2 Kings 7
1 Elisha replied to the king, “Listen to what Yahweh says: ‘He says that by this time tomorrow, at the marketplace here in Samaria, you will be able to buy (ten pounds/five kg.) of fine wheat or (20 pounds/ten kg.) of barley for [only] one piece of silver.’”
厄里叟說：「請聽上主的話：上主這樣說：明天這個時候，在撒瑪黎雅城門口，一「色阿」上等麵粉只值一「協刻耳，」兩「色阿」大麥，只值一「協刻耳。」
2 The king’s officer said to Elijah, “That cannot happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the windows of the sky [and send grain down to us], that certainly could not [RHQ] happen!” Elisha replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
那個手扶君王的侍衛回答天主的人說：「縱使上主打開天上的閘，也不會有這樣的事! 」先知說：「你必親眼看到，只是吃不上。」
3 That day there were four men who had (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease) who were sitting outside the gate of Samaria [city. They said to each other, “(Why should we] wait here until we die?/[It is ridiculous for us to] wait here until we die.) [RHQ]
在城門口有四個癩病人，他們彼此說：「我們為什麼在這裏坐著等死呢﹖
4 If we go into the city, we will die there, because there is no food there. If we remain sitting here, we will die here. So let’s go to where the army of Syria has set up their tents. If they kill us, we will die. But if they allow us to remain alive, we will not die.”
如果我們決意進城去，城裏也有饑荒，我們必死在那裏；如果留在這裏，我們也是一樣死；不如去投到阿蘭人營中，假如他們讓我們活著，我們就活著；假如他們要殺我們，我們就死罷。」
5 So when it was getting dark, those four men went to the camp where the army of Syria had set up their tents. But when they reached the camp, they saw that there was no one there!
他們於是在黃昏時起身，往阿蘭人的營盤那裏去；及至到了阿蘭人的營盤邊時，哦! 那裏一個人也沒有了。
6 What had happened was that Yahweh had caused the army of Syria to hear something that sounded like a large army marching with chariots and horses. So they said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the kings of Egypt and the Heth people-group [and their armies], and they have come to attack us!”
原來上主早已使阿蘭人的營盤中聽到戰車馬隊和大軍的喧囂聲，他們就彼此說：「呀! 以色列王雇用了赫特人王和慕茲黎人王來攻打我們了。」
7 So they all ran away that evening and left their tents and their horses and donkeys there, because [they were afraid that] they would be killed [if they stayed there].
所以，他們在黃昏時，即起身逃走，丟下了他們的帳幕騾馬，只顧逃命，留下營盤未動。
8 When those four lepers came to the edge of the area where the soldiers of Syria had set up their tents, they went into one tent, [and saw all the things that had been left there]. So they ate and drank what was there, and they took the silver and the gold and clothes. Then they went [outside the tent] and hid those things. Then they entered another tent, and took things from there, and then went outside and hid them, also.
這些癩病人到了營盤邊，進了一個帳幕，又吃又喝，將那裏的金銀和衣服拿走，去收藏起來；然後又回來，進了另一帳幕，拿走了那裏的東西，去收藏起來。
9 But then they said to each other, “We are not doing what is right. We have good news [to tell others] today. If we do not tell it to anyone now, and if we wait until morning to tell it, we will certainly be punished [by Yahweh]. So let’s go right now to the palace and tell it to the king’s officials!”
以後，癩病人彼此說：「我們這樣做得不對，今天原是報喜訊的日子，我們竟然不聲不響；如果等到早晨天亮，我們就有罪了。來，現在我們就去向王室報信! 」
10 So they went to the guards at the city gates and called out to them, “We went to where the army of Syria had set up their tents, but we did not see or hear anyone there. Their horses and donkeys were still tied up, but their tents were all deserted/abandoned!”
他們於是去向把守城門的人喊叫，給他們報告說：「我們曾到過罷蘭人的營盤，那裏一個人也沒有，也沒有人聲，只有栓著的馬，栓著的驢；帳幕一點未動。」
11 The guards shouted the news, and some people [who heard it] went to the palace and reported it there.
把守城門的人就高聲喊叫，向王室傳報消息。
12 [When] the king [heard it, he] got up out of his bed and said to his officials, “I will tell you what the army of Syria is planning to do. They know that we have no food here, so they have left their tents and are hiding in the fields. They think that we will leave the city [to find some food], and then they will capture us and capture the city.”
君王夜間起來，對自己的臣僕說：「現在讓我給你們解釋，阿蘭人對我們所做得事：他們知道我們鬧饑荒，所以離開營盤，埋伏在田間，心想：以色列人必由城裏出來，那時，我們可將他們活活捉住，然後開進城去。」
13 But one of his officials said, “Many of our Israeli people have already died [from (hunger/not having anything to eat]). If those of us who are still alive all stay here, we also will die anyway. So let’s send some men with five of our horses that are still alive to go and see [what has really happened].”
有個臣僕回答說：「請叫人從這裏所剩下的馬中，牽出五匹來，無論怎樣，同別的一樣要死，倒不如派人去看看。
14 So they chose some men and told them to go in a chariot and find out what had happened to the army of Syria.
他們於是推出兩輛戰車，五匹馬，君王就派他們去追趕阿蘭軍隊說：「你們去看看! 」
15 They went as far as the Jordan [River]. All along the road they saw clothes and equipment that the soldiers from Syria had thrown away while they were running away very quickly. So the men returned to the king and reported [what they had seen].
那些人追蹤阿蘭人，直到約旦河，見路上滿是阿蘭人在倉卒逃走中，丟下的衣服和裝備；使者們便回來報告了君王。
16 Then many of the people of Samaria also went [out of the city and went] to where the army of Syria had previously set up their tents. They entered all the tents and took everything. [So there was now plenty of everything!] As a result people could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver, which was what Yahweh had said would happen!
人民便出來搶掠了阿蘭人的營盤。於是一「色阿」上等麵粉，只值一「協刻耳，」兩「色阿」大麥，只值一「協刻耳，」正應驗了上主所說的話。
17 The king of Israel had appointed the officer who was his assistant to supervise what was happening at the marketplace. But as he was standing near the gate, all the people [who were rushing outside the city] trampled on him, and he died, which was what Elisha had said would happen to him when Elisha previously went to talk to the king.
君王派定那手扶自己的侍衛，把守城門；但人民在城門口把他踏死了，應驗了天主的人，在君王下來見他時，所說的話。
18 Elisha had told him that by the next day there would be plenty of food, with the result that anyone could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver.
原來，天主的人對君王說過：「明天這個時候，在撒瑪黎雅城門口一『色阿』上等麵粉，只值一『協刻耳。』兩『色阿』大麥，只值一『協刻耳。』」
19 And the officer had answered, “That certainly cannot [RHQ] happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the sky and send down some grain, that could not happen.” And Elisha had replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
那侍衛曾回答天主的人說：「縱然上主打開天上的閘，也不會有這樣的事! 」先知回答說：「你必親眼看到，只是吃不上。」
20 And that is what happened to him. The people [who were rushing out of] the city gate trampled on him, and he died.
這事果然發生在他身上了：人民在城門口把他踏死了。
