< 2 Samuel 17 >

1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.
阿希托費耳向說:「讓我選拔一萬二千人,今夜起程去追趕達味。
2 And I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged, and will thow him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. And I will strike the king alone.
正當他困乏疲倦時,我忽然趕到,使他驚惶失措,隨從他的人,必會逃散,我只把君王一人殺了,
3 Then all the people will come back to you, as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be in peace."
然後人民來歸順你,像新娘回到新郎那裏;你只須害一人的性命,全民眾就都和平無事了」。
4 And the advice seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
阿貝沙隆和以色列的眾長老,對這提議都很贊成。
5 Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite, and let's hear what he says."
阿貝沙隆說:「讓把阿爾基人胡瑟召來,我們也願聽聽他說什麼」。
6 When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Should we follow his advice? And if not, speak up."
胡瑟來到阿貝沙隆前,阿貝沙隆向他說:「阿希托費耳說出這樣的話,我們應按他的主意去行嗎﹖請你提議吧! 」
7 So Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good."
胡瑟回答阿貝沙隆說:「阿希托費耳這次所出的計謀卻是不妙」。
8 Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are warriors, and that they are as fierce as a bear robbed of her cubs in the wild, or a sow snared in the wild. Your father is expert in war, and will not camp with the people.
胡瑟接著說:「你知道你父親和隨從他的人,都是勇將,現在心情惱怒,好像田野間喪子的母熊;何況,你父親又是歷戰陣的人,夜間決不會讓軍民安睡。
9 Look, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will happen when some of them have fallen first, that whoever hears it will say, 'There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'
他現在必藏在一個山洞裏,或另一個地方;若起初我們的人就有傷亡,人們聽見必要說:跟隨阿貝沙隆的人,慘遭失敗;
10 Then even the one who is brave, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and those who are with him are brave men.
那麼,連性情兇猛如獅子的壯士,也要灰心喪膽,因為全以色列人都知道你父親是個勇將,跟隨他的人,也都是驍勇的人。
11 But, I strongly advise as follows: Let all Israel be gathered to you from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in number, and that you personally go into battle.
我的計劃,是先把所有的以色列人集合在你身邊,從丹直到貝爾舍巴,像海邊沙粒那樣多,然後由你親自率領,前去征討;
12 So we will come upon him in some place where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
他不論到那裏,我們也突然到那裏;像露一樣襲擊他,使他和跟隨他的人一個也不留下。
13 Moreover, if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will take up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed, until there isn't one pebble to be found there."
若他退入一座城內,全以色列就帶著繩索去攻擊那城,將那城拉到山谷裏,連一塊小石也不剩下」。
14 Then Absalom and all Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For YHWH had commanded that Ahithophel's counsel should be defeated, so that that YHWH could bring Absalom to ruin.
阿貝沙隆和全以色列人都說:「阿爾基人胡瑟的計謀比阿希托費耳的更為可取」。原是上主決定了要破壞阿希托費耳是好計謀,為給阿彼瑟降下災禍。
15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Here is the council Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and here is what I counseled.
隨後,胡瑟報告匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾說:「阿希托費耳給阿貝沙隆和以色列長老出了那樣的計謀,我卻出了這樣的計謀。
16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not stay the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over. Otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.'"
現在,快派人去報告達味說:今夜不可在曠野的渡口露宿,要趕快過河,免得君王和隨從他的人民都遭殲滅」。
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, and a female servant was to go and tell them, and they would go and inform king David. For they were not to be seen going into the city.
那時,約納堂和阿希瑪茲已在洛革泉傍等候,因怕被人看見,不敢進城;有個使女出來給他們傳信,他們就去報告達味君王。
18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So they both departed quickly and reached the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.
但有一個少年人看見了他們,便向阿貝沙隆報告了;他們二人就急速逃匿,來到巴胡陵的一個人家裏,他院子裏有一口井,他們便下到井裏。
19 And the woman took a covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain on it, so that nothing could be noticed.
那家的婦女取了一個蓋子蓋在井口上,蓋子上又撒了些麥粒,免得有人注意。
20 Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, and they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
阿貝沙隆的差役來到那家的婦女前問說:「阿希瑪茲和約納堂在哪裏﹖那婦女答說:「他們早過了蓄水池」。差役就去搜索他們,卻沒有找著,便回了耶路撒冷。
21 It came about after they had left that they climbed out of the well, and left and told king David. And they said to him, "Get up and cross quickly over the water, for Ahithophel has given such and such counsel against you."
差役走了以後,兩人就為井裏上來;去給達味君王報信,對達味說:「起身,趕快過河,因為阿希托費耳為害你們出了這樣的計謀」。
22 Then David and all the people who were with him got up and they crossed the Jordan. By dawn there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.
達味和隨從他的人就起身過了約旦河。到天亮時,沒有一個沒有過約旦河的。
23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went up to his home in his city. Then he set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
阿希托費耳看見人不依從他的計謀,就備上驢,動身回家,回了本城,安排了自己的家務以後,就上吊死了。人將他埋在他父親的墳墓裏。
24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all Israel with him.
阿貝沙隆率領以色列人過約旦河時,達味已到了瑪哈納因。
25 And Absalom had put Amasa over the army in place of of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jether the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigail the daughter of Jesse, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
阿貝沙隆派阿瑪撒代約阿布為統帥。阿瑪撒是依市瑪耳人依特辣的兒子。依特辣曾走近過葉瑟的女兒,約阿布的母親,責魯雅的姐妹阿彼蓋耳。
26 So Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
以色列人同阿貝沙隆在基肋阿得一帶紮了營。
27 Now it happened when David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Makir the son of Ammiel of Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
當達味來到瑪哈納因時,納哈士的兒子芍彼,由阿孟人民的辣巴城,阿米爾的兒子瑪基爾由羅德巴爾城,基肋阿得人巴爾齊來由洛革林城,
28 brought couches for sleeping, and covers, and basins, and pottery utensils, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils,
帶來了床、鋪蓋、杯盤、炊具、小麥、麵粉、炒麥、豆子、扁豆、
29 and honey, and curd of the flock, and cheese of the herd. And they presented them to David and to the people who were with him to eat. For they said, "The people are hungry and tired and thirsty in the wilderness."
蜂蜜、奶油、奶餅、牛肉和羊肉,供給達味和他的的人吃用,因為他們想:這些人經過了曠野,必定感到飢餓和疲勞。

< 2 Samuel 17 >