< 1 Samuel 12 >
1 And Samuel says to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice, to all that you said to me, and I cause a king to reign over you,
撒母耳對以色列眾人說:「你們向我所求的,我已應允了,為你們立了一個王;
2 and now, behold, the king is habitually walking before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, behold, they [are] with you, and I have habitually walked before you from my youth until this day.
現在有這王在你們前面行。我已年老髮白,我的兒子都在你們這裏。我從幼年直到今日都在你們前面行。
3 Behold, here I [am]; testify against me before YHWH, and before His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose donkey have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide my eyes with it? And I restore [it] to you.”
我在這裏,你們要在耶和華和他的受膏者面前給我作見證。我奪過誰的牛,搶過誰的驢,欺負過誰,虐待過誰,從誰手裏受過賄賂因而眼瞎呢?若有,我必償還。」
4 And they say, “You have not oppressed us, nor have you crushed us, nor have you taken anything from the hand of anyone.”
眾人說:「你未曾欺負我們,虐待我們,也未曾從誰手裏受過甚麼。」
5 And he says to them, “YHWH [is] a witness against you, and His anointed [is] a witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand”; and they say, “A witness.”
撒母耳對他們說:「你們在我手裏沒有找着甚麼,有耶和華和他的受膏者今日為證。」他們說:「願他為證。」
6 And Samuel says to the people, “YHWH [is] He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!
撒母耳對百姓說:「從前立摩西、亞倫,又領你們列祖出埃及地的是耶和華。
7 And now, station yourselves, and I judge you before YHWH, with all the righteous acts of YHWH, which He did with you, and with your fathers.
現在你們要站住,等我在耶和華面前對你們講論耶和華向你們和你們列祖所行一切公義的事。
8 When Jacob has come to Egypt, and your fathers cry to YHWH, then YHWH sends Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,
從前雅各到了埃及,後來你們列祖呼求耶和華,耶和華就差遣摩西、亞倫領你們列祖出埃及,使他們在這地方居住。
9 and they forget their God YHWH, and He sells them into the hand of Sisera, head of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fight against them,
他們卻忘記耶和華-他們的上帝,他就把他們付與夏瑣將軍西西拉的手裏,和非利士人並摩押王的手裏。於是這些人常來攻擊他們。
10 and they cry to YHWH, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken YHWH, and serve the Ba‘alim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.
他們就呼求耶和華說:『我們離棄耶和華,事奉巴力和亞斯她錄,是有罪了。現在求你救我們脫離仇敵的手,我們必事奉你。』
11 And YHWH sends Jerubba‘al, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivers you out of the hand of your surrounding enemies, and you dwell confidently.
耶和華就差遣耶路‧巴力、比但、耶弗他、撒母耳救你們脫離四圍仇敵的手,你們才安然居住。
12 And you see that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon has come against you, and you say to me, No, but a king reigns over us; and your God YHWH [is] your king!
你們見亞捫人的王拿轄來攻擊你們,就對我說:『我們定要一個王治理我們。』其實耶和華-你們的上帝是你們的王。
13 And now, behold the king whom you have chosen—whom you have asked for! And behold, YHWH has placed a king over you.
現在,你們所求所選的王在這裏。看哪,耶和華已經為你們立王了。
14 If you fear YHWH, and have served Him, and listened to His voice, then you do not provoke the mouth of YHWH, and you have been—both you and the king who has reigned over you—after your God YHWH.
你們若敬畏耶和華,事奉他,聽從他的話,不違背他的命令,你們和治理你們的王也都順從耶和華-你們的上帝就好了。
15 And if you do not listen to the voice of YHWH—then you have provoked the mouth of YHWH, and the hand of YHWH has been against you, and against your fathers.
倘若不聽從耶和華的話,違背他的命令,耶和華的手必攻擊你們,像從前攻擊你們列祖一樣。
16 Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which YHWH is doing before your eyes;
現在你們要站住,看耶和華在你們眼前要行一件大事。
17 is it not wheat-harvest today? I call to YHWH, and He gives voices and rain; and know and see that your evil is great which you have done in the eyes of YHWH, to ask [for] a king for yourselves.”
這不是割麥子的時候嗎?我求告耶和華,他必打雷降雨,使你們又知道又看出,你們求立王的事是在耶和華面前犯大罪了。」
18 And Samuel calls to YHWH, and YHWH gives voices and rain on that day, and all the people greatly fear YHWH and Samuel;
於是撒母耳求告耶和華,耶和華就在這日打雷降雨,眾民便甚懼怕耶和華和撒母耳。
19 and all the people say to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to your God YHWH, and we do not die, for we have added evil to all our sins to ask [for] a king for ourselves.”
眾民對撒母耳說:「求你為僕人們禱告耶和華-你的上帝,免得我們死亡;因為我們求立王的事正是罪上加罪了。」
20 And Samuel says to the people, “Do not fear; you have done all this evil; only, do not turn aside from after YHWH—and you have served YHWH with all your heart,
撒母耳對百姓說:「不要懼怕!你們雖然行了這惡,卻不要偏離耶和華,只要盡心事奉他。
21 and you do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,
若偏離耶和華去順從那不能救人的虛神是無益的。
22 for YHWH does not leave His people, on account of His great Name; for YHWH has been pleased to make you for a people to Him.
耶和華既喜悅選你們作他的子民,就必因他的大名不撇棄你們。
23 I, also, far be it from me to sin against YHWH, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;
至於我,斷不停止為你們禱告,以致得罪耶和華。我必以善道正路指教你們。
24 only, fear YHWH, and you have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He has made great with you;
只要你們敬畏耶和華,誠誠實實地盡心事奉他,想念他向你們所行的事何等大。
25 and if you really do evil, both you and your king are consumed.”
你們若仍然作惡,你們和你們的王必一同滅亡。」