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.”
I Mispa hadde Israels menn svoret: Ingen av oss skal gi nogen i Benjamin sin datter til hustru.
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,
Men da folket kom til Betel, satt de der for Guds åsyn til om aftenen, og de gråt høit og lenge
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?”
og sa: Herre, Israels Gud, hvorfor har dette hendt i Israel at det i dag fattes en hel stamme av Israel?
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,
Den følgende dag stod folket tidlig op og bygget et alter der og ofret brennoffer og takkoffer.
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.
Og Israels barn sa: Hvem var det blandt alle Israels stammer som ikke kom op til Herren med menigheten? For de hadde svoret en dyr ed at den som ikke kom op til Herren i Mispa, han skulde late livet.
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.
Det gjorde Israels barn ondt for Benjamin, deres bror, og de sa: Idag er det hugget bort en stamme av Israel.
7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
Hvad skal vi gjøre for dem som er tilbake, så de kan få sig hustruer, siden vi har svoret ved Herren at vi ikke vil gi dem nogen av våre døtre til ekte?
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.
Så sa de: Var det nogen blandt Israels ætter som ikke kom op til Herren i Mispa? Da fikk de vite at fra Jabes i Gilead var ingen kommet til leiren, til møtet.
9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
For da folket blev mønstret, viste det sig at ingen av innbyggerne i Jabes i Gilead var der.
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.”
Da sendte menigheten tolv tusen mann av krigsfolket dit og bød dem: Dra avsted og slå innbyggerne i Jabes i Gilead med sverdets egg, også kvinner og barn!
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.”
Således skal I gjøre: Alt mannkjønn og hver kvinne som har hatt samleie med nogen mann, skal I slå med bann.
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.
Da fant de blandt innbyggerne i Jabes i Gilead fire hundre jomfruer som ikke hadde vært nær nogen mann og hatt samleie med ham; dem tok de med sig til leiren i Silo i Kana'ans land.
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.
Og hele menigheten sendte bud til Benjamins barn, som var på Rimmons klippe, og lovte dem fred.
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.
Da vendte Benjamin med én gang tilbake, og de gav dem de kvinner som de hadde latt bli i live blandt kvinnene i Jabes i Gilead; men det blev ikke nok for dem.
15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
Og det gjorde folket ondt for Benjamin; for Herren hadde gjort et skår i Israels stammer.
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,
Og menighetens eldste sa: Hvad skal vi gjøre for dem som ennu er tilbake, så de kan få sig hustruer, siden alle kvinner i Benjamin er utryddet?
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.
Og de sa: Benjamins arvedel skal høre de undkomne til, så ikke en hel stamme i Israel skal utslettes.
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.’”
Men vi kan ikke gi dem nogen av våre døtre til ekte. For Israels barn har svoret: Forbannet være den som gir nogen av Benjamin sin datter til hustru!
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.”
Så sa de: År for år holdes det jo en høitid for Herren i Silo, som ligger nordenfor Betel, østenfor alfarveien som fører fra Betel op til Sikem, og sønnenfor Lebona.
20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.
Og de sa til Benjamins barn: Gå og legg eder på lur i vingårdene
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.
og pass på, og når I ser Silos døtre gå ut til dans, da skal I springe frem fra vingårdene og røve eder hver sin hustru blandt Silos døtre og så dra hjem til Benjamins land.
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.’”
Og når deres fedre eller brødre kommer og vil gå i rette med oss, da skal vi si til dem: Unn oss dem! For vi har ikke alle fått oss hustruer i krigen, og I har jo ikke selv gitt dem pikene; da vilde I nu være skyldige.
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.
Og Benjamins barn gjorde således og tok sig hver sin hustru, så mange som de var, blandt de dansende kvinner som de røvet; og de drog avsted og vendte tilbake til sin arvedel og bygget op igjen byene og blev boende der.
24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents.
På samme tid reiste Israels barn også derfra, hver til sin stamme og sin ætt; de drog bort derfra, hver til sin arvedel.
25 In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
I de dager var det ingen konge i Israel; hver mann gjorde hvad rett var i hans øine.
