列王纪上 20
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
便哈达攻亚哈
20 亚兰王便哈达聚集他的全军，率领三十二个王，带着车马上来围攻撒马利亚。 2 又差遣使者进城见以色列王亚哈，对他说：“便哈达如此说： 3 ‘你的金银都要归我，你妻子、儿女中最美的也要归我。’” 4 以色列王回答说：“我主我王啊，可以依着你的话，我与我所有的都归你。” 5 使者又来说：“便哈达如此说：‘我已差遣人去见你，要你将你的金银、妻子、儿女都给我。 6 但明日约在这时候，我还要差遣臣仆到你那里，搜查你的家和你仆人的家，将你眼中一切所喜爱的都拿了去。”
7 以色列王召了国中的长老来，对他们说：“请你们看看，这人是怎样地谋害我！他先差遣人到我这里来，要我的妻子、儿女和金银，我并没有推辞他。” 8 长老和百姓对王说：“不要听从他，也不要应允他。” 9 故此，以色列王对便哈达的使者说：“你们告诉我主我王说：‘王头一次差遣人向仆人所要的，仆人都依从。但这次所要的，我不能依从。’”使者就去回复便哈达。 10 便哈达又差遣人去见亚哈说：“撒马利亚的尘土若够跟从我的人每人捧一捧的，愿神明重重地降罚于我！” 11 以色列王说：“你告诉他说：‘才顶盔贯甲的，休要像摘盔卸甲的夸口。’” 12 便哈达和诸王正在帐幕里喝酒，听见这话，就对他臣仆说：“摆队吧！”他们就摆队攻城。
先知预言便哈达之败
13 有一个先知来见以色列王亚哈，说：“耶和华如此说：‘这一大群人你看见了吗？今日我必将他们交在你手里，你就知道我是耶和华。’” 14 亚哈说：“借着谁呢？”他回答说：“耶和华说：‘借着跟从省长的少年人。’”亚哈说：“要谁率领呢？”他说：“要你亲自率领。” 15 于是亚哈数点跟从省长的少年人，共有二百三十二名，后又数点以色列的众兵，共有七千名。
亚兰人遁
16 午间，他们就出城。便哈达和帮助他的三十二个王正在帐幕里痛饮。 17 跟从省长的少年人先出城。便哈达差遣人去探望，他们回报说：“有人从撒马利亚出来了。” 18 他说：“他们若为讲和出来，要活捉他们；若为打仗出来，也要活捉他们。” 19 跟从省长的少年人出城，军兵跟随他们。 20 各人遇见敌人就杀。亚兰人逃跑，以色列人追赶他们。亚兰王便哈达骑着马和马兵一同逃跑。 21 以色列王出城攻打车马，大大击杀亚兰人。
先知警教亚哈
22 那先知来见以色列王，对他说：“你当自强，留心怎样防备，因为到明年这时候，亚兰王必上来攻击你。” 23 亚兰王的臣仆对亚兰王说：“以色列人的神是山神，所以他们胜过我们。但在平原与他们打仗，我们必定得胜。 24 王当这样行：把诸王革去，派军长代替他们， 25 又照着王丧失军兵之数，再招募一军，马补马，车补车，我们在平原与他们打仗，必定得胜。”王便听臣仆的话去行。
便哈达复与以色列人战
26 次年，便哈达果然点齐亚兰人上亚弗去，要与以色列人打仗。 27 以色列人也点齐军兵，预备食物，迎着亚兰人出去，对着他们安营，好像两小群山羊羔，亚兰人却满了地面。 28 有神人来见以色列王，说：“耶和华如此说：‘亚兰人既说我耶和华是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必将这一大群人都交在你手中，你们就知道我是耶和华。’”
便哈达复败
29 以色列人与亚兰人相对安营七日，到第七日两军交战。那一日以色列人杀了亚兰人步兵十万， 30 其余的逃入亚弗城。城墙塌倒，压死剩下的二万七千人。便哈达也逃入城，藏在严密的屋子里。
31 他的臣仆对他说：“我们听说以色列王都是仁慈的王，现在我们不如腰束麻布，头套绳索，出去投降以色列王，或者他存留王的性命。” 32 于是他们腰束麻布，头套绳索，去见以色列王，说：“王的仆人便哈达说：‘求王存留我的性命！’”亚哈说：“他还活着吗？他是我的兄弟。” 33 这些人留心探出他的口气来，便急忙就着他的话说：“便哈达是王的兄弟。”王说：“你们去请他来。”便哈达出来见王，王就请他上车。 34 便哈达对王说：“我父从你父那里所夺的城邑，我必归还。你可以在大马士革立街市，像我父在撒马利亚所立的一样。”亚哈说：“我照此立约，放你回去。”就与他立约，放他去了。
先知责亚哈纵敌
35 有先知的一个门徒奉耶和华的命对他的同伴说：“你打我吧！”那人不肯打他。 36 他就对那人说：“你既不听从耶和华的话，你一离开我，必有狮子咬死你。”那人一离开他，果然遇见狮子，把他咬死了。 37 先知的门徒又遇见一个人，对他说：“你打我吧！”那人就打他，将他打伤。 38 他就去了，用头巾蒙眼，改换面目，在路旁等候王。 39 王从那里经过，他向王呼叫说：“仆人在阵上的时候，有人带了一个人来，对我说：‘你看守这人，若把他失了，你的性命必代替他的性命，不然你必交出一他连得银子来。’ 40 仆人正在忙乱之间，那人就不见了。”以色列王对他说：“你自己定妥了，必照样判断你。” 41 他急忙除掉蒙眼的头巾，以色列王就认出他是一个先知。 42 他对王说：“耶和华如此说：‘因你将我定要灭绝的人放去，你的命就必代替他的命，你的民也必代替他的民。’” 43 于是以色列王闷闷不乐地回到撒马利亚，进了他的宫。
1 Kings 20
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 20
Ahab’s Victory over the Arameans.[a] 1 Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, gathered together his entire army. He had thirty-two kings with him along with their horses and chariots. They went up and besieged Samaria, fighting against it.
2 He sent messengers into the city, to Ahab, the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says Ben-hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as are the best of your wives and your children.’ ” 4 The king of Israel answered, “O king, my lord, I and all that I own are yours.”
5 The messengers came again and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I have sent to you demanding that you send me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children. 6 Around this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you. They will search through your palace and the houses of your servants. They will take hold of whatever they like and carry it away.’ ”
7 The king of Israel summoned all of the elders of the land and said, “See how this man is looking for trouble. He sent a message to me seeking my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not deny it to him.” 8 The elders and all of the people said to him, “Do not listen to him, do not agree!”
9 So he replied to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord, the king: ‘Your servant will do everything that you demanded the first time, but I cannot do this thing.’ ” The messengers went away and brought him the answer.
10 Then Ben-hadad sent to him, saying, “May the gods do this to me and more if there is enough dust remaining from Samaria to give a handful to each of those who follow me.”[b]
11 The king of Israel answered, “Say: ‘He who is putting on his armor should not boast like someone who is taking it off.’ ” 12 He heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in the tents and he said to his servants, “Get ready!” So they prepared to attack the city.
13 In the meantime, a prophet came to Ahab, the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do you see this enormous mob? Behold, I will deliver them into your hands today so that you might know that I am the Lord.’ ” 14 Ahab said, “Who will do it?” He answered, “Thus says the Lord: ‘The young officers from the provinces.’ ” He asked, “Who should start the battle?” He answered, “You!”[c]
15 So he summoned the young officers from the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two of them. Then he counted all of the Israelites there, and there were seven thousand.
16 They set out at noon when Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their tents. 17 The young officers from the provinces went out first. Ben-hadad sent out men who told him, “The men from Samaria are advancing.” 18 He said, “If they are coming out to make peace, take them alive, and even if they have come out to fight, take them alive.”
19 And so the young officers from the provinces came out from the city, and the army followed after them. 20 Each of them killed his opponent, and the Arameans fled away with Israel pursuing them. Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse with some of his horsemen.
21 The king of Israel went out and defeated the horsemen and the chariots, and he killed a large number of the Arameans. 22 Afterwards, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen yourself, and see what must be done, for next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are the gods of the hills. That is why they were stronger than we were. We should fight against them in the plain, and we will surely be stronger than they are. 24 Just do this, remove all of the kings from their command and replace them with the officers. 25 You must assemble an army as large as the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will be able to fight against them in the plain. We will certainly be stronger than they are.” He listened to their advice and followed it.
26 In the spring of the year, Ben-hadad assembled the Arameans and went to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 When the Israelites were assembled and given provisions, they went out against them. The Israelites camped opposite them, and they looked like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
28 The man of God arrived and spoke to the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘The Arameans think that the Lord is the God of the hills but not the God of the lowlands. I will therefore deliver this enormous army into your hands, and thus you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
29 They camped opposite one another for seven days, and then on the seventh day they joined in battle. The Israelites killed one hundred thousand of the Aramean infantry in one day. 30 The rest of them escaped into the city of Aphek, but a wall collapsed upon twenty-seven thousand of the survivors.
Ben-hadad fled into the city and hid in an inner room. 31 His servants said to him, “Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.” 32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and they put ropes around their heads and they went out to the king of Israel and said, “Ben-hadad said, ‘Please let me live.’ ” He answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”[d]
33 The men were listening carefully and they quickly took up his refrain, “Ben-hadad is your brother!” He said, “Go and bring him here.” When Ben-hadad came out to him, he had him join him in the chariot.
34 Ben-hadad said to him, “I will give back the cities that my father took from your father. You can set up marketplaces in Damascus just like my father did in Samaria.” He answered, “I will release you on the basis of this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and released him.
35 Ahab Is Condemned by a Prophet.[e] One of the sons of the prophets, inspired by the word of the Lord, said to his companion, “Please strike me,” but the man refused to strike him. 36 So he said to him, “You have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, so as soon as you leave me, you will be killed by a lion.” As soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.
37 The prophet found another man and said, “Please strike me.” So the man struck and wounded him. 38 The prophet left and waited for the king along the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 As the king passed by, he cried out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle. A man came over and brought a man to me saying, ‘Guard this man. If he escapes, then you will pay a life for a life, or else you will have to pay a talent of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your judgment; you have decided it for yourself.” 41 He quickly removed the bandage from his face, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets. 42 He then said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have released from your hands a man whom I had designated for total destruction, your life will stand for his life, your people for his people.’ ” 43 The king of Israel, therefore, returned to his palace deeply troubled, and he arrived in Samaria.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 20:1 Since the kingdom was divided, Israel (north) had a series of sinful rulers who no longer were faithful to the Lord. During the next two centuries, both Judah (south) and Israel would suffer the consequences of their depravity and succumb to their enemies.
- 1 Kings 20:10 The meaning is: I will destroy Samaria so completely that not enough will be left of it to supply each soldier with a handful of dust.
- 1 Kings 20:14 The soldiers were at the disposition of each provincial prefect.
- 1 Kings 20:32 The reputation of the Hebrew kings for mercy is immediately confirmed by what happens. Sackcloth (Hebrew, sak, a bristly cloth) the same as “the cilice,” from Latin, cilicium, a name given by the Romans. The word was derived from Cilicia, in Asia Minor, the best known of the places where the cloth was made.
- 1 Kings 20:35 The leniency shown to Ben-hadad was a political mistake, and one of the guild of prophets foretells its consequences by means of a parable involving a drastic action.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
