Vatongi 21
1 Varume veIsraeri vakanga vaita mhiko paMizipa vachiti: “Hapana mumwe wedu acharoodza mwanasikana wake kumuBhenjamini.”
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, “None of us will allow our daughters to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Vanhu vakaenda kuBheteri, uko kwavakagara pamberi paMwari kusvikira madekwana, vachisimudza manzwi avo uye vachichema zvikuru.
The Israelites went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, crying loudly in distress.
3 Vakachema vachiti, “Haiwa Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, seiko izvi zvakaitika kuIsraeri? Seiko rumwe rudzi rwashayikwa muIsraeri nhasi?”
“Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel?” they asked. “Today one of our tribes is missing from Israel.”
4 Mangwanani ezuva rakatevera, vanhu vakavaka aritari vakapa zvipiriso zvinopiswa nezvipiriso zvokuwadzana.
The next day they got up early, built an altar, and brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
5 Ipapo vaIsraeri vakabvunza vakati, “Ndianiko kubva kumarudzi ose aIsraeri akatadza kuungana navamwe pamberi paJehovha?” Nokuti vakanga vaita mhiko kuti ani zvake anotadza kuungana navamwe pamberi paJehovha paMizipa anofanira kuurayiwa zvirokwazvo.
“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 Zvino vaIsraeri vakasuwa nokuda kwehama dzavo, vaBhenjamini. Vakati, “Nhasi rumwe rudzi rwabviswa pana Israeri.
The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin, saying, “Today one tribe has been hacked off from Israel!
7 Tichapa seiko vakadzi kuna avo vakasara, sezvo takapika kuna Jehovha kuti tirege kupa upi zvake wavanasikana vedu kuti awanikwe navo.”
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 Ipapo vakabvunza vakati, “Ndavapiko pamarudzi aIsraeri vakatadza kuungana navamwe pamberi paJehovha paMizipa?” Vakawana kuti kwakanga kusina munhu aibva kuJabheshi Gireadhi akanga auya kumusasa kuungano.
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 Nokuti vakati vaverenga vanhu, vakaona kuti kwakanga kusina munhu weJabheshi Gireadhi akanga aripo.
for once they had done a head count, there was nobody there from Jabesh-gilead.
10 Saka ungano yakatuma varume vehondo zviuru gumi nezviviri vakavarayira kuti vaende kuJabheshi Gireadhi vandouraya nomunondo vanhu vaigarako, kusanganisira vakadzi navana.
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 Vakati, “Hezvi zvamunofanira kuita: Urayai murume mumwe nomumwe nomukadzi mumwe nomumwe asiri mhandara.”
This is what you have to do: Destroy every male and every woman who has had sex with a man.”
12 Vakawana pakati pavanhu vaigara muJabheshi Gireadhi mhandara mazana mana vakanga vasina kumbovata navarume, vakaenda navo kumusasa paShiro muKenani.
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 Ipapo ungano yose yakatuma nhume neshoko rorugare kuvaBhenjamini paruware rweRimoni.
Then the whole assembly sent a message to the Benjamites at Pomegranate Rock to tell them, “Peace!”
14 Saka vaBhenjamini vakadzoka panguva iyoyo vakapiwa vakadzi veJabheshi Gireadhi vakanga vasara. Asi vakanga vasina kuvakwanira vose.
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 Vanhu vakasuwa nokuda kweBhenjamini, nokuti Jehovha akanga aisa mukaha mumarudzi avaIsraeri.
The people felt sorry for the Benjamites because the Lord had made this empty hole among the Israelite tribes.
16 Uye vakuru veungano vakati, “Sezvo vakadzi veBhenjamini vakaparadzwa, tichawanira seiko varume vakasara vakadzi?”
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 Vakati, “VaBhenjamini vakasara vanofanira kuva navadyi venhaka kuitira kuti rudzi rwaIsraeri rurege kurova.
They added, “There have to be heirs for the Benjamite survivors—an Israelite tribe of Israel can't be wiped out.
18 Hatigoni kuvapa vanasikana vedu kuti vave vakadzi vavo sezvo isu vaIsraeri takapika tichiti, ‘Ngaatukwe munhu anopa mukadzi kumuBhenjamini.’
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 Asi tarirai, kune mutambo waJehovha wegore negore paShiro, nechokumusoro kweBheteri, kumabvazuva omugwagwa unobva kuBheteri uchienda kuShekemu, nezasi kweRebhona.”
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 Saka vakarayira vaBhenjamini vakati, “Endai mundovanda muminda yemizambiringa
So they ordered the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21 uye mutarire. Vasikana veShiro pavanobuda kuti vandotamba navamwe, ipapo mumhanye muchibva muminda yemizambiringa mumwe nomumwe wenyu azvitorere mukadzi kubva kuvasikana veShiro mugoenda henyu kunyika yavaBhenjamini.
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 Madzibaba avo kana hanzvadzi dzavo pavanouya kuzomhanʼara kwatiri, isu tichati kwavari, ‘Tiitirei henyu zvakanaka nokuvabatsira, nokuti hatina kuvawanira vakadzi panguva yehondo, uye imi hamuna mhosva, sezvo musina kupa vanasikana venyu kwavari.’”
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 Saka ndizvo zvakaitwa navaBhenjamini. Vasikana vachiri kutamba, murume mumwe nomumwe akabata musikana ndokuenda naye kuti ave mukadzi wake. Ipapo vakadzokera kunhaka yavo uye vakavakazve maguta vakagara maari.
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 Panguva iyoyo vaIsraeri vakabva panzvimbo iyo vakaenda kumusha kumarudzi avo nokudzimba dzavo, mumwe nomumwe kunhaka yake pachake.
Then the Israelites left and went home to their tribes and families, each one going to the land they owned.
25 Mumazuva iwayo kwakanga kusina mambo pakati paIsraeri; mumwe nomumwe aiita zvaaifunga kuti zvakanaka.
At that time Israel didn't have a king—everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
