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1 於是上主打發納堂先知去見達味;他一來到他跟前,就對他說:「在一座城裡有兩個人,一富一貧;
Yahweh [told the prophet Nathan what David had done, and he] sent Nathan to tell [this story to] David: “[I heard about] two men [who] were living in a certain city. One was rich and the other was poor.
2 富的有很多牛羊;
The rich man owned a lot of cattle and sheep.
3 貧的,除一隻小母羊外,什麼也沒有。這隻小母羊是他買來餵養的,在他和他兒女身邊長大,吃他自己的食物,喝他自己杯中的飲料,睡在他的懷裡,帶他如同自己的女兒一樣。
But the poor man had only one little female lamb, which he had bought. He raised the lamb, and it grew up with his children. He would give the lamb some of his own food and let it drink from his cup. He let the lamb sleep in his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him.
4 有一個客人,來到富人那裡,他捨不得拿自己的牛羊,款待那來到他這裡的旅客,卻取了那貧窮人的母羊,來款待那到他這裡來的人。」
[One day] a visitor came to [visit] the rich man. The rich man did not want to take one of his own animals [and kill it] to prepare a meal for the visitor. So instead, he stole the poor man’s lamb [and killed it] and prepared a meal for his visitor.”
5 達味對這人大發憤怒,向納堂說:「上主永在! 做這事的人該死!
[When] David [heard that, he] was very angry about [what] the rich man [had done]. He said to Nathan, “I solemnly declare that the man who did that should be executed!
6 並且,因為他這樣行事,捨不得自己的牛羊,他應七倍償還」。
But before he is executed, he should pay back to the poor man four lambs for doing this, and for not having pity [on the poor man].”
7 約納堂對達味說:「這人就是你! 以色列的天主上主這樣說:是我給你傅油,立你作以色列的君王,是我由撒烏耳手中將你救出,
Nathan said to David, “You are the man [I have been talking about]! And this is what Yahweh, the God we Israelis [worship], says to you: ‘I appointed you to be king of Israel, after having rescued you from Saul.
8 是我將你主人的家室賜給你;我把你主人的妻妾放在你懷裏,把以色列和猶大的家族也賜給了你;若還以為太少,我願再給你這樣那樣的恩惠。
I gave you his palace and his wives. I caused you to become the king to rule Israel and Judah. If [you had told me that] you were not content with what I gave you, I would have given you twice as much!
9 你為什麼輕視上主,作出衪眼中視為邪惡的事,借刀殺了赫特人烏黎雅,為佔取他的妻子,據為己有﹖你借阿孟子民的刀殺了烏黎雅。
So why have you despised my commandment [about not committing adultery]? You have done what I consider to be very evil! You have arranged for Uriah to be killed in a battle by the Ammon people-group’s soldiers, and you have taken his wife to be your wife!
10 從此刀劍永不離開你家! 因為你輕視了我,佔取了赫特的妻子,據為己有。
You have despised me, and have taken Uriah’s wife to be your wife. So for many generations some of your descendants will die violently. [MTY, PRS]
11 上主這樣說:看,我要由自己的家裏激起災禍反對你,我要當你的眼前拿你的妻妾給與你的近人,他要在光天化日之下與你的妻妾同寢。
I solemnly declare to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble to you. I will take your wives and give them to him, and he will have sexual relations with them in the daytime, where everyone can see it, and you will know all about it.
12 你暗中行的事,我卻要叫這事在眾以色列前和太陽下進行」。
What you did, you did secretly, but what I will cause to happen, everyone in Israel will be able to see it [or know about it]. [IDM]’”
13 達味對約納堂說:「我得罪了上主! 」約納堂對達味說:「上主已赦免了你的罪惡,你不致於死;
David replied, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has forgiven you for your sin: You will not die [because of this sin].
14 但是你在這事上蔑視了上主,給你生的那個孩子,必要死去」。
But, you have shown contempt for Yahweh by doing this. So, your baby will die.”
15 以後,約納堂就回家去了。上主打擊了烏黎雅給達味所生的孩子,使他患病甚重。
Then Nathan went home. Then Yahweh caused the baby t o become very sick, the one that Uriah’s wife had given birth to.
16 達味就為孩子懇求天主,並且禁食,進入房內,穿著苦衣躺在地上過夜。
So David prayed to God that the child [would not die]. He (fasted/abstained from food), and he went into [the room where he slept] and lay all night on the floor.
17 皇室的長老到他前,要將他從地上扶起來,他卻不願意,也不與他們一起吃飯。
[The next morning] his advisors stood around him and urged him to get up. But he would not get up, and he would not eat any food with them.
18 到了第七天,孩子竟然死了。達味的臣僕怕告訴他孩子死了,因為他們說:「孩子活著的時候,我們勸他,他還不聽我們的話;我們若告訴他孩子死了,豈不是更使他痛苦﹖」
One week later the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell that to David. They said [to each other], “Hey, while the baby was still alive, we talked to him, but he would not answer us. Now, if we tell him that the baby is dead [RHQ], he may do something to harm himself!”
19 達味見自己的臣僕低聲耳語,就曉得孩子死了,便問臣僕說:「孩子死了嗎﹖」他們答說:「死了! 」
But when David saw that his servants were whispering something to each other, he realized that the baby must be dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They replied, “Yes, he is dead.”
20 達味就由地上起來,沐浴、抹油、更衣,進了上主的庭院朝拜了;然後回到家裏,叫人給他擺上飯來,他就吃了。
Then David got up from the floor. He bathed himself, put lotions on his body, and put on other clothes, Then he went into Yahweh’s Sacred Tent and worshiped Yahweh. Then he went home. He asked his servants for some food. They gave him some, and he ate it.
21 他的臣僕對他說:「你這是作的什麼事。孩子著,你為他禁食哀哭;孩子死了你反而起來吃飯」。
Then his servants said to him, “We do not understand [RHQ] why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, [you are not crying any more!] You got up and ate some food!”
22 他答說:「孩子活著,我禁食悲哭,因為我想:也許上主會可憐我,使孩子生存,有誰知道﹖
David replied, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be merciful to me and not allow the baby to die’.
23 如今,他死了,我為什麼還要禁食﹖難道我能叫他回來﹖是我要到他那裏去,他不會回到我這裏來了! 」
But now the baby is dead. So (there is no reason for me to (fast/abstain from eating food) any more./why should I (fast/abstain from eating food) any more?) [RHQ] (Can I bring him back to me?/I certainly cannot bring him back to me!) [RHQ] [Some day] I will go to where he is, but he will not return to me.”
24 事後,達味安慰了妻子巴特舍巴,再走近她,與她同寢;她又生了一個兒子,給他起名叫撒羅滿;上主也喜愛他,
Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba. Then he (slept/had sexual relations) with her, and she [became pregnant again and] gave birth to another son. David named that son Solomon. Yahweh loved that little boy.
25 派了先知約納堂去,代替上主給他起了個別號,叫耶狄狄雅。
He told the prophet Nathan to tell David to name the baby boy Jedediah [which means ‘loved by Yahweh’, ] because Yahweh loved him.
26 那時,約阿布正攻打阿孟子民的辣巴,佔據了水城。
(Meanwhile/While all that was happening), Joab’s [soldiers] attacked Rabbah, [the capital city] of the Ammon people-group; and they captured the king’s fortress.
27 約阿布就派使者到達味那裏說:「攻打辣巴,已佔了水城;
Then Joab sent messengers to David, to tell him this: “My troops are attacking Rabbah, and we have captured the city’s water supply.
28 如今你快調集其餘的軍隊來圍攻,佔領這座城市,免得我攻下了,人拿我的名字作城名」。
Now gather your troops and come and surround the city and capture it. If you do not do that, my troops will capture the city and it will then be named ‘the City of Joab’.”
29 達味遂召集了所有的軍隊,開到辣巴,攻取了那城。
So David gathered all his troops. They went [with David] to Rabbah and attacked it and captured it.
30 達味從米耳公神的頭上,取下了那重一「塔冷通」的金冠來,上面嵌有一塊寶石,達味將這寶石戴在自己頭上,並由城中運走了大批勝利品。
Then David took the crown from the head of the king of Rabbah (OR, from the head of [Milcom] the god of Rabbah) and put it on his own head. It [was very heavy; it] weighed (75 pounds/34 kg.), and it had many very valuable stones fastened to it. His soldiers also took many other valuable things from the city.
31 至於城內的居民,根將他們帶走,叫他們拉鋸、操斧、劈石、做磚;達味對待阿孟子民所有的城市都是如此。然後率領自己的軍隊回了耶路撒冷。
Then they brought the people of Rabbah out of the city and forced them to [work for them] using saws and iron picks and axes. David’s troops also forced them to make bricks. David’s soldiers did this in all the towns of the Ammon people-group. Then David and all of his army returned to Jerusalem.

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