< Bilombe 21 >

1 Mibali ya Isalaele balapaki ndayi, na Mitsipa, na koloba: « Moto moko te kati na biso akopesa lisusu na libala mwana na ye ya mwasi epai ya mobali ya libota ya Benjame. »
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying: 'There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.'
2 Bato bakendeki na Beteli, bavandaki wana liboso ya Nzambe kino na pokwa. Batombolaki mingongo na bango mpe balelaki makasi.
And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.
3 Bazalaki koloba: « Oh Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele! Mpo na nini likambo ya boye ekomeli Isalaele? Mpo na nini lelo, libota moko ezangi kati na Isalaele? »
And they said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?'
4 Na tongo-tongo ya mokolo oyo elandaki, bato batongaki kuna etumbelo; batumbaki na likolo na yango bambeka ya kotumba mpe bambeka ya boyokani.
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 Bongo bana ya Isalaele batunaki: « Kati na mabota nyonso ya Isalaele, libota nini eyaki te na mayangani oyo tozalaki na yango liboso ya Yawe? » Pamba te balapaki ndayi ete moto nyonso oyo akoya te na mayangani yango liboso ya Yawe, na Mitsipa, basengeli koboma ye.
And the children of Israel said: 'Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto the LORD?' For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto the LORD to Mizpah, saying: 'He shall surely be put to death.'
6 Bana ya Isalaele bakomaki na mawa mpo na bandeko na bango, bato ya libota ya Benjame; balobaki: « Mokolo ya lelo, libota moko elongwe na Isalaele.
And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said: 'There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 Tokosala ndenge nini mpo na kopesa na libala, basi epai ya mibali oyo batikali na bomoi? Nzokande tosili kolapa ndayi na Kombo na Yawe ete tokopesa te na libala bana na biso ya basi epai ya mibali ya libota ya Benjame. »
How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?'
8 Boye, batunaki: « Kati na mabota nyonso ya Isalaele, libota nini eyaki te na mayangani oyo tozalaki na yango liboso ya Yawe, na Mitsipa? » Bamonaki ete kati na Galadi, moto moko te ya Yabeshi ayaki na molako mpe na mayangani.
And they said: 'What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto the LORD to Mizpah?' And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9 Pamba te tango batangaki bato, bamonaki ete kati na Galadi, moto moko te ya Yabeshi azalaki wana.
For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10 Lisanga etindelaki bango basoda nkoto zomi na mibale, bapesaki bango mitindo oyo: « Bokende koboma na mopanga bato nyonso ya Yabeshi ya Galadi elongo na basi mpe bana.
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, 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 Tala makambo oyo bokosala: ‹ Bokobebisa mobali nyonso mpe mwasi nyonso oyo ayebi nzoto ya mibali. › »
And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.'
12 Kati na bato ya Yabeshi ya Galadi, bamonaki bilenge basi nkama minei oyo bayebi nanu nzoto ya mibali te; bazwaki bango mpe bamemaki bango na molako, na Silo, kati na mokili ya Kanana.
And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Lisanga mobimba etindaki sango ya kimia epai ya bato ya libota ya Benjame, oyo bazalaki na libanga monene ya Rimoni.
And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace unto them.
14 Boye, na tango wana, bato ya libota ya Benjame bazongaki, mpe lisanga mobimba epesaki bango na libala, basi ya Yabeshi ya Galadi oyo batikaki na bomoi. Kasi basi yango bazalaki ya kokoka te mpo na bango nyonso.
And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 Bato bayokaki mawa mpo na bato ya libota ya Benjame, pamba te Yawe alongolaki libota moko kati na mabota ya Isalaele.
And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Bakambi ya lisanga balobaki: « Tokosala ndenge nini mpo na kozwa basi ya kopesa na libala mpo na mibali oyo batikali, pamba te basi ya libota ya Benjame basili kokufa? »
Then the elders of the congregation said: 'How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?'
17 Balobaki lisusu: « Bato ya libota ya Benjame oyo batikali basengeli kozala na bakitani na bango, mpo ete ekolo elimwa te kati na Isalaele.
And they said: 'They that are escaped must be as an inheritance for Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
18 Tokoki te kopesa bango bana na biso ya basi na libala, pamba te, biso bana ya Isalaele, tolapaki ndayi oyo: ‹ Alakelama mabe, moto nyonso oyo akobalisa mwana na ye ya mwasi na mobali ya libota ya Benjame. › »
Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters.' For the children of Israel had sworn, saying: 'Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.'
19 Bongo balobaki: « Tala, feti moko ya Yawe ezalaka mibu nyonso, kati na Silo oyo ezali na ngambo ya nor ya Beteli mpe na ngambo ya este ya nzela oyo ekenda longwa na Beteli kino na Sishemi, mpe na ngambo ya sude ya Lebona. »
And they said: 'Behold, there is the feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.'
20 Boye bapesaki mitindo oyo epai ya bato ya libota ya Benjame: « Bokende kobombama kati na bilanga ya vino
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 mpe botala malamu. Tango bokomona bana basi ya Silo babimi mpo na kobina, bobimela bango wuta na bilanga ya vino, mpe moko na moko kati na bino akanga mwasi moko kati na bana ya Silo mpe azonga na ye na mokili ya Benjame.
and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 Tango batata na bango to bandeko na bango ya mibali bakoya kolela epai na biso, tokoloba na bango: ‹ Bosalela bango ngolu mpo na biso, pamba te tozwelaki bango basi te na tango ya bitumba. Bozali na bino na ngambo te, pamba te bino te bato bopesaki bana na bino ya basi na libala. › »
And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to strive with us, that we will say unto them: Grant them graciously unto us; because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle; neither did ye give them unto them, that ye should now be guilty.'
23 Bato ya libota ya Benjame basalaki bongo. Tango bana basi bazalaki kobina, mobali moko na moko akangaki mwana mwasi moko mpe amemaki ye mpo ete azala mwasi na ye. Bongo bazongaki na mabele na bango, batongaki bingumba mpe bavandaki kuna.
And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they carried off; and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 Na tango wana, bana ya Isalaele balongwaki na esika wana mpe bazongaki na bandako na bango, na bituka na bango mpe na mabota ya botata na bango, moto na moto na mabele na ye.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 Na mikolo wana, bana ya Isalaele bazalaki na mokonzi te; moto na moto azalaki kosala makambo oyo azalaki komona ete ezali malamu.
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

< Bilombe 21 >