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.
以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，耶和華就把他們交在米甸人手裏七年。
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.
米甸人壓制以色列人；以色列人因為米甸人，就在山中挖穴、挖洞、建造營寨。
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.
以色列人每逢撒種之後，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都上來攻打他們，
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.
對着他們安營，毀壞土產，直到迦薩，沒有給以色列人留下食物，牛、羊、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.
因為那些人帶着牲畜帳棚來，像蝗蟲那樣多，人和駱駝無數，都進入國內，毀壞全地。
6 Midian weakened the Israelites so severely that the people of Israel called out to Yahweh.
以色列人因米甸人的緣故，極其窮乏，就呼求耶和華。
7 When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh because of Midian,
以色列人因米甸人的緣故，呼求耶和華，
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.
耶和華就差遣先知到以色列人那裏，對他們說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：『我曾領你們從埃及上來，出了為奴之家，
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.
救你們脫離埃及人的手，並脫離一切欺壓你們之人的手，把他們從你們面前趕出，將他們的地賜給你們』；
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.'”
又對你們說：『我是耶和華－你們的上帝。你們住在亞摩利人的地，不可敬畏他們的神。你們竟不聽從我的話。』」
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.
耶和華的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亞比以謝族人約阿施的橡樹下。約阿施的兒子基甸正在酒醡那裏打麥子，為要防備米甸人。
12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you strong warrior!”
耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！」
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.”
基甸說：「主啊，耶和華若與我們同在，我們何致遭遇這一切事呢？我們的列祖不是向我們說『耶和華領我們從埃及上來』嗎？他那樣奇妙的作為在哪裏呢？現在他卻丟棄我們，將我們交在米甸人手裏。」
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?”
耶和華觀看基甸，說：「你靠着你這能力去從米甸人手裏拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的嗎？」
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.”
基甸說：「主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在瑪拿西支派中是至貧窮的。我在我父家是至微小的。」
16 Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you, and you will defeat the entire Midianite army as one man.”
耶和華對他說：「我與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，如擊打一人一樣。」
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.
基甸說：「我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你給我一個證據，使我知道與我說話的就是主。
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.”
求你不要離開這裏，等我歸回將禮物帶來供在你面前。」主說：「我必等你回來。」
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.
基甸去預備了一隻山羊羔，用一伊法細麵做了無酵餅，將肉放在筐內，把湯盛在壺中，帶到橡樹下，獻在使者面前。
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.
上帝的使者吩咐基甸說：「將肉和無酵餅放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來。」他就這樣行了。
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.
耶和華的使者伸出手內的杖，杖頭挨了肉和無酵餅，就有火從磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅。耶和華的使者也就不見了。
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!”
基甸見他是耶和華的使者，就說：「哀哉！主耶和華啊，我不好了，因為我覿面看見耶和華的使者。」
23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.”
耶和華對他說：「你放心，不要懼怕，你必不致死。」
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.
於是基甸在那裏為耶和華築了一座壇，起名叫「耶和華沙龍」。（這壇在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉直到如今。）
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.
當那夜，耶和華吩咐基甸說：「你取你父親的牛來，就是那七歲的第二隻牛，並拆毀你父親為巴力所築的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶，
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.”
在這磐石上整整齊齊地為耶和華－你的上帝築一座壇，將第二隻牛獻為燔祭，用你所砍下的木偶作柴。」
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.
基甸就從他僕人中挑了十個人，照着耶和華吩咐他的行了。他因怕父家和本城的人，不敢在白晝行這事，就在夜間行了。
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.
城裏的人清早起來，見巴力的壇拆毀，壇旁的木偶砍下，第二隻牛獻在新築的壇上，
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.”
就彼此說：「這事是誰做的呢？」他們訪查之後，就說：「這是約阿施的兒子基甸做的。」
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.”
城裏的人對約阿施說：「將你兒子交出來，好治死他；因為他拆毀了巴力的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶。」
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.”
約阿施回答站着攻擊他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力爭論嗎？你們要救他嗎？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論吧！」
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.
所以當日人稱基甸為耶路‧巴力，意思說：「他拆毀巴力的壇，讓巴力與他爭論。」
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，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都聚集過河，在耶斯列平原安營。
34 But the Spirit of Yahweh came over Gideon. Gideon blew a trumpet, calling out the clan of Abiezer, so they might follow him.
耶和華的靈降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他。
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.
他打發人走遍瑪拿西地，瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他；又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人，他們也都出來與他們會合。
36 Gideon said to God, “If you intend to use me to save Israel, as you have said—
基甸對上帝說：「你若果照着所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人，
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.”
我就把一團羊毛放在禾場上：若單是羊毛上有露水，別的地方都是乾的，我就知道你必照着所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人。」
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.
次日早晨基甸起來，見果然是這樣；將羊毛擠一擠，從羊毛中擰出滿盆的露水來。
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.”
基甸又對上帝說：「求你不要向我發怒，我再說這一次：讓我將羊毛再試一次。但願羊毛是乾的，別的地方都有露水。」
40 God did what he asked for that night. The fleece was dry, and there was dew on all the ground around it.
這夜上帝也如此行：獨羊毛上是乾的，別的地方都有露水。
