< 2 Kings 6 >

1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too confined for us.
眾先知的弟子對厄里叟說:「看,我們同你住的地方太窄小了,
2 Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
請你讓我們到約旦河去,每人取一根樑木,在那裏建造我們的住所。」他答說:「你們去罷! 」
3 And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
其中一個人說:「請你也同你的僕人一起去! 」厄里叟答說:「我去。」
4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
先知便同他們一起去了。他們到了約旦河,就砍伐樹木。
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water. And he cried, and said, Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.
其中一個,砍木樑時,斧頭掉在水裏了,就大聲叫喊說:哎唷! 我主,這把斧子是借來的啊! 」
6 And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in there, and made the iron to float.
天主的人問他說:「斧頭掉在那裏﹖」那人將那地方指給先知看。先知即砍下一塊木頭,丟在那裏,使斧頭浮了上來。
7 And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it.
先知對他說:「你拿上來罷! 」他就伸手拿了上來。
8 Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
阿蘭王同以色列交戰時,與自己的臣商議說:要在某某地方埋伏。
9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou not pass such a place, for the Syrians are coming down there.
但天主的人打發人去見以色列王說:「你要小心提防,不要經過某某地方,因為阿蘭人已在那裏設下埋伏。」
10 And 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.
以色列王就派人去偵察天主的人警告他的地方;他就小心防備,不只一兩次。
11 And the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing, and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?
阿蘭王為此事心中頗為煩惱,遂將臣僕召來,對他說:「難道你們不能告訴我:我們中誰支持以色列王嗎﹖」
12 And 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 thou speak in thy bedchamber.
一個臣僕答說:「我主,大王! 沒有誰支持,只有以色列的先知厄里叟,將君王在密室裏所談的事,都告訴了以色列王。」
13 And he said, Go and see where he is that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
阿蘭王說:「你們去看看他在那裏,我好派人去捉拿。」有人告訴君王說:「他在多堂。」
14 Therefore he sent there horses, and chariots, and a great army. And they came by night, and encompassed the city about.
阿蘭王就打發馬隊戰車和強大的部隊前去,夜間到了那裏,將城圍住。
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do?
天主的人的僕人清早起來出門時,看見軍隊車馬將城包圍了,就對先知說:「哎! 我主,我們怎麼辦﹖」
16 And he answered, Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
先知答說:「不必害怕,因為偕同我們的,比他們的還多。」
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
厄里叟就祈禱說:「上主,求你開啟他的眼,叫他看見。」上主就開了僕人的眼,他看見遍山都是火馬車,圍繞著厄里叟。
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Jehovah, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
敵人下到先知那裏的時候,厄里叟懇求上主說:「求你打擊這個民族,使他們眼目失明。」上主果然照厄里叟的話打擊了他們,使他們眼目失明。
19 And 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 ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.
厄里叟對他們說:「不是這條路,也不是這座城;你們跟我來,我要領你們到你們尋找的人那裏去。」於是先知領他們到了撒瑪黎雅。
20 And it came to pass, when they came into Samaria, that Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw. And, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
他們一進了撒瑪黎雅,厄里叟就祈禱說:「上主,開啟這些人的眼睛,叫他們看見。」上主果然開了他們的眼睛;他們一看,自己竟在撒瑪黎雅城內。
21 And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?
以色列王看見他們,就對厄里叟說:「我父,要殺死他們嗎﹖」
22 And he answered, Thou shall not smite them. Would thou smite those whom thou have taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
厄里叟答說:「不要殺他們;你自己用弓劍擄來的人,你豈可殺死﹖你要為這些人預備飯和水,叫他們吃喝,然後讓他們回到自己的主上那裏去。」
23 And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
君王就給他們預備了盛宴,叫他們吃了喝了,打發他們回到自己的主上那裏去。從此,阿蘭隊伍再沒有侵犯以色列地方。
24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
這事以後,阿蘭王本哈達得集合了他所有的軍隊,上來圍困撒瑪黎雅。
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria. And, behold, 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.
撒瑪黎雅被圍困後,陷於嚴重的飢荒,甚至一個驢頭,值八十「協刻耳」銀子,四分之一「卡步」豆莢,值五「協刻耳」銀子。
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
當以色列王從城牆上經過時,有一個婦人呼求他說:「我主大王,救救我罷! 」
27 And he said, If Jehovah does not help thee, from where shall I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
君王答說:「如果上主不救你,我怎能救你﹖靠禾場﹖靠酒池﹖」
28 And the king said to her, What troubles thee? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
君王問那婦人說:「你有什麼事﹖」婦人答說:「這個女人曾對我說:把你的兒子交出來,我們今天吃;留下我的兒子,我們明天吃。
29 So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. And she has hid her son.
於是我們就把我的兒子煮著吃了。第二天我對那女人說:把你的兒子交出來給我們吃,她卻把自己的兒子藏了起來。」
30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by upon the wall). And the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth inside upon his flesh.
君王聽了這婦人的話,就撕裂了自己的衣服,─當他正在城牆上經過,民眾都看見了他貼身穿著苦衣,─
31 Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
說「如果沙法特的兒子厄里叟的頭,今天還留在他身上,願天主嚴厲,且加倍嚴厲地懲罰我! 」
32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from before him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do ye 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 fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
那時厄里叟正坐在屋裏,長老們同他坐在一起,君王派一個人在他以前去,但是這人還未來到,厄里叟就對長老們說:「你們看,這個兇手之子,竟派人來要斬我的頭。你們注意,使者來到時,你們要把門關上,把他關在門外;在他後面不就是他主上的腳步聲嗎﹖」
33 And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him, and he said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah. Why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?
先知還同他們說話的時候,君王就下到他那裏說:「這災難是由上主來的,我對上主還有什麼指望﹖」

< 2 Kings 6 >