1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.”
1為便雅憫人娶妻以色列人在米斯巴曾經起誓說：“我們中間不可有人把自己的女兒嫁給便雅憫人作妻子。”
2The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
2眾人來到伯特利，在那裡坐在 神面前直到晚上，放聲大哭，
3They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?”
3說：“耶和華以色列的 神啊，今日以色列中缺少了一個支派，為甚麼在以色列中發生這事呢？”
4It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
4次日，眾人清早起來，在那裡築了一座祭壇，獻上燔祭和平安祭。
5The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
5以色列人彼此說：“以色列各支派中，誰沒有與會眾上到耶和華面前來呢？”因為他們曾經起過很嚴厲的誓，說：“不上米斯巴到耶和華面前的，必把他處死。”
6The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
6以色列人為他們的兄弟便雅憫難過，說：“今天以色列中有一個支派被剪除了。
7How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
7我們曾經指著耶和華起過誓，必不把我們的女兒給便雅憫人作妻子，那麼現在我們當怎樣辦理，使他們剩下的人有妻子呢？”
8They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.
8他們又彼此問：“以色列各支派中，有誰沒有上米斯巴到耶和華面前來的呢？”他們就發現基列．雅比中沒有一人去到營中會眾那裡。
9For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
9眾人被數點的時候，就發現基列．雅比的居民中沒有一人在那裡。
10The congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, 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.
10因此會眾從勇士中差派一萬二千人到那裡去，吩咐他們說：“你們去用刀擊殺基列．雅比的居民，連婦女與孩子都要殺。
11This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
11你們要這樣行，你們要把所有的男子，和所有與男子同過房的女子，完全毀滅。”
12They 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.
12他們在基列．雅比的居民中，找到了四百個未曾與人同房，也未曾與男子同寢的年輕少女，就把她們帶到迦南地的示羅營那裡。
13The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
13全體會眾又派人到臨門的磐石那裡，對便雅憫人說話，向他們宣告和平。
14Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead: and yet so they weren’t enough for them.
14那時便雅憫人回來了，以色列人就把他們保留的基列．雅比的女子給他們作妻子，但還是不夠。
15The people grieved for Benjamin, because that Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
15眾人為便雅憫人難過，因為耶和華使以色列眾支派中有了缺口。
16Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
16會眾中的長老說：“便雅憫的女子既然都被除滅了，我們應怎樣行，使那些餘下的人有妻子呢？”
17They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
17又說：“便雅憫逃脫的人應有地業，免得有個支派從以色列中被消滅。
18However 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.’”
18但是我們不能把我們自己的女兒給他們作妻子。”因為以色列人曾經起誓說：“把女兒給便雅憫人作妻子的，是可咒詛的。”
19They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh 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.”
19他們又說：“看哪，每年在示羅都舉行耶和華的節期；示羅就是在伯特利的北面，從伯特利上示劍的大路的東面，在利波拿的南面。”
20They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
20於是他們吩咐便雅憫人說：“你們去在葡萄園中設下埋伏；
21and 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.
21在那裡觀看，示羅的女子出來跳舞的時候，你們就從葡萄園出來，從示羅的女子中，各搶一個作妻子，然後回便雅憫地去。
22It 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.’”
22如果她們的父親或是兄弟來與我們爭論，我們就對他們說：‘求你們恩待他們吧，因為我們在戰場上沒有給他們留下女子作妻子，而且這次又不是你們把女兒給他們；若是你們給的，你們就有罪了。’”
23The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, 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.
23於是便雅憫人照樣行了：按著他們的數目，從跳舞的女子中強搶她們作妻子，然後離開那裡，回到自己的地業去，重建城市，住在其中。
24The children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
24那時，以色列人離開那裡，各人回到自己的支派和自己的家族去；他們離開那裡，各人回到自己的地業去。
25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
25在那些日子，以色列中沒有王，各人都行自己看為對的事。