Judges 8
New International Version
Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)”(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)
2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”
6 But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)
7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(U) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(V) the elders(W) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(X)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(Z) and killed the men of the town.(AA)
18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(AB)”
“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”
19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(AC) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments(AD) off their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(AE) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(AF) from your share of the plunder.(AG)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(AH) to wear gold earrings.)
25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[b] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(AI) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(AJ) which he placed in Ophrah,(AK) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(AL) to Gideon and his family.(AM)
Gideon’s Death
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(AN) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(AO) forty years.
29 Jerub-Baal(AP) son of Joash(AQ) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(AR) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(AS) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(AT) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(AU) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(AV) They set up Baal-Berith(AW) as their god(AX) 34 and did not remember(AY) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(AZ) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(BA)
Footnotes
- Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
- Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
士师记 8
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
基甸婉言平息以法蓮人之怒
8 以法蓮人對基甸說:“你去與米甸人爭戰的時候,沒有召我們同去,你為甚麼這樣待我們呢?”他們就與他激烈地爭辯起來。 2 基甸對他們說:“我所行的怎能比得上你們呢?在以法蓮拾取剩下的葡萄,不是比在亞比以謝收摘的葡萄更好嗎? 3 神已經把米甸人的兩個首領:俄立和西伊伯,交在你們的手裡了;我所行的怎能與你們相比呢?”基甸說了這話,他們的怒氣就平息了。
基甸乘勝追趕米甸王
4 基甸來到約旦河,就過了河;他和與他在一起的三百人雖然都很疲乏,仍然追趕敵人。 5 基甸對疏割人說:“求你們把幾個餅給跟隨我的人吃,因為他們疲乏了,我還要繼續追趕米甸人和兩個王西巴和撒慕拿。” 6 疏割人的首領回答:“西巴和撒慕拿現在不是已經在你的手裡嗎?我們應該把餅送給你的軍隊吃嗎?” 7 基甸說:“好吧,耶和華把西巴和撒慕拿交在我手裡的時候,我就必用野地的荊棘鞭打你們的身體。” 8 基甸從那裡上到毘努伊勒,也向他們說了同樣的話;毘努伊勒人回答他也像疏割人回答的一樣。 9 他亦對毘努伊勒人說:“我平平安安回來的時候,我必拆毀這座望樓。” 10 那時,西巴和撒慕拿正在加各,與他們在一起的軍隊約有一萬五千人,就是東方人全營剩下的,因為有十二萬持刀的已經倒下了。 11 基甸就從挪巴和約比哈東面,順著住帳棚的人的路上去;在敵軍以為安全而不戒備的時候,擊敗了敵軍。 12 西巴和撒慕拿逃跑;基甸追趕他們,捉住了米甸人的兩個王西巴和撒慕拿,使全軍都驚惶。
13 約阿施的兒子基甸從戰場沿著希列斯的山坡回來, 14 捉住了疏割人中的一個青年人,查問他;他就把疏割的首領和長老的名字寫給他,共七十七人。 15 基甸到了疏割人那裡,就說:“你看,西巴和撒慕拿,你們為了他們曾經譏笑我說:‘西巴和撒慕拿現在不是在你的手裡嗎?我們應該把餅送給你那些疲乏的人吃嗎?’” 16 於是拿住那城的長老,又拿起野地的荊棘,用荊棘把疏割人教訓了一頓; 17 又拆毀了毘努伊勒的望樓,殺死了那城裡的人。
18 基甸問西巴和撒慕拿:“你們在他泊山上所殺的人,是甚麼模樣的人?”他們回答:“他們像你一樣,每一個都像王子的模樣。” 19 基甸說:“他們是我的兄弟,是我母親的兒子;我指著永活的耶和華起誓,如果你們從前讓他們存活,我現在就不殺你們了。” 20 於是對他的長子益帖說:“起來,把他們殺了吧。”但是那孩子不敢拔刀,只是害怕,因為他還是個孩子。 21 西巴和撒慕拿說:“你親自起來殺我們吧;因為人怎樣,他的力量也怎樣。”於是基甸起來,把西巴和撒慕拿殺了,拿了他們駱駝頸項上的月牙圈。
基甸推辭不統治以色列人
22 以色列人對基甸說:“你既然拯救我們脫離了米甸人的手,求你和你的子孫統治我們。” 23 基甸回答他們:“我不統治你們,我的子孫也不統治你們,唯有耶和華統治你們。” 24 基甸又對他們說:“我有一個要求:請把你們各人奪得的耳環給我。”原來敵人都戴金耳環,因為他們是以實瑪利人。 25 他們回答:“我們願意給你。”於是鋪開一件外衣,各人把奪得的耳環丟在上面。 26 基甸所要的金耳環,共重約二十公斤金子,此外還有米甸王身上的月牙圈、耳墜和紫紅色的衣服,另外還有駱駝頸項上的鍊子。 27 基甸用這些金子做了一個以弗得,安置在他的城俄弗拉;後來以色列眾人都在那裡隨從以弗得行了邪淫,因此這就成了基甸和他全家的網羅。
基甸逝世
28 這樣,米甸人在以色列人面前就被制伏了,不能再抬起頭來;基甸在世的日子,國中太平了四十年。
29 約阿施的兒子耶路.巴力回去,住在自己家裡。 30 基甸有七十個兒子,都是他親生的,因為他有很多妻子。 31 他在示劍的妾,也給他生了一個兒子,他給他起名叫亞比米勒。 32 約阿施的兒子基甸壽數滿足而死,埋葬在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉,在他父親約阿施的墳墓裡。
33 基甸死了以後,以色列人又轉去隨從眾巴力,行邪淫,並且以巴力.比利土作他們的神。 34 以色列人忘記了耶和華他們的 神,就是曾經拯救他們脫離四圍仇敵之手的那位; 35 也沒有照著基甸向以色列人所施的一切恩惠,恩待耶路.巴力,就是基甸的家。
Judges 8
King James Version
8 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
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