Atemmufo 21
1 Israelfo aka ntam wɔ Mispa sɛ, wɔremfa wɔn mmabea mma ɔbarima biara a ofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu aware.
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Nnipa no kɔɔ Bet-El kɔtenaa Onyankopɔn anim kosii anwummere, maa wɔn nne so, suu denneennen kae se,
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 “Ao Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, adɛn nti na saa asɛm yi asi? Mprempren yɛn mmusuakuw no mu baako ayera!”
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Adekyee mu no, nnipa no sii afɔremuka, na wɔbɔɔ ɔhyew ne asomdwoe afɔre.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
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.
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
6 Na Israelfo no dii yaw wɔ Benyaminfo no ho kae se, “Nnɛ yi, abusuakuw baako afi yɛn mu; na nʼase reyɛ atɔre.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off 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?”
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
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.
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 Na wɔkan nnipa no nyinaa no, wɔannya obiara a ofi Yabes Gilead.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Enti wɔsomaa akofo mpem dumien kɔɔ Yabes Gilead sɛ wonkokunkum obiara a ɔwɔ hɔ a mmea ne mmofra ka ho.
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 Wɔkae se, “Eyi na ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ. Munkum ɔbarima ne ɔbea biara a ɔnyɛ ɔbabun.”
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
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.
The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
13 Na Israelfo bagua no somaa asomdwoe abɔfo ma wɔkɔɔ Benyaminfo nkae no a na wɔte Rimon botan ho no nkyɛn.
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them 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.
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Nnipa no dii Benyaminfo no ho yaw, sɛ Awurade ama mpaapaemu aba Israel mmusuakuw no mu.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes 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?
Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Ɛsɛ sɛ Benyaminfo a wɔaka no nya adedifo sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Israel abusuakuw bi ase ntɔre.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed 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.”
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
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.
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Benyamin mmarima a wɔda so hwehwɛ yerenom no se, “Monkɔtɛw wɔ bobe nturo no mu.
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait 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.
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to 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.’”
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
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.
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
24 Na Israelfo mmusuakuw ne mmusua no fii hɔ san kɔɔ wɔn ankasa afi mu.
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
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. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
