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 warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was his father.
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。」
Gilead's wife also gave birth to his other sons. When his wife's sons grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave the house and said to him, “You are not going to inherit anything from our family. 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；有些流氓聚集在他那裏，同他來往。
So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah and they came and went with him.
4 過了一些時候，阿孟子民與以色列交戰。
Some days later, the people of Ammon made war against 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。
When the people of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from 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。」
They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader that we may fight with the people 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﹖」
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “You hated me and forced me to leave my father's house. Why do you come to me now when you 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。」
The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we are turning to you now; come with us and fight with the people of Ammon, and you will become the leader over all who live 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! 」
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the people of Ammon, and if Yahweh gives us victory over them, I will 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。」
The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “May Yahweh be witness between us if we do not do as we 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。依弗大與阿孟交涉
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him leader and commander over them. When he was before Yahweh in Mizpah, Jephthah repeated all the promises he made.
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﹖」
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What is this conflict between us? Why have you come with force to take our 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! 」
The king of the people of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because when Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, over to the Jordan. Now give back those lands in peace.”
14 依弗大再打發使者去見阿孟子民的君王，
Again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people 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 he said, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab and the land of the people 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 they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds and on 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。
When Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let us pass through your land,' the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed at 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。
Then they went through the wilderness and turned away from the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they went along the east side of the land of Moab and they camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not go into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was Moab's border.
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。
Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon; Israel said to him, 'Please, let us pass through your land to the place that is ours.'
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 did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his army together and moved it to Jahaz, and there he fought against 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，
Then Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel and they defeated them. So Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived 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。
They took over everything within the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness 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﹖
So then Yahweh, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, and should you now take possession of their land?
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﹖
Will you not take over the land that Chemosh, your god, gives you? So whatever land Yahweh our God has given us, we will take over.
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﹖
Now are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to have an argument with Israel? Did he ever wage 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﹖
While Israel lived for three hundred years in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are along the banks of the Arnon—why then did you not take them back 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! 」
I have not done you wrong, but you are doing me wrong by attacking me. Yahweh, the judge, will decide today between the people of Israel and the people 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 people of Ammon rejected the warning 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。
Then the Spirit of Yahweh came on Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through to the people of Ammon.
30 依弗大向上主許願說：「若你把阿孟子民交於我手中，
Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If you give me victory over the people of Ammon,
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 whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of Ammon will belong to Yahweh, and I will offer it up as 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，
So Jephthah passed through to the people of Ammon to fight against them, and Yahweh gave him victory.
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
He attacked them and caused a great slaughter from Aroer as far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim. So the people of Ammon were put under the control of the people 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。
Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah, and there his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. She was his only child, and 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。」
As soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh! My daughter! You have crushed me with sorrow, and you have become one who causes me pain! For I have made an oath to Yahweh, and I cannot turn back on my promise.”
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。」
She said to him, “My father, you have made a vow to Yahweh, do to me everything you promised, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you against 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。」
She said to her father, “Let this promise be kept for me. Leave me alone for two months, that I may leave and go down to the hills and grieve over 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。
He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months. She left him, she and her companions, and they grieved her virginity in the hills.
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：
At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did with her according to the promise of the vow he had made. Now she had never slept with a man, and it 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。
that the daughters of Israel every year, for four days, would retell the story of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
