Judges 21
1 The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
Abasajja ba Isirayiri baali beerayiridde e Mizupa nti, “Tewabanga n’omu ku ffe awaayo muwala we okufumbirwa Benyamini.”
2 The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
Awo abantu ne bagenda e Beseri ne batuula eyo okutuusa akawungeezi nga bakaabira Katonda, nga bayimusa eddoboozi lyabwe, nga bakuba ebiwoobe,
3 “Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
nga bakaaba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri, lwaki kino kituuse ku Isirayiri leero, ekika ekimu okubula ku Isirayiri?”
4 The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
Awo ku lunaku olwaddirira, abantu ne bagolokoka ne bazimba ekyoto mu kifo ekyo, ne bawaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe.
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.
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 The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
Abaana ba Isirayiri ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini muganda waabwe nga bagamba nti, “Leero ekika ekimu ekya Isirayiri kisaliddwako.
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?”
Tunaabakolera ki okubafunira abakazi, obanga ffe ffennyini twerayiridde eri Mukama obutabawa bawala baffe okubafumbirwa?”
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,
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 for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
Bwe baalaba abantu, laba nga tewaliiwo mutuuze w’e Yabesugireyaadi.
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.
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 This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
Kino kye muba mukola. Mutte buli musajja na buli mukazi atali mbeerera.”
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.
Mu bantu abaabeeranga mu Yabesugireyaadi ne basangamu abawala ebikumi bina abaali embeerera, ne babatwala mu nkambi e Siiro mu nsi ya Kanani.
13 Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
Awo ekibiina kyonna ekyali kikuŋŋaanye ne kiweereza abaana ba Benyamini abaali ku lwazi lwa Limoni obubaka obw’emirembe.
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.
Awo Ababenyamini ne bakomawo mu kiseera ekyo, era ne baweebwa abawala abaawonawo ku bawala ab’e Yabesugireyaadi, naye ne batabamala bonna.
15 The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
Abantu ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini kubanga Mukama Katonda yali abaawudde ku bika bya Isirayiri ebirala.
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?”
Awo abakadde b’olukuŋŋaana ne bagamba nti, “Abakazi b’Ababenyamini baazikirizibwa, kaakano abasajja abasigaddewo, tunabalabira wa abakazi?
17 They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
Ababenyamini abaasigalawo bateekwa okufuna abasika, ekika kireme okusangulibwawo mu Isirayiri.
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!’”
Ate tetuyinza kubawa ku bawala baffe kubawasa, kubanga ffe abaana ba Isirayiri tweyama nga tugamba nti, ‘Akolimirwe aliwa Omubenyamini muwala we okumuwasa.’
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.”
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 So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Awo ne bagamba abaana ba Benyamini nti, “Mugende mwekweke mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu,
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.
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 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.”
Awo bakitaabwe oba bannyinaabwe bwe balyemulugunya gye tuli, tulibagamba nti, ‘Mubatuwe lwa kisa, kubanga tetwabafunira bakazi mu lutalo, era olwokubanga temwababawa, temulina musango.’”
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.
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 Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
Mu kiseera ekyo n’abaana ba Isirayiri buli muntu mu kika kye ne yeddirayo mu busika bwe.
25 At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
Mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri; buli muntu yakolanga nga bw’ayagala.
