Judges 11
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
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。
2 And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
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。」
3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
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。
4 Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel
過了一些時候，阿孟子民與以色列交戰。
5 and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
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。
6 “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”
他們同依弗大說：「請你來作我們的統帥，攻打阿孟子民。」
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”
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﹖」
8 They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
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。」
9 But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
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! 」
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”
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。」
11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
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
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”
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﹖」
13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”
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! 」
14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites
依弗大再打發使者去見阿孟子民的君王，
15 to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.
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，
16 But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
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。
17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
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。
18 Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
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。
19 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
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。
20 But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
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。
21 Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,
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，
22 seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
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。
23 Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?
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﹖
24 Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
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﹖
25 Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?
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﹖
26 For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
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﹖
27 I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
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! 」
28 But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
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
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
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。
30 Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
依弗大向上主許願說：「若你把阿孟子民交於我手中，
31 then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
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。」
32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
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，
33 With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.
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
34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
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。
35 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
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。」
36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
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。」
37 She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”
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。」
38 “Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.
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。
39 After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel
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：
40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
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。
