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, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 I ode narod u Betel i ostade ondje pred Bogom do večeri, naričući i jecajući.
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 Govorili su: “Zašto se, o Jahve, Bože Izraelov, ova nesreća morala dogoditi da Izraelu danas nestane jednog plemena?”
They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 Sutradan uraniše ljudi i sagradiše ondje žrtvenik; prinesoše paljenice i žrtve zahvalnice.
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, 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.
The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to 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.
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 Kako ćemo dati žene onima koji su preostali kad se zaklesmo Jahvom da im nećemo dati svojih kćeri za žene?”
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since 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.
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 Jer kada se narod prebrojio, ondje ne bijaše nikoga od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.
For when the people were counted, 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.
The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike 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.
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a 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.
They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to 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.
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to 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.
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
15 Narodu se sažalio Benjamin što je Jahve načinio prazninu među Izraelovim plemenima.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because 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 provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17 Rekoše još: “Kako sačuvati ostatak Benjaminu da se ne zatre jedno pleme iz Izraela?
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be 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!”
However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives 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.
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
20 I zato svjetovaše Benjaminovce: “Idite u zasjedu po vinogradima.
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 out of the vineyards, and each man catch 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.'”
It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would 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.
The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
24 Izraelci se tada raziđoše, svaki u svoje pleme i u svoj rod, i svaki se odande vrati na svoju baštinu.
The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own 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. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
