< 列王纪上 18 >

1 过了许久,到第三年,耶和华的话临到以利亚说:“你去,使亚哈得见你;我要降雨在地上。”
After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”
2 以利亚就去,要使亚哈得见他。那时,撒马利亚有大饥荒;
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
3 亚哈将他的家宰俄巴底召了来。(俄巴底甚是敬畏耶和华,
and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
4 耶洗别杀耶和华众先知的时候,俄巴底将一百个先知藏了,每五十人藏在一个洞里,拿饼和水供养他们。)
for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
5 亚哈对俄巴底说:“我们走遍这地,到一切水泉旁和一切溪边,或者找得着青草,可以救活骡马,免得绝了牲畜。”
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”
6 于是二人分地游行,亚哈独走一路,俄巴底独走一路。
So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
7 俄巴底在路上恰与以利亚相遇,俄巴底认出他来,就俯伏在地,说:“你是我主以利亚不是?”
Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8 回答说:“是。你去告诉你主人说,以利亚在这里。”
“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
9 俄巴底说:“仆人有什么罪,你竟要将我交在亚哈手里,使他杀我呢?
But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?
10 我指着永生耶和华—你的 神起誓,无论哪一邦哪一国,我主都打发人去找你。若说你没有在那里,就必使那邦那国的人起誓说,实在是找不着你。
As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
11 现在你说,要去告诉你主人说,以利亚在这里;
And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’
12 恐怕我一离开你,耶和华的灵就提你到我所不知道的地方去。这样,我去告诉亚哈,他若找不着你,就必杀我;仆人却是自幼敬畏耶和华的。
I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
13 耶洗别杀耶和华众先知的时候,我将耶和华的一百个先知藏了,每五十人藏在一个洞里,拿饼和水供养他们,岂没有人将这事告诉我主吗?
Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.
14 现在你说,要去告诉你主人说,以利亚在这里,他必杀我。”
And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”
15 以利亚说:“我指着所事奉永生的万军之耶和华起誓,我今日必使亚哈得见我。”
Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”
16 于是俄巴底去迎着亚哈,告诉他;亚哈就去迎着以利亚。
So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.
17 亚哈见了以利亚,便说:“使以色列遭灾的就是你吗?”
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
18 以利亚说:“使以色列遭灾的不是我,乃是你和你父家;因为你们离弃耶和华的诫命,去随从巴力。
“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
19 现在你当差遣人,招聚以色列众人和事奉巴力的那四百五十个先知,并耶洗别所供养事奉亚舍拉的那四百个先知,使他们都上迦密山去见我。”
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 亚哈就差遣人招聚以色列众人和先知都上迦密山。
So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.
21 以利亚前来对众民说:“你们心持两意要到几时呢?若耶和华是 神,就当顺从耶和华;若巴力是 神,就当顺从巴力。”众民一言不答。
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
22 以利亚对众民说:“作耶和华先知的只剩下我一个人;巴力的先知却有四百五十个人。
Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
23 当给我们两只牛犊,巴力的先知可以挑选一只,切成块子,放在柴上,不要点火;我也预备一只牛犊放在柴上,也不点火。
Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.
24 你们求告你们神的名,我也求告耶和华的名。那降火显应的神,就是 神。”众民回答说:“这话甚好。”
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”
25 以利亚对巴力的先知说:“你们既是人多,当先挑选一只牛犊,预备好了,就求告你们神的名,却不要点火。”
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
26 他们将所得的牛犊预备好了,从早晨到午间,求告巴力的名说:“巴力啊,求你应允我们!”却没有声音,没有应允的。他们在所筑的坛四围踊跳。
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.
27 到了正午,以利亚嬉笑他们,说:“大声求告吧!因为他是神,他或默想,或走到一边,或行路,或睡觉,你们当叫醒他。”
At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!”
28 他们大声求告,按着他们的规矩,用刀枪自割、自刺,直到身体流血。
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.
29 从午后直到献晚祭的时候,他们狂呼乱叫,却没有声音,没有应允的,也没有理会的。
Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 以利亚对众民说:“你们到我这里来。”众民就到他那里。他便重修已经毁坏耶和华的坛。
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.
31 以利亚照雅各子孙支派的数目,取了十二块石头(耶和华的话曾临到雅各说:“你的名要叫以色列”),
And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 用这些石头为耶和华的名筑一座坛,在坛的四围挖沟,可容谷种二细亚,
And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 又在坛上摆好了柴,把牛犊切成块子放在柴上,对众人说:“你们用四个桶盛满水,倒在燔祭和柴上”;
Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,
34 又说:“倒第二次。”他们就倒第二次;又说:“倒第三次。”他们就倒第三次。
and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time.
35 水流在坛的四围,沟里也满了水。
So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
36 到了献晚祭的时候,先知以利亚近前来,说:“亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的 神,耶和华啊,求你今日使人知道你是以色列的 神,也知道我是你的仆人,又是奉你的命行这一切事。
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.
37 耶和华啊,求你应允我,应允我!使这民知道你—耶和华是 神,又知道是你叫这民的心回转。”
Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.”
38 于是,耶和华降下火来,烧尽燔祭、木柴、石头、尘土,又烧干沟里的水。
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.
39 众民看见了,就俯伏在地,说:“耶和华是 神!耶和华是 神!”
When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40 以利亚对他们说:“拿住巴力的先知,不容一人逃脱!”众人就拿住他们。以利亚带他们到基顺河边,在那里杀了他们。
Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
41 以利亚对亚哈说:“你现在可以上去吃喝,因为有多雨的响声了。”
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
42 亚哈就上去吃喝。以利亚上了迦密山顶,屈身在地,将脸伏在两膝之中;
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
43 对仆人说:“你上去,向海观看。”仆人就上去观看,说:“没有什么。”他说:“你再去观看。”如此七次。
“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
44 第七次仆人说:“我看见有一小片云从海里上来,不过如人手那样大。”以利亚说:“你上去告诉亚哈,当套车下去,免得被雨阻挡。”
On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45 霎时间,天因风云黑暗,降下大雨。亚哈就坐车往耶斯列去了。
Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
46 耶和华的灵降在以利亚身上,他就束上腰,奔在亚哈前头,直到耶斯列的城门。
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

< 列王纪上 18 >