Mpitsara 21
1 Ie amy zao, fa nifanta e Mitspà añe o lahilahy ana’ Israeleo ami’ty hoe: Leo raik’ amantika tsy hanolotse ty anak’ ampela’e amy Beniamine ho vali’e.
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Aa le nomb’e Betele mb’eo ondatio naho niambesatse añatrefan’ Añahare ampara’ te hariva vaho nampipoña-peo nangololoike ty rovetse
The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
3 ami’ty hoe: Ry Iehovà, Andrianañahare’ Israele, Akore te nitendreke e Israele ao t’ie ho po-pifokoañe raike t’Israele te anito?
“Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
4 Ie amy loak’ àndroy, nañaleñaleñe ondatio, le nandranjy kitrely vaho nañenga soroñe naho engam-panintsiñañe.
The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5 Le hoe ty enta’ o ana’ Israeleo: Ia amo hene fifokoa’ Israeleo hao ty tsy nimb’ amy fivori’ Iehovày mb’eo? Amy t’ie nititike do’e te ze tsy nionjoñe mb’ am-pivori-bei’ Iehovà e Mitspà ao ro havetrake.
“Which of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord?” they asked. For they had sworn a sacred oath that anyone who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah would without exception be executed.
6 Aa ie naneñeñe i Beniamine rahalahi’ iareo o ana’ Israeleo le nanao ty hoe: Nifañito amy Israele ty fifokoañe raik’ anindroany.
The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
7 Hatao akore ty hampanambalieñe o sisao, kanao nititik’ amy Iehovà tika te tsy hitolorañe o anak’ ampelan-tikañeo?
What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn an oath before the Lord that we will not allow any of our daughters to marry them?”
8 Le hoe iereo: Ia amo fifokoa’ Israeleo ty tsy nimb’ amy Iehovà e Mitspà mb’eo? Toe tsy an-tobe’ Iabese-Gilade ao ty nimb’ am-pivoriy mb’eo.
Then they asked, “Which one of all the tribes of Israel didn't attend the assembly we held before the Lord at Mizpah?” They found out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly,
9 Amy te ie vinolily ondatio, inao, leo raik’ amo mpimone’ Iabese-Gilade tsy nizoeñe.
for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
10 Aa le nampihitrife’ i valobohòkey mb’eo ty rai-ale-tsi-ro’arivo amo fanalolahio vaho nafantok’ ama’e ty hoe: Akia, zamano an-dela-pibara o mpimone’ Iabese-Giladeo rekets’ o ampelao naho o ajajao.
So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their best warriors there. They gave them orders, saying, “Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with your swords, even the women and children.
11 Le zao ty hanoe’ areo: ho mongore’ areo ze lahilahy naho ze rakemba fa nifandia-tihy ama’ ondaty.
This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
12 Tendreke iareo amy zao amo mpimone’ Iabese-Giladeo ty somondrara efa-jato, tsy nahafohiñe ondaty, mboe tsy niolots’ aman-dahilahy, le nendese’ iareo mb’ an-tobe e Silò, an-tane Khanàne añe.
They managed to find among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred virgins who had not had sex with a man. They took them to the camp in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 Le nirahe’ i fivoribey iabiy, ty hisaontsy amo ana’ i Beniamine am-bato Rimoneo, hikoike iareo an-kanintsiñe.
Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
14 Aa le nimpoly t’i Beniamine henane zay, vaho natolots’ iareo o somondrara’ Iabese-Gilade nirombahe’ iereo veloñeo; f’ie tsy nahaeneke.
So the men of Benjamin went back home, and gave to them the four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead who had been spared as wives. However, there wasn't enough for all of them.
15 Aa le nisolohoa’ ondatio t’i Beniamine amy jebañe nanoe’ Iehovà amo fifokoa’Israeleo.
The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
16 Le hoe o talè’ i valobohòkeio: Hanoen-tika ino ka ty hanambalia’ o sisao kanao nimongoreñe amy Beniamine ze atao ampela?
The elders of the assembly asked, “What shall we do to supply the remaining wives because all the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 Le hoe iareo: Tsy mete tsy ho lova’ i Beniamine o nahapolititseo, tsy mone ho mongotse am’ Israele ty fifokoañe raike.
They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
18 Ie amy zao, tsy mete manolotse o anak’ ampelan-tikañeo ho vali’ iareo tika, amy titike nifantà’ o ana’ Israeleoy ami’ ty hoe: Fatse ty manolotse valy amy Beniamine.
But we can't let them have our daughters as wives, since we as the people of Israel swore a sacred oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite is cursed!’”
19 Le nitsaraeñe ty hoe: Inao! e Silò avara’ i Betele naho atiñanan-damoke miboak’ e Betele mb’e Sekeme mb’eo, vaho mañatimo i Lebonà mb’eo ty sabadidak’ amy Iehovà boa-taoñe.
Then they said, “Look! Every year there's the Lord's festival in Shiloh. It's held north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, south of Lebonah.”
20 Aa le nafanto’ iareo amo ana’ i Beniamineo ty hoe: Akia mietaha an-tanem-bahe ao;
So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21 le mandrendreha naho miakatse mb’ eo o anak’ ampela’ i Silòo hitsinjak’ an-tsikidola, le miavota amo tanem-baheo songa hitsepake ty ho tañanjomba’e boak’ amo anak’ ampela’ i Silóo, vaho akia mb’ an-tane Beniamine añe.
Keep a lookout, and when you see the young women from Shiloh come out to perform their dances, run out from the vineyards, and each of you abduct a wife for yourself and go back home to the land of Benjamin.
22 Ie amy zao, naho mb’ atoy o roae’eo ndra o rahalahi’eo hitoreo ama’ay, le hanoe’ay ty hoe, Iferenaiño, amy te tsy nañeneke o ampela rinambe’ay amy hotakotakeio songa hahazoa’ iareo valy; mbore tsy ho tinolo’ areo ka tsy mone ho nanan-kakeo henaneo.
If their fathers or brothers come complaining to us, we'll tell them, ‘Please do us a favor, because we couldn't find enough wives for them in the war. And it's not as if you're guilty of breaking the oath since you didn't give them in marriage.”
23 Aa le nanoe’ o ana’ i Beniamineo, nangala-baly nahaeneñe ty ia’ iareo amo nitsinjakeo; le nienga naho nimpoly mb’an-dova’ iareo añe naho namboatse rova vaho nimoneñe ao.
The Benjaminites did as they were ordered. Each man grabbed one of the women dancers up to the total needed and carried her off to be his wife. Then they went back to their own land, where they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
24 Aa le nienga boak’ ao amy zao o ana’Israeleo songa mb’ampifokoa’e mb’eo naho mb’ amo keleia’eo; sindre niavotse hirik’ ao namonje ty lova’e.
Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
25 Ie tañ’andro izay tsy amam-panjaka t’Israele; songa nanao ze natao’e ho mahity am-pihaino’e ao.
At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
