Ndị Ikpe 21
1 Mgbe ndị ikom Izrel niile zukọtara na Mizpa, ha ṅụrụ iyi sị, “O nweghị onye ọbụla nʼime anyị ga-ekwe ka nwoke ọbụla si nʼebo Benjamin lụọ ụmụ anyị ndị inyom.”
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Ndị Izrel niile gara Betel, nọdụ ebe ahụ ruo mgbede nʼihu Chineke. Ha welitere olu bee akwa dara ụda.
The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
3 “Ha sịrị, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel, gịnị mere ihe dị otu a ji dakwasị Izrel? Gịnị mere a ga-eji na-achọ otu ebo Izrel achọ taa?”
“Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
4 Nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, ha biliri ngwangwa rụọ ebe ịchụ aja. Ha chụrụ aja nsure ọkụ, na aja udo nʼebe ahụ.
The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5 Emesịa, ha jụrịtara onwe ha ajụjụ sị, “O nwere ebo Izrel na-enweghị onye nọchiri anya ha nʼihu Onyenwe anyị anyị mgbe anyị zukọrọ na Mizpa?” Nʼihi na ha ṅụrụ iyi kwuo na onye ọbụla jụrụ ịbịa nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na Mizpa aghaghị ịnwụ.
“Which of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord?” they asked. For they had sworn a sacred oath that anyone who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah would without exception be executed.
6 Ma oke iru ụjụ dị nʼala Izrel dum nʼihi ihe dakwasịrị ụmụnna ha, bụ ndị Benjamin. Ha niile kwuru sị, “Taa, otu ebo Izrel alaala nʼiyi, e kpochapụla ya.
The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
7 Olee otu anyị ga-esi nwetara ndị fọdụrụ nwunye ha ga-alụ ebe anyị ṅụrụ iyi site nʼaha Onyenwe anyị na anyị agaghị enye ha ụmụ anyị ndị inyom?”
What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn an oath before the Lord that we will not allow any of our daughters to marry them?”
8 Mgbe ahụ, ha jụrụ ajụjụ sị, “O nwere ebo Izrel na-esoghị anyị zukọta mgbe anyị zukọtara nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na Mizpa?” Ha chọpụtara na o nweghị onye ọbụla si na Jebesh Gilead bịa.
Then they asked, “Which one of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord at Mizpah?” They found out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly,
9 Nʼihi na mgbe ha gụrụ ndị zukọrọ ọnụ, ha chọpụtara na o nweghị ndị si Jebesh Gilead bịa.
for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
10 Ya mere, nzukọ ahụ zipụrụ puku ndị agha iri na abụọ, ndị dị ike nʼetiti ha, ka ha gaa jiri mma agha gbuchapụ mmadụ niile bi na Jebesh Gilead, ndị nwoke, na ndị nwanyị, na ụmụntakịrị.
So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their best warriors there. They gave them orders, saying, “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with your swords, even the women and children.
11 Nke a bụkwa ihe unu ga-eme, “Gbuonụ ndị ikom niile na ụmụ nwanyị niile matarala nwoke.”
This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
12 Ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ agbọghọ na-amabeghị nwoke ha chọtara na Jebesh Gilead dị narị anọ. Ndị agha ahụ kpọtara ha na Shaịlo, nʼime Kenan, ebe ndị Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha.
They managed to find among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred virgins who had not had sex with a man. They took them to the camp in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 Emesịa, ha zigara ụfọdụ mmadụ ka ha jekwuru ndị agha Benjamin na nkume Rimọn maka ime udo.
Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
14 Mgbe ndị Benjamin lọghachiri, e dunyere ha narị ndị inyom anọ, ndị Jebesh Gilead, bụ ndị e mere ka ha dị ndụ. Ma ụmụ agbọghọ ndị a ezughị ọnụọgụgụ ha niile.
So the men of Benjamin went back home, and gave to them the four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead who had been spared as wives. However, there wasn't enough for all of them.
15 Oge ahụ bụ nnọọ oge iru ụjụ dị ukwuu nʼala Izrel maka ọnọdụ ndị Benjamin, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị emeela ka ebo ndị Izrel hapụ izu ezu.
The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
16 Ndị okenye Izrel jụrịtara onwe ha sị, “Gịnị ka anyị ga-eme ịlụtara ụmụnna anyị nwunye ebe ọ bụ na ụmụ agbọghọ ndị Benjamin anwụchaala?
The elders of the assembly asked, “What shall we do to supply the remaining wives because all the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 Ndị Benjamin fọdụrụ ndụ aghaghị inweta ndị ga-anọchi anya ha,” bụ ihe ha kwuru, “ka otu nʼime ebo Izrel ghara ịbụ ndị e kpochapụrụ ekpochapụ.
They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
18 Ma anyị enweghị ike inye ha ndị nwunye site nʼụmụ anyị ndị inyom, nʼihi na ụmụ Izrel ṅụrụ iyi sị, ‘Onye abụrụ ọnụ ka ọ bụ, bụ onye ọbụla nke nyere onye Benjamin nwunye.’
But we can't let them have our daughters as wives, since we as the people of Israel swore a sacred oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite is cursed!’”
19 Ma lee, e nwere mmemme Onyenwe anyị a na-eme afọ niile na Shaịlo, nʼakụkụ ugwu Betel, na mpaghara ọwụwa anyanwụ nke ụzọ ahụ sitere Betel gaa Shekem, na nʼakụkụ ndịda Lebona.”
Then they said, “Look! Every year there's the Lord's festival in Shiloh. It's held north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, south of Lebonah.”
20 Ya mere, ha gwara ndị ikom Benjamin, bụ ndị chọrọ nwunye okwu sị ha, “Gaanụ zoo onwe unu nʼubi vaịnị dị nʼagbata ụzọ ahụ,
So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21 ma na-elepụ anya. Mgbe ụmụ agbọghọ Shaịlo ga-apụta ite egwu ha, sitenụ nʼubi vaịnị gbapụtanụ jide ha, ka onye ọbụla nʼime unu jide otu nwaagbọghọ kpụrụ ya laa nʼala Benjamin, ka ha bụrụ nwunye unu.
Keep a lookout, and when you see the young women from Shiloh come out to perform their dances, run out from the vineyards, and each of you abduct a wife for yourself and go back home to the land of Benjamin.
22 Ọ bụrụ na nna ha maọbụ ụmụnne ha abịakwute anyị ịjụ ajụjụ banyere ha, anyị ga-agwa ha okwu sị, ‘Biko, gosinụ anyị amara, site nʼịhapụ ha ka ha lụọ ụmụ agbọghọ ahụ, nʼihi na anyị achọtaghị ụmụ agbọghọ ga-ezuru ha niile mgbe anyị gburu ndị niile bi na Jebesh Gilead. O nwekwaghị ụzọ ọzọ unu gaara esi nye ha ụmụ unu ndị nwanyị ghara ịbụ ndị ikpe mara.’”
If their fathers or brothers come complaining to us, we'll tell them, ‘Please do us a favor, because we couldn't find enough wives for them in the war. And it's not as if you're guilty of breaking the oath since you didn't give them in marriage.”
23 Ya mere, ndị Benjamin mere dịka ndụmọdụ e nyere ha si dị. Onye ọbụla nʼime ha jidere otu nwaagbọghọ nʼike mgbe ha na-ete egwu nʼoge mmemme ahụ ka ọ bụrụ nwunye ya. Ha lara nʼihe nketa ha, wughachi obodo ha, biri nʼime ya.
The Benjaminites did as they were ordered. Each man grabbed one of the women dancers up to the total needed and carried her off to be his wife. Then they went back to their own land, where they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
24 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ụmụ Izrel laghachiri nʼobodo ha, nʼotu nʼotu, onye ọbụla kwa laghachiri nʼebo ya, nʼikwu ya, nʼihe nketa nke aka ya.
Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
25 Nʼụbọchị ndị a, Izrel enweghị eze na-achị ha. Nʼihi nke a, onye ọbụla na-eme ihe ọbụla ọ chọrọ, na ihe ọbụla dị ya mma nʼanya.
At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
