< 士師記 7 >

1 耶魯巴耳即基德紅和所有跟隨他的民眾一早起身,在哈洛得泉安營;米德楊的營幕就在他們北面,在摩勒山腳的平原裏。
Then Yerubba'al, who is Gid'on, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Charod; and the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 上主對基德紅說:「跟隨你的民眾太多,我不能把米德楊交在他們手中,免得以色列對我自誇說:是自己的能力救了自己。
And the Lord said unto Gid'on, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand: lest Israel should vaunt themselves against me, saying, my own hand hath saved me.
3 現在你要向民眾宣告說:凡害怕恐懼的可以回去,急速離開這裏。」於是民眾中有二萬二千回去,只剩下一萬人。
Now therefore, do proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gil'ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and ten thousand remained.
4 上主又對基德紅說:「民眾還是太多;領他們下到水邊去,我要在那裏為你檢驗他們。凡我告訴你說:這人可同你去,他就與你同去;凡我告訴你說:這人不可同你去,他就不可去。」
And the Lord said unto Gid'on, The people are yet too many; let them go down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I will say unto thee, This one shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee: and of whomsoever I will say unto thee, This one shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 他就引民眾下到水邊;上主向基德紅說:「凡用舌頭舔水像狗舔水似的,將他們安置在一處;同樣,凡屈膝跪下飲水的,將他們安置在一處。」
So he caused the people to go down unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gid'on, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as the dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bendeth down upon his knees to drink.
6 用手捧到嘴邊舔水的共有三百人;其餘民眾都是屈膝跪下喝水。
And the number of those that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bent down upon their knees to drink water.
7 上主對基德紅說:「我要用這三百舔水的人拯救你們,把米德楊交於你手中。讓其餘的民眾各回本地去。」
And the Lord said unto Gid'on, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 基德紅便留下民眾的罐子和號角,打發眾以色列人各回自己的帳幕,只留下三百人。米德楊的營幕就在他們下面的平原裏。基德紅巧取米德楊營
And they took the provision of the people in their hand, and their cornets; and all the rest of Israel he dismissed, every man unto his tent; but those three hundred men he retained: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 當夜上主對他說:「起來,下去攻營! 我已將敵營交在你的手中了。
And it came to pass, during the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.
10 如果你一人害怕下去,可帶你的隨從普辣一起下到營幕,
And if thou fear to go down, then go thou down with Purah thy servant to the camp.
11 聽他們說什麼;以後你的手就會堅強,敢下去攻營了。」於是他和他的隨從普辣便下去,來到營中駐軍的前哨。
And thou shalt hear what they will say; and after that shall thy hands be strengthened, and thou wilt go down unto the camp. And he went down with Purah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 那時米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方的子民都散佈在平原裏,多如蝗蟲;他們的駱駝不可勝數,多如海邊的沙粒。
And the Midianites and the 'Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like the locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is by the seaside for multitude.
13 基德紅來到時,正有一個人給他的同伴講夢說:「我作了一個夢:有一個大麥麵餅滾入米德楊營內,直滾向帳幕,將帳幕撞倒:翻轉朝上。」
And when Gid'on was come, behold, a man was telling a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and, lo, a baked cake of barley bread was rolling round through the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and struck against it so that it fell, and it turned it bottom upward, and the tent thus tumbled down.
14 他的同伴回答說:「這不是別的,這是以色列人約阿士的兒子基德紅的刀劍;天主已把米德楊及其全營交於他手中。」
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gid'on the son of Joash, a man of Israel; into whose hand God hath delivered Midian, and the whole camp.
15 基德紅一聽見這夢的敘述和解釋,就朝拜天主;然後回到以色列營中說:「起來! 因為上主已將米德楊的營幕交在你們手中了。」
And it was, when Gid'on heard the narration of the dream, and its interpretation, that he prostrated himself, and returned unto the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the camp of Midian.
16 他於是把三百人分作三隊,把號角和空罐子交在每人手中,把火把放在罐子裏;
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put cornets in the hand of all of them, with empty pitchers, and torches in the pitchers.
17 然後吩咐他們說:「你們看我怎樣行,你們便怎樣行;一到營幕邊上,我怎樣作,你們也要怎樣作。
And he said unto them, What you see me do, do ye likewise; and, behold, when I am come to the edge of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 當我與跟隨我的人吹號角時,你們也應該在營幕四周吹號角,並且喊叫;為上主,為基德紅! 」
When I blow the cornet, I and all that are with me, then shall ye blow the cornets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For the Lord, and for Gid'on.
19 在三更之初,當哨兵換防的時候,基德紅領著他那一百人來到營幕邊上,吹起號角來,打破手中的罐子。
And Gid'on, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the edge of the camp in the bcginning of the middle watch; when they had but newly set the sentinels: and they blew the cornets, and broke the pitchers that were in their hand.
20 同時三隊一齊吹號角,打破罐子,左手拿著火把,右手拿著號角吹,並喊叫說:「刀劍為上主,為基德紅! 」
And the three companies blew the cornets, and broke the pitchers, and seized with their left hand the torches, and with their right hand the cornets to blow; and they cried, The sword for the Lord, and for Gid'on.
21 眾人都在營幕四周,各站在自己的地方。那時敵營驚醒,亂喊亂竄。
And they remained standing every man in his place round about the camp; and all [in] the camp ran, and shouted, and fled.
22 當那三百人吹號角的時候,上主使敵營互相撕殺。以後朝著責勒達逃往貝特史大,直到面對塔巴特的阿貝耳默曷拉。米德楊慘敗
And as the three hundred cornets sounded, the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the camp; and [those in] the camp fled as far as Beth-hashittah to Zererah, up to the border of Abelmecholah, near Tabbath.
23 那時以色列人從納斐塔里、阿協爾和默納協全地集合,追趕米德楊。
And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Menasseh, and they pursued after the Midianites.
24 基德紅又打發使者到全厄弗辣因山地說:「請下來攻打米德楊人,在他們前佔據約但河的渡口,直到貝特巴辣。」全厄弗辣因人就集合,佔據了約但河的渡口,一直到貝特巴辣。
And Gid'on sent messengers throughout all the mountain of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim assembled themselves, and seized on the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.
25 他們捉住了米德楊的兩個領袖,即敖勒布和則厄布,在敖勒布石上把敖勒布殺死,在則厄布醡酒池裏把則厄布殺死;以後繼續追趕米德楊人,並把敖勒布和則厄布的頭送到約但對岸基德紅跟前。
And they captured two princes of the Midianites, 'Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew 'Oreb upon the rock 'Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued the Midianites; and the heads of 'Oreb and Zeeb they brought to Gid'on from the other side of the Jordan.

< 士師記 7 >