士师记 21
1 以色列人在米斯巴曾起誓说：“我们都不将女儿给便雅悯人为妻。”
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 以色列人来到伯特利，坐在 神面前直到晚上，放声痛哭，
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 说：“耶和华—以色列的 神啊，为何以色列中有这样缺了一支派的事呢？”
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 次日清早，百姓起来，在那里筑了一座坛，献燔祭和平安祭。
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 以色列人彼此问说：“以色列各支派中，谁没有同会众上到耶和华面前来呢？”先是以色列人起过大誓说，凡不上米斯巴到耶和华面前来的，必将他治死。
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
6 以色列人为他们的弟兄便雅悯后悔，说：“如今以色列中绝了一个支派了。
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 我们既在耶和华面前起誓说，必不将我们的女儿给便雅悯人为妻，现在我们当怎样办理、使他们剩下的人有妻呢？”
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
8 又彼此问说：“以色列支派中谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华面前来呢？”他们就查出基列·雅比没有一人进营到会众那里；
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 因为百姓被数的时候，没有一个基列·雅比人在那里。
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 会众就打发一万二千大勇士，吩咐他们说：“你们去用刀将基列·雅比人连妇女带孩子都击杀了。
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 所当行的就是这样：要将一切男子和已嫁的女子尽行杀戮。”
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 他们在基列·雅比人中，遇见了四百个未嫁的处女，就带到迦南地的示罗营里。
The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
13 全会众打发人到临门磐的便雅悯人那里，向他们说和睦的话。
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
14 当时便雅悯人回来了，以色列人就把所存活基列·雅比的女子给他们为妻，还是不够。
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 百姓为便雅悯人后悔，因为耶和华使以色列人缺了一个支派 。
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 会中的长老说：“便雅悯中的女子既然除灭了，我们当怎样办理、使那余剩的人有妻呢？”
Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 又说：“便雅悯逃脱的人当有地业，免得以色列中涂抹了一个支派。
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 只是我们不能将自己的女儿给他们为妻；因为以色列人曾起誓说，有将女儿给便雅悯人为妻的，必受咒诅。”
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
19 他们又说：“在利波拿以南，伯特利以北，在示剑大路以东的示罗，年年有耶和华的节期”；
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 就吩咐便雅悯人说：“你们去，在葡萄园中埋伏。
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 若看见示罗的女子出来跳舞，就从葡萄园出来，在示罗的女子中各抢一个为妻，回便雅悯地去。
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to the land of Benjamin.
22 他们的父亲或是弟兄若来与我们争竞，我们就说：‘求你们看我们的情面，施恩给这些人，因我们在争战的时候没有给他们留下女子为妻。这也不是你们将女子给他们的；若是你们给的，就算有罪。’”
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
23 于是便雅悯人照样而行，按着他们的数目从跳舞的女子中抢去为妻，就回自己的地业去，又重修城邑居住。
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
24 当时以色列人离开那里，各归本支派、本宗族、本地业去了。
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
25 那时，以色列中没有王，各人任意而行。
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
