< 1 Samuel 2 >

1 Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in the LORD! My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
亞納祈禱說:「我從心裏喜樂於上主,我的頭因上主而高仰;我可開口嘲笑我的敵人,因為我喜樂於你的救助。
2 There is no one as holy as the LORD, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
沒有聖者,相似上主;除了你以外,沒有另一位;沒有磐石,相似我們的天主。
3 “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
你們別再三說誑言,別口出豪語;上主是全知的天主,人的行為由他衡量。
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
壯士的弓已被折斷,衰弱者反而力量倍增。
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
曾享飽飫的,今傭工求食;曾受饑餓的,今無須勞役;不妊的今生了七子,多產者反而生育停頓。
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and brings up. (Sheol h7585)
上主使人死,也使人活;使人降入陰府,也將人由陰府提出; (Sheol h7585)
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up.
上主使人窮,也使人富;貶抑人,也舉揚人;
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s. He has set the world on them.
上主由塵埃中提拔卑賤者,從糞土中高舉貧窮者,使他與王侯同席,承受光榮座位;大地的支柱原屬上主,支柱上奠定了世界。
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
他保護虔誠者的腳步,使惡人在黑暗中滅亡,因為人決不能憑己力獲勝,
10 Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
那與上主敵對的必被粉碎。至高者在天主鳴雷,上主要裁判地極,賜予自己的君王能力,高舉受傅者的冠冕。」
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest.
以後厄耳卡納回了辣瑪本家。幼童卻留在厄里大司祭前,奉事上主。
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know the LORD.
厄里的兩個兒子原是無惡不做的人,不懷念上主,
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
也不關心司祭對人民的義務;若有人來殺牲獻祭,到煮祭肉時,司祭的僮僕便來,手持三齒叉,
14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.
插入鼎裏,鍋裏,甑裏或鑊裏,凡叉上來的,司祭就拿去自用;他們常這樣對待所有到史羅來的以色列人。
15 Yes, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
甚或在焚化油脂以前,司祭的僮僕來對獻祭的人說:「把肉給司祭去烤罷! 他不向你要熟肉,他要生肉。」
16 If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burnt first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
如果人答應說:「先得將油脂焚化,然後你可隨意拿去。」他必答說:「不,應立刻給我;不然,我就來搶。」
17 The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men despised the LORD’s offering.
這兩個少年人在上主前犯的罪極重,因為輕視了獻於上主的祭品。
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
撒慕爾幼童穿著細麻的「厄弗得,」在上主面前供職。
19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
他的母親每年給他做一件小外氅,當她同丈夫上來獻年祭時,就給他帶來。
20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May The LORD give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD.” Then they went to their own home.
厄里祝福厄耳卡納和他的妻子說:「願上主由這婦人再賞你一個兒子,代替獻給上主的這一個! 」然後他們就回了本鄉。
21 The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the LORD.
上主看顧了亞納她懷孕生了三男二女。撒慕爾幼童在上主前漸漸長大。
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
厄里已經很老。他聽說他的兩個兒子對眾以色列人所做的一切,和他們與社會幕門旁服役的婦女同睡的事,
23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
就對他們說:「你們為什麼作出像我由眾百姓那裏聽來的這些壞事﹖
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make the LORD’s people disobey.
我兒,不要這樣! 我所聽見的風聲實在不好,你們竟使百姓遠離了上主!
25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them.
若得罪人,尚有天主審斷;人若得罪上主,有誰為他求情呢﹖」但是他們仍不聽父親的話,因為上主有意使他們喪亡。
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favour both with the LORD and also with men.
撒慕爾幼童漸漸長大,為上主和人所喜愛。
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?
有一位天主的人來到厄里面前對他說:「上主這樣:當你祖先的家人還在埃及法郎家中當奴隸時,我不是再三顯現給他們嗎﹖
28 Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
我不是從以色列眾支派中,特選了他們作我的司祭,上我的祭壇焚香獻祭,穿「厄弗得」到我面前來,並將以色列子民的火祭祭品全賜給了你的父家嗎﹖
29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honour your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
那麼,你為什麼還要嫉視我所規定的犧牲和素祭呢﹖竟重視你的兒子在我以上,用我的人民以色列所獻的最好的一份,養肥了他們﹖
30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me will be cursed.
因此,請聽上主以色列天主的斷語:我曾許下,你的家和你的父家要在我面前永遠往來,但是現在,──上主的斷語──決不能如此! 只有那光榮我的,我纔光榮他;那輕視我的,必受輕視。
31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house.
時日快到了,那時我要砍下你的臂膊和你父家的臂膊,使你家裏再沒有權威的長者。
32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever.
以後,你要嫉視我賜與以色列人的一切幸福,可是在你家裏永不會再有權威的長者;
33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
我也不願將你的人由我的祭壇上盡行消滅,致使你的眼目昏花,心神憂傷;但你家中大多數的人要死在人家的刀下。
34 This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
你的兩個兒子曷弗尼和丕乃哈斯所要遭遇的,為你就是個先兆:他們兩人要在同一天死掉。
35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
我要為我興起一位忠信的司祭,他要照我的心意行事,我要給他建立一個堅固的家庭,他一生要在我的受傅者前往來。
36 It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
那時,凡你家中所存留的人,必要叩拜他,為得到一點錢或一片餅說:求你容我參與任何一種司祭職務,使我可以糊口。」

< 1 Samuel 2 >