士師記 6
1 以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，耶和華就把他們交在米甸人手裏七年。
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Madiam seven years.
2 米甸人壓制以色列人；以色列人因為米甸人，就在山中挖穴、挖洞、建造營寨。
And the hand of Madiam prevailed against Israel: and the children of Israel made for themselves because of Madiam the caves in the mountains, and the dens, and the holes in the rocks.
3 以色列人每逢撒種之後，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都上來攻打他們，
And it came to pass when the children of Israel sowed, that Madiam and Amalec went up, and the children of the east went up together with them.
4 對着他們安營，毀壞土產，直到迦薩，沒有給以色列人留下食物，牛、羊、驢也沒有留下；
And they encamped against them, and destroyed their fruits until they came to Gaza; and they left not the support of life in the land of Israel, not even ox or ass among the herds.
5 因為那些人帶着牲畜帳棚來，像蝗蟲那樣多，人和駱駝無數，都進入國內，毀壞全地。
For they and their stock came up, and their tents were with them, as the locust in multitude, and there was no number to them and their camels; and they came to the land of Israel, and laid it waste.
6 以色列人因米甸人的緣故，極其窮乏，就呼求耶和華。
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Madiam.
7 以色列人因米甸人的緣故，呼求耶和華，
And the children of Israel cried to the Lord because of Madiam.
8 耶和華就差遣先知到以色列人那裏，對他們說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：『我曾領你們從埃及上來，出了為奴之家，
And the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I am he that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and I brought you up out of the house of your bondage.
9 救你們脫離埃及人的手，並脫離一切欺壓你們之人的手，把他們從你們面前趕出，將他們的地賜給你們』；
And I delivered you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of all that afflicted you, and I cast them out before you; and I gave you their land.
10 又對你們說：『我是耶和華－你們的上帝。你們住在亞摩利人的地，不可敬畏他們的神。你們竟不聽從我的話。』」
And I said to you, I [am] the Lord your God: ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye hearkened not to my voice.
11 耶和華的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亞比以謝族人約阿施的橡樹下。約阿施的兒子基甸正在酒醡那裏打麥子，為要防備米甸人。
And an angel of the Lord came, and sat down under the fir tree, which was in Ephratha in the land of Joas father of Esdri; and Gedeon his son [was] threshing wheat in a wine-press in order to escape from the face of Madiam.
12 耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！」
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord [is] with thee, thou mighty in strength.
13 基甸說：「主啊，耶和華若與我們同在，我們何致遭遇這一切事呢？我們的列祖不是向我們說『耶和華領我們從埃及上來』嗎？他那樣奇妙的作為在哪裏呢？現在他卻丟棄我們，將我們交在米甸人手裏。」
And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: but if the Lord is with us, why have these evils found us? and where are all his miracles, which our fathers have related to us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? and now he has cast us out, and given us into the hand of Madiam.
14 耶和華觀看基甸，說：「你靠着你這能力去從米甸人手裏拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的嗎？」
And the angel of the Lord turned to him, and said, Go in this thy strength, and thou shalt save Israel out of the hand of Madiam: behold, I have sent thee.
15 基甸說：「主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在瑪拿西支派中是至貧窮的。我在我父家是至微小的。」
And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: whereby shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is weakened in Manasse, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 耶和華對他說：「我與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，如擊打一人一樣。」
And the angel of the Lord said to him, The Lord shall be with thee, and thou shalt smite Madiam as one man.
17 基甸說：「我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你給我一個證據，使我知道與我說話的就是主。
And Gedeon said to him, If now I have found mercy in thine eyes, and thou wilt do this day for me all that thou hast spoken of with me,
18 求你不要離開這裏，等我歸回將禮物帶來供在你面前。」主說：「我必等你回來。」
depart not hence until I come to thee, and I will bring forth an offering and offer it before thee: and he said, I will remain until thou return.
19 基甸去預備了一隻山羊羔，用一伊法細麵做了無酵餅，將肉放在筐內，把湯盛在壺中，帶到橡樹下，獻在使者面前。
And Gedeon went in, and prepared a kid of the goats, and an ephah of fine flour unleavened; and he put the flesh in the basket, and poured the broth into the pot, and brought them forth to him under the turpentine tree, and drew nigh.
20 上帝的使者吩咐基甸說：「將肉和無酵餅放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來。」他就這樣行了。
And the angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and put them on that rock, and pour out the broth close by: and he did so.
21 耶和華的使者伸出手內的杖，杖頭挨了肉和無酵餅，就有火從磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅。耶和華的使者也就不見了。
And the angel of the Lord stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; and fire came up out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened bread, and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 基甸見他是耶和華的使者，就說：「哀哉！主耶和華啊，我不好了，因為我覿面看見耶和華的使者。」
And Gedeon saw that he was an angel of the Lord; and Gedeon said, Ah, ah, Lord my God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.
23 耶和華對他說：「你放心，不要懼怕，你必不致死。」
And the Lord said to him, Peace be to thee, fear not, thou shalt not die.
24 於是基甸在那裏為耶和華築了一座壇，起名叫「耶和華沙龍」。（這壇在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉直到如今。）
And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it The peace of the Lord, until this day, as it is still inEphratha of the father of Esdri.
25 當那夜，耶和華吩咐基甸說：「你取你父親的牛來，就是那七歲的第二隻牛，並拆毀你父親為巴力所築的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶，
And it came to pass in that night, that the Lord said to him, Take the young bullock which thy father has, even the second bullock of seven years old, and thou shalt destroy the altar of Baal which thy father has, and the grove which is by itthou shalt destroy.
26 在這磐石上整整齊齊地為耶和華－你的上帝築一座壇，將第二隻牛獻為燔祭，用你所砍下的木偶作柴。」
And thou shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God on the top of this Maozi in the ordering[it], and thou shalt take the second bullock, and shalt offer up whole-burnt-offerings with the wood of the grove, which thou shalt destroy.
27 基甸就從他僕人中挑了十個人，照着耶和華吩咐他的行了。他因怕父家和本城的人，不敢在白晝行這事，就在夜間行了。
And Gedeon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord spoke to him: and it came to pass, as he feared the house of his father and the men of the city if he should do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 城裏的人清早起來，見巴力的壇拆毀，壇旁的木偶砍下，第二隻牛獻在新築的壇上，
And the men of the city rose up early in the morning; and behold, the altar of Baal had been demolished, and the grove by it had been destroyed; and they saw the second bullock, which Gedeon offered on the altar that had been built.
29 就彼此說：「這事是誰做的呢？」他們訪查之後，就說：「這是約阿施的兒子基甸做的。」
And a man said to his neighbour, Who has done this thing? and they enquired and searched, and learnt that Gedeon the son of Joas had done this thing.
30 城裏的人對約阿施說：「將你兒子交出來，好治死他；因為他拆毀了巴力的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶。」
And the men of the city said to Joas, Bring out thy son, and let him die, because he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and because he has destroyed the grove that is by it.
31 約阿施回答站着攻擊他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力爭論嗎？你們要救他嗎？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論吧！」
And Gedeon the son of Joas said to all the men who rose up against him, Do ye now plead for Baal, or will ye save him? whoever will plead for him, let him be slain this morning: if he be a god let him plead for himself, [because] one has thrown down his altar.
32 所以當日人稱基甸為耶路‧巴力，意思說：「他拆毀巴力的壇，讓巴力與他爭論。」
And he called it in that day Jerobaal, saying, Let Baal plead thereby, because his altar has been thrown down.
33 那時，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都聚集過河，在耶斯列平原安營。
And all Madiam, and Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered themselves together, and encamped in the valley of Jezrael.
34 耶和華的靈降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他。
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he blew with the horn, and Abiezer came to help after him.
35 他打發人走遍瑪拿西地，瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他；又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人，他們也都出來與他們會合。
And [Gedeon] sent messengers into all Manasse, and into Aser, and into Zabulon, and into Nephthali; and he went up to meet them.
36 基甸對上帝說：「你若果照着所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人，
And Gedeon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,
37 我就把一團羊毛放在禾場上：若單是羊毛上有露水，別的地方都是乾的，我就知道你必照着所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人。」
behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said.
38 次日早晨基甸起來，見果然是這樣；將羊毛擠一擠，從羊毛中擰出滿盆的露水來。
And it was so: and he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 基甸又對上帝說：「求你不要向我發怒，我再說這一次：讓我將羊毛再試一次。但願羊毛是乾的，別的地方都有露水。」
And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray thee, thine anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground.
40 這夜上帝也如此行：獨羊毛上是乾的，別的地方都有露水。
And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
