Judges 11
1 [There was a man] from [the] Gilead [region] named Jephthah. He was a great warrior. His father was also named Gilead. But his mother was a prostitute.
基列人耶弗他是个大能的勇士，是妓女的儿子。耶弗他是基列所生的。
2 Gilead’s wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, “You are the son of a prostitute, [not the son of our mother]. So [when] our father [dies], you will not receive any of his property.”
基列的妻也生了几个儿子：他妻所生的儿子长大了，就赶逐耶弗他，说：“你不可在我们父家承受产业，因为你是妓女的儿子。”
3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he went to the Tob region. While he was there, some worthless men started to spend a lot of time with him.
耶弗他就逃避他的弟兄，去住在陀伯地，有些匪徒到他那里聚集，与他一同出入。
4 Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
过了些日子，亚扪人攻打以色列。
5 When that happened [DOU], the leaders of [the] Gilead [region] went to Jephthah to bring him back from the Tob region [to their area].
亚扪人攻打以色列的时候，基列的长老到陀伯地去，要叫耶弗他回来；
6 They said to him, “Come [with us] and lead our army, and [help us to] fight against the men from the Ammon people-group!”
对耶弗他说：“请你来作我们的元帅，我们好与亚扪人争战。”
7 But Jephthah replied, “You hated me [RHQ] previously! You forced me to leave my father’s house! So why are you coming to me now, [asking me to help you] when you are experiencing trouble?”
耶弗他回答基列的长老说：“从前你们不是恨我、赶逐我出离父家吗？现在你们遭遇急难为何到我这里来呢？”
8 The leaders from Gilead replied, “[Yes, we are having trouble, and] that is the reason that we have come to you now. If you come with us and [help us to] fight against the Ammon people-group, [after we defeat them, we will appoint] you to be the leader of all us people in [the] Gilead [region].”
基列的长老回答耶弗他说：“现在我们到你这里来，是要你同我们去，与亚扪人争战；你可以作基列一切居民的领袖。”
9 Jephthah replied, “If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the Ammon people-group, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, will you truly appoint me to be your leader?”
耶弗他对基列的长老说：“你们叫我回去，与亚扪人争战，耶和华把他交给我，我可以作你们的领袖吗？”
10 They replied, “Yahweh is listening to everything that we say. [So he will punish us] if we do not do everything that you tell us to do.”
基列的长老回答耶弗他说：“有耶和华在你我中间作见证，我们必定照你的话行。”
11 So Jephthah went with them back to [the] Gilead [region], and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah solemnly promised to Yahweh there at Mizpah [to serve him well].
于是耶弗他同基列的长老回去，百姓就立耶弗他作领袖、作元帅。耶弗他在米斯巴将自己的一切话陈明在耶和华面前。
12 Jephthah sent some messengers to the king of the Ammon people-group. They asked the king, “What have we [done to make you angry, with the result] that your army is coming to fight [against the people] in our land?”
耶弗他打发使者去见亚扪人的王，说：“你与我有什么相干，竟来到我国中攻打我呢？”
13 The king replied, “[We have come to fight against you Israelis because] you took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan [River], from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north]. So if you now give it back to us, there (will be peace between us/we will not fight against you).”
亚扪人的王回答耶弗他的使者说：“因为以色列人从埃及上来的时候占据我的地，从亚嫩河到雅博河，直到约旦河。现在你要好好地将这地归还吧！”
14 [The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
耶弗他又打发使者去见亚扪人的王，
15 They said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘It is not [true] that we Israelis took the land from the Moab people-group and the Ammon people-group.
对他说：“耶弗他如此说，以色列人并没有占据摩押地和亚扪人的地。
16 When the Israeli people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and then [walked across it and traveled to Kadesh town at the border of the Edom region].
以色列人从埃及上来乃是经过旷野到红海，来到加低斯，
17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edom people-group, to say to him, “Please allow us Israelis to walk across your land.” But the king of the Edom people-group refused. Later we sent the same message to the king of the Moab people-group, but he also refused to allow the Israelis to go through his land. So the Israelis stayed at Kadesh [for a long time].
就打发使者去见以东王，说：‘求你容我从你的地经过。’以东王却不应允。又照样打发使者去见摩押王，他也不允准。以色列人就住在加低斯。
18 Then the Israelis went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab regions. They walked east of the Moab region, east of the Arnon [River, which is the eastern border of the Moab region]. They did not cross that river to enter [the] Moab [region].
他们又经过旷野，绕着以东和摩押地，从摩押地的东边过来，在亚嫩河边安营，并没有入摩押的境内，因为亚嫩河是摩押的边界。
19 ‘Then the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. They asked him, “Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we [are going].”
以色列人打发使者去见亚摩利王西宏，就是希实本的王，对他说：‘求你容我们从你的地经过，往我们自己的地方去。’
20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelis; [he thought that they would steal some of the things in his land]. So he gathered all his troops and they set up their tents at Jahaz [village] and then they attacked the Israelis.
西宏却不信服以色列人，不容他们经过他的境界，乃招聚他的众民在雅杂安营，与以色列人争战。
21 But Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], enabled the Israeli army to defeat [IDM] Sihon and his army. Then they (took possession of/started to live in) all the land where the Amor people-group had lived.
耶和华—以色列的 神将西宏和他的众民都交在以色列人手中，以色列人就击杀他们，得了亚摩利人的全地：
22 The Israelis took all the land that belonged to the Amor people-group, from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north], and from the desert [in the east] to the Jordan [River in the west].
从亚嫩河到雅博河，从旷野直到约旦河。
23 ‘It was Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], who forced the Amor people-group to leave as the Israelis advanced. So do you now think that you can force the Israelis to leave [RHQ]?
耶和华—以色列的 神在他百姓以色列面前赶出亚摩利人，你竟要得他们的地吗？
24 You take the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
你的神基抹所赐你的地你不是得为业吗？耶和华—我们的 神在我们面前所赶出的人，我们就得他的地。
25 (You are no/Are you) better than Zippor’s son Balak, who was the king of the Moab people-group? He never [RHQ] quarreled with the Israeli people, and he never started to fight against us [RHQ]!
难道你比摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒还强吗？他曾与以色列人争竞，或是与他们争战吗？
26 For 300 years the Israeli people have lived in Heshbon and Aroer [cities in your region], and in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon [River]. Why have you people of the Ammon people-group not taken back those cities during all those years [RHQ]?
以色列人住希实本和属希实本的乡村，亚罗珥和属亚罗珥的乡村，并沿亚嫩河的一切城邑，已经有三百年了；在这三百年之内，你们为什么没有取回这些地方呢？
27 We have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by attacking me [and my army]. I trust that Yahweh, the great judge, will decide whether we Israelis are right, or whether you people of the Ammon people-group are right.’”
原来我没有得罪你，你却攻打我，恶待我。愿审判人的耶和华今日在以色列人和亚扪人中间判断是非。”
28 But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
但亚扪人的王不肯听耶弗他打发人说的话。
29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through [the] Gilead [region] and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, [to enlist/gather men for his army]. [He finally gathered them together] in Mizpah [city] in [the] Gilead [region] to fight against the Ammon people-group.
耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上，他就经过基列和玛拿西，来到基列的米斯巴，又从米斯巴来到亚扪人那里。
30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
耶弗他就向耶和华许愿，说：“你若将亚扪人交在我手中，
31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you the first person who comes out of my house [to greet me]. It will be a sacrifice that will be completely burned [on the altar].”
我从亚扪人那里平平安安回来的时候，无论什么人，先从我家门出来迎接我，就必归你，我也必将他献上为燔祭。”
32 Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
于是耶弗他往亚扪人那里去，与他们争战；耶和华将他们交在他手中，
33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from Aroer [city] all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed 20 cities, as far as [the city of] Abel Keramim. So the Israelis [completely] defeated the Ammon people-group.
他就大大杀败他们，从亚罗珥到米匿，直到亚备勒·基拉明，攻取了二十座城。这样亚扪人就被以色列人制伏了。
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was [joyfully] playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.
耶弗他回米斯巴到了自己的家，不料，他女儿拿着鼓跳舞出来迎接他，是他独生的，此外无儿无女。
35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes [to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do]. He said to her, “My daughter, you have caused me to become very sad [DOU] because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh [to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house], and I must do what I promised.”
耶弗他看见她，就撕裂衣服，说：“哀哉！我的女儿啊，你使我甚是愁苦，叫我作难了；因为我已经向耶和华开口许愿，不能挽回。”
36 His daughter said, “My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because [you said that you would do that if] Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammon people-group.”
他女儿回答说：“父啊，你既向耶和华开口，就当照你口中所说的向我行，因耶和华已经在仇敌亚扪人身上为你报仇”；
37 Then she also said, “But allow me to do one thing. (First/before you do what you promised), allow me to go up into the hilly area and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married [and have children], allow me and my friends to go and cry together.”
又对父亲说：“有一件事求你允准：容我去两个月，与同伴在山上，好哀哭我终为处女。”
38 Jephthah replied, “All right, you may go.” So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
耶弗他说：“你去吧！”就容她去两个月。她便和同伴去了，在山上为她终为处女哀哭。
39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had vowed. So his daughter never was married. Because of that, the Israelis now have a custom.
两月已满，她回到父亲那里，父亲就照所许的愿向她行了。女儿终身没有亲近男子。
40 Every year the young Israeli women go [into the hills] for four days to remember [and cry about what happened to] the daughter of Jephthah.
此后以色列中有个规矩，每年以色列的女子去为基列人耶弗他的女儿哀哭四天。
