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.
Musoolu Benjamini lasiloo kewolu ye
1 Banisirayilankoolu kalita Misipa le ko, “Ntolu kono, moo-wo-moo maŋ ñaŋ na a dimmusoo futundi la Benjamini lasiloo kewo ye.” 2 Bituŋ ì naata Beteli, ì siita Alla ñaatiliŋo la jee fo wulaaroo. Ì kumboota kendeke ka wuuri santo. 3 Ì kumata ko, “Hee Yaawe* Banisirayila la Alla, muŋ ne ye a tinna ñiŋ keta bii fo Banisirayila lasili kiliŋ be manki la?”
4 Wo saamoo, ì wulita juuna, ì ye sadaabodulaa* loo jee. Bituŋ ì ye jani sadaalu* bo jee, aniŋ kayira sabatindiraŋ sadaalu. 5 Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu kumata ko, “Banisirayila lasiloolu bee kono, lasili jumaa le maŋ naa ka maabee ñiŋ beŋo to, Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la?” Kaatu kaloo le keta ñiŋ kuwo to ko, moo-wo-moo maŋ naa Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la Misipa, wo maarii ñanta le ka faa. 6 Bari Banisirayilankoolu balafaata ì baadiŋ Benjamini lasiloo moolu ye le ko, “M̀ foota lasili kiliŋ na Banisirayila kono bii tiloo la. 7 Ñiŋ moolu mennu tuta jee, m̀ be wolu la musu kuwo ke la ñaadii le? Baawo ŋà n kali Yaawe ye le ko, ǹ te ǹ dimmusoolu dii la ka ì futuu.”
8 Wo to le ì ko, “Fo moo le sotota baŋ ka bo Banisirayila lasiloolu kono, meŋ maŋ naa Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la Misipa?” Ì naata a je ko, ka bo Yabesi saatewo to Kileyadi tundoo kaŋ, moo maŋ soto jee, meŋ maabeeta ñiŋ beŋo to. 9 Kabiriŋ kumandiroo keta moolu la, Yabesi-Kileyadi saatee moolu, hani kiliŋ ne maŋ tara jee. 10 Bituŋ ñiŋ bendulaa moolu ye kelediŋ moo wuli taŋ niŋ fula kii jee, ì ye ì yaamari ñiŋ ne la ko, “Ali taa, ali ye Yabesi-Kileyadi saatee moolu faa niŋ hawusaroo* la, musoolu niŋ dindiŋolu bee daa bulariŋo jee. 11 Ali ñanta ñiŋ ne ke la: Ali si kee-wo-kee kasaara, aniŋ musu-wo-musu, meŋ nene niŋ kewo kafuta.” 12 Yabesi-Kileyadi musoolu kono, ì ye a tara musu keme naani le be jee, mennu maŋ keekuwo loŋ. Bituŋ ì ye ì samba naŋ daakaa to, Silo saatewo to, meŋ be Kanaani bankoo kaŋ.
13 Bituŋ ñiŋ bennaalu ye kumoo kii Benjamini lasiloo moolu ye, mennu be Rimmoni bere baa to, ka kayiroo sabatindi. 14 Benjamini lasiloo moolu muruta naŋ. Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye sunkutoolu ñinnu dii ì la, ì maŋ mennu faa ka bo Yabesi-Kileyadi musoolu kono. Bari ì maŋ ì sii.
15 Ñiŋ moolu balafaata Benjamini lasiloo moolu ye le, kaatu Yaawe ye ì bondi Banisirayila lasiloolu kono le. 16 Ñiŋ bendulaa alifaalu ko, “Baawo Benjamini lasiloo musoolu kasaarata le, m̀ be muŋ ne ke la saayiŋ, fo ñiŋ kewolu mennu tuta, si musoolu soto?” 17 Bituŋ ì ko, “Keetaalaalu ñanta soto la Benjamini lasiloo kewolu ye le, mennu baluuta. Ñiŋ kamma, ì lasiloo kana buruka Banisirayila. 18 Hani saayiŋ, ǹ te ǹ dimmusoolu dii noo la ì la ka ì futuu.” Kaatu Banisirayilankoolu ye kaloo le ke ko, “Dankoo be moo ye, meŋ ye a dimmusoo dii Benjamini lasiloo kewo la.”
19 Wo to le ì ko, “A juubee, Yaawe la saŋ-wo-saŋ juuraloo be ke la Silo saatewo to.” Ñiŋ saatewo be Beteli maraa karoo le la, sila baa tilibo karoo la, meŋ ka bo Beteli ka taa fo Sekemu, aniŋ Lebona bulubaa karoo la. 20 Bituŋ ì ye kaŋo dii Benjamini lasiloo kewolu la, ì ko ì ye ko, “Ali taa, ali ye biti wayini* yiri kankaŋolu kono. 21 Ali ye tara koroosiroo la. Niŋ Silo saatee sunkutoolu naata doŋo la dondulaalu to, ali ye finti naŋ wayini yiri kankaŋolu kono. Bituŋ ali bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa ye musu kiliŋ taa ali faŋolu ye, ali niŋ a ye taa Benjamini tundoo kaŋ. 22 Niŋ ì faañolu waraŋ ì baarinkewolu naata ka diyaamu a kuwo la, m̀ be a fo la ì ye le ko, ‘Ali balafaa soto! Ali ì bula ì ye taa ntolu la kuwo kamma. Kaatu ǹ na keloo waatoo la Yabesi, m̀ maŋ musoo muta noo ñiŋ moo bee ye, ka bo Yabesi musoolu kono. Ali fanaa maŋ boyi, kaatu ali faŋolu maŋ ñiŋ sunkutoolu dii ì la, ali ŋaniyoo la.’ ” 23 Benjamini lasiloo moolu naata wo le ke, ì bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa ye musoo suuñaatoo taa ka bo donnaalu kono. Bituŋ ì muruta ì la tundoo kaŋ. Ì ye jee saatewolu lookuu, ì sabatita ì kono. 24 Wo waatoo la, Banisirayila moo koteŋolu fanaalu janjanta le, ì bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa muruta ì la tundoolu kaŋ, ì la kaabiiloolu, aniŋ ì la lasiloolu.
25 Wo tiloolu la, mansa maŋ tara Banisirayila kono. Meŋ beteyaata moo-wo-moo ñaa koto, a ka wo le ke.
