士师记 6
1 以色列人又行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，耶和华就把他们交在米甸人手里七年。
And the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord gave them up into the hand of Midian for seven years.
2 米甸人压制以色列人；以色列人因为米甸人，就在山中挖穴、挖洞、建造营寨。
And Midian was stronger than Israel; and because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made holes for themselves in the mountains, and hollows in the rocks, and strong places.
3 以色列人每逢撒种之后，米甸人、亚玛力人，和东方人都上来攻打他们，
And whenever Israel's grain was planted, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them;
4 对着他们安营，毁坏土产，直到迦萨，没有给以色列人留下食物，牛、羊、驴也没有留下；
And put their army in position against them; and they took all the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, till there was no food in Israel, or any sheep or oxen or asses.
5 因为那些人带着牲畜帐棚来，像蝗虫那样多，人和骆驼无数，都进入国内，毁坏全地。
For they came up regularly with their oxen and their tents; they came like the locusts in number; they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land for its destruction.
6 以色列人因米甸人的缘故，极其穷乏，就呼求耶和华。
And Israel was in great need because of Midian; and the cry of the children of Israel went up to the Lord.
7 以色列人因米甸人的缘故，呼求耶和华，
And when the cry of the children of Israel, because of Midian, came before the Lord,
8 耶和华就差遣先知到以色列人那里，对他们说：“耶和华—以色列的 神如此说：‘我曾领你们从埃及上来，出了为奴之家，
The Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, The Lord the God of Israel, has said, I took you up from Egypt, out of the prison-house;
9 救你们脱离埃及人的手，并脱离一切欺压你们之人的手，把他们从你们面前赶出，将他们的地赐给你们’；
And I took you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all who were cruel to you, and I sent them out by force from before you and gave you their land;
10 又对你们说：‘我是耶和华—你们的 神。你们住在亚摩利人的地，不可敬畏他们的神。你们竟不听从我的话。’”
And I said to you, I am the Lord your God; you are not to give worship to the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, but you did not give ear to my voice.
11 耶和华的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸正在酒榨那里打麦子，为要防备米甸人。
Now the angel of the Lord came and took his seat under the oak-tree in Ophrah, in the field of Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was crushing grain in the place where the grapes were crushed, so that the Midianites might not see it.
12 耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！”
And the angel of the Lord came before his eyes, and said to him, The Lord is with you, O man of war.
13 基甸说：“主啊，耶和华若与我们同在，我们何至遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖不是向我们说‘耶和华领我们从埃及上来’吗？他那样奇妙的作为在哪里呢？现在他却丢弃我们，将我们交在米甸人手里。”
Then Gideon said to him, O my lord, if the Lord is with us why has all this come on us? And where are all his works of power, of which our fathers have given us word, saying, Did not the Lord take us out of Egypt? But now he has given us up, handing us over to the power of Midian.
14 耶和华观看基甸，说：“你靠着你这能力去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的吗？”
And the Lord, turning to him, said, Go in the strength you have and be Israel's saviour from Midian: have I not sent you?
15 基甸说：“主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的。我在我父家是至微小的。”
And he said to him, O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 耶和华对他说：“我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。”
Then the Lord said to him, Truly, I will be with you, and you will overcome the Midianites as if they were one man.
17 基甸说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个证据，使我知道与我说话的就是主。
So he said to him, If now I have grace in your eyes, then give me a sign that it is you who are talking to me.
18 求你不要离开这里，等我归回将礼物带来供在你面前。”主说：“我必等你回来。”
Do not go away till I come with my offering and put it before you. And he said, I will not go away before you come back.
19 基甸去预备了一只山羊羔，用一伊法细面做了无酵饼，将肉放在筐内，把汤盛在壶中，带到橡树下，献在使者面前。
Then Gideon went in and made ready a young goat, and with an ephah of meal he made unleavened cakes: he put the meat in a basket and the soup in which it had been cooked he put in a pot, and he took it out to him under the oak-tree and gave it to him there.
20 神的使者吩咐基甸说：“将肉和无酵饼放在这磐石上，把汤倒出来。”他就这样行了。
And the angel of God said to him, Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them down on the rock over there, draining out the soup over them. And he did so.
21 耶和华的使者伸出手内的杖，杖头挨了肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼。耶和华的使者也就不见了。
Then the angel of the Lord put out the stick which was in his hand, touching the meat and the cakes with the end of it; and a flame came up out of the rock, burning up the meat and the cakes: and the angel of the Lord was seen no longer.
22 基甸见他是耶和华的使者，就说：“哀哉！主耶和华啊，我不好了，因为我觌面看见耶和华的使者。”
Then Gideon was certain that he was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, I am in fear, O Lord God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.
23 耶和华对他说：“你放心，不要惧怕，你必不至死。”
But the Lord said to him, Peace be with you; have no fear: you are in no danger of death.
24 于是基甸在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，起名叫“耶和华沙龙”。（这坛在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉直到如今。）
Then Gideon made an altar there to the Lord, and gave it the name Yahweh-shalom; to this day it is in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 当那夜，耶和华吩咐基甸说：“你取你父亲的牛来，就是那七岁的第二只牛，并拆毁你父亲为巴力所筑的坛，砍下坛旁的木偶，
The same night the Lord said to him, Take ten men of your servants and an ox seven years old, and after pulling down the altar of Baal which is your father's, and cutting down the holy tree by its side,
26 在这磐石上整整齐齐地为耶和华—你的 神筑一座坛，将第二只牛献为燔祭，用你所砍下的木偶作柴。”
Make an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this rock, in the ordered way and take the ox and make a burned offering with the wood of the holy tree which has been cut down.
27 基甸就从他仆人中挑了十个人，照着耶和华吩咐他的行了。他因怕父家和本城的人，不敢在白昼行这事，就在夜间行了。
Then Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had said to him; but fearing to do it by day, because of his father's people and the men of the town, he did it by night.
28 城里的人清早起来，见巴力的坛拆毁，坛旁的木偶砍下，第二只牛献在新筑的坛上，
And the men of the town got up early in the morning, and they saw the altar of Baal broken down, and the holy tree which was by it cut down, and the ox offered on the altar which had been put up there.
29 就彼此说：“这事是谁做的呢？”他们访查之后，就说：“这是约阿施的儿子基甸做的。”
And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And after searching with care, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.
30 城里的人对约阿施说：“将你儿子交出来，好治死他；因为他拆毁了巴力的坛，砍下坛旁的木偶。”
Then the men of the town said to Joash, Make your son come out to be put to death, for pulling down the altar of Baal and cutting down the holy tree which was by it.
31 约阿施回答站着攻击他的众人说：“你们是为巴力争论吗？你们要救他吗？谁为他争论，趁早将谁治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毁他的坛，让他为自己争论吧！”
But Joash said to all those who were attacking him, Will you take up the cause of Baal? will you be his saviour? Let anyone who will take up his cause be put to death while it is still morning: if he is a god, let him take up his cause himself because of the pulling down of his altar.
32 所以当日人称基甸为耶路·巴力，意思说：“他拆毁巴力的坛，让巴力与他争论。”
So that day he gave him the name of Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal take up his cause against him because his altar has been broken down.
33 那时，米甸人、亚玛力人，和东方人都聚集过河，在耶斯列平原安营。
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east, banding themselves together, went over and put up their tents in the valley of Jezreel.
34 耶和华的灵降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亚比以谢族都聚集跟随他。
But the spirit of the Lord came on Gideon; and at the sound of his horn all Abiezer came together after him.
35 他打发人走遍玛拿西地，玛拿西人也聚集跟随他；又打发人去见亚设人、西布伦人、拿弗他利人，他们也都出来与他们会合。
And he sent through all Manasseh, and they came after him; and he sent to Asher and Zebulun and Naphtali, and they came up and were joined to the others.
36 基甸对 神说：“你若果照着所说的话，借我手拯救以色列人，
Then Gideon said to God, If you are going to give Israel salvation by my hand, as you have said,
37 我就把一团羊毛放在禾场上：若单是羊毛上有露水，别的地方都是干的，我就知道你必照着所说的话，借我手拯救以色列人。”
See, I will put the wool of a sheep on the grain-floor; if there is dew on the wool only, while all the earth is dry, then I will be certain that it is your purpose to give Israel salvation by my hand as you have said.
38 次日早晨基甸起来，见果然是这样；将羊毛挤一挤，从羊毛中拧出满盆的露水来。
And it was so: for he got up early on the morning after, and twisting the wool in his hands, he got a basin full of water from the dew on the wool.
39 基甸又对 神说：“求你不要向我发怒，我再说这一次：让我将羊毛再试一次。但愿羊毛是干的，别的地方都有露水。”
Then Gideon said to God, Do not be moved to wrath against me if I say only this: let me make one more test with the wool; let the wool now be dry, while the earth is covered with dew.
40 这夜 神也如此行：独羊毛上是干的，别的地方都有露水。
And that night God did so; for the wool was dry, and there was dew on all the earth round it.
