Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
Sasa watu wa Israeli walikuwa wameahidi huko Mispa, “Hakuna hata mmoja wetu atakayempa binti yake kuolewa na Mbenyamini.”
2 Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
Ndipo watu wakaenda Betheli, wakakaa huko mbele ya Mungu hata jioni; wakalia kwa sauti kubwa.
3 They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
Walipiga kelele, “Kwa nini, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amefanya jambo hili kwa Waisraeli, kwamba moja ya makabila yetu linapotea leo?”
4 The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Siku iliyofuata watu waliamka mapema na wakajenga madhabahu huko na kutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na sadaka za amani.
5 The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
Watu wa Israeli wakasema, “Ni nani kati ya kabila zote za Israeli hawakuja katika mkutano wa Bwana?” Kwa kuwa walikuwa wamefanya ahadi muhimu juu ya mtu yeyote ambaye hakuja kwa Bwana huko Mispa. Wakasema, “Hakika yeye atauawa.”
6 The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
Watu wa Israeli walikuwa na huruma kwa ndugu yao Benyamini. Wakasema, “Leo hii kabila moja limekatiliwa mbali kutoka Israeli.
7 Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
Ni nani atakayewapa wale walioachwa wake, kwa kuwa tumeahidi kwa Bwana kwamba hatuwezi kuwaruhusu yeyote kati yao aoe binti zetu?”
8 They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
Wakasema, “Ni nani kati ya kabila za Israeli hawakuja kwa Bwana huko Mispa? Ilionekana kuwa hakuna mtu aliyekuja kwenye mkusanyiko kutoka Jabeshi-Gileadi.
9 For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
Kwa maana watu walipokuwa wamepangwa kwa utaratibu, tazama, hakuna hata mmoja wa wenyeji wa Yabeshi Gileadi.
10 The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
Mkutano huo uliwatuma watu kumi na wawili wa watu wao wenye ujasiri kwa maagizo ya kwenda Jabeshi-gileadi na kuwaangamiza, na kuwaua, hata wanawake na watoto.
11 “Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
“Fanya hivi unapaswa kuua kila mume na kila mwanamke aliyelala na mwanaume.”
12 The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
Watu wale walikuta watu kati ya hao waliokaa Yabeshi-gileadi, wanawake mia nne ambao hawakulala na mwanaume, wakawapeleka kwenye kambi huko Shilo, huko Kanaani.
13 The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
Mkutano wote ukatuma ujumbe na kuwaambia watu wa Benyamini waliokuwa kwenye mwamba wa Rimoni kwamba walikuwa wanawapa amani.
14 The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
Wabenyamini walirudi wakati huo na walipewa wanawake wa Yabeshi Gileadi, lakini hapakuwa na wanawake wa kutosha kwa wote.
15 The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
Watu waliomboleza kwa kile kilichotokea Benyamini, kwa kuwa Bwana alifanya mgawanyiko kati ya makabila ya Israeli.
16 Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
Kisha wakuu wa mkutano wakasema, “Tutafanyaje ili Wabenyamini wapate wake, kwa kuwa wanawake wa Benyamini wameuawa?”
17 They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
Wakasema, 'Lazima kuwe na urithi kwa Wabenyamini waliosalia, ili kabila lisiharibiwe kutoka Israeli.
18 We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
Hatuwezi kuwapa wake kutoka kwa binti zetu, kwa kuwa wana wa Israeli walikuwa wametoa ahadi, 'Na alaaniwe mtu atakayempa Benyamini mke.'”
19 So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
Wakasema, “Mnajua kuwa kuna sikukuu kwa Bwana kila mwaka huko Shilo ( ambayo ni kaskazini ya Betheli, mashariki ya barabara inayopanda kutoka Betheli hadi Shekemu, na kusini mwa Lebona).
20 They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
Wakawaagiza wana wa Benyamini, wakisema, “Nendeni, mjifiche kwa siri, na kusubiri katika mashamba ya mizabibu.
21 Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to the land of Benjamin.
Tazama wakati ambapo wasichana kutoka Shilo watatoka kucheza, Tokeni nje ya mizabibu na kila mmoja wenu anapaswa kunyakua mke kutoka kwa wasichana wa Shilo, kisha kurudi kwenye nchi ya Benyamini.
22 When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
Wakati baba zao au ndugu zao watakapokuja kutupinga, tutawaambia, 'Tupeni neema! Waache wabaki kwa sababu hatukupata wake kwa kila mtu wakati wa vita. Na ninyi hamna hatia juu ya ahadi, kwa sababu hamkuwapa wao binti zenu.'”
23 The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
Watu wa Benyamini walifanya hivyo. Walichukua idadi ya wake waliowahitaji kutoka kwa wasichana waliokuwa wakicheza, nao wakawachukua ili wawe wake zao. Wakaenda na kurudi mahali pa urithi wao; wakajenga tena miji, na wakaishi ndani yao.
24 Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
Kisha watu wa Israeli wakatoka mahali hapo na kwenda nyumbani, kila mmoja kwa kabila lake na ukoo, na kila mmoja kwa urithi wake mwenyewe.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Siku hizo hapakuwa na mfalme huko Israeli. Kila mtu alifanya yaliyo sawa machoni pake mwenyewe.
