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.
Àwọn aya fún àwọn ẹ̀yà Benjamini
1Àwọn ọkùnrin Israẹli ti búra ní Mispa pé: “Kò sí ẹnìkan nínú wa tí yóò fi ọmọ obìnrin rẹ̀ fún ẹ̀yà Benjamini ní ìyàwó.”
2Àwọn ènìyàn náà lọ sí Beteli: ilé Ọlọ́run, níbi tí wọ́n jókòó níwájú Ọlọ́run títí di àṣálẹ́, wọ́n gbé ohùn wọn sókè, wọ́n sì sọkún kíkorò. 3Wọ́n sọkún wí pé, “Háà! Olúwa Ọlọ́run Israẹli, èéṣe tí nǹkan yìí fi ṣẹlẹ̀ sí Israẹli? Èéṣe tí ẹ̀yà kan yóò fi run nínú Israẹli lónìí?”
4Ní òwúrọ̀ ọjọ́ kejì àwọn ènìyàn náà mọ pẹpẹ kan wọ́n sì rú ẹbọ sísun àti ọrẹ àlàáfíà.
5Àwọn ọmọ Israẹli sì béèrè wí pé, “Èwo nínú ẹ̀yà Israẹli ni ó kọ̀ láti péjọ síwájú Olúwa?” Torí pé wọ́n ti fi ìbúra ńlá búra pé, ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó bá kọ̀ láti péjọ níwájú Olúwa ní Mispa pípa ni àwọn yóò pa á.
6Àwọn ọmọ Israẹli sì banújẹ́ fún àwọn arákùnrin wọn, àwọn ẹ̀yà Benjamini. Wọ́n wí pé, “A ti ké ẹ̀yà kan kúrò lára Israẹli lónìí.” 7Báwo ni a yóò ṣe rí aya fún àwọn tí ó ṣẹ́kù, nítorí àwa ti fi Olúwa búra láti má fi ọ̀kankan nínú àwọn ọmọbìnrin wa fún wọn ní aya. 8Wọ́n sì béèrè wí pé, “Èwo ni nínú ẹ̀yà Israẹli ni ó kọ̀ láti bá àwọn ènìyàn péjọ níwájú Olúwa ní Mispa?” Wọ́n rí i pé kò sí ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó wa láti Jabesi Gileadi tí ó wá sí ibùdó fún àjọ náà. 9Nítorí pé nígbà tí wọ́n ka àwọn ènìyàn, wọ́n rí i pé kò sí ẹnìkankan láti inú àwọn ará Jabesi Gileadi tí ó wà níbẹ̀.
10Àwọn ìjọ ènìyàn náà sì rán ẹgbàá-mẹ́fà àwọn jagunjagun ọkùnrin, lọ sí Jabesi Gileadi wọ́n fún wọn ní àṣẹ pé, ẹ lọ fi idà kọlu gbogbo àwọn tí ó wà níbẹ̀, pẹ̀lú àwọn obìnrin àti àwọn ọmọ wẹ́wẹ́. 11Wọ́n ní, “Èyí ni ẹ̀yin yóò ṣe, ẹ pa gbogbo ọkùnrin àti gbogbo obìnrin tí kì í ṣe wúńdíá.” 12Wọ́n rí àwọn irínwó (400) ọ̀dọ́bìnrin tí kò mọ ọkùnrin rí nínú àwọn olùgbé Jabesi Gileadi, wọ́n sì mú wọn lọ sí ibùdó ní Ṣilo àwọn ará Kenaani.
13Gbogbo ìjọ àwọn ènìyàn sì ránṣẹ́ àlàáfíà sí àwọn Benjamini ní ihò àpáta Rimoni. 14Àwọn ẹ̀yà Benjamini náà sì padà ní àkókò náà, wọ́n sì fún wọn ní àwọn obìnrin Jabesi Gileadi. Ṣùgbọ́n wọn kò kárí gbogbo wọn.
15Àwọn ènìyàn náà sì káàánú nítorí ẹ̀yà Benjamini, nítorí Olúwa fi àlàfo kan sílẹ̀ nínú àwọn ẹ̀yà Israẹli. 16Àwọn olórí ìjọ àwọn ènìyàn náà wí pé, “Kí ni àwa yóò ṣe láti rí aya fún àwọn ọkùnrin tí ó kù nígbà tí a ti pa gbogbo àwọn obìnrin Benjamini run?” 17Wọ́n sì wí pé, “Àwọn tí ó ṣẹ́kù tí wọ́n là nínú àwọn ẹ̀yà Benjamini ní láti ní ogún àti àrólé, kí ẹ̀yà kan nínú Israẹli má ṣe di píparun kúrò ní orí ilẹ̀. 18Àwa kò le fi àwọn ọmọbìnrin wa fún wọn ní aya, nítorí tí àwa ọmọ Israẹli ti ṣe ìbúra yìí pé: ‘Ègún ni fún ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó fi aya fún ẹnikẹ́ni nínú ẹ̀yà Benjamini.’ ” 19Wọ́n sì wí pé, “Kíyèsi i ayẹyẹ ọlọ́dọọdún fún Olúwa wà ní Ṣilo ní ìhà àríwá Beteli àti ìhà ìlà-oòrùn òpópó náà tí ó gba Beteli kọjá sí Ṣekemu, àti sí ìhà gúúsù Lébónà.”
20Wọ́n sì fi àṣẹ fún àwọn ará Benjamini pé, “Ẹ lọ kí ẹ sì fi ara pamọ́ nínú àwọn ọgbà àjàrà 21kí ẹ sì wà ní ìmúrasílẹ̀. Nígbà tí àwọn ọmọbìnrin Ṣilo bá jáde láti lọ darapọ̀ fún ijó, kí ẹ yára jáde láti inú àwọn ọgbà àjàrà wọ̀n-ọn-nì kí ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan yín gbé aya kan nínú àwọn ọmọbìnrin Ṣilo kí ẹ padà sí ilẹ̀ Benjamini. 22Nígbà tí àwọn baba wọn tàbí àwọn arákùnrin wọn bá fi ẹjọ́ sùn wá, àwa yóò wí fún wọn pé, ‘Ẹ ṣe wá ní oore nípa ríràn wọ́n lọ́wọ́, nítorí àwa kò rí aya fún wọn ní àkókò ogun, ẹ̀yin kò sì ní jẹ̀bi, nítorí pé ẹ̀yin kọ́ ni ó fi àwọn ọmọbìnrin yín fún wọn bí aya.’ ”
23Èyí sì ni ohun tí àwọn ẹ̀yà Benjamini ṣe. Nígbà tí àwọn ọmọbìnrin náà ń jó lọ́wọ́, ọkùnrin kọ̀ọ̀kan mú ọmọbìnrin kọ̀ọ̀kan, wọ́n sì gbé e lọ láti di aya rẹ̀. Wọ́n sì padà sí ilẹ̀ ìní wọn, wọ́n sì tún àwọn ìlú náà kọ́, wọ́n sì tẹ̀dó sínú wọn.
24Ní àkókò náà, àwọn ọmọ Israẹli kúrò ní ibẹ̀, wọ́n lọ sí ilé àti ẹ̀yà rẹ̀ olúkúlùkù sí ilẹ̀ ìní rẹ̀.
25Ní àwọn ọjọ́ wọ̀nyí, kò sí ọba ní ilẹ̀ Israẹli; olúkúlùkù sì ń ṣe bí ó ti tọ́ ní ojú ara rẹ̀.
