士師記 11
1 基列人耶弗他是個大能的勇士，是妓女的兒子。耶弗他是基列所生的。
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute. And Gilead became the father of Jephthah.
2 基列的妻也生了幾個兒子：他妻所生的兒子長大了，就趕逐耶弗他，說：「你不可在我們父家承受產業，因為你是妓女的兒子。」
Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman."
3 耶弗他就逃避他的弟兄，去住在陀伯地，有些匪徒到他那裏聚集，與他一同出入。
Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and lived in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him.
4 過了些日子，亞捫人攻打以色列。
It happened after a while, that the people of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 亞捫人攻打以色列的時候，基列的長老到陀伯地去，要叫耶弗他回來；
It was so, that when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob;
6 對耶弗他說：「請你來作我們的元帥，我們好與亞捫人爭戰。」
and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the people of Ammon."
7 耶弗他回答基列的長老說：「從前你們不是恨我、趕逐我出離父家嗎？現在你們遭遇急難為何到我這裏來呢？」
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house, and sent me away from you? And why have you come to me now when you are in distress?"
8 基列的長老回答耶弗他說：「現在我們到你這裏來，是要你同我們去，與亞捫人爭戰；你可以作基列一切居民的領袖。」
The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Not so. We have turned to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the people of Ammon; and you shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."
9 耶弗他對基列的長老說：「你們叫我回去，與亞捫人爭戰，耶和華把他交給我，我可以作你們的領袖嗎？」
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them before me, shall I be your head?"
10 基列的長老回答耶弗他說：「有耶和華在你我中間作見證，我們必定照你的話行。」
The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD shall be witness between us; surely according to your word so will we do."
11 於是耶弗他同基列的長老回去，百姓就立耶弗他作領袖、作元帥。耶弗他在米斯巴將自己的一切話陳明在耶和華面前。
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
12 耶弗他打發使者去見亞捫人的王，說：「你與我有甚麼相干，竟來到我國中攻打我呢？」
Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, "What have you to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?"
13 亞捫人的王回答耶弗他的使者說：「因為以色列人從埃及上來的時候佔據我的地，從亞嫩河到雅博河，直到約旦河。現在你要好好地將這地歸還吧！」
And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore it peaceably, and I will depart."
14 耶弗他又打發使者去見亞捫人的王，
And the messengers returned to Jephthah, and Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the people of Ammon;
15 對他說：「耶弗他如此說，以色列人並沒有佔據摩押地和亞捫人的地。
and he said to him, "Thus says Jephthah: 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon,
16 以色列人從埃及上來乃是經過曠野到紅海，來到加低斯，
but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 就打發使者去見以東王，說：『求你容我從你的地經過。』以東王卻不應允。又照樣打發使者去見摩押王，他也不允准。以色列人就住在加低斯。
then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let me pass through your land.' But the king of Edom did not listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab; but he would not. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
18 他們又經過曠野，繞着以東和摩押地，從摩押地的東邊過來，在亞嫩河邊安營，並沒有入摩押的境內，因為亞嫩河是摩押的邊界。
Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not come within the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.
19 以色列人打發使者去見亞摩利王西宏，就是希實本的王，對他說：『求你容我們從你的地經過，往我們自己的地方去。』
Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, "Please let me pass through your land to our land.'
20 西宏卻不信服以色列人，不容他們經過他的境界，乃招聚他的眾民在雅雜安營，與以色列人爭戰。
But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and camped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21 耶和華－以色列的上帝將西宏和他的眾民都交在以色列人手中，以色列人就擊殺他們，得了亞摩利人的全地：
The LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22 從亞嫩河到雅博河，從曠野直到約旦河。
They possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
23 耶和華－以色列的上帝在他百姓以色列面前趕出亞摩利人，你竟要得他們的地嗎？
So now the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?
24 你的神基抹所賜你的地你不是得為業嗎？耶和華－我們的上帝在我們面前所趕出的人，我們就得他的地。
Won't you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has driven out from before us, we will possess.
25 難道你比摩押王西撥的兒子巴勒還強嗎？他曾與以色列人爭競，或是與他們爭戰嗎？
And now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
26 以色列人住希實本和屬希實本的鄉村，亞羅珥和屬亞羅珥的鄉村，並沿亞嫩河的一切城邑，已經有三百年了；在這三百年之內，你們為甚麼沒有取回這些地方呢？
While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; why did you not liberate them within that time?
27 原來我沒有得罪你，你卻攻打我，惡待我。願審判人的耶和華今日在以色列人和亞捫人中間判斷是非。」
I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong by making war against me. The LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon."
28 但亞捫人的王不肯聽耶弗他打發人說的話。
However the king of the people of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29 耶和華的靈降在耶弗他身上，他就經過基列和瑪拿西，來到基列的米斯巴，又從米斯巴來到亞捫人那裏。
Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the people of Ammon.
30 耶弗他就向耶和華許願，說：「你若將亞捫人交在我手中，
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If you will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hand,
31 我從亞捫人那裏平平安安回來的時候，無論甚麼人，先從我家門出來迎接我，就必歸你，我也必將他獻上為燔祭。」
then it shall be that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, it shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."
32 於是耶弗他往亞捫人那裏去，與他們爭戰；耶和華將他們交在他手中，
So Jephthah passed over to the people of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
33 他就大大殺敗他們，從亞羅珥到米匿，直到亞備勒‧基拉明，攻取了二十座城。這樣亞捫人就被以色列人制伏了。
He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 耶弗他回米斯巴到了自己的家，不料，他女兒拿着鼓跳舞出來迎接他，是他獨生的，此外無兒無女。
Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and look, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 耶弗他看見她，就撕裂衣服，說：「哀哉！我的女兒啊，你使我甚是愁苦，叫我作難了；因為我已經向耶和華開口許願，不能挽回。」
And it happened, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter. You have brought me very low. You have become a stumbling block in my sight. And you are among those who trouble me. For I have given my word to the LORD, and I can't break it."
36 他女兒回答說：「父啊，你既向耶和華開口，就當照你口中所說的向我行，因耶和華已經在仇敵亞捫人身上為你報仇」；
She said to him, "My father, since you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you promised, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the people of Ammon."
37 又對父親說：「有一件事求你允准：容我去兩個月，與同伴在山上，好哀哭我終為處女。」
She said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions."
38 耶弗他說：「你去吧！」就容她去兩個月。她便和同伴去了，在山上為她終為處女哀哭。
He said, "Go." He sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and wept because of her virginity on the mountains.
39 兩月已滿，她回到父親那裏，父親就照所許的願向她行了。女兒終身沒有親近男子。
It happened at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to what he had vowed. And she was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel,
40 此後以色列中有個規矩，每年以色列的女子去為基列人耶弗他的女兒哀哭四天。
that the daughters of Israel went yearly four days in a year to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
