¹The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

¹以色列人違背　神的惡果以色列人又行了耶和華看為惡的事；耶和華就把他們交在米甸人手裡七年。

²The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

²米甸人的勢力勝過以色列人；以色列人因米甸人的緣故，就為自己在山上挖穴、挖洞，建營寨。

³So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

³每逢以色列人撒種以後，米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人都上來，欺壓他們；

⁴and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

⁴對著他們安營，毀壞那地的出產，直到迦薩一帶，他們沒有留下牛、羊和驢，沒有給以色列人留下一點養生之物。

⁵For they came up with their livestock and their tents; they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it.

⁵因為他們帶著牲畜和帳棚上來，像蝗蟲那麼多；他們來的人和駱駝無數，進入境內，毀壞全地。

⁶Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.

⁶以色列人在米甸人面前，落到極卑微的地步，他們就哀求耶和華。

⁷It happened, when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian,

⁷以色列人因米甸人的緣故，向耶和華呼求的時候，

⁸that Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel: and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

⁸耶和華就差派一位先知到以色列人那裡，對他們說：“耶和華以色列的　神這樣說：‘我曾經把你們從埃及領上來，領你們出了為奴之家；

⁹and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;

⁹我曾經把你們從埃及人的手拯救出來，拯救你們脫離所有欺壓你們的人的手，把他們從你們面前趕走，把他們的地賜給你們。

¹⁰and I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”

¹⁰我又對你們說：我是耶和華你們的　神；你們住在亞摩利人的地，不可敬畏他們的神。但你們沒有聽從我的話。’”

¹¹The angel of Yahweh came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

¹¹基甸蒙召耶和華的使者來到，坐在俄弗拉，一棵屬於亞比以謝族人約阿施的橡樹下；約阿施的兒子基甸正在壓酒池裡打麥子，為要躲避米甸人的搶奪。

¹²The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

¹²耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：“大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在。”

¹³Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

¹³基甸回答他，說：“唉，我的主，如果耶和華與我們同在，我們怎會遭遇這一切事呢？我們的列祖向我們講述的，耶和華的一切奇事在哪裡呢？他們曾說：‘耶和華不是把我們從埃及領上來嗎？’現在他卻拋棄了我們，把我們交在米甸人手中！”

¹⁴Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”

¹⁴耶和華轉向基甸，對他說：“你靠著你這能力，去拯救以色列人脫離米甸人的手吧；我不是差派了你嗎？”

¹⁵He said to him, “O Lord The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” , how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

¹⁵基甸對他說：“唉，我主啊，我憑著甚麼拯救以色列人呢？看哪，我的家族在瑪拿西支派中是最卑微的，我在我的父家是最年輕的。”

¹⁶Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

¹⁶耶和華對他說：“因為我必與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，像擊打一人一樣。”

¹⁷He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.

¹⁷基甸又對他說：“如果我在你眼前蒙恩，求你給我一個憑據，證實是你與我說話。

¹⁸Please don’t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

¹⁸求你不要離開這裡，等我回來，把我的禮物帶來，擺在你面前。”他回答：“我必等你回來。”

¹⁹Gideon went in, and prepared a young goat, and unleavened cakes of an ephah 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

¹⁹基甸去預備了一隻山羊羔，和十公斤麵粉做的無酵餅，把肉放在籃子裡，把湯盛在鍋中，帶到橡樹之下，獻上給他。

²⁰The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.

²⁰　神的使者對基甸說：“把肉和無酵餅拿出來，擺在這塊磐石上，把湯倒出來。”他就這樣行了。

²¹Then the angel of Yahweh stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Yahweh departed out of his sight.

²¹耶和華的使者伸出手中的杖，杖頭一觸著肉和無酵餅，就有火從磐石中上來，把肉和無酵餅都燒盡了；耶和華的使者就從基甸的眼前消失了。

²²Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!”

²²基甸看出他是耶和華的使者，就說：“哀哉，我主耶和華啊，因為我面對面看見了耶和華的使者。”

²³Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”

²³耶和華對他說：“你放心好了，不要怕，你必不會死。”

²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace or, Yahweh Shalom .” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

²⁴基甸就在那裡給耶和華築了一座祭壇，稱為耶和華沙龍；直到今日，這壇還在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉。

²⁵It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it;

²⁵基甸毀巴力祭壇當夜，耶和華對基甸說：“取你父親的牛和另一頭七歲大的牛來，拆毀你父親的巴力祭壇，砍下壇旁的亞舍拉。

²⁶and build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

²⁶在這堅固的地方上面，你要整整齊齊為耶和華你的　神築一座祭壇，拿第二頭牛作燔祭，用你砍下來的亞舍拉作柴。”

²⁷Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him: and it happened, because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

²⁷基甸就從他的僕人中選出了十個人，照著耶和華告訴他的行了；但因為害怕他的父家和城裡的人，就不敢在日間行事，只好在晚上作了。

²⁸When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.

²⁸城裡的人清早起來，見巴力的祭壇已被拆毀，壇旁的亞舍拉也被砍下來，並且看見那第二頭牛獻在新築的祭壇上的時候，

²⁹They said one to another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

²⁹就彼此說：“誰作了這事呢？”他們追查尋訪之後，就說：“是約阿施的兒子基甸作的。”

³⁰Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”

³⁰城裡的人對約阿施說：“把你的兒子領出來，把他處死，因為他拆毀了巴力的祭壇，砍下了壇旁的亞舍拉。”

³¹Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar.”

³¹約阿施對所有站著攻擊他的人說：“你們要為巴力辯護嗎？或是你們要救他呢？誰為他辯護，到早晨就必死亡。巴力若是神，有人拆毀了他的祭壇，就讓他為自己辯護吧。”

³²Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, “Jerub-Baal” means “Let Baal contend.” saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”

³²因此，當日基甸被稱為耶路．巴力，意思說：他拆毀了巴力的祭壇，讓巴力與他爭辯吧。

³³Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

³³那時，米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人，都聚集起來，過了河，在耶斯列平原安營。

³⁴But the Spirit of Yahweh came on Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him.

³⁴耶和華的靈降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亞比以謝族都應召來跟從他。

³⁵He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

³⁵他派使者到瑪拿西全地去，瑪拿西人也都應召來跟從他；他又派使者到亞設、西布倫、拿弗他利去，他們也都上來與他們會合。

³⁶Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,

³⁶基甸向　神求證基甸對　神說：“如果你按著你所說的，要藉著我的手拯救以色列人；

³⁷behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then shall I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”

³⁷看哪，我要把一團新剪的羊毛放在禾場上；露水若是單單落在羊毛上，而全地都是乾的，我就知道你要照著你所說的，藉著我的手拯救以色列了。”

³⁸It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

³⁸第二天，基甸清早起來，情形果然是這樣；他把羊毛一擠，就從羊毛中擠出一滿盆的露水來。

³⁹Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”

³⁹基甸又對　神說：“求你不要向我發怒，我要再說這一次；求你讓我把羊毛再試一試，但願單單羊毛是乾的，而全地都有露水。”

⁴⁰God did so that night: for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

⁴⁰那一夜，　神也這樣行了；單單羊毛是乾的，全地都有露水。