Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, Not one of us will give his daughter as a wife to Benjamin.
Los hombres de Israel habían hecho un juramento en Mizpa: “Ninguno de nosotros permitirá que nuestras hijas se casen con un benjamita”.
2 And the people came to Beth-el, waiting there till evening before God, and gave themselves up to bitter weeping.
Los israelitas fueron a Betel y se sentaron allí ante Dios hasta el atardecer, llorando a gritos de angustia.
3 And they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this fate come on Israel, that today one tribe has been cut off from Israel?
“Señor, Dios de Israel, ¿por qué le ha sucedido esto a Israel?”, preguntaron. “Hoy falta una de nuestras tribus en Israel”.
4 Then on the day after, the people got up early and made an altar there, offering burned offerings and peace-offerings.
Al día siguiente se levantaron temprano, construyeron un altar y trajeron holocaustos y ofrendas de comunión.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel, who did not come up to the Lord at the meeting of all Israel? For they had taken a great oath that whoever did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord was to be put to death.
“¿Cuál de todas las tribus de Israel no asistió a la asamblea que celebramos ante el Señor?”, preguntaron. Porque habían hecho un juramento sagrado de que cualquiera que no se presentara ante el Señor en Mizpa sería ejecutado sin excepción.
6 And the children of Israel were moved with pity for Benjamin their brother, saying, Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
Los israelitas se compadecieron de su hermano Benjamín, diciendo: “¡Hoy una tribu ha sido arrancada de Israel!
7 What are we to do about wives for those who are still living? For we have taken an oath by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters for wives.
¿Qué haremos con las esposas para los que quedan, ya que hemos jurado ante el Señor que no permitiremos que ninguna de nuestras hijas se case con ellos?”
8 And they said, Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord? And it was seen that no one had come from Jabesh-gilead to the meeting.
Entonces preguntaron: “¿Quién de todas las tribus de Israel no asistió a la asamblea que celebramos ante el Señor en Mizpa?” Descubrieron que nadie de Jabés Galaad había acudido al campamento para la asamblea,
9 For when the people were numbered, not one man of the people of Jabesh-gilead was present.
pues una vez hecho el recuento, no había nadie de Jabés Galaad.
10 So they (the meeting) sent twelve thousand of the best fighting-men, and gave them orders, saying, Go and put the people of Jabesh-gilead to the sword without mercy, with their women and their little ones.
Así que la asamblea envió allí a doce mil de sus mejores guerreros. Les dieron órdenes, diciendo: “Vayan y maten a los habitantes de Jabes de Galaad con sus espadas, incluso a las mujeres y a los niños.
11 And this is what you are to do: every male, and every woman who has had sex relations with a man, you are to put to the curse, but you are to keep safe the virgins. And they did so.
Esto es lo que tienen que hacer: Destruyan a todo varón y a toda mujer que haya tenido relaciones sexuales con un hombre”.
12 Now there were among the people of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had never had sex relations with a man; these they took to their tents in Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
Lograron encontrar entre los habitantes de Jabés Galaad cuatrocientas vírgenes que no habían tenido relaciones sexuales con un hombre. Las llevaron al campamento de Silo, en la tierra de Canaán.
13 And all the meeting sent to the men of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, offering them peace.
Entonces toda la asamblea envió un mensaje a los benjamitas en la Roca de Rimónpara decirles: “¡Paz!”
14 Then Benjamin came back; and they gave them the women whom they had kept from death among the women of Jabesh-gilead: but still there were not enough for them.
Así que los hombres de Benjamín regresaron a sus casas y les dieron como esposas a las cuatrocientas mujeres de Jabes Galaad que se habían salvado. Sin embargo, no había suficiente para todos ellos.
15 And the people were moved with pity for Benjamin, because the Lord had let his wrath loose on the tribes of Israel.
El pueblo se compadeció de los benjamitas porque el Señor había hecho este vacío entre las tribus israelitas.
16 Then the responsible men of the meeting said, What are we to do about wives for the rest of them, seeing that the women of Benjamin are dead?
Los ancianos de la asamblea preguntaron: “¿Qué haremos para suplir a las esposas restantes, porque todas las mujeres de Benjamín han sido destruidas?”
17 And they said, How is the rest of Benjamin to be given offspring so that one tribe of Israel may not be put out of existence,
Añadieron: “Tiene que haber herederos para los supervivientes benjaminitas; una tribu israelita de Israel no puede ser aniquilada.
18 Seeing that we may not give them our daughters as wives? For the children of Israel had taken an oath, saying, Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.
Pero no podemos permitirles que tengan a nuestras hijas como esposas, ya que nosotros, como pueblo de Israel, hicimos un juramento sagrado, diciendo: ‘¡Maldito aquél que le dé una esposa a un benjaminita!’”
19 And they said, See, every year there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is to the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway which goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
Entonces dijeron: “¡Mira! Todos los años se celebra la fiesta del Señor en Silo. Se celebra al norte de Betel, y al este del camino que va de Betel a Siquem, al sur de Lebona”.
20 And they said to the men of Benjamin, Go into the vine-gardens, waiting there secretly,
Entonces ordenaron a los benjamitas: “Vayan y escóndanse en las viñas.
21 And watching; and if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then come from the vine-gardens and take a wife for every one of you from among the daughters of Shiloh, and go back to the land of Benjamin.
Estén atentos, y cuando vean a las jóvenes de Silo salir a hacer sus danzas, salgan corriendo de las viñas, y cada uno de ustedes secuestre una esposa para sí mismo y regrese a su casa en la tierra de Benjamín.
22 And when their fathers or their brothers come and make trouble, you are to say to them, Give them to us as an act of grace; for we did not take them as wives for ourselves in war; and if you yourselves had given them to us you would have been responsible for the broken oath.
Si sus padres o hermanos vienen a quejarse a nosotros, les diremos: ‘Por favor, hágannos un favor, porque no pudimos encontrar suficientes esposas para ellos en la guerra. Y no es que ustedes sean culpables de romper el juramento, ya que no las dieron en matrimonio’”.
23 So the men of Benjamin did this, and got wives for themselves for every one of their number, taking them away by force from the dance; then they went back to their heritage, building up their towns and living in them.
Losbenjaminitas hicieron lo que se les ordenó. Cada hombre tomó a una de las mujeres bailarinas hasta donde fue necesario y se la llevó para que fuera su esposa. Luego regresaron a su tierra, donde reconstruyeron sus ciudades y habitaron en ellas.
24 Then the children of Israel went away from there, every man to his tribe and his family, every man went back to his heritage.
Luego los israelitas partieron y se fueron a sus tribus y familias, cada uno a la tierra que poseía.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what seemed right to him.
En aquel tiempo Israel no tenía un rey; cada uno hacía lo que le parecía correcto.
