< Oweruza 21 >

1 Aisraeli anali atalumbira ku Mizipa kuti, “Palibe mmodzi wa ife adzapereke mwana wake wamkazi kuti akwatiwe ndi mwamuna wa fuko la Benjamini.”
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Anthu anapita ku Beteli kumene anakakhala pansi pamaso pa Mulungu mpaka madzulo. Iwo anakweza mawu nalira kwambiri.
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 Iwo ankanena kuti, “Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli, nʼchifukwa chiyani izi zachitika mʼdziko la Israeli kuti lero fuko limodzi lisowe mu Israeli?”
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Mmawa mwake anthu anadzuka namanga guwa lansembe ndi kupereka nsembe zopsereza ndi nsembe zachiyanjano.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Kenaka Aisraeli anafunsa kuti, “Kodi ndani pakati pa mafuko a Israeli sanafike ku msonkhano wa Yehova?” Anatero chifukwa anachita malumbiro aakulu okhudza munthu amene alephere kupita ku Mizipa ndi kuti woteroyo ayenera kuphedwa.
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
6 Tsono Aisraeli anamva chisoni chifukwa cha abale awo, Abenjamini. Iwo anati, “Lero fuko limodzi lachotsedwa mu Israeli.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 Kodi tingawapezere bwanji anthu otsalawa akazi woti awakwatire? Paja ife tinalumbira kwa Yehova kuti sitidzapereka ana anthu aakazi kuti awakwatire.
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
8 Kenaka anafunsa kuti, ‘Kodi mu fuko la Israeli ndani amene sanabwere pamaso pa Yehova ku Mizipa?’” Tsono panapezeka kuti panalibe ndi mmodzi yemwe wochokera ku Yabesi Giliyadi amene anapita ku msonkhano ku misasa kuja.
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 Pamene anthu anawerengana anangoona kuti anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi palibe.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Choncho msonkhano unatumiza anthu ankhondo 12,000 ndi kuwalamula kuti, “Mukaphe anthu onse okhala ku Yabesi Giliyadi, kuphatikizapo akazi ndi ana.”
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 Izi ndi zimene mukachite. “Mukaphe mwamuna aliyense ndi mkazi aliyense amene anadziwapo mwamuna.”
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 Iwo anapeza atsikana 400 pakati pa anthu okhala mu Yabesi Giliyadi amene anali asanadziwepo mwamuna ndipo anabwera nawo ku misasa ku Silo mʼdziko la Kanaani.
The men found among those 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.
13 Kenaka msonkhano wonse unatumiza uthenga kwa Abenjamini amene ankakhala ku thanthwe la Rimoni kuwawuza kuti nkhondo yatha.
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
14 Choncho Abenjamini anabwera nthawi imeneyo ndipo Aisraeli anawapatsa akazi a ku Yabesi Giliyadi amene sanaphedwe. Koma sanapezeke owakwanira.
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Aisraeli anamvera chisoni Abenjamini, chifukwa Yehova anachita ngati waligwerula dzino fuko la Israeli.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 Choncho akuluakulu a msonkhano anati, “Kodi tikawapezera kuti akazi anthu otsalirawa kuti awakwatire popeza kuti akazi a fuko la Benjamini anaphedwa?”
Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Iwo anati, “Abenjamini amene anapulumukawa ayenera kukhala ndi zidzukulu, kuti mtundu wa Israeli usafafanizike.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 Ife sitingathe kuwapatsa ana anthu aakazi kuti akwatire. Paja tinalumbira kuti, ‘Akhale wotembereredwa aliyense amene adzapereka mwana wake wamkazi kwa mwamuna wa fuko la Benjamini kuti akwatire.’
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
19 Ndipo anati, ‘Paja ku Silo kuli chikondwerero cha chaka ndi chaka cholemekeza Yehova. Tsono Silo ali kumpoto kwa Beteli, kummawa kwa msewu wochokera ku Beteli kupita ku Sekemu, ndiponso kummwera kwa Lebona.’”
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 Choncho anawalamulira Abenjamini aja kuti, “Pitani mukabisale mʼminda ya mpesa
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 ndipo mukakhale tcheru. Ana aakazi a ku Silo akadzatulukira kudzavina nawo magule, pomwepo inu mutuluke minda ya mpesa ndi kukawagwira aliyense wake ndi kupita nawo ku dziko la Benjamini.
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to the land of Benjamin.
22 Ngati abambo awo kapena alongo awo adzabwera kudzadandaula kwa ife, tidzawawuza kuti, ‘Chonde, tikomereni mtima powalola kuti atenga ana anu aakaziwo popeza kuti ife sitinawapezere akazi pomenya nkhondo. Inunso simunachite kuwapatsa. Mukanatero ndiye mukanapalamula.’”
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
23 Abenjamini anachitadi zimenezi. Mwa akazi amene ankavina aja anagwirapo ena, malingana ndi chiwerengero chawo, nawatenga kuti akhale akazi awo. Kenaka ananyamuka kubwerera ku dziko la kwawo, nakamanganso mizinda yawo ndi kumakhalamo.
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
24 Pambuyo pake Aisraeli anachoka kumeneko ndi kubwerera kwawo, ku mafuko ndi ku mabanja awo, aliyense ku dera la cholowa chake.
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
25 Masiku amenewo kunalibe mfumu ku Israeli. Aliyense ankangochita zimene zomukomera yekha.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

< Oweruza 21 >