¹以色列人违背　神的恶果

¹And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of Midian seven years,

²米甸人的势力胜过以色列人；以色列人因米甸人的缘故，就为自己在山上挖穴、挖洞，建营寨。

²and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made for themselves the flowings which [are] in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

³每逢以色列人撒种以后，米甸人、亚玛力人和东方人都上来，欺压他们；

³And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him,

⁴对着他们安营，毁坏那地的出产，直到迦萨一带，他们没有留下牛、羊和驴，没有给以色列人留下一点养生之物。

⁴and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass;

⁵因为他们带着牲畜和帐棚上来，像蝗虫那么多；他们来的人和骆驼无数，进入境内，毁坏全地。

⁵for they and their cattle come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come into the land to destroy it.

⁶以色列人在米甸人面前，落到极卑微的地步，他们就哀求耶和华。

⁶And Israel is very weak from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.

⁷以色列人因米甸人的缘故，向耶和华呼求的时候，

⁷And it cometh to pass when the sons of Israel have cried unto Jehovah, concerning Midian,

⁸耶和华就差派一位先知到以色列人那里，对他们说：“耶和华以色列的　神这样说：‘我曾经把你们从埃及领上来，领你们出了为奴之家；

⁸that Jehovah sendeth a man, a prophet, unto the sons of Israel, and he saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I — I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out from a house of servants,

⁹我曾经把你们从埃及人的手拯救出来，拯救你们脱离所有欺压你们的人的手，把他们从你们面前赶走，把他们的地赐给你们。

⁹and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I cast them out from your presence, and I give to you their land,

¹⁰我又对你们说：我是耶和华你们的　神；你们住在亚摩利人的地，不可敬畏他们的神。但你们没有听从我的话。’”

¹⁰and I say to you, I [am] Jehovah your God, ye do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling: — and ye have not hearkened to My voice.`

¹¹基甸蒙召耶和华的使者来到，坐在俄弗拉，一棵属于亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下；约阿施的儿子基甸正在压酒池里打麦子，为要躲避米甸人的抢夺。

¹¹And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which [is] in Ophrah, which [is] to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove [it] from the presence of the Midianites;

¹²耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在。”

¹²and the messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, `Jehovah [is] with thee, O mighty one of valour.`

¹³基甸回答他，说：“唉，我的主，如果耶和华与我们同在，我们怎会遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖向我们讲述的，耶和华的一切奇事在哪里呢？他们曾说：‘耶和华不是把我们从埃及领上来吗？’现在他却拋弃了我们，把我们交在米甸人手中！”

¹³And Gideon saith unto him, `O, my lord — and Jehovah is with us! — and why hath all this found us? and where [are] all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give us into the hand of Midian.`

¹⁴耶和华转向基甸，对他说：“你靠着你这能力，去拯救以色列人脱离米甸人的手吧；我不是差派了你吗？”

¹⁴And Jehovah turneth unto him and saith, `Go in this — thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the hand of Midian — have not I sent thee.`

¹⁵基甸对他说：“唉，我主啊，我凭着什么拯救以色列人呢？看哪，我的家族在玛拿西支派中是最卑微的，我在我的父家是最年轻的。”

¹⁵And he saith unto him, `O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.`

¹⁶耶和华对他说：“因为我必与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，像击打一人一样。”

¹⁶And Jehovah saith unto him, `Because I am with thee — thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.`

¹⁷基甸又对他说：“如果我在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个凭据，证实是你与我说话。

¹⁷And he saith unto Him, `If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a sign that Thou art speaking with me.

¹⁸求你不要离开这里，等我回来，把我的礼物带来，摆在你面前。”他回答：“我必等你回来。”

¹⁸Move not, I pray Thee, from this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put it before Thee;` and he saith, `I — I do abide till thy return.`

¹⁹基甸去预备了一只山羊羔，和十公斤面粉做的无酵饼，把肉放在篮子里，把汤盛在锅中，带到橡树之下，献上给他。

¹⁹And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth [it] nigh.

²⁰　神的使者对基甸说：“把肉和无酵饼拿出来，摆在这块磐石上，把汤倒出来。”他就这样行了。

²⁰And the messenger of God saith unto him, `Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this rock — and the broth pour out;` and he doth so.

²¹耶和华的使者伸出手中的杖，杖头一触着肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中上来，把肉和无酵饼都烧尽了；耶和华的使者就从基甸的眼前消失了。

²¹And the messenger of Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which [is] in His hand, and cometh against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things — and the messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes.

²²基甸看出他是耶和华的使者，就说：“哀哉，我主耶和华啊，因为我面对面看见了耶和华的使者。”

²²And Gideon seeth that He [is] a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, `Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!`

²³耶和华对他说：“你放心好了，不要怕，你必不会死。”

²³And Jehovah saith to him, `Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.`

²⁴基甸就在那里给耶和华筑了一座祭坛，称为耶和华沙龙；直到今日，这坛还在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉。

²⁴And Gideon buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and calleth it Jehovah-Shalom, unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

²⁵基甸毁巴力祭坛当夜，耶和华对基甸说：“取你父亲的牛和另一头七岁大的牛来，拆毁你父亲的巴力祭坛，砍下坛旁的亚舍拉。

²⁵And it cometh to pass, on that night, that Jehovah saith to him, `Take the young ox which [is] to thy father, and the second bullock of seven years, and thou hast thrown down the altar of Baal which [is] to thy father, and the shrine which [is] by it thou dost cut down,

²⁶在这坚固的地方上面，你要整整齐齐为耶和华你的　神筑一座祭坛，拿第二头牛作燔祭，用你砍下来的亚舍拉作柴。”

²⁶and thou hast built an altar to Jehovah thy God on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and hast taken the second bullock, and caused to ascend a burnt-offering with the wood of the shrine which thou cuttest down.`

²⁷基甸就从他的仆人中选出了十个人，照着耶和华告诉他的行了；但因为害怕他的父家和城里的人，就不敢在日间行事，只好在晚上作了。

²⁷And Gideon taketh ten men of his servants, and doth as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and it cometh to pass, because he hath been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do [it] by day, that he doth [it] by night.

²⁸城里的人清早起来，见巴力的祭坛已被拆毁，坛旁的亚舍拉也被砍下来，并且看见那第二头牛献在新筑的祭坛上的时候，

²⁸And the men of the city rise early in the morning, and lo, broken down hath been the altar of Baal, and the shrine which is by it hath been cut down, and the second bullock hath been offered on the altar which is built.

²⁹就彼此说：“谁作了这事呢？”他们追查寻访之后，就说：“是约阿施的儿子基甸作的。”

²⁹And they say one to another, `Who hath done this thing?` and they inquire and seek, and they say, `Gideon son of Joash hath done this thing.`

³⁰城里的人对约阿施说：“把你的儿子领出来，把他处死，因为他拆毁了巴力的祭坛，砍下了坛旁的亚舍拉。”

³⁰And the men of the city say unto Joash, `Bring out thy son, and he dieth, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the shrine which [is] by it.`

³¹约阿施对所有站着攻击他的人说：“你们要为巴力辩护吗？或是你们要救他呢？谁为他辩护，到早晨就必死亡。巴力若是神，有人拆毁了他的祭坛，就让他为自己辩护吧。”

³¹And Joash saith to all who have stood against him, `Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye — do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he [is] a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.`

³²因此，当日基甸被称为耶路．巴力，意思说：他拆毁了巴力的祭坛，让巴力与他争辩吧。

³²And he calleth him, on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, `The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.`

³³那时，米甸人、亚玛力人和东方人，都聚集起来，过了河，在耶斯列平原安营。

³³And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp in the valley of Jezreel,

³⁴耶和华的灵降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亚比以谢族都应召来跟从他。

³⁴and the Spirit of Jehovah hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called after him;

³⁵他派使者到玛拿西全地去，玛拿西人也都应召来跟从他；他又派使者到亚设、西布伦、拿弗他利去，他们也都上来与他们会合。

³⁵and messengers he hath sent into all Manasseh, and it also is called after him; and messengers he hath sent into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them.

³⁶基甸向　神求证基甸对　神说：“如果你按着你所说的，要借着我的手拯救以色列人；

³⁶And Gideon saith unto God, `If Thou art Saviour of Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken,

³⁷看哪，我要把一团新剪的羊毛放在禾场上；露水若是单单落在羊毛上，而全地都是干的，我就知道你要照着你所说的，借着我的手拯救以色列了。”

³⁷lo, I am placing the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is on the fleece alone, and on all the earth drought — then I have known that Thou dost save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken;`

³⁸第二天，基甸清早起来，情形果然是这样；他把羊毛一挤，就从羊毛中挤出一满盆的露水来。

³⁸and it is so, and he riseth early on the morrow, and presseth the fleece, and wringeth dew out of the fleece — the fulness of the bowl, of water.

³⁹基甸又对　神说：“求你不要向我发怒，我要再说这一次；求你让我把羊毛再试一试，但愿单单羊毛是干的，而全地都有露水。”

³⁹And Gideon saith unto God, `Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I pray Thee, only this time with the fleece — let there be, I pray Thee, drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth let there be dew.`

⁴⁰那一夜，　神也这样行了；单单羊毛是干的，全地都有露水。

⁴⁰And God doth so on that night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there hath been dew.