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 again did evil in the sight of the Lord: and he delivered them into the hand of Madian 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 they were grievously oppressed by them. And they made themselves dens and eaves in the mountains, and strong holds to resist.
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 when Israel had sown, Madian and Amalec, and the rest of the eastern nations came up:
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 pitching their tents among them, wasted all things as they were in the blade even to the entrance of Gaza: and they left nothing at all in Israel for sustenance of life, nor sheep, nor oxen, nor 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 and all their flocks came with their tents, and like locusts filled all places, an innumerable multitude of men, and of camels, wasting whatsoever they touched.
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 humbled exceedingly in the sight of Madian.
7 以色列人因米甸人的缘故，呼求耶和华，
And he cried to the Lord desiring help against the Madianites.
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，
And he sent unto them a prophet, and he spoke: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I made you to come up out of Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage,
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 delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians, and of all the enemies that afflicted you: and I cast them out at your coming in, 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: I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell. And you would not hear 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。
And an angel of the Lord came, and sat under an oak, that was in Ephra, and belonged to Joas the father of the family of Ezri. And when Gedeon his son was threshing and cleansing wheat by the winepress, to flee from Madian,
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！”
The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with thee, O most valiant of men.
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。”
And Gedeon said to him: I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be with us, why have these evils fallen upon us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers have told us of, saying: The Lord brought us Out of Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the bands of Madian.
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 looked upon him, and said: Go in this thy strength, and then shalt deliver Israel out of the hand of Madian: know that I have sent thee.
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。”
He answered and said: I beseech thee, my lord, wherewith shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the meanest in Manasses, 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。”
And the Lord said to him: I will be with thee: and thou shalt cut off Madian as 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。
And he said: If I have found grace before thee, give me a sign that it is thou that speakest 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。”
And depart not hence, till I return to thee, and bring a sacrifice, and offer it to thee. And he answered: I will wait thy coming.
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。
So Gedeon went in, and boiled a kid, and made unleavened loaves of a measure of flour: and putting the flesh in a basket, and the broth of the flesh into a pot, he carried all under the oak, and presented to him.
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 the Lord said to him: Take the flesh and the unleavened loaves, and lay them upon that rock, and pour out the broth thereon. And when he had done 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。
The angel of the Lord put forth the tip of the rod, which he held in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves: and there arose a fire from the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves: and the angel of the Lord vanished out of his sight.
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。”
And Gedeon seeing that it was the angel of the Lord, said: Alas, my 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。”
And the Lord said to him: Peace be with thee: fear not, thou shalt not die.
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。）
And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it the Lord’s peace, until this present day. And when he was yet in Ephra, which is of the family of Ezri,
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，
That night the Lord said to him: Take a bullock of thy father’s, and another bullock of seven years, and thou shalt destroy the altar of Baal, which is thy father’s: and cut down the grove that is about the altar:
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。”
And thou shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God in the top of this rock, whereupon thou didst lay the sacrifice before: and thou shalt take the second bullock, and shalt offer a holocaust upon a pile of the wood, which thou shalt cut down out of the grove.
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 Gedeon taking ten men of his servants, did as the Lord had commanded him. But fearing his father’s house, and the men of that city, he would not do it by day, but did all 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 when the men of that town were risen in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the grove cut down, and the second bullock laid upon the altar, which then was built.
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 one to another: Who hath done this? And when they inquired for the author of the fact, it was said: Gedeon the son of Joas did all this.
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。”
And they said to Joas: Bring out thy son hither, that he may die: because he hath destroyed the altar of Baal, and hath cut down his grove.
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！”
He answered them: Are you the avengers of Baal, that you fight for him? he that is his adversary, let him die before tomorrow light appear: if he be a god, let him revenge himself on him that hath cast down 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。”
From that day Gedeon was called Jerobaal, because Joss had said: Let Baal revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar.
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。
Now all Madian, and Amalec, and the eastern people were gathered together, and passing over the Jordan, camped in the valley of Jezrael.
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 upon Gedeon, and be sounded the trumpet and called together the house of Abiezer, to follow 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 messengers into all Manasses, and they also followed him: and other messengers into Aser and Zabulon and Nephtali, and they came to meet him.
36 基甸对 神说：“你若果照着所说的话，借我手拯救以色列人，
And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast 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。”
I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I, shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel.
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. And rising before day wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.
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。”
And he said again to God: let not thy wrath be kindled against me if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet 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 God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
