| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1於是以色列全體子民出動，從丹到貝爾舍巴，以及基肋阿得地，全會眾集合起來好像一個人一樣，來到米茲帕上主面前。 |
1 So all the Israelites came out as one man: from Dan to Beer-sheba, and from the land of Gilead, the community was gathered to the LORD at Mizpah. |
| 2全民眾，即以色列各支派的首領，都參與天主百姓的集會；拿刀的步兵，共有四十萬。 |
2The leaders of all the people and all the tribesmen of Israel, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who were swordsmen, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God. |
| 3本雅明子孫也聽說以色列子民到了米茲帕。以色列子民說：「這件惡事是怎樣發生的，請你們述說一遍！」 |
3Meanwhile, the Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites asked to be told how the crime had taken place, |
| 4那被殺的女子的丈夫肋未人就回答說:「我與我的妾來到屬本雅明的基貝亞 , 要在那裏過夜 , |
4and the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, testified: "My concubine and I went into Gibeah of Benjamin for the night. |
| 5基貝亞的公民起來攻擊我，夜間包圍我過夜的住宅，企圖殺害我，並把我的妾強姦致死。 |
5But the citizens of Gibeah rose up against me by night and surrounded the house in which I was. Me they attempted to kill, and my concubine they abused so that she died. |
| 6因為他們在以色列中間行了這窮凶極惡的醜事，我遂將我的妾切成碎塊，遍送以色列基業各地。 |
6So I took my concubine and cut her up and sent her through every part of the territory of Israel, because of the monstrous crime they had committed in Israel. |
| 7以色列子孫，請你們大家說出你們的意見和對策。」 |
7 Now that you are all here, O Israelites, state what you propose to do." |
| 8那時全體民眾好像一個人一樣都起來說：「我們中誰也不要返回自已的帳幕，誰也不要回自己的家， |
8All the people rose as one man to say, "None of us is to leave for his tent or return to his home. |
| 9現在我們就要這樣對付基貝亞，抽籤進攻， |
9Now as for Gibeah, this is what we will do: We will proceed against it by lot, |
| 10由以色列各支派中，每百人抽十人，每千人抽百人，每萬人抽千人，給民眾運送軍糧；待眾人到達本雅明的基貝亞後，按照那城在以色列中間所行的醜事報復它。」 |
10taking from all the tribes of Israel ten men for every hundred, a hundred for every thousand, a thousand for every ten thousand, and procuring supplies for the soldiers who will go to deal fully and suitably with Gibeah of Benjamin for the crime it committed in Israel." |
| 11於是以色列人聯合起來攻擊那城，彼此合作有如一人。 |
11When, therefore, all the men of Israel without exception were leagued together against the city, |
| 12以色列眾支派差人往本雅明支派的各家說：「你們中間怎麼發生了這樣的惡事？ |
12 the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin to say, "What is this evil which has occurred among you? |
| 13現在你們把那些人，即基貝亞的無賴之徒，交出來，我們好處死他們，從以色列中剷除這邪惡。」本雅明子孫卻不肯聽從他兄弟們以色列子民的呼聲； |
13Now give up these corrupt men of Gibeah, that we may put them to death and thus purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites refused to accede to the demand of their brothers, the Israelites. |
| 14本雅明子孫反而從各城聚集起來，來到基貝亞，要與以色列子民交戰。 |
14Instead, the Benjaminites assembled from their other cities to Gibeah, to do battle with the Israelites. |
| 15那一天，本雅明人從各城來的共計兩萬六千拿刀的，基貝亞的居民尚未計算在內。 |
15The number of the Benjaminite swordsmen from the other cities on that occasion was twenty-six thousand, in addition to the inhabitants of Gibeah. |
| 16在這些人中，還有特選的七百精兵，能左右開弓，個個能用機絃拋石，毫釐不爽。 |
16Included in this total were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed, every one of them able to sling a stone at a hair without missing. |
| 17本雅明人除外，以色列人共有四十萬拿刀的，個個都是戰士。 |
17Meanwhile the other Israelites who, without Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen ready for battle, |
| 18以色列子民起身上到貝特耳，求問天主說：「我們中誰該先上去與本雅明子孫作戰？」上主答說：「猶大先去。」 |
18 moved on to Bethel and consulted God. When the Israelites asked who should go first in the attack on the Benjaminites, the LORD said, "Judah shall go first." |
| 19於是以色列子民早晨起來，對着基貝亞安營。 |
19The next day the Israelites advanced on Gibeah with their forces. |
| 20以色列人出來要與本雅明人交戰，遂在基貝亞前面擺陣等待他們。 |
20On the day the Israelites drew up in battle array at Gibeah for the combat with Benjamin, |
| 21本雅明子孫從基貝亞出來迎戰，那一天殺死了二萬二千以色列人。 |
21the Benjaminites came out of the city and felled twenty-two thousand men of Israel. |
| 22以後，眾以色列又鼓起勇氣，又在前一日布陣的地方布陣。 |
22Then the Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening. "Shall I again engage my brother Benjamin in battle?" they asked the LORD; and the LORD answered that they should. |
| 23事前，以色列子民先上到貝特耳，在上主面前哀哭，一直到晚上，然後求問上主說：「我們可否再去與我們的弟兄本雅明交戰？」上主答說：「可上去攻打。」 |
23But though the Israelite soldiers took courage and again drew up for combat in the same place as on the previous day, |
| 24於是第二天，以色列子民又去攻打本雅明子孫。 |
24when they met the Benjaminites for the second time, |
| 25本雅明人第二天也從基貝亞出來與以色列人交戰，又殺死了一萬八千以色列子民，都是拿刀的人。 |
25once again the Benjaminites who came out of Gibeah against them felled eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them swordsmen. |
| 26以色列眾子民，即全民眾，又上到貝特耳，坐在上主面前哀哭，整日禁食直到晚上；以後，在上主面前獻了全燔祭與和平祭。 |
26So the entire Israelite army went up to Bethel, where they wept and remained fasting before the LORD until evening of that day, besides offering holocausts and peace offerings before the LORD. |
| 27-28【那時天主的約櫃正在那裏，同時有亞郎的子孫厄肋阿匝爾的兒子丕乃哈斯在約櫃前供職。】以色列子民又求問上主說：「我們是否應再去與我們的弟兄本雅明人交戰？或是休戰？」上主答說：「你們應上去，因為我明天必將他們交在你們手中。」 |
27When the Israelites consulted the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, |
| 29以色列人就在基貝亞四周設下伏兵。 |
28and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was ministering to him in those days), and asked, "Shall I go out again to battle with Benjamin, my brother, or shall I desist?" the LORD said, "Attack! for tomorrow I will deliver him into your power." |
| 30第三天以色列子民上去攻打本雅明子孫，在基貝亞對面布陣，像前兩次一樣。 |
29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. |
| 31本雅明子孫出來迎敵，被引出城外，在兩條大路上──一條通往貝特耳，一條通往基貝紅──像前兩次一樣，開始殺敵，在田野就殺死了約有三十個以色列人。 |
30The Israelites went up against the Benjaminites for the third time and formed their line of battle at Gibeah as on other occasions. |
| 32本雅明子孫遂說：「他們像前次一樣，在我們面前打敗了。」但以色列子民卻說：「我們不如後退，引他們遠離城，到大路上來。」 |
31The Benjaminites went out to meet them, and in the beginning they killed off about thirty of the Israelite soldiers in the open field, just as on the other occasions. |
| 33當以色列眾人從他們的地方起來，在巴耳塔瑪爾布陣的時候，以色列的伏兵從革巴西邊埋伏的地方衝出來； |
32Therefore the Benjaminites thought, "We are defeating them as before"; not realizing that disaster was about to overtake them. The Israelites, however, had planned the flight so as to draw them away from the city onto the highways. They were drawn away from the city onto the highways, of which the one led to Bethel, the other to Gibeon. |
| 34全以色列中所選出的一萬精兵齊來攻打基貝亞，戰爭非常激烈，但是本雅明人還不知道大禍臨頭。 |
33And then all the men of Israel rose from their places. They re-formed their ranks at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush rushed from their place west of Gibeah, |
| 35上主在以色列前打擊本雅明人，那一天以色列子民殺死本雅明人共有二萬五千一百，都是拿刀的人。 |
34ten thousand picked men from all Israel, and advanced against the city itself. In a fierce battle, |
| 36這樣，本雅明子孫看出自己已失敗。原來以色列人依仗在基貝亞所設下的伏兵，先在本雅明人前退卻； |
35the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel; and on that day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all of them swordsmen. |
| 37伏兵急速衝入基貝亞，衝進之後，用刀屠殺了全城的人。 |
36To the Benjaminites it had looked as though the enemy were defeated, for the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, trusting in the ambush they had set at Gibeah. |
| 38原先以色列人與伏兵約定，在城內放火，以煙火上騰為號。 |
37But then the men in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, overran it, and put the whole city to the sword. |
| 39以色列人在戰場上撤退的時候，本雅明動手殺死以色列人約有三十人，他們想：「的確，他們如前一仗一樣，在我們前殺敗了。」 |
38Now, the other Israelites had agreed with the men in ambush on a smoke signal they were to send up from the city. |
| 40當煙柱信號從城中上騰的時候，本雅明人轉過身來，見全城煙火沖天； |
39And though the men of Benjamin had begun by killing off some thirty of the men of Israel, under the impression that they were defeating them as surely as in the earlier fighting, the Israelites wheeled about to resist |
| 41那時以色列人也轉身回來；本雅明人大為驚慌，因為看見大禍臨頭， |
40as the smoke of the signal column began to rise up from the city. It was when Benjamin looked back and saw the whole city in flames against the sky |
| 42遂在以色列人面前轉向曠野的路上逃去，但戰士卻追蹤而至，從城裏出來的人也夾擊他們； |
41that the men of Israel wheeled about. Therefore the men of Benjamin were thrown into confusion, for they realized the disaster that had overtaken them. |
| 43這樣，以色列人擊潰了本雅明人，追擊他們，從諾哈蹂躪他們，直到革巴對面的東方之地。 |
42They retreated before the men of Israel in the direction of the desert, with the fight being pressed against them. In their very midst, meanwhile, those who had been in the city were spreading destruction. |
| 44本雅明人陣亡一萬八千，都是勇士。 |
43The men of Benjamin had been surrounded, and were now pursued to a point east of Gibeah, |
| 45其餘的人都轉身向着曠野逃往黎孟岩石，以色列人在路上又掃蕩了他們中五千人；以後，直追到革巴，擊殺了二千人。 |
44while eighteen thousand of them fell, warriors to a man. |
| 46那一日，本雅明中陣亡的，共有二萬五千人， |
45The rest turned and fled through the desert to the rock Rimmon. But on the highways the Israelites picked off five thousand men among them, and chasing them up to Gidom, killed another two thousand of them there. |
| 47所剩下的六百人，轉身逃往曠野，直到黎孟岩石，在黎孟岩石中住了四個月。 |
46Those of Benjamin who fell on that day were in all twenty-five thousand swordsmen, warriors to a man. |
| 48以色列人又回到本雅明子孫那裏，把各城的人和牲畜，以及所遇見的都用刀殺盡；並將所經過的城池放火燒毀。 |
47But six hundred others who turned and fled through the desert reached the rock Rimmon, where they remained for four months. |
