< Judges 21 >

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
Aisraeli anali atalumbira ku Mizipa kuti, “Palibe mmodzi wa ife adzapereke mwana wake wamkazi kuti akwatiwe ndi mwamuna wa fuko la Benjamini.”
2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
Anthu anapita ku Beteli kumene anakakhala pansi pamaso pa Mulungu mpaka madzulo. Iwo anakweza mawu nalira kwambiri.
3 “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”
Iwo ankanena kuti, “Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli, nʼchifukwa chiyani izi zachitika mʼdziko la Israeli kuti lero fuko limodzi lisowe mu Israeli?”
4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Mmawa mwake anthu anadzuka namanga guwa lansembe ndi kupereka nsembe zopsereza ndi nsembe zachiyanjano.
5 The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.
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.
6 And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
Tsono Aisraeli anamva chisoni chifukwa cha abale awo, Abenjamini. Iwo anati, “Lero fuko limodzi lachotsedwa mu Israeli.
7 What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
Kodi tingawapezere bwanji anthu otsalawa akazi woti awakwatire? Paja ife tinalumbira kwa Yehova kuti sitidzapereka ana anthu aakazi kuti awakwatire.
8 So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.
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.
9 For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
Pamene anthu anawerengana anangoona kuti anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi palibe.
10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
Choncho msonkhano unatumiza anthu ankhondo 12,000 ndi kuwalamula kuti, “Mukaphe anthu onse okhala ku Yabesi Giliyadi, kuphatikizapo akazi ndi ana.”
11 This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”
Izi ndi zimene mukachite. “Mukaphe mwamuna aliyense ndi mkazi aliyense amene anadziwapo mwamuna.”
12 So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
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.
13 Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.
Kenaka msonkhano wonse unatumiza uthenga kwa Abenjamini amene ankakhala ku thanthwe la Rimoni kuwawuza kuti nkhondo yatha.
14 And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
Choncho Abenjamini anabwera nthawi imeneyo ndipo Aisraeli anawapatsa akazi a ku Yabesi Giliyadi amene sanaphedwe. Koma sanapezeke owakwanira.
15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
Aisraeli anamvera chisoni Abenjamini, chifukwa Yehova anachita ngati waligwerula dzino fuko la Israeli.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
Choncho akuluakulu a msonkhano anati, “Kodi tikawapezera kuti akazi anthu otsalirawa kuti awakwatire popeza kuti akazi a fuko la Benjamini anaphedwa?”
17 They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
Iwo anati, “Abenjamini amene anapulumukawa ayenera kukhala ndi zidzukulu, kuti mtundu wa Israeli usafafanizike.
18 But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
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.’
19 “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
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.’”
20 So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
Choncho anawalamulira Abenjamini aja kuti, “Pitani mukabisale mʼminda ya mpesa
21 and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
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.
22 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
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.’”
23 The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.
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.
24 And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
Pambuyo pake Aisraeli anachoka kumeneko ndi kubwerera kwawo, ku mafuko ndi ku mabanja awo, aliyense ku dera la cholowa chake.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Masiku amenewo kunalibe mfumu ku Israeli. Aliyense ankangochita zimene zomukomera yekha.

< Judges 21 >