< 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 Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. Midian’s camp 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。
The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag against me, saying, ‘My own hand has 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 proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of the people returned, 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。」
The LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that those whom I tell you, ‘This shall go with you,’ shall go with you; and whoever I tell you, ‘This shall not go with you,’ 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 brought down the people to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on 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。
The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on 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。」
The LORD said to Gideon, “I will save you by the three hundred men who lapped, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own 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
So the people took food in their hand, and their shofars; and he sent all the rest of the men of Israel to their own tents, but retained the three hundred men; 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。
That same night, the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp, for I have delivered it into your 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,
But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down 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。
You will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp.” Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who 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。
The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore 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。」
When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said, “Behold, I dreamt a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”
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。」
His fellow answered, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian into his hand, with all the army.”
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。」
It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshipped. Then he returned into the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has delivered the army of Midian into your hand!”
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;
He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them shofars and empty pitchers, with torches within 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。
He said to them, “Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall 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 shofar, I and all who are with me, then blow the shofars also on every side of all the camp, and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
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。
So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch. Then they blew the shofars and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
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! 」
The three companies blew the shofars, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands and the shofars in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”
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。
They each stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight.
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
They blew the three hundred shofars, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah towards Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by 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。
The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued Midian.
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。
Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take the waters before them as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan!” So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even 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。
They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at Oreb’s rock, and Zeeb they killed at Zeeb’s wine press, as they pursued Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

< 士師記 7 >