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1 以利沙說:「你們要聽耶和華的話,耶和華如此說:明日約到這時候,在撒馬利亞城門口,一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒,二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
Elisha said, “Hear the LORD’s word. The LORD says, ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”
2 有一個攙扶王的軍長對神人說:「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶,也不能有這事。」以利沙說:「你必親眼看見,卻不得吃。」
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
3 在城門那裏有四個長大痲瘋的人,他們彼此說:「我們為何坐在這裏等死呢?
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. They said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?
4 我們若說,進城去吧!城裏有饑荒,必死在那裏;若在這裏坐着不動,也必是死。來吧,我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊,他們若留我們的活命,就活着;若殺我們,就死了吧!」
If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”
5 黃昏的時候,他們起來往亞蘭人的營盤去;到了營邊,不見一人在那裏。
They rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. When they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, no man was there.
6 因為主使亞蘭人的軍隊聽見車馬的聲音,是大軍的聲音;他們就彼此說:「這必是以色列王賄買赫人的諸王和埃及人的諸王來攻擊我們。」
For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.”
7 所以,在黃昏的時候他們起來逃跑,撇下帳棚、馬、驢,營盤照舊,只顧逃命。
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 那些長大痲瘋的到了營邊,進了帳棚,吃了喝了,且從其中拿出金銀和衣服來,去收藏了;回來又進了一座帳棚,從其中拿出財物來去收藏了。
When these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, then carried away silver, gold, and clothing and went and hid it. Then they came back, and entered into another tent and carried things from there also, and went and hid them.
9 那時,他們彼此說:「我們所做的不好!今日是有好信息的日子,我們竟不作聲!若等到天亮,罪必臨到我們。來吧,我們與王家報信去!」
Then they said to one another, “We aren’t doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let’s go and tell the king’s household.”
10 他們就去叫守城門的,告訴他們說:「我們到了亞蘭人的營,不見一人在那裏,也無人聲,只有拴着的馬和驢,帳棚都照舊。」
So they came and called to the city gatekeepers; and they told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, not even a man’s voice, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.”
11 守城門的叫了眾守門的人來,他們就進去與王家報信。
Then the gatekeepers called out and told it to the king’s household within.
12 王夜間起來,對臣僕說:「我告訴你們亞蘭人向我們如何行。他們知道我們飢餓,所以離營,埋伏在田野,說:『以色列人出城的時候,我們就活捉他們,得以進城。』」
The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, “I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.’”
13 有一個臣僕對王說:「我們不如用城裏剩下之馬中的五匹馬(馬和城裏剩下的以色列人都是一樣,快要滅絕),打發人去窺探。」
One of his servants answered, “Please let some people take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are consumed. Let’s send and see.”
14 於是取了兩輛車和馬,王差人去追尋亞蘭軍,說:「你們去窺探窺探。」
Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them out to the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.”
15 他們就追尋到約旦河,看見滿道上都是亞蘭人急跑時丟棄的衣服器具,使者就回來報告王。
They went after them to the Jordan; and behold, all the path was full of garments and equipment which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. The messengers returned and told the king.
16 眾人就出去,擄掠亞蘭人的營盤。於是一細亞細麵賣銀一舍客勒,二細亞大麥也賣銀一舍客勒,正如耶和華所說的。
The people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the LORD’s word.
17 王派攙扶他的那軍長在城門口彈壓,眾人在那裏將他踐踏,他就死了,正如神人在王下來見他的時候所說的。
The king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to be in charge of the gate; and the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
18 神人曾對王說:「明日約到這時候,在撒馬利亞城門口,二細亞大麥要賣銀一舍客勒,一細亞細麵也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
It happened as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria;”
19 那軍長對神人說:「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶,也不能有這事。」神人說:「你必親眼看見,卻不得吃。」
and that captain answered the man of God, and said, “Now, behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, might such a thing be?” and he said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
20 這話果然應驗在他身上;因為眾人在城門口將他踐踏,他就死了。
It happened like that to him, for the people trampled over him in the gate, and he died.