Laitloekkung 20
1 Israel ca rhoek boeih capit uh tih Dan lamloh Beersheba neh Gilead kho duela rhaengpuei loh Mizpah kah BOEIPA taengah pakhat la tingtun uh.
All the Israelis, from Dan [city in the north] to Beersheba [city in the south], and even from [the] Gilead [region on the east side of the Jordan River, heard what had happened. So they] they gathered together at Mizpah, [at the place where they worshiped] Yahweh.
2 Pathen kah pilnam hlangping lakli ah pilnam boeih te a cong cong ah, Israel koca rhoek khaw boeih a pai uh vaengah rhalkap hlang thawng ya li loh cunghang a pom.
The leaders of [eleven of] the tribes of Israel stood in front of the people who gathered there. There were 400,000 men with swords who were there.
3 Israel ca rhoek Mizpah la a caeh uh te Benjamin ca rhoek loh a yaak uh. Te vaengah Israel ca rhoek loh, “Hekah boethae he metlam a om thui uh lah,” a ti uh.
The people of the tribe of Benjamin heard that the other Israelis had gone up to Mizpah, [but none of the men from their tribe went to the meeting there]. The Israelis who had come to Mizpah asked about the evil thing that had happened.
4 Te dongah a ngawn uh huta kah a va Levi hlang loh a doo tih, “Benjamin kah Gibeah la kamah ka cet tih ka yula taengah ka rhaeh.
So the husband of the woman who had been killed replied, “My slave wife and I came to Gibeah [city], wanting to stay there that night.
5 Te vaengah Gibeah boei rhoek loh kai n'thoh thil uh tih kai te khoyin ah im neh rhen m'vael uh. Kai te ngawn ham cai uh coeng dae ka yula te a phaep uh tih duek.
That evening, the men of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house [where I was staying] and wanted to [have sex with me and then] kill me. They [raped and] abused my slave wife [all night], and she died.
6 Israel khuiah boethae halang neh khonuen rhamtat la a saii uh dongah ka yula te ka loh tih ka sah phoeiah Israel kah rho, khohmuen tom la ka pat.
I took her body home and cut it into pieces. Then I sent one piece to each area of Israel, [because I wanted you all to know about] this wicked and disgraceful/shameful thing [that] has been done here in Israel.
7 Nangmih Israel ca boeih loh namamih kah olka neh cilsuep khaw pahoi pae uh laeh,” a ti nah.
So now, all you Israeli people, speak, and tell me what you think should be done!”
8 Te vaengah pilnam pum loh pumkhat la pai tih, “Hlang pakhat long khaw a dap la cet boel saeh lamtah pakhat khaw a im la phael boel saeh.
All the people stood up, and in unison said, “None of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!
9 Tedae tekah olka vanbangla Gibeah te hmulung neh saii sih.
This is what we must do to [the people of] Gibeah. First, we will (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to determine which group should attack them].
10 Israel khuiah boethae halang boeih a saii vanbangla Geba kah Benjamin te aka paan tih aka saii pilnam ham lampu aka lo la Israel koca boeih te yakhat ah hlang rha, thawngkhat ah yakhat, thawngrha dongah thawngkhat lo sih,” a ti uh.
We will choose (one tenth/one from every ten) of the men from all the Israeli tribes. Those men will go and find food for the men who will go to attack the people of Gibeah. Then the other men will go to Gibeah to (pay the people back/punish them) for this terrible thing that they have done [here] in Israel.”
11 Te dongah Israel hlang boeih loh khopuei te a capit thil uh tih pumkhat la hui uh.
And all the Israeli people agreed [that the people of Gibeah should be punished].
12 Te dongah Israel ca rhoek loh Benjamin koca rhoek boeih taengah hlang a tueih uh tih, “Balae tih hebang boethae loh na khuiah a om?
Then the Israeli men sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They demanded, “Do you realize that some of your men have done a very evil thing?
13 Gibeah kah hlang muen ca rhoek te han tloeng laeh. Amih te ka duek sak uh daengah ni Israel khui lamkah boethae te ka khoe pueng eh,” a ti nah. Tedae a pacaboeina Israel ca rhoek kah ol te Benjamin ca rhoek loh hnatun ham huem uh pawh.
Bring those wicked men to us, in order that we can execute them. [By doing that], we will be doing what should be done because of this evil thing that has happened in Israel.” But the [people of the] tribe of Benjamin did not pay attention to their fellow Israelis.
14 Tedae khopuei rhoek lamkah Benjamin ca rhoek loh Israel ca rhoek taengah caemtloek la caeh ham Gibeah ah tingtun uh.
The men of the tribe of Benjamin left their cities and gathered at Gibeah to fight the [other] Israelis.
15 Te vaeng khohnin ah khopuei takuem lamkah Benjamin ca rhoek te soep uh thae tih cunghang aka pom hlang thawng kul thawng rhuk neh Gibeah kah aka om hlang ya rhih te a soep uh tih a coelh thil uh.
In that one day the men of the tribe of Benjamin recruited 26,000 soldiers who knew how to fight using swords. They also chose/recruited 700 men from Gibeah.
16 Te vaengah pilnam boeih khuikah tongpa ya rhih te a coelh uh. Amih te bantang kut aka poem la boeih om dae lungto a dong uh vaengah sam pataeng pit tlaih pawh.
From all those soldiers there were 700 men who were left-handed, and each of them could sling a stone at [a target that was very small and as narrow as] a hair, and the stone always hit the target!
17 Benjamin kah a voel ah Israel ca loh buel uh tih cunghang aka pom caemtloek hlang he a pum boeih la hlang thawng ya li lo uh.
There were 400,000 men from the other Israeli tribes who had swords.
18 Tedae thoo uh tih Bethel la a yoeng vaengah Pathen te a dawt uh hatah Israel ca rhoek loh, “Benjamin ca rhoek te caemtloek thil ham kaimih ah ulae lamhma la aka cet eh,” a ti na uh. Te vaengah BOEIPA loh, “Judah te lamhma saeh,” a ti nah.
Those other Israelis went up to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should be the first to attack the men from the tribe of Benjamin?” Yahweh answered, “[The men from the tribe of] Judah should go first.”
19 Te dongah Israel ca rhoek loh mincang ah thoo uh tih Gibeah ah rhaeh uh.
The next morning, the Israeli men went and set up their tents near Gibeah.
20 Benjamin te caemtloek thil ham Israel hlang te cet tih Israel caemtloek hlang he Gibeah ah rhong a pai uh.
Then they went to fight against [the men from the tribe of] Benjamin, and stood in their positions for fighting a battle, [facing Gibeah].
21 Te vaengah Gibeah lamkah Benjamin ca rhoek ha pawk uh tih lohma sa ah Israel hlang thawng kul thawng hnih te hnin at dongah a phop.
The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and fought against them, and they killed 22,000 Israeli men on that day.
22 Tedae Israel hlang pilnam loh a thaa a huel tih lamhma khohnin kah rhongpai hmuen ah caemtloek ham te rhong koep a pai uh.
[Late that afternoon], the [remaining] Israeli men went to the place of worship and cried until the sun set. Then they asked Yahweh, “Should we attack the men of the tribe of Benjamin again, even though they are our fellow Israelis?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, attack them again.” So the Israeli men encouraged each other.
23 Te daengah Israel ca rhoek loh cet uh tih kholaeh duela BOEIPA mikhmuh ah rhap uh. BOEIPA te a dawt uh tih, “Ka manuca Benjamin ca rhoek te caemtloek la thoeih ham ka khoep aya?” a ti na uh. Te vaengah BOEIPA loh, “Anih te caeh thil uh,” a ti nah.
24 Te dongah a hnin bae dongah Israel ca rhoek loh Benjamin ca rhoek taengla mop uh.
The next day they again stood in their positions for fighting, just like they had done on the previous day.
25 A hnin bae dongah tah amih aka doe ham te Benjamin khaw Gibeah lamkah ha pawk tih Israel ca khui lamkah cunghang aka pom hlang thawng hlai rhet te lohma sa ah boeih a thup uh bal.
The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and attacked the Israelis, and killed 18,000 more of their men.
26 Te dongah Israel ca rhoek boeih neh pilnam pum loh cet uh tih Bethel a paan uh. Te vaengah a rhah doela BOEIPA mikhmuh ah ngol uh. Hnin at neh kholaeh duela a yaeh tih BOEIPA mikhmuh ah hmueihhlutnah neh rhoepnah te a nawn uh.
[In the afternoon], all the people of Israel [who had not been killed] again went to Bethel. There they sat down and cried to Yahweh, and they (fasted/abstained from eating food) until it was evening. They brought some offerings which they burned completely [on the altar], and they also brought some offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh.
27 Te phoeiah BOEIPA te Israel ca rhoek loh a dawt uh. Te vaeng tue ah tah Pathen kah paipi thingkawng khaw te ah te om.
At that time, the Sacred Chest that contained the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments was there at Bethel. A priest named Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, often stood in front of that chest [and talked with Yahweh]. While he stood there on that day, he asked Yahweh, “Shall we go again to fight against our fellow Israelis from the tribe of Benjamin, or shall we stop fighting against them?” Yahweh answered, “Go again tomorrow, because tomorrow I will enable you to defeat them.”
28 Te vaeng tue ah Aaron koca Eleazar capa Phinekha tah paipi thingkawng hmai ah pai tih, “Ka manuca Benjamin ca rhoek taengah caemtloek la caeh ham te koep ka rhaep aya, ka toeng pawn aya?” a ti nah. Tedae BOEIPA loh, “Anih te thangvuen ah tah nang kut dongla kan tloeng ham coeng dongah cet ngawn,” a ti nah.
29 Te dongah Israel loh Gibeah kaepvai ah rhongngol a khueh.
So [the next day, 10,000 of] the Israeli men (set up ambushes/went to hide) [in the fields] around Gibeah.
30 A hnin thum dongah tah Benjamin ca rhoek te Israel ca rhoek loh a paan uh tih a noek noek kah bangla Gibeah te rhong a pai thil uh.
The [other] Israeli men went and stood in their positions for fighting a battle just like they had done on the previous days.
31 Te vaengah pilnam aka doe ham te Benjamin ca rhoek ha hlah uh tih khopuei lamloh baat cing uh. A noek noek kah bangla pilnam soah a rhok la tloek banlak ham te Bethel neh Gibeah la aka pawk longpuei ah a tong uh tih Israel hlang sawmthum tluk te lohma sa ah a ngawn uh.
When the men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of the city to fight against them, the Israeli men retreated away from the city, and the men of the tribe of Benjamin pursued them. The men of the tribe of Benjamin killed many Israelis, like they had done before. They killed about 30 Israelis. They killed some in the fields, and they killed some on the road that went to Bethel and on the road that went to Gibeah.
32 Te vaengah Benjamin ca rhoek loh, “Lamhma kah bangla mamih mikhmuh ah yawk uh coeng,” a ti uh. Tedae Israel ca rhoek loh, “Rhaelrham uh sih lamtah khopuei lamloh longpuei la cing tak sih,” a ti uh.
The men of the tribe of Benjamin said, “We are defeating them like we did before!” But then Israeli men did what they had planned. The main group of Israeli men retreated a short distance from the city, to [trick] the men of Gibeah and cause them to pursue the Israeli men along the roads outside the city.
33 Te dongah Israel hlang boeih tah a hmuen lamloh thoo uh tih Baaltamar la rhong a pai uh. Te vaengah Israel khuikah aka rhongngol te Gibeah pool lamloh amah hmuen la a poh.
The main group of Israeli men left their positions and retreated, and then they stood in their battle positions again at a place named Baal-Tamar.
34 Te phoeiah Israel boeih khui lamkah hlang thawng rha a coelh loh Gibeah imdan te a paan uh hatah caemtloek khaw a lalh na uh. Tedae yoethae loh amih taengla a paan te Benjamin ca rhoek loh ming uh pawh.
Then [while the men of Gibeah were running out of the city toward them], the other 10,000 Israelis came out from the places where they had been hiding, west of Gibeah. They were men who had come from all parts of Israel. There was a very big battle. But the men of the tribe of Benjamin did not know that they were about to suffer a disastrous defeat.
35 Benjamin te Israel mikhmuh ah BOEIPA loh a yawk sak coeng dongah Benjamin khui lamkah cunghang aka pom hlang thawng kul thawng nga yakhat te hnin at nen ni Israel ca rhoek loh a thup.
Yahweh enabled the Israeli men to defeat the men of the tribe of Benjamin. They killed 25,000 of them, even though they all were using swords. [This is what happened]:
36 Amamih a yawk uh te Benjamin ca rhoek loh a hmuh uh. Te vaengah Israel hlang tah Gibeah kah a khueh rhongngol dongla a pangtung coeng dongah Benjamin ca rhoek loh a hmuen vik a paek.
The main group of Israeli men arranged with the men who would be hiding that they should send up a smoke signal to enable the main group of soldiers to know when they should attack. Then the main group of Israeli men retreated for a short distance, because they knew that the other Israeli men who had been hiding on the other side of Gibeah would attack the people of the tribe of Benjamin by surprise. So [after the main group of Israeli men retreated a little distance], the men who had been hiding rushed out and ran into Gibeah and used their swords to kill everyone in the city. [Then they started to burn the buildings].
37 Rhongngol rhoek long khaw Gibeah la tawn uh tih capit uh. Te vaengah rhongngol patoeng te a sol dongah khopuei pum te cunghang ha dongla a kaeh.
38 Israel hlang neh rhongngol te tingtunnah a om vaengah khopuei lamkah hmaikhu loh cangpaiso bangla muep luei.
39 Tedae caemtloek vaengah Israel hlang loh ki a buung hatah Israel hlang la hlang sawmthum tluk te Benjamin loh a rhok la pahoi a tloek tih, “Lamhma kah caemtloek bangla mamih mikhmuh ah yawk rhoela yawk ngawn coeng,” a ti uh.
By that time, the men of the tribe of Benjamin said, “We are winning the battle, as we did before!”
40 Tedae hmaikhu tung te khopuei lamloh cangpaiso neh koe luei. Benjamin khaw a hnuk la a mael hatah khopuei pum te vaan la tarha ana khuu pah.
But then smoke [from the burning buildings] began to rise up from the city. The men of the tribe of Benjamin turned around and saw that the whole city was burning.
41 Te vaengah Israel hlang te ha mael van hatah yoethae loh n'rhul thil coeng tila Benjamin hlang loh a hmuh dongah hlawt let.
Then the main group of Israeli men [also saw the smoke, and they knew that the smoke signaled that they should] turn around and begin to attack. The men of the tribe of Benjamin were very afraid, because they realized that they were about to suffer a disastrous defeat.
42 Te dongah Israel hlang kah mikhmuh ah khosoek longpuei la hooi uh. Tedae amih te caem loh han cuuk thil tih khopuei lamkah rhoek long khaw amih te a laklo ah a thup.
So the men of the tribe of Benjamin tried to run away toward the desert to escape from the Israeli men, but they were not able to escape, because the Israeli men who had burned the two cities came out of those cities and killed many of them.
43 Benjamin te a hloem uh tih a dum uh coeng dongah Gibeah khocuk due a yoeikoek la a cuuk uh.
They surrounded [some of] the men of the tribe of Benjamin, and pursued the others to the area east of Gibeah.
44 Te vaengah Benjamin khui lamkah tatthai hlang kak hlang thawng hlai rhet cungku.
They killed 18,000 strong soldiers of the tribe of Benjamin.
45 Te dongah hooi uh tih khosoek kah Rimmon thaelpang la rhaelrham uh. Tedae longpueng ah hlang thawng nga a paco uh. Te vaengah Gidom duela a cuuk uh tih hlang a thawng thawng la a ngawn uh.
Then the rest of the men of the tribe of Benjamin realized that they had been defeated. They ran toward the desert to Rimmon Rock, but the Israeli men killed 5,000 more men of the tribe of Benjamin along the roads. They pursued the rest of them to Gidom, and they killed 2,000 more men of the tribe of Benjamin there.
46 Te vaengah Benjamin khui lamkah aka cungku rhoek boeih he hnin at dongah mah cunghang aka pom tatthai hlang kak te hlang thawng kul thawng nga om.
Altogether, there were 25,000 men of the tribe of Benjamin who were killed, all of whom had swords.
47 Tedae hlang ya rhuk tah hooi uh tih khosoek kah Rimmon thaelpang la a rhaelrham uh dongah Rimmon thaelpang ah hla li om uh.
But 600 men of the tribe of Benjamin ran to Rimmon Rock in the desert. They stayed there for four months.
48 Te phoeiah Israel hlang loh Benjamin ca rhoek te a mael thil uh tih cunghang ha neh a ngawn uh. Khopuei lamkah hlang boeih neh a hmuh sarhui rhamsa khaw, kho tom kah a hmuh sarhui te khaw hmai neh a hla thil uh.
Then the Israeli men went back to the land belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, and killed the people in every city. They also killed all the animals, and destroyed everything else that they found there. And they burned all the cities that they came to.
