< 1 Kings 20 >

1 Then Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered together his entire army. And there were thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. And ascending, he fought against Samaria, and he besieged it.
[本哈達得進攻阿哈布]阿蘭王本哈達得召集了自己所有的軍隊,帶同三十二個王子,乘坐戰馬戰車,前去圍攻撒瑪黎雅。
2 And sending messengers into the city, to Ahab, the king of Israel,
他先派使者進城,來見以色列王阿哈布,
3 he said: “Thus says Benhadad: Your silver and your gold is mine. And your wives and your best sons are mine.”
對他說:「本哈達得這樣說:你的金銀全應歸我,只是你的妻子兒女,仍歸於你。」
4 And the king of Israel responded, “In agreement with your word, my lord the king, I am yours, with all that is mine.”
以色列王回答說:「我主大王,就依照你的話,我和我的一切都歸於你。」
5 And the messengers, returning, said: “Thus says Benhadad, who sent us to you: Your silver and your gold, and your wives and your sons, you shall give to me.
不料,使者們又回答說:「本哈達得這樣說:我已派人通知你:將你的金銀和你的妻子兒女全交給我。
6 Therefore, tomorrow, at this same hour, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. And all that pleases them, they will put in their hands and take away.”
須知,明天這時,我必派我的僕人到你這裏來,搜索你和你僕人的房屋,凡他們看中的東西,都要隨手拿去。」
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and he said: “Let your souls take heed, and see that he commits treachery against us. For he sent to me for my wives and sons, and for silver and gold. And I did not refuse.”
以色列王將國內所有長老召來,說:「你們想想看:這人要求是多麼無理! 他先派人要我的金銀,我沒有拒絕他;現在竟又派人來我這裏,要我的妻子兒女。」
8 And all those greater by birth, with all the people, said to him, “You should neither listen, nor acquiesce to him.”
眾長老和全體人民對他說:「你不要聽從,也不要應允! 」
9 And so, he responded to the messengers of Benhadad: “Tell my lord the king: Everything about which you sent to me in the beginning, I your servant will do. But this thing, I am not able to do.”
因此,他對本哈達得的使者說:「你們回去告訴我主大王說:你第一次派人向你僕人所要求的,我必全照辦;至於這另一要求,我卻不能照辦。」使者遂回去,向本哈達得回話。
10 And returning, the messengers took this to him, and he sent again and said, “May the gods do these things to me, and may they add these other things, if the dust of Samaria is enough to fill the hands of all the people who follow me.”
本哈達得於是派人對阿哈布說:「如果撒瑪黎雅的塵土,足夠跟隨我的人每人抓一把,願眾神明嚴厲,且加倍嚴厲地懲罰我! 」
11 And responding, the king of Israel said, “Tell him that one who is girded should not boast the same as one who is ungirded.”
以色列王回答說:「有句俗話說:佩帶武器的人,不可像卸去了武器的人那樣自負。」
12 Then it happened that, when Benhadad had heard this word, he and the kings were drinking in a pavilion. And he said to his servants, “Encircle the city.” And they encircled it.
本哈達得和眾王正在帳內飲酒,一聽見這話,就對他的臣僕說:「列隊進攻! 」他們即刻列隊攻城。阿哈布賴主獲勝
13 And behold, one prophet, drawing near to Ahab, the king of Israel, said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Certainly, you have seen this entire exceedingly great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into your hand today, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”
這時,忽然有一個先知,來見以色列王阿哈布說:「上主這樣說:你不是看見這支強大的軍隊嗎﹖今天,我要將他們交在你手中,叫你知道我是上主。」
14 And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: By the footmen of the leaders of the provinces.” And he said, “Who should begin to do battle?” And he said, “You should.”
阿哈布問說:「藉著誰﹖」先知回答說:「上主這樣說:藉著眾省長的少年軍人。」阿哈布又問說:「誰指揮作戰﹖」先知回答說:「你自己。」
15 Therefore, he took a count of the servants of the leaders of the provinces. And he found the number to be two hundred thirty-two. And he set them in order after the people, all the sons of Israel, who were seven thousand.
於是阿哈布檢閱了眾省長的少年人,計有二百三十二人;然後又檢閱了所有軍人,即全體以色列子民,共七千人。
16 And they went out at midday. But Benhadad was drinking; he was inebriated in his pavilion, and the thirty-two kings with him, who had arrived in order to assist him.
到了中午,他們出發,那時,本哈達得正和協助他的三十二個王子在帳中飲酒。
17 Then the servants of the leaders of the provinces went out to the first place, at the front. And so, Benhadad sent, and they reported to him, saying: “Men have gone out from Samaria.”
眾省長的少年軍人首先出發,本哈達得派出的探子回報他說:「有人從撒瑪黎雅出來了。」
18 And he said: “If they have arrived for peace, apprehend them alive; if to do battle, capture them alive.”
他遂吩咐說:「如果他們前來,是為求和,將他們活活捉住;如果他們前來,是為交戰,也將他們活活捉住。」
19 Therefore, the servants of the leaders of the provinces went out, and the remainder of the army was following.
眾省長的少年軍人和跟隨他們的軍隊衝出城來,
20 And each one struck down the man who came against him. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Also, Benhadad, the king of Syria, fled on a horse, with his horsemen.
個個見人便殺,阿蘭人逃走,以色列人在後面乘勝追趕;阿蘭王本哈達得急速上馬與騎兵一起逃走。
21 But the king of Israel, going out, struck the horses and the chariots, and he struck the Syrians with a great slaughter.
那時,以色列王出來,擄掠了許多戰馬和戰車,使阿蘭人大敗。
22 Then a prophet, drawing near to the king of Israel, said to him: “Go and be strengthened. And know and see what you are doing. For in the following year, the king of Syria will rise up against you.”
那為先知前來對以色列王說:「你要發奮圖強,留心認清你當作的事,因為明年春季,阿蘭王必要再來攻擊你。」阿蘭王整軍再戰
23 Then truly, the servants of the king of Syria said to him: “Their gods are the gods of the mountains; because of this, they have overwhelmed us. But it is better that we fight against them in the plains, and then we will prevail over them.
阿蘭王的臣僕對阿蘭王說:「以色列的神是山神,所以他們必我們強;但如果我們在平原上與他們交戰,我們必會得勝。
24 Therefore, you should do this word: Remove each of the kings from your army, and set commanders in their place.
這是大王應該作的事:廢除眾王子各人的職位,另立軍長代替,
25 And replace the number of soldiers who have been cut down of yours, and the horses, in accord with the earlier number of horses, and the chariots, in accord with the number of chariots that you had before. And we will fight against them in the plains, and you will see that we will prevail over them.” And he trusted in their counsel, and he did so.
召募新軍,補充所損失的軍隊,照數補充戰馬戰車;然後在平原上與他們會戰,我們定能戰勝他們。」阿蘭王聽從了他們的建議,就這樣進行。本哈達得在戰再敗
26 Therefore, after the passing of the year, Benhadad took a count of the Syrians, and he ascended to Aphek, so that he might fight against Israel.
過年以後,本哈達得檢閱了阿蘭人上到阿費克,進攻以色列。
27 Then the sons of Israel were numbered, and taking provisions, they set out to the opposite side. And they stretched out the camp facing them, like two little flocks of goats. But the Syrians filled the land.
以色列子民也動員起來,攜帶軍糧,出來迎戰;以色列子民在他們對面紮營,好像兩群山羊;至於阿蘭人卻遍地皆是。
28 And one man of God, drawing near, said to the king of Israel: “Thus says the Lord: Because the Syrians have said, ‘The Lord is the God of the mountains, but he is not the God of the valleys,’ I will deliver this entire great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
天主的人又前來對以色列王說:「上主這樣說:既然阿蘭人說:上主是山神而不是平原神,所以我必將這支龐大的軍隊交在你手中,叫你們知道我是上主。」
29 And for seven days, both sides arranged each of their battle lines. Then, on the seventh day, the war was undertaken. And the sons of Israel struck down, from the Syrians, one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
以色列人和阿蘭人相對紮營七天;第七天上,就交戰了;一天之內以色列子民殺死了十萬阿蘭步兵,
30 Then those who had remained fled to Aphek, into the city. And the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men of those who had remained. Then Benhadad, fleeing, entered the city, into a room that was inside another room.
其餘的人都逃入阿費克城內,城牆倒塌,壓死了殘存的兩萬七千人。本哈達得也逃入城內,藏在極嚴密的暗室內。本哈達得投降
31 And his servants said to him: “Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel show clemency. And so, let us put sackcloth around our waists, and ropes on our heads, and let us go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will save our lives.”
本哈達得的臣僕對本哈達得說:「看,我們聽說以色列家的君王,都是仁慈的君王,請你讓我們腰裏束上麻布,頭上繫上繩索,去見以色列王,或者他會保全你的性命。」
32 So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists, and they placed ropes on their heads. And they went to the king of Israel, and they said to him: “Your servant, Benhadad, says: ‘I beg you to let my soul live.’” And he replied, “If he is still alive, he is my brother.”
於是他們腰裏束上麻布,頭上繫上繩索,去見以色列王說:「你的僕人本哈達得說:求你保全我的性命! 」阿哈布問說:「他還活著麼﹖他是我的兄弟。」
33 The men accepted this as a good sign. And hastily, they took up the word from his mouth, and they said, “Benhadad is your brother.” And he said to them, “Go, and bring him to me.” Therefore, Benhadad went out to him, and he lifted him onto his chariot.
這些人認為這話是個吉兆,急忙抓住他的話說:「本哈達得確是陛下的兄弟。」阿哈布說:「你們去領他來! 」本哈達得便出來參見君王;阿哈布請他上了自己的車。
34 And he said to him: “The cities that my father took from your father, I will return. And you may make streets for yourself in Damascus, just as my father made in Samaria. And after we have made a pact, I will withdraw from you.” Therefore, he formed a pact with him, and he released him.
本哈達得對君王說:「我父親從你父親手中搶去的城市,我都要歸還給你;並且你可在大馬士革設立市場,如同我父親在撒瑪黎雅所設立的一樣。」阿哈布說:「我就根據這條約放你走。」這樣,君王與他訂立了條約,放他走了。阿哈布失策受責
35 Then a certain man from the sons of the prophets said to his associate, by the word of the Lord, “Strike me.” But he was not willing to strike.
那時,有個先知的弟子奉上主的命,對自己的同伴說:「請你打我! 」那人卻拒絕打他。
36 And he said to him: “Because you were not willing to heed the voice of the Lord, behold, you will depart from me, and a lion will slay you. And when he had departed a short distance from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
他就對那人說:「既然你不聽上主的命,看,你一離開我,就有一個獅子把你咬死。」那人一離開他,果然路上遇見一隻獅子,把他咬死了。
37 But upon finding another man, he said to him, “Strike me.” And he struck him, and wounded him.
以後,先知的弟子有遇見一個人,對他說:「請你打我! 」那人就動手打他,將他打傷了。
38 Then the prophet departed. And he met the king along the way, and he changed his appearance by sprinkling dust around his mouth and eyes.
先知便站在路旁,用頭巾遮住自己的眼睛,等候君王。
39 And when the king had passed by, he cried out to the king, and he said: “Your servant went out to do battle in close quarters. And when one man had fled, a certain person brought him to me, and he said: ‘Guard this man. For if he slips away, your life will take the place of his life, or you will weigh out one talent of silver.’
君王從那裏經過時,他便對君王呼喊說:「你的僕人出來交戰,忽有一個人轉來,給我帶來一個人說:你要看守這個人,倘若失蹤了,定要你替他償命,或賠償一「塔冷通」銀子。
40 And while I was distracted, turning one way and another, suddenly, he was not to be seen.” And the king of Israel said to him, “This is your judgment, that which you yourself have decreed.”
你的僕人正在東忙西亂時,那人不見了。」以色列王對他說:「這就是你的定案,你已經自下判決。」
41 Then immediately, he wiped away the dust from his face, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.
他於是急忙拉下他遮眼的頭巾,以色列王纔認出他原是一位先知。
42 And he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Because you have released from your hand a man worthy of death, your life will take the place of his life, and your people will take the place of his people.”
先知對君王說:「上主這樣說:你既然親手放走了我所要消滅的人,所以你要替他償命,你的人民必意抵償他的人民。」
43 And so the king of Israel returned to his house, unwilling to listen, and a fury entered into Samaria.
以色列王悶悶不樂地回了撒瑪黎雅,進了自己的宮殿。

< 1 Kings 20 >