< Judges 2 >

1 The LORD’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.
主的神諭 上主的使者從基耳加耳上到波津說:「我使你們由埃及上來,領你們進入了我向你們祖先所誓許的地方;我曾說過:我永不廢棄我與你們所立的盟約,
2 You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?
你們也不可與這地方的居民結約,且要拆毀他們的祭壇。但你們沒有聽從我的聲音;你們這是作的什麼事﹖
3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
為此我現在說:我必不把他們從你們面前趕走,他們為你們將是陷阱,他們的神要成為你們的羅網。」
4 When the LORD’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.
當上主的使者對全以色列子民說這話時,百姓便放聲大哭,
5 They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
因此給那地方起名叫波津。他們在那裏給上主奉獻了祭獻。民長時代的史論
6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.
若蘇厄遣散了百姓,以色列子民就各到自己應得的產業去,為佔領那地方。
7 The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD that he had worked for Israel.
當若蘇厄在世時,和他去世後,那些見過上主為以色列所行的大事的長老們還在的時日,百姓都事奉上主。
8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old.
上主的僕人,農的兒子若蘇厄一百一十歲時去了世。
9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
人們把他埋在他地業的境內,即在厄弗辣因山地,加阿士山北面的提默納赫勒斯。
10 After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
當那一代人都歸於他們的祖先以後,在他們之後,興起了另一代,他們不認識上主,也不知道上主為以色列所行的事蹟。
11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and served the Baals.
以色列子民行了上主視為惡的事,事奉了巴耳諸神。
12 They abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.
他們離棄了上主他們祖先的天主,即領他們出離埃及地的天主,而隨從了別的神,叩拜他們四周各民族的神,因此觸怒了上主。
13 They abandoned the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
他們背離了上主,而事奉巴耳和阿市托勒特。
14 The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
於是上主對以色列大發忿怒,把他們交在強盜手中,叫強盜搶掠他們;將他們賣給育四周的敵人,使他們不能抵抗他們的敵人;
15 Wherever they went out, the LORD’s hand was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
他們無論去那裏,上主的手總是加害他們,猶如上主所說的,猶如上主向他們所起的誓,使他們受極大的痛苦。
16 The LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
上主雖興起民長,拯救他們脫離強盜的手;
17 Yet they did not listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the LORD’s commandments. They did not do so.
但他們仍不肯聽從他們的民長,反而與外邦的神行淫,頂禮叩拜,迅速地離開了他們祖先所走的服從上主命令的路,沒有照樣行事。
18 When the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved the LORD because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
當上主給他們興起民長時,上主與民長同在,在民長一生的歲月中,救他們脫離仇敵的手,因為上主聽見了他們受壓迫欺凌發出的歎息,而憐憫了他們;
19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They did not cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
可是民長一去世,他們又轉而行惡,行為比他們的祖先更壞,去追隨外神,事奉叩拜他們,總不放棄他們祖先的惡行和頑抗的行為。
20 The LORD’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
因此上主對以色列大發忿怒說:「因為這百姓違犯了我與他們祖先締結的盟約,沒有聽從我的音;
21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;
為此,若蘇厄死後所剩下的民族,我也不再由他們面前,驅逐任何一個,
22 that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep the LORD’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
為試驗以色列是否謹守遵行上主的道路,有如他們的祖先所遵行的一樣。」
23 So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He did not deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
因此,上主保留了那些民族,沒有迅速驅逐他們,也沒有把他們交在以色人手中。

< Judges 2 >