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 in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 Awo abantu ne bagenda e Beseri ne batuula eyo okutuusa akawungeezi nga bakaabira Katonda, nga bayimusa eddoboozi lyabwe, nga bakuba ebiwoobe,
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 nga bakaaba nti, “Ayi Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri, lwaki kino kituuse ku Isirayiri leero, ekika ekimu okubula ku Isirayiri?”
They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 Awo ku lunaku olwaddirira, abantu ne bagolokoka ne bazimba ekyoto mu kifo ekyo, ne bawaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe.
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered 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 children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
6 Abaana ba Isirayiri ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini muganda waabwe nga bagamba nti, “Leero ekika ekimu ekya Isirayiri kisaliddwako.
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 Tunaabakolera ki okubafunira abakazi, obanga ffe ffennyini twerayiridde eri Mukama obutabawa bawala baffe okubafumbirwa?”
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
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.
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 Bwe baalaba abantu, laba nga tewaliiwo mutuuze w’e Yabesugireyaadi.
For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 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.
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 Kino kye muba mukola. Mutte buli musajja na buli mukazi atali mbeerera.”
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain 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.
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 Awo ekibiina kyonna ekyali kikuŋŋaanye ne kiweereza abaana ba Benyamini abaali ku lwazi lwa Limoni obubaka obw’emirembe.
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 Awo Ababenyamini ne bakomawo mu kiseera ekyo, era ne baweebwa abawala abaawonawo ku bawala ab’e Yabesugireyaadi, naye ne batabamala bonna.
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
15 Abantu ne basaalirwa olwa Benyamini kubanga Mukama Katonda yali abaawudde ku bika bya Isirayiri ebirala.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach 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, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17 Ababenyamini abaasigalawo bateekwa okufuna abasika, ekika kireme okusangulibwawo mu Isirayiri.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 Ate tetuyinza kubawa ku bawala baffe kubawasa, kubanga ffe abaana ba Isirayiri tweyama nga tugamba nti, ‘Akolimirwe aliwa Omubenyamini muwala we okumuwasa.’
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 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.”
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh 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 Awo ne bagamba abaana ba Benyamini nti, “Mugende mwekweke mu nnimiro z’emizabbibu,
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait 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 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 Awo bakitaabwe oba bannyinaabwe bwe balyemulugunya gye tuli, tulibagamba nti, ‘Mubatuwe lwa kisa, kubanga tetwabafunira bakazi mu lutalo, era olwokubanga temwababawa, temulina musango.’”
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 didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
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 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 Mu kiseera ekyo n’abaana ba Isirayiri buli muntu mu kika kye ne yeddirayo mu busika bwe.
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 Mu biro ebyo tewaali kabaka mu Isirayiri; buli muntu yakolanga nga bw’ayagala.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
