Judges 8

1 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.

1 后来，以法莲人对基甸说：“你攻打米甸人时为什么不召我们去？你为什么这样对待我们？”他们与他激烈地争论起来。

2 But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

2 基甸说：“我怎能比得上你们呢？以法莲人摘剩的葡萄岂不比我们亚比以谢族收获的葡萄更好吗？

3 God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

3 上帝把两名米甸人的首领俄立和西伊伯交在了你们手中，我所做的怎能跟你们相比呢？”基甸这么一说，他们的怒气就平息了。

4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

4 基甸率领他的三百人渡过约旦河，虽然疲惫不堪，仍紧追敌人。

5 So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

5 基甸对疏割的人说：“我们在追赶西巴和撒慕拿两个米甸王，十分疲惫，请给我的军队一些饼吃。”

6 But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

6 疏割的首领却说：“你还没有抓到西巴和撒慕拿，我们凭什么给你的军队饼吃？”

7 “Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!”

7 基甸说：“好吧，耶和华把西巴和撒慕拿交在我们手中后，我必回来用荒野的荆棘抽打你们。”

8 From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.

8 基甸又去毗努伊勒提出同样的请求，他们的答复跟疏割人一样。

9 So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”

9 基甸对那里的人说：“我平安归来时，必拆毁你们的这座城楼。”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen.

10 那时，西巴和撒慕拿率领东方各族的残余军队一万五千人驻扎在加各，因为已经有十二万刀兵被杀。

11 And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.

11 基甸取道挪巴和约比哈东边游牧者走的路，出其不意地突袭米甸人。

12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.

12 米甸二王西巴和撒慕拿逃跑，基甸追上去擒住他们，击溃他们全军。

13 After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres.

13 约阿施的儿子基甸从战场返回，经过希列斯山坡时，

14 There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

14 抓住一个疏割的青年，问他疏割的首领和长老是谁，他就写下疏割七十七位首领和长老的名字。

15 And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”

15 基甸到了疏割，对那里的人说：“你们曾经讥笑我说，‘你还没有抓到西巴和撒慕拿，我们凭什么给你疲惫的军队饼吃？’看！西巴和撒慕拿在这里！”

16 Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.

16 说完，就捉住城中的长老，用荒野的荆棘抽打他们。

17 He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

17 他又去拆毁毗努伊勒的城楼，杀了城里的人。

18 Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”

18 基甸问西巴和撒慕拿：“你们在他泊山杀的人是什么样子？”他们回答说：“他们长得像你，都像王子一样。”

19 “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

19 基甸说：“他们是我同母所生的兄弟，我凭永活的耶和华起誓，如果你们当初不杀他们，今天我就不杀你们了。”

20 So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth.

20 于是，基甸对长子益帖说：“你杀死他们。”但益帖年纪小，心中害怕，不敢动手。

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.

21 西巴和撒慕拿对基甸说：“你亲自动手吧！这是男子汉做的事。”基甸便亲手杀了他们，拿走了他们骆驼颈上的月牙饰物。

22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

22 以色列人对基甸说：“你从米甸人手中救了我们，请你和你的子孙统治我们。”

23 But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”

23 基甸回答说：“我和我子孙都不统治你们，统治你们的是耶和华。”

24 Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

24 他又说道：“我有一个要求，请你们把抢来的耳环都给我。”原来米甸人属于以实玛利族，都戴金耳环。

25 “We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.

25 他们欣然同意，便铺开一件外衣，各自把抢来的金耳环都放在上面，

26 The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels.

26 重约二十公斤。此外，还有米甸王的月牙饰物、耳坠、紫袍以及骆驼颈上的金链。

27 From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

27 基甸用这些金子造了一件以弗得圣衣，放在自己的家乡俄弗拉。后来，以色列人拜那件以弗得，玷污自己，使基甸及其全家陷入网罗。

28 In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,

28 这样，米甸人被以色列人征服了，从此一蹶不振。基甸在世之日，以色列境内安享太平四十年。

29 and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.

29 约阿施的儿子耶路·巴力返回家乡居住。

30 Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

30 他有许多妻子，生了七十个儿子。

31 His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

31 他的妾住在示剑，也给他生了一个儿子，他给孩子取名叫亚比米勒。

32 Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

32 约阿施的儿子基甸年高寿终，葬在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉，在他父亲约阿施的坟墓里。

33 And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.

33 基甸刚去世，以色列人便又与巴力苟合，奉巴力·比利土为他们的神明，

34 The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

34 忘记了他们的上帝耶和华曾经从四围的仇敌手中拯救他们，

35 They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.

35 也没有因耶路·巴力，就是基甸的功绩而厚待他的家人。