列王紀上 20
1 [本哈達得進攻阿哈布]阿蘭王本哈達得召集了自己所有的軍隊，帶同三十二個王子，乘坐戰馬戰車，前去圍攻撒瑪黎雅。
Ben Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army together. There were thirty-two lesser kings with him, and horses and chariots. He went up, besieged Samaria and fought against it.
2 他先派使者進城，來見以色列王阿哈布，
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Ben Hadad says this:
3 對他說：「本哈達得這樣說：你的金銀全應歸我，只是你的妻子兒女，仍歸於你。」
'Your silver and your gold are mine. Also your wives and children, the best ones, are now mine.'”
4 以色列王回答說：「我主大王，就依照你的話，我和我的一切都歸於你。」
The king of Israel answered and said, “It is as you say, my master, king. I and all that I have are yours.”
5 不料，使者們又回答說：「本哈達得這樣說：我已派人通知你：將你的金銀和你的妻子兒女全交給我。
The messengers came again and said, “Ben Hadad says this, 'I sent word to you saying that you must give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6 須知，明天這時，我必派我的僕人到你這裏來，搜索你和你僕人的房屋，凡他們看中的東西，都要隨手拿去。」
But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and your servants' houses. They will seize with their own hands and take away whatever pleases their eyes.'”
7 以色列王將國內所有長老召來，說：「你們想想看：這人要求是多麼無理! 他先派人要我的金銀，我沒有拒絕他；現在竟又派人來我這裏，要我的妻子兒女。」
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land together and said, “Please take note and see how this man seeks trouble. He has sent word to me in order to take my wives, children, and silver and gold, and I have not refused him.”
8 眾長老和全體人民對他說：「你不要聽從，也不要應允! 」
All the elders and all the people said to Ahab, “Do not listen to him or consent to his demands.”
9 因此，他對本哈達得的使者說：「你們回去告訴我主大王說：你第一次派人向你僕人所要求的，我必全照辦；至於這另一要求，我卻不能照辦。」使者遂回去，向本哈達得回話。
So Ahab said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my master the king, 'I agree to everything that you sent your servant to do the first time, but I cannot accept this second demand.'” So the messengers left and took this response to Ben Hadad.
10 本哈達得於是派人對阿哈布說：「如果撒瑪黎雅的塵土，足夠跟隨我的人每人抓一把，願眾神明嚴厲，且加倍嚴厲地懲罰我! 」
Then Ben Hadad sent his reply to Ahab, and said, “May the gods do so to me and more also, if even the ashes of Samaria will be enough for all the people who follow me to have a handful each.”
11 以色列王回答說：「有句俗話說：佩帶武器的人，不可像卸去了武器的人那樣自負。」
The king of Israel answered and said, “Tell Ben Hadad, 'No one who is just putting on his armor, should boast as if he were taking it off.'”
12 本哈達得和眾王正在帳內飲酒，一聽見這話，就對他的臣僕說：「列隊進攻! 」他們即刻列隊攻城。阿哈布賴主獲勝
Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings under him who were in their tents. Ben Hadad commanded his men, “Line yourselves up in position for battle.” So they prepared themselves in position of battle to attack the city.
13 這時，忽然有一個先知，來見以色列王阿哈布說：「上主這樣說：你不是看見這支強大的軍隊嗎﹖今天，我要將他們交在你手中，叫你知道我是上主。」
Then behold, a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, “Yahweh says, 'Have you seen this great army? Look, I will place it into your hand today, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'”
14 阿哈布問說：「藉著誰﹖」先知回答說：「上主這樣說：藉著眾省長的少年軍人。」阿哈布又問說：「誰指揮作戰﹖」先知回答說：「你自己。」
Ahab replied, “By whom?” Yahweh replied and said, “By the young officers who serve the governors of the districts.” Then Ahab said, “Who will begin the battle?” Yahweh answered, “You.”
15 於是阿哈布檢閱了眾省長的少年人，計有二百三十二人；然後又檢閱了所有軍人，即全體以色列子民，共七千人。
Then Ahab mustered the young officers who served the governors of the districts. They numbered 232. After them he mustered all the soldiers, all the army of Israel; seven thousand in number.
16 到了中午，他們出發，那時，本哈達得正和協助他的三十二個王子在帳中飲酒。
They went out at noon. Ben Hadad had been drinking himself drunk in his tent, he and the thirty-two lesser kings who were supporting him.
17 眾省長的少年軍人首先出發，本哈達得派出的探子回報他說：「有人從撒瑪黎雅出來了。」
The young officers who served the governors of the districts went forward first. Then Ben Hadad was informed by scouts that he had sent out, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”
18 他遂吩咐說：「如果他們前來，是為求和，將他們活活捉住；如果他們前來，是為交戰，也將他們活活捉住。」
Ben Hadad said, “Whether they have come out for peace or war, take them alive.”
19 眾省長的少年軍人和跟隨他們的軍隊衝出城來，
So the young officers who served the governors of the districts went out of the city and the army followed them.
20 個個見人便殺，阿蘭人逃走，以色列人在後面乘勝追趕；阿蘭王本哈達得急速上馬與騎兵一起逃走。
Each man killed his opponent. The Arameans fled and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse along with some horsemen.
21 那時，以色列王出來，擄掠了許多戰馬和戰車，使阿蘭人大敗。
Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.
22 那為先知前來對以色列王說：「你要發奮圖強，留心認清你當作的事，因為明年春季，阿蘭王必要再來攻擊你。」阿蘭王整軍再戰
So the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and understand and plan what you are doing, because at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you again.”
23 阿蘭王的臣僕對阿蘭王說：「以色列的神是山神，所以他們必我們強；但如果我們在平原上與他們交戰，我們必會得勝。
The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills. That is why they were stronger than we were. But now let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they are.
24 這是大王應該作的事：廢除眾王子各人的職位，另立軍長代替，
So you must do this: Remove all the kings from their positions of authority and replace them with military commanders.
25 召募新軍，補充所損失的軍隊，照數補充戰馬戰車；然後在平原上與他們會戰，我們定能戰勝他們。」阿蘭王聽從了他們的建議，就這樣進行。本哈達得在戰再敗
Raise up an army like the army you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight them in the plain. Then surely we will be stronger than they are.” So Ben Hadad listened to their advice and did what they advised.
26 過年以後，本哈達得檢閱了阿蘭人上到阿費克，進攻以色列。
After the beginning of the new year, Ben Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 以色列子民也動員起來，攜帶軍糧，出來迎戰；以色列子民在他們對面紮營，好像兩群山羊；至於阿蘭人卻遍地皆是。
The people of Israel were mustered and supplied to fight against them. The people of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the countryside.
28 天主的人又前來對以色列王說：「上主這樣說：既然阿蘭人說：上主是山神而不是平原神，所以我必將這支龐大的軍隊交在你手中，叫你們知道我是上主。」
Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Yahweh says: 'Because the Arameans have said that Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys, I will place this great army into your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'”
29 以色列人和阿蘭人相對紮營七天；第七天上，就交戰了；一天之內以色列子民殺死了十萬阿蘭步兵，
So the armies camped opposite each other for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle started. The people of Israel killed 100,000 Aramean footmen in one day.
30 其餘的人都逃入阿費克城內，城牆倒塌，壓死了殘存的兩萬七千人。本哈達得也逃入城內，藏在極嚴密的暗室內。本哈達得投降
The rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner room.
31 本哈達得的臣僕對本哈達得說：「看，我們聽說以色列家的君王，都是仁慈的君王，請你讓我們腰裏束上麻布，頭上繫上繩索，去見以色列王，或者他會保全你的性命。」
Ben Hadad's servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32 於是他們腰裏束上麻布，頭上繫上繩索，去見以色列王說：「你的僕人本哈達得說：求你保全我的性命! 」阿哈布問說：「他還活著麼﹖他是我的兄弟。」
So they put sackcloth on their waists and ropes around their heads and then went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad said, 'Please let me live.'” Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 這些人認為這話是個吉兆，急忙抓住他的話說：「本哈達得確是陛下的兄弟。」阿哈布說：「你們去領他來! 」本哈達得便出來參見君王；阿哈布請他上了自己的車。
Now the men were listening for any sign from Ahab, so they quickly answered him, “Yes, your brother Ben Hadad is alive.” Then Ahab said, “Go and bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came to him, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
34 本哈達得對君王說：「我父親從你父親手中搶去的城市，我都要歸還給你；並且你可在大馬士革設立市場，如同我父親在撒瑪黎雅所設立的一樣。」阿哈布說：「我就根據這條約放你走。」這樣，君王與他訂立了條約，放他走了。阿哈布失策受責
Ben Hadad said to Ahab, “I will restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may make markets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab replied, “I will let you go with this covenant.” So Ahab made a covenant with him and then let him go.
35 那時，有個先知的弟子奉上主的命，對自己的同伴說：「請你打我! 」那人卻拒絕打他。
A certain man, one of the sons of the prophets, said to one of his fellow prophets by the word of Yahweh, “Please hit me.” But the man refused to hit him.
36 他就對那人說：「既然你不聽上主的命，看，你一離開我，就有一個獅子把你咬死。」那人一離開他，果然路上遇見一隻獅子，把他咬死了。
Then the prophet said to his fellow prophet, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as that man had left him, a lion came upon him and killed him.
37 以後，先知的弟子有遇見一個人，對他說：「請你打我! 」那人就動手打他，將他打傷了。
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Please hit me.” So the man hit him and wounded him.
38 先知便站在路旁，用頭巾遮住自己的眼睛，等候君王。
Then the prophet left and waited for the king by the road; he had disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 君王從那裏經過時，他便對君王呼喊說：「你的僕人出來交戰，忽有一個人轉來，給我帶來一個人說：你要看守這個人，倘若失蹤了，定要你替他償命，或賠償一「塔冷通」銀子。
As the king passed by, the prophet cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and a soldier stopped and brought a man to me and said, 'Watch this man. If by any means he goes missing, your life will be given for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.'
40 你的僕人正在東忙西亂時，那人不見了。」以色列王對他說：「這就是你的定案，你已經自下判決。」
But because your servant was busy going here and there, the man escaped.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “This is what your punishment will be—you yourself have decided it.”
41 他於是急忙拉下他遮眼的頭巾，以色列王纔認出他原是一位先知。
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 先知對君王說：「上主這樣說：你既然親手放走了我所要消滅的人，所以你要替他償命，你的人民必意抵償他的人民。」
The prophet said to the king, “Yahweh says, 'Because you have let go from your hand the man whom I had sentenced to death, your life will take the place of his life, and your people for his people.'”
43 以色列王悶悶不樂地回了撒瑪黎雅，進了自己的宮殿。
So the king of Israel went to his house resentful and angry, and arrived in Samaria.
