SARAH
《列王纪上》22章；《历代志下》18章
(1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18)
亚兰国和以色列国已经三年没打仗了。
Aram and Israel had gone three years without war.
到了第三年，犹大王约沙法去见以色列王亚哈。
In the third year, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to visit Ahab, king of Israel.
亚哈跟手下的人说：
Ahab said to his officials:
“你们想想，基列的拉末本来就是咱们的地盘！可亚兰王一直占着？咱们不能干坐着不动，得把这地方抢回来！”
“Think about it: Ramoth-gilead belongs to us! Yet the king of Aram keeps holding it? We can’t just sit around. We have to take it back!”
亚哈又问约沙法：
Ahab then asked Jehoshaphat:
“老哥，你愿不愿意跟我一块儿去打基列的拉末，咱把那地方夺回来？”
“Brother, will you come with me to fight at Ramoth-gilead and win that place back?”
约沙法回答说：
Jehoshaphat answered:
“咱俩是一伙儿的，你的人就是我的人，你的马也跟我的马一样。你要去，我就陪你去。”
“We’re on the same side. Your men are my men, and your horses are my horses. If you go, I’ll go with you.”
不过，约沙法又提了一个要求：
But Jehoshaphat added one request:
“咱先别着急动手，先问问耶和华，看看这仗到底该不该打。”
“Let’s not rush into this. First let’s ask the LORD whether we should fight this battle at all.”
于是，亚哈把手底下大约四百个先知全都叫来了，问他们：
So Ahab gathered all his prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them:
“我带兵去打基列的拉末，能不能打赢啊？”
“If I lead an army to attack Ramoth-gilead, can I win?”
先知们一个个都说：
The prophets all said:
“能去！放心去！主肯定把那座城交到王手里，保准能赢！”
“Go! Don’t worry! The Lord will surely hand that city over to the king. You’re guaranteed to win!”
可约沙法听完，总觉得还得再问问，就说道：
But after listening, Jehoshaphat still felt he should ask further, and said:
“这儿就没有耶和华的先知吗？咱能不能再找一个问问？”
“Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD here? Can we find one more to ask?”
亚哈说：
Ahab said:
“还有一个人，叫米该雅，是音拉的儿子。咱可以找他问问耶和华的意思。不过，我有些讨厌他！他每回给我说预言，都没啥好话，净说些不吉利的事儿！”
“There is one more man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah. We could ask him what the LORD says. But I rather hate him! Every time he prophesies to me, there’s nothing good in it, only unlucky things!”
约沙法一听，就劝他说：
Hearing this, Jehoshaphat urged him:
“王啊，你可别这么说人家。”
“O king, you shouldn’t talk about him like that.”
亚哈赶紧叫来一个仆人，吩咐道：
Ahab quickly called a servant and ordered:
“你赶紧去，把音拉的儿子米该雅给我叫来！”
“Go at once and bring me Micaiah, the son of Imlah!”
这时候，亚哈和约沙法正坐在撒玛利亚城门口的一块空地上，俩人都穿着王服。
At that moment, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were sitting on an open threshing floor at the gate of Samaria, both dressed in their royal robes.
那四百个先知也都站在他们跟前，一个个忙着说预言。
The four hundred prophets stood before them, each busy prophesying.
其中有个叫西底家的，是基拿拿的儿子。他还特意弄了两个铁角，拿在手里比划着，说：
Among them was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah. He had even made two iron horns and waved them in his hands, saying:
“耶和华这么说：你就像这两个铁角一样，使劲儿顶亚兰人，直到把他们打得彻底完蛋！”
“This is what the LORD says: Like these two iron horns, you will gore the Arameans with all your might until they are utterly destroyed!”
其他先知也跟着附和道：
The other prophets echoed him:
“王啊，放心去打吧！肯定能赢！耶和华必把那座城交到你手里！”
“O king, go and fight without worry! You will surely win! The LORD will surely give that city into your hand!”
这时候，去找米该雅的使者先到了他跟前，悄悄提醒他说：
Meanwhile, the messenger who had gone to find Micaiah reached him first and quietly advised him:
“米该雅，你瞅瞅，四百个先知，说的全是好话。你待会儿见了王，也跟他们说一样的话，说点吉利话呗！”
“Micaiah, look, four hundred prophets, and every word is good news. When you see the king, say the same as they do. Say something lucky!”
米该雅很认真地回答：
Micaiah answered earnestly:
“我指着永生的耶和华起誓，耶和华让我说啥，我就说啥，绝不会为了讨好谁，就胡说八道。”
“As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me to say. I will never talk nonsense just to please someone.”
没多大工夫，米该雅就来到王跟前。
Before long, Micaiah came before the king.
亚哈问他：
Ahab asked him:
“米该雅，你说说，我带兵去打基列的拉末，到底能不能打赢？”
“Micaiah, tell me, if I lead an army to attack Ramoth-gilead, can I really win?”
米该雅先顺着他的话说道：
Micaiah first went along with him and said:
“可以上去，必然得胜，耶和华必将那城交在王的手中。”
“Go up and you will surely triumph; the LORD will give that city into the king’s hand.”
亚哈一听，不对劲儿啊，立马说道：
Ahab sensed something was off at once and said:
“我还得跟你说多少回？你才能奉耶和华的名，跟我说实话？”
“How many times must I tell you? When will you speak only the truth to me in the name of the LORD?”
米该雅这才说出了真正的预言：
Only then did Micaiah speak the true prophecy:
“我看见以色列众民散在山上，如同没有牧人的羊群一般。”
“I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd.”
耶和华说：
The LORD said:
“这些人没有主人，他们可以平平安安地各归各家去。”
“These people have no master; let them go home in peace.”
意思就是：以色列王将要死去，军队会失去领头的人，百姓也就各自回家了。
The meaning is this: the king of Israel will die, the army will lose its leader, and the people will each go back home.
亚哈一听，立马转头对约沙法说：
Hearing this, Ahab immediately turned to Jehoshaphat and said:
“你瞅瞅！我早跟你说过，这个人每回给我的预言，都没好话，净说些凶兆！”
“See? I told you before: every prophecy this man gives me has nothing good in it, only bad omens!”
米该雅接着说道：
Micaiah went on:
“所以你们要听耶和华的话。”
“So you must hear the word of the LORD.”
“我看见耶和华坐在宝座上，天上的万军侍立在他左右。”
“I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing at his right and his left.”
耶和华说：
The LORD said:
“谁去引诱亚哈，让他上基列的拉末去，好叫他死在那儿呢？”
“Who will entice Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead, so that he may die there?”
当时，有的这样说，有的那样说，大家七嘴八舌地商量着。
At the time, one said this and another said that, and they all discussed it noisily.
后来，有一个灵出来，站在耶和华面前，说：
Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said:
“我去引诱他！”
“I will entice him!”
耶和华问：
The LORD asked:
“你用什么方法呢？”
“By what means?”
那个灵回答：
The spirit answered:
“我去，要在他众先知口中作谎言的灵。”
“I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.”
耶和华说：
The LORD said:
“这样，你必能引诱他，你去如此行吧。”
“You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do so.”
“所以，现在你那些先知嘴里说的都是谎话，耶和华已经定意要降祸给你了！”
“So now, what your prophets are saying is all lies, and the LORD has determined to bring disaster upon you!”
这时候，西底家听不下去了，直接走到米该雅跟前，抬手就扇了他的脸，质问道：
At this, Zedekiah couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He walked right up to Micaiah, slapped him across the face, and demanded:
“你说啥呢？耶和华的灵啥时候离开我，跑到你那儿去跟你说话了？”
“What are you saying? When did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to go and speak to you?”
米该雅回答说：
Micaiah replied:
“你进严密的屋子藏躲的那日，就必看见了。”
“You will see on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
以色列王亚哈听完，气得够呛，立刻下令：
When Ahab, king of Israel, heard this, he was furious and gave an order at once:
“把米该雅给我带回去，交给邑宰亚们和王的儿子约阿施！告诉他们，王有令，把这个人关进监狱，好好收拾收拾他，别给他吃的喝的，让他受点苦头。等我平平安安地回来，再说！”
“Take Micaiah back and hand him over to Amon the governor of the city and Joash the king’s son! Tell them the king commands: put this man in prison, teach him a lesson, give him no food or drink, and let him suffer a bit. We’ll deal with it when I return safely!”
米该雅却毫不退缩地回答：
Micaiah answered without backing down:
“你要真能平平安安地回来，那就说明耶和华没借着我说过这些话！”
“If you really do return safely, then the LORD has not spoken through me!”
说完，他又大声喊道：
Then he cried out loudly:
“众民哪，你们都要听！”
“All you people, listen well!”
后来，亚哈和约沙法还是带兵上基列的拉末去了。
In the end, Ahab and Jehoshaphat still led their armies up to Ramoth-gilead.
亚哈心里也知道自己有危险，于是对约沙法说：
Ahab knew in his heart that he was in danger, so he said to Jehoshaphat:
“这样吧，我换身衣服，假装成普通士兵上阵。你呢，还是穿着王服，让人一看就知道你是犹大王。”
“Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll change clothes and go into battle disguised as an ordinary soldier. You keep wearing your royal robes, so everyone can see you’re the king of Judah.”
说完，亚哈就把王服脱了，换了普通的衣服，混进军队里。
With that, Ahab took off his royal robes, put on ordinary clothes, and blended into the army.
与此同时，亚兰王早就给手下三十二个战车的将领下了命令：
Meanwhile, the king of Aram had already given orders to his thirty-two chariot commanders:
“你们甭管对方是大将还是小兵，都先别管，只管盯住以色列王，想办法把他干掉！”
“Never mind whether the enemy is a great general or a common soldier. Ignore them all, focus only on the king of Israel, and find a way to kill him!”
打着打着，亚兰的战车将领们看见约沙法穿着王服，就以为他是以色列王。
As the fighting went on, the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes and assumed he was the king of Israel.
他们立马调转方向，冲着约沙法就杀了过去。
They immediately turned around and charged straight at Jehoshaphat.
约沙法一看这架势，赶紧大声呼喊。
Seeing this, Jehoshaphat cried out loudly.
亚兰人这才发现，眼前这个人不是以色列王，于是掉头离开，没有继续追杀他。
Only then did the Arameans realize this man was not the king of Israel, so they turned away and stopped pursuing him.
可就在这时候，战场上发生了一件谁也没想到的事。
But right at that moment, something no one expected happened on the battlefield.
有一个士兵随手拉弓射了一箭，结果这支箭偏偏射中了亚哈，正好钻进他盔甲的缝隙里。
A soldier drew his bow and shot an arrow at random, and it happened to hit Ahab, slipping right through a gap in his armor.
亚哈疼得直叫，赶紧对赶车的人喊道：
Ahab cried out in pain and quickly shouted to his charioteer:
“快！快调转车头，把我拉出战场！我受重伤了！”
“Quick! Turn the chariot around and get me out of the battle! I’m badly wounded!”
可是，那天的仗越打越激烈，双方杀得难解难分。
But the battle grew fiercer that day, and the two sides fought in a deadlock.
亚哈虽然受了重伤，却还让人扶着他站在战车上，继续与亚兰人作战。
Though badly wounded, Ahab had himself propped up in his chariot and kept fighting the Arameans.
他就这么硬撑着，一直坚持到晚上。
He held on like this, stubbornly, until evening.
到了晚上，亚哈终于没撑住，死在了战车上。
By evening, Ahab could hold on no longer and died in his chariot.
他的伤口一直流血，鲜血流进了车厢里。
His wound had kept bleeding, and the blood ran down into the floor of the chariot.
约在日落的时候，有号令传遍军中说：
Around sunset, a cry passed through the army:
“都撤吧！各回各城，各回各家！”
“Withdraw! Each man to his own city, each to his own home!”
这场仗就这么结束了。
And so the battle ended.
以色列王亚哈死了，百姓把他的尸体运回撒玛利亚，埋葬在那里。
King Ahab of Israel was dead. The people brought his body back to Samaria and buried him there.
后来，人们在撒玛利亚的池子旁边清洗亚哈的战车。经文记载，当时有妓女在那里洗澡。
Later, people washed Ahab’s chariot by the pool of Samaria. The Scripture records that prostitutes were bathing there at the time.
狗跑过来舔亚哈的血。
Dogs came and licked up Ahab’s blood.
这正应验了耶和华先前所说的话。
This exactly fulfilled what the LORD had said earlier.