Iudicum 21
1 Iuraverunt quoque filii Israel in Maspha et dixerunt: Nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem.
Moreouer, the men of Israel sware in Mizpeh, saying, None of vs shall giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites to wyfe.
2 Veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo, et in conspectu eius sedentes usque ad vesperam, levaverunt vocem, et magno ululatu coeperunt flere, dicentes:
And the people came vnto ye house of God and abode there till euen before God, and lift vp their voyces, and wept with great lamentation,
3 Quare Domine Deus Israel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo, ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis?
And sayde, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that this day one tribe of Israel should want?
4 Altera autem die diluculo consurgentes, extruxerunt altare: obtuleruntque ibi holocausta, et pacificas victimas, et dixerunt:
And on the morow the people rose vp and made there an altar, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings.
5 Quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israel? Grandi enim iuramento se constrinxerant, cum essent in Maspha, interfici eos qui defuissent.
Then the children of Israel said, Who is he among all the tribes of Israel, that came not vp with the Congregation vnto the Lord? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, Let him die the death.
6 Ductique poenitentia filii Israel super fratre suo Beniamin, coeperunt dicere: Ablata est tribus una de Israel,
And the children of Israel were sory for Beniamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 unde uxores accipient? omnes enim in commune iuravimus, non daturos nos his filias nostras.
How shall we do for wiues to them that remaine, seeing we haue sworne by the Lord, that we will not giue them of our daughters to wiues?
8 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.
Also they saide, Is there any of the tribes of Israel that came not vp to Mizpeh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Iabesh Gilead vnto the hoste and to the Congregation.
9 (Eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo, nullus ex eis ibi repertus est.)
For when the people were vewed; beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead were there.
10 Miserunt itaque decem millia viros robustissimos, et praeceperunt eis: Ite, et percutite habitatores Iabes Galaad in ore gladii, tam uxores quam parvulos eorum.
Therefore the Congregation sent thither twelue thousande men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Goe, and smite the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, both women, and children.
11 Et hoc erit quod observare debebitis: Omne generis masculini, et mulieres, quae cognoverunt viros, interficite, virgines autem reservate.
And this is it that ye shall do: ye shall vtterly destroye all the males and all the women that haue lien by men.
12 Inventaeque sunt de Iabes Galaad quadringentae virgines, quae nescierunt viri thorum, et adduxerunt eas ad castra in Silo, in Terram Chanaan.
And they found among the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead foure hundreth maides, virgins that had knowne no man by lying with any male: and they brought them vnto the hoste to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Miseruntque nuncios ad filios Beniamin, qui erant in Petra Remmon, et praeceperunt eis, ut eas susciperent in pace.
Then the whole Congregation sent and spake with the children of Beniamin that were in the rocke of Rimmon, and called peaceably vnto them:
14 Veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore, et datae sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabes Galaad: alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent.
And Beniamin came againe at that time, and they gaue them wiues which they had saued aliue of the women of Iabesh Gilead: but they had not so ynough for them.
15 Universusque Israel valde doluit, et egit poenitentiam super interfectione unius tribus ex Israel.
And the people were sorie for Beniamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Dixeruntque maiores natu: Quid faciemus reliquis, qui non acceperunt uxores? omnes in Beniamin feminae conciderunt,
Therefore the Elders of the Congregation said, How shall we doe for wiues to the remnant? for the women of Beniamin are destroyed.
17 et magna nobis cura, ingentique studio providendum est, ne una tribus deleatur ex Israel.
And they saide, there must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Filias enim nostras eis dare non possumus, constricti iuramento et maledictione, qua diximus: Maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Beniamin.
Howbeit we may not giue them wiues of our daughters: for the childre of Israel had sworne, saying, Cursed be he that giueth a wise to Beniamin.
19 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.
Therefore they said, Beholde, there is a feast of the Lord euery yere in Shiloh in a place, which is on the Northside of Beth-el, and on the Eastside of the way that goeth vp from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the South of Lebonah.
20 Praeceperuntque filiis Beniamin, atque dixerunt: Ite, ad latitate in vineis.
Therefore they commanded the children of Beniamin, saying, Goe, and lye in waite in the vineyardes.
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 Beniamin.
And when ye see that the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catche you euery man a wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and goe into the land of Beniamin.
22 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.
And when their fathers or their brethren come vnto vs to complaine, we wil say vnto them, Haue pitie on them for our sakes, because we reserued not to eche man his wife in the warre, and because ye haue not giuen vnto them hitherto, ye haue sinned.
23 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.
And the children of Beniamin did so, and tooke wiues of them that danced according to their nomber: which they tooke, and went away, and returned to their inheritance, and repaired the cities and dwelt in them.
24 Filii quoque Israel reversi sunt per tribus, et familias in tabernacula sua.
So the children of Israel departed thence at that time, euery man to his tribe, and to his familie, and went out from thence euery man to his inheritance.
25 In diebus illis nec erat rex in Israel: sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.
In those dayes there was no King in Israel, but euery man did that which was good in his eyes.
