Judges 20
1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, went and gathered at Mizpah before the Lord. The assembly was united in purpose.
於是以色列全體子民出動，從丹到貝爾舍巴，以及基肋阿得地，全會眾集合起來好像一個人一樣，來到米茲帕上主面前。
2 The leaders of all the people of every Israelite tribe took their assigned positions in the assembled army of God's people, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords.
全民眾，即以色列各支派的首領，都參與天主百姓的集會；拿刀的步兵，共有四十萬。
3 The tribe of Benjamin found out that the Israelites had assembled at Mizpah. The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how could such an evil act have happened?”
本雅明子孫也聽說以色列子民上到了米茲帕。以色列子民說：「這件惡事是怎樣發生的，請你們述說一遍! 」
4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, explained, “I and my concubine came to spend the night at the town of Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
那被殺的女子的丈夫肋末人就回答說：「我與我的妾來到屬本雅明的基貝亞，要在那裏過夜，
5 The leaders of Gibeah came to attack me at night. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine and she died.
基貝亞的公民起來攻擊我，夜間包圍我過夜的住宅，企圖殺害我，並把我的妾強姦致死。
6 I took my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent these pieces of her to every part of the country that had been given to Israel, because those men had done something shameful and disgusting in Israel.
因為他們在以色列中間行了這窮兇極惡的醜事，我遂將我的妾切成碎塊，遍送以色列基業各地。
7 So all of you Israelites have to decide here and now what you're going to do about it!”
以色列子孫，請你們說出你們的意見和對策。」
8 Everyone stood up and unitedly declared, “None of us are going home to our tents! None of us are going home to our houses!
那時全體民眾好像一個人一樣都起來說：「我們中誰也不要返回自己的帳幕，誰也不要回自己的家，
9 This is what we're going to do to Gilboah: we will attack it with our forces chosen by lot.
現在我們就要這樣對付基貝亞，抽籤進攻，
10 We'll take ten men from a hundred from all the Israelite tribes, then a hundred from a thousand, then a thousand from ten thousand, to arrange food for the army, so when the troops reach Gibeah in Benjamin, they can pay them back for all these disgusting things they've done in Israel.”
由以色列各支派中，每百人抽十人，每千人抽百人，每萬人抽千人，給民眾運送軍糧；待眾人到達本雅明的基貝亞後，按照那城在以色列中間所行醜事報復它。」
11 All the men of Israel were in agreement and gathered to attack the town.
於是以色列人聯合起來攻擊那城，彼此合作有如一人。本雅明備戰
12 The Israelite tribes also sent men throughout the territory of Benjamin, asking the people, “What are you doing about this terrible evil that has taken place among you?
以色列眾支派差人往本雅明支派的各家說：「你們中間怎樣發生了這樣的惡事﹖
13 Hand over these wicked men so we can execute them and get rid of this evil from Israel!” But the Benjamites refused to listen to what their fellow Israelites had to say.
現在你們把那些人，即基貝亞的無賴之徒，交出來，我們好處死他們，從以色列中鏟除這邪惡。」本雅明子孫卻不肯聽從他兄弟們以色列子民的呼聲；
14 They left their towns and assembled at Gibeah to go and fight the other Israelites.
本雅明子孫反而從各城聚集起來，來到基貝亞，要與以色列子民交戰。
15 That day a total of twenty-six thousand men armed with swords were called up from the towns of Benjamin, in addition to the seven hundred seasoned warriors from Gibeah.
那一天，本雅明人從各城來的共計兩萬六千拿刀的，基貝亞的居民尚未計算在內。
16 Making up part of this army were seven hundred experienced soldiers who used their left hands. All of them could fire a slingshot and not miss by even a hair's breadth.
在這些人中，還有特選的七百精兵，能左右開弓，個個能用機絃拋石，毫釐不爽。
17 The Israelite army (excluding Benjamin) numbered four hundred thousand seasoned warriors, all armed with swords.
本雅明人除外，以色列人共有四十萬拿刀的，個個都是戰士。兩次進攻失利
18 The Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which ones of us should be the first to go and fight the Benjamites?” “Judah is to go first,” the Lord replied.
以色列子民起身上到貝特耳，求問天主說：「我們中誰該先上去與本雅明子孫作戰﹖」上主答說：「猶大先去。」
19 The next morning the Israelites left and set up their camp near Gibeah.
於是以色列子明早晨起來，對著基貝亞安營。
20 Then they marched out for battle with the army of Benjamin, taking up their positions to attack Gibeah.
以色列人出來要與本雅明人交戰，遂在基貝亞前面擺陣等待他們。
21 But the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.
本雅明子孫從基貝亞出來迎戰，那一天殺死了兩萬兩千以色列人。
22 But the Israelites encouraged one other to be confident, and they took up the same positions they had on the first day.
以後，眾以色列又鼓起勇氣，又在前一日布陣的地方布陣。
23 The Israelites went and cried before the Lord until the evening and asked, “Should we go and attack the Benjamites again, our relatives?” “Go and attack them,” the Lord replied.
事前，以色列子民先上到貝特耳，在上主面前哀哭，一直到晚上，然後求問上主說：「我們可否再去與我們的弟兄本雅明交戰﹖」上主答說：「可上去攻打。」
24 So the second day they advanced to attack the army of Benjamin.
於是第二天，以色列子民又去攻打本雅明子孫。
25 However, Benjamites came out of Gibeah once more and slaughtered eighteen thousand Israelites, all armed with swords.
本雅明人第二天也從基貝亞出來與以色列人交戰，又殺死一萬八千以色列子民，都是拿刀的人。
26 Then all the Israelites and all their army went to Bethel, and sat crying there before the Lord. That day they fasted until evening and gave burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.
以色列眾子民，即全民眾，又上到貝特耳，坐在上主面前哀哭，整日禁食到晚上；以後，在上主面前獻了全燔祭與和平祭。【
27 The Israelites asked the Lord what to do. At that time the Ark of God's Agreement was kept there.
那時天主的約櫃正在那裏，同時有亞郎的子孫厄肋阿匝爾的兒子丕乃哈斯在約櫃前供職。】以色列子民又求問上主說：「我們是否應再去與我們的弟兄本雅明人交戰﹖或是休戰﹖」上主答說：「你們應上去，因為我明天必將他們交在你們手中。」
28 Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was the priest. The Israelites asked the Lord, “Should go and we fight again against our relatives from Benjamin, or not?” “Yes, go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you,” the Lord replied.
以色列人就在基貝亞四周設下伏兵。
29 Then the Israelites set up an ambush around Gibeah.
第三天以色列子民上去攻打本雅明子孫，在基貝亞對面布陣，像前兩次一樣。
30 On the third day they took up the same positions they had as before.
本雅明子孫出來迎敵，被引出城外，在兩條大路上，─一條通往貝特耳，一條通往基貝紅，─像前兩次一樣，開始殺敵，在田野就殺死了約有三十個以色列人。
31 The Benjamites came out to attack them and were lured away from the town as they began to kill Israelites as they had before. Some thirty Israelites died on the battlefield and along the roads, the one that goes towards Bethel and the other that goes back towards Gibeah.
本雅明子孫遂說：「他們像前次一樣，在我們面前打敗了。」但以色列子民卻說：「我們不如後退，引他們遠離城，到大路上來。」
32 “We're defeating them, just like before,” the Benjamites shouted. But the Israelites said, “Let's run away from them and lure them away from the town towards the roads.”
當以色列眾人從他們的地方起來，在巴耳塔瑪爾布陣的時候，以色列的伏兵從革巴西邊埋伏的地方衝出來；
33 The main army of Israelites left where they were and took up positions at Baal-tamar, while those in the ambush west of Gibeah charged out to attack from where they had been hiding.
全以色列中所選出的一萬精兵齊來攻打基貝亞，戰爭非常激烈，但是本雅明人還不知道大禍臨頭。
34 Ten thousand seasoned Israelite warriors attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was so intense the Benjamites didn't realize they were on the brink of disaster.
上主在以色列前打擊本雅明人，那一天以色列子民殺死本雅明人共有二萬五千一百，都是拿刀的人。
35 So the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. That day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites, all armed with swords.
這樣，本雅明子孫看出自己失敗。原來以色列人依仗在基貝亞所設下的伏兵，先在本雅明人前退怯；
36 The Benjamites saw that they were defeated. The Israelites had fallen back before the Benjamites because they were confident the ambush they had put in place near Gibeah would be successful.
伏兵急速衝入基貝亞，衝進之後，用刀屠殺了全城的人。
37 The men from the ambush raced to attack the town, and they killed everyone in it.
原先以色列人與伏兵約定，在城內放火，以煙火上騰為號。
38 The agreement was that they would send up a great cloud of smoke to show the town had fallen.
以色列人在戰場上撤退的時候，本雅明動手殺死以色列人約有三十人，他們想：「的確，他們如前一仗一樣，在我們前殺敗了。」
39 The Israelite army turned to attack the Benjamites, who had already killed about thirty Israelites. The Benjamites were saying, “We're completely defeating them, just like the first battle!”
當煙柱信號從城中上騰的時候，本雅明人轉過身來，見全城煙火沖天；
40 However, when the Israelites saw the columns of smoke rising heavenwards to form a great cloud over the whole of the town,
那時以色列人也轉身回來；本雅明人大為驚慌，因為看見大禍臨頭，
41 they turned on their enemies. The Benjamites were horrified when they saw it and realized they were doomed.
遂在以色列人面前轉向曠野的路上逃去，但戰士卻追蹤而至，從城裏出來的人也夾擊他們；
42 They turned and ran from the Israelites towards the desert, but the battle caught up with them, and the Israelites also killed those who left the towns on the way.
這樣，以色列人擊潰了本雅明人，追擊他們，從諾哈蹂躪他們，直到革巴對面的東方之地。
43 Chasing after the Benjamites, the Israelites surrounded them, easily overtaking them east of Gibeah.
本雅明人陣亡一萬八千，都是勇士。
44 Eighteen thousand Benjamites were killed, all of them courageous warriors.
其餘的人都轉身向著曠野逃往黎孟岩石，以色列人在路上又掃蕩了他們中五千人；以後，直追到革巴，擊殺了二千人。
45 Some of the Benjamites that were left ran towards Pomegranate Rock in the desert, and the Israelites killed another five thousand men on the way. They chased another group of Benjamites as far as Gidom and killed another thousand.
那一日，本雅明中陣亡的，共有二萬五千人，
46 So that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite were killed, all armed with swords and all courageous warriors.
所剩下的六百人，
47 There were six hundred who ran away to Pomegranate Rock in the desert and they stayed there four months.
轉身逃往曠野，直到黎孟岩石，在黎孟岩石中住了四個月。
48 The Israelites went back into the territory of the Benjamites, and going from town to town, they killed everything: people, animals, everything they found. Then they burned down every town on their way.
以色列人又回到本雅明子孫那裏，把各城的人和牲畜，以及所遇見的都用刀殺盡；並將所經過的城池放火燒燬。
