Judges 21
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Brides for Benjamin
21 The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: ‘None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage.’(A) 2 So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God(B) until evening. They wept loudly and bitterly, 3 and cried out, ‘Why, Lord God of Israel, has it occurred[a] that one tribe is missing in Israel today? ’ 4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar there,(C) and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. 5 The Israelites asked, ‘Who of all the tribes of Israel didn’t come to the Lord with the assembly? ’ For a great oath had been taken that anyone who had not come to the Lord at Mizpah would certainly be put to death.
6 But the Israelites had compassion on their brothers, the Benjaminites, and said, ‘Today a tribe has been cut off from Israel. 7 What should we do about wives for the survivors? We’ve sworn to the Lord not to give them any of our daughters as wives.’ 8 They asked, ‘Which city among the tribes of Israel didn’t come to the Lord at Mizpah? ’ It turned out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp and the assembly. 9 For when the roll was called, no men were there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.
10 The congregation sent twelve thousand brave warriors there and commanded them, ‘Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword,(D) including women and dependents. 11 This is what you should do: Completely destroy every male, as well as every woman who has gone to bed with a man.’ 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not been intimate with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 The whole congregation sent a message of peace(E) to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock. 14 Benjamin returned at that time, and Israel gave them the women they had kept alive from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough for them.
15 The people had compassion on Benjamin, because the Lord had made this gap in the tribes of Israel. 16 The elders of the congregation said, ‘What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed? ’ 17 They said, ‘There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. 18 But we can’t give them our daughters as wives.’ For the Israelites had sworn, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjaminite is cursed.’ 19 They also said, ‘Look, there’s an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh,(F) which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.’
20 Then they commanded the Benjaminites, ‘Go and hide in the vineyards. 21 Watch, and when you see the young women of Shiloh come out to perform the dances,(G) each of you leave the vineyards and catch a wife for yourself from the young women of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come to us and protest, we will tell them, “Show favour to them, since we did not get enough wives for each of them in the battle. You didn’t actually give the women to them, so[b] you are not guilty of breaking your oath.” ’
23 The Benjaminites did this and took the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities,(H) and lived in them. 24 At that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and family. Each returned from there to his own inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel;(I) everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
Judges 21
English Standard Version
Wives Provided for the Tribe of Benjamin
21 Now the men of Israel had sworn (A)at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to (B)Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?” 4 And the next day the people rose early and (C)built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” (D)For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6 And the people of Israel (E)had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. 7 (F)What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?”
8 And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from (G)Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly. 9 For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of (H)Jabesh-gilead was there. 10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, (I)“Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. 11 This is what you shall do: (J)every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.” 12 And 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 (K)Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the (L)rock of Rimmon and (M)proclaimed peace to them. 14 And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them. 15 And the people (N)had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, (O)“What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 18 Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” (P)For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” 19 So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of (Q)the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20 And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards 21 and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to (R)dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’” 23 And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance (S)and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. 24 And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
25 (T)In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
士师记 21
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
為便雅憫人娶妻
21 以色列人在米斯巴曾經起誓說：“我們中間不可有人把自己的女兒嫁給便雅憫人作妻子。” 2 眾人來到伯特利，在那裡坐在 神面前直到晚上，放聲大哭， 3 說：“耶和華以色列的 神啊，今日以色列中缺少了一個支派，為甚麼在以色列中發生這事呢？” 4 次日，眾人清早起來，在那裡築了一座祭壇，獻上燔祭和平安祭。
5 以色列人彼此說：“以色列各支派中，誰沒有與會眾上到耶和華面前來呢？”因為他們曾經起過很嚴厲的誓，說：“不上米斯巴到耶和華面前的，必把他處死。” 6 以色列人為他們的兄弟便雅憫難過，說：“今天以色列中有一個支派被剪除了。 7 我們曾經指著耶和華起過誓，必不把我們的女兒給便雅憫人作妻子，那麼現在我們當怎樣辦理，使他們剩下的人有妻子呢？”
8 他們又彼此問：“以色列各支派中，有誰沒有上米斯巴到耶和華面前來的呢？”他們就發現基列．雅比中沒有一人去到營中會眾那裡。 9 眾人被數點的時候，就發現基列．雅比的居民中沒有一人在那裡。 10 因此會眾從勇士中差派一萬二千人到那裡去，吩咐他們說：“你們去用刀擊殺基列．雅比的居民，連婦女與孩子都要殺。 11 你們要這樣行，你們要把所有的男子，和所有與男子同過房的女子，完全毀滅。” 12 他們在基列．雅比的居民中，找到了四百個未曾與人同房，也未曾與男子同寢的年輕少女，就把她們帶到迦南地的示羅營那裡。
13 全體會眾又派人到臨門的磐石那裡，對便雅憫人說話，向他們宣告和平。 14 那時便雅憫人回來了，以色列人就把他們保留的基列．雅比的女子給他們作妻子，但還是不夠。 15 眾人為便雅憫人難過，因為耶和華使以色列眾支派中有了缺口。
16 會眾中的長老說：“便雅憫的女子既然都被除滅了，我們應怎樣行，使那些餘下的人有妻子呢？” 17 又說：“便雅憫逃脫的人應有地業，免得有個支派從以色列中被消滅。 18 但是我們不能把我們自己的女兒給他們作妻子。”因為以色列人曾經起誓說：“把女兒給便雅憫人作妻子的，是可咒詛的。”
19 他們又說：“看哪，每年在示羅都舉行耶和華的節期；示羅就是在伯特利的北面，從伯特利上示劍的大路的東面，在利波拿的南面。” 20 於是他們吩咐便雅憫人說：“你們去在葡萄園中設下埋伏； 21 在那裡觀看，示羅的女子出來跳舞的時候，你們就從葡萄園出來，從示羅的女子中，各搶一個作妻子，然後回便雅憫地去。 22 如果她們的父親或是兄弟來與我們爭論，我們就對他們說：‘求你們恩待他們吧，因為我們在戰場上沒有給他們留下女子作妻子，而且這次又不是你們把女兒給他們；若是你們給的，你們就有罪了。’” 23 於是便雅憫人照樣行了：按著他們的數目，從跳舞的女子中強搶她們作妻子，然後離開那裡，回到自己的地業去，重建城市，住在其中。 24 那時，以色列人離開那裡，各人回到自己的支派和自己的家族去；他們離開那裡，各人回到自己的地業去。
25 在那些日子，以色列中沒有王，各人都行自己看為對的事。
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