Judges 21
1 When the Israeli men gathered at Mizpah [before the battle started], they vowed, “None of us will ever allow one of our daughters to marry any man from the tribe of Benjamin!”
Israel ƒe kplɔlawo ka atam na Yehowa le Mizpa be yewomatsɔ yewoƒe ɖetugbiwo ana Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsuwo woaɖe gbeɖegbeɖe o.
2 But now the Israelis went to Bethel and they cried loudly to Yahweh all day, until the sun went down.
Azɔ la, Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo kpe ta le Betel eye wofa avi na Mawu vevie va se ɖe fiẽ.
3 They kept saying, “Yahweh, God of us Israeli people, [it is as though] one of the tribes of us Israelis does not exist any more! (Why has this happened to us?/It is terrible that this has happened to us!)” [RHQ]
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 Early the next morning the people built an altar. Then they completely burned some sacrifices [on the altar], and also offered other sacrifices to maintain fellowship with God.
Woɖi vɔsamlekpui aɖe le gbe ma gbe ƒe ŋdi kanya eye wosa akpedavɔ le edzi.
5 Then, because they had vowed that anyone who did not meet with them at Mizpah [to help fight the men of the tribe of Benjamin] would be killed, they asked among themselves, “Were there any of the tribes of Israel who did not come to Mizpah to meet with us in the presence of Yahweh?”
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 Israelis felt sorry for their fellow Israelis from the tribe of Benjamin. They said, “Today one of our Israeli tribes (has disappeared/no longer exists).
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 Yahweh heard us solemnly declare that we would not allow any of our daughters to marry any man from the tribe of Benjamin. What can we do to make certain that the men of the tribe of Benjamin who were not killed will have wives?”
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 [one of] them asked, “What group from any of the tribes of Israel did not send any men here to Mizpah?”
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 [They realized that] when the soldiers were counted, there was no one from Jabesh-Gilead [city] who had come there.
Esi woxlẽ ameawo la, wokpɔe be Yabes Gileadtɔ aɖeke menɔ afi ma o.
10 So all the Israelis decided to send 12,000 very good soldiers to Jabesh-Gilead to kill the people there with their swords, even to kill the married women and children.
Ale woɖe gbe na aʋawɔla kalẽtɔ akpe wuieve be, “Miyi miawu amewo le Yabes Gilead.
11 [They told this to those men]: “This is what you must do: You must kill every man in Jabesh-Gilead. You must also kill every married woman. [But do not kill the unmarried women].”
Miwu ŋutsuwo katã kple nyɔnu siwo katã dɔ ŋutsu gbɔ kpɔ.”
12 So those soldiers [went to Jabesh-Gilead and killed all the men, married women, and children. But they] found 400 unmarried young women there. So they brought them to their camp at Shiloh, in Canaan, [across the river from the Gilead area that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin].
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 all the Israelis [who had gathered] sent a message to the 600 men who were at Rimmon Rock. They said that they would like to make peace with them.
Israelvi bubuawo ɖo ame ɖe Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsu siwo tsi agbe eye wole Rimon kpe la gbɔ.
14 So the men came back from Rimmon Rock. The Israelis gave to them the women from Jabesh-Gilead whom they had not killed. But there were [only 400 women. But there were] not enough women [for those 600 men].
Wotsɔ ɖetugbi alafa eneawo na wo woɖe eye wotrɔ yi woƒe aƒewo me. Ke ɖetugbiawo mede ŋutsuawo katã nu o.
15 The Israelis [still] felt sorry for the men of the tribe of Benjamin, because Yahweh had (decimated/almost wiped out) one of the Israeli tribes.
Nublanuinya gã aɖee wònye le Israel le ŋkeke mawo me elabena Yehowa de mama Israel ƒe toawo dome.
16 The Israeli leaders said, “We have killed all the married women of the tribe of Benjamin. Where can we get women to be wives of the men who are still alive?
Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo gblɔ be, “Aleke míawɔ akpɔ srɔ̃ na ŋutsu bubuawo esi Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe nyɔnuwo katã ku?
17 These men must have wives to give birth to children, in order that their families will continue. If that does not happen, all the people of one of the tribes of Israel will die.
Ele be míato mɔ aɖe nu adi srɔ̃ na wo kokoko ale be, Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka mabu gbidii o.
18 But we cannot allow our daughters to marry these men, because we vowed that Yahweh will curse anyone who gives one of his daughters to become a wife of any man of the tribe of Benjamin.”
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 [one of] them (had an idea/thought of something that they could do). He said, “Every year there is a festival to honor Yahweh at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel and east of the road that extends from Bethel to Shechem, and it is south of Lebonah [city].”
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 the Israeli leaders told the men of the tribe of Benjamin, “[When it is the time for that festival], go to Shiloh 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 watching for the young women to come out of the city to dance. [When they come out], all of you should run out of the vineyards. Each of you can seize one of the young women of Shiloh. Then you can all return to your homes [with those women].
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 to us and complain [about what you have done], we will say to them, ‘Be kind to the men of the tribe of Benjamin. When we fought them, we did not leave any women alive to become their wives, and you did not give those young women to the men from the tribe of Benjamin. [They stole them]. So you will not be guilty, [even though you said that you would not allow any of your daughters to marry one of them].’”
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 So that is what the men of the tribe of Benjamin did. [They went to Shiloh at the time of the festival]. And when the young women were dancing, each man caught one of them and took her away and married her. Then they took their wives back to the land that God had given to them. They rebuilt their cities [that had been burned down], and they lived there.
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 The other Israelis went to their homes in the areas where their tribes and clans lived, the areas that God had allotted to them.
Israelvi bubuawo hã trɔ yi wo de.
25 At that time, the Israeli people did not have a king. Everyone did what they themselves thought was right.
Le ɣe ma ɣiwo me la, fia aɖeke menɔ Israel si o, eye ame sia ame wɔa nu si dzea eŋu.
