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.
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. 3‘Lord, 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.
