士師記 11
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。
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead had begotten Jephthah.
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，把基肋阿得逐出，他說：「你在我們父家不能承受產業，因為你是外婦的兒子。」
And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons were grown, they expelled Jephthah, and said to him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art 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；有些流氓聚集在他那裏，同他來往。
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob. And vain men were gathered to Jephthah, and they made expeditions with him.
4 過了一些時候，阿孟子民與以色列交戰。
And it came to pass after some time, that the children of Ammon fought with 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。
And when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
6 他們同依弗大說：「請你來作我們的統帥，攻打阿孟子民。」
And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight against the children of Ammon.
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﹖」
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come to me now when ye are in trouble?
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。」
And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Therefore we have returned to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all of us the inhabitants of 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! 」
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye take me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah give them up before me, shall I be your head?
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。」
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Jehovah be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words!
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。依弗大與阿孟交涉
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them; and Jephthah uttered all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah.
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﹖」
And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight against 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! 」
And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok and unto the Jordan; and now restore it peaceably.
14 依弗大再打發使者去見阿孟子民的君王，
And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon,
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，
and said to him, Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
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。
But when they came up from Egypt, then Israel walked through the wilderness as far as 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。
And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom would not hearken. And they also sent to the king of Moab; and he would not. And Israel abode 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，在摩阿農河那邊安營；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。
And they walked through the wilderness, and went round the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east of the land of Moab, and encamped beyond the Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon is the border 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。
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my 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。
But Sihon trusted not Israel, to let him pass through his border, and Sihon gathered all his people, and they encamped in Jahzah; and he fought with 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，擊殺他們；於是以色列便取得住在那地的阿摩黎人所有的土地，
And Jehovah the God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; and Israel took possession of the whole land of the Amorites, who dwelt in that country.
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。
And they possessed all the borders of the Amorites, from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness unto 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﹖
And now Jehovah the God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou take possession of it?
24 你豈不是應佔據你的神革摩士賜你佔領的地，而我們應佔領我們的天主上主，由我們前所驅逐之人的地嗎﹖
Dost not thou possess what Chemosh thy god puts thee in possession of? and whatever Jehovah our God has dispossessed before us, that will we possess.
25 現在，難道你比摩阿士王漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克還強麼﹖他何曾與以色列爭鬥過，或者與他們交戰過﹖
And now art thou indeed better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive with Israel? did he ever fight 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﹖
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its dependent villages, and in Aroer and its dependent villages, and in all the cities that are along the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years — why did ye not recover [them] within 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! 」
So I have not sinned against thee, but it is thou who doest me wrong in making war against me. Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon!
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。依弗大許願
But the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not to the words of Jephthah that he had 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。
Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed to Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
30 依弗大向上主許願說：「若你把阿孟子民交於我手中，
And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt without fail give the children of Ammon into my hand,
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。」
then shall that which cometh forth from the door of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.
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，
And Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah gave them into his hand.
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區服了。依弗大還願
And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, twenty cities, even unto Abel-Cheramim, with a very great slaughter; and the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
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。
And Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambours and with dances; and she was an only child: besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
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。」
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his garments, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I cannot go back.
36 她回來他說：「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。」
And she said to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies, upon the children of Ammon.
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。」
And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go and descend to the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and 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。
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months. And she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon 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：
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, and he performed on her the vow that he had vowed; and she had known no man. And it became a fixed 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。
that from year to year the daughters of Israel go to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
