< 1 Samuel 11 >

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went and laid seige to Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
大約過了一個月,阿孟人納哈士上來圍困基肋阿得的雅貝士,雅貝士所有的居民對納哈士說:「你與我們立約,我們就服事你。」
2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “On this condition will I make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all of your right eyes, and in this way bring disgrace on all Israel.”
阿孟人納哈士回答他們說:「在這條件下,我纔與你們立約:就是剜出你們各人的右眼,我要藉此羞辱全以色列。」
3 Then the elders of Jabesh replied to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
雅貝士的長老回答他說:「請讓我們休戰七天,我們派人到以色列全境去,如果沒有人來救我們,我們就向你投降。
4 The messengers came to Gibeah, where Saul lived, and told the people what had happened. All the people wept loudly.
使者到了撒烏耳的基貝亞,就把這事講給民眾聽,民眾遂放聲大哭。
5 Now Saul was following the oxen out of the field. Saul said, “What is wrong with the people that they are weeping?” They told Saul what the men of Jabesh had said.
那時撒烏耳正跟著牛從田間回來,便問說:「民眾有什麼事,如此號淘大哭﹖」人們就把雅貝士人的話講給他聽。
6 When Saul heard what they said, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he was very angry.
撒烏耳一聽說這些話,上主的神便降在他身上,遂勃然大怒,
7 He took a yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel with the messengers. He said, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen.” Then the terror of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out together as one man.
立即牽了一對牛來,剖分成塊,託使者分送到以色列全境說:「凡不隨從撒烏耳如撒慕爾出征的,也必這樣對待他的牛! 」上主的驚嚇降在民眾身上,因而他們好像一個人一齊出征。
8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
撒烏耳在貝則克檢閱了他們;以色列人共三十萬,猶大人三萬。
9 They said to the messengers that came, “You will tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.'” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.
撒烏耳對來的使者說:「你們這樣對基肋阿得的雅貝士人說:明天太陽正熱時,救援就必達到你們那裏。」使者便回去,向雅貝士人報告,他們都很喜歡。
10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.”
雅貝士人遂對阿孟人說:「明天我們向你們投降,你們看著怎樣好,就怎樣對待我們罷!
11 The next day Saul put the people in three groups. They came into the middle of the camp during the morning watch, and they attacked and defeated the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
第二天撒烏耳把民眾分作三隊,在黎明以前衝入了阿孟人營中,擊殺他們一直到日中最熱的時候;剩下的人都逃散了,以至沒有兩人在一起。
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it who said, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, so we can put them to death.”
民眾於是對撒慕爾說:「誰曾說過:撒烏耳豈能作我們的君王﹖把這些人交出來,讓我們處死他們! 」
13 But Saul said, “No one must be put to death this day, because today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”
撒烏耳回答說:「今天不可處死任何人,因為今天上主在以色列中施行了救恩。」
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the monarchy there.”
撒慕爾以後對民眾說:「來,我們到基耳加耳去,在那裏重新建立王國。」
15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
民眾便都去了基耳加耳,在那裏於上主面前立撒烏耳為王,並給上主奉獻了和平祭;撒烏耳同全體以色列人舉行了盛大的盛會。

< 1 Samuel 11 >