Judges 1 1 Now the men of 以色列人曾在米兹帕起誓说:"我们中谁也不可把自己的女儿嫁给本雅明人为妻。" 2 So the people went to 民众来到贝特耳,在天主面前,坐在那里,放声大哭,直到晚上; 3 They said, "LORD, God of Israel, why has it come to pass in 然后说:"上主以色列的天主!为什么在以色列中间发生了这事,今日竟使以色列中少了一支派?" 4 Early the next day the people built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings. 次日,百姓一早起来,在那里筑了一座祭坛,献了全燔祭与和平祭。 5 Then the Israelites asked, "Are there any among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD for the assembly?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah should be put to death without fail. 以后,以色列子民问说:"以色列众支派中,有谁没有上到上主面前,参加集会呢?"因为他们先前对于那些凡不上米兹帕到上主面前来的人,曾发过严誓说:"死无赦!" 6 2 The Israelites were disconsolate over their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off. 以色列子民对他们的弟兄本雅明起了怜悯之心说:"今天以色列绝了一支派。 7 What can we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" 我们曾指着上主起过誓,决不将我们的女儿给他们为妻,那么,我们怎样给所剩下的人娶妻呢?" 8 And when they asked whether anyone among the tribes of 他们又问说:"以色列众支派中,有那一支派没有上米兹帕来到上主面前呢?"看,由基肋阿得雅贝士中没有一人入营,参加集会。 9 A roll call of the army established that none of the inhabitants of that city were present. 的确,检阅百姓的时候,没有一个基肋阿得雅贝士的居民在场。 10 The community, therefore, sent twelve thousand warriors with orders to go to Jabesh-gilead and put those who lived there to the sword, including the women and children. 因此会众打发一万二千勇士到那里去,吩咐他们说:"你们去用刀屠杀基肋阿得雅贝士的居民,连妇女孩子都在内。 11 3 They were told to include under the ban all males and every woman who was not still a virgin. 你们要这样作;所以男子和与男子同过房的妇女,尽行杀掉,但要保留处女。"他们就这样作了。 12 Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had had no relations with men, they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the 他们在基肋阿得雅贝士居民之中,寻得了四百个未曾认识过男子,也未曾与男子同过房的少年处女,就把她们带到客纳罕地史罗营里。 13 Then the whole community sent a message to the Benjaminites at the rock Rimmon, offering them peace. 全会众又打发人往黎孟岩石去,与住在那里的本雅明子孙谈判,与他们讲和。 14 When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared; but these proved to be not enough for them. 本雅明子孙当时就回来了,会众就把基肋阿得雅贝士女子中所保留的少女,给他们为妻,但是数目不足。 15 4 The people were still disconsolate over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of 民众仍为本雅明人伤心难过,因为上主使以色列支派中有了缺陷。 16 And the elders of the community said, "What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For every woman in Benjamin has been put to death." 会众的长老说:"本雅明的妇女既然都消灭了,我们怎样给所剩下的人娶妻呢?" 17 They said, "Those of Benjamin who survive must have heirs, else one of the Israelite tribes will be wiped out. 又说:"本雅民的遗民该有承嗣,免得以色列中泯没一支。 18 5 Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage, because the Israelites have sworn, 'Cursed be he who gives a woman to Benjamin!'" 但是,我们不能将自己的女儿给他们为妻,因为以色列曾起誓说:谁把女儿给本雅明人是可诅咒的!" 19 Then they thought of the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, north of 有人说:"看,年年在史罗举行上主的庆节。"──史罗位于贝特耳之北,贝特耳至舍根大路之东,肋波纳之南。 20 And they instructed the Benjaminites, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards. 于是他们给本雅明子孙出主意说:"你们往葡萄园去,藏在那里。 21 When you see the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dancing, leave the vineyards and each of you seize one of the girls of Shiloh for a wife, and go to the 等到你们看见史罗的童女出来列队跳舞,你们就从葡萄园中出来,从史罗的女儿中,各抢一个为妻,然后回本雅明地方去。 22 When their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, 'Release them to us as a kindness, since we did not take a woman apiece in the war. Had you yourselves given them these wives, you would now be guilty.'" 她们的父亲或兄弟若是出来与我们争论,我们就说:求你们看我们的情面,恩待这些人,因为他们战场上没有得到女子为妻;况且又不是你们将女儿交给他们;若是你们给的,那就有罪了。" 23 The Benjaminites did this; they carried off a wife for each of them from their raid on the dancers, and went back to their own territory, where they rebuilt and occupied the cities. 本雅明子孙就这样作了:按数目抢跳舞的女子,各娶一个为妻;以后他们就走了,回到自己的地业,重建城邑,住在那里。 24 Also at that time the Israelites dispersed; each of them left for his own heritage in his own clan and tribe. 以后以色列子民从那里各回自己的支派和家族,从那里各回自己的家乡。 25 6 In those days there was no king in 那时,在以色列没有君王,各人任意行事。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1-3] The anger of the Israelites led them to destroy their brethren, the Benjaminites. Having realized their goal, however, they were soon filled with dismay, and sought to restore the tribe they had all but exterminated. 2 [6-9] This account is summarized in the parallel passage in Judges 21:2-5. 3 [11] Under the ban: see note on Numbers 21:3. 4 [15] Had made a breach: what is here attributed to God was in reality the free and deliberate act of the Israelites and happened only by the permissive will of God. The ancients attributed to the first primary cause what is more directly due to secondary causes. 5 [18] Regardless of the serious consequences of their vow, the Israelites considered themselves obliged to fulfill it; cf Judges 11:31, 35-36, 39. 6 [25] Cf Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1. The verse gives the reason why the lawlessness of the period of judges, and the events described herein, were possible. |