Balam 21
1 Abasajja ba Isirayiri baali beerayiridde e Mizupa nti, “Tewabanga n’omu ku ffe awaayo muwala we okufumbirwa Benyamini.”
Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
2 Awo abantu ne bagenda e Beseri ne batuula eyo okutuusa akawungeezi nga bakaabira Katonda, nga bayimusa eddoboozi lyabwe, nga bakuba ebiwoobe,
So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
3 nga bakaaba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri, lwaki kino kituuse ku Isirayiri leero, ekika ekimu okubula ku Isirayiri?”
“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”
4 Awo ku lunaku olwaddirira, abantu ne bagolokoka ne bazimba ekyoto mu kifo ekyo, ne bawaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe.
The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Abaana ba Isirayiri ne beebuuza nti, “Ani ku bika byonna ebya Isirayiri atazze kukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda?” Kubanga baali beerayiridde, ng’omuntu yenna alemwa okukuŋŋaana mu maaso ga Mukama e Mizupa, ateekwa kuttibwa.
The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.
6 Abaana ba Isirayiri ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini muganda waabwe nga bagamba nti, “Leero ekika ekimu ekya Isirayiri kisaliddwako.
And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
7 Tunaabakolera ki okubafunira abakazi, obanga ffe ffennyini twerayiridde eri Mukama obutabawa bawala baffe okubafumbirwa?”
What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
8 Ne beebuuza nti, “Kika ki ku bika bya Isirayiri ekitaayambuka Mizupa mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda?” Ne bazuula nga mu Yabesugireyaadi tewaavaayo muntu eyajja mu lukuŋŋaana.
So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.
9 Bwe baalaba abantu, laba nga tewaliiwo mutuuze w’e Yabesugireyaadi.
For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
10 Awo ekibiina ne kitumayo abasajja abalwanyi omutwalo gumu mu enkumi bbiri, ne babalagira nti, “Mugende muzikirize n’ekitala abo bonna ababeera mu Yabesugireyaadi, obutalekaawo bakazi wadde abaana.
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
11 Kino kye muba mukola. Mutte buli musajja na buli mukazi atali mbeerera.”
This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”
12 Mu bantu abaabeeranga mu Yabesugireyaadi ne basangamu abawala ebikumi bina abaali embeerera, ne babatwala mu nkambi e Siiro mu nsi ya Kanani.
So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 Awo ekibiina kyonna ekyali kikuŋŋaanye ne kiweereza abaana ba Benyamini abaali ku lwazi lwa Limoni obubaka obw’emirembe.
Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.
14 Awo Ababenyamini ne bakomawo mu kiseera ekyo, era ne baweebwa abawala abaawonawo ku bawala ab’e Yabesugireyaadi, naye ne batabamala bonna.
And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Abantu ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini kubanga Mukama Katonda yali abaawudde ku bika bya Isirayiri ebirala.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
16 Awo abakadde b’olukuŋŋaana ne bagamba nti, “Abakazi b’Ababenyamini baazikirizibwa, kaakano abasajja abasigaddewo, tunabalabira wa abakazi?
Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 Ababenyamini abaasigalawo bateekwa okufuna abasika, ekika kireme okusangulibwawo mu Isirayiri.
They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
18 Ate tetuyinza kubawa ku bawala baffe kubawasa, kubanga ffe abaana ba Isirayiri tweyama nga tugamba nti, ‘Akolimirwe aliwa Omubenyamini muwala we okumuwasa.’
But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
19 Kyokka waliwo embaga ya Mukama Katonda eya buli mwaka e Siiro, ekiri mu bukiikakkono bwa Beseri, n’obuvanjuba bw’oluguudo oluva e Beseri okudda e Sekemu, n’obukiikaddyo bwa Lebona.”
“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
20 Awo ne bagamba abaana ba Benyamini nti, “Mugende mwekweke mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu,
So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
21 muteege. Laba abawala b’e Siiro bwe banaafuluma okwegatta ku mazina, mudduke okuva mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu, mwefunire buli muntu omukazi ku bawala b’e Siiro, muddeyo mu nsi ya Benyamini.
and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 Awo bakitaabwe oba bannyinaabwe bwe balyemulugunya gye tuli, tulibagamba nti, ‘Mubatuwe lwa kisa, kubanga tetwabafunira bakazi mu lutalo, era olwokubanga temwababawa, temulina musango.’”
When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
23 Awo Ababenyamini ne bakola bwe batyo. Ne beewambira abawala ku abo abaali bazina, ne beddirayo mu busika bwabwe, ne baddamu okuzimba ebibuga byabwe ne babeera omwo.
The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.
24 Mu kiseera ekyo n’abaana ba Isirayiri buli muntu mu kika kye ne yeddirayo mu busika bwe.
And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
25 Mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri; buli muntu yakolanga nga bw’ayagala.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
