士师记 11
1 基列人耶弗他是个大能的勇士，是妓女的儿子。耶弗他是基列所生的。
There was at that time Jephte the Galaadite, a most valiant man and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was Galaad.
2 基列的妻也生了几个儿子：他妻所生的儿子长大了，就赶逐耶弗他，说：“你不可在我们父家承受产业，因为你是妓女的儿子。”
Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who after they were grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house of our father, because thou art born of another mother.
3 耶弗他就逃避他的弟兄，去住在陀伯地，有些匪徒到他那里聚集，与他一同出入。
Then he fled and avoided them and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered to him needy men, and robbers, and they followed him as their prince.
4 过了些日子，亚扪人攻打以色列。
In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 亚扪人攻打以色列的时候，基列的长老到陀伯地去，要叫耶弗他回来；
And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them:
6 对耶弗他说：“请你来作我们的元帅，我们好与亚扪人争战。”
And they said to him: Come thou and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.
7 耶弗他回答基列的长老说：“从前你们不是恨我、赶逐我出离父家吗？现在你们遭遇急难为何到我这里来呢？”
And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast me out of my father’s house, and now you are come to me constrained by necessity?
8 基列的长老回答耶弗他说：“现在我们到你这里来，是要你同我们去，与亚扪人争战；你可以作基列一切居民的领袖。”
And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are now come to thee, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all the inhabitants of Galaad.
9 耶弗他对基列的长老说：“你们叫我回去，与亚扪人争战，耶和华把他交给我，我可以作你们的领袖吗？”
Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my band, shall I be your prince?
10 基列的长老回答耶弗他说：“有耶和华在你我中间作见证，我们必定照你的话行。”
They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.
11 于是耶弗他同基列的长老回去，百姓就立耶弗他作领袖、作元帅。耶弗他在米斯巴将自己的一切话陈明在耶和华面前。
Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the people made him their prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the Lord in Maspha.
12 耶弗他打发使者去见亚扪人的王，说：“你与我有什么相干，竟来到我国中攻打我呢？”
And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, to say in his name, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to waste my land?
13 亚扪人的王回答耶弗他的使者说：“因为以色列人从埃及上来的时候占据我的地，从亚嫩河到雅博河，直到约旦河。现在你要好好地将这地归还吧！”
And he answered them: I Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the confines of the Arnon unto the Jaboc and the Jordan: now therefore restore the same peaceably to me.
14 耶弗他又打发使者去见亚扪人的王，
And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to the king of Ammon:
15 对他说：“耶弗他如此说，以色列人并没有占据摩押地和亚扪人的地。
Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 以色列人从埃及上来乃是经过旷野到红海，来到加低斯，
But when they came up out of Egypt, he walked through the desert to the Red Sea and came into Cades.
17 就打发使者去见以东王，说：‘求你容我从你的地经过。’以东王却不应允。又照样打发使者去见摩押王，他也不允准。以色列人就住在加低斯。
And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Suffer me to pass through thy land. But he would not condescend to his request. He sent also to the king of Moab, who likewise refused to give him passage. He abode therefore in Cades,
18 他们又经过旷野，绕着以东和摩押地，从摩押地的东边过来，在亚嫩河边安营，并没有入摩押的境内，因为亚嫩河是摩押的边界。
And went round the land of Edom at the side, and the land of Moab: and came over against the east coast of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon: and he would not enter the bounds of Moab.
19 以色列人打发使者去见亚摩利王西宏，就是希实本的王，对他说：‘求你容我们从你的地经过，往我们自己的地方去。’
So Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon, and they said to him: Suffer me to pass through thy land to the river.
20 西宏却不信服以色列人，不容他们经过他的境界，乃招聚他的众民在雅杂安营，与以色列人争战。
But he also despising the words of Israel, suffered him not to pass through his borders: but gathering an infinite multitude, went out against him to Jasa, and made strong opposition.
21 耶和华—以色列的 神将西宏和他的众民都交在以色列人手中，以色列人就击杀他们，得了亚摩利人的全地：
And the Lord delivered him with all his army into the hands of Israel, and he slew him, and possessed all the land of the Amorrhite the inhabitant of that country,
22 从亚嫩河到雅博河，从旷野直到约旦河。
And all the coasts thereof from the Arnon to the Jaboc, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 耶和华—以色列的 神在他百姓以色列面前赶出亚摩利人，你竟要得他们的地吗？
So the Lord the God of Israel destroyed the Amorrhite, his people of Israel fighting against him, and wilt thou now possess this land?
24 你的神基抹所赐你的地你不是得为业吗？耶和华—我们的 神在我们面前所赶出的人，我们就得他的地。
Are not those things which thy god Chamos possesseth, due to thee by right? But what the Lord our God hath obtained by conquest, shall be our possession:
25 难道你比摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒还强吗？他曾与以色列人争竞，或是与他们争战吗？
Unless perhaps thou art better than Balac the son of Sephor king of Moab: or canst shew that he strove against Israel and fought against him,
26 以色列人住希实本和属希实本的乡村，亚罗珥和属亚罗珥的乡村，并沿亚嫩河的一切城邑，已经有三百年了；在这三百年之内，你们为什么没有取回这些地方呢？
Whereas he hath dwelt in Hesebon, and the villages thereof, and in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan, for three hundred years. Why have you for so long a time attempted nothing about this claim?
27 原来我没有得罪你，你却攻打我，恶待我。愿审判人的耶和华今日在以色列人和亚扪人中间判断是非。”
Therefore I do not trespass against thee, but thou wrongest me by declaring an unjust war against me. The Lord be judge and decide this day between Israel and the children of Ammon.
28 但亚扪人的王不肯听耶弗他打发人说的话。
And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers.
29 耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上，他就经过基列和玛拿西，来到基列的米斯巴，又从米斯巴来到亚扪人那里。
Therefore the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephte, and going round Galaad, and Manasses, and Maspha of Galaad, and passing over from thence to the children of Ammon,
30 耶弗他就向耶和华许愿，说：“你若将亚扪人交在我手中，
He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,
31 我从亚扪人那里平平安安回来的时候，无论什么人，先从我家门出来迎接我，就必归你，我也必将他献上为燔祭。”
Whosoever shall first come forth out of the doors of my house, and shall meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, the same will I offer a holocaust to the Lord.
32 于是耶弗他往亚扪人那里去，与他们争战；耶和华将他们交在他手中，
And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon, to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 他就大大杀败他们，从亚罗珥到米匿，直到亚备勒·基拉明，攻取了二十座城。这样亚扪人就被以色列人制伏了。
And he smote them from Aroer till you come to Mennith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is set with vineyards, with a very great slaughter: and the children of Ammon were humbled by the children of Israel.
34 耶弗他回米斯巴到了自己的家，不料，他女儿拿着鼓跳舞出来迎接他，是他独生的，此外无儿无女。
And when Jephte returned into Maspha to his house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other children.
35 耶弗他看见她，就撕裂衣服，说：“哀哉！我的女儿啊，你使我甚是愁苦，叫我作难了；因为我已经向耶和华开口许愿，不能挽回。”
And when he saw her, he rent his garments, and said: Alas! my daughter, thou hast deceived me, and thou thyself art deceived: for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do no other thing.
36 他女儿回答说：“父啊，你既向耶和华开口，就当照你口中所说的向我行，因耶和华已经在仇敌亚扪人身上为你报仇”；
And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies.
37 又对父亲说：“有一件事求你允准：容我去两个月，与同伴在山上，好哀哭我终为处女。”
And she said to her father: Grant me only this which I desire: Let me go, that I may go about the mountains for two months, and may bewail my virginity with my companions.
38 耶弗他说：“你去吧！”就容她去两个月。她便和同伴去了，在山上为她终为处女哀哭。
And he answered her: Go. And he sent her away for two months. And when she was gone with her comrades and companions, she mourned her virginity in the mountains.
39 两月已满，她回到父亲那里，父亲就照所许的愿向她行了。女儿终身没有亲近男子。
And the two months being expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed, and she knew no man. From thence came a fashion in Israel, and a custom has been kept:
40 此后以色列中有个规矩，每年以色列的女子去为基列人耶弗他的女儿哀哭四天。
That from year to year the daughters of Israel assemble together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite for four days.
