; however the men armed with slings went about it, and struck it.
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;
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.
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。
Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

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