約書亞記 7
1 以色列人在當滅的物上犯了罪；因為猶大支派中，謝拉的曾孫，撒底的孫子，迦米的兒子亞干取了當滅的物；耶和華的怒氣就向以色列人發作。
Yahweh had commanded that all the things [that they had captured in Jericho] should be [destroyed to show that they belong] to him. But there was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. He was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi and great-grandson of Zerah. He disobeyed [what] Yahweh [had commanded] and took for himself some of those things. So Yahweh was very angry with the Israelis.
2 當下，約書亞從耶利哥打發人往伯特利東邊、靠近伯‧亞文的艾城去，吩咐他們說：「你們上去窺探那地。」他們就上去窺探艾城。
Joshua told some of his men to go from Jericho to Ai [town], which was east of Bethel [city] and near Beth-Aven [town]. He said to them, “Go to Ai and (spy out the area/see what the area is like).” So the men went.
3 他們回到約書亞那裏，對他說：「眾民不必都上去，只要二三千人上去就能攻取艾城；不必勞累眾民都去，因為那裏的人少。」
When they returned to Joshua they said, “There are only a few people in Ai. So we do not need to send all of our soldiers to defeat them. Send 2.000 or 3,000 men to attack them. That will be enough.”
4 於是民中約有三千人上那裏去，竟在艾城人面前逃跑了。
So about 3,000 Israeli men went [to attack Ai]. But the men of Ai defeated them badly.
5 艾城的人擊殺了他們三十六人，從城門前追趕他們，直到示巴琳，在下坡殺敗他們；眾民的心就消化如水。
They killed about 36 Israelis and chased the rest of Israeli men from the city gate to the bottom of the hill. When the other Israelis saw that this had happened, they became very discouraged.
6 約書亞便撕裂衣服；他和以色列的長老把灰撒在頭上，在耶和華的約櫃前俯伏在地，直到晚上。
Joshua and the other Israeli leaders tore their clothes [because they were very sad about being defeated]. They prostrated themselves on the ground in front of [the Sacred Tent in which was] the sacred chest. They stayed there until that evening. They also threw dirt on their heads [to show that they were very sad about what had happened].
7 約書亞說：「哀哉！主耶和華啊，你為甚麼竟領這百姓過約旦河，將我們交在亞摩利人的手中，使我們滅亡呢？我們不如住在約旦河那邊倒好。
Then Joshua prayed and said, “Lord God, you brought us Israelis [safely] across the Jordan River. So why are you now allowing the Amor people-group to defeat us [RHQ]? [This would not have happened] if we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan River!
8 主啊，以色列人既在仇敵面前轉背逃跑，我還有甚麼可說的呢？
Lord, we Israelis have been defeated by our enemies, so I do not know what to say now [RHQ].
9 迦南人和這地一切的居民聽見了就必圍困我們，將我們的名從地上除滅。那時你為你的大名要怎樣行呢？」
The Canaan people-group and all the other people who are living in this land will hear about this. Then they will surround us and kill all of us! Then what will you do (to defend your reputation [MTY]/to show that you are a powerful God)?”
10 耶和華吩咐約書亞說：「起來！你為何這樣俯伏在地呢？
But Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stand up! Stop lying there with your face on the ground [RHQ]!
11 以色列人犯了罪，違背了我所吩咐他們的約，取了當滅的物；又偷竊，又行詭詐，又把那當滅的放在他們的家具裏。
You Israelis have sinned! You have disobeyed the commands that I told you to obey. [One of] your men has taken some of the things that I told you to destroy. He has stolen them and taken them for himself and lied [about it].
12 因此，以色列人在仇敵面前站立不住。他們在仇敵面前轉背逃跑，是因成了被咒詛的；你們若不把當滅的物從你們中間除掉，我就不再與你們同在了。
That is why you Israelis have been unable to be strong when you went to attack your enemies. That is why you have run away from them. And now you yourselves may be destroyed. If you do not do as I commanded you and destroy everything [that you captured in Jericho] I will not help you any more!”
13 你起來，叫百姓自潔，對他們說：『你們要自潔，預備明天，因為耶和華－以色列的上帝這樣說：以色列啊，你們中間有當滅的物，你們若不除掉，在仇敵面前必站立不住！』
“Now go and tell this to the people: ‘Tomorrow you must [perform the rituals that will] cause yourselves to become acceptable to Yahweh again. Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says that one of you has kept things that he told you to destroy. You will never defeat your enemies until you get rid of those things.
14 到了早晨，你們要按着支派近前來；耶和華所取的支派，要按着宗族近前來；耶和華所取的宗族，要按着家室近前來；耶和華所取的家室，要按着人丁，一個一個地近前來。
‘Tomorrow morning you must present yourselves before Yahweh, tribe by tribe. Then Yahweh will indicate to which tribe [the man who took those things belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which clan from that tribe [the guilty man belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which family he belongs. And then he will indicate which person [in that family took those things].
15 被取的人有當滅的物在他那裏，他和他所有的必被火焚燒；因他違背了耶和華的約，又因他在以色列中行了愚妄的事。」
Then the one who has taken some of the things that should have been destroyed will be destroyed in a fire. And everything he owns will be destroyed with him, because he has disobeyed the command that Yahweh gave us and has done something that is disgraceful to us Israeli people.’”
16 於是，約書亞清早起來，使以色列人按着支派近前來，取出來的是猶大支派；
Early the next morning, Joshua told all the Israeli people to stand before the Sacred Tent, tribe by tribe. [When they did that], Yahweh indicated that a man from the tribe of Judah [was the one who had taken the things].
17 使猶大支派近前來，就取了謝拉的宗族；使謝拉的宗族，按着家室人丁，一個一個地近前來，取出來的是撒底；
Then the clans of Judah presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the clan of Zerah was the guilty one. Then the families of Zerah’s clan presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the family of Zabdi [was the guilty one].
18 使撒底的家室，按着人丁，一個一個地近前來，就取出猶大支派的人謝拉的曾孫，撒底的孫子，迦米的兒子亞干。
Then Joshua told the men from that family to present themselves. And Yahweh indicated that Achan was guilty.
19 約書亞對亞干說：「我兒，我勸你將榮耀歸給耶和華－以色列的上帝，在他面前認罪，將你所做的事告訴我，不要向我隱瞞。」
Then Joshua said to Achan, “Son, tell the truth [IDM]. Confess to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship, what you have done]. And tell me what you did, and do not try to (conceal anything/prevent me from knowing what you did).”
20 亞干回答約書亞說：「我實在得罪了耶和華－以色列的上帝。我所做的事如此如此：
Achan replied, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
21 我在所奪的財物中看見一件美好的示拿衣服，二百舍客勒銀子，一條金子重五十舍客勒，我就貪愛這些物件，便拿去了。現今藏在我帳棚內的地裏，銀子在衣服底下。」
Among the things [in Jericho] that I saw was a beautiful coat from Babylonia. I also saw 200 pieces of silver and some gold that weighed as much as 50 pieces of silver. I wanted those things very much for myself, so I took them. I buried them all in the ground under my tent. You will find them there. The silver is buried under the other things.”
22 約書亞就打發人跑到亞干的帳棚裏。那件衣服果然藏在他帳棚內，銀子在底下。
So Joshua sent some men [to find those things]. They ran to Achan’s tent and found all the things hidden there.
23 他們就從帳棚裏取出來，拿到約書亞和以色列眾人那裏，放在耶和華面前。
The men brought them all out of the tent and took them to Joshua and the rest of the Israeli people. Then they spread/laid them out on the ground, where Yahweh could see them.
24 約書亞和以色列眾人把謝拉的曾孫亞干和那銀子、那件衣服、那條金子，並亞干的兒女、牛、驢、羊、帳棚，以及他所有的，都帶到亞割谷去。
Then Joshua and the rest of the people led Achan down to the valley. They also took down there the silver, the coat, the gold, Achan’s [wife and] sons and daughters, and his cattle and donkeys and sheep, and his tent, and everything else that he owned.
25 約書亞說：「你為甚麼連累我們呢？今日耶和華必叫你受連累。」於是以色列眾人用石頭打死他，將石頭扔在其上，又用火焚燒他所有的。
Joshua said, “(I do not know why you caused so much trouble for us/You have caused a lot of trouble for us) [RHQ], but now Yahweh will cause trouble for you.” Then all the people threw stones at Achan and his family until they all died. Then the people burned their corpses.
26 眾人在亞干身上堆成一大堆石頭，直存到今日。於是耶和華轉意，不發他的烈怒。因此那地方名叫亞割谷，直到今日。
They piled rocks over [the ashes of] their [corpses], and those rocks are still there. That is why that valley is called Trouble Valley. After that, Yahweh was no longer angry [with the Israeli people].
