1 Samuel 1 Samuel said to Saul: "It was I the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people 有一天,撒慕尔对撒乌耳说:"上主曾打发我给你傅油,作他人民以色列的君王,如今你应听上主的话! 2 This is what the LORD of hosts has to say: ‘I will punish what Amalek did to Israel when he barred his way as he was coming up from Egypt. 万军的上主这样说:我要惩罚阿玛肋克对以色列所行的事,因为当以色列从埃及上来时,拦截了去路。 3 1 Go, now, attack Amalek, and deal with him and all that he has under the ban. Do not spare him, but kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and asses.'" 如今你去攻打阿玛肋克,毁灭他们和他们所有的一切,丝毫不可顾惜,要将男女、孩童、婴儿、牛羊、骆驼和驴,一律杀掉。" 4 2 Saul alerted the soldiers, and at Telaim reviewed two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of 撒乌耳调集了军人,在特冷检阅了他们,计步兵二十万,犹大人一万。 5 Saul went to the city of 撒乌耳来到阿玛肋克城时,在山谷里设下了埋伏。 6 warned the Kenites: "Come! Leave Amalek and withdraw, that I may not have to destroy you with them, for you were kind to the Israelites when they came up from 撒乌耳对刻尼人说:"你们起来快走,离开阿玛肋克人,免得我把你们同他们一起消灭,因为以色列子民由埃及上来时,你们善待了他们。"刻尼人便离开阿玛肋克人走了。 7 Saul routed Amalek from Havilah to the approaches of Shur, on the frontier of 撒乌耳击杀哈玛肋克人,从哈威拉一直杀到埃及东面的叔尔, 8 He took Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but on the rest of the people he put into effect the ban of destruction by the sword. 活捉了阿玛肋克王阿加格,用刀杀尽了其余的人民。 9 He and his troops spared Agag and the best of the fat sheep and oxen, and the lambs. They refused to carry out the doom on anything that was worthwhile, dooming only what was worthless and of no account. 但撒乌耳和军民却怜惜阿加格和最好的牛羊,肥美的家畜和羔羊;凡是美好的,他们都不愿毁灭,只把一切不值钱,不要的牲畜毁灭了。 10 Then the LORD spoke to Samuel: 那时有上主的话传于撒慕尔说:" 11 3 "I regret having made Saul king, for he has turned from me and has not kept my command." At this Samuel grew angry and cried out to the LORD all night. 我后悔立了撒乌耳为王,因为他背离了我,没有遵从我的命令。"撒慕尔感到不安,整夜哀求上主。 12 Early in the morning he went to meet Saul, but was informed that Saul had gone to Carmel, where he erected a trophy in his own honor, and that on his return he had passed on and gone down to Gilgal. 撒慕尔清晨起来去见撒乌耳;有人告诉他说:"撒乌耳去了加尔默耳,在那里立了纪念碑,然后回来经过这里,又去了基耳加耳。" 13 When Samuel came to him, Saul greeted him: "The LORD bless you! I have kept the command of the LORD." 撒慕尔来到撒乌耳那里,撒乌耳就对他说:"愿天主祝福你!我履行了上主的命令。" 14 But Samuel asked, "What, then, is the meaning of this bleating of sheep that comes to my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?" 撒慕尔就问说:"怎么我耳中听见有羊叫,有牛吗?" 15 Saul replied: "They were brought from Amalek. The men spared the best sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD, your God; but we have carried out the ban on the rest." 撒乌耳回答说:"那是从阿玛肋克带回来的,因为人民爱惜那些最好的牛羊,好献给上主你的天主;至于其余的,我们都毁灭了。" 16 Samuel said to Saul: "Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Speak!" he replied. 撒慕尔对撒乌耳说:"住口!让我告诉你,上主昨夜对我说过的话。"撒乌耳答说:"请说罢!" 17 Samuel then said: "Though little in your own esteem, are you not leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king of 撒慕尔说:"虽然你自以为是最微小的,你岂不是已成了以色列众支派的首领?上主不是曾给你傅油,立你作以色列的君王吗? 18 and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.' 上主派你去打仗,曾吩咐你说:去剿灭那些犯罪的阿玛肋克人,攻打他们,直至将他们完全消灭。 19 Why then have you disobeyed the LORD? You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD." 为什么你没有顺听上主的命令,只顾急忙抢掠财物,行了上主不喜欢的事?" 20 Saul answered Samuel: "I did indeed obey the LORD and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban. 撒乌耳回答撒慕尔说:"我的确听从了上主的命令,走了上主指给我的路,擒获了阿玛肋克王阿加格,毁灭了阿玛肋克人。 21 But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal." 但是军民由当毁灭的胜利品中,选出了最好的牛羊,要在基耳加耳祭献上主,你的天主。" 22 4 But Samuel said: "Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. 撒慕尔回答说:"上主岂能喜欢全燔祭和牺牲,胜过听从上主的命令?听命胜于祭献,服从胜过绵羊的肥油脂。 23 For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler." 背命等于行卜,顽抗与敬拜偶像无异。因为你拒绝了上主的命令,上主也拒绝了你作王。" 24 Saul replied to Samuel: "I have sinned, for I have disobeyed the command of the LORD and your instructions. In my fear of the people, I did what they said. 撒乌耳对撒慕尔说:"我犯了罪,违背了上主的命令和你的话,因我害怕人民,才听从了他们的呼声。 25 Now forgive my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." 现在,请你宽赦我的罪过,同我一起回去;让我朝拜上主。" 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, because you rejected the command of the LORD and the LORD rejects you as king of Israel." 撒慕尔却对撒乌耳说:"我不同你回去;既然你拒绝了上主的命令,上主也拒绝你,不要你作以色列王。" 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized a loose end of his mantle, and it tore off. 撒慕尔转身就走,撒乌耳用力抓住他外氅的衣边,撕下了一块。 28 So Samuel said to him: "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 撒慕尔于是对他说:"上主今日从你身上撕下了你的王位,给了一个比你更好的人。 29 并且以色列的光荣绝不发虚言,也不会懊悔,因为他不像人,可以懊悔。" 30 But he answered: "I have sinned, yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Return with me that I may worship the LORD your God." 撒乌耳遂说:"我固然犯了罪,但如今请你在我民族的长老和以色列前,仍尊重我,同我一起回去,好让我朝拜上主,你的天主。" 31 And so Samuel returned with him, and Saul worshiped the LORD. 撒慕尔便随同撒乌耳一起回去,撒乌耳朝拜了上主。 32 Afterward Samuel commanded, "Bring Agag, king of Amalek, to me." Agag came to him struggling and saying, "So it is bitter death!" 以后撒慕尔说:"将阿玛肋克王阿加格给我解来!"阿加格到了他那里,很是高兴,阿加格心想:"死亡的苦的确过去了。" 33 And Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." Then he cut Agag down before the LORD in Gilgal. 撒慕尔对他说:"你的剑怎样使众多妇女丧子,你的母亲在妇女中也要怎样丧子。"撒慕尔就在基耳加耳上主面前杀了阿加格。 34 Samuel departed for Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 以后撒慕尔去了辣玛,撒乌耳也回了撒乌耳的基贝亚本家。 35 Never again, as long as he lived, did Samuel see Saul. Yet he grieved over Saul, because the LORD regretted having made him king of 撒慕尔至死再没有见撒乌耳。撒慕尔为了撒乌耳很是伤心,因为上主后悔立了撒乌耳作以色列的君王。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [3] Under the ban: in such wars of extermination, all things (men, cities, beasts, etc.) were to be blotted out; nothing could be reserved for private use. The interpretation of God's will here attributed to Samuel is in keeping with the abhorrent practices of blood revenge prevalent among pastoral, seminomadic peoples such as the Hebrews had recently been. The slaughter of the innocent has never been in conformity with the will of God. 2 [4] The numbers here are not realistic; compare note 1 Sam 14:24. 3 [11] I regret: God manifests "regret" when, offended by men, he takes away his benefits, graces and favors. It is not God, but men, who change, to their own detriment. 4 [22] Samuel is disapproving, not of sacrifices in general, but of merely external sacrifices offered in defiance of God's commandment and without heartfelt obedience. |