列王紀上 20
1 亞蘭王便‧哈達聚集他的全軍，率領三十二個王，帶着車馬上來圍攻撒馬利亞；
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 又差遣使者進城見以色列王亞哈，對他說：「便‧哈達如此說：
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Ben Hadad says this:
3 你的金銀都要歸我，你妻子兒女中最美的也要歸我。」
'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：「我主我王啊，可以依着你的話，我與我所有的都歸你。」
The king of Israel answered and said, “It is as you say, my master, king. I and all that I have are yours.”
5 使者又來說：「便‧哈達如此說：我已差遣人去見你，要你將你的金銀、妻子、兒女都給我。
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 但明日約在這時候，我還要差遣臣僕到你那裏，搜查你的家和你僕人的家，將你眼中一切所喜愛的都拿了去。」
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 以色列王召了國中的長老來，對他們說：「請你們看看，這人是怎樣地謀害我，他先差遣人到我這裏來，要我的妻子、兒女，和金銀，我並沒有推辭他。」
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 長老和百姓對王說：「不要聽從他，也不要應允他。」
All the elders and all the people said to Ahab, “Do not listen to him or consent to his demands.”
9 故此，以色列王對便‧哈達的使者說：「你們告訴我主我王說：王頭一次差遣人向僕人所要的，僕人都依從；但這次所要的，我不能依從。」使者就去回覆便‧哈達。
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 便‧哈達又差遣人去見亞哈說：「撒馬利亞的塵土若夠跟從我的人每人捧一捧的，願神明重重地降罰與我！」
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 以色列王說：「你告訴他說，才頂盔貫甲的，休要像摘盔卸甲的誇口。」
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 便‧哈達和諸王正在帳幕裏喝酒，聽見這話，就對他臣僕說：「擺隊吧！」他們就擺隊攻城。
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 有一個先知來見以色列王亞哈，說：「耶和華如此說：『這一大群人你看見了嗎？今日我必將他們交在你手裏，你就知道我是耶和華。』」
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 亞哈說：「藉着誰呢？」他回答說：「耶和華說，藉着跟從省長的少年人。」亞哈說：「要誰率領呢？」他說：「要你親自率領。」
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 於是亞哈數點跟從省長的少年人，共有二百三十二名，後又數點以色列的眾兵，共有七千名。
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 午間，他們就出城；便‧哈達和幫助他的三十二個王正在帳幕裏痛飲。
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 跟從省長的少年人先出城；便‧哈達差遣人去探望，他們回報說：「有人從撒馬利亞出來了。」
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 他說：「他們若為講和出來，要活捉他們；若為打仗出來，也要活捉他們。」
Ben Hadad said, “Whether they have come out for peace or war, take them alive.”
19 跟從省長的少年人出城，軍兵跟隨他們；
So the young officers who served the governors of the districts went out of the city and the army followed them.
20 各人遇見敵人就殺。亞蘭人逃跑，以色列人追趕他們；亞蘭王便‧哈達騎着馬和馬兵一同逃跑。
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 以色列王出城攻打車馬，大大擊殺亞蘭人。
Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.
22 那先知來見以色列王，對他說：「你當自強，留心怎樣防備；因為到明年這時候，亞蘭王必上來攻擊你。」
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 亞蘭王的臣僕對亞蘭王說：「以色列人的神是山神，所以他們勝過我們；但在平原與他們打仗，我們必定得勝。
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 王當這樣行：把諸王革去，派軍長代替他們，
So you must do this: Remove all the kings from their positions of authority and replace them with military commanders.
25 又照着王喪失軍兵之數，再招募一軍，馬補馬，車補車，我們在平原與他們打仗，必定得勝。」王便聽臣僕的話去行。
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 次年，便‧哈達果然點齊亞蘭人上亞弗去，要與以色列人打仗。
After the beginning of the new year, Ben Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 以色列人也點齊軍兵，預備食物，迎着亞蘭人出去，對着他們安營，好像兩小群山羊羔；亞蘭人卻滿了地面。
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 有神人來見以色列王，說：「耶和華如此說：『亞蘭人既說我－耶和華是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必將這一大群人都交在你手中，你們就知道我是耶和華。』」
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 以色列人與亞蘭人相對安營七日，到第七日兩軍交戰；那一日以色列人殺了亞蘭人步兵十萬，
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 其餘的逃入亞弗城；城牆塌倒，壓死剩下的二萬七千人。 便‧哈達也逃入城，藏在嚴密的屋子裏。
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 他的臣僕對他說：「我們聽說以色列王都是仁慈的王，現在我們不如腰束麻布，頭套繩索，出去投降以色列王，或者他存留王的性命。」
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 於是他們腰束麻布，頭套繩索，去見以色列王，說：「王的僕人便‧哈達說，求王存留我的性命。」亞哈說：「他還活着嗎？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 這些人留心探出他的口氣來，便急忙就着他的話說：「便‧哈達是王的兄弟！」王說：「你們去請他來。」便‧哈達出來見王，王就請他上車。
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 便‧哈達對王說：「我父從你父那裏所奪的城邑，我必歸還。你可以在大馬士革立街市，像我父在撒馬利亞所立的一樣。」亞哈說：「我照此立約，放你回去」，就與他立約，放他去了。
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 有先知的一個門徒奉耶和華的命對他的同伴說：「你打我吧！」那人不肯打他。
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：「你既不聽從耶和華的話，你一離開我，必有獅子咬死你。」那人一離開他，果然遇見獅子，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 先知的門徒又遇見一個人，對他說：「你打我吧！」那人就打他，將他打傷。
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Please hit me.” So the man hit him and wounded him.
38 他就去了，用頭巾蒙眼，改換面目，在路旁等候王。
Then the prophet left and waited for the king by the road; he had disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 王從那裏經過，他向王呼叫說：「僕人在陣上的時候，有人帶了一個人來，對我說：『你看守這人，若把他失了，你的性命必代替他的性命；不然，你必交出一他連得銀子來。』
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 僕人正在忙亂之間，那人就不見了。」以色列王對他說：「你自己定妥了，必照樣判斷你。」
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 他急忙除掉蒙眼的頭巾，以色列王就認出他是一個先知。
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 他對王說：「耶和華如此說：『因你將我定要滅絕的人放去，你的命就必代替他的命，你的民也必代替他的民。』」
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 於是以色列王悶悶不樂地回到撒馬利亞，進了他的宮。
So the king of Israel went to his house resentful and angry, and arrived in Samaria.
