< 約書亞記 7 >
1 以色列子民在應毀滅之物上犯了罪;那是因為猶大支派中,則辣黑的曾孫,匝貝狄的孫子,加爾米的兒子阿干,取了應毀滅之物,上主對以色列子民發了大怒。
But the children of Israel did wrong about the cursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the family of Judah, took of the cursed thing, moving the Lord to wrath against the children of Israel.
2 若蘇厄從耶利哥派人到哈依去,──這城位於貝特耳東方貝特阿文附近──吩咐他們說:「你們上去,偵察那地。」那些人便上去偵察了哈衣。
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is by the side of Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and said to them, Go up and make a search through the land. And the men went up and saw how Ai was placed.
3 他們回來對若蘇厄說:「不需要眾百姓都上去,只派兩三人去攻打哈依就夠了,不必勞動全體百姓,因為他們人數不多。」
Then they came back to Joshua and said to him, Do not send all the people up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and make an attack on Ai; there is no need for all the people to be tired with the journey there, for it is only a small town.
4 這樣百姓中約有三千人上去攻打哈依,不料他們由哈依人面前避跑了。
So about three thousand of the people went up, and were sent in flight by the men of Ai.
5 哈依人出擊,殺了他們約有三十六人,從城門前追擊他們,直追到舍巴陵,在斜坡上又殺敗了他們,因此百姓的勇氣像水一樣消散了。
The men of Ai put to death about thirty-six of them, driving them from before the town as far as the stoneworks, and overcoming them on the way down: and the hearts of the people became like water.
6 若蘇厄撕破自己自己的衣服,和以色列的長老,在上主約櫃前俯伏在地,一直到晚上,各在頭上撒上灰土。
Then Joshua, in great grief, went down on the earth before the ark of the Lord till the evening, and all the chiefs of Israel with him, and they put dust on their heads.
7 若蘇厄說:「唉,我主上主! 你為什麼領這百姓渡過約旦河,是為將我們交於阿摩黎人手中,讓我們消滅嗎﹖巴不得我們住在約旦河那邊倒好!
And Joshua said, O Lord God, why have you taken us over Jordan only to give us up into the hands of the Amorites for our destruction? If only it had been enough for us to keep on the other side of Jordan!
8 唉我主! 以色列人既然由敵人前轉身逃跑,我還說什麼呢﹖
O Lord, what am I to say now that Israel have given way before their attackers?
9 當客納罕人和這地方所有的居民聽說這事,必來圍攻我們,從地上將我們的名字抹去,那時你對你的大名要怎樣辦呢。」
For when the news comes to the Canaanites and all the people of the land, they will come up, shutting us in and cutting off our name from the earth: and what will you do for the honour of your great name?
10 上主對若蘇厄說:「起來,為什麼老是伏在地上﹖
Then the Lord said to Joshua, Get up; what are you doing with your face to the earth?
11 以色列犯了罪,違背了我在盟約上給他們規定的,取了應毀滅之物,又偷又騙,並將應毀滅之物放在自己行囊裏。
Israel has done wrong, sinning against the agreement which I made with them: they have even taken of the cursed thing; acting falsely like thieves they have put it among their goods.
12 以色列所以扺擋不了敵人,由敵人前轉身逃跑,是因為他們成了應詛咒,除非你們將那應毀滅之物,由你們中間除掉,我不再與你們同在。
For this reason the children of Israel have given way, turning their backs in flight before their attackers, because they are cursed: I will no longer be with you, if you do not put the cursed thing away from among you.
13 起來,叫百姓聖潔自己,吩咐他們說:你們明天要聖潔自己,因為上主以色列的天主這樣說:以色列! 你們中間有應毀滅之物,除非將應毀滅之物,由你們中間除掉,你們決抵擋不住敵人
Up! make the people holy; say to them, Make yourselves holy before tomorrow, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, There is a cursed thing among you, O Israel, and you will give way before your attackers in the fight till the cursed thing has been taken away from among you.
14 所以明早你們應按支派前來。上主使那支派中籤,這支派的宗族都應前來;上主使那宗族中籤,這家族的宗族都應前來;上主使那家室中籤,這家的男子應一個一個地前來。
So in the morning you are to come near, tribe by tribe; and the tribe marked out by the Lord is to come near, family by family; and the family marked out by the Lord is to come near, house by house; and the house marked out by the Lord is to come near, man by man.
15 若藏有應毀滅之物火人中了籤,他和他所有的一切都應用火焚燒,因為他違犯了上主的約定,在以色列中間做了糊塗的事。」
Then the man who is taken with the cursed thing is to be burned, with everything which is his; because he has gone against the agreement of the Lord and has done an act of shame in Israel.
16 若蘇厄清早起來,命以色列按著支派一一前來,猶大支派中了籤。
So Joshua got up early in the morning, and made Israel come before him by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken;
17 他叫猶大支派前來,則辣黑宗族中了籤;遂叫則辣黑宗族前來,則貝狄家室前來,宗族中了籤;
Then he made Judah come forward, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he made the family of the Zerahites come forward man by man; and Zabdi was taken;
18 此後,又叫他的家室前來,叫男丁一個一個地前來,阿干中了籤──阿干是加爾米的兒子,加爾米是匝貝狄的兒子,匝貝狄是則辣黑的兒子,屬猶大支派。
Then the house of Zabdi came forward man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 若蘇厄遂對阿干說:「我兒,你應歸光榮於上主,以色列的天主,向衪認罪。請告訴我,你作了什麼事,不要隱瞞我。」
And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel; give me word now of what you have done, and keep nothing back from me.
20 阿干回答若蘇厄說:「我實在得罪了上主,以色列的天主。我是如此這般作的;
And Achan, answering, said to Joshua, Truly I have done wrong against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
21 我在戰利品中,見了一件美麗的史納爾外氅,二百「協刻耳」銀子,一條重五十「協刻耳」的金條,我因貪愛便拿走了,現在藏在我帳幕中的地下,銀子在這些東西的下面。」
When I saw among their goods a fair robe of Babylon and two hundred shekels of silver, and a mass of gold, fifty shekels in weight, I was overcome by desire and took them; and they are put away in the earth in my tent, and the silver is under it.
22 若蘇厄即刻派差役跑到他帳幕裏面,果然那些東西在帳幕內藏著,銀子在下面。
So Joshua sent men quickly, and looking in his tent, they saw where the robe had been put away secretly with the silver under it.
23 差役便從帳幕裏拿出來,帶到若蘇厄和所有以色列子民那裏,擺在上主面前。
And they took them from the tent and came back with them to Joshua and the children of Israel, and put them before the Lord.
24 若蘇厄和所有以色列人,將則辣黑的曾孫阿干和那銀子、外氅、金條,並他的子女、牛、驢、羊、帳幕,以及他所有的一切,都帶到阿苛爾山谷。
Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver and the robe and the mass of gold, and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent and everything he had; and they took them up into the valley of Achor.
25 若蘇厄說:「你為什麼給我們招來禍患﹖今天上主必要叫你招禍。」以色列民眾於是用石頭將他砸死。眾人用石頭砸死以後,將一切用火燒了。
And Joshua said, Why have you been a cause of trouble to us? Today the Lord will send trouble on you. And all Israel took part in stoning him; they had him stoned to death and then burned with fire.
26 以後,又在阿干身上堆上了一大堆石頭,這堆石頭一直存到今日;上主於是撤回了盛怒,因此那地方直到今日叫做阿苛爾山谷。
And over him they put a great mass of stones, which is there to this day; then the heat of the Lord's wrath was turned away. So that place was named, The Valley of Achor, to this day.