为便雅悯人找妻子
以色列人在米斯巴曾起誓说：“我们中谁都不把女儿嫁给便雅悯人。”
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2以色列人来到伯特利，坐在那里直到晚上，在神面前放声大哭，And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3说：“耶和华－以色列的神啊，为何以色列中会发生这样的事，使以色列今日缺了一个支派呢？”And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
4次日，百姓清早起来，在那里筑了一座坛，献燔祭和平安祭。And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5以色列人说：“以色列各支派中，谁没有同会众一起上到耶和华那里呢？”因为以色列人曾起重誓说：“凡不上米斯巴到耶和华那里的，必被处死。”And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6以色列人怜悯他们的弟兄便雅悯，说：“如今以色列中断绝一个支派了。And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7我们既然向耶和华起誓说，必不把我们的女儿嫁给便雅悯人，现在我们该怎么办，使他们剩下的人可以娶妻呢？”How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8他们又说：“以色列支派中谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华那里呢？”看哪，基列的雅比没有一人进营到会众那里，And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.
9百姓被数点的时候，看哪，基列的雅比居民没有一人在那里。For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
10会众就派一万二千名大勇士，吩咐他们说：“你们去用刀把基列的雅比居民连妇女带孩子都杀了。And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11这是你们当做的事：要把所有男人和曾与男人同房共寝的女人全都杀了。”And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12他们在基列的雅比居民中，找到四百个未曾与男人同房共寝的处女，就带她们到迦南地的示罗营里。And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13全会众派人到临门岩的便雅悯人那里，与他们讲和。And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14当时便雅悯人回来了，以色列人就把所留下，基列的雅比活着的女子嫁给他们，可是还是不够。And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15百姓怜悯便雅悯人，因为耶和华使以色列支派中有一个缺口。And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16会众中的长老说：“便雅悯中的女子既然都除灭了，我们该怎么办，使剩下的人可以娶妻呢？”Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17他们又说：“便雅悯逃脱的人应当有地业，免得以色列中的一个支派被涂去。And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18只是我们不能把自己的女儿嫁给他们。”因为以色列人曾起誓说：“把女儿嫁给便雅悯人的必受诅咒。”Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19他们又说：“看哪，一年一度耶和华的节期正在示罗举行。”示罗位于利波拿的南边，伯特利的北边，从伯特利往示剑大路的东边。Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20他们吩咐便雅悯人说：“你们去，躲在葡萄园中，Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21观看；看哪，若示罗的女子出来跳舞，你们就从葡萄园出来，各人从示罗的女子中抢一个为妻，然后到便雅悯地去。And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22他们的父亲或兄弟若来与我们争论，我们就对他们说：‘请看我们的情面恩待这些人吧！因为我们在战争的时候没有给他们任何人留下女子为妻。这次也不是你们给他们的，若是你们给的，就算有罪了。’”And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23于是便雅悯人就照样做了，按照他们的人数，把从跳舞女子中抢来的娶为妻子，带回自己的地业，重建城镇，居住在其中。And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24那时以色列人离开那里，各自回到自己的支派、宗族；他们从那里起行，各自回到自己的地业去了。And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25那时，以色列中没有王，各人照自己眼中看为对的去做。In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.