< Judges 21 >

1 And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, 'None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.'
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 the people come in to Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice, and weep — a great weeping,
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 and say, 'Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath this been in Israel — to be lacking to-day, from Israel, one tribe?'
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 And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that the people rise early, and build there an altar, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
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 And the sons of Israel say, 'Who [is] he that hath not come up in the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel unto Jehovah?' for the great oath hath been concerning him who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, 'He is surely put to death.'
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 repent concerning Benjamin their brother, and say, 'There hath been to-day cut off one tribe 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 what do we do for them — for those who are left — for wives, and we — we have sworn by Jehovah not to give to them of our daughters for wives?'
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 And they say, 'Who is [that] one out of the tribes of Israel who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh?' and lo, none hath come in unto the camp from Jabesh-Gilead — unto the assembly.
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 And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.
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 the company send there twelve thousand men of the sons of valour, and command them, saying, 'Go — and ye have smitten the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead by the mouth of the sword, even the women and the infants.
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 [is] the thing which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye devote.'
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 they find out of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who have not known man by the lying of a male, and they bring them in unto the camp at Shiloh, which [is] 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 all the company send, and speak, unto the sons of Benjamin who [are] in the rock Rimmon, and proclaim to them 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 Benjamin turneth back at that time, and they give to them the women whom they have kept alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead, and they have not found for [all of] them so.
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 the people repented concerning Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach among the tribes 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 the elders of the company say, 'What do we do to the remnant for wives — for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?'
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 they say, 'A possession of an escaped party [is] to Benjamin, and a tribe is not blotted out 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 and we — we are not able to give to them wives out of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed [is] he who is giving a wife to Benjamin.'
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 say, 'Lo, a festival of Jehovah [is] in Shiloh, from time to time, which [is] on the north of Beth-El, at the rising of the sun, by the highway which is going up from Beth-El to Shechem, and on the south 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 command the sons of Benjamin, saying, 'Go — and ye have laid wait 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 have seen, and lo, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances — then ye have gone out from the vineyards, and caught for you each his wife out of the daughters of Shiloh, and gone to 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 it hath been, when their fathers or their brethren come in to plead unto us, that we have said unto them, Favour us [by] them, for we have not taken [to] each his wife in battle, for ye — ye have not given to them at this time [that] ye are guilty.'
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 the sons of Benjamin do so, and take women according to their number, out of the dancers whom they have taken violently away; and they go, and turn back unto their inheritance, and build the cities, and dwell 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 And the sons of Israel go up and down thence at that time, each to his tribe, and to his family; and they go out thence each to his inheritance.
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 is no king in Israel; each doth that which is right in his own eyes.
那時,在以色列沒有君王,各人任意行事。

< Judges 21 >