< 士師記 2 >

1 主的神諭 上主的使者從基耳加耳上到波津說:「我使你們由埃及上來,領你們進入了我向你們祖先所誓許的地方;我曾說過:我永不廢棄我與你們所立的盟約,
And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to depart from Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 你們也不可與這地方的居民結約,且要拆毀他們的祭壇。但你們沒有聽從我的聲音;你們這是作的什麼事﹖
And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3 為此我現在說:我必不把他們從你們面前趕走,他們為你們將是陷阱,他們的神要成為你們的羅網。」
Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.
4 當上主的使者對全以色列子民說這話時,百姓便放聲大哭,
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 因此給那地方起名叫波津。他們在那裏給上主奉獻了祭獻。民長時代的史論
And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
6 若蘇厄遣散了百姓,以色列子民就各到自己應得的產業去,為佔領那地方。
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.
7 當若蘇厄在世時,和他去世後,那些見過上主為以色列所行的大事的長老們還在的時日,百姓都事奉上主。
And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
8 上主的僕人,農的兒子若蘇厄一百一十歲時去了世。
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 人們把他埋在他地業的境內,即在厄弗辣因山地,加阿士山北面的提默納赫勒斯。
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 當那一代人都歸於他們的祖先以後,在他們之後,興起了另一代,他們不認識上主,也不知道上主為以色列所行的事蹟。
And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 以色列子民行了上主視為惡的事,事奉了巴耳諸神。
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 他們離棄了上主他們祖先的天主,即領他們出離埃及地的天主,而隨從了別的神,叩拜他們四周各民族的神,因此觸怒了上主。
And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were around them, and bowed themselves to them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 他們背離了上主,而事奉巴耳和阿市托勒特。
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 於是上主對以色列大發忿怒,把他們交在強盜手中,叫強盜搶掠他們;將他們賣給育四周的敵人,使他們不能抵抗他們的敵人;
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 他們無論去那裏,上主的手總是加害他們,猶如上主所說的,猶如上主向他們所起的誓,使他們受極大的痛苦。
Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 上主雖興起民長,拯救他們脫離強盜的手;
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 但他們仍不肯聽從他們的民長,反而與外邦的神行淫,頂禮叩拜,迅速地離開了他們祖先所走的服從上主命令的路,沒有照樣行事。
And yet they would not hearken to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed themselves to them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
18 當上主給他們興起民長時,上主與民長同在,在民長一生的歲月中,救他們脫離仇敵的手,因為上主聽見了他們受壓迫欺凌發出的歎息,而憐憫了他們;
And when the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD repented because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and burdened them.
19 可是民長一去世,他們又轉而行惡,行為比他們的祖先更壞,去追隨外神,事奉叩拜他們,總不放棄他們祖先的惡行和頑抗的行為。
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 因此上主對以色列大發忿怒說:「因為這百姓違犯了我與他們祖先締結的盟約,沒有聽從我的音;
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened to my voice;
21 為此,若蘇厄死後所剩下的民族,我也不再由他們面前,驅逐任何一個,
I also will not henceforth drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 為試驗以色列是否謹守遵行上主的道路,有如他們的祖先所遵行的一樣。」
That through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23 因此,上主保留了那些民族,沒有迅速驅逐他們,也沒有把他們交在以色人手中。
Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out speedily; neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

< 士師記 2 >