Iudicum 21
1 iuraverunt quoque filii Israhel in Maspha et dixerunt nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to 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
And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept bitterly.
3 quare Domine Deus Israhel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis
And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?
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 burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israhel grandi enim se iuramento constrinxerant cum essent in Maspha interfici eos qui defuissent
And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up in the assembly to Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 ductique paenitentia filii Israhel super fratre suo Beniamin coeperunt dicere ablata est una tribus de Israhel
And the sons of Israel regretted for Benjamin 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
What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 idcirco dixerunt quis est de universis tribubus Israhel qui non ascendit ad Dominum in Maspha et ecce inventi sunt habitatores Iabisgalaad in illo exercitu non fuisse
And they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9 eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo nullus ex eis ibi reppertus est
For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10 miserunt itaque decem milia viros robustissimos et praeceperunt eis ite et percutite habitatores Iabisgalaad in ore gladii tam uxores quam parvulos eorum
And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, 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 debetis omne generis masculini et mulieres quae cognoverunt viros interficite
And this is the thing that ye shall do: Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man.
12 inventaeque sunt de Iabisgalaad quadringentae virgines quae nescierunt viri torum et adduxerunt eas in castra in Silo in terra Chanaan
And 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 miseruntque nuntios ad filios Beniamin qui erant in petra Remmon et praeceperunt eis ut eos in pace susciperent
And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore et datae sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabisgalaad alias autem non reppererunt quas simili modo traderent
And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead. And even so they were not sufficient for them.
15 universusque Israhel valde doluit et egit paenitudinem super interfectione unius tribus ex Israhel
And the people regretted for Benjamin, because Jehovah 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
Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 et magna nobis cura ingentique studio providendum est ne una tribus deleatur ex Israhel
And they said, There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
18 filias nostras eis dare non possumus constricti iuramento et maledictione qua diximus maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Beniamin
However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he who gives 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 Sycimam et ad meridiem oppidi Lebona
And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah 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 praeceperuntque filiis Beniamin atque dixerunt ite et latete 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 eas singuli uxores singulas et pergite in terram Beniamin
and watch. And, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch for you every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go 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 brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Grant them graciously to us, because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did ye give them to them, else ye would now 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 took for them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 filii quoque Israhel reversi sunt per tribus et familias in tabernacula sua in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
25 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.
