< 約書亞記 22 >
1 那時若蘇厄將勒烏本人加特人和默納協半支派的人召來,
At that time Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
2 對他們說:「上主僕人梅瑟吩咐你們的一切,你們都遵守了,在我吩咐他們的一切事上,你們也都聽了我的話。
He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you. You have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 這許多日子,你們從來沒有你們的的弟兄,直到今天,忠信遵守了上主你們天主的命令。
You have not deserted your brothers these many days, down to this present day, and you have fulfilled the duties required by the commandments of Yahweh your God.
4 現在上主我們的天主,照衪所應許的,使你們的弟兄獲得了安居,你們現在可返回自己的帳幕,回到上主的僕人梅瑟在約旦河東岸,賜你們為產業的地方去,
Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, just as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land you own, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5 只要要你們遵守上主的僕人梅瑟吩咐你們的誡命和法律:愛慕上主你們的天主,遵行衪的一切道路,謹守衪的誡命,全心人靈歸屬上主,服事上主。」
Just be very careful to observe the commandments and the law that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and to cling to him and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6 若蘇厄於是祝福了他們,打發他們回去;他們就返回了自己的帳幕。──
So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went back to their tents.
7 梅瑟在巴商已分給了默納協半支派土地。至於另半個支派,若蘇厄在約旦河西,在他們的弟兄中,也分給了他們土地,此外,當若蘇厄打發他們回帳幕的時候,祝福了他們,
Now to one-half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given an inheritance in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave an inheritance beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. Joshua sent them away to their tents; he blessed them
8 向他們說:「現在你們帶著這許多財物、牛、羊、金銀、銅鐵,和大批衣服回到自己的帳幕,也要將你們從由敵人奪得的財物,分給你們的弟兄! 」
and said to them, “Return to your tents with much money, and with very much livestock, and with silver and gold, and with bronze and iron, and with very many garments. Divide the plunder from your enemies with your brothers.”
9 勒烏本人、召集人和默納協半支派的人,於是從客納罕的史羅起身,離開以色列人,回到自己得為產業的基肋阿得,即上主藉梅瑟吩咐給他們作為產業的地方。
So the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh returned home, leaving the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. They left to go to the region of Gilead, to their own land, which they themselves possessed, in obedience to the commandment of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.
10 當勒烏本人、加得和默納協半支派的人來到屬客納罕地的約旦河附近地區時,在約旦河邊築了一座祭壇,一座高大可觀的祭壇。
When they came to the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar beside the Jordan, a very large and prominent altar.
11 以色列人聽見說:「看,勒烏本人、加得人和默納協半支派的人,在屬客納罕地的約旦河附近地區,以色列子民境內,築了一座祭壇。」
The people of Israel heard about this and said, “Look! The people of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the front of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth, in the region near the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.”
12 以色列子民一聽說這事,全會眾便聚集在史羅,要去作戰攻打他們。
When the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go up to make war against them.
13 以色列子民便委派厄肋阿匝爾的兒子丕乃哈斯司祭,到基肋阿得地方去見勒烏本人、加得人和默納協半支派人,
Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead. They also sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest,
14 和他們同去的尚有十位領袖,每支派一個,他們都是以色列各家族的族長。
and with him ten leaders, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, and every one of them was the head of a family among the clan of Israel.
15 他們來到基肋阿得地方,見勒烏本人、加得人和默納協半支派人,向他們說:
They came to the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke to them:
16 「上主的全會眾這樣說:你們相反以色列的天主,犯這不信的罪,有什麼意思﹖為什麼你們今天離開上主,另建立祭壇,公開背叛上主﹖
“The whole assembly of Yahweh says this, 'What is this unfaithfulness that you have committed against the God of Israel, by turning this day from following Yahweh by building yourself an altar this day in rebellion against Yahweh?
17 以前敬拜培敖爾的罪萵為我們還不夠嗎﹖為了那個罪過,災禍降於上主的會眾,直到今天,我們還沒洗淨:
Was our sin at Peor not enough for us? Yet we have not even now cleansed ourselves from it. For that sin there came a plague on the assembly of Yahweh.
18 看,你們今天又要離開上主,你們今天違背上主,明天衪必向以色列全會眾發怒。
Must you also turn away from following Yahweh at this present day? If you also rebel against Yahweh today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole assembly of Israel.
19 如果你們認為所得的地方不潔,可以回到上主的地方,上主帳幕的所在地,住在我們中間;決不可違背上主,激怒我們,在上主我們的祭壇以外,為自己另築祭壇。
If the land that you possess is defiled, then you should pass over into the land where Yahweh's tabernacle stands and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves other than the altar of Yahweh our God.
20 以前則辣黑的子孫阿干,在應毀滅的財物上犯了不忠之罪,雖只他一人犯罪,憤怒豈不是臨到以色列全會眾﹖死在他罪過中的不只他一人」。
Did not Achan son of Zerah break faith in the matter of those things that had been reserved for God? Did not wrath fall on all the people of Israel? That man did not perish alone for his iniquity.'”
21 勒烏本人、加得和默納協半支派的人,回答以色列的首長說:
Then the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh replied in answer to the heads of the clans of Israel:
22 「大能者天主上主,大能者天主上主清楚知道,以色列也明白:如果我們有違背或干犯上主的事,願衪今天別救我們!
“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh! The Mighty One, God, Yahweh!—He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against Yahweh, do not spare us on this day
23 如果我們建築這祭壇,有意離開上主,或有意在祭壇上祭全燔祭、素祭或和平祭,願上主自己懲罰我們!
for having built an altar to turn ourselves away from following Yahweh. If we built that altar in order to offer on it burnt offerings, grain offerings, or peace offerings, then let Yahweh make us pay for it.
24 我們做這事,其實正是顧慮到:將來你們的子孫會對我們的子孫說:你們和上主以色列的天主有什麼關係﹖
No! We did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel?
25 天主定了約旦河為我們和你們勒烏本和和得人之間的界限,你們和上主已沒有分子。這樣你們的子孫必使我們的的子孫不再敬畏上主。
For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you. You people of Reuben and people of Gad, you have nothing to do with Yahweh.' So your children might make our children cease to worship Yahweh.
26 因此我們想:我們還是建築一座祭壇,不是為獻全燔祭,也不是為祭獻犧牲,
So we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offerings nor for any sacrifices,
27 只是為在你我之間,在你我後人之間作一證據,證明我們願在上主面前以全燔祭犧牲及和平祭敬禮上主,免得日後你們的子孫對我們的子孫說:你們與上主已沒有分子o
but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we will perform the service of Yahweh before him, with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your children will never say to our children in time to come, “You have no share in Yahweh.”'
28 因此我們想:日後如有人對我們或我們的子孫說,我們可以說:你們試看我們的祖先所築的上主的祭壇的式樣,不是為獻全燔祭,也不是為獻犧牲,而是為作你我之間的證劇。
So we said, 'If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we would say, “Look! This is a copy of the altar of Yahweh, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.”
29 我們今天沒有意思違背上主,離開上主,在上主我們天主的帳幕前的祭壇以外,為獻全墦祭、素祭和犧牲,另建立一祭壇。」
May it be far from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and today turn away from following him by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, other than the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle.'”
30 司祭丕乃哈斯和同他同來的會眾的首領,即以色列人的族長,聽了勒烏本人、加得人和默納協人所的話,都表示滿意。
When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the people, that is, the heads of the clans of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh said, that it was good in their eyes.
31 厄肋阿則爾的兒子丕乃哈司祭對勒烏本人、加得人和默納協人說:「今天我們知道上主是在我們中間,因為你們對上主沒有犯過這樣不忠信的罪,現在你們由上主手中救了以色列子民。」
Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against him. Now you have rescued the people of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh.”
32 厄肋阿則爾的兒子丕乃哈司祭和首領便離開勒烏本人、加得人和默納協半支派的人,從基肋阿得地方回到客納罕地見以色列子民,給他們報告了這事。
Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites, out of the land of Gilead, back to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them.
33 以色列子民對這報告都表示滿意,遂頌揚上主,不再想作戰攻打勒烏本人和加得人,毀滅他們所住的地方。
Their report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. The people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more about making war against the Reubenites and the Gadites, in order to destroy the land where they had settled.
34 勒烏本人和加得人給那祭壇起名叫「赫得,」因為他們說:「這祭壇在我們中間證明上主是真天主。」
The Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar “Witness,” for they said, “It is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”