列王紀下 6
1 眾先知的弟子對厄里叟說：「看，我們同你住的地方太窄小了，
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small for us.
2 請你讓我們到約旦河去，每人取一根樑木，在那裏建造我們的住所。」他答說：「你們去罷! 」
Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”
3 其中一個人說：「請你也同你的僕人一起去! 」厄里叟答說：「我去。」
One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”
4 先知便同他們一起去了。他們到了約旦河，就砍伐樹木。
So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 其中一個，砍木樑時，斧頭掉在水裏了，就大聲叫喊說：哎唷! 我主，這把斧子是借來的啊! 」
But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”
6 天主的人問他說：「斧頭掉在那裏﹖」那人將那地方指給先知看。先知即砍下一塊木頭，丟在那裏，使斧頭浮了上來。
The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
7 先知對他說：「你拿上來罷! 」他就伸手拿了上來。
He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.
8 阿蘭王同以色列交戰時，與自己的臣商議說：要在某某地方埋伏。
Now the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
9 但天主的人打發人去見以色列王說：「你要小心提防，不要經過某某地方，因為阿蘭人已在那裏設下埋伏。」
The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”
10 以色列王就派人去偵察天主的人警告他的地方；他就小心防備，不只一兩次。
The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or twice.
11 阿蘭王為此事心中頗為煩惱，遂將臣僕召來，對他說：「難道你們不能告訴我：我們中誰支持以色列王嗎﹖」
The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
12 一個臣僕答說：「我主，大王! 沒有誰支持，只有以色列的先知厄里叟，將君王在密室裏所談的事，都告訴了以色列王。」
One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 阿蘭王說：「你們去看看他在那裏，我好派人去捉拿。」有人告訴君王說：「他在多堂。」
He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”
14 阿蘭王就打發馬隊戰車和強大的部隊前去，夜間到了那裏，將城圍住。
Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.
15 天主的人的僕人清早起來出門時，看見軍隊車馬將城包圍了，就對先知說：「哎! 我主，我們怎麼辦﹖」
When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 先知答說：「不必害怕，因為偕同我們的，比他們的還多。」
He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 厄里叟就祈禱說：「上主，求你開啟他的眼，叫他看見。」上主就開了僕人的眼，他看見遍山都是火馬車，圍繞著厄里叟。
Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” the LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
18 敵人下到先知那裏的時候，厄里叟懇求上主說：「求你打擊這個民族，使他們眼目失明。」上主果然照厄里叟的話打擊了他們，使他們眼目失明。
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.
19 厄里叟對他們說：「不是這條路，也不是這座城；你們跟我來，我要領你們到你們尋找的人那裏去。」於是先知領他們到了撒瑪黎雅。
Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.
20 他們一進了撒瑪黎雅，厄里叟就祈禱說：「上主，開啟這些人的眼睛，叫他們看見。」上主果然開了他們的眼睛；他們一看，自己竟在撒瑪黎雅城內。
When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria.
21 以色列王看見他們，就對厄里叟說：「我父，要殺死他們嗎﹖」
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”
22 厄里叟答說：「不要殺他們；你自己用弓劍擄來的人，你豈可殺死﹖你要為這些人預備飯和水，叫他們吃喝，然後讓他們回到自己的主上那裏去。」
He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, then go to their master.”
23 君王就給他們預備了盛宴，叫他們吃了喝了，打發他們回到自己的主上那裏去。從此，阿蘭隊伍再沒有侵犯以色列地方。
He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding Eretz-Israel.
24 這事以後，阿蘭王本哈達得集合了他所有的軍隊，上來圍困撒瑪黎雅。
After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
25 撒瑪黎雅被圍困後，陷於嚴重的飢荒，甚至一個驢頭，值八十「協刻耳」銀子，四分之一「卡步」豆莢，值五「協刻耳」銀子。
There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
26 當以色列王從城牆上經過時，有一個婦人呼求他說：「我主大王，救救我罷! 」
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”
27 君王答說：「如果上主不救你，我怎能救你﹖靠禾場﹖靠酒池﹖」
He said, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”
28 君王問那婦人說：「你有什麼事﹖」婦人答說：「這個女人曾對我說：把你的兒子交出來，我們今天吃；留下我的兒子，我們明天吃。
Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29 於是我們就把我的兒子煮著吃了。第二天我對那女人說：把你的兒子交出來給我們吃，她卻把自己的兒子藏了起來。」
So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.”
30 君王聽了這婦人的話，就撕裂了自己的衣服，─當他正在城牆上經過，民眾都看見了他貼身穿著苦衣，─
When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.
31 說「如果沙法特的兒子厄里叟的頭，今天還留在他身上，願天主嚴厲，且加倍嚴厲地懲罰我! 」
Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.”
32 那時厄里叟正坐在屋裏，長老們同他坐在一起，君王派一個人在他以前去，但是這人還未來到，厄里叟就對長老們說：「你們看，這個兇手之子，竟派人來要斬我的頭。你們注意，使者來到時，你們要把門關上，把他關在門外；在他後面不就是他主上的腳步聲嗎﹖」
But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 先知還同他們說話的時候，君王就下到他那裏說：「這災難是由上主來的，我對上主還有什麼指望﹖」
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
