撒母耳记上 13

1 扫罗登基年四十岁；作以色列王二年的时候，

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

2 就从以色列中拣选了三千人：二千跟随扫罗在密抹和伯特利山，一千跟随约拿单在便雅悯的基比亚；其余的人扫罗都打发各回各家去了。

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 约拿单攻击在迦巴的非利士人的防营，非利士人听见了。扫罗就在遍地吹角，意思说，要使希伯来人听见。

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 以色列众人听见扫罗攻击非利士人的防营，又听见以色列人为非利士人所憎恶，就跟随扫罗聚集在吉甲。

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 非利士人聚集，要与以色列人争战，有车三万辆，马兵六千，步兵像海边的沙那样多，就上来在伯·亚文东边的密抹安营。

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 以色列百姓见自己危急窘迫，就藏在山洞、丛林、石穴、隐密处，和坑中。

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 有些希伯来人过了约旦河，逃到迦得和基列地。扫罗还是在吉甲，百姓都战战兢兢地跟随他。

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 扫罗照着撒母耳所定的日期等了七日。撒母耳还没有来到吉甲，百姓也离开扫罗散去了。

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 扫罗说：“把燔祭和平安祭带到我这里来。”扫罗就献上燔祭。

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

10 刚献完燔祭，撒母耳就到了。扫罗出去迎接他，要问他好。

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

11 撒母耳说：“你做的是什么事呢？”扫罗说：“因为我见百姓离开我散去，你也不照所定的日期来到，而且非利士人聚集在密抹。

“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 所以我心里说：恐怕我没有祷告耶和华。非利士人下到吉甲攻击我，我就勉强献上燔祭。”

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 撒母耳对扫罗说：“你做了糊涂事了，没有遵守耶和华—你 神所吩咐你的命令。若遵守，耶和华必在以色列中坚立你的王位，直到永远。

“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 现在你的王位必不长久。耶和华已经寻着一个合他心意的人，立他作百姓的君，因为你没有遵守耶和华所吩咐你的。”

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 撒母耳就起来，从吉甲上到便雅悯的基比亚。 扫罗数点跟随他的，约有六百人。

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 扫罗和他儿子约拿单，并跟随他们的人，都住在便雅悯的迦巴；但非利士人安营在密抹。

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

17 有掠兵从非利士营中出来，分为三队：一队往俄弗拉向书亚地去，

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

18 一队往伯·和 去，一队往洗波音谷对面的地境向旷野去。

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

19 那时，以色列全地没有一个铁匠；因为非利士人说，恐怕希伯来人制造刀枪。

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 以色列人要磨锄、犁、斧、铲，就下到非利士人那里去磨。

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

21 但有锉可以锉铲、犁、三齿叉、斧子，并赶牛锥。

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 所以到了争战的日子，跟随扫罗和约拿单的人没有一个手里有刀有枪的，惟独扫罗和他儿子约拿单有。

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 非利士人的一队防兵到了密抹的隘口。

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