< Judges 21 >

1 Now, the men of Israel, had sworn in Mizpah, saying, —Not a man from among us, shall give his daughter unto Benjamin, to wife.
Andũ acio a Isiraeli nĩmehĩtĩte mwĩhĩtwa marĩ kũu Mizipa makoiga atĩrĩ, “Gũtirĩ o na ũmwe witũ ũkaaneana mũirĩtu wake ahikio nĩ Mũbenjamini.”
2 So then the people came to Bethel, and abode there, until the evening, before God, —and lifted up their voice, and wept bitterly,
Andũ acio nĩmathiire Betheli, kũrĩa maikarire mbere ya Ngai o nginya hwaĩ-inĩ, makĩanĩrĩra na mũgambo makĩrĩra na kĩgirĩko kĩnene.
3 and said, Wherefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel, hath this come about in Israel, —that there should be lacking, to-day, out of Israel, one tribe?
Nao makiuga atĩrĩ, “Hĩ! Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli, nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte ũndũ ũyũ woneke Isiraeli? Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũhĩrĩga ũmwe ũkorwo ũtarĩ ho thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli ũmũthĩ?”
4 And it came to pass, on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there, an altar, —and offered ascending-sacrifices, and peace-offerings.
Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ rũciinĩ tene andũ magĩaka kĩgongona na makĩruta maruta ma njino o na maruta ma ũiguano.
5 And the sons of Israel said, Who was there that came not up, in the convocation, out of all the tribes of Israel, unto Yahweh? For, the great oath, had been taken, as to any who came not up unto Yahweh at Mizpah, saying—He shall be, put to death.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ a Isiraeli makĩũria atĩrĩ, “Mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ yothe ya Isiraeli-rĩ, nũũ ũtokĩte kũngana haha mbere ya Jehova?” Nĩgũkorwo nĩmeehĩtĩte mwĩhĩtwa mũrũmu atĩ ũrĩa ũkwaga gũũka kĩũngano mbere ya Jehova kũu Mizipa ti-itherũ nĩagĩrĩire kũũragwo.
6 And the sons of Israel grieved for Benjamin, their brother, —and they said, There is cut off, to-day, one tribe out of Israel.
Na rĩrĩ, andũ a Isiraeli magĩcakaya nĩ ũndũ wa ariũ a ithe wao, andũ a Benjamini, na makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũmũthĩ mũhĩrĩga ũmwe nĩmweherie kuuma Isiraeli.
7 What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —seeing that, we ourselves, have sworn by Yahweh, not to give them of our daughters, for wives?
Tũngĩhota atĩa kuonera arĩa matigarĩte atumia, kuona atĩ nĩtwĩhĩtĩte mwĩhĩtwa mbere ya Jehova atĩ tũtikaamahe airĩtu aitũ mamahikie?”
8 So they said, What one of the tribes of Israel is there, that hath not come up unto Yahweh at Mizpah? And lo! no man had come into the camp, out of Jabesh-gilead, unto the convocation:
Magĩcooka makĩũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ mũhĩrĩga ũrĩkũ wa Isiraeli ũtokĩte kĩũngano-inĩ mbere ya Jehova kũu Mizipa?” Nao makĩmenya atĩ gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe kuuma Jabeshi-Gileadi wokĩte kambĩ-inĩ ĩyo nĩ ũndũ wa kĩũngano kĩu.
9 When the people were numbered, lo! there was not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.
Tondũ rĩrĩa maatarire andũ, nĩmamenyire atĩ gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe kuuma Jabeshi-Gileadi warĩ kuo.
10 So the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men, of the sons of valour, —and commanded them, saying: —Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, with the edge of the sword, with the women, and the little ones.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio kĩũngano kĩu gĩgĩtũma andũ a kũrũa 12,000 marĩ na mawatho mathiĩ nginya Jabeshi-Gileadi na moorage arĩa maatũũraga kuo na rũhiũ rwa njora, gwata atumia na ciana.
11 And, this, is the thing that ye shall do, —Every male, and every woman that hath cohabited with man, shall ye devote to destruction.
Nao makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũũ nĩguo mũgwĩka, ũragai mũndũ mũrũme o wothe na mũndũ-wa-nja o wothe ũrĩa ũtarĩ gathirange.”
12 And they found—of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead—four hundred young women, virgins, who had not cohabited with man, —so they brought them into the camp, at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Nao magĩkora gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ arĩa maatũũraga kũu Jabeshi-Gileadi airĩtu magana mana arĩa mataakomete na mũndũ mũrũme, makĩmatwara kambĩ ĩrĩa yarĩ Shilo kũu Kaanani.
13 Then the whole assembly sent, and spake unto the sons of Benjamin, who were in the cliff Rimmon, —and proclaimed to them, peace.
Ningĩ kĩũngano gĩothe gĩgĩtũma ihooya rĩa thayũ kũrĩ andũ a Benjamini o hau rwaro-inĩ rwa ihiga rĩa Rimoni.
14 So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, —but they found not for them [to suffice], even so.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ a Benjamini makĩhũndũka ihinda o rĩu na makĩheo andũ-a-nja a Jabeshi-Gileadi arĩa matooragĩtwo. No matingĩamaiganire.
15 Now, the assembly, had grieved for Benjamin, —because Yahweh had made a breach, in the tribes of Israel.
Nao andũ magĩcakaĩra andũ a Benjamini, tondũ Jehova nĩatũmire hagĩe na ithenya mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ ya Isiraeli.
16 So then, the elders of the assembly said, What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —for womankind, hath been destroyed out of Benjamin?
Nao athuuri arĩa akũrũ a kĩũngano makiuga atĩrĩ, “Tondũ andũ-a-nja a Benjamini nĩaniine-rĩ, tũkuonera arũme arĩa matigaire atumia kũ?”
17 And they said, There is an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, —and there must not be wiped out, a tribe, out of Israel.
Makiuga atĩrĩ, “Abenjamini arĩa maahonokire no nginya magĩe na a kũmagaya, nĩguo gũtikagĩe mũhĩrĩga o na ũmwe wa Isiraeli ũkũniinũkio.
18 Yet, we, may not give them wives, of our own daughters, For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed, be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
Tũtingĩmahe airĩtu aitũ matuĩke atumia ao, nĩgũkorwo ithuĩ andũ a Isiraeli nĩtwehĩtire mwĩhĩtwa ũyũ: ‘Kũrumwo-rĩ, nĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩhe Mũbenjamini mũtumia.’
19 Then said they—Lo! the festival of Yahweh in Shiloh, from year to year, Which [Shiloh] is on the north of Bethel, towards sunrise, by the highway that goeth up from Bethel, towards Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
No rĩrĩ, nĩkũgĩaga gĩathĩ kĩa Jehova o mwaka kũu Shilo, mwena wa gathigathini wa Betheli, na mwena wa irathĩro wa njĩra ĩrĩa ĩthiiaga kuuma Betheli nginya Shekemu, na mwena wa gũthini wa Lebona.”
20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, —Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩatha andũ a Benjamini, makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi mwĩhithe kũu mĩgũnda-inĩ ya mĩthabibũ
21 and look, and lo! if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then shall ye come forth out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife, of the daughters of Shiloh, —and go your way to the land of Benjamin.
na mũikare mũkĩroraga. Rĩrĩa airĩtu a Shilo mariumĩra meturanĩre na arĩa angĩ rwĩmbo-inĩ-rĩ, mũguthũke kuuma mĩgũnda-inĩ ya mĩthabibũ, na o mũndũ ehurĩrie mũtumia kuuma kũrĩ airĩtu acio a Shilo, na mũthiĩ bũrũri wa Benjamini.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers, or their brethren, come in to complain to us, that we will say unto them—As a favour to us, grant them, because we took not for each man his wife in the battle, —for, ye yourselves, gave them not unto them, so as, now, to be guilty.
Rĩrĩa maithe mao kana ariũ a maithe mao magaatũrehera thitango, tũkaameera atĩrĩ, ‘Twĩkei wega na kũmateithia, tondũ tũtiamooneire atumia hĩndĩ ya mbaara, no inyuĩ mũtirĩ na mahĩtia, tondũ mũtiamaheire airĩtu anyu.’”
23 And the sons of Benjamin did so, and carried off wives, according to their number, of them who were dancing, whom they seized, —and they went their way, and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt therein.
Ũguo nĩguo andũ a Benjamini meekire. O rĩrĩa airĩtu maainaga-rĩ, o mũndũ akĩnyiita ũmwe, na akĩmũkuua agatuĩke mũtumia wake. Hĩndĩ ĩyo magĩcooka kũrĩ igai rĩao, magĩaka matũũra mao rĩngĩ, na magĩtũũra kuo.
24 And the sons of Israel at that time went their several ways from thence, every man to his own tribe, and to his own family, —yea they went forth from thence, every man to his own inheritance.
Na ihinda rĩu andũ a Isiraeli makiuma kũndũ kũu, makĩinũka mũciĩ kũrĩ mĩhĩrĩga yao na nyũmba ciao, o mũndũ kũrĩ igai rĩake.
25 In those days, there was no king in Israel, —every man did, that which was right in his own eyes.
Matukũ-inĩ macio Isiraeli gũtiarĩ na mũthamaki; o mũndũ ekaga ũrĩa oonaga kwagĩrĩire.

< Judges 21 >