< 列王紀下 6 >
1 先知門徒對以利沙說:「看哪,我們同你所住的地方過於窄小,
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell before you is too small for us.
2 求你容我們往約旦河去,各人從那裏取一根木料建造房屋居住。」他說:「你們去吧!」
Please let us go to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell." He answered, "Go."
3 有一人說:「求你與僕人同去。」回答說:「我可以去。」
One said, "Please be pleased to go with your servants." He answered, "I will go."
4 於是以利沙與他們同去。到了約旦河,就砍伐樹木。
So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 有一人砍樹的時候,斧頭掉在水裏,他就呼叫說:「哀哉!我主啊,這斧子是借的。」
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, "Alas, my master. For it was borrowed."
6 神人問說:「掉在哪裏了?」他將那地方指給以利沙看。以利沙砍了一根木頭,拋在水裏,斧頭就漂上來了。
The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
He said, "Take it." So he put out his hand and took it.
8 亞蘭王與以色列人爭戰,和他的臣僕商議說:「我要在某處某處安營。」
Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place."
9 神人打發人去見以色列王,說:「你要謹慎,不要從某處經過,因為亞蘭人從那裏下來了。」
The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you not pass such a place; for the Arameans are coming down there."
10 以色列王差人去窺探神人所告訴所警戒他去的地方,就防備未受其害,不止一兩次。
The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 亞蘭王因這事心裏驚疑,召了臣僕來,對他們說:「我們這裏有誰幫助以色列王,你們不指給我嗎?」
The heart of the king of Aram was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, "Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"
12 有一個臣僕說:「我主,我王!無人幫助他,只有以色列中的先知以利沙,將王在臥房所說的話告訴以色列王了。」
One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."
13 王說:「你們去探他在哪裏,我好打發人去捉拿他。」有人告訴王說:「他在多坍。」
He said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." It was told him, saying, "Look, he is in Dothan."
14 王就打發車馬和大軍往那裏去,夜間到了,圍困那城。
Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.
15 神人的僕人清早起來出去,看見車馬軍兵圍困了城。僕人對神人說:「哀哉!我主啊,我們怎樣行才好呢?」
When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, look, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, "Alas, my master. What shall we do?"
16 神人說:「不要懼怕!與我們同在的比與他們同在的更多。」
He answered, "Do not be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 以利沙禱告說:「耶和華啊,求你開這少年人的眼目,使他能看見。」耶和華開他的眼目,他就看見滿山有火車火馬圍繞以利沙。
Then Elisha prayed and said, "LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see." The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and look, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
18 敵人下到以利沙那裏,以利沙禱告耶和華說:「求你使這些人的眼目昏迷。」耶和華就照以利沙的話,使他們的眼目昏迷。
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 以利沙對他們說:「這不是那道,也不是那城;你們跟我去,我必領你們到所尋找的人那裏。」於是領他們到了撒馬利亞。
Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." He led them to Samaria.
20 他們進了撒馬利亞,以利沙禱告說:「耶和華啊,求你開這些人的眼目,使他們能看見。」耶和華開他們的眼目,他們就看見了,不料,是在撒馬利亞的城中。
It happened, when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and look, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 以色列王見了他們,就問以利沙說:「我父啊,我可以擊殺他們嗎?」
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?"
22 回答說:「不可擊殺他們!就是你用刀用弓擄來的,豈可擊殺他們嗎?當在他們面前設擺飲食,使他們吃喝回到他們的主人那裏。」
He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."
23 王就為他們預備了許多食物;他們吃喝完了,打發他們回到他們主人那裏。從此,亞蘭軍不再犯以色列境了。
He prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Aram stopped raiding the land of Israel.
24 此後,亞蘭王便‧哈達聚集他的全軍,上來圍困撒馬利亞。
It happened after this, that Benhadad king of Aram gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
25 於是撒馬利亞被圍困,有饑荒,甚至一個驢頭值銀八十舍客勒,二升鴿子糞值銀五舍客勒。
There was a great famine in Samaria. Look, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 一日,以色列王在城上經過,有一個婦人向他呼叫說:「我主,我王啊!求你幫助。」
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king."
27 王說:「耶和華不幫助你,我從何處幫助你?是從禾場,是從酒醡呢?」
He said, "If the LORD doesn't help you, from where could I help you? From of the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"
28 王問婦人說:「你有甚麼苦處?」她回答說:「這婦人對我說:『將你的兒子取來,我們今日可以吃,明日可以吃我的兒子。』
The king said to her, "What ails you?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'
29 我們就煮了我的兒子吃了。次日我對她說:『要將你的兒子取來,我們可以吃。』她卻將她的兒子藏起來了。」
So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him;' and she has hidden her son."
30 王聽見婦人的話,就撕裂衣服;(王在城上經過)百姓看見王貼身穿着麻衣。
It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth against his skin.
31 王說:「我今日若容沙法的兒子以利沙的頭仍在他項上,願上帝重重地降罰與我!」
Then he said, "God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day."
32 那時,以利沙正坐在家中,長老也與他同坐。王打發一個伺候他的人去;他還沒有到,以利沙對長老說:「你們看這兇手之子,打發人來斬我的頭;你們看着使者來到,就關上門,用門將他推出去。在他後頭不是有他主人腳步的響聲嗎?」
But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?"
33 正說話的時候,使者來到,王也到了,說:「這災禍是從耶和華那裏來的,我何必再仰望耶和華呢?」
While he was still talking with them, look, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "Look, this disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"