Iudicum 21
1 Juraverunt quoque filii Israël in Maspha, et dixerunt: Nullus nostrum dabit filiis Benjamin de filiabus suis uxorem.
Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
2 Veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo, et in conspectu ejus sedentes usque ad vesperam, levaverunt vocem, et magno ululatu cœperunt flere, dicentes:
So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
3 Quare, Domine Deus Israël, factum est hoc malum in populo tuo, ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis?
“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”
4 Altera autem die diluculo consurgentes, exstruxerunt altare: obtuleruntque ibi holocausta, et pacificas victimas, et dixerunt:
The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israël? grandi enim juramento se constrinxerant, cum essent in Maspha, interfici eos qui defuissent.
The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.
6 Ductique pœnitentia filii Israël super fratre suo Benjamin, cœperunt dicere: Ablata est tribus una de Israël:
And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
7 unde uxores accipient? omnes enim in commune juravimus, non daturos nos his filias nostras.
What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
8 Idcirco dixerunt: Quis est de universis tribubus Israël, qui non ascendit ad Dominum in Maspha? Et ecce inventi sunt habitatores Jabes Galaad in illo exercitu non fuisse.
So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.
9 (Eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo, nullus ex eis ibi repertus est.)
For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
10 Miserunt itaque decem millia viros robustissimos, et præceperunt eis: Ite, et percutite habitatores Jabes Galaad in ore gladii, tam uxores quam parvulos eorum.
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
11 Et hoc erit quod observare debebitis: omne generis masculini, et mulieres quæ cognoverunt viros, interficite; virgines autem reservate.
This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”
12 Inventæque sunt de Jabes Galaad quadringentæ virgines, quæ nescierunt viri thorum: et adduxerunt eas ad castra in Silo, in terram Chanaan.
So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 Miseruntque nuntios ad filios Benjamin, qui erant in petra Remmon, et præceperunt eis, ut eos susciperent in pace.
Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.
14 Veneruntque filii Benjamin in illo tempore, et datæ sunt eis uxores de filiabus Jabes Galaad: alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent.
And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Universusque Israël valde doluit, et egit pœnitentiam super interfectione unius tribus ex Israël.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
16 Dixeruntque majores natu: Quid faciemus reliquis, qui non acceperunt uxores? omnes in Benjamin feminæ conciderunt,
Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 et magna nobis cura, ingentique studio providendum est, ne una tribus deleatur ex Israël.
They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
18 Filias enim nostras eis dare non possumus, constricti juramento et maledictione qua diximus: Maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Benjamin.
But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
19 Ceperuntque consilium, atque dixerunt: Ecce solemnitas Domini est in Silo anniversaria, quæ sita est ad septentrionem urbis Bethel, et ad orientalem plagam viæ, quæ de Bethel tendit ad Sichimam, et ad meridiem oppidi Lebona.
“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
20 Præceperuntque filiis Benjamin, atque dixerunt: Ite, et latitate in vineis.
So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
21 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 Benjamin.
and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 Cumque venerint patres earum, ac fratres, et adversum vos queri cœperint atque jurgari, dicemus eis: Miseremini eorum: non enim rapuerunt eas jure bellantium atque victorum: sed rogantibus ut acciperent, non dedistis, et a vestra parte peccatum est.
When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
23 Feceruntque filii Benjamin ut sibi fuerat imperatum: et juxta numerum suum, rapuerunt sibi de his quæ ducebant choros, uxores singulas: abieruntque in possessionem suam ædificantes urbes, et habitantes in eis.
The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.
24 Filii quoque Israël reversi sunt per tribus et familias in tabernacula sua.
And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
25 In diebus illis non erat rex in Israël: sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
