士師記 21
1 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。」
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 民眾來到貝特耳，在天主面前，坐在那裏，放聲大哭，直到晚上；
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 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﹖」
They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 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。
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 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! 」
The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
6 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。
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 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﹖」
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
8 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。
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 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。
For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
10 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。
The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
11 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。
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
12 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。
They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 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。
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 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
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
15 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。
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 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﹖」
Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17 又說：「本雅民的遺民該有承嗣，免得以色列中泯沒一支。
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 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! 」
However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
19 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。
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
20 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。
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
21 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。
and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 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。」
It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
23 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。
The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
24 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。
The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
25 那時，在以色列沒有君王，各人任意行事。
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
