1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, 'None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.'
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。
2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.
2以色列人來到伯特利，坐在神面前直到晚上，放聲痛哭，
3They said, 'Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be [missing] today in Israel?'
3說：耶和華─以色列的神啊，為何以色列中有這樣缺了一支派的事呢？
4It came about the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
4次日清早，百姓起來，在那裡築了一座壇，獻燔祭和平安祭。
5Then the sons of Israel said, 'Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?' For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah, saying, 'He shall surely be put to death.'
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。
6And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, 'One tribe is cut off from Israel today.
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。
7'What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?'
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？
8And they said, 'What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah?' And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
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裡；
9For when the people were numbered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.
9因為百姓被數的時候，沒有一個基列雅比人在那裡。
10And the congregation sent 12,000 of the valiant warriors there, 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。
11'This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man.'
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。
12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
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裡。
13Then the whole congregation sent [word] and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
13全會眾打發人到臨門磐的便雅憫人那裡，向他們說和睦的話。
14Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they were not enough for them.
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。
15And the people were sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
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（原文是使以色列中有了破口）。
16Then the elders of the congregation said, 'What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?'
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？
17They said, '[There must be] an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.
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。
18'But we cannot give them wives of our daughters.' For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, 'Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.'
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。
19So they said, 'Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.'
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；
20And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
20就吩咐便雅憫人說：你們去，在葡萄園中埋伏。
21and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
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。
22'It shall come about, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we shall say to them, 'Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man [of Benjamin] a wife in battle, nor did you give [them] to them, [else] you would now be guilty.''
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。這也不是你們將子女給他們的；若是你們給的，就算有罪。
23The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they carried away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and lived in them.
23於是便雅憫人照樣而行，按著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。
24The sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance.
24當時以色列人離開那裡，各歸本支派、本宗族、本地業去了。
25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
25那時，以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。