< Judges 21 >

1 The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry 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 The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
Anthu anapita ku Beteli kumene anakakhala pansi pamaso pa Mulungu mpaka madzulo. Iwo anakweza mawu nalira kwambiri.
3 “Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
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 they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
Mmawa mwake anthu anadzuka namanga guwa lansembe ndi kupereka nsembe zopsereza ndi nsembe zachiyanjano.
5 “Which of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord?” they asked. For they had sworn a sacred oath that anyone who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah would without exception be executed.
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 The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
Tsono Aisraeli anamva chisoni chifukwa cha abale awo, Abenjamini. Iwo anati, “Lero fuko limodzi lachotsedwa mu Israeli.
7 What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn an oath before the Lord that we will not allow any of our daughters to marry them?”
Kodi tingawapezere bwanji anthu otsalawa akazi woti awakwatire? Paja ife tinalumbira kwa Yehova kuti sitidzapereka ana anthu aakazi kuti awakwatire.
8 Then they asked, “Which one of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord at Mizpah?” They found out that 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 once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
Pamene anthu anawerengana anangoona kuti anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi palibe.
10 So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their best warriors there. They gave them orders, saying, “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with your swords, even the 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 have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
Izi ndi zimene mukachite. “Mukaphe mwamuna aliyense ndi mkazi aliyense amene anadziwapo mwamuna.”
12 They managed to find among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred virgins who had not had sex with a man. They took them to the camp in 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 assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
Kenaka msonkhano wonse unatumiza uthenga kwa Abenjamini amene ankakhala ku thanthwe la Rimoni kuwawuza kuti nkhondo yatha.
14 So the men of Benjamin went back home, and gave to them the four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead who had been spared as wives. However, there wasn't enough 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 felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
Aisraeli anamvera chisoni Abenjamini, chifukwa Yehova anachita ngati waligwerula dzino fuko la Israeli.
16 The elders of the assembly asked, “What shall we do to supply the remaining wives because all 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 have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
Iwo anati, “Abenjamini amene anapulumukawa ayenera kukhala ndi zidzukulu, kuti mtundu wa Israeli usafafanizike.
18 But we can't let them have our daughters as wives, since we as the people of Israel swore a sacred oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite is cursed!’”
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 Then they said, “Look! Every year there's the Lord's festival in Shiloh. It's held north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, 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 ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Choncho anawalamulira Abenjamini aja kuti, “Pitani mukabisale mʼminda ya mpesa
21 Keep a lookout, and when you see the young women from Shiloh come out to perform their dances, run out from the vineyards, and each of you abduct a wife for yourself and go back home 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 If their fathers or brothers come complaining to us, we'll tell them, ‘Please do us a favor, because we couldn't find enough wives for them in the war. And it's not as if you're guilty of breaking the oath since you didn't give them in marriage.”
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 Benjaminites did as they were ordered. Each man grabbed one of the women dancers up to the total needed and carried her off to be his wife. Then they went back to their own land, where they rebuilt their towns and lived 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 Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
Pambuyo pake Aisraeli anachoka kumeneko ndi kubwerera kwawo, ku mafuko ndi ku mabanja awo, aliyense ku dera la cholowa chake.
25 At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
Masiku amenewo kunalibe mfumu ku Israeli. Aliyense ankangochita zimene zomukomera yekha.

< Judges 21 >