Judges 21
1 The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, “None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin.”
以色列人曾在米茲帕起誓說：「我們中誰也不可把自己的女兒嫁給本雅明人為妻。」
2 And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
民眾來到貝特耳，在天主面前，坐在那裏，放聲大哭，直到晚上；
3 “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”
然後說：「上主以色列的天主! 為什麼在以色列中間發生了這事，今日竟使以色列中少了一支派﹖」
4 Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
次日，百姓一早起來，在那裏築了一座祭壇，獻了全燔祭與和平祭。
5 “Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?” For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
以後，以色列子民問說：「以色列眾支派中，有誰沒有上到上主面前，參加集會呢﹖」因為他們先前對於那些凡不上米茲帕到上主面前來的人，曾發過嚴誓說：「死無赦! 」
6 And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: “One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
以色列子民對他們的弟兄本雅明起了憐憫之心說：「今天以色列絕了一支派。
7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
我們曾指著上主起過誓，決不將我們的女兒給他們為妻，那麼，我們怎樣給所剩下的人娶妻呢﹖」
8 For this reason, they said, “Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
他們又問說：「以色列眾支派中，有那一支派沒有上米茲帕來到上主面前呢﹖」看，由基肋阿得雅貝士中沒有一人入營，參加集會。
9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
的確，檢閱百姓的時候，沒有一個基肋阿得雅貝士的居民在場。
10 And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones.”
因此會眾打發一萬二千勇士到那裏去，吩咐他們說：「你們去用刀屠殺基肋阿得雅貝士的居民，連婦女孩子都在內。
11 And this shall be what you ought to do: “Every one of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve.”
你們要這樣作；所以男子和與男子同過房的婦女，盡行殺掉，但要保留處女。」他們就這樣作了。
12 And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
他們在基肋阿得雅貝士居民中，尋得了四百個未曾認識過男子，也未曾與男子同過房的少年處女，就把她們帶到客納罕地史羅營裏。
13 And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in peace.
全會眾又打發人往黎孟岩石去，與住在那裏的本雅明子孫談判，與他們講和。
14 And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
本雅明子孫當時就回來了，會眾就把基肋阿得雅貝士女子中所保留的少女，給他們為妻，但是數目不足。史羅搶妻
15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
民眾仍為本雅明人傷心難過，因為上主使以色列支派中有了缺陷。
16 And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
會中的長老說：「本雅明的婦女既然都消滅了，我們怎樣給所剩下的人娶妻呢﹖」
17 and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
又說：「本雅民的遺民該有承嗣，免得以色列中泯沒一支。
18 As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’”
但是，我們不能將自己的女兒給他們為妻，因為以色列曾起誓說：誰把女兒給本雅明人是可詛咒的! 」
19 And they took counsel, and they said, “Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah.”
有人說：「看，年年在史羅舉行上主的慶節。」─使羅位於貝特耳之北，貝特耳至舍根大路之東，肋波納之南。
20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.
於是他們給本雅明子孫出主意說：「你們往葡萄園去，藏在那裏。
21 And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.
等到你們看見史羅的童女出來列隊跳舞，你們就從葡萄園中出來，從史羅的女兒中，各搶一個為妻，然後回本雅明地方去。
22 And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’”
她們的父親或兄弟若是出來與我們爭論，我們就說：求你們看我們的情面，恩待這些人，因為他們戰場上沒有得到女子為妻；況且又不是你們將女兒交給他們；若是你們給的，那就有罪了。」
23 And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
本雅明子孫就這樣作了：按數目搶跳舞的女子，各娶一個為妻；以後他們就走了，回到自己的地業，重建城邑，住在那裏。
24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents.
以後以色列子民從那裏各回自己的支派和家族，從那裏各回自己的家鄉。
25 In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
那時，在以色列沒有君王，各人任意行事。
