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.”
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 Ndị Izrel niile gara Betel, nọdụ ebe ahụ ruo mgbede nʼihu Chineke. Ha welitere olu bee akwa dara ụda.
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
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?”
They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 Nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, ha biliri ngwangwa rụọ ebe ịchụ aja. Ha chụrụ aja nsure ọkụ, na aja udo nʼebe ahụ.
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace 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.
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.”
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 children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
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?”
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?”
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.
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.
9 Nʼihi na mgbe ha gụrụ ndị zukọrọ ọnụ, ha chọpụtara na o nweghị ndị si Jebesh Gilead bịa.
For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
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.
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 Nke a bụkwa ihe unu ga-eme, “Gbuonụ ndị ikom niile na ụmụ nwanyị niile matarala nwoke.”
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain 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 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.
13 Emesịa, ha zigara ụfọdụ mmadụ ka ha jekwuru ndị agha Benjamin na nkume Rimọn maka ime udo.
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
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.
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 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 grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
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?
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 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 said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
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.’
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 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.”
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.”
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,
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait 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.
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 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.’”
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 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 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 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.
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 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.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
