< Suci 21 >

1 Izraelovi se ljudi bijahu ovako zakleli u Mispi: “Nitko od nas neće dati svoju kćer za ženu Benjaminovu sinu.”
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying: 'There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.'
2 I ode narod u Betel i ostade ondje pred Bogom do večeri, naričući i jecajući.
And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.
3 Govorili su: “Zašto se, o Jahve, Bože Izraelov, ova nesreća morala dogoditi da Izraelu danas nestane jednog plemena?”
And they said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?'
4 Sutradan uraniše ljudi i sagradiše ondje žrtvenik; prinesoše paljenice i žrtve zahvalnice.
And it came to pass on the morrow that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
5 Tad zapitaše Izraelci: “Ima li koga među svim plemenima Izraelovim da nije došao na zbor Jahvi?” Jer su se svečano zakleli da će pogubiti onoga tko ne dođe u Mispu k Jahvi.
And the children of Israel said: 'Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto the LORD?' For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto the LORD to Mizpah, saying: 'He shall surely be put to death.'
6 Izraelcima se sada sažalilo na brata Benjamina te rekoše: “Danas je otkinuto jedno pleme od Izraela.
And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said: 'There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 Kako ćemo dati žene onima koji su preostali kad se zaklesmo Jahvom da im nećemo dati svojih kćeri za žene?”
How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?'
8 Zato zapitaše: “Ima li koga među Izraelovim plemenima da nije došao k Jahvi u Mispu?” I pronađe se da nije došao u tabor, na zbor, nitko od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.
And they said: 'What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto the LORD to Mizpah?' And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9 Jer kada se narod prebrojio, ondje ne bijaše nikoga od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.
For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10 Zato zajednica posla onamo dvanaest tisuća hrabrih ljudi i zapovjedi im: “Idite i posijecite oštrim mačem stanovnike Jabeša u Gileadu, zajedno sa ženama i djecom.
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying: 'Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
11 Evo što ćete učiniti: izručit ćete prokletstvu sve muškarce i sve žene što su dijelile postelju sa čovjekom, ali ćete sačuvati život djevicama.” Tako i učiniše.
And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.'
12 I našli su među stanovnicima Jabeša u Gileadu četiri stotine mladih djevojaka koje nisu dijelile postelje s čovjekom i doveli su ih u tabor u Šilu, koji je u Kanaanu.
And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Sva zajednica posla tada poslanike Benjaminovcima koji bijahu na Rimonskoj stijeni: objaviše im mir.
And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace unto them.
14 Tako se oporavi Benjamin. Dadoše im one među ženama iz Jabeša u Gileadu koje su ostavili na životu, ali ih ne bijaše dovoljno za sve.
And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 Narodu se sažalio Benjamin što je Jahve načinio prazninu među Izraelovim plemenima.
And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 “Kako ćemo naći žene onima što su ostali”, rekoše starješine zbora, “kad su Benjaminu istrijebljene žene?”
Then the elders of the congregation said: 'How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?'
17 Rekoše još: “Kako sačuvati ostatak Benjaminu da se ne zatre jedno pleme iz Izraela?
And they said: 'They that are escaped must be as an inheritance for Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
18 A ne možemo im dati svoje kćeri za žene.” Jer se bijahu zakleli rekavši: “Proklet bio onaj koji dade ženu Benjaminu!”
Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters.' For the children of Israel had sworn, saying: 'Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.'
19 “Ali”, rekoše, “svake se godine slavi u Šilu Jahvina svetkovina.” Grad se nalazi na sjeveru od Betela, istočno od ceste koja vodi iz Betela u Šekem i južno od Lebone.
And they said: 'Behold, there is the feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.'
20 I zato svjetovaše Benjaminovce: “Idite u zasjedu po vinogradima.
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 Pazite, pa kada djevojke iz Šila iziđu da plešu u kolu, vi iskočite iz vinograda, otmite svaki sebi ženu između šilskih kćeri pa otiđite u Benjaminovu zemlju.
and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 A kad njihovi očevi ili njihova braća dođu da se prituže na vas, mi ćemo im reći: 'Oprostite im što je svaki uzeo po ženu kao u ratu; vi im ih niste dali, pa je tako krivnja na vama.'”
And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to strive with us, that we will say unto them: Grant them graciously unto us; because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle; neither did ye give them unto them, that ye should now be guilty.'
23 Benjaminovci učiniše tako i od djevojaka koje oteše uzeše onoliki broj žena koliko bijaše njih. Onda odoše svaki na svoju baštinu, sagradiše opet gradove i naseliše se u njima.
And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they carried off; and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 Izraelci se tada raziđoše, svaki u svoje pleme i u svoj rod, i svaki se odande vrati na svoju baštinu.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 U to vrijeme ne bijaše kralja u Izraelu i svatko je živio kako mu se činilo da je pravo.
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

< Suci 21 >