士師記 21
1 以色列人在米斯巴曾起誓說：「我們都不將女兒給便雅憫人為妻。」
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 以色列人來到伯特利，坐在上帝面前直到晚上，放聲痛哭，
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝啊，為何以色列中有這樣缺了一支派的事呢？」
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，百姓起來，在那裏築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭。
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 以色列人彼此問說：「以色列各支派中，誰沒有同會眾上到耶和華面前來呢？」先是以色列人起過大誓說，凡不上米斯巴到耶和華面前來的，必將他治死。
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 以色列人為他們的弟兄便雅憫後悔，說：「如今以色列中絕了一個支派了。
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 我們既在耶和華面前起誓說，必不將我們的女兒給便雅憫人為妻，現在我們當怎樣辦理、使他們剩下的人有妻呢？」
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 又彼此問說：「以色列支派中誰沒有上米斯巴到耶和華面前來呢？」他們就查出基列‧雅比沒有一人進營到會眾那裏；
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 因為百姓被數的時候，沒有一個基列‧雅比人在那裏。
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 會眾就打發一萬二千大勇士，吩咐他們說：「你們去用刀將基列‧雅比人連婦女帶孩子都擊殺了。
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 所當行的就是這樣：要將一切男子和已嫁的女子盡行殺戮。」
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 他們在基列‧雅比人中，遇見了四百個未嫁的處女，就帶到迦南地的示羅營裏。
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 全會眾打發人到臨門磐的便雅憫人那裏，向他們說和睦的話。
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 當時便雅憫人回來了，以色列人就把所存活基列‧雅比的女子給他們為妻，還是不夠。
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 百姓為便雅憫人後悔，因為耶和華使以色列人缺了一個支派。
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 會中的長老說：「便雅憫中的女子既然除滅了，我們當怎樣辦理、使那餘剩的人有妻呢？」
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 又說：「便雅憫逃脫的人當有地業，免得以色列中塗抹了一個支派。
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 只是我們不能將自己的女兒給他們為妻；因為以色列人曾起誓說，有將女兒給便雅憫人為妻的，必受咒詛。」
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 他們又說：「在利波拿以南，伯特利以北，在示劍大路以東的示羅，年年有耶和華的節期」；
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 就吩咐便雅憫人說：「你們去，在葡萄園中埋伏。
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 若看見示羅的女子出來跳舞，就從葡萄園出來，在示羅的女子中各搶一個為妻，回便雅憫地去。
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 他們的父親或是弟兄若來與我們爭競，我們就說：『求你們看我們的情面，施恩給這些人，因我們在爭戰的時候沒有給他們留下女子為妻。這也不是你們將女子給他們的；若是你們給的，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 於是便雅憫人照樣而行，按着他們的數目從跳舞的女子中搶去為妻，就回自己的地業去，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 當時以色列人離開那裏，各歸本支派、本宗族、本地業去了。
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 那時，以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
