Iudicum 21
1 Iuraverunt quoque filii Israel in Maspha et dixerunt: Nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem.
Now, the men of Israel, had sworn in Mizpah, saying, —Not a man from among us, shall give his daughter unto Benjamin, to wife.
2 Veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo, et in conspectu eius sedentes usque ad vesperam, levaverunt vocem, et magno ululatu coeperunt flere, dicentes:
So then the people came to Bethel, and abode there, until the evening, before God, —and lifted up their voice, and wept bitterly,
3 Quare Domine Deus Israel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo, ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis?
and said, Wherefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel, hath this come about in Israel, —that there should be lacking, to-day, out of Israel, one tribe?
4 Altera autem die diluculo consurgentes, extruxerunt altare: obtuleruntque ibi holocausta, et pacificas victimas, et dixerunt:
And it came to pass, on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there, an altar, —and offered ascending-sacrifices, and peace-offerings.
5 Quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israel? Grandi enim iuramento se constrinxerant, cum essent in Maspha, interfici eos qui defuissent.
And the sons of Israel said, Who was there that came not up, in the convocation, out of all the tribes of Israel, unto Yahweh? For, the great oath, had been taken, as to any who came not up unto Yahweh at Mizpah, saying—He shall be, put to death.
6 Ductique poenitentia filii Israel super fratre suo Beniamin, coeperunt dicere: Ablata est tribus una de Israel,
And the sons of Israel grieved for Benjamin, their brother, —and they said, There is cut off, to-day, one tribe out of Israel.
7 unde uxores accipient? omnes enim in commune iuravimus, non daturos nos his filias nostras.
What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —seeing that, we ourselves, have sworn by Yahweh, not to give them of our daughters, for wives?
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.
So they said, What one of the tribes of Israel is there, that hath not come up unto Yahweh at Mizpah? And lo! no man had come into the camp, out of Jabesh-gilead, unto the convocation:
9 (Eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo, nullus ex eis ibi repertus est.)
When the people were numbered, lo! there was not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.
10 Miserunt itaque decem millia viros robustissimos, et praeceperunt eis: Ite, et percutite habitatores Iabes Galaad in ore gladii, tam uxores quam parvulos eorum.
So the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men, of the sons of valour, —and commanded them, saying: —Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, with the edge of the sword, with the women, and the little ones.
11 Et hoc erit quod observare debebitis: Omne generis masculini, et mulieres, quae cognoverunt viros, interficite, virgines autem reservate.
And, this, is the thing that ye shall do, —Every male, and every woman that hath cohabited with man, shall ye devote to destruction.
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—of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead—four hundred young women, virgins, who had not cohabited with man, —so they brought them into the camp, at 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 assembly sent, and spake unto the sons of Benjamin, who were in the cliff Rimmon, —and proclaimed to them, peace.
14 Veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore, et datae sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabes Galaad: alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent.
So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, —but they found not for them [to suffice], even so.
15 Universusque Israel valde doluit, et egit poenitentiam super interfectione unius tribus ex Israel.
Now, the assembly, had grieved for Benjamin, —because Yahweh 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,
So then, the elders of the assembly said, What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —for womankind, hath been destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 et magna nobis cura, ingentique studio providendum est, ne una tribus deleatur ex Israel.
And they said, There is an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, —and there must not be wiped out, a tribe, 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.
Yet, we, may not give them wives, of our own daughters, For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed, be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
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.
Then said they—Lo! the festival of Yahweh in Shiloh, from year to year, Which [Shiloh] is on the north of Bethel, towards sunrise, by the highway that goeth up from Bethel, towards Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Praeceperuntque filiis Beniamin, atque dixerunt: Ite, ad latitate in vineis.
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, —Go and lie in wait 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 Beniamin.
and look, and lo! if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then shall ye come forth out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife, of the daughters of Shiloh, —and go your way to the land of Benjamin.
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 it shall be, when their fathers, or their brethren, come in to complain to us, that we will say unto them—As a favour to us, grant them, because we took not for each man his wife in the battle, —for, ye yourselves, gave them not unto them, so as, now, to be guilty.
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 sons of Benjamin did so, and carried off wives, according to their number, of them who were dancing, whom they seized, —and they went their way, and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt therein.
24 Filii quoque Israel reversi sunt per tribus, et familias in tabernacula sua.
And the sons of Israel at that time went their several ways from thence, every man to his own tribe, and to his own family, —yea they went forth from thence, every man to his own inheritance.
25 In diebus illis nec erat rex in Israel: sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.
In those days, there was no king in Israel, —every man did, that which was right in his own eyes.
