士師記 6
1 以色列的子民又行了上主視為惡的事，上主把他們交於米德楊人手中七年之久。
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
2 米德楊人的勢力勝過了以色列，以色列子民為了防禦米德楊人，修築了山洞、地洞和山寨。
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3 每逢以色列人撒種之後，米德楊人、阿瑪肋克人和東方子民就上來攻打他們；
Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
4 對著他們紮營，毀壞地產直到迦薩一帶，沒有給以色列留下一點食糧，連羊、牛、驢也沒有留下；
encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
5 因為他們總是帶著家畜和帳棚上來，多如蝗蟲；他們來的人和駱駝多得無數，踏入境內，毀壞田地。
For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
6 以色列為了米德楊人的原故，很是窮困，因此以色列子民呼籲了上主。
Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7 當以色列子民為了米德楊的原故，呼籲上主時，
Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
8 上主就派了一位先知到以色列子民那裏，對他們說：「上主以色列的天主這樣說：是我使你們由埃及上來，領你們離開了為奴之家；
He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
9 是我從埃及人的手中，從一切壓迫你們的人手中救出你們來；是我從你們面前把他們趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。
I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 我曾對你們說過：我是上主你們的天主，你們在阿摩黎地方，切不可敬畏他們的神! 但是你們沒有聽從我的話。」基德紅被召
And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
11 上主的使者來到，坐在敖弗辣的一棵屬於阿彼厄則爾人約阿士的篤耨樹下，當時他的兒子基德紅正在釀酒池裏打麥子，躲避米德楊人。
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 上主的使者顯現給他，對他說：「英勇的壯士，願上主與你同在! 」
And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13 基德紅回答他說：「我主，請原諒! 如果上主與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這些困難﹖他們曾向我們說過：看，是上主領我們出離埃及，但是現在上主拋棄了我們，將我們交在米德楊人的掌握中。」
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 上主注視他說：「憑你這種力量，你去拯救以色列脫離米德楊人的掌握。看，是我派遣你。」
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
15 他回答說：「我主，請原諒! 我憑什麼拯救以色列﹖看，我家在默納協支派中是最卑微的，我在我父親家中又是最小的一個。」
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16 上主對他說：「有我與你同在，你必擊敗米德楊人，如擊一個人一樣。」
“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
17 基德紅又向他說：「我若在你面前蒙恩，請你給我一個記號，證明與我說話的是你。
Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
18 請你不要離開此地，等我回到你這裏，帶來禮物，擺在你前。」他答應說：「我等你回來。」
Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 基德紅就去預備了一隻小公山羊，又用一「厄法」麥粉作了無酵餅，把肉放在筐裏，把湯盛在罐裏，帶到篤耨樹下獻給他。
So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
20 天主的使者對他說：「拿出肉和無酵餅來，放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來! 」他就照樣作了。
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
21 上主的使者遂伸出手中的棍杖，杖頭一觸及肉和無酵餅，磐石便起火，把肉和無酵餅吞噬了；上主的使者便從他眼前隱沒了。
Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22 基德紅遂知道他是上主的使者說：「哎呀！我主上主，我竟然面對面地看見上主的使者！」
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
23 但上主對他說：「你放心! 不必害怕，你不會死!
But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
24 基德紅就在那裏給上主立了一座祭壇，稱為雅威沙隆；至今還在阿彼厄則耳人的敖弗辣那裏。德基紅拆毀巴耳祭壇
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 當夜上主對他說：「取你父親的一隻牛，即那隻七歲的肥牛，以後拆毀你父親的巴耳祭壇，打碎旁邊的阿舍辣；
On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26 給上主你的天主在這磐石頂上建一座祭壇，準備妥當，將那隻肥牛獻為全燔祭，用打碎的阿舍辣作木柴。」
Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
27 基德紅就從僕人中選出十個人，照上主吩咐他的作了；但因為害怕父親的家人和城裏的人，不敢在白天行事，就在黑夜作了。
So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
28 城裏的人早晨起來，看見巴耳的祭壇已毀，旁邊所有的阿舍辣也被打碎，那隻肥牛也獻於新築的祭壇上，
When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
29 就彼此詢問說：「誰作了這事﹖」經過考察追問之後，斷定說：「必是約阿士的兒子基德紅作了這事。」
“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30 因此本城的人對約阿士說：「將你的兒子交出來，將他處死! 因為他拆毀了巴耳的祭壇，打碎了旁邊的阿舍辣。」
Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31 約阿士回答所有反對他的人說：「你們要為巴耳辯護麼﹖或者你們要就助他嗎﹖誰為他辯護，明天早晨便該處以死刑! 他如果是神，讓他為自己辯護罷! 因為有人拆毀了他的祭壇。」
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
32 因此當天人就稱基德紅為「耶魯巴耳，」好像說：「讓巴耳與他爭辯，因為基德紅拆毀了他的祭壇。」基德紅求證
So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
33 那時，米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方子民都聚集起來，過了河，在依次勒耳平原安了營。
Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 上主的神充滿了基德紅，他一吹號角，阿彼厄則爾人便應召前來跟隨他；
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
35 他又打發使者走遍默納協，默納協人也應召前來跟隨他；他又打發使者往阿協爾、則步隆和納斐塔里去，他們也都上來與他們會合。
Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
36 基德紅就對天主說：「如果你按你所說的，真要藉著我的手拯救以色列，
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
37 看我將剪下的一把羊毛放在禾場上，若露水單單落在羊毛上，而遍地都是乾的，那麼我便曉得，如你所說的，你真要藉我的手拯救以色列。」
then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38 次日清早起來，果然如此，基德紅把羊毛一擰，從羊毛裏擰出一碗露水。
And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39 基德紅又向天主說：「如果我再說一次，求你別對我發怒! 請讓我用這羊毛再試一次：單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。」
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
40 那一業天主果然這樣作了，單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。
And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
