< 士師記 7 >

1 耶路‧巴力就是基甸,他和一切跟隨的人早晨起來,在哈律泉旁安營。米甸營在他們北邊的平原,靠近摩利岡。
Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 耶和華對基甸說:「跟隨你的人過多,我不能將米甸人交在他們手中,免得以色列人向我誇大,說:『是我們自己的手救了我們。』
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand has saved me.
3 現在你要向這些人宣告說:『凡懼怕膽怯的,可以離開基列山回去。』」於是有二萬二千人回去,只剩下一萬。
Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 耶和華對基甸說:「人還是過多;你要帶他們下到水旁,我好在那裏為你試試他們。我指點誰說:『這人可以同你去』,他就可以同你去;我指點誰說:『這人不可同你去』,他就不可同你去。」
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomsoever I say unto you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.
5 基甸就帶他們下到水旁。耶和華對基甸說:「凡用舌頭舔水,像狗舔的,要使他單站在一處;凡跪下喝水的,也要使他單站在一處。」
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.
6 於是用手捧着舔水的有三百人,其餘的都跪下喝水。
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 耶和華對基甸說:「我要用這舔水的三百人拯救你們,將米甸人交在你手中;其餘的人都可以各歸各處去。」
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 這三百人就帶着食物和角;其餘的以色列人,基甸都打發他們各歸各的帳棚,只留下這三百人。米甸營在他下邊的平原裏。
So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 當那夜,耶和華吩咐基甸說:「起來,下到米甸營裏去,因我已將他們交在你手中。
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get you down unto the host; for I have delivered it into your hand.
10 倘若你怕下去,就帶你的僕人普拉下到那營裏去。
But if you fear to go down, go you with Phurah your servant down to the host:
11 你必聽見他們所說的,然後你就有膽量下去攻營。」於是基甸帶着僕人普拉下到營旁。
And you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 米甸人、亞瑪力人,和一切東方人都布散在平原,如同蝗蟲那樣多。他們的駱駝無數,多如海邊的沙。
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 基甸到了,就聽見一人將夢告訴同伴說:「我做了一夢,夢見一個大麥餅滾入米甸營中,到了帳幕,將帳幕撞倒,帳幕就翻轉傾覆了。」
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and stroke it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 那同伴說:「這不是別的,乃是以色列人約阿施的兒子基甸的刀;上帝已將米甸和全軍都交在他的手中。」
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand has God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 基甸聽見這夢和夢的講解,就敬拜上帝,回到以色列營中,說:「起來吧!耶和華已將米甸的軍隊交在你們手中了。」
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD has delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 於是基甸將三百人分作三隊,把角和空瓶交在各人手裏(瓶內都藏着火把),
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 吩咐他們說:「你們要看我行事:我到了營的旁邊怎樣行,你們也要怎樣行。
And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall all of you do.
18 我和一切跟隨我的人吹角的時候,你們也要在營的四圍吹角,喊叫說:『耶和華和基甸的刀!』」
When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow all of you the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
19 基甸和跟隨他的一百人,在三更之初才換更的時候,來到營旁,就吹角,打破手中的瓶。
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 三隊的人就都吹角,打破瓶子,左手拿着火把,右手拿着角,喊叫說:「耶和華和基甸的刀!」
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow likewise: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
21 他們在營的四圍各站各的地方;全營的人都亂竄。三百人吶喊,使他們逃跑。
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 三百人就吹角,耶和華使全營的人用刀互相擊殺,逃到西利拉的伯‧哈示他,直逃到靠近他巴的亞伯‧米何拉。
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
23 以色列人就從拿弗他利、亞設,和瑪拿西全地聚集來追趕米甸人。
And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
24 基甸打發人走遍以法蓮山地,說:「你們下來攻擊米甸人,爭先把守約旦河的渡口,直到伯‧巴拉。」於是以法蓮的眾人聚集,把守約旦河的渡口,直到伯‧巴拉,
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
25 捉住了米甸人的兩個首領:一名俄立,一名西伊伯;將俄立殺在俄立磐石上,將西伊伯殺在西伊伯酒醡那裏;又追趕米甸人,將俄立和西伊伯的首級帶過約旦河,到基甸那裏。
And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

< 士師記 7 >