< Judges 8 >

1 Then the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him sharply.
那時厄弗辣因人對基德紅說:「你去攻打米德楊時,沒有召叫我們,你為什麼這樣對待我們﹖」他們激烈的與他爭吵。
2 To whom he said, What haue I now done in comparison of you? is not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, then the vintage of Abiezer?
他回答他們說:「我所行的怎能比得上你們呢﹖厄弗辣因所拾的不比阿彼厄則爾所收的葡萄更好嗎﹖
3 God hath deliuered into your handes the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? and when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.
天主將米德楊的首領敖勒布和則厄布交在你們手中,我所能行的怎能與你們相比﹖」為了他這番話,他們對他的怒氣,就平息了。基德紅乘勝追趕米德楊王
4 And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.
基德紅來到約但河,就渡過河;他與跟隨他的三百人,雖然都疲倦,仍繼續追趕。
5 And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, morsels of bread vnto the people that follow me (for they be wearie) that I may follow after Zebah, and Zalmunna Kings of Midian.
他向穌苛特人說:「請你們給跟隨我的人幾個餅吃,因為他們疲倦了,我還願意追趕米德楊的兩個王子則巴黑和匝耳慕納。」
6 And the princes of Succoth sayde, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna nowe in thine hads, that we should giue bread vnto thine army?
穌苛特人的頭目回答說:「難道則巴黑和匝耳慕納的手已在你的掌握中,我們就該把餅送給你的軍隊嗎﹖」
7 Gideon then sayde, Therefore when the Lord hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.
基德紅說:「好罷! 幾時上主把則巴黑和匝耳慕納交在我手中,我必要用茨條和荊棘鞭撻你們的身體。」
8 And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth answered.
以後由那裏上去,到了培奴耳,也向他們說了同樣的話;培奴耳人回答他也像穌苛特人一樣。
9 And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.
他也對培奴耳人說:「當我平安回來時,我必拆毀這座碉堡。」
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hostes with them, about fifteene thousande, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East: for there was slaine an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drew swordes.
那時則巴黑和匝耳慕納正在卡爾科爾,他們的軍隊約有一萬五千人,這是全部東方子民所剩的軍隊,因為已有十二萬持刀的被擊弊斃了。
11 And Gideon went through them that dwelt in Tabernacles on the East side of Nobah and Iogbehah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was carelesse.
基德紅從諾巴黑和約革治哈東面,順著住帳棚人的路上去,當敵人自以為安全的時候,襲擊了軍營,
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, hee followed after them, and tooke the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the hoste.
則巴黑和匝耳慕納落荒而逃,基德紅在後面追趕,捉住了那兩個米德楊王子則巴黑和匝耳慕納,並使全軍覆沒。
13 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel, the sunne being yet hie,
約阿士的兒子基德紅,從戰場沿赫勒斯斜坡回來,
14 And tooke a seruant of the me of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, euen seuentie and seuen men.
捉住了穌苛特的少年人,查問他。這少年人就給他寫下穌苛特的首領和長老的名字,共七十七人。
15 And he came vnto the men of Succoth, and sayd, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, by whome ye vpbrayded me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thine hands, that we should giue bread vnto thy weary men?
基德紅遂往穌苛特人那裏去說:「看! 這是則巴黑和匝耳慕納,你們為了他們曾譏笑我說:難道則巴黑和匝耳慕納的手已在你掌握中,我們就該把餅送給你疲倦的人嗎﹖」
16 Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes and breers, and did teare the men of Succoth with them.
他於是捉住那城的長老,用曠野裏的茨條和荊棘懲罰了蘇苛特居民。
17 Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.
以後又把培奴耳的碉堡拆毀,殺戮了城內的居民。
18 Then saide he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.
然後詢問則巴黑和匝耳慕納說:「你們在大博爾山上殺戮的那些人是怎樣的人呢﹖」他們答說:「他們像你們一樣,個個都像君王的兒子。」
19 And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lord liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.
基德紅說:「他們是我的兄弟,是我母親的兒子:上主永在:如果你保留了他們不死,我也就不殺你們。」
20 Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, and slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.
他遂對自己的長子耶特爾說:「起來,殺死他們! 」但是這孩童害怕,拔不出刀來,因為年紀還小。
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and tooke away the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.
因此,則巴黑和匝耳慕納說:「你親自起來殺死我們罷! 因為人怎樣,他的力量也怎樣。」基德紅就起來殺了則巴黑和匝耳慕納,拿去他們駱駝頸上的月牙環。基德紅辭王位及其末年
22 Then the men of Israel sayd vnto Gideon, Reigne thou ouer vs, both thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne: for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Midian.
事後,以色列人便對基德紅說:「你既然從米德楊手中拯救了我們,請你和你的子孫作我們的君王! 」
23 And Gideon sayde vnto them, I will not reigne ouer you, neither shall my childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord shall reigne ouer you.
基德紅回答他們說:「我不作你的君王,我的子孫也不作你們的君王,唯有上主是你們的君王。」
24 Againe Gideon sayd vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue mee euery man the earings of his pray (for they had golden earings because they were Ismaelites)
基德紅又向他們說:「我只向你們要求一件事:請將每人掠奪的金環給我。」原來依市瑪耳人都有金環。
25 And they answered, Wee will giue them. And they spred a garment, and did cast therein euery man the earings of his pray.
他們答說:「我們情願給你。」於是舖開一件外衣,每人把所掠奪的金環擲在上面。
26 And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousande and seuen hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers and iewels, and purple rayment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the cheynes that were about their camels neckes.
他所要的金環共有一千七百「協刻耳」重;此外尚有月牙環、耳環和米德楊王所穿的紫紅衣,及他們駱駝頸上的項鏈。
27 And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in Ophrah his citie: and all Israel went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his house.
基德紅用這些金子造了一個「厄弗得」便成了基德紅及其家族的羅網。
28 Thus was Midian brought lowe before the children of Israel, so that they lift vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnes fourtie yeeres in the dayes of Gideon.
米德楊在以色列子民前面屈服,再沒有抬起頭來。基德紅在世時,境內平安了四十年。
29 Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went, and dwelt in his owne house.
約阿士的兒子耶魯巴耳回去,安居在自己家中。
30 And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.
基德紅有七十個兒子,都是他親生的,因為他有很多妻子。
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a sonne also, whose name he called Abimelech.
他在舍根的妾也給他生了一個兒子,給他起名叫阿彼默肋客。
32 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash dyed in a good age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father in Ophrah, of the father of ye Ezrites.
約阿士的兒子基德紅壽終正寢,埋在阿彼厄則爾的敖弗辣,他父親約阿士的墳墓裏。
33 But when Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.
基德紅死後,以色列子民又去跟從巴耳諸神行邪淫,立巴耳貝黎特當做他們的天主。
34 And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, which had deliuered the out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side.
以色列子民忘記了上主他們的天主,曾從四周所有的敵人手中救了他們,
35 Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal, or Gideon, according to al the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel.
也沒有恩待耶魯巴耳即基德紅的家,以報答他施於以色列的恩惠。

< Judges 8 >