Judges 6
1 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, who delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
以色列的子民又行了上主視為惡的事，上主把他們交於米德楊人手中七年之久。
2 And they were greatly oppressed by them. And they made for themselves hollows and caves in the mountains, and very fortified places for defense.
米德楊人的勢力勝過了以色列，以色列子民為了防禦米德楊人，修築了山洞、地洞和山寨。
3 And when Israel had planted, Midian and Amalek, and the rest of the eastern nations ascended,
每逢以色列人撒種之後，米德楊人、阿瑪肋克人和東方子民就上來攻打他們；
4 and pitching their tents among them, they laid waste to all that was planted, as far as the entrance to Gaza. And they left behind nothing at all to sustain life in Israel, neither sheep, nor oxen, nor donkeys.
對著他們紮營，毀壞地產直到迦薩一帶，沒有給以色列留下一點食糧，連羊、牛、驢也沒有留下；
5 For they and all their flocks arrived with their tents, and they filled all places like locusts, an innumerable multitude of men and camels, devastating whatever they touched.
因為他們總是帶著家畜和帳棚上來，多如蝗蟲；他們來的人和駱駝多得無數，踏入境內，毀壞田地。
6 And Israel was humbled greatly in the sight of Midian.
以色列為了米德楊人的原故，很是窮困，因此以色列子民呼籲了上主。
7 And he cried out to the Lord, requesting assistance against the Midianites.
當以色列子民為了米德楊的原故，呼籲上主時，
8 And he sent to them a man who was a prophet, and he said: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I caused you to ascend from Egypt, and I led you away from the house of servitude.
上主就派了一位先知到以色列子民那裏，對他們說：「上主以色列的天主這樣說：是我使你們由埃及上來，領你們離開了為奴之家；
9 And I freed you from the hand of the Egyptians and from all of the enemies who were afflicting you. And I cast them out at your arrival, and I delivered their land to you.
是我從埃及人的手中，從一切壓迫你們的人手中救出你們來；是我從你們面前把他們趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。
10 And I said: I am the Lord your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But you were not willing to listen to my voice.’”
我曾對你們說過：我是上主你們的天主，你們在阿摩黎地方，切不可敬畏他們的神! 但是你們沒有聽從我的話。」基德紅被召
11 Then an Angel of the Lord arrived, and he sat under an oak tree, which was at Ophrah, and which belonged to Joash, the father of the family of Ezri. And while his son Gideon was threshing and cleaning the grain at the winepress, so that he might flee from Midian,
上主的使者來到，坐在敖弗辣的一棵屬於阿彼厄則爾人約阿士的篤耨樹下，當時他的兒子基德紅正在釀酒池裏打麥子，躲避米德楊人。
12 the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “The Lord is with you, most valiant of men.”
上主的使者顯現給他，對他說：「英勇的壯士，願上主與你同在! 」
13 And Gideon said to him: “I beg you, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why have these things happened to us? Where are his miracles, which our fathers described when they said, ‘The Lord led us away from Egypt.’ But now the Lord has forsaken us, and he has delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
基德紅回答他說：「我主，請原諒! 如果上主與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這些困難﹖他們曾向我們說過：看，是上主領我們出離埃及，但是現在上主拋棄了我們，將我們交在米德楊人的掌握中。」
14 And the Lord looked down upon him, and he said: “Go forth with this, your strength, and you shall free Israel from the hand of Midian. Know that I have sent you.”
上主注視他說：「憑你這種力量，你去拯救以色列脫離米德楊人的掌握。看，是我派遣你。」
15 And responding, he said: “I beg you, my lord, with what shall I free Israel? Behold, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in the house of my father.”
他回答說：「我主，請原諒! 我憑什麼拯救以色列﹖看，我家在默納協支派中是最卑微的，我在我父親家中又是最小的一個。」
16 And the Lord said to him: “I will be with you. And so, you shall cut down Midian as if one man.”
上主對他說：「有我與你同在，你必擊敗米德楊人，如擊一個人一樣。」
17 And he said: “If I have found grace before you, give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
基德紅又向他說：「我若在你面前蒙恩，請你給我一個記號，證明與我說話的是你。
18 And may you not withdraw from here, until I return to you, carrying a sacrifice and offering it to you.” And he responded, “I will wait for your return.”
請你不要離開此地，等我回到你這裏，帶來禮物，擺在你前。」他答應說：「我等你回來。」
19 And so Gideon entered, and he boiled a goat, and he made unleavened bread from a measure of flour. And setting the flesh in a basket, and putting the broth of the flesh in a pot, he took it all under the oak tree, and he offered it to him.
基德紅就去預備了一隻小公山羊，又用一「厄法」麥粉作了無酵餅，把肉放在筐裏，把湯盛在罐裏，帶到篤耨樹下獻給他。
20 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened bread, and place them on that rock, and pour out the broth upon it.” And when he had done so,
天主的使者對他說：「拿出肉和無酵餅來，放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來! 」他就照樣作了。
21 the Angel of the Lord extended the end of a staff, which he was holding in his hand, and he touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves. And a fire ascended from the rock, and it consumed the flesh and the unleavened loaves. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
上主的使者遂伸出手中的棍杖，杖頭一觸及肉和無酵餅，磐石便起火，把肉和無酵餅吞噬了；上主的使者便從他眼前隱沒了。
22 And Gideon, realizing that it had been the Angel of the Lord, said: “Alas, my Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”
基德紅遂知道他是上主的使者說：「哎呀！我主上主，我竟然面對面地看見上主的使者！」
23 And the Lord said to him: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid; you shall not die.”
但上主對他說：「你放心! 不必害怕，你不會死!
24 Therefore, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, and he called it, the Peace of the Lord, even to the present day. And while he was still at Ophrah, which is of the family of Ezri,
基德紅就在那裏給上主立了一座祭壇，稱為雅威沙隆；至今還在阿彼厄則耳人的敖弗辣那裏。德基紅拆毀巴耳祭壇
25 that night, the Lord said to him: “Take a bull of your father’s, and another bull of seven years, and you shall destroy the altar of Baal, which is your father’s. And you shall cut down the sacred grove which is around the altar.
當夜上主對他說：「取你父親的一隻牛，即那隻七歲的肥牛，以後拆毀你父親的巴耳祭壇，打碎旁邊的阿舍辣；
26 And you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, at the summit of this rock, on which you placed the sacrifice before. And you shall take the second bull, and you shall offer a holocaust upon a pile of the wood, which you shall cut down from the grove.”
給上主你的天主在這磐石頂上建一座祭壇，準備妥當，將那隻肥牛獻為全燔祭，用打碎的阿舍辣作木柴。」
27 Therefore, Gideon, taking ten men from his servants, did just as the Lord had instructed him. But fearing his father’s household, and the men of that city, he was not willing to do it by day. Instead, he completed everything by night.
基德紅就從僕人中選出十個人，照上主吩咐他的作了；但因為害怕父親的家人和城裏的人，不敢在白天行事，就在黑夜作了。
28 And when the men of that town had risen up in the morning, they saw the altar of Baal destroyed, and the sacred grove cut down, and the second bull set upon the altar, which then had been built.
城裏的人早晨起來，看見巴耳的祭壇已毀，旁邊所有的阿舍辣也被打碎，那隻肥牛也獻於新築的祭壇上，
29 And they said one to another, “Who has done this?” And when they inquired everywhere as to the author of the deed, it was said, “Gideon, the son of Joash, did all these things.”
就彼此詢問說：「誰作了這事﹖」經過考察追問之後，斷定說：「必是約阿士的兒子基德紅作了這事。」
30 And they said to Joash: “Bring forward your son here, so that he may die. For he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and he has cut down the sacred grove.”
因此本城的人對約阿士說：「將你的兒子交出來，將他處死! 因為他拆毀了巴耳的祭壇，打碎了旁邊的阿舍辣。」
31 But he responded to them: “Could you be the avengers of Baal, so that you fight on his behalf? Whoever is his adversary, let him die before the light arrives tomorrow; if he is a god, let him vindicate himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
約阿士回答所有反對他的人說：「你們要為巴耳辯護麼﹖或者你們要就助他嗎﹖誰為他辯護，明天早晨便該處以死刑! 他如果是神，讓他為自己辯護罷! 因為有人拆毀了他的祭壇。」
32 From that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because Joash had said, “Let Baal avenge himself against him who has overturned his altar.”
因此當天人就稱基德紅為「耶魯巴耳，」好像說：「讓巴耳與他爭辯，因為基德紅拆毀了他的祭壇。」基德紅求證
33 And so, all of Midian, and Amalek, and the eastern peoples were gathered together. And crossing the Jordan, they encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
那時，米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方子民都聚集起來，過了河，在依次勒耳平原安了營。
34 But the Spirit of the Lord entered Gideon, who, sounding the trumpet, summoned the house of Abiezer so that he might follow him.
上主的神充滿了基德紅，他一吹號角，阿彼厄則爾人便應召前來跟隨他；
35 And he sent messengers into all of Manasseh, who also followed him, and other messengers into Asher, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, who went to meet him.
他又打發使者走遍默納協，默納協人也應召前來跟隨他；他又打發使者往阿協爾、則步隆和納斐塔里去，他們也都上來與他們會合。
36 And Gideon said to God: “If you will save Israel by my hand, just as you have said:
基德紅就對天主說：「如果你按你所說的，真要藉著我的手拯救以色列，
37 I will set this wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there will be dew only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that by my hand, as you have said, you will free Israel.”
看我將剪下的一把羊毛放在禾場上，若露水單單落在羊毛上，而遍地都是乾的，那麼我便曉得，如你所說的，你真要藉我的手拯救以色列。」
38 And so it was done. And rising in the night, wringing out the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.
次日清早起來，果然如此，基德紅把羊毛一擰，從羊毛裏擰出一碗露水。
39 And again he said to God: “Let not your fury be enkindled against me, if I test once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that only the fleece may be dry, and all the ground may be wet with dew.”
基德紅又向天主說：「如果我再說一次，求你別對我發怒! 請讓我用這羊毛再試一次：單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。」
40 And that night, God did as he had requested. And it was dry only on the fleece, and there was dew on all the ground.
那一業天主果然這樣作了，單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。
