< Judges 21 >
1 The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, “None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin.”
Abasajja ba Isirayiri baali beerayiridde e Mizupa nti, “Tewabanga n’omu ku ffe awaayo muwala we okufumbirwa Benyamini.”
2 And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
Awo abantu ne bagenda e Beseri ne batuula eyo okutuusa akawungeezi nga bakaabira Katonda, nga bayimusa eddoboozi lyabwe, nga bakuba ebiwoobe,
3 “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”
nga bakaaba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri, lwaki kino kituuse ku Isirayiri leero, ekika ekimu okubula ku Isirayiri?”
4 Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
Awo ku lunaku olwaddirira, abantu ne bagolokoka ne bazimba ekyoto mu kifo ekyo, ne bawaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe.
5 “Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?” For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
Abaana ba Isirayiri ne beebuuza nti, “Ani ku bika byonna ebya Isirayiri atazze kukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda?” Kubanga baali beerayiridde, ng’omuntu yenna alemwa okukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Mukama e Mizupa, ateekwa kuttibwa.
6 And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: “One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
Abaana ba Isirayiri ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini muganda waabwe nga bagamba nti, “Leero ekika ekimu ekya Isirayiri kisaliddwako.
7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
Tunaabakolera ki okubafunira abakazi, obanga ffe ffennyini twerayiridde eri Mukama obutabawa bawala baffe okubafumbirwa?”
8 For this reason, they said, “Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
Ne beebuuza nti, “Kika ki ku bika bya Isirayiri ekitaayambuka Mizupa mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda?” Ne bazuula nga mu Yabesugireyaadi tewaavaayo muntu eyajja mu lukuŋŋaana.
9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
Bwe baalaba abantu, laba nga tewaliiwo mutuuze w’e Yabesugireyaadi.
10 And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones.”
Awo ekibiina ne kitumayo abasajja abalwanyi omutwalo gumu mu enkumi bbiri, ne babalagira nti, “Mugende muzikirize n’ekitala abo bonna ababeera mu Yabesugireyaadi, obutalekaawo bakazi wadde abaana.
11 And this shall be what you ought to do: “Every one of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve.”
Kino kye muba mukola. Mutte buli musajja na buli mukazi atali mbeerera.”
12 And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
Mu bantu abaabeeranga mu Yabesugireyaadi ne basangamu abawala ebikumi bina abaali embeerera, ne babatwala mu nkambi e Siiro mu nsi ya Kanani.
13 And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in peace.
Awo ekibiina kyonna ekyali kikuŋŋaanye ne kiweereza abaana ba Benyamini abaali ku lwazi lwa Limoni obubaka obw’emirembe.
14 And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
Awo Ababenyamini ne bakomawo mu kiseera ekyo, era ne baweebwa abawala abaawonawo ku bawala ab’e Yabesugireyaadi, naye ne batabamala bonna.
15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
Abantu ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini kubanga Mukama Katonda yali abaawudde ku bika bya Isirayiri ebirala.
16 And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
Awo abakadde b’olukuŋŋaana ne bagamba nti, “Abakazi b’Ababenyamini baazikirizibwa, kaakano abasajja abasigaddewo, tunabalabira wa abakazi?
17 and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
Ababenyamini abaasigalawo bateekwa okufuna abasika, ekika kireme okusangulibwawo mu Isirayiri.
18 As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’”
Ate tetuyinza kubawa ku bawala baffe kubawasa, kubanga ffe abaana ba Isirayiri tweyama nga tugamba nti, ‘Akolimirwe aliwa Omubenyamini muwala we okumuwasa.’
19 And they took counsel, and they said, “Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah.”
Kyokka waliwo embaga ya Mukama Katonda eya buli mwaka e Siiro, ekiri mu bukiikakkono bwa Beseri, n’obuvanjuba bw’oluguudo oluva e Beseri okudda e Sekemu, n’obukiikaddyo bwa Lebona.”
20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.
Awo ne bagamba abaana ba Benyamini nti, “Mugende mwekweke mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu,
21 And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.
muteege. Laba abawala b’e Siiro bwe banaafuluma okwegatta ku mazina, mudduke okuva mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu, mwefunire buli muntu omukazi ku bawala b’e Siiro, muddeyo mu nsi ya Benyamini.
22 And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’”
Awo bakitaabwe oba bannyinaabwe bwe balyemulugunya gye tuli, tulibagamba nti, ‘Mubatuwe lwa kisa, kubanga tetwabafunira bakazi mu lutalo, era olwokubanga temwababawa, temulina musango.’”
23 And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
Awo Ababenyamini ne bakola bwe batyo. Ne beewambira abawala ku abo abaali bazina, ne beddirayo mu busika bwabwe, ne baddamu okuzimba ebibuga byabwe ne babeera omwo.
24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents.
Mu kiseera ekyo n’abaana ba Isirayiri buli muntu mu kika kye ne yeddirayo mu busika bwe.
25 In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
Mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri; buli muntu yakolanga nga bw’ayagala.