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 made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Bato bakendeki na Beteli, bavandaki wana liboso ya Nzambe kino na pokwa. Batombolaki mingongo na bango mpe balelaki makasi.
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
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? »
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Na tongo-tongo ya mokolo oyo elandaki, bato batongaki kuna etumbelo; batumbaki na likolo na yango bambeka ya kotumba mpe bambeka ya boyokani.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there 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.
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly 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.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
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. »
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
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.
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 Pamba te tango batangaki bato, bamonaki ete kati na Galadi, moto moko te ya Yabeshi azalaki wana.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were 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.
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 Tala makambo oyo bokosala: ‹ Bokobebisa mobali nyonso mpe mwasi nyonso oyo ayebi nzoto ya mibali. › »
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a 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.
The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
13 Lisanga mobimba etindaki sango ya kimia epai ya bato ya libota ya Benjame, oyo bazalaki na libanga monene ya Rimoni.
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
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.
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Bato bayokaki mawa mpo na bato ya libota ya Benjame, pamba te Yawe alongolaki libota moko kati na mabota ya Isalaele.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between 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 leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Balobaki lisusu: « Bato ya libota ya Benjame oyo batikali basengeli kozala na bakitani na bango, mpo ete ekolo elimwa te kati na Isalaele.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed 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. › »
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives 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. »
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 Boye bapesaki mitindo oyo epai ya bato ya libota ya Benjame: « Bokende kobombama kati na bilanga ya vino
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and 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.
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back 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. › »
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
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.
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived 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.
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own 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. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
