< 士師記 13 >

1 以色列子民又行了上主視為惡的事,因此上主把他們交於培肋舍特人手中四十年之久。
And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 那時,在祚辣有一個人,屬於丹支派,名叫瑪諾亞,他的妻子是個石女,從未生育。
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 上主的使者顯現給那婦人,對她說:「看,你原是個石女,從未生育,但是你要懷孕生子。
And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 今後要留心:清酒濃酒都不可喝,各種不潔的東西也不可吃!
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 看,你將懷孕生子,剃刀不可觸及他的頭,因為這孩子從母胎就是獻於上主的;他要開始從培肋舍特人手中拯救以色列。」
for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 那婦人遂去告訴自己的丈夫說:「有一個天主的人來到我這裏,他的容貌好像天主的使者,極其威嚴;我沒有問他從那裏來;他也沒有告訴我他的名字。
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 他對我說:看,你將懷孕生子,從今以後清酒濃酒都不可喝,各種不潔的東西都不可吃,因為這孩從母胎一直到死,是獻於天主的。」
but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 瑪諾亞就向上主懇求說:「我主! 求你叫你所派的那位天主的人再到我們這裏來! 指教我們對於將生的嬰孩應該作什麼﹖」
Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 天主聽了瑪諾亞的話;天主的使者又來到那婦人跟前;那時她正坐在田間,她的丈夫沒有同她在一起。
And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 那婦人就急速跑去告訴丈夫說:「看,那天來我跟前的那個人,又顯現給我了。」
And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the [other] day.
11 瑪諾亞就起來,跟著妻子來到那人跟前,對他說:「你就是向這婦人說話的那人嗎﹖」他回答說:「我就是。」
And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
12 瑪諾亞向他說:「當你的話應驗的時候,我們應該怎樣管教這孩子﹖要怎樣待他﹖」
And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and [how] shall we do unto him?
13 上主的使者對瑪諾亞說:「我給這婦人所說的一切,她都當留神:
And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 凡葡萄樹所結的,她不能吃;清酒濃酒她不能喝,各種不潔的東西她不能吃;凡我所吩咐她的,她都該遵守。」
She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.
15 瑪諾亞對上主的使者說:「請容許我留你,為你預備一隻小山羊。」
And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.
16 上主的使者對瑪諾亞說:「你雖然劉我,我卻不吃你得食物;假使你要獻一全燔祭,就當獻於上主。」因瑪諾亞當時還不知道他是上主的使者。
And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah.
17 瑪諾亞問上主的使者說:「你叫什麼名字﹖當你的話應驗的時候,我們好恭敬你。」
And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor?
18 上主的使者回答說:「你為什麼問我的名字﹖它是奧妙的。」
And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful?
19 瑪諾亞取了一隻小山羊和素祭,在一塊磐石上獻於行奇事的上主。
So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 當火燄從祭壇上向天升起時,上主的使者也在祭壇的火燄中上升了。瑪諾亞和他的妻子看見這事,就俯伏在地上。
For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21 上主的使者沒有再顯現給瑪諾亞和他的妻子,那時瑪諾亞才知道他是上主的使者。
But the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah.
22 瑪諾亞對自己的妻子說:「我們必定要死,因為我們看見了天主。」
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23 但他妻子對他說:「如果上主有意叫我們死,必定不會悅納我們的手所獻的全燔祭和素祭,必不會使我們看見這些事,也不會使我們聽到像現在這樣的話。」
But his wife said unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.
24 後來那婦人生了一個兒子,給他起名叫三松;孩子漸漸長大,上主祝福了他。
And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.
25 在瑪哈乃丹,即在祚辣與厄市陶耳之間,上主的神開始感動他。
And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

< 士師記 13 >