1 Kings 20
1 Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
亞蘭王便‧哈達聚集他的全軍，率領三十二個王，帶着車馬上來圍攻撒馬利亞；
2 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
又差遣使者進城見以色列王亞哈，對他說：「便‧哈達如此說：
3 saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
你的金銀都要歸我，你妻子兒女中最美的也要歸我。」
4 And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
以色列王回答說：「我主我王啊，可以依着你的話，我與我所有的都歸你。」
5 The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
使者又來說：「便‧哈達如此說：我已差遣人去見你，要你將你的金銀、妻子、兒女都給我。
6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
但明日約在這時候，我還要差遣臣僕到你那裏，搜查你的家和你僕人的家，將你眼中一切所喜愛的都拿了去。」
7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
以色列王召了國中的長老來，對他們說：「請你們看看，這人是怎樣地謀害我，他先差遣人到我這裏來，要我的妻子、兒女，和金銀，我並沒有推辭他。」
8 And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
長老和百姓對王說：「不要聽從他，也不要應允他。」
9 So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
故此，以色列王對便‧哈達的使者說：「你們告訴我主我王說：王頭一次差遣人向僕人所要的，僕人都依從；但這次所要的，我不能依從。」使者就去回覆便‧哈達。
10 Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
便‧哈達又差遣人去見亞哈說：「撒馬利亞的塵土若夠跟從我的人每人捧一捧的，願神明重重地降罰與我！」
11 And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
以色列王說：「你告訴他說，才頂盔貫甲的，休要像摘盔卸甲的誇口。」
12 Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
便‧哈達和諸王正在帳幕裏喝酒，聽見這話，就對他臣僕說：「擺隊吧！」他們就擺隊攻城。
13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
有一個先知來見以色列王亞哈，說：「耶和華如此說：『這一大群人你看見了嗎？今日我必將他們交在你手裏，你就知道我是耶和華。』」
14 “By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.
亞哈說：「藉着誰呢？」他回答說：「耶和華說，藉着跟從省長的少年人。」亞哈說：「要誰率領呢？」他說：「要你親自率領。」
15 So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
於是亞哈數點跟從省長的少年人，共有二百三十二名，後又數點以色列的眾兵，共有七千名。
16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
午間，他們就出城；便‧哈達和幫助他的三十二個王正在帳幕裏痛飲。
17 And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
跟從省長的少年人先出城；便‧哈達差遣人去探望，他們回報說：「有人從撒馬利亞出來了。」
18 “If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
他說：「他們若為講和出來，要活捉他們；若為打仗出來，也要活捉他們。」
19 Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
跟從省長的少年人出城，軍兵跟隨他們；
20 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
各人遇見敵人就殺。亞蘭人逃跑，以色列人追趕他們；亞蘭王便‧哈達騎着馬和馬兵一同逃跑。
21 Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
以色列王出城攻打車馬，大大擊殺亞蘭人。
22 Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
那先知來見以色列王，對他說：「你當自強，留心怎樣防備；因為到明年這時候，亞蘭王必上來攻擊你。」
23 Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.
亞蘭王的臣僕對亞蘭王說：「以色列人的神是山神，所以他們勝過我們；但在平原與他們打仗，我們必定得勝。
24 So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
王當這樣行：把諸王革去，派軍長代替他們，
25 And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
又照着王喪失軍兵之數，再招募一軍，馬補馬，車補車，我們在平原與他們打仗，必定得勝。」王便聽臣僕的話去行。
26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
次年，便‧哈達果然點齊亞蘭人上亞弗去，要與以色列人打仗。
27 The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
以色列人也點齊軍兵，預備食物，迎着亞蘭人出去，對着他們安營，好像兩小群山羊羔；亞蘭人卻滿了地面。
28 Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
有神人來見以色列王，說：「耶和華如此說：『亞蘭人既說我－耶和華是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必將這一大群人都交在你手中，你們就知道我是耶和華。』」
29 For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
以色列人與亞蘭人相對安營七日，到第七日兩軍交戰；那一日以色列人殺了亞蘭人步兵十萬，
30 The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
其餘的逃入亞弗城；城牆塌倒，壓死剩下的二萬七千人。 便‧哈達也逃入城，藏在嚴密的屋子裏。
31 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
他的臣僕對他說：「我們聽說以色列王都是仁慈的王，現在我們不如腰束麻布，頭套繩索，出去投降以色列王，或者他存留王的性命。」
32 So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
於是他們腰束麻布，頭套繩索，去見以色列王，說：「王的僕人便‧哈達說，求王存留我的性命。」亞哈說：「他還活着嗎？他是我的兄弟。」
33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
這些人留心探出他的口氣來，便急忙就着他的話說：「便‧哈達是王的兄弟！」王說：「你們去請他來。」便‧哈達出來見王，王就請他上車。
34 Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
便‧哈達對王說：「我父從你父那裏所奪的城邑，我必歸還。你可以在大馬士革立街市，像我父在撒馬利亞所立的一樣。」亞哈說：「我照此立約，放你回去」，就與他立約，放他去了。
35 Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
有先知的一個門徒奉耶和華的命對他的同伴說：「你打我吧！」那人不肯打他。
36 Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
他就對那人說：「你既不聽從耶和華的話，你一離開我，必有獅子咬死你。」那人一離開他，果然遇見獅子，把他咬死了。
37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
先知的門徒又遇見一個人，對他說：「你打我吧！」那人就打他，將他打傷。
38 and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
他就去了，用頭巾蒙眼，改換面目，在路旁等候王。
39 As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
王從那裏經過，他向王呼叫說：「僕人在陣上的時候，有人帶了一個人來，對我說：『你看守這人，若把他失了，你的性命必代替他的性命；不然，你必交出一他連得銀子來。』
40 But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
僕人正在忙亂之間，那人就不見了。」以色列王對他說：「你自己定妥了，必照樣判斷你。」
41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
他急忙除掉蒙眼的頭巾，以色列王就認出他是一個先知。
42 And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
他對王說：「耶和華如此說：『因你將我定要滅絕的人放去，你的命就必代替他的命，你的民也必代替他的民。』」
43 Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
於是以色列王悶悶不樂地回到撒馬利亞，進了他的宮。
