< Judges 8 >

1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him—What is this thing thou hast done to us, in not calling us, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide 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 And he said unto them, What have I done, now, in comparison with you? Is not the grape-gleaning of Ephraim better than 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 Into your hand, hath God delivered the princes of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb, what then had I been able to do in comparison with you? Then, was their spirit softened toward him, when he had spoken this word.
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 towards the Jordan, being about to pass over—he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.
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 So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of 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 said, Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, —that we should give to thine army bread?
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 And Gideon said, Therefore, when Yahweh hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the nettles.
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 So he went up from thence, to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner, —and the men of Penuel answered him, as had answered the men of Succoth.
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 So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, —When I return with success, I will break down this tower.
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 hosts with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left out of all the host of the sons of the east, —and, the fallen, were a hundred and twenty thousand men, who had drawn the sword.
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 So Gideon went up by the way of the tent-dwellers, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host, when, the host, had become secure.
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, then he pursued them, and captured the two kings of Midian—Zebah and Zalmunna, and, all the host, put he in terror.
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 And Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle, —from the ascent of Heres;
約阿士的兒子基德紅,從戰場沿赫勒斯斜坡回來,
14 and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, —so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven 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 Then came he in unto the men of Succoth, and said, Lo! Zebah and Zalmunna, —concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying—Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, that we should give to thy weary men bread?
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 So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:
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 the tower of Penuel also, brake he down, —and slew the men of the city.
以後又把培奴耳的碉堡拆毀,殺戮了城內的居民。
18 Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons 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: My brethren, sons of my mother, they were! As Yahweh liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not have slain 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 So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
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 said Zebah and Zalmunna—Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.
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 said the men of Israel, unto Gideon, Rule over us—even thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, —for thou hast saved us out of the power 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 said unto them, I, will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, —Yahweh, shall rule over 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 And Gideon said unto them—I would make to you a request, Give me, then, every man the nose-ring of his spoil. For they had, nose-rings of gold, for, Ishmaelites, they were.
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 said, We will, freely give. So they spread out a mantle, and cast therein, every man the nose-ring of his spoil.
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 so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, —besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
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 thereof an Ephod, and set it up in his own city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went unchastely astray after it there, —so it became, to Gideon and to his house, a snare.
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 subdued, before the sons of Israel, neither did they again lift up their head, —and the land had rest forty years, in the days 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 So then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.
約阿士的兒子耶魯巴耳回去,安居在自己家中。
30 And, Gideon, had seventy sons, sprung from his own loins, —for, many wives, had he.
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 who was in Shechem, she also, bare him a son, —and he gave him the name of 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 And Gideon, son of Joash, died in a good old age, —and was buried in the grave of Joash his father, in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.
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 And it came to pass that, as soon as Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel turned back, and went unchastely astray after the Baals, —and appointed them Baal-berith, to be 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 so the sons of Israel remembered not Yahweh, their own God, —who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies, on every 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 dealt they in lovingkindness with the house of Jerubbaal [namely] Gideon, —according to all the goodness wherewith he had dealt with 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 >