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, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a 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
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 quare Domine Deus Israhel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis
They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 altera autem die diluculo consurgentes extruxerunt altare obtuleruntque ibi holocausta et pacificas victimas et dixerunt
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, 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
The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD 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
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 unde uxores accipient omnes enim in commune iuravimus non daturos nos his filias nostras
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD 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
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo nullus ex eis ibi reppertus est
For when the people were counted, 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
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 et hoc erit quod observare debetis omne generis masculini et mulieres quae cognoverunt viros interficite
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
12 inventaeque sunt de Iabisgalaad quadringentae virgines quae nescierunt viri torum et adduxerunt eas in castra in Silo in terra Chanaan
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
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children 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
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still were not enough for them.
15 universusque Israhel valde doluit et egit paenitudinem super interfectione unius tribus ex Israhel
The people grieved for Benjamin, 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
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 et magna nobis cura ingentique studio providendum est ne una tribus deleatur ex Israhel
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be 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 children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is 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
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD 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
They commanded the children 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 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 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
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 did not take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you 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
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 filii quoque Israhel reversi sunt per tribus et familias in tabernacula sua in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
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 sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur hoc faciebat
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
