士21:1 以色列人在米斯巴曾经起誓说：“我们中间不可有人把自己的女儿嫁给便雅悯人作妻子。”
士21:1 Now the men of Israel had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, Not one of us will give his daughter as a wife to Benjamin.
士21:2 众人来到伯特利，在那里坐在 神面前直到晚上，放声大哭，
士21:2 And the people came to Beth-el, waiting there till evening before God, and gave themselves up to bitter weeping.
士21:3 说：“耶和华以色列的 神啊，今日以色列中缺少了一个支派，为什么在以色列中发生这事呢？”
士21:3 And they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this fate come on Israel, that today one tribe has been cut off from Israel?
士21:4 次日，众人清早起来，在那里筑了一座祭坛，献上燔祭和平安祭。
士21:4 Then on the day after, the people got up early and made an altar there, offering burned offerings and peace-offerings.
士21:5 以色列人彼此说：“以色列各支派中，谁没有与会众上到耶和华面前来呢？”因为他们曾经起过很严厉的誓，说：“不上米斯巴到耶和华面前的，必把他处死。”
士21:5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel, who did not come up to the Lord at the meeting of all Israel? For they had taken a great oath that whoever did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord was to be put to death.
士21:6 以色列人为他们的兄弟便雅悯难过，说：“今天以色列中有一个支派被剪除了。
士21:6 And the children of Israel were moved with pity for Benjamin their brother, saying, Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
士21:7 我们曾经指着耶和华起过誓，必不把我们的女儿给便雅悯人作妻子，那么现在我们当怎样办理，使他们剩下的人有妻子呢？”
士21:7 What are we to do about wives for those who are still living? For we have taken an oath by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters for wives.
士21:8 他们又彼此问：“以色列各支派中，有谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华面前来的呢？”他们就发现基列．雅比中没有一人去到营中会众那里。
士21:8 And they said, Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord? And it was seen that no one had come from Jabesh-gilead to the meeting.
士21:9 众人被数点的时候，就发现基列．雅比的居民中没有一人在那里。
士21:9 For when the people were numbered, not one man of the people of Jabesh-gilead was present.
士21:10 因此会众从勇士中差派一万二千人到那里去，吩咐他们说：“你们去用刀击杀基列．雅比的居民，连妇女与孩子都要杀。
士21:10 So they (the meeting) sent twelve thousand of the best fighting-men, and gave them orders, saying, Go and put the people of Jabesh-gilead to the sword without mercy, with their women and their little ones.
士21:11 你们要这样行，你们要把所有的男子，和所有与男子同过房的女子，完全毁灭。”
士21:11 And this is what you are to do: every male, and every woman who has had sex relations with a man, you are to put to the curse, but you are to keep safe the virgins. And they did so.
士21:12 他们在基列．雅比的居民中，找到了四百个未曾与人同房，也未曾与男子同寝的年轻少女，就把她们带到迦南地的示罗营那里。
士21:12 Now there were among the people of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had never had sex relations with a man; these they took to their tents in Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
士21:13 全体会众又派人到临门的盘石那里，对便雅悯人说话，向他们宣告和平。
士21:13 And all the meeting sent to the men of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, offering them peace.
士21:14 那时便雅悯人回来了，以色列人就把他们保留的基列．雅比的女子给他们作妻子，但还是不够。
士21:14 Then Benjamin came back; and they gave them the women whom they had kept from death among the women of Jabesh-gilead: but still there were not enough for them.
士21:15 众人为便雅悯人难过，因为耶和华使以色列众支派中有了缺口。
士21:15 And the people were moved with pity for Benjamin, because the Lord had let his wrath loose on the tribes of Israel.
士21:16 会众中的长老说：“便雅悯的女子既然都被除灭了，我们应怎样行，使那些余下的人有妻子呢？”
士21:16 Then the responsible men of the meeting said, What are we to do about wives for the rest of them, seeing that the women of Benjamin are dead?
士21:17 又说：“便雅悯逃脱的人应有地业，免得有个支派从以色列中被消灭。
士21:17 And they said, How is the rest of Benjamin to be given offspring so that one tribe of Israel may not be put out of existence,
士21:18 但是我们不能把我们自己的女儿给他们作妻子。”因为以色列人曾经起誓说：“把女儿给便雅悯人作妻子的，是可咒诅的。”
士21:18 Seeing that we may not give them our daughters as wives? For the children of Israel had taken an oath, saying, Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.
士21:19 他们又说：“看哪，每年在示罗都举行耶和华的节期；示罗就是在伯特利的北面，从伯特利上示剑的大路的东面，在利波拿的南面。”
士21:19 And they said, See, every year there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is to the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway which goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
士21:20 于是他们吩咐便雅悯人说：“你们去在葡萄园中设下埋伏；
士21:20 And they said to the men of Benjamin, Go into the vine-gardens, waiting there secretly,
士21:21 在那里观看，示罗的女子出来跳舞的时候，你们就从葡萄园出来，从示罗的女子中，各抢一个作妻子，然后回便雅悯地去。
士21:21 And watching; and if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then come from the vine-gardens and take a wife for every one of you from among the daughters of Shiloh, and go back to the land of Benjamin.
士21:22 如果她们的父亲或是兄弟来与我们争论，我们就对他们说：‘求你们恩待他们吧，因为我们在战场上没有给他们留下女子作妻子，而且这次又不是你们把女儿给他们；若是你们给的，你们就有罪了。’”
士21:22 And when their fathers or their brothers come and make trouble, you are to say to them, Give them to us as an act of grace; for we did not take them as wives for ourselves in war; and if you yourselves had given them to us you would have been responsible for the broken oath.
士21:23 于是便雅悯人照样行了：按着他们的数目，从跳舞的女子中强抢她们作妻子，然后离开那里，回到自己的地业去，重建城市，住在其中。
士21:23 So the men of Benjamin did this, and got wives for themselves for every one of their number, taking them away by force from the dance; then they went back to their heritage, building up their towns and living in them.
士21:24 那时，以色列人离开那里，各人回到自己的支派和自己的家族去；他们离开那里，各人回到自己的地业去。
士21:24 Then the children of Israel went away from there, every man to his tribe and his family, every man went back to his heritage.
士21:25 在那些日子，以色列中没有王，各人都行自己看为对的事。
士21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what seemed right to him.