Judges 1 There was a chieftain, the Gileadite Jephthah, born to 基肋阿得人依弗大是一个英勇的壮士,是妓女的儿子;父亲名基肋阿得。 2 基肋阿得的妻子也给他生了几个儿子,正妻的儿子长大之后,把依弗大逐出,他说:"你在我们父家不能承受产业,因为你是外妇的儿子。" 3 So Jephthah had fled from his brothers and had taken up residence in the 依弗大就从他兄弟面前逃走,定居于托布地方;有些流氓聚在他那里,同他来往。 4 Some time later, the Ammonites warred on 过了一些时候,阿孟子民与以色列交战。 5 When this occurred the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the 当阿孟子民同以色列交战的时候,基肋阿得的长老到托布地方去请依弗大回来。 6 "Come," they said to Jephthah, "be our commander that we may be able to fight the Ammonites." 他们向依弗大说:"请你来作我们的统帅,攻打阿孟子民。" 7 "Are you not the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house?" Jephthah replied to the elders of 依弗大回答基肋阿得的长老说:"你们不是恨我,将我逐出我的父家?现在你们遭难,为什么来找我?" 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "In any case, we have now come back to you; if you go with us to fight against the Ammonites, you shall be the leader of all of us who dwell in Gilead." 基肋阿得的长老对依弗大说:"我们现在来找你正是为此。请你和我们一同回去,攻打阿孟子民,作我们,作基肋阿得所有居民的首领。" 9 Jephthah answered the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD delivers them up to me, I shall be your leader." 依弗大对基肋阿得的长老说:"你们领我回去,同阿孟子民作战,如果上主将他们交给我,那么我就作你们的首领!" 10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is witness between us that we will do as you say." 基肋阿得的长老对依弗大说:"上主在我们中间作证:我们必照你的话实行。" 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of 依弗大就与基肋阿得的长老一同回去,百姓立他做他们的首领和统帅;依弗大在米兹帕,在上主面前,又把他这一切话陈述了一遍。 12 Then he sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to say, "What have you against me that you come to fight with me in my land?" 依弗大就派使者到阿孟子民王那里说:"你与我何干?竟来我这里攻打我的土地?" 13 He answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Israel took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and the Jordan when they came up from Egypt. Now restore the same peaceably." 阿孟子民的君王对依弗大的使者说:"因为以色列从埃及上来的时候,侵占了我的领土,从阿尔农河到雅波克河,直到约旦河;现在你应和平交还!" 14 Again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, 依弗大再打发使者去见阿孟子民的君王, 15 saying to him, "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. 对他说:"依弗大这样说:以色列并没有侵占摩阿布的土地和阿孟子民的土地, 16 For when they came up from 因为以色列从埃及上来的时候,是经过旷野,到了红海,而来到卡德士。 17 以色列曾派使者对厄东王说:请让我们经过你的领土!但是厄东王不肯答应;又打发使者到摩阿布王那里,但是他也不肯;于是以色列便逗留在卡德士。 18 Then they went through the desert, and by-passing the 以后他们经过旷野,绕过厄东地和摩阿布地,从摩阿布东面而行,在阿尔农河那边安营;他们并没有进入摩阿布的境界,因为阿尔农是摩阿布的边界。 19 Then 以色列又派使者到阿摩黎王息红,即赫市朋王那里;以色列向他说:请让我们经过你的领土,到我们的地方去。 20 But Sihon refused to let 然而息红不信任以色列,不准他们经过他的境界;并且息红还召集他所有的人民,在雅哈兹安营,同以色列交战。 21 But the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his men into the power of 但是上主以色列的天主将息红及他全体百姓交于以色列手中,击杀他们;于是以色列便取得住在那地的阿摩黎人所有的土地, 22 the whole territory from the Arnon to the Jabbok, from the desert to the 取得阿摩黎人,从阿尔农河到雅波克河,从旷野到约旦河所有的土地。 23 If now the LORD, the God of Israel, has cleared the Amorites out of the way of his people, are you to dislodge 现今上主以色列的天主,由自己的百姓以色列面前驱逐了阿摩黎人,难道你还要占据这地吗? 24 1 Should you not possess that which your god Chemosh gave you to possess, and should we not possess all that the LORD, our God, has cleared out for us? 你岂不是应占据你的神革摩士赐你占领的地,而我们应占领我们的天主上主,由我们前所驱逐之人的地吗? 25 Again, are you any better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of 现在,难道你比摩阿士王漆颇尔的儿子巴拉克还强么?他何曾与以色列争斗过,或者与他们交战过? 26 when 以色列住在赫市朋及其附近村镇,阿洛厄尔及其附近村镇,阿尔农河沿岸各城镇里,已有三百年之久,为什么在这期间,你们没有收回呢? 27 I have not sinned against you, but you wrong me by warring against me. Let the LORD, who is judge, decide this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!" 所以我并没有得罪你,而你竟要加害我,与我交战;愿裁判者上主今天在以色列子民与阿孟子民中间判断是非!" 28 But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him. 但是阿孟子民的君王不肯听从依弗大向他传报的这些话。 29 The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through 那时上主的神降于依弗大身上,他就走遍基肋阿得和默纳协,来到基肋阿得的米兹帕,又从基肋阿得的米兹帕,到了阿孟子民那里。 30 2 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. "If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said, 依弗大向上主许愿说:"若你把阿孟子民交于我手中, 31 "whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a holocaust." 当我由阿孟子民那里平安回来时,不论谁由我家门内出来迎接我,谁就应归上主,我要把他献作全燔祭。" 32 Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, 于是依弗大到阿孟子民那里与他们交战,上主把他们交在他手中, 33 so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the Israelites. 于是他从阿洛厄尔击杀他们直到米尼特,直到阿贝耳革辣明,共二十座城,实在是一场大追击战;于是阿孟子民在以色列子民前屈服了。 34 When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. 依弗大回到米兹帕自己家中时,看,他的女儿出来,击鼓跳舞前来迎接他。她是依弗大的独生女,除她以外,没有别的子女。 35 When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, "Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract." 当依弗大一见了她,就撕破衣服说:"哎呀!我的女儿,你真使我苦恼,太叫我作难了!因为我对上主开过口不能收回。" 36 "Father," she replied, "you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites." 她回答他说:"我的父亲,你既然对上主开过口,就照你说出的对待我罢!因为上主已对你的敌人阿孟子民,为你报了仇。" 37 3 Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions." 她又向父亲说:"请你许我一件事:给我两个月的期限,让我与我的伴侣到山上去,哀哭我的童贞。" 38 "Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains. 他答应说:"你去罢!"就让她离去两个月的时间。她就去了,与她的伴侣在山上哀哭自己的童贞。 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed. She had not been intimate with man. It then became a custom in 过了两个月,她回到父亲那里,父亲就在她身上还了所许的愿;她还没有认识男子。于是在以色列成为一种风俗: 40 for Israelite women to go yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days of the year. 每年以色列少女要哀吊基肋阿得人依弗大的女儿,每年四天。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [24] Chemosh: the chief god of the Moabites--not of the Ammonites, whose leading deity was called Molech or Milcom; cf Numbers 21:29; 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13. The error is probably due to an ancient copyist. Jephthah argues from the viewpoint of his adversaries, the Ammonites, that they were entitled to all the land they had conquered with the aid of their god. It does not necessarily follow that Jephthah himself believed in the actual existence of this pagan god. 2 [30-40] The text clearly implies that Jephthah vowed a human sacrifice, according to the custom of his pagan neighbors; cf 2 Kings 3:27. The inspired author merely records the fact; he does not approve of the action. 3 [37] Mourn my virginity: to bear children was woman's greatest pride; to be childless was regarded as a great misfortune. Hence Jephthah's daughter asks permission to mourn the fact that she will be put to death before she can bear children. |