Wives for the Men of Benjamin
1 When the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, they had made this sacred promise: “None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin.”
2 After the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly 3 and prayed, “Our Lord, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone.”
4 Early the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask his blessing. 5 Then they asked each other, “Did any of the tribes of Israel fail to come to the place of worship? We made a sacred promise that anyone who didn't come to the meeting at Mizpah would be put to death.”
6 The Israelites were sad about what had happened to the Benjamin tribe, and they said, “One of our tribes was almost wiped out. 7 Only a few men of Benjamin weren't killed in the war. We need to get wives for them, so the tribe won't completely disappear. But how can we do that, after promising in the Lord's name that we wouldn't let them marry any of our daughters?”
8-9 Again the Israelites asked, “Did any of the tribes stay away from the meeting at Mizpah?”
After asking around, they discovered that no one had come from Jabesh in Gilead. 10-11 So they sent 12,000 warriors with these orders: “Attack Jabesh in Gilead and kill everyone, except the women who have never been married.”
12 The warriors attacked Jabesh in Gilead, and returned to their camp at Shiloh in Canaan with 400 young women.
13 The Israelites met and sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock, telling them that the Israelites were willing to make peace with them. 14 So the men of Benjamin came back from Rimmon Rock, and the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh. But there weren't enough women.
15 The Israelites were very sad, because the Lord had almost wiped out one of their tribes. 16 Then their leaders said:
All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left? 17 If they don't have children, one of the Israelite tribes will die out. 18 But we can't let the men of Benjamin marry any of our daughters. We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.
19 Then someone suggested, “What about the Lord's Festival that takes place each year in Shiloh? It's held north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and just east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.”
20 The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives:
Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival. 21 Wait there for the young women of Shiloh to come out and perform their dances. Then rush out and grab one of the young women, then take her home as your wife. 22 If the fathers or brothers of these women complain about this, we'll say, “Be kind enough to let those men keep your daughter. After all, we couldn't get enough wives for all the men of Benjamin in the battle at Jabesh. And because you didn't give them permission to marry your daughters, you won't be under the curse we earlier agreed on.”
23 The men of Benjamin went to Shiloh and hid in the vineyards. The young women soon started dancing, and each man grabbed one of them and carried her off. Then the men of Benjamin went back to their own land and rebuilt their towns and started living in them again.
24 Afterwards, the rest of the Israelites returned to their homes and families.
Israel Was Not Ruled by a King
25 In those days Israel wasn't ruled by a king, and everyone did what they thought was right.
'Ditoko 'Bakala Benjamina ro ro
1 Yisaraele'bai kotoyikalate Mizepa ya, ago ànya 'bayi tao'ba lämu'du ro te OPI ri ekye: “Alo aza amaro ri ŋguti iro ozone ogyene Benjamina'bai ri te i'do.” 2 Ta'dota lidri Yisaraele ro oyiyite Betele ya ago riyite Lu kandra lau madale tandrolero. Ànya liyiyite amba ṛeṛe. 3 Ànya liyiyite ekye: “OPI, Lu Yisaraele ro, tase ono 'debe a'done inye Yisaraele ya etaya? Tana e'di 'bakala Benjamina ro ka oye gwo ujene ni Yisaraele yasi niya?”
4 Ago lidri ŋgate ṛo ŋboci kyenoŋbo kinja si ago beyi vo tori oloro te lau, ago ozoyi ŋgapäṛi rumora ro ndi ŋgapäṛi ozaro be te. 5 Lidri Yisaraele ro ejiyitate ekye: “Inye'do gboko aza ni 'bakalai Yisaraele ro yasi ri gi'da osaako kalakoto se OPI kandra Mizepa ya ono ya ya?” (Tana ànya äṛuyirute endaro ekye nda se kikyi kote OPI kandra Mizepa ya beṛo nda ufune.) 6 Tana lidri Yisaraele ro a'doyite tusuro ta ädrupii ànyaro Benjamina'bai rota ago atayite ekye: “Tu ono si ono 'bakala alodi jete ni Yisaraele yasi. 7 Ka'do inye mùsuna 'ditoko eŋwanye lidri anjoko Benjamina ro se kotabe ono riya? Tana mä̀ṛu andivo amaro 'bote OPI si ko ämäri ndiriŋwa amaro ozone ogyene 'ditoko ro ànyari.”
8 Ndi ànya kejiyitate ekye: “Inye'do gboko aza ni 'bakalai Yisaraele ro yasi ri gi'da esaako OPI kandra Mizepa ya ya?” Ago ànya usuyite anjioko 'dialo aza ikyi kote ni Jabesa se Gilada ya ana yasi kalakoto ana ya; 9 tana kyila'bai kotiyi iyi be 'diaza alodi ikyi kote lau ni Jabesa se Gilada ya ana yasi. 10 Ta'dota lowa se kombikalabe ana zo kyila'bai kutu 'butealo foritu (12,000) se turiako kai te lau ago ta ànya te ekye: “Nyòyi ago nyùtufu lidri Jabesa se Gilada ya ana ro kpeye, 'ditoko ndi ŋgàga giṛiŋwa be. 11 Tase oyene ämiri ni no; nyùtufu mànoago ndi 'ditoko se cini kote ŋguti kodroŋwà ro iyi be ṛo kpeye.” 12 Ago ànya usuyi se drigba ndiriŋwa kodroŋwa rote lidri Jabesa Gilada ro lako kama su (400), ta'dota ànya eziyi ànya te gawa se Silo ya ana ya se orivoya wari Kanana roya.
13 'Dooko lowa cini se kombikalabe ana zoyi lazo te Benjamina'bai se Luutu Rimona roya kai ri, taliatokpe o'bane ànya yibe. 14 Ago Benjamina'bai egoyite tu gi ana si; ago Yisaraele'bai ozoyi ndiriŋwa se ni Jabesa se Gilada ya yasi se ànya kuruyibe ufuako kai te Benjamina'bai ri. Oko 'ditoko ojo ànya kote kpeye.
15 Ago lidri a'dote tusuro ta Benjamina'bai rota tana OPI 'ba rulewe te a'do alo 'bakalai Yisaraele ro roya. 16 Ta'dota dri'bai lowa ro atayite ekye: “Yauono utufu 'ditoko te kpeye ni 'bakala Benjamina ro yasi. Ka'dobe 'ditoko ozone lidri anjoko se ke'bebe kai ri màyena eŋwanye ya?” 17 Ànya atayite ekye: “Beṛo ämäri liti aza usune 'bakala Benjamina ro ri adriza, ko alo aza 'bakalai 'butealo foritu Yisaraele ro ijene. 18 Caoko mä̀nina ko ànya o'bane ndiriŋwa amaro ogyene.” Tana mä̀ṛu ama te màkye: “Mano se kozo ŋguti ndaro te ogyene Benjamina'ba aza ri ka'do latri be.”
19 'Dooko ànya usuyitate ekye: “Karama OPI ro se abe oyena ṛo ndroa cini si Silo se orivoya mä'dudri Betele roya, ogone ŋgäṛiŋwa dri Lebona roya, ago 'buzele liti 'desi se lakole Betele ro Sekeme be roya ana tuna sate.” 20 Ago ànya atayite Benjamina'bai ri ekye: “Nyòyi nyàda'doru ämvu kono roya 21 ago mìri vookwane. Ondro mìndre ndiriŋwa Silo ro kefote läri otone karama si, 'dooko nyèfo tesi ni ämvu kono ro yasi. Mano alo kuru toko iri mbarasi ni ndiriŋwa Silo ro lakosi koyi sina wari Benjamina roya. 22 Ondro ka'do täpii ànyaro kode ädrupii ànyaro kikyiyite driovi be ama re oko, màtana 'da ànyari màkye: ‘Molo'baru ämiri nyè'be ànya ämäri; tana märu 'ditoko kote ànyari ni kyila ya. Ago oso nyòzo ndiriŋwa amiro be ko ni ànyari ono ronye, 'do anjioko amite teinye taenji ako.’ ”
23 Ago Benjamina'bai yeyite oso inye. Ànya ruyi 'ditoko te ànyari ni ndiriŋwa se kotoyi läri be Silo ya kai lakosi ago ŋgyiyi ànya te. Ago ànya oyiyite wari ànyaro ya, ago go beyi 'ba'desii ànyaro te, ago riyite kigyesi. 24 Ago anjioko Yisaraele'bai ro oyiyi kpate ni nasi tu gi ana si, mano alo gote 'bakala modo ànyaro ndi katidri ànyaro be ya, ago vo 'dicini ro oyite kovole vo modo ndaro roya.
25 Tu kai si 'bädri'ba drigba dri i'do Yisaraele ya ago vo 'dicini ro yete ŋgase tana kusi mi nda ro be 'do ayani.