士师记 21
1 以色列人在米斯巴曾起誓说：“我们都不将女儿给便雅悯人为妻。”
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
2 以色列人来到伯特利，坐在 神面前直到晚上，放声痛哭，
The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
3 说：“耶和华—以色列的 神啊，为何以色列中有这样缺了一支派的事呢？”
“Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
4 次日清早，百姓起来，在那里筑了一座坛，献燔祭和平安祭。
The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5 以色列人彼此问说：“以色列各支派中，谁没有同会众上到耶和华面前来呢？”先是以色列人起过大誓说，凡不上米斯巴到耶和华面前来的，必将他治死。
“Which of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord?” they asked. For they had sworn a sacred oath that anyone who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah would without exception be executed.
6 以色列人为他们的弟兄便雅悯后悔，说：“如今以色列中绝了一个支派了。
The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
7 我们既在耶和华面前起誓说，必不将我们的女儿给便雅悯人为妻，现在我们当怎样办理、使他们剩下的人有妻呢？”
What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn an oath before the Lord that we will not allow any of our daughters to marry them?”
8 又彼此问说：“以色列支派中谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华面前来呢？”他们就查出基列·雅比没有一人进营到会众那里；
Then they asked, “Which one of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord at Mizpah?” They found out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly,
9 因为百姓被数的时候，没有一个基列·雅比人在那里。
for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
10 会众就打发一万二千大勇士，吩咐他们说：“你们去用刀将基列·雅比人连妇女带孩子都击杀了。
So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their best warriors there. They gave them orders, saying, “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with your swords, even the women and children.
11 所当行的就是这样：要将一切男子和已嫁的女子尽行杀戮。”
This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
12 他们在基列·雅比人中，遇见了四百个未嫁的处女，就带到迦南地的示罗营里。
They managed to find among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred virgins who had not had sex with a man. They took them to the camp in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 全会众打发人到临门磐的便雅悯人那里，向他们说和睦的话。
Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
14 当时便雅悯人回来了，以色列人就把所存活基列·雅比的女子给他们为妻，还是不够。
So the men of Benjamin went back home, and gave to them the four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead who had been spared as wives. However, there wasn't enough for all of them.
15 百姓为便雅悯人后悔，因为耶和华使以色列人缺了一个支派 。
The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
16 会中的长老说：“便雅悯中的女子既然除灭了，我们当怎样办理、使那余剩的人有妻呢？”
The elders of the assembly asked, “What shall we do to supply the remaining wives because all the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 又说：“便雅悯逃脱的人当有地业，免得以色列中涂抹了一个支派。
They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
18 只是我们不能将自己的女儿给他们为妻；因为以色列人曾起誓说，有将女儿给便雅悯人为妻的，必受咒诅。”
But we can't let them have our daughters as wives, since we as the people of Israel swore a sacred oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite is cursed!’”
19 他们又说：“在利波拿以南，伯特利以北，在示剑大路以东的示罗，年年有耶和华的节期”；
Then they said, “Look! Every year there's the Lord's festival in Shiloh. It's held north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, south of Lebonah.”
20 就吩咐便雅悯人说：“你们去，在葡萄园中埋伏。
So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21 若看见示罗的女子出来跳舞，就从葡萄园出来，在示罗的女子中各抢一个为妻，回便雅悯地去。
Keep a lookout, and when you see the young women from Shiloh come out to perform their dances, run out from the vineyards, and each of you abduct a wife for yourself and go back home to the land of Benjamin.
22 他们的父亲或是弟兄若来与我们争竞，我们就说：‘求你们看我们的情面，施恩给这些人，因我们在争战的时候没有给他们留下女子为妻。这也不是你们将女子给他们的；若是你们给的，就算有罪。’”
If their fathers or brothers come complaining to us, we'll tell them, ‘Please do us a favor, because we couldn't find enough wives for them in the war. And it's not as if you're guilty of breaking the oath since you didn't give them in marriage.”
23 于是便雅悯人照样而行，按着他们的数目从跳舞的女子中抢去为妻，就回自己的地业去，又重修城邑居住。
The Benjaminites did as they were ordered. Each man grabbed one of the women dancers up to the total needed and carried her off to be his wife. Then they went back to their own land, where they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
24 当时以色列人离开那里，各归本支派、本宗族、本地业去了。
Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
25 那时，以色列中没有王，各人任意而行。
At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
