Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 21
1 Israel ƒe kplɔlawo ka atam na Yehowa le Mizpa be yewomatsɔ yewoƒe ɖetugbiwo ana Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsuwo woaɖe gbeɖegbeɖe o.
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 Azɔ la, Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo kpe ta le Betel eye wofa avi na Mawu vevie va se ɖe fiẽ.
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 Wofa avi gblɔ be, “Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, nu ka ta wòva eme be míaƒe towo dometɔ ɖeka le bubum le mía dome?”
They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 Woɖi vɔsamlekpui aɖe le gbe ma gbe ƒe ŋdi kanya eye wosa akpedavɔ le edzi.
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 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.
The children of Israel said, “Who is there amongst all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
6 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.
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 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?”
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
8 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.
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 Esi woxlẽ ameawo la, wokpɔe be Yabes Gileadtɔ aɖeke menɔ afi ma o.
For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
10 Ale woɖe gbe na aʋawɔla kalẽtɔ akpe wuieve be, “Miyi miawu amewo le Yabes Gilead.
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.
11 Miwu ŋutsuwo katã kple nyɔnu siwo katã dɔ ŋutsu gbɔ kpɔ.”
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
12 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.
They found amongst 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.
13 Israelvi bubuawo ɖo ame ɖe Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsu siwo tsi agbe eye wole Rimon kpe la gbɔ.
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 Wotsɔ ɖetugbi alafa eneawo na wo woɖe eye wotrɔ yi woƒe aƒewo me. Ke ɖetugbiawo mede ŋutsuawo katã nu o.
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.
15 Nublanuinya gã aɖee wònye le Israel le ŋkeke mawo me elabena Yehowa de mama Israel ƒe toawo dome.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo gblɔ be, “Aleke míawɔ akpɔ srɔ̃ na ŋutsu bubuawo esi Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe nyɔnuwo katã ku?
Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17 Ele be míato mɔ aɖe nu adi srɔ̃ na wo kokoko ale be, Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka mabu gbidii o.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 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.”
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.’”
19 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.
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD 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.”
20 Wogblɔ na Benyamin ƒe to la ƒe ŋutsu siwo mekpɔ srɔ̃ ɖe haɖe o la be, “Miyi miaɣla mia ɖokui ɖe waingblewo me
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
21 eye ne Silo ɖetugbiwo va yina ɣeɖuƒe la, mialũ ɖe wo dzi, mialé wo sesẽ ayi miaƒe aƒewo me ne woazu mia srɔ̃wo!
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.
22 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.’”
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.’”
23 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.
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.
24 Israelvi bubuawo hã trɔ yi wo de.
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.
25 Le ɣe ma ɣiwo me la, fia aɖeke menɔ Israel si o, eye ame sia ame wɔa nu si dzea eŋu.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
