| 民長紀 |
Judges |
| 1以色列人曾在米茲帕起誓說：「我們中誰也不可把自己的女兒嫁給本雅明人為妻。」 |
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah that none of them would give his daughter in marriage to anyone from Benjamin. |
| 2民眾來到貝特耳，在天主面前，坐在那裏，放聲大哭，直到晚上； |
2So the people went to Bethel and remained there before God until evening, raising their voices in bitter lament. |
| 3然後說：「上主以色列的天主！為什麼在以色列中間發生了這事，今日竟使以色列中少了一支派？」 |
3They said, "LORD, God of Israel, why has it come to pass in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?" |
| 4次日，百姓一早起來，在那裏築了一座祭壇，獻了全燔祭與和平祭。 |
4Early the next day the people built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings. |
| 5以後，以色列子民問說：「以色列眾支派中，有誰沒有上到上主面前，參加集會呢？」因為他們先前對於那些凡不上米茲帕到上主面前來的人，曾發過嚴誓說：「死無赦！」 |
5Then the Israelites asked, "Are there any among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD for the assembly?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah should be put to death without fail. |
| 6以色列子民對他們的弟兄本雅明起了憐憫之心說：「今天以色列絕了一支派。 |
6 The Israelites were disconsolate over their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off. |
| 7我們曾指着上主起過誓，決不將我們的女兒給他們為妻，那麼，我們怎樣給所剩下的人娶妻呢？」 |
7What can we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" |
| 8他們又問說：「以色列眾支派中，有那一支派沒有上米茲帕來到上主面前呢？」看，由基肋阿得雅貝士中沒有一人入營，參加集會。 |
8And when they asked whether anyone among the tribes of Israel had not come up to the LORD in Mizpah, they found that none of the men of Jabesh-gilead had come to the encampment for the assembly. |
| 9的確，檢閱百姓的時候，沒有一個基肋阿得雅貝士的居民在場。 |
9A roll call of the army established that none of the inhabitants of that city were present. |
| 10因此會眾打發一萬二千勇士到那裏去，吩咐他們說：「你們去用刀屠殺基肋阿得雅貝士的居民，連婦女孩子都在內。 |
10The community, therefore, sent twelve thousand warriors with orders to go to Jabesh-gilead and put those who lived there to the sword, including the women and children. |
| 11你們要這樣作；所有男子和與男子同過房的婦女，盡行殺掉，但要保留處女。」他們就這樣作了。 |
11 They were told to include under the ban all males and every woman who was not still a virgin. |
| 12他們在基肋阿得雅貝士居民之中，尋得了四百個未曾認識過男子，也未曾與男子同過房的少年處女，就把她們帶到客納罕地史羅營裏。 |
12Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had had no relations with men, they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. |
| 13全會眾又打發人往黎孟岩石去，與住在那裏的本雅明子孫談判，與他們講和。 |
13Then the whole community sent a message to the Benjaminites at the rock Rimmon, offering them peace. |
| 14本雅明子孫當時就回來了，會眾就把基肋阿得雅貝士女子中所保留的少女，給他們為妻，但是數目不足。 |
14When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared; but these proved to be not enough for them. |
| 15民眾仍為本雅明人傷心難過，因為上主使以色列支派中有了缺陷。 |
15 The people were still disconsolate over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel. |
| 16會眾的長老說：「本雅明的婦女既然都消滅了，我們怎樣給所剩下的人娶妻呢？」 |
16And the elders of the community said, "What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For every woman in Benjamin has been put to death." |
| 17又說：「本雅明的遺民該有承嗣，免得以色列中泯沒一支。 |
17They said, "Those of Benjamin who survive must have heirs, else one of the Israelite tribes will be wiped out. |
| 18但是，我們不能將自己的女兒給他們為妻，因為以色列曾起誓說：誰把女兒給本雅明人是可詛咒的！」 |
18 Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage, because the Israelites have sworn, 'Cursed be he who gives a woman to Benjamin!'" |
| 19有人說：「看，年年在史羅舉行上主的慶節。」──史羅位於貝特耳之北，貝特耳至舍根大路之東，肋波納之南。 |
19Then they thought of the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah. |
| 20於是他們給本雅明子孫出主意說：「你們往葡萄園去，藏在那裏。 |
20And they instructed the Benjaminites, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards. |
| 21等到你們看見史羅的童女出來列隊跳舞，你們就從葡萄園中出來，從史羅的女兒中，各搶一個為妻，然後回本雅明地方去。 |
21When you see the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dancing, leave the vineyards and each of you seize one of the girls of Shiloh for a wife, and go to the land of Benjamin. |
| 22她們的父親或兄弟若是出來與我們爭論，我們就說：求你們看我們的情面，恩待這些人，因為他們戰場上沒有得到女子為妻；況且又不是你們將女兒交給他們；若是你們給的，那就有罪了。」 |
22When their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, 'Release them to us as a kindness, since we did not take a woman apiece in the war. Had you yourselves given them these wives, you would now be guilty.'" |
| 23本雅明子孫就這樣作了：按數目搶跳舞的女子，各娶一個為妻； |
23The Benjaminites did this; they carried off a wife for each of them from their raid on the dancers, and went back to their own territory, where they rebuilt and occupied the cities. |
| 24以後他們就走了，回到自己的地業，重建城邑，住在那裏。以後以色列子民從那裏各回自己的支派和家族，從那裏各回自己的家鄉。 |
24Also at that time the Israelites dispersed; each of them left for his own heritage in his own clan and tribe. |
| 25那時，在以色列沒有君王，各人任意行事。 |
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best. |
