Judges 21
1 Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
Pasukan Israel kembali ke tempat ibadah TUHAN di Betel dan duduk sambil menangis tersedu-sedu di hadapan Allah sampai malam. Mereka berseru, “Oh TUHAN, Allah Israel, mengapa ini sampai terjadi di Israel? Hari ini bangsa Israel kehilangan satu suku.” Mereka berkata begitu karena sebelumnya, ketika kesebelas suku Israel mengadakan pertemuan penting umat TUHAN di Mispa, mereka sudah berjanji dengan sumpah kepada TUHAN bahwa suku-suku Israel tidak akan menikahkan anak perempuan mereka dengan orang Benyamin.
2 And they all came to the house of God in Silo, and abiding before him till the evening, lifted up their voices, and began to lament and weep, saying:
3 O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?
4 And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said:
Pagi-pagi sekali keesokan harinya, mereka membangun mezbah di sana dan mempersembahkan kurban yang dibakar habis dan kurban tanda damai.
5 Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the army of the Lord? for they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain.
Mereka bertanya, “Siapa dari suku-suku Israel yang tidak ikut hadir menghadap TUHAN waktu itu?” Mereka bertanya demikian karena sebelumnya mereka sudah berjanji dengan sumpah kepada TUHAN untuk menghukum mati orang-orang yang tidak menghadiri perkumpulan penting umat TUHAN di Mispa.
6 And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
Mereka merasa kasihan kepada suku Benyamin, saudara mereka itu. Kata mereka, “Hari ini bangsa Israel kehilangan satu suku.
7 Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn, not to give our daughters to them.
Dengan adanya sumpah janji kita kepada TUHAN untuk tidak menikahkan anak perempuan kita dengan mereka, bagaimana kita bisa menyediakan istri bagi orang-orang Benyamin yang tersisa?”
8 Therefore they said: Who is thereof all the tribes of Israel, that came not up to the Lord to Maspha. And behold the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army.
Kemudian mereka bertanya lagi, “Siapa di antara suku-suku Israel yang tidak menghadiri perkumpulan umat TUHAN di Mispa?” Kemudian mereka menghitung orang-orang yang sedang berkumpul di Betel. Maka didapatilah bahwa ternyata tidak ada warga kota Yabes di Gilead yang hadir di sana.
9 (At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there.)
10 So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword, with their wives and their children.
Maka mereka mengutus dua belas ribu pasukan terbaik mereka untuk membunuh seluruh penduduk Yabes, baik laki-laki, anak-anak, maupun semua perempuan yang sudah menikah.
11 And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save.
12 And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that had not known the bed of a man, and they brought them to the camp Silo, into the land of Chanaan.
Lalu mereka mendapatkan 400 orang perawan dari antara penduduk Yabes. Mereka membawa gadis-gadis itu ke perkemahan di Silo di daerah Kanaan.
13 And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
Kemudian perkumpulan umat itu mengirim utusan kepada orang-orang Benyamin di bukit batu Rimon untuk menawarkan perdamaian.
14 And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were given them of the daughters of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might give in like manner.
Maka orang-orang Benyamin itu kembali, dan umat Israel memberikan gadis-gadis yang dibawa dari kota Yabes untuk menjadi istri mereka. Tetapi jumlah gadis itu tidak cukup untuk semua orang Benyamin yang tersisa.
15 And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of one tribe out of Israel.
Bangsa Israel merasa kasihan kepada suku Benyamin, karena TUHAN sudah membuat salah satu suku Israel hampir punah.
16 And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
Kemudian tua-tua bangsa Israel bertanya, “Semua perempuan suku Benyamin sudah dibunuh, bagaimana kita bisa mendapatkan istri bagi sisa orang Benyamin selebihnya?
17 And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Mereka harus punya keturunan karena tanah suku Benyamin harus tetap diwariskan kepada keturunan mereka, supaya bangsa Israel tidak kehilangan satu suku.
18 For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give Benjamin any of his daughters to wife.
Tetapi kita tidak boleh menikahkan anak perempuan kita dengan mereka karena kita sudah bersumpah, ‘Biarlah TUHAN mengutuk orang Israel yang memberikan anak perempuannya menjadi istri suku Benyamin.’”
19 So they took counsel, and said: Behold there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona.
Kemudian mereka berkata lagi, “Kita bisa memanfaatkan acara perayaan tahunan untuk TUHAN di Silo.” (Silo terletak di sebelah utara Betel, di sebelah selatan Lebona dan di sebelah timur jalan raya dari Betel menuju ke Sikem).
20 And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
Maka mereka menyuruh orang-orang Benyamin, “Pergilah ke perayaan di Silo itu dan bersembunyilah di kebun-kebun anggur.
21 And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife among them, and go into the land of Benjamin.
Waktu gadis-gadis kota Silo keluar untuk menari, kalian masing-masing keluarlah dari persembunyianmu di kebun anggur dan tangkaplah satu gadis. Kalian bisa membawa lari gadis itu ke wilayah suku Benyamin untuk menjadikan dia istrimu.
22 And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have pity on them for they took them not away as by the right of war or conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the fault was committed on your part.
Kalau ayah atau saudara mereka menuntut hal itu kepada kami, kami akan menjawab mereka, ‘Mohon maklumi dan kasihanilah orang-orang Benyamin itu, karena kita tidak mendapatkan cukup banyak istri untuk mereka waktu kita memusnahkan kota Yabes. Kalian tidak melanggar perjanjian kita kepada TUHAN, karena kalian bukan dengan sengaja memberikan anak-anak perempuanmu kepada mereka.’”
23 And the children of Benjamin did, as they had been commanded: and according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his wife of them that were dancing: and they went into their possession and built up their cities, and dwelt in them.
Maka suku Benyamin berbuat demikian. Waktu perayaan di Silo, mereka masing-masing menculik salah satu gadis yang sedang menari dan membawanya pulang ke tanah warisan mereka. Lalu orang Benyamin membangun kembali kota-kota mereka.
24 The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families, to their dwellings.
Kemudian pertemuan suku-suku Israel itu selesai dan setiap orang pulang ke tanah warisan mereka masing-masing.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: but every one did that which seemed right to himself.
Demikianlah yang terjadi pada zaman itu di Israel. Waktu itu Israel tidak punya raja. Setiap orang melakukan apa yang dianggap benar di mata mereka masing-masing.
