Judges 21
1 The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
Israel ƒe kplɔlawo ka atam na Yehowa le Mizpa be yewomatsɔ yewoƒe ɖetugbiwo ana Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsuwo woaɖe gbeɖegbeɖe o.
2 The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
Azɔ la, Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo kpe ta le Betel eye wofa avi na Mawu vevie va se ɖe fiẽ.
3 “Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
Wofa avi gblɔ be, “Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, nu ka ta wòva eme be míaƒe towo dometɔ ɖeka le bubum le mía dome?”
4 The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
Woɖi vɔsamlekpui aɖe le gbe ma gbe ƒe ŋdi kanya eye wosa akpedavɔ le edzi.
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.
Wogblɔ na wo nɔewo be, “Ɖe Israel ƒe to aɖe li si meva takpekpe si míewɔ le Yehowa ŋkume le Mizpa oa?” Wobia nya sia elabena woka atam ɖe edzi do ŋgɔ be ame si agbe vava la aku kokoko.
6 The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
Israelviwo katã fa konyi le ale si Benyamin ƒe to la tsrɔ̃ le wo dome la ta eye wogblɔ be, “Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka tsrɔ̃ le mía dome.
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?”
Afi ka míakpɔ nyɔnuwo le na ŋutsu ʋɛ siwo tsi agbe esi míetsɔ Yehowa ka atam be míatsɔ míaƒe vinyɔnuwo na woƒe ɖekakpuiwo woaɖe o?”
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,
Eye wobia be, “Israel ƒe to ka me tɔwoe meva takpekpea me le Yehowa ŋkume le Mizpa o?” Wokpɔe be, ame aɖeke metso Yabes Gilead va asaɖa la me na takpekpe la o.
9 for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
Esi woxlẽ ameawo la, wokpɔe be Yabes Gileadtɔ aɖeke menɔ afi ma o.
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.
Ale woɖe gbe na aʋawɔla kalẽtɔ akpe wuieve be, “Miyi miawu amewo le Yabes Gilead.
11 This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
Miwu ŋutsuwo katã kple nyɔnu siwo katã dɔ ŋutsu gbɔ kpɔ.”
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.
Wokpɔ ɖetugbi alafa ene siwo medɔ ŋutsu gbɔ kpɔ o la le ame siwo nɔ Yabes Gilead la dome eye wokplɔ wo va asaɖa la me le Silo, le Kanaanyigba dzi.
13 Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
Israelvi bubuawo ɖo ame ɖe Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsu siwo tsi agbe eye wole Rimon kpe la gbɔ.
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.
Wotsɔ ɖetugbi alafa eneawo na wo woɖe eye wotrɔ yi woƒe aƒewo me. Ke ɖetugbiawo mede ŋutsuawo katã nu o.
15 The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
Nublanuinya gã aɖee wònye le Israel le ŋkeke mawo me elabena Yehowa de mama Israel ƒe toawo dome.
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?”
Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo gblɔ be, “Aleke míawɔ akpɔ srɔ̃ na ŋutsu bubuawo esi Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe nyɔnuwo katã ku?
17 They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
Ele be míato mɔ aɖe nu adi srɔ̃ na wo kokoko ale be, Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka mabu gbidii o.
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!’”
Ke míate ŋu atsɔ míawo ŋutɔ ƒe vinyɔnuwo na wo o elabena mí Israelviwo míeka atam be, Yehowa ƒe fiƒode nava ame sia ame si awɔ nu sia la dzi.”
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.”
Ke ame aɖe ɖo ŋku Yehowa ƒe ŋkekenyui si woɖuna ƒe sia ƒe la dzi. Woɖua ŋkekenyui sia le Silo, si le Betel ƒe anyiehe kple mɔ si tso Betel yi Sekem ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo kpakple Lebona ƒe dziehe la dzi.
20 So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Wogblɔ na Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsu siwo mekpɔ srɔ̃ ɖe haɖe o la be, “Miyi miaɣla mia ɖokui ɖe waingblewo me
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.
eye ne Silo ɖetugbiwo va yina ɣeɖuƒe la, mialũ ɖe wo dzi, mialé wo sesẽ ayi miaƒe aƒewo me ne woazu mia srɔ̃wo!
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.”
Ne wo fofowo kple wo nɔviŋutsuwo va nya he ge ɖe mía ŋu la, míagblɔ na wo be, ‘Míeɖe kuku na mi; mise nu gɔme eye miaɖe mɔ woaɖe mia vinyɔnuwo elabena míekpɔ ɖetugbiwo na ŋutsuawo katã esi míetsrɔ̃ Yabes Gilead o. Nenye miawo ŋutɔe tsɔ mia vinyɔnuwo na wo la, eya ko hafi miaɖi fɔ.’”
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.
Ale Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsuwo wɔ ɖe nya si wogblɔ na wo la dzi, wolé nyɔnuvi siwo va ŋkekenyui la ɖu ge, eye wokplɔ wo yi woawo ŋutɔ ƒe anyigba dzi. Wogbugbɔ woƒe duwo tu eye wonɔ wo me.
24 Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
Israelvi bubuawo hã trɔ yi wo de.
25 At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
Le ɣe ma ɣiwo me la, fia aɖeke menɔ Israel si o, eye ame sia ame wɔa nu si dzea eŋu.
