Wives for the Men of Benjamin
1The men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah. They had said, “Not one of us will give his daughter to be married to a man from Benjamin.”
2The people went to Bethel. They sat there until evening in front of God. They wept loudly and bitterly. 3“Lord, you are the God of Israel,” they cried. “Why has this happened to Israel? Why is one tribe missing from Israel today?”
4Early the next day the people built an altar. They brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5Then the Israelites asked, “Has anyone failed to come here in front of the Lord? Is anyone missing from all the tribes of Israel?” The people had made a promise. They had said that anyone who failed to come to Mizpah in front of the Lord must be put to death.
6The Israelites were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. After all, they were their fellow Israelites. “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel,” they said. 7“How can we provide wives for the men who are left? We’ve made a promise in front of the Lord. We’ve promised not to give any of our daughters to be married to them.” 8Then they asked, “Has any tribe of Israel failed to come here to Mizpah in front of the Lord?” They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come. No one from there had gathered together with the others in the camp. 9They counted the people. They found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead had come to Mizpah.
10So the community sent 12,000 fighting men to Jabesh Gilead. They directed them to take their swords and kill those living there. That included the women and children. 11“Here is what you must do,” they said. “Kill every male. Also kill every woman who is not a virgin.” 12They found 400 young women in Jabesh Gilead who had never slept with a man. So they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.
13Then the whole community sent an offer of peace to the men of Benjamin. The men were at the rock of Rimmon. 14So the men of Benjamin returned at that time. They were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there weren’t enough women for all of them.
15The people were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord had left a gap in the tribes of Israel. They weren’t complete without Benjamin. 16The elders of the community spoke up. They said, “All the women of Benjamin have been wiped out. So how will we find wives for the men who are left? 17The men of Benjamin who are still alive need to have children,” they said. “If they don’t, a tribe of Israel will be wiped out. 18But we can’t give them our daughters to be their wives. We Israelites have made a promise. We’ve said, ‘May anyone who gives a wife to a man from Benjamin be under the Lord’s curse.’ 19Look, a feast is celebrated every year in Shiloh to honor the Lord. Shiloh is north of Bethel. It’s east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. It’s south of Lebonah.”
20So they told the men of Benjamin what to do. They said, “Go. Hide in the vineyards 21and watch. The young women of Shiloh will come out. They’ll join in the dancing. When they do, run out of the vineyards. Each of you grab a young woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin. 22Their fathers or brothers might not be happy with what we’re doing. If they aren’t, we’ll say to them, ‘Do us a favor. Help the men of Benjamin. We didn’t get wives for them during the battle. You aren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. After all, you didn’t give your daughters to them. Your daughters were stolen from you.’ ”
23So that’s what the men of Benjamin did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one. He carried her away to be his wife. Then the men returned to their own share of land. They built the towns again. They made their homes in them.
24At that time the Israelites also left. They went home to their tribes and family groups. Each one went to his own share of land.
25In those days Israel didn’t have a king. The people did anything they thought was right.
Wabenyamini Watafutiwa Wake
121:1 Yos 9:18; 11:3; Amu 20:1Wana wa Israeli walikuwa wameapa kwa kiapo kule Mispa: “Hapana mtu yeyote atakayemwoza binti yake kwa Wabenyamini.”
2Watu wakaenda Betheli, wakaketi mbele za Mungu mpaka jioni, wakapaza sauti zao, wakalia sana. 3Wakasema, “Ee Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, kwa nini jambo hili limewapata Waisraeli? Kwa nini kabila moja la Israeli limekosekana?”
421:4 Amu 20:26; 2Sam 24:25Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema watu wakajenga madhabahu na kuleta sadaka za kuteketezwa na sadaka za amani.
521:5 Amu 5:23; 20:1Ndipo Waisraeli wakasema, “Ni kabila lipi la Israeli ambalo halikufika katika mkutano kumkaribia Bwana?” Kwa kuwa walikuwa wameweka kiapo kikuu kuwa yeyote asiyefika mbele za Bwana huko Mispa, kwa hakika angeuawa.
6Basi Waisraeli wakaghairi kwa ajili ya ndugu zao Wabenyamini, wakasema, “Leo kabila moja limekatiliwa mbali na Israeli. 721:7 Yos 9:18Sasa tutawezaje kuwapa mabinti zetu wawe wake zao kwa hao waliobaki maadamu tumeapa kwa Bwana kuwa hatutawapa binti zetu kuwa wake zao?” 821:8 1Sam 11:1; 31:11; 2Sam 2:4; 21:1; 1Nya 10:11Ndipo wakasema, “Ni kabila lipi la Israeli ambalo halikufika mbele za Bwana huko Mispa?” Wakagundua kuwa hakuna hata mmoja aliyetoka Yabeshi-Gileadi aliyefika kambini kwa ajili ya kusanyiko la mkutano. 9Walipohesabu waliona hakuna mtu yeyote wa Yabeshi-Gileadi aliyekuwepo.
10Ndipo mkutano wakatuma askari 12,000 na wakawaamuru kwenda Yabeshi-Gileadi na kuwaua wale wote waishio huko, walikuwepo wake na watoto. 1121:11 Hes 31:7; 31:17-18Wakasema, “Hilo ndilo mtakalofanya. Ueni kila mtu mume na mke ambaye si bikira.” 1221:12 Yos 18:1Wakakuta kati ya watu walioishi Yabeshi-Gileadi wanawali mia nne ambao hawajakutana kimwili na mwanaume, nao wakawachukua kwenye kambi huko Shilo katika nchi ya Kanaani.
1321:13 Kum 2:28; Yos 15:35; Kum 20:10; Amu 20:47Ndipo mkutano ukatuma ujumbe wa amani kwa Wabenyamini huko katika mwamba wa Rimoni. 14Basi Wabenyamini wakarudi nyumbani mwao, wakapewa wale wanawali wa Yabeshi-Gileadi waliowaponya. Lakini hawakuwatosha wanaume wote.
15Waisraeli wakasikitika kwa ajili ya Wabenyamini, kwa kuwa Bwana ameweka ufa katika makabila ya Israeli. 16Viongozi wa kusanyiko wakasema, “Kwa kuwa wanawake wa Wabenyamini wameangamizwa, tufanyeje ili kuwapatia wake wale wanaume waliosalia? 17Wale waliopona wa Wabenyamini ni lazima tuwape wake, ili wawe na warithi, ili kabila lolote katika Israeli lisifutike. 1821:18 Yos 9:18Hatuwezi kuwapa binti zetu kuwa wake, kwa kuwa sisi Waisraeli tumeapa kiapo hiki: ‘Alaaniwe mtu yeyote ampaye Mbenyamini mke.’ ” 1921:19 Yos 18:1; 1Sam 1:3; Yos 16:1; 16:1; 17:7Ndipo waliposema, “Tazama iko sikukuu ya kila mwaka ya Bwana katika Shilo, kaskazini ya Betheli na mashariki mwa ile barabara itokayo Betheli kwenda Shekemu, upande wa kusini wa Lebona.”
20Hivyo wakawaelekeza Wabenyamini wakisema, “Nendeni mkajifiche kwenye mashamba ya mizabibu, 2121:21 Kut 15:20; Amu 11:34nanyi mwangalie. Wasichana wa Shilo watakapojiunga kwenye kucheza, ninyi tokeni kwenye hayo mashamba ya mizabibu na kila mmoja akamate mwanamke mmoja toka miongoni mwa hao wasichana wa Shilo na mwende nao katika nchi ya Benyamini. 22Baba zao au ndugu zao waume watakapotulalamikia, tutawaambia, ‘Kuweni wakarimu kwetu, nanyi mturuhusu tuwe nao kwa kuwa hatukuweza kumpa kila mtu mke tulipopigana. Lakini ninyi pia hamna hatia, kwa kuwa hamkuwapa wao binti zenu kuwa wake.’ ”
2321:23 Yos 24:28; Amu 20:48Basi hivyo ndivyo Wabenyamini walivyofanya. Wakati wasichana walipokuwa wakicheza, kila mtu akamkamata msichana mmoja akamchukua akaenda naye ili awe mke wake. Kisha wakarudi katika urithi wao na kuijenga upya miji na kuishi humo.
24Wakati huo Waisraeli wakaondoka sehemu ile na kwenda nyumbani kwao, kwenye makabila yao na kwa jamaa zao, kila mmoja kwenye urithi wake mwenyewe.
2521:25 Kut 12:8; Amu 17:6Katika siku hizo kulikuwa hakuna mfalme katika Israeli; kila mtu alifanya kile alichoona ni sawa machoni pake mwenyewe.
