Judges 6
1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
以色列的子民又行了上主視為惡的事，上主把他們交於米德楊人手中七年之久。
2 The power of Midian oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the people of Israel made shelters for themselves from the dens in the hills, the caves, and the strongholds.
米德楊人的勢力勝過了以色列，以色列子民為了防禦米德楊人，修築了山洞、地洞和山寨。
3 It happened that any time the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people from the east would attack the Israelites.
每逢以色列人撒種之後，米德楊人、阿瑪肋克人和東方子民就上來攻打他們；
4 They would set up their army on the land and destroy the crops, all the way to Gaza. They would leave no food in Israel, and no sheep, nor cattle or donkeys.
對著他們紮營，毀壞地產直到迦薩一帶，沒有給以色列留下一點食糧，連羊、牛、驢也沒有留下；
5 Whenever they and their livestock and tents came up, they would come as a swarm of locusts, and it was impossible to count either the people or their camels. They invaded the land in order to destroy it.
因為他們總是帶著家畜和帳棚上來，多如蝗蟲；他們來的人和駱駝多得無數，踏入境內，毀壞田地。
6 Midian weakened the Israelites so severely that the people of Israel called out to Yahweh.
以色列為了米德楊人的原故，很是窮困，因此以色列子民呼籲了上主。
7 When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh because of Midian,
當以色列子民為了米德楊的原故，呼籲上主時，
8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the people of Israel. The prophet said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you out of the house of slavery.
上主就派了一位先知到以色列子民那裏，對他們說：「上主以色列的天主這樣說：是我使你們由埃及上來，領你們離開了為奴之家；
9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who were oppressing you. I drove them out before you, and I gave you their land.
是我從埃及人的手中，從一切壓迫你們的人手中救出你們來；是我從你們面前把他們趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。
10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; I commanded you not to worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” But you have not obeyed my voice.'”
我曾對你們說過：我是上主你們的天主，你們在阿摩黎地方，切不可敬畏他們的神! 但是你們沒有聽從我的話。」基德紅被召
11 Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash (the Abiezrite), while Gideon, Joash's son, was separating out the wheat by beating it on the floor, in the winepress—to hide it from the Midianites.
上主的使者來到，坐在敖弗辣的一棵屬於阿彼厄則爾人約阿士的篤耨樹下，當時他的兒子基德紅正在釀酒池裏打麥子，躲避米德楊人。
12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you strong warrior!”
上主的使者顯現給他，對他說：「英勇的壯士，願上主與你同在! 」
13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my master, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers told us about, when they said, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has abandoned us and gave us into the hand of Midian.”
基德紅回答他說：「我主，請原諒! 如果上主與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這些困難﹖他們曾向我們說過：看，是上主領我們出離埃及，但是現在上主拋棄了我們，將我們交在米德楊人的掌握中。」
14 Yahweh looked at him and said, “Go in the strength you already have. Deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
上主注視他說：「憑你這種力量，你去拯救以色列脫離米德楊人的掌握。看，是我派遣你。」
15 Gideon said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? See, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my father's house.”
他回答說：「我主，請原諒! 我憑什麼拯救以色列﹖看，我家在默納協支派中是最卑微的，我在我父親家中又是最小的一個。」
16 Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you, and you will defeat the entire Midianite army as one man.”
上主對他說：「有我與你同在，你必擊敗米德楊人，如擊一個人一樣。」
17 Gideon said to him, “If you are pleased with me, then give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.
基德紅又向他說：「我若在你面前蒙恩，請你給我一個記號，證明與我說話的是你。
18 Please, do not leave here, until I come to you and bring out my gift and set it before you.” Yahweh said, “I will wait until you return.”
請你不要離開此地，等我回到你這裏，帶來禮物，擺在你前。」他答應說：「我等你回來。」
19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought them to him under the oak tree, and presented them.
基德紅就去預備了一隻小公山羊，又用一「厄法」麥粉作了無酵餅，把肉放在筐裏，把湯盛在罐裏，帶到篤耨樹下獻給他。
20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth over them.” That is what Gideon did.
天主的使者對他說：「拿出肉和無酵餅來，放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來! 」他就照樣作了。
21 Then the angel of Yahweh reached out with the end of the staff in his hand. With it he touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; a fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went away and Gideon could no longer see him.
上主的使者遂伸出手中的棍杖，杖頭一觸及肉和無酵餅，磐石便起火，把肉和無酵餅吞噬了；上主的使者便從他眼前隱沒了。
22 Gideon understood that this was the angel of Yahweh. Gideon said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! For I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!”
基德紅遂知道他是上主的使者說：「哎呀！我主上主，我竟然面對面地看見上主的使者！」
23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.”
但上主對他說：「你放心! 不必害怕，你不會死!
24 So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh. He called it, “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it still stands at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.
基德紅就在那裏給上主立了一座祭壇，稱為雅威沙隆；至今還在阿彼厄則耳人的敖弗辣那裏。德基紅拆毀巴耳祭壇
25 That night Yahweh said to him, “Take your father's bull, and a second bull that is seven years old, and pull apart the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it.
當夜上主對他說：「取你父親的一隻牛，即那隻七歲的肥牛，以後拆毀你父親的巴耳祭壇，打碎旁邊的阿舍辣；
26 Build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this place of refuge, and construct it the correct way. Offer the second bull as a burnt offering, using the wood from the Asherah that you cut down.”
給上主你的天主在這磐石頂上建一座祭壇，準備妥當，將那隻肥牛獻為全燔祭，用打碎的阿舍辣作木柴。」
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as Yahweh had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the town to do it during the day, he did it at night.
基德紅就從僕人中選出十個人，照上主吩咐他的作了；但因為害怕父親的家人和城裏的人，不敢在白天行事，就在黑夜作了。
28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built.
城裏的人早晨起來，看見巴耳的祭壇已毀，旁邊所有的阿舍辣也被打碎，那隻肥牛也獻於新築的祭壇上，
29 The men of the city said to one another, “Who has done this?” When they talked with others and searched for answers, they said, “Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.”
就彼此詢問說：「誰作了這事﹖」經過考察追問之後，斷定說：「必是約阿士的兒子基德紅作了這事。」
30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son so that he may be put to death, because he pulled apart the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah beside it.”
因此本城的人對約阿士說：「將你的兒子交出來，將他處死! 因為他拆毀了巴耳的祭壇，打碎了旁邊的阿舍辣。」
31 Joash said to all who opposed him, “Will you plead the case for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads the case for him, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls his altar apart.”
約阿士回答所有反對他的人說：「你們要為巴耳辯護麼﹖或者你們要就助他嗎﹖誰為他辯護，明天早晨便該處以死刑! 他如果是神，讓他為自己辯護罷! 因為有人拆毀了他的祭壇。」
32 Therefore on that day they called Gideon “Jerub Baal,” because he said, “Let Baal defend himself against him,” because Gideon broke down Baal's altar.
因此當天人就稱基德紅為「耶魯巴耳，」好像說：「讓巴耳與他爭辯，因為基德紅拆毀了他的祭壇。」基德紅求證
33 Now all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the east gathered together. They crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
那時，米德楊、阿瑪肋克和東方子民都聚集起來，過了河，在依次勒耳平原安了營。
34 But the Spirit of Yahweh came over Gideon. Gideon blew a trumpet, calling out the clan of Abiezer, so they might follow him.
上主的神充滿了基德紅，他一吹號角，阿彼厄則爾人便應召前來跟隨他；
35 He sent messengers all throughout Manasseh, and they too, were called out to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet him.
他又打發使者走遍默納協，默納協人也應召前來跟隨他；他又打發使者往阿協爾、則步隆和納斐塔里去，他們也都上來與他們會合。
36 Gideon said to God, “If you intend to use me to save Israel, as you have said—
基德紅就對天主說：「如果你按你所說的，真要藉著我的手拯救以色列，
37 Look, I am putting a woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”
看我將剪下的一把羊毛放在禾場上，若露水單單落在羊毛上，而遍地都是乾的，那麼我便曉得，如你所說的，你真要藉我的手拯救以色列。」
38 This is what happened—Gideon rose early the next morning, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung out the dew from the fleece, enough to fill a bowl with water.
次日清早起來，果然如此，基德紅把羊毛一擰，從羊毛裏擰出一碗露水。
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, I will speak one more time. Please allow me one more test using the fleece. This time make the fleece dry, and let there be dew on all the ground around it.”
基德紅又向天主說：「如果我再說一次，求你別對我發怒! 請讓我用這羊毛再試一次：單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。」
40 God did what he asked for that night. The fleece was dry, and there was dew on all the ground around it.
那一業天主果然這樣作了，單單羊毛是乾的，而遍地都是露水。
