撒母耳記上 13

1 撒烏耳三十歲登極，作以色列王四十年。

Saul was thirty when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-two years.

2 撒烏耳從以色列人中挑選了三千人：兩千在米革瑪斯和貝特耳山地與撒烏耳在一起；一千在本雅明的革巴隨著約納堂；剩下的人，撒烏耳遺散他們各回本帳幕。

Saul had chosen three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and another thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the army home.

3 約納堂擊殺了駐紮在基貝亞的培肋舍特人的官吏，培肋舍特人遂知道希伯人已經叛變。撒烏耳在全國吹了警號，

Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba. The Philistines soon heard about it, so Saul had the trumpet call to arms sounded throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, pay attention!”

4 全以色列人都聽說：撒烏耳擊殺了培肋舍特人的一個官吏，所以以色列為培肋舍特人所仇恨；於是人民便跟隨撒烏耳聚集在基耳加耳。

All of Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and now Israel is like a bad smell to the Philistines!” So the whole army was called up to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 培肋舍特人已調齊來攻打以色列人；他們有戰車三千，騎兵六千，民兵多得如同海邊的沙，都上來在貝特阿文東方的米革瑪斯紮了營。

The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. They had three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as sand on the seashore. They advanced and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

6 以色列人一見大難臨頭，敵人壓境，就有人藏在山洞裏，土窟內，岩石下，地窖內和旱井裏，

When the Israelite men realized the tough situation they were in, and that the army was taking a beating, they hid themselves in caves, holes, rocks, pits, and cisterns.

7 另有許多人渡過約但河往加得和基肋阿得去了；但撒烏耳卻還在基耳加耳，跟隨他的人都戰慄害怕。

Some of the Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the territory of Gad and Gilead, but Saul stayed at Gilgal, and all the men with him were trembling with fear.

8 撒烏耳照撒慕爾約定的日期等了七天，但是撒慕爾卻沒有到基耳加耳來，因此軍民離開撒烏耳四散逃跑了。

Saul waited there seven days for the time that Samuel had said, but Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, and the army started to desert him.

9 撒烏耳於是吩咐說：「把全燔祭品與和平祭品送到我這裏來! 」他遂獻了全燔祭。

So Saul ordered, “Bring the burnt offering and the friendship offerings to me,” and he presented the burnt offering.

10 他剛獻完全燔祭，撒慕爾來了，撒烏耳便去迎接他，向他致敬。

Just as he finished presenting the burnt offering, he saw Samuel arrive. Saul went over to meet him and say hello.

11 撒慕爾問道：「你作了什麼事﹖」撒烏耳答說：「我看見軍民離開我四散逃跑了，你又沒有照定期來，同時培肋舍特人已集合在米革瑪斯，

“What have you done?” Samuel asked. Saul replied, “Well I saw my men were deserting me, and you hadn't arrived when you said you would, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash to attack.

12 所以我想現在培肋舍特人就要下到基耳加耳來攻打我，我還沒向上主求援，所以我迫不得已，奉獻了全燔祭。」

I said to myself, ‘The Philistines are about to attack me at Gilgal, and I haven't asked the Lord for his help.’ So I felt I had to present the burnt offering myself.”

13 撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「你作的真糊塗! 假使你遵守了上主你的天主吩咐的命令，上主必鞏固你在以色列的王位直到永遠。

“You've been really stupid,” Samuel told him. “You haven't kept the commands of the Lord your God. If you had, the Lord would have made your kingdom over Israel secure forever.

14 但現在你的王位已立不住了；上主已另找了一位隨他心意的人，立他為百姓的首領，因為你沒有遵守上主吩咐你的命令。」

But now your kingdom won't last. The Lord has found for himself a man who thinks like him, and has chosen him as ruler over his people, because you haven't kept the commands of the Lord.”

15 撒慕爾就起身離開基耳加耳走了。剩下的人跟隨撒烏耳從基耳加耳上到了本雅明的革巴，與那裏的軍隊會合；撒烏耳統計了隨從他的部隊，約有六百人。

Then Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the soldiers followed Saul to meet the army, going from Gilgal to Geba in Benjamin. Saul counted the number of soldiers who were with him and there were about six hundred.

16 撒烏耳和他的兒子約納堂，並一切隨從他們的人駐紮在本雅明的革巴；同時培肋舍特人已在米革瑪斯安了營。

Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

17 那時從培肋舍特營中有三個突擊隊出發：一隊取道敖斐辣，開往叔阿耳地方；

Three groups of raiders left the Philistine camp to go and attack. One group went towards Ophrah in the land of Shual,

18 一隊開往貝特曷龍；另一隊開往革巴，此地俯瞰往曠野去的袋狼山谷。

one towards Beth-horon, and one towards the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim by the wilderness.

19 那時，在以色列全境內沒有鐵匠，原來培肋舍特人說過：「免得希伯來人製造刀鎗。」

There wasn't a blacksmith to be found anywhere in Israel, because the Philistines had said, “So that the Hebrews don't make swords and spears.”

20 因此，以色列人為磨快犁、鋤、斧、鐮，都要下到培肋舍特人那裏。

All the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to sharpen their iron plowshares, pickaxes, axes, and sickles.

21 磨快犁和鋤的價錢是三分之二「協刻耳，」磨快鐮刀或裝製刺針是三分之一「協刻耳。」

The fee was two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares and pickaxes, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and cattle prods.

22 所以在米革瑪斯到了開戰的那一天，隨從撒烏耳和約納堂的人手中都沒有刀鎗，祇是撒烏耳和他的兒子約納堂有刀鎗。

So when it came to the day of battle none of the soldiers with Saul and Jonathan had swords or spears—only Saul and his son Jonathan had such weapons.

23 那時培肋舍特人的前哨向米革瑪斯關口推進。

A Philistine garrison had taken control of the pass at Michmash.