Joshua 1 1 Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim, saying,"Go, reconnoiter the land and 农的儿子若苏厄由史廷暗中派出两个人作侦探说:"你们去察看那地和耶里哥!"他们就去了,来到一个名叫辣哈布的妓女家中,就住在那里。 2 But a report was brought to the king of 有人报告耶里哥王说:"夜间有两个以色列人到了这里,侦探这地方。" 3 So the king of Jericho sent Rahab the order,"Put out the visitors who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land." 耶里哥王遂派人到辣哈布那里说:"将那来到你家中的两个人交出来,因为他们是来侦探这地方的。" 4 The woman had taken the two men and hidden them, so she said,"True, the men you speak of came to me, but I did not know where they came from. 但是那女人预先将那两个人藏起来,就这样回答说:"那两个人的确来过我这里,但他们是从那里来的,我却不知道。 5 At dark, when it was time for the gate to be shut, they left, and I do not know where they went. You will have to pursue them immediately to overtake them." 天黑快关城门时,他们两人出去了;往那里去了,我也不知道。你们快去追赶,也许还可赶上他们。" 6 2 Now, she had led them to the roof, and hidden them among her stalks of flax spread out there. 原来她叫那两个人上了屋顶,藏在她屋顶上堆积的麻楷内。 7 But the pursuers set out along the way to the fords of the 来问的人便沿着约但河,直向渡口去追赶;追赶的人一出去,城门就关了。 8 3 Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab came to them on the roof 他们还没有睡,那女人就上到屋顶, 9 and said:"I know that the LORD has given you the land, that a dread of you has come upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are overcome with fear of you. 对他们二人说:"我知道上主已将这地方交给了你们;你们真叫我们害怕,此地所有的居民,对你们都恐惧不已。 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and how you dealt with Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, whom you doomed to destruction. 因为我们听说,你们出埃及时,上主怎样使红海在你们面前干涸;你们又怎样对待了约但河东岸的两个阿摩黎王,即息红和敖格,将他们完全消灭。 11 At these reports, we are disheartened; everyone is discouraged because of you, since the LORD, your God, is God in heaven above and on earth below. 我们听了,心都冷了,没有一人再有勇气来对抗你们,因为上主你们的天主,就是上天下地的天主。 12 Now then, swear to me by the LORD that, since I am showing kindness to you, you in turn will show kindness to my family; and give me an unmistakable token 现在请你们指着上主对我起誓,我既然恩待了你们,你们也要恩待我的父家,请给我们一个安全的保证, 13 that you are to spare my father and mother, brothers and sisters, and all their kin, and save us from death." 使我的父母、兄弟、姊妹和他们所有的一切人,都能生存,救我们的性命免于死亡。" 14 "We pledge our lives for yours," the men answered her."If you do not betray this errand of ours, we will be faithful in showing kindness to you when the LORD gives us the land." 他们二人回答她说:"如果妳不泄漏我们的约定,我们愿拿性命为你们担保;当上主将这地方交给我们时,我们必慈善忠厚地对妳。" 15 4 Then she let them down through the window with a rope; for she lived in a house built into the city wall. 那女人于是用绳子将他们二人由窗户缒下去,因为她的房屋是在城墙上,她也住在城墙上。 16 "Go up into the hill country," she suggested to them,"that your pursuers may not find you. Hide there for three days, until they return; then you may proceed on your way." 她又对他们说:"你们要往山中去,免得追赶的人遇见你们。你们在那里躲藏三天,等追赶的人回来,然后再上道。" 17 The men answered her,"This is how we will fulfill the oath you made us take: 他们二人对她说:"如果你不这样作,你叫我们所起的誓,我们将不负责: 18 When we come into the land, tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you are letting us down; and gather your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 就是当我们再到这地方时,你应将这根朱红线系在妳缒下我们的窗户上,并且叫妳的父母、兄弟和妳父亲全家人口,都聚集在妳这屋内。 19 Should any of them pass outside the doors of your house, he will be responsible for his own death, and we shall be guiltless. But we shall be responsible if anyone in the house with you is harmed. 谁若走出妳的屋门,他的血应由他自己承当,我们不负责任;但凡同妳在屋内的,如有人下手加害他,他的血将由我们承当。 20 If, however, you betray this errand of ours, we shall be quit of the oath you have made us take." 但是你若泄漏了我们的约定,那么,妳叫我们所起的誓,我们便不负责。" 21 "Let it be as you say," she replied, and bade them farewell. When they were gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 她回答说:"就照你们说的做罢!"于是打发他们二人走了。他们走后,她遂把那根朱红线系在她的窗户上。 22 They went up into the hills, where they stayed three days until their pursuers, who had sought them all along the road without finding them, returned. 他们出去,到了山上,在那里住了三天,直到追赶的人回去。追赶的人一路寻找他们,结果没有找到。 23 Then the two came back down from the hills, crossed the 他们二人转身,由山上下来,渡过了约但河,回到农的儿子若苏厄那里,将他们所遇见的事,一一报告给他。 24 They assured Joshua,"The LORD has delivered all this land into our power; indeed, all the inhabitants of the land are overcome with fear of us." 他们对若苏厄说:"上主实在已将那整个地域交在我们手中,因为那地方的居民对我们都十分恐惧。" Footnotes(注解) 1 [1] Harlot: this is the regular equivalent of the Hebrew word, but perhaps it is used here of Rahab in the broader sense of a woman who kept a public house. Joshua's spies hoped to remain undetected at such an inn. Stalks of flax spread out: to dry in the sun, after they had been soaked in water, according to the ancient process of preparing flax for linen-making. In the 3 [8-11] Rahab's faith and good works are praised in the New Testament; cf Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25. 4 [15] A house built into the city wall: such houses, which used the city wall for their own inner walls, have been found at ancient sites. The upper story of Rahab's house was evidently higher than the city wall. It was through the window of such a house that |