1Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.
1以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，耶和華就把他們交在米甸人手裡七年。
2The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
2米甸人壓制以色列人；以色列人因為米甸人，就在山中挖穴、挖洞、建造營寨。
3For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them.
3以色列人每逢撒種之後，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都上來攻打他們，
4So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.
4對著他們安營，毀壞土產，直到迦薩，沒有給以色列人留下食物，牛、羊、驢也沒有留下；
5For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.
5因為那些人帶著牲畜帳棚來，像蝗蟲那樣多，人和駱駝無數，都進入國內，毀壞全地。
6So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD.
6以色列人因米甸人的緣故，極其窮乏，就呼求耶和華。
7Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian,
7以色列人因米甸人的緣故，呼求耶和華，
8that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery.
8耶和華就差遣先知到以色列人那裡，對他們說：耶和華─以色列的神如此說：我曾領你們從埃及上來，出了為奴之家，
9'I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land,
9救你們脫離埃及人的手，並脫離一切欺壓你們之人的手，把他們從你們面前趕出，將他們的地賜給你們；
10and I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.'''
10又對你們說：我是耶和華─你們的神。你們住在亞摩利人的地，不可敬畏他們的 神。你們竟不聽從我的話。
11Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save [it] from the Midianites.
11耶和華的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亞比以謝族人約阿施的橡樹下。約阿施的兒子基甸正在酒醡那裡打麥子，為要防備米甸人。
12The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.'
12耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！
13Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.'
13基甸說：主啊，耶和華若與我們同在，我們何至遭遇這一切事呢？我們的列祖不是向我們說耶和華領我們從埃及上來麼？他那樣奇妙的作為在哪裡呢？現在他卻丟棄我們，將我們交在米甸人手裡。
14The LORD looked at him and said, 'Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?'
14耶和華觀看基甸，說：你靠著你這能力去從米甸人手裡拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的麼？
15He said to Him, 'O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.'
15基甸說：主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在瑪拿西支派中是至貧窮的。我在我父家是至微小的。
16But the LORD said to him, 'Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.'
16耶和華對他說：我與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，如擊打一人一樣。
17So Gideon said to Him, 'If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me.
17基甸說：我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你給我一個證據，使我知道與我說話的就是主。
18'Please do not depart from here, until I come [back] to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.' And He said, 'I will remain until you return.'
18求你不要離開這裡，等我歸回將禮物帶來供在你面前。主說：我必等你回來。
19Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought [them] out to him under the oak and presented [them].
19基甸去預備了一隻山羊羔，用一伊法細麵做了無酵餅，將肉放在筐內，把湯盛在壺中，帶到橡樹下，獻在使者面前。
20The angel of God said to him, 'Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.' And he did so.
20神的使者吩咐基甸說：將肉和無酵餅放在這磐石上，把湯倒出來。他就這樣行了。
21Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
21耶和華的使者伸出手內的杖，杖頭挨了肉和無酵餅，就有火從磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅。耶和華的使者也就不見了。
22When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, 'Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.'
22基甸見他是耶和華的使者，就說：哀哉！主耶和華啊，我不好了，因為我覿面看見耶和華的使者。
23The LORD said to him, 'Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.'
23耶和華對他說：你放心，不要懼怕，你必不至死。
24Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
24於是基甸在那裡為耶和華築了一座壇，起名叫耶和華沙龍（就是耶和華賜平安的意思）。（這壇在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉直到如今。）
25Now on the same night the LORD said to him, 'Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;
25當那夜，耶和華吩咐基甸說：你取你父親的牛來，就是（或譯：和）那七歲的第二隻牛，並拆毀你父親為巴力所築的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶，
26and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.'
26在這磐石（原文是保障）上整整齊齊地為耶和華─你的神築一座壇，將第二隻牛獻為燔祭，用你所砍下的木偶作柴。
27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.
27基甸就從他僕人中挑了十個人，照著耶和華吩咐他的行了。他因怕父家和本城的人，不敢在白晝行這事，就在夜間行了。
28When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.
28城裡的人清早起來，見巴力的壇拆毀，壇旁的木偶砍下，第二隻牛獻在新築的壇上，
29They said to one another, 'Who did this thing?' And when they searched about and inquired, they said, 'Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.'
29就彼此說：這事是誰做的呢？他們訪查之後，就說：這是約阿施的兒子基甸做的。
30Then the men of the city said to Joash, 'Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.'
30城裡的人對約阿施說：將你兒子交出來，好治死他；因為他拆毀了巴力的壇，砍下壇旁的木偶。
31But Joash said to all who stood against him, 'Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.'
31約阿施回答站著攻擊他的眾人說：你們是為巴力爭論麼？你們要救他麼？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論罷！
32Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, 'Let Baal contend against him,' because he had torn down his altar.
32所以當日人稱基甸為耶路巴力，意思說：他拆毀巴力的壇，讓巴力與他爭論。
33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel.
33那時，米甸人、亞瑪力人，和東方人都聚集過河，在耶斯列平原安營。
34So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
34耶和華的靈降在基甸身上，他就吹角；亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他。
35He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
35他打發人走遍瑪拿西地，瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他；又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人，他們也都出來與他們會合。
36Then Gideon said to God, 'If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken,
36基甸對神說：你若果照著所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人，
37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.'
37我就把一團羊毛放在禾場上：若單是羊毛上有露水，別的地方都是乾的，我就知道你必照著所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人。
38And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
38次日早晨基甸起來，見果然是這樣；將羊毛擠一擠，從羊毛中擰出滿盆的露水來。
39Then Gideon said to God, 'Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.'
39基甸又對神說：求你不要向我發怒，我再說這一次：讓我將羊毛再試一次。但願羊毛是乾的，別的地方都有露水。
40God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
40這夜神也如此行：獨羊毛上是乾的，別的地方都有露水。