Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
Iuraverunt quoque filii Israel in Maspha et dixerunt: Nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem.
2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
Veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo, et in conspectu eius sedentes usque ad vesperam, levaverunt vocem, et magno ululatu coeperunt flere, dicentes:
3 They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
Quare Domine Deus Israel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo, ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis?
4 On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Altera autem die diluculo consurgentes, extruxerunt altare: obtuleruntque ibi holocausta, et pacificas victimas, et dixerunt:
5 The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
Quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israel? Grandi enim iuramento se constrinxerant, cum essent in Maspha, interfici eos qui defuissent.
6 The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
Ductique poenitentia filii Israel super fratre suo Beniamin, coeperunt dicere: Ablata est tribus una de Israel,
7 How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
unde uxores accipient? omnes enim in commune iuravimus, non daturos nos his filias nostras.
8 They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
Idcirco dixerunt: Quis est de universis tribubus Israel, qui non ascendit ad Dominum in Maspha? Et ecce inventi sunt habitatores Iabes Galaad in illo exercitu non fuisse.
9 For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
(Eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo, nullus ex eis ibi repertus est.)
10 The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
Miserunt itaque decem millia viros robustissimos, et praeceperunt eis: Ite, et percutite habitatores Iabes Galaad in ore gladii, tam uxores quam parvulos eorum.
11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
Et hoc erit quod observare debebitis: Omne generis masculini, et mulieres, quae cognoverunt viros, interficite, virgines autem reservate.
12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Inventaeque sunt de Iabes Galaad quadringentae virgines, quae nescierunt viri thorum, et adduxerunt eas ad castra in Silo, in Terram Chanaan.
13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
Miseruntque nuncios ad filios Beniamin, qui erant in Petra Remmon, et praeceperunt eis, ut eas susciperent in pace.
14 Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
Veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore, et datae sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabes Galaad: alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent.
15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
Universusque Israel valde doluit, et egit poenitentiam super interfectione unius tribus ex Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
Dixeruntque maiores natu: Quid faciemus reliquis, qui non acceperunt uxores? omnes in Beniamin feminae conciderunt,
17 They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
et magna nobis cura, ingentique studio providendum est, ne una tribus deleatur ex Israel.
18 However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
Filias enim nostras eis dare non possumus, constricti iuramento et maledictione, qua diximus: Maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Beniamin.
19 They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
Ceperuntque consilium, atque dixerunt: Ecce sollemnitas Domini est in Silo anniversaria, quae sita est ad Septentrionem urbis Bethel, et ad Orientalem plagam viae, quae de Bethel tendit ad Sichimam, et ad Meridiem oppidi Lebona.
20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Praeceperuntque filiis Beniamin, atque dixerunt: Ite, ad latitate in vineis.
21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
Cumque videritis filias Silo ad ducendos choros ex more procedere, exite repente de vineis, et rapite ex eis singuli uxores singulas, et pergite in Terram Beniamin.
22 It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
Cumque venerint patres earum, ac fratres, et adversum vos queri coeperint, atque iurgari, dicemus eis: Miseremini eorum: non enim rapuerunt eas iure bellantium atque victorum, sed rogantibus ut acciperent, non dedistis, et a vestra parte peccatum est.
23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
Feceruntque filii Beniamin, ut sibi fuerat imperatum: et iuxta numerum suum rapuerunt sibi de his, quae ducebant choros, uxores singulas: abieruntque in possessionem suam aedificantes urbes, et habitantes in eis.
24 The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
Filii quoque Israel reversi sunt per tribus, et familias in tabernacula sua.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
In diebus illis nec erat rex in Israel: sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.
