列王紀上 20
1 亞蘭王便‧哈達聚集他的全軍，率領三十二個王，帶着車馬上來圍攻撒馬利亞；
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 又差遣使者進城見以色列王亞哈，對他說：「便‧哈達如此說：
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 你的金銀都要歸我，你妻子兒女中最美的也要歸我。」
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 以色列王回答說：「我主我王啊，可以依着你的話，我與我所有的都歸你。」
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 使者又來說：「便‧哈達如此說：我已差遣人去見你，要你將你的金銀、妻子、兒女都給我。
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
6 但明日約在這時候，我還要差遣臣僕到你那裏，搜查你的家和你僕人的家，將你眼中一切所喜愛的都拿了去。」
But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
7 以色列王召了國中的長老來，對他們說：「請你們看看，這人是怎樣地謀害我，他先差遣人到我這裏來，要我的妻子、兒女，和金銀，我並沒有推辭他。」
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 長老和百姓對王說：「不要聽從他，也不要應允他。」
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
9 故此，以色列王對便‧哈達的使者說：「你們告訴我主我王說：王頭一次差遣人向僕人所要的，僕人都依從；但這次所要的，我不能依從。」使者就去回覆便‧哈達。
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 便‧哈達又差遣人去見亞哈說：「撒馬利亞的塵土若夠跟從我的人每人捧一捧的，願神明重重地降罰與我！」
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 以色列王說：「你告訴他說，才頂盔貫甲的，休要像摘盔卸甲的誇口。」
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 便‧哈達和諸王正在帳幕裏喝酒，聽見這話，就對他臣僕說：「擺隊吧！」他們就擺隊攻城。
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
13 有一個先知來見以色列王亞哈，說：「耶和華如此說：『這一大群人你看見了嗎？今日我必將他們交在你手裏，你就知道我是耶和華。』」
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 亞哈說：「藉着誰呢？」他回答說：「耶和華說，藉着跟從省長的少年人。」亞哈說：「要誰率領呢？」他說：「要你親自率領。」
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 於是亞哈數點跟從省長的少年人，共有二百三十二名，後又數點以色列的眾兵，共有七千名。
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 午間，他們就出城；便‧哈達和幫助他的三十二個王正在帳幕裏痛飲。
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 跟從省長的少年人先出城；便‧哈達差遣人去探望，他們回報說：「有人從撒馬利亞出來了。」
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 他說：「他們若為講和出來，要活捉他們；若為打仗出來，也要活捉他們。」
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 跟從省長的少年人出城，軍兵跟隨他們；
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 各人遇見敵人就殺。亞蘭人逃跑，以色列人追趕他們；亞蘭王便‧哈達騎着馬和馬兵一同逃跑。
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 以色列王出城攻打車馬，大大擊殺亞蘭人。
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 那先知來見以色列王，對他說：「你當自強，留心怎樣防備；因為到明年這時候，亞蘭王必上來攻擊你。」
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 亞蘭王的臣僕對亞蘭王說：「以色列人的神是山神，所以他們勝過我們；但在平原與他們打仗，我們必定得勝。
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 王當這樣行：把諸王革去，派軍長代替他們，
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 又照着王喪失軍兵之數，再招募一軍，馬補馬，車補車，我們在平原與他們打仗，必定得勝。」王便聽臣僕的話去行。
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 次年，便‧哈達果然點齊亞蘭人上亞弗去，要與以色列人打仗。
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 以色列人也點齊軍兵，預備食物，迎着亞蘭人出去，對着他們安營，好像兩小群山羊羔；亞蘭人卻滿了地面。
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
28 有神人來見以色列王，說：「耶和華如此說：『亞蘭人既說我－耶和華是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必將這一大群人都交在你手中，你們就知道我是耶和華。』」
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 以色列人與亞蘭人相對安營七日，到第七日兩軍交戰；那一日以色列人殺了亞蘭人步兵十萬，
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 其餘的逃入亞弗城；城牆塌倒，壓死剩下的二萬七千人。 便‧哈達也逃入城，藏在嚴密的屋子裏。
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
31 他的臣僕對他說：「我們聽說以色列王都是仁慈的王，現在我們不如腰束麻布，頭套繩索，出去投降以色列王，或者他存留王的性命。」
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 於是他們腰束麻布，頭套繩索，去見以色列王，說：「王的僕人便‧哈達說，求王存留我的性命。」亞哈說：「他還活着嗎？他是我的兄弟。」
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 這些人留心探出他的口氣來，便急忙就着他的話說：「便‧哈達是王的兄弟！」王說：「你們去請他來。」便‧哈達出來見王，王就請他上車。
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
34 便‧哈達對王說：「我父從你父那裏所奪的城邑，我必歸還。你可以在大馬士革立街市，像我父在撒馬利亞所立的一樣。」亞哈說：「我照此立約，放你回去」，就與他立約，放他去了。
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 有先知的一個門徒奉耶和華的命對他的同伴說：「你打我吧！」那人不肯打他。
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 他就對那人說：「你既不聽從耶和華的話，你一離開我，必有獅子咬死你。」那人一離開他，果然遇見獅子，把他咬死了。
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 先知的門徒又遇見一個人，對他說：「你打我吧！」那人就打他，將他打傷。
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 他就去了，用頭巾蒙眼，改換面目，在路旁等候王。
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
39 王從那裏經過，他向王呼叫說：「僕人在陣上的時候，有人帶了一個人來，對我說：『你看守這人，若把他失了，你的性命必代替他的性命；不然，你必交出一他連得銀子來。』
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 僕人正在忙亂之間，那人就不見了。」以色列王對他說：「你自己定妥了，必照樣判斷你。」
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 他急忙除掉蒙眼的頭巾，以色列王就認出他是一個先知。
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 他對王說：「耶和華如此說：『因你將我定要滅絕的人放去，你的命就必代替他的命，你的民也必代替他的民。』」
And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 於是以色列王悶悶不樂地回到撒馬利亞，進了他的宮。
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
