Atemmufo 21
1 Israelfo aka ntam wɔ Mispa sɛ, wɔremfa wɔn mmabea mma ɔbarima biara a ofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu aware.
The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, “None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin.”
2 Nnipa no kɔɔ Bet-El kɔtenaa Onyankopɔn anim kosii anwummere, maa wɔn nne so, suu denneennen kae se,
And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
3 “Ao Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, adɛn nti na saa asɛm yi asi? Mprempren yɛn mmusuakuw no mu baako ayera!”
“Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”
4 Adekyee mu no, nnipa no sii afɔremuka, na wɔbɔɔ ɔhyew ne asomdwoe afɔre.
Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
5 Wobisae se, “Abusuakuw bi wɔ hɔ a wannya ɔnanmusini bere a yɛkɔɔ nhyiamu kɛse wɔ Awurade anim wɔ Mispa no ana?” Saa bere no, na wɔaka ntankɛse wɔ Awurade anim sɛ, obiara a wamma no, ɛsɛ sɛ owu.
“Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?” For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
6 Na Israelfo no dii yaw wɔ Benyaminfo no ho kae se, “Nnɛ yi, abusuakuw baako afi yɛn mu; na nʼase reyɛ atɔre.
And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: “One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
7 Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛanya yerenom ama wɔn a wɔaka no, esiane Awurade ntam a yɛaka sɛ yɛremfa yɛn mmabea mu biara mma wɔn aware nti?”
From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
8 Enti wobisae se, “Bere a yɛde yɛn ho kyerɛɛ Awurade wɔ Mispa no na obi nni hɔ bi ana?” Ɛhɔ na wohui sɛ, obiara amfi Yabes Gilead amma saa aguabɔ no ase bi.
For this reason, they said, “Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
9 Na wɔkan nnipa no nyinaa no, wɔannya obiara a ofi Yabes Gilead.
(Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
10 Enti wɔsomaa akofo mpem dumien kɔɔ Yabes Gilead sɛ wonkokunkum obiara a ɔwɔ hɔ a mmea ne mmofra ka ho.
And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones.”
11 Wɔkae se, “Eyi na ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ. Munkum ɔbarima ne ɔbea biara a ɔnyɛ ɔbabun.”
And this shall be what you ought to do: “Every one of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve.”
12 Yabes Gileadfo mu no, wohuu mmabun ahannan a wɔne mmarima nnaa da, na wɔde wɔn baa nsraban a ɛwɔ Silo wɔ Kanaan asase so hɔ.
And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 Na Israelfo bagua no somaa asomdwoe abɔfo ma wɔkɔɔ Benyaminfo nkae no a na wɔte Rimon botan ho no nkyɛn.
And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in peace.
14 Na Benyaminfo no san kɔɔ wɔn afi mu, na wɔde mmabun a wofi Yabes Gilead a wɔankum bi no maa wɔn aware. Nanso mmea no anso wɔn so.
And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
15 Nnipa no dii Benyaminfo no ho yaw, sɛ Awurade ama mpaapaemu aba Israel mmusuakuw no mu.
And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
16 Enti Israel ntuanofo no bisae se, “Sɛ wɔatɔre mmea a wofi Benyamin ase yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛanya yerenom ama mmarima a wɔaka no?
And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
17 Ɛsɛ sɛ Benyaminfo a wɔaka no nya adedifo sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Israel abusuakuw bi ase ntɔre.
and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
18 Nanso yɛrentumi mfa yɛn mmabea mma wɔn aware, efisɛ yɛaka ntankɛse sɛ, obiara a ɔde ne babea bɛma Benyaminni aware no, Awurade nnome mmra ne so.”
As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’”
19 Afei wɔdwenee Awurade afeafe afahyɛ no ho, nea wodi wɔ Silo, a ɛwɔ Lebona ne Bet-El ntam, wɔ ɔkwan a efi Bet-El kosi Sekem no apuei fam.
And they took counsel, and they said, “Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah.”
20 Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Benyamin mmarima a wɔda so hwehwɛ yerenom no se, “Monkɔtɛw wɔ bobe nturo no mu.
And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.
21 Sɛ mmea a wofi Silo no ba bɛsaw wɔn asaw no a, mumpue mfi bobe nturo no mu, na mo mu biara betumi afa wɔn mu baako de no akɔ fie sɛ ne yere.
And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.
22 Na sɛ wɔn agyanom ne wɔn nuanom mmarima ba sɛ wɔmpene so a, yɛbɛka akyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Yɛsrɛ mo, monte ase. Momma wɔmfa mo mmabea no, efisɛ bere a yekunkum Yabes Gileadfo no, yɛannyaw mmea a ɛbɛso wɔn nyinaa so amma wɔn. Munnni ntam no ho fɔ, efisɛ ɛnyɛ mo na mode mo mmabea maa wɔn aware.’”
And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’”
23 Enti Benyamin mmarima no yɛɛ sɛnea wɔkyerɛɛ wɔn no. Wowiawiaa mmea a wɔbaa afahyɛ no ase, de wɔn kɔɔ asase a ɛyɛ wɔn agyapade no so. Na wɔkyekyeree wɔn nkurow no bio tenaa mu.
And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
24 Na Israelfo mmusuakuw ne mmusua no fii hɔ san kɔɔ wɔn ankasa afi mu.
The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents.
25 Saa bere no na Israel nni ɔhene, nti na nea nnipa no gye di sɛ eye wɔ wɔn ani so no na wɔyɛ.
In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
