< 士师记 7 >
1 耶路·巴力就是基甸,他和一切跟随的人早晨起来,在哈律泉旁安营。米甸营在他们北边的平原,靠近摩利冈。
Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2 耶和华对基甸说:“跟随你的人过多,我不能将米甸人交在他们手中,免得以色列人向我夸大,说:‘是我们自己的手救了我们。’
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 现在你要向这些人宣告说:‘凡惧怕胆怯的,可以离开基列山回去。’”于是有二万二千人回去,只剩下一万。
Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
4 耶和华对基甸说:“人还是过多;你要带他们下到水旁,我好在那里为你试试他们。我指点谁说:‘这人可以同你去’,他就可以同你去;我指点谁说:‘这人不可同你去’,他就不可同你去。”
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5 基甸就带他们下到水旁。耶和华对基甸说:“凡用舌头舔水,像狗舔的,要使他单站在一处;凡跪下喝水的,也要使他单站在一处。”
So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
6 于是用手捧着舔水的有三百人,其余的都跪下喝水。
And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
7 耶和华对基甸说:“我要用这舔水的三百人拯救你们,将米甸人交在你手中;其余的人都可以各归各处去。”
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
8 这三百人就带着食物和角;其余的以色列人,基甸都打发他们各归各的帐棚,只留下这三百人。米甸营在他下边的平原里。
So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
9 当那夜,耶和华吩咐基甸说:“起来,下到米甸营里去,因我已将他们交在你手中。
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
10 倘若你怕下去,就带你的仆人普拉下到那营里去。
But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11 你必听见他们所说的,然后你就有胆量下去攻营。”于是基甸带着仆人普拉下到营旁。
and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
12 米甸人、亚玛力人,和一切东方人都布散在平原,如同蝗虫那样多。他们的骆驼无数,多如海边的沙。
Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 基甸到了,就听见一人将梦告诉同伴说:“我做了一梦,梦见一个大麦饼滚入米甸营中,到了帐幕,将帐幕撞倒,帐幕就翻转倾覆了。”
And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
14 那同伴说:“这不是别的,乃是以色列人约阿施的儿子基甸的刀; 神已将米甸和全军都交在他的手中。”
His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
15 基甸听见这梦和梦的讲解,就敬拜 神,回到以色列营中,说:“起来吧!耶和华已将米甸的军队交在你们手中了。”
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 于是基甸将三百人分作三队,把角和空瓶交在各人手里(瓶内都藏着火把),
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
17 吩咐他们说:“你们要看我行事:我到了营的旁边怎样行,你们也要怎样行。
“Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.
18 我和一切跟随我的人吹角的时候,你们也要在营的四围吹角,喊叫说:‘耶和华和基甸的刀!’”
When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
19 基甸和跟随他的一百人,在三更之初才换更的时候,来到营旁,就吹角,打破手中的瓶。
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
20 三队的人就都吹角,打破瓶子,左手拿着火把,右手拿着角,喊叫说:“耶和华和基甸的刀!”
The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21 他们在营的四围各站各的地方;全营的人都乱窜。三百人呐喊,使他们逃跑。
Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.
22 三百人就吹角,耶和华使全营的人用刀互相击杀,逃到西利拉的伯·哈示他,直逃到靠近他巴的亚伯·米何拉。
And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23 以色列人就从拿弗他利、亚设,和玛拿西全地聚集来追赶米甸人。
Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
24 基甸打发人走遍以法莲山地,说:“你们下来攻击米甸人,争先把守约旦河的渡口,直到伯·巴拉。”于是以法莲的众人聚集,把守约旦河的渡口,直到伯·巴拉,
Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
25 捉住了米甸人的两个首领:一名俄立,一名西伊伯;将俄立杀在俄立磐石上,将西伊伯杀在西伊伯酒榨那里;又追赶米甸人,将俄立和西伊伯的首级带过约旦河,到基甸那里。
They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.