< Numbers 11 >

1 In the mean time there arose a murmuring of the people against the Lord, as it were repining at their fatigue. And when the Lord heard it he was angry. And the fire of the Lord being kindled against them, devoured them that were at the uttermost part of the camp.
當時人民怨聲載道,怨聲已傳入上主的耳中;上主聽見,遂發怒上主的火在他們中燃起,焚燒了營幕的邊緣。
2 And when the people cried to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was swallowed up.
人民遂向梅瑟求救;梅瑟懇求了上主,火就熄滅了,
3 And he called the name of that place, The burning: for that the fire of the Lord had been kindled against them.
遂給那地方起名叫塔貝辣,因為上主的火曾在他們中燃燒起來。
4 For a mixt multitude of people, that came up with them, burned with desire, sitting and weeping, the children of Israel also being joined with them, and said: Who shall give us flesh to eat?
那些跟百姓來的雜族神甚是貪求口腹,連以色列子民也開始哭泣說:「誰給我們肉吃﹖
5 We remember the Ash that we ate in Egypt free cost: the cucumbers come into our mind, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.
我們記得:在埃及我們可隨便吃魚,還有胡瓜、西瓜、韭菜、蔥和蒜。
6 Our soul is dry, our eyes behold nothing else but manna.
現在我們的心靈憔悴,我們眼見的除「瑪納」外,什麼也沒有。」「
7 A Now the manna was like coriander seed, of the colour of bdellium.
瑪納」形似胡荽種子,色彩有如珍珠。
8 And the people went about, and gathering it, ground it in a mill, or beat it in a mortar, and boiled it in a pot, and made cakes thereof of the taste of bread tempered with oil.
人民四散收斂,用磨研細,或在臼內搗碎,在鍋內煮了做成餅,它的滋味有如油餅的滋味。
9 And when the dew fell in the night upon the camp, the manna also fell with it.
夜間露水降在營上時,也降下「瑪納。」
10 Now Moses heard the people weeping by their families, every one at the door of his tent. And the wrath of the Lord was exceedingly enkindled: to Moses also the thing seemed insupportable.
梅瑟聽見百姓家家戶戶,各在帳棚門口悲哭。上主大發忿怒,梅瑟見了也很難受,
11 And he said to the Lord: Why hast thou afflicted thy servant? wherefore do I not find favour before thee? and why hast thou laid the weight of all this people upon me?
遂對上主說:「你為什麼難為你的僕人﹖為什麼我在你眼中不蒙寵幸,竟將管理這百姓的擔子全放在我身上﹖
12 Have I conceived all this multitude, or begotten them, that thou shouldst say to me: Carry them in thy bosom as the nurse is wont to carry the little infant, and bear them into the land, for which thou hast sworn to their fathers?
莫非是我懷孕了這百姓,或是我生了他們,你竟對我說:你要懷抱他們,如同褓母懷抱乳兒,直到進入你對他們的祖先所誓許的地方﹖
13 Whence should I have flesh to give to so great a multitude? they weep against me, saying: Give us flesh that we may eat.
我從那裏拿肉給這百姓吃﹖因為他們向我哭訴說:給我們肉吃!
14 I am not able alone to bear all this people, because it is too heavy for me.
我獨自不能抱著這百姓,這為我太重。
15 But if it seem unto thee otherwise, I beseech thee to kill me, and let me find grace in thy eyes, that I be not afflicted with so great evils.
若你願這樣對待我,如果我在你眼中得寵,求你殺了我罷! 免得我受這苦楚。」
16 And the Lord said to Moses: Gather unto me seventy men of the ancients of Israel, whom thou knowest to be ancients and masters of the people: and thou shalt bring them to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and shalt make them stand there with thee,
上主對梅瑟說:「你給我由以色列老年人中召選七十人,你知道他們是民間的老前輩和會辦事的人,領他們進入會幕,叫他們同你一起站在那裏。
17 That I may come down and speak with thee: and I will take of thy spirit, and will give to them, that they may bear with thee the burden of the people, and thou mayest not be burthened alone.
在那裏我要降下,與你交談,取些你身上具有的神能,賦給他們,叫他們與你分擔管理人民的重擔,不讓你個人獨自承擔。
18 And thou shalt say to the people: Be ye sanctified: tomorrow you shall eat flesh: for I have heard you say: Who will give us flesh to eat? it was well with us in Egypt. That the Lord may give you flesh, and you may eat:
你對民眾說:你們聖潔自己直到明天,你們就會有肉吃,因為上主已聽見你們哀哭說:誰給我們肉吃﹖我們在埃及是多麼好! 如今上主要給你們肉吃了;
19 Not for one day, nor two, nor five, nor ten, no nor for twenty.
不但是一天、兩天、五天、十天、二十天,你們有肉吃,
20 But even for a month of days, till it come out at your nostrils, and become loathsome to you, because you have cast off the Lord, who is in the midst of you, and have wept before him, saying: Why came we out of Egypt?
而是整月,直到肉從你們的鼻子裏出來,吃的生厭,因為你們輕視了住在你們中的上主,在他面前涕泣說:為什麼我們出離了埃及﹖」
21 And Moses said: There are six hundred thousand footmen of this people, and sayest thou: I will give them flesh to eat a whole month?
梅瑟說:「與我同住的人民,步行的男子就有六十萬,你卻說:我要給他們肉吃,且吃一整月。
22 Shall then a multitude of sheep and oxen be killed, that it may suffice for their food? or shall the fishes of the sea be gathered together to fill them?
就是將牛羊都為他們殺了,為他們夠用麼﹖或將海裏的魚全給他們捉來,為他們足用麼﹖」
23 And the Lord answered him: Is the hand of the Lord unable? Thou shalt presently see whether my word shall come to pass or no.
上主回答梅瑟說:「難道上主的手短了﹖你就要看見我對你說的話是否應驗。」
24 Moses therefore came, and told the people the words of the Lord, and assembled seventy men of the ancients of Israel, and made them to stand about the tabernacle.
梅瑟將上主的話告訴了人民;隨後從人民的老年人中召選了七十人,令他們站在會幕四周。
25 And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, taking away of the spirit that was in Moses, and giving to the seventy men. And when the spirit had rested on them they prophesied, nor did they cease afterwards.
上主乘雲降下,與梅瑟談話;將他身上的神能,賦給那七十位長老;這神能一降在他們身上,他們就出神說話;以後再沒有出神。
26 Now there remained in the camp two of the men, of whom one was called Eldad, and the other Medad, upon whom the spirit rested; for they also had been enrolled, but were not gone forth to the tabernacle.
當時有兩個人留在營內,一個名叫厄耳達得,一個名叫默達得;這神能也降在他們身上;他們原是在被錄取的人內,卻沒有到會幕那裏去,就在營內出神說話。
27 And when they prophesied in the camp, there ran a young man, and told Moses, saying: Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.
有一少年跑來告訴梅瑟說:「厄耳達得和默達得在營內出神說話。」
28 Forthwith Josue the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, and chosen out of many, said: My lord Moses forbid them.
自幼即服事梅瑟的農的兒子若蘇厄遂說:「我主梅瑟! 你該禁止他們。」
29 But he said: Why hast thou emulation for me? O that all the people might prophesy, and that the Lord would give them his spirit!
梅瑟回答他說:「你為我的緣故嫉妒人麼﹖巴不得上主的人民都成先知,上主將自己的精神貫注在他們身上! 」
30 And Moses returned, with the ancients of Israel, into the camp.
梅瑟遂與以色列的長老回到了營內。
31 And a wind going out from the Lord, taking quails up beyond the sea brought them, and cast them into the camp for the space of one day’s journey, on every side of the camp round about, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground.
那時上主使一陣風颳起,由海上吹來了鵪鶉,散落在營幕上;鵪鶉在營幕四周多得有一天路程那麼遠,在地面上約有兩肘厚。
32 The people therefore rising up all that day, and night, and the next day, gathered together of quails, he that did least, ten cores: and they dried them round about the camp.
人民那一整日整夜,且在第二日整天都忙於捕捉鵪鶉,收集得最少的,也收集了十堆,都擺在營幕四周。
33 As yet the flesh was between their teeth, neither had that kind of meat failed: when behold the wrath of the Lord being provoked against the people, struck them with an exceeding great plague.
肉還在他們的牙齒間,尚未嚼爛,上主就對人民發怒了,以極嚴重的災禍打擊了人民。
34 And that place was called, The graves of lust: for there they buried the people that had lusted.
故此人給那地方起名叫克貝洛特阿塔瓦,因為在那裏埋葬了貪饕的人民。
35 And departing from the graves of lust, they came unto Haseroth, and abode there.
以後民眾由克貝洛特阿塔瓦起程,向哈茲洛特出發,在哈茲洛特住下了。

< Numbers 11 >