Judges 21 – NIVUK & CCB

New International Version – UK

Judges 21:1-25

Wives for the Benjaminites

1The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: ‘Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjaminite.’

2The people went to Bethel,21:2 Or to the house of God where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. 3Lord, God of Israel,’ they cried, ‘why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?’

4Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

5Then the Israelites asked, ‘Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the Lord?’ For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death.

6Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. ‘Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,’ they said. 7‘How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?’ 8Then they asked, ‘Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?’ They discovered that no-one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. 9For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.

10So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. 11‘This is what you are to do,’ they said. ‘Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin.’ 12They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

13Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace to the Benjaminites at the rock of Rimmon. 14So the Benjaminites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them.

15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. 16And the elders of the assembly said, ‘With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? 17The Benjaminite survivors must have heirs,’ they said, ‘so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. 18We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjaminite.” 19But look, there is the annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh, which lies north of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.’

20So they instructed the Benjaminites, saying, ‘Go and hide in the vineyards 21and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin. 22When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, “Do us the favour of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.” ’

23So that is what the Benjaminites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.

24At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance.

25In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

士师记 21:1-25

为便雅悯支派娶妻

1以色列人曾在米斯巴起誓不把女儿嫁给便雅悯人。 2他们来到伯特利,坐在上帝面前放声痛哭,直到黄昏。 3他们说:“以色列的上帝耶和华啊,以色列为何少了一个支派呢?为何发生了这样的事呢?” 4第二天,众人清早起来在那里筑了一座祭坛,献上燔祭和平安祭。 5他们彼此议论说:“我们到米斯巴聚集在耶和华面前的时候,各支派中谁没有来呢?”原来,他们曾经起誓说:凡不到米斯巴聚集在耶和华面前的人都要被处死。 6以色列人为他们的同胞便雅悯人难过,说:“如今以色列绝了一个支派。 7我们曾经在耶和华面前起誓,决不把女儿嫁给便雅悯人,现在我们应该怎么办才能使他们剩下来的人得到妻子呢?”

8他们又查问各支派中谁没有到米斯巴聚集在耶和华面前,结果发现基列·雅比人缺席, 9因为点兵的时候,没有一个基列·雅比人在场。 10于是,会众派出一万二千精兵,命令他们杀掉基列·雅比人及其妇女和孩子。 11他们对精兵说:“你们所要做的就是消灭所有的男子和已婚妇女。” 12他们在基列·雅比的居民中找到四百名处女,把她们带回迦南示罗营地。

13全体会众又派人到临门岩去跟便雅悯人讲和。 14于是,便雅悯人返回了家乡,以色列人把从基列·雅比居民中留下来的四百个处女给他们做妻子,但还是不够。 15众人为便雅悯支派难过,因为耶和华使以色列少了一个支派。

16会众的长老说:“便雅悯支派的女子都死了,我们应该怎么办才能使余下的人有妻子呢? 17便雅悯的余民必须成家立后,以免以色列失去一个支派。 18可是我们又不能把女儿嫁给他们,因为我们曾经起誓,‘把女儿嫁给便雅悯人的必受咒诅。’” 19有人想起在示罗每年都有耶和华的节期。示罗利波拿以南、伯特利以北至示剑的大路东面。 20于是,他们对便雅悯人说:“你们埋伏在葡萄园里, 21见到示罗的女子出来跳舞时,就冲出去各自抢一个,带回便雅悯做妻子。 22倘若她们的父亲或弟兄前来抱怨,我们会说,‘求你们恩待我们,因为我们从战场上带回的女子不够分给他们做妻子。何况又不是你们把女儿嫁给他们的,所以罪不在你们。’” 23便雅悯人就依计行事,从跳舞的女子中各自抢了一个,带回自己的家乡做妻子。他们重建城邑,住在其中。 24于是,以色列人离开那里,各回自己的支派、宗族和家园。

25那时候,以色列人没有王,人人各行其是。