撒母耳記上

第 25 章

1. 撒母耳死了．以色列眾人聚集、為他哀哭、將他葬在拉瑪、他自己的墳墓裡。〔墳墓原文作房屋〕大衛起身、下到巴蘭的曠野。
Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon.
2. 在瑪雲有一個人、他的產業在迦密．是一個大富戶、有三千綿羊、一千山羊、他正在迦密剪羊毛。
A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
3. 那人名叫拿八、是迦勒族的人．他的妻名叫亞比該、是聰明俊美的婦人．拿八為人剛愎兇惡。
His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.
4. 大衛在曠野聽見說拿八剪羊毛。
While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
5. 大衛就打發十個僕人、吩咐他們、說、你們上迦密去、見拿八、題我的名問他安。
So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.
6. 要對那富戶如此說、願你平安、願你家平安、願你一切所有的都平安。
Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!
7. 現在我聽說有人為你剪羊毛．你的牧人在迦密的時候、和我們在一處、我們沒有欺負他們、他們也未曾失落甚麼。
"'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing.
8. 可以問你的僕人、他們必告訴你．所以願我的僕人在你眼前蒙恩．因為是在好日子來的．求你隨手取點賜與僕人、和你兒子大衛。
Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.'"
9. 大衛的僕人到了、將這話題大衛的名都告訴了拿八、就住了口。
When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited.
10. 拿八回答大衛的僕人說、大衛是誰．耶西的兒子是誰．近來悖逆主人奔逃的僕人甚多。
Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.
11. 我豈可將飲食、和為我剪羊毛人所宰的肉、給我不知道從那裡來的人呢。
Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?"
12. 大衛的僕人就轉身、從原路回去、照這話告訴大衛。
David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.
13. 大衛向跟隨他的人說、你們各人都要帶上刀。眾人就都帶上刀．大衛也帶上刀．跟隨大衛上去的約有四百人．留下二百人看守器具。
David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14. 有拿八的一個僕人告訴拿八的妻亞比該說、大衛從曠野打發使者來問我主人的安．主人卻辱罵他們。
One of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: "David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.
15. 但是那些人待我們甚好．我們在田野與他們來往的時候、沒有受他們的欺負、也未曾失落甚麼。
Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.
16. 我們在他們那裡牧羊的時候、他們晝夜作我們的保障。
Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them.
17. 所以你當籌畫、看怎樣行纔好．不然、禍患定要臨到我主人、和他全家．他性情兇暴、無人敢與他說話。
Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him."
18. 亞比該急忙將二百餅、兩皮袋酒、五隻收拾好了的羊、五細亞烘好了的穗子、一百葡萄餅、二百無花果餅、都馱在驢上．
Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
19. 對僕人說、你們前頭走、我隨著你們去．這事他卻沒有告訴丈夫拿八。
Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20. 亞比該騎著驢、正下山坡、見大衛和跟隨他的人從對面下來．亞比該就迎接他們。
As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them.
21. 大衛曾說、我在曠野為那人看守所有的、以致他一樣不失落、實在是徒然了．他向我以惡報善。
David had just said, "It's been useless--all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good.
22. 凡屬拿八的男丁、我若留一個到明日早晨、願　神重重降罰與我。
May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!"
23. 亞比該見大衛、便急忙下驢、在大衛面前臉伏於地、叩拜．
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.
24. 俯伏在大衛的腳前、說、我主阿、願這罪歸我．求你容婢女向你進言．更求你聽婢女的話。
She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.
25. 我主不要理這壞人拿八、他的性情與他的名相稱．他名叫拿八、〔就是愚頑的意思〕他為人果然愚頑．但我主所打發的僕人、婢女並沒有看見。
May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name--his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.
26. 我主阿、耶和華既然阻止你親手報仇、取流血的罪、所以我指著永生的耶和華、又敢在你面前起誓、說、願你的仇敵、和謀害你的人、都像拿八一樣。
"Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal.
27. 如今求你將婢女送來的禮物、給跟隨你的僕人。
And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you.
28. 求你饒恕婢女的罪過．耶和華必為我主建立堅固的家、因我主為耶和華爭戰．並且在你平生的日子、查不出有甚麼過來。
Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD'S battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live.
29. 雖有人起來追逼你、尋索你的性命、你的性命卻在耶和華你的　神那裡蒙保護、如包裹寶器一樣．你仇敵的性命、耶和華必拋去、如用機弦甩石一樣。
Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.
30. 我主現在若不親手報仇、流無辜人的血、到了耶和華照所應許你的話賜福與你、立你作以色列的王、那時我主必不至心裡不安、覺得良心有虧。耶和華賜福與我主的時候、求你記念婢女。
When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel,
31. 見上節
my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant."
32. 大衛對亞比該說、耶和華以色列的　神、是應當稱頌的、因為他今日使你來迎接我．
David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me.
33. 你和你的見識也當稱讚、因為你今日攔阻我親手報仇、流人的血。
May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.
34. 我指著阻止我加害於你的耶和華以色列永生的　神起誓、你若不速速的來迎接我、到明日早晨、凡屬拿八的男丁、必定不留一個。
Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."
35. 大衛受了亞比該送來的禮物．就對他說、我聽了你的話、准了你的情面．你可以平平安安的回家罷。
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."
36. 亞比該到拿八那裡、見他在家裡設擺筵席、如同王的筵席．拿八快樂大醉．亞比該無論大小事、都沒有告訴他、就等到次日早晨。
When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak.
37. 到了早晨、拿八醒了酒、他的妻將這些事都告訴他、他就魂不附體、身僵如石頭一般。
Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.
38. 過了十天、耶和華擊打拿八、他就死了。
About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.
39. 大衛聽見拿八死了、就說、應當稱頌耶和華、因他伸了拿八羞辱我的冤、又阻止僕人行惡．也使拿八的惡歸到拿八的頭上。於是大衛打發人去、與亞比該說、要娶他為妻。
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head." Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
40. 大衛的僕人到了迦密見亞比該、對他說、大衛打發我們來見你、想要娶你為妻。
His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."
41. 亞比該就起來、俯伏在地、說、我情願作婢女、洗我主僕人的腳。
She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants."
42. 亞比該立刻起身、騎上驢、帶著五個使女、跟從大衛的使者去了、就作了大衛的妻。
Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife.
43. 大衛先娶了耶斯列人亞希暖．他們二人都作了他的妻。
David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.
44. 掃羅已將他的女兒米甲、就是大衛的妻、給了迦琳人、拉億的兒子帕提為妻。
But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.