| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1基肋阿得人依弗大是一個英勇的壯士，是妓女的兒子；父親名基肋阿得。 |
1There was a chieftain, the Gileadite Jephthah, born to Gilead of a harlot. |
| 2基肋阿得的妻子也給他生了幾個兒子，正妻的兒子長大之後，把依弗大逐出，對他說：「你在我們父家不能承受產業，因為你是外婦的兒子。」 |
2Gilead's wife had also borne him sons, and on growing up the sons of the wife had driven Jephthah away, saying to him, "You shall inherit nothing in our family, for you are the son of another woman." |
| 3依弗大就從他兄弟面前逃走，定居於托布地方；有些流氓聚在他那裏，同他來往。 |
3So Jephthah had fled from his brothers and had taken up residence in the land of Tob. A rabble had joined company with him, and went out with him on raids. |
| 4過了一些時候，阿孟子民與以色列交戰。 |
4Some time later, the Ammonites warred on Israel. |
| 5當阿孟子民同以色列交戰的時候，基肋阿得的長老到托布地方去請依弗大回來。 |
5When this occurred the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. |
| 6他們向依弗大說：「請你來作我們的統帥，攻打阿孟子民。」 |
6"Come," they said to Jephthah, "be our commander that we may be able to fight the Ammonites." |
| 7依弗大回答基肋阿得的長老說：「你們不是恨我，將我逐出我的父家？現在你們遭難，為什麼來找我？」 |
7"Are you not the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house?" Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead. "Why do you come to me now, when you are in distress?" |
| 8基肋阿得的長老對依弗大說：「我們現在來找你正是為此。請你和我們一同回去，攻打阿孟子民，作我們，作基肋阿得所有居民的首領。」 |
8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "In any case, we have now come back to you; if you go with us to fight against the Ammonites, you shall be the leader of all of us who dwell in Gilead." |
| 9依弗大對基肋阿得的長老說：「你們領我回去，同阿孟子民作戰，如果上主將他們交給我，那麼我就作你們的首領！」 |
9Jephthah answered the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD delivers them up to me, I shall be your leader." |
| 10基肋阿得的長老對依弗大說：「上主在我們中間作證：我們必照你的話實行。」 |
10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is witness between us that we will do as you say." |
| 11依弗大就與基肋阿得的長老一同回去，百姓立他做他們的首領和統帥；依弗大在米茲帕，在上主面前，又把他這一切話陳述了一遍。 |
11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. In Mizpah, Jephthah settled all his affairs before the LORD. |
| 12依弗大就派使者到阿孟子民王那裏說：「你與我何干？竟來我這裏攻打我的土地？」 |
12Then he sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to say, "What have you against me that you come to fight with me in my land?" |
| 13阿孟子民的君王對依弗大的使者說：「因為以色列從埃及上來的時候，侵佔了我的領土，從阿爾農河到雅波克河，直到約但河；現在你應和平交還！」 |
13He answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Israel took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and the Jordan when they came up from Egypt. Now restore the same peaceably." |
| 14依弗大再打發使者去見阿孟子民的君王， |
14Again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, |
| 15對他說：「依弗大這樣說：以色列並沒有侵佔摩阿布的土地和阿孟子民的土地， |
15saying to him, "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. |
| 16因為以色列從埃及上來的時候，是經過曠野，到了紅海，而來到卡德士。 |
16For when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. |
| 17以色列曾派使者對厄東王說：請讓我們經過你的領土！但是厄東王不肯答應；又打發使者到摩阿布王那裏，但是他也不肯；於是以色列便逗留在卡德士。 |
17Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 'Let me pass through your land.' But the king of Edom did not give consent. They also sent to the king of Moab, but he too was unwilling. So Israel remained in Kadesh. |
| 18以後他們經過曠野，繞過厄東地和摩阿布地，從摩阿布東面而行，在阿爾農河那邊安營；他們並沒有進入摩阿布的境界，因為阿爾農是摩阿布的邊界。 |
18Then they went through the desert, and by-passing the land of Edom and the land of Moab, went east of the land of Moab and encamped across the Arnon. Thus they did not go through the territory of Moab, for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab. |
| 19以色列又派使者到阿摩黎王息紅，即赫市朋王那裏；以色列向他說：請讓我們經過你的領土，到我們的地方去。 |
19Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon. Israel said to him, 'Let me pass through your land to my own place.' |
| 20然而息紅不信任以色列，不准他們經過他的境界；並且息紅還召集他所有的人民，在雅哈茲安營，同以色列交戰。 |
20But Sihon refused to let Israel pass through his territory. On the contrary, he gathered all his soldiers, who encamped at Jahaz and fought Israel. |
| 21但是上主以色列的天主將息紅及他全體百姓交於以色列手中，擊殺了他們；於是以色列便取得住在那地的阿摩黎人所有的土地， |
21But the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his men into the power of Israel, who defeated them and occupied all the land of the Amorites dwelling in that region, |
| 22取得阿摩黎人，從阿爾農河到雅波克河，從曠野到約但河所有的土地。 |
22the whole territory from the Arnon to the Jabbok, from the desert to the Jordan. |
| 23現今上主以色列的天主，由自己的百姓以色列面前驅逐了阿摩黎人，難道你還要佔據這地嗎？ |
23If now the LORD, the God of Israel, has cleared the Amorites out of the way of his people, are you to dislodge Israel? |
| 24你豈不是應佔據你的神革摩士賜你佔領的地，而我們應佔據我們的天主上主，由我們前所驅逐之人的地嗎？ |
24 Should you not possess that which your god Chemosh gave you to possess, and should we not possess all that the LORD, our God, has cleared out for us? |
| 25現在，難道你比摩阿布王漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克還強麼？他何曾與以色列爭鬥過，或者與他們交過戰？ |
25Again, are you any better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel, or did he war against them |
| 26以色列住在赫市朋及其附近村鎮，阿洛厄爾及其附近村鎮，阿爾農河沿岸各城鎮裏，已有三百年之久，為什麼在這期間，你們沒有收回呢？ |
26when Israel occupied Heshbon and its villages, Aroer and its villages, and all the cities on the banks of the Arnon? Three hundred years have passed; why did you not recover them during that time? |
| 27所以我並沒有得罪你，而你竟要加害我，與我交戰；願裁判者上主今天在以色列子民與阿孟子民中間判斷是非！」 |
27I have not sinned against you, but you wrong me by warring against me. Let the LORD, who is judge, decide this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!" |
| 28但是阿孟子民的君王不肯聽從依弗大向他傳報的這些話。 |
28But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him. |
| 29那時上主的神降於依弗大身上，他就走遍基肋阿得和默納協，來到基肋阿得的米茲帕，又從基肋阿得的米茲帕，到了阿孟子民那裏。 |
29The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. |
| 30依弗大向上主許願說：「若你把阿孟子民交於我手中， |
30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. "If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said, |
| 31當我由阿孟子民那裏平安回來時，不論誰由我家門內出來迎接我，誰就應歸上主，我要把他獻作全燔祭。」 |
31"whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a holocaust." |
| 32於是依弗大到阿孟子民那裏與他們交戰，上主把他們交在他手中， |
32Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, |
| 33於是他從阿洛厄爾擊殺他們直到米尼特，直到阿貝耳革辣明，共二十座城，實在是一場大追擊戰；於是阿孟子民在以色列子民前屈服了。 |
33so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the Israelites. |
| 34依弗大回到米茲帕自己家中時，看，他的女兒出來，擊鼓跳舞前來迎接他。她是依弗大的獨生女，除她以外，沒有別的子女。 |
34When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. |
| 35當依弗大一見了她，就撕破衣服說：「哎呀！我的女兒，你真使我苦惱，太叫我作難了！因為我對上主開過口不能收回。」 |
35When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, "Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract." |
| 36她回答他說：「我的父親，你既然對上主開過口，就照你說出的對待我罷！因為上主已對你的敵人阿孟子民，為你報了仇。」 |
36"Father," she replied, "you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites." |
| 37她又向父親說：「請你許我一件事：給我兩個月的期限，讓我與我的伴侶到山上去，哀哭我的童貞。」 |
37 Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions." |
| 38他答應說：「你去罷！」就讓她離去兩個月的時間。她就去了，與她的伴侶在山上哀哭自己的童貞。 |
38"Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains. |
| 39過了兩個月，她回到父親那裏，父親就在她身上還了所許的願；她還沒有認識男子。於是在以色列成為一種風俗： |
39At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed. She had not been intimate with man. It then became a custom in Israel |
| 40每年以色列少女要哀弔基肋阿得人依弗大的女兒，一年四天。 |
40for Israelite women to go yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days of the year. |
