< Judges 7 >

1 Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
耶魯巴耳即基德紅和所有跟隨他的民眾一早起身,在哈洛得泉安營;米德楊的營幕就在他們北面,在摩勒山腳的平原裏。
2 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
上主對基德紅說:「跟隨你的民眾太多,我不能把米德楊交在他們手中,免得以色列對我自誇說:是自己的能力救了自己。
3 Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
現在你要向民眾宣告說:凡害怕恐懼的可以回去,急速離開這裏。」於是民眾中有二萬二千回去,只剩下一萬人。
4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
上主又對基德紅說:「民眾還是太多;領他們下到水邊去,我要在那裏為你檢驗他們。凡我告訴你說:這人可同你去,他就與你同去;凡我告訴你說:這人不可同你去,他就不可去。」
5 So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
他就引民眾下到水邊;上主向基德紅說:「凡用舌頭舔水像狗舔水似的,將他們安置在一處;同樣,凡屈膝跪下飲水的,將他們安置在一處。」
6 And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
用手捧到嘴邊舔水的共有三百人;其餘民眾都是屈膝跪下喝水。
7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
上主對基德紅說:「我要用這三百舔水的人拯救你們,把米德楊交於你手中。讓其餘的民眾各回本地去。」
8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
基德紅便留下民眾的罐子和號角,打發眾以色列人各回自己的帳幕,只留下三百人。米德楊的營幕就在他們下面的平原裏。基德紅巧取米德楊營
9 That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
當夜上主對他說:「起來,下去攻營! 我已將敵營交在你的手中了。
10 But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah
如果你一人害怕下去,可帶你的隨從普辣一起下到營幕,
11 and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
聽他們說什麼;以後你的手就會堅強,敢下去攻營了。」於是他和他的隨從普辣便下去,來到營中駐軍的前哨。
12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
那時米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方的子民都散佈在平原裏,多如蝗蟲;他們的駱駝不可勝數,多如海邊的沙粒。
13 And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
基德紅來到時,正有一個人給他的同伴講夢說:「我作了一個夢:有一個大麥麵餅滾入米德楊營內,直滾向帳幕,將帳幕撞倒:翻轉朝上。」
14 His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
他的同伴回答說:「這不是別的,這是以色列人約阿士的兒子基德紅的刀劍;天主已把米德楊及其全營交於他手中。」
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
基德紅一聽見這夢的敘述和解釋,就朝拜天主;然後回到以色列營中說:「起來! 因為上主已將米德楊的營幕交在你們手中了。」
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
他於是把三百人分作三隊,把號角和空罐子交在每人手中,把火把放在罐子裏;
17 “Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.
然後吩咐他們說:「你們看我怎樣行,你們便怎樣行;一到營幕邊上,我怎樣作,你們也要怎樣作。
18 When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
當我與跟隨我的人吹號角時,你們也應該在營幕四周吹號角,並且喊叫;為上主,為基德紅! 」
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
在三更之初,當哨兵換防的時候,基德紅領著他那一百人來到營幕邊上,吹起號角來,打破手中的罐子。
20 The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
同時三隊一齊吹號角,打破罐子,左手拿著火把,右手拿著號角吹,並喊叫說:「刀劍為上主,為基德紅! 」
21 Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.
眾人都在營幕四周,各站在自己的地方。那時敵營驚醒,亂喊亂竄。
22 And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
當那三百人吹號角的時候,上主使敵營互相撕殺。以後朝著責勒達逃往貝特史大,直到面對塔巴特的阿貝耳默曷拉。米德楊慘敗
23 Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
那時以色列人從納斐塔里、阿協爾和默納協全地集合,追趕米德楊。
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
基德紅又打發使者到全厄弗辣因山地說:「請下來攻打米德楊人,在他們前佔據約但河的渡口,直到貝特巴辣。」全厄弗辣因人就集合,佔據了約但河的渡口,一直到貝特巴辣。
25 They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
他們捉住了米德楊的兩個領袖,即敖勒布和則厄布,在敖勒布石上把敖勒布殺死,在則厄布醡酒池裏把則厄布殺死;以後繼續追趕米德楊人,並把敖勒布和則厄布的頭送到約但對岸基德紅跟前。

< Judges 7 >