< Judges 7 >
1 Jerub-baal (Gideon) and those who were with him got up early and went and camped by the Harod spring. The Midianite camp was to the north in the valley near the Moreh hill.
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 The Lord told Gideon, “There are too many soldiers with you for me to hand over the Midianites to them, otherwise Israel will brag to me, saying, ‘I saved myself by my own strength.’
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 So tell the soldiers, ‘Anyone who is worried or afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go back home.’” Twenty-two thousand of them went back home, but ten thousand stayed.
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 told Gideon, “There are still too many soldiers. Take them down to the water and I will reduce them for you. Whoever I tell you, ‘He shall go with you,’ he shall go. But anyone that I say, ‘He 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 Gideon took the soldiers down to the water. The Lord told Gideon, “Set to one side those who lap the water with their tongues, like a dog does, and on the other side those who kneel down 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 Three hundred lapped water from their hands to their mouths. All the rest knelt down to drink the water.
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 The Lord told Gideon, “With these three hundred men that lapped I will save you and hand over the Midianites to you. Let all the rest of the soldiers 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 The three hundred took over the supplies and trumpets of the others. Gideon sent all the rest home, but held onto the three hundred men. The Midianite camp was 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 spoke to Gideon, “Get up, go down and attack the camp, for I have handed it over to you.
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 go down, go with your servant Purah to the camp.
如果你一人害怕下去,可帶你的隨從普辣一起下到營幕,
11 You'll hear what they're talking about and then you'll have the courage to attack the camp.” So he took his servant Purah with him and went to the edge of the camp where armed men were on guard.
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 The Midianites, Amalekites, and all the peoples of the East filled the valley like a swarm of locusts, and as for their camels, they were as uncountable 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 Just as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream he'd had. He was saying, “I had this dream. I dreamed I saw a round loaf of barley bread come rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, knocking it upside-down, flat on the ground!”
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 “This can only represent the victory by the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, a man of Israel,” his friend answered. “God has handed over to him the Midianites and everyone else camped here.”
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 what it meant, he bowed in thanks to God. He went back to the Israelite camp and announced, “On your feet! For the Lord has handed over the Midianite camp to you!”
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 He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He handed them all trumpets, and empty jars with torches inside them.
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 follow my example,” he told them. “So when I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what 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 Immediately I and those with me blow the trumpets, then you blow your trumpets 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 who with him arrived at the edge of the camp around midnight, after the guards were changed. They blew their trumpets and smashed the jars they were holding.
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 All three companies blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, and 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 man stood in his place encircling the camp, and all the enemy soldiers ran around shouting—then they fled.
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 When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord made all the men in the camp attack one other with their swords. The enemy army fled to Beth-shittah near Zererah, all the way to 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 The Israelite soldiers were summoned from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh, and they chased after 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 through all the hill country of Ephraim saying, “Come and attack the Midianites, and take control of the Jordan fords ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the Jordan fords 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, two of the Midianite commanders. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They continued chasing down the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb back to Gideon who was 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。