Judges 8
1 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.
以法蓮人對基甸說：「你去與米甸人爭戰，沒有招我們同去，為甚麼這樣待我們呢？」他們就與基甸大大地爭吵。
2 But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
基甸對他們說：「我所行的豈能比你們所行的呢？以法蓮拾取剩下的葡萄不強過亞比以謝所摘的葡萄嗎？
3 God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.
上帝已將米甸人的兩個首領俄立和西伊伯交在你們手中；我所行的豈能比你們所行的呢？」基甸說了這話，以法蓮人的怒氣就消了。
4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
基甸和跟隨他的三百人到約旦河過渡，雖然疲乏，還是追趕。
5 So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
基甸對疏割人說：「求你們拿餅來給跟隨我的人吃，因為他們疲乏了；我們追趕米甸人的兩個王西巴和撒慕拿。」
6 But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”
疏割人的首領回答說：「西巴和撒慕拿已經在你手裏，你使我們將餅給你的軍兵嗎？」
7 “Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!”
基甸說：「耶和華將西巴和撒慕拿交在我手之後，我就用野地的荊條和枳棘打傷你們。」
8 From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.
基甸從那裏上到毗努伊勒，對那裏的人也是這樣說；毗努伊勒人也與疏割人回答他的話一樣。
9 So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”
他向毗努伊勒人說：「我平平安安回來的時候，我必拆毀這樓。」
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.
那時西巴和撒慕拿，並跟隨他們的軍隊都在加各，約有一萬五千人，就是東方人全軍所剩下的；已經被殺約有十二萬拿刀的。
11 And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.
基甸就由挪巴和約比哈東邊，從住帳棚人的路上去，殺敗了米甸人的軍兵，因為他們坦然無懼。
12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.
西巴和撒慕拿逃跑；基甸追趕他們，捉住米甸的二王西巴和撒慕拿，驚散全軍。
13 After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres.
約阿施的兒子基甸由希列斯坡從陣上回來，
14 There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
捉住疏割的一個少年人，問他：「疏割的首領長老是誰？」他就將首領長老七十七個人的名字寫出來。
15 And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”
基甸到了疏割，對那裏的人說：「你們從前譏誚我說：『西巴和撒慕拿已經在你手裏，你使我們將餅給跟隨你的疲乏人嗎？』現在西巴和撒慕拿在這裏。」
16 Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
於是捉住那城內的長老，用野地的荊條和枳棘責打 疏割人；
17 He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
又拆了毗努伊勒的樓，殺了那城裏的人。
18 Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
基甸問西巴和撒慕拿說：「你們在他泊山所殺的人是甚麼樣式？」回答說：「他們好像你，各人都有王子的樣式。」
19 “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
基甸說：「他們是我同母的弟兄，我指着永生的耶和華起誓，你們從前若存留他們的性命，我如今就不殺你們了。」
20 So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth.
於是對他的長子益帖說：「你起來殺他們。」但益帖因為是童子，害怕，不敢拔刀。
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.
西巴和撒慕拿說：「你自己起來殺我們吧！因為人如何，力量也是如何。」基甸就起來，殺了西巴和撒慕拿，奪獲他們駱駝項上戴的月牙圈。
22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
以色列人對基甸說：「你既救我們脫離米甸人的手，願你和你的兒孫管理我們。」
23 But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”
基甸說：「我不管理你們，我的兒子也不管理你們，惟有耶和華管理你們。」
24 Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
基甸又對他們說：「我有一件事求你們：請你們各人將所奪的耳環給我。」（原來仇敵是以實瑪利人，都是戴金耳環的。）
25 “We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.
他們說：「我們情願給你」，就鋪開一件外衣，各人將所奪的耳環丟在其上。
26 The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels.
基甸所要出來的金耳環重一千七百舍客勒金子。此外還有米甸王所戴的月環、耳墜，和所穿的紫色衣服，並駱駝項上的金鍊子。
27 From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
基甸以此製造了一個以弗得，設立在本城俄弗拉。後來以色列人拜那以弗得行了邪淫；這就作了基甸和他全家的網羅。
28 In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,
這樣，米甸人被以色列人制伏了，不敢再抬頭。基甸還在的日子，國中太平四十年。
29 and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.
約阿施的兒子耶路‧巴力回去，住在自己家裏。
30 Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
基甸有七十個親生的兒子，因為他有許多的妻。
31 His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
他的妾住在示劍，也給他生了一個兒子。基甸與他起名叫亞比米勒。
32 Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
約阿施的兒子基甸，年紀老邁而死，葬在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉，在他父親約阿施的墳墓裏。
33 And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.
基甸死後，以色列人又去隨從諸巴力行邪淫，以巴力‧比利土為他們的神。
34 The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
以色列人不記念耶和華－他們的上帝，就是拯救他們脫離四圍仇敵之手的，
35 They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.
也不照着耶路‧巴力，就是基甸向他們所施的恩惠厚待他的家。
