< 1 Samuel 24 >

1 After Saul [and his soldiers] returned [home] after fighting against the Philistia army, someone reported to Saul that David [and his men] had gone into the desert near En-Gedi.
掃羅追趕非利士人回來,有人告訴他說:「大衛在隱‧基底的曠野。」
2 [When] Saul [heard that, he] chose 3,000 men from various areas in Israel, and they went to search for David and his men at a place named Rocks of Wild Goats.
掃羅就從以色列人中挑選三千精兵,率領他們往野羊的磐石去,尋索大衛和跟隨他的人。
3 At a place where the road was alongside some sheep pens, Saul [left the road and] entered a cave to defecate [EUP]. [He did not know that] David and his men were hiding further inside that same cave!
到了路旁的羊圈,在那裏有洞,掃羅進去大解。大衛和跟隨他的人正藏在洞裏的深處。
4 David’s men [saw Saul and] whispered to David, “Today is the day that Yahweh spoke about when he said, ‘I will enable you to defeat your enemy.’ You can do to him whatever you want to!” So David crept toward the entrance of the cave and [with his knife] he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
跟隨的人對大衛說:「耶和華曾應許你說:『我要將你的仇敵交在你手裏,你可以任意待他。』如今時候到了!」大衛就起來,悄悄地割下掃羅外袍的衣襟。
5 [And then he returned to his men]. But then David felt guilty for having cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
隨後大衛心中自責,因為割下掃羅的衣襟;
6 He said to his men, “I should not have done that to the king! I hope/desire that Yahweh will never allow me to attack the one whom God has appointed, because Yahweh is the one who chose him [to be the king].”
對跟隨他的人說:「我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者,我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他,因他是耶和華的受膏者。」
7 By saying that, David restrained his men, and did not allow them to kill Saul.
大衛用這話攔住跟隨他的人,不容他們起來害掃羅。掃羅起來,從洞裏出去行路。
8 After Saul left the cave and started to walk on the road again, David came out of the cave and shouted to Saul, “King Saul!” Saul turned around and looked, and David bowed down with his face touching the ground.
隨後大衛也起來,從洞裏出去,呼叫掃羅說:「我主,我王!」掃羅回頭觀看,大衛就屈身、臉伏於地下拜。
9 Then he said to Saul, “(Why do you pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’?/You should not pay attention to people when they say ‘David wants to harm you’.) [RHQ]
大衛對掃羅說:「你為何聽信人的讒言,說大衛想要害你呢?
10 Today you can see with your own eyes that [what they say is not true]. Yahweh put you in a place where my men and I could have killed you when you were in this cave. Some of my men told me that I should do that, but I did not do that. I said to them, ‘I will not harm my master, because he is the king whom Yahweh appointed.’
今日你親眼看見在洞中,耶和華將你交在我手裏;有人叫我殺你,我卻愛惜你,說:『我不敢伸手害我的主,因為他是耶和華的受膏者。』
11 Your majesty, look at this piece of your robe that is in my hand! I cut it from your robe, but I did not kill you. So now you should be able to understand that I am not planning to do anything evil to you. I have not done anything wrong to you, but you are searching for me to kill me.
我父啊,看看你外袍的衣襟在我手中。我割下你的衣襟,沒有殺你;你由此可以知道我沒有惡意叛逆你。你雖然獵取我的命,我卻沒有得罪你。
12 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge and decide which of us ([is doing what is right/pleases him]). And I hope/desire that he will punish you for the wrong things that you have done to me. But I will not try to harm you.
願耶和華在你我中間判斷是非,在你身上為我伸冤,我卻不親手加害於你。
13 There is a proverb that has the words, ‘Evil things are done by evil people.’ But [I am not evil, so] I will not do evil things to you.
古人有句俗語說:『惡事出於惡人。』我卻不親手加害於你。
14 “You are the king of Israel. So (why are you pursuing me?/you should not be pursuing me.) [RHQ] I am [as harmless as] [MET] a dead dog or a flea.
以色列王出來要尋找誰呢?追趕誰呢?不過追趕一條死狗,一個虼蚤就是了。
15 I hope/desire that Yahweh will judge which of us [is doing what (he wants/is right)]. I trust that he will [act like a lawyer and] judge (my case/what I have done), and that he will rescue me from your power [MTY].”
願耶和華在你我中間施行審判,斷定是非,並且鑒察,為我伸冤,救我脫離你的手。」
16 When David finished speaking, Saul [called out to him and] asked, “My son David, is that your voice [that I am hearing]?” Then he began to cry loudly.
大衛向掃羅說完這話,掃羅說:「我兒大衛,這是你的聲音嗎?」就放聲大哭,
17 He said, “You are a better man than I am. You have done something very good to me when I tried to do something very bad to you.
對大衛說:「你比我公義;因為你以善待我,我卻以惡待你。
18 When Yahweh put me in a place [in that cave] where you could have easily killed me, you did not do that.
你今日顯明是以善待我;因為耶和華將我交在你手裏,你卻沒有殺我。
19 (Who else would/No one else would) find his enemy and allow his enemy to escape [when he could kill him instead] [RHQ]. I hope/desire that Yahweh will reward you for being kindly to me today.
人若遇見仇敵,豈肯放他平安無事地去呢?願耶和華因你今日向我所行的,以善報你。
20 I know that [some day] you will surely become the king, and that your kingdom will prosper as you rule the Israeli people.
我也知道你必要作王,以色列的國必堅立在你手裏。
21 Now while Yahweh is listening, solemnly promise to me that you will not kill my family and get rid of all my descendants.”
現在你要指着耶和華向我起誓,不剪除我的後裔,在我父家不滅沒我的名。」
22 David solemnly promised Saul that he would not [harm Saul’s family]. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went back up into the place where they had been hiding.
於是大衛向掃羅起誓,掃羅就回家去;大衛和跟隨他的人上山寨去了。

< 1 Samuel 24 >