Judges 21
1 The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
Israelfo aka ntam wɔ Mispa sɛ, wɔremfa wɔn mmabea mma ɔbarima biara a ofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu aware.
2 The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
Nnipa no kɔɔ Bet-El kɔtenaa Onyankopɔn anim kosii anwummere, maa wɔn nne so, suu denneennen kae se,
3 “Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
“Ao Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, adɛn nti na saa asɛm yi asi? Mprempren yɛn mmusuakuw no mu baako ayera!”
4 The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
Adekyee mu no, nnipa no sii afɔremuka, na wɔbɔɔ ɔhyew ne asomdwoe afɔre.
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.
Wobisae se, “Abusuakuw bi wɔ hɔ a wannya ɔnanmusini bere a yɛkɔɔ nhyiamu kɛse wɔ Awurade anim wɔ Mispa no ana?” Saa bere no, na wɔaka ntankɛse wɔ Awurade anim sɛ, obiara a wamma no, ɛsɛ sɛ owu.
6 The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
Na Israelfo no dii yaw wɔ Benyaminfo no ho kae se, “Nnɛ yi, abusuakuw baako afi yɛn mu; na nʼase reyɛ atɔre.
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?”
Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛanya yerenom ama wɔn a wɔaka no, esiane Awurade ntam a yɛaka sɛ yɛremfa yɛn mmabea mu biara mma wɔn aware nti?”
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,
Enti wobisae se, “Bere a yɛde yɛn ho kyerɛɛ Awurade wɔ Mispa no na obi nni hɔ bi ana?” Ɛhɔ na wohui sɛ, obiara amfi Yabes Gilead amma saa aguabɔ no ase bi.
9 for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
Na wɔkan nnipa no nyinaa no, wɔannya obiara a ofi Yabes Gilead.
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.
Enti wɔsomaa akofo mpem dumien kɔɔ Yabes Gilead sɛ wonkokunkum obiara a ɔwɔ hɔ a mmea ne mmofra ka ho.
11 This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
Wɔkae se, “Eyi na ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ. Munkum ɔbarima ne ɔbea biara a ɔnyɛ ɔbabun.”
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.
Yabes Gileadfo mu no, wohuu mmabun ahannan a wɔne mmarima nnaa da, na wɔde wɔn baa nsraban a ɛwɔ Silo wɔ Kanaan asase so hɔ.
13 Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
Na Israelfo bagua no somaa asomdwoe abɔfo ma wɔkɔɔ Benyaminfo nkae no a na wɔte Rimon botan ho no nkyɛn.
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.
Na Benyaminfo no san kɔɔ wɔn afi mu, na wɔde mmabun a wofi Yabes Gilead a wɔankum bi no maa wɔn aware. Nanso mmea no anso wɔn so.
15 The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
Nnipa no dii Benyaminfo no ho yaw, sɛ Awurade ama mpaapaemu aba Israel mmusuakuw no mu.
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?”
Enti Israel ntuanofo no bisae se, “Sɛ wɔatɔre mmea a wofi Benyamin ase yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛanya yerenom ama mmarima a wɔaka no?
17 They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
Ɛsɛ sɛ Benyaminfo a wɔaka no nya adedifo sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Israel abusuakuw bi ase ntɔre.
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!’”
Nanso yɛrentumi mfa yɛn mmabea mma wɔn aware, efisɛ yɛaka ntankɛse sɛ, obiara a ɔde ne babea bɛma Benyaminni aware no, Awurade nnome mmra ne so.”
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.”
Afei wɔdwenee Awurade afeafe afahyɛ no ho, nea wodi wɔ Silo, a ɛwɔ Lebona ne Bet-El ntam, wɔ ɔkwan a efi Bet-El kosi Sekem no apuei fam.
20 So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Benyamin mmarima a wɔda so hwehwɛ yerenom no se, “Monkɔtɛw wɔ bobe nturo no mu.
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.
Sɛ mmea a wofi Silo no ba bɛsaw wɔn asaw no a, mumpue mfi bobe nturo no mu, na mo mu biara betumi afa wɔn mu baako de no akɔ fie sɛ ne yere.
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.”
Na sɛ wɔn agyanom ne wɔn nuanom mmarima ba sɛ wɔmpene so a, yɛbɛka akyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Yɛsrɛ mo, monte ase. Momma wɔmfa mo mmabea no, efisɛ bere a yekunkum Yabes Gileadfo no, yɛannyaw mmea a ɛbɛso wɔn nyinaa so amma wɔn. Munnni ntam no ho fɔ, efisɛ ɛnyɛ mo na mode mo mmabea maa wɔn aware.’”
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.
Enti Benyamin mmarima no yɛɛ sɛnea wɔkyerɛɛ wɔn no. Wowiawiaa mmea a wɔbaa afahyɛ no ase, de wɔn kɔɔ asase a ɛyɛ wɔn agyapade no so. Na wɔkyekyeree wɔn nkurow no bio tenaa mu.
24 Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
Na Israelfo mmusuakuw ne mmusua no fii hɔ san kɔɔ wɔn ankasa afi mu.
25 At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
Saa bere no na Israel nni ɔhene, nti na nea nnipa no gye di sɛ eye wɔ wɔn ani so no na wɔyɛ.
