Israel Gets Ready for War
1-3 The Israelites called a meeting of the nation. And since they were God's people, the meeting was held at the place of worship in Mizpah. Men who could serve as soldiers came from everywhere in Israel—from Dan in the north, Beersheba in the south, and Gilead east of the Jordan River. Four hundred thousand of them came to Mizpah, and they each felt the same about what those men from the tribe of Benjamin had done.
News about the meeting at Mizpah reached the tribe of Benjamin.
As soon as the leaders of the tribes of Israel took their places, the Israelites said, “How could such a horrible thing happen?”
4 The husband of the murdered woman answered:
My wife and I went into the town of Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 Later that night, the men of Gibeah surrounded the house. They wanted to kill me, but instead they raped and killed my wife. 6 It was a terrible thing for Israelites to do! So I cut up her body and sent the pieces everywhere in Israel.
7 You are the people of Israel, and you must decide today what to do about the men of Gibeah.
8 The whole army was in agreement, and they said, “None of us will go home. 9-10 We'll send one tenth of the men from each tribe to get food for the army. And we'll ask God who should attack Gibeah, because those men deserve to be punished for committing such a horrible crime in Israel.”
11 Everyone agreed that Gibeah had to be punished.
12 The tribes of Israel sent messengers to every town and village in Benjamin. And wherever the messengers went, they said, “How could those worthless men in Gibeah do such a disgusting thing? 13 We can't allow such a terrible crime to go unpunished in Israel! Hand the men over to us, and we will put them to death.”
But the people of Benjamin refused to listen to the other Israelites. 14 Men from towns all over Benjamin's territory went to Gibeah and got ready to fight Israel. 15 The Benjamin tribe had 26,000 soldiers, not counting the 700 who were Gibeah's best warriors. 16 In this army there were 700 left-handed experts who could sling a rock at a target the size of a hair and hit it every time.
17 The other Israelite tribes organized their army and found they had 400,000 experienced soldiers. 18 So they went to the place of worship at Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should be the first to attack the people of Benjamin?”
“Judah,” the Lord answered.
19 The next morning the Israelite army moved its camp to a place near Gibeah. 20 Then they left their camp and got into position to attack the army of Benjamin.
The War Between Israel and Benjamin
21 Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, and when the day was over, 22,000 Israelite soldiers lay dead on the ground.
22-24 The people of Israel went to the place of worship and cried until sunset. Then they asked the Lord, “Should we attack the people of Benjamin again, even though they are our relatives?”
“Yes,” the Lord replied, “attack them again!”
The Israelite soldiers encouraged each other to be brave and to fight hard. Then the next day they went back to Gibeah and took up the same positions as they had before.
25 That same day, Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, leaving another 18,000 Israelite soldiers dead on the battlefield.
26-28 The people of Israel went to the place of worship at Bethel, where the sacred chest was being kept. They sat on the ground, crying and not eating for the rest of the day. Then about sunset, they offered sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask his blessing. Phinehas the priest then prayed, “Our Lord, the people of Benjamin are our relatives. Should we stop fighting or attack them again?”
“Attack!” the Lord answered. “Tomorrow I will let you defeat them.”
29 The Israelites surrounded Gibeah, but stayed where they could not be seen. 30 Then the next day, they took the same positions as twice before, 31-41 but this time they had a different plan. They said, “When the men of Benjamin attack, we will run off and let them chase us away from the town and into the country roads.”
The soldiers of Benjamin attacked the Israelite army and started pushing it back from the town. They killed about 30 Israelites in the fields and along the road between Gibeah and Bethel. The men of Benjamin were thinking, “We're mowing them down like we did before.”
The Israelites were running away, but they headed for Baal-Tamar, where they regrouped. They had set an ambush, and they were sure it would work. Ten thousand of Israel's best soldiers had been hiding west of Gibeah, and as soon as the men of Benjamin chased the Israelites into the countryside, these 10,000 soldiers made a surprise attack on the town gates. They dashed in and captured Gibeah, killing everyone there. Then they set the town on fire, because the smoke would be the signal for the other Israelite soldiers to turn and attack the soldiers of Benjamin.
The fighting had been so heavy around the soldiers of Benjamin, that they did not know the trouble they were in. But then they looked back and saw clouds of smoke rising from the town. They looked in front and saw the soldiers of Israel turning to attack. This terrified them, because they realized that something horrible was happening. And it was horrible—over 25,000 soldiers of Benjamin died that day, and those who were left alive knew that the Lord had given Israel the victory.
42 The men of Benjamin headed down the road toward the desert, trying to escape from the Israelites. But the Israelites stayed right behind them, keeping up their attack. Men even came out of the nearby towns to help kill the men of Benjamin, 43 who were having to fight on all sides. The Israelite soldiers never let up their attack. They chased and killed the warriors of Benjamin as far as a place directly east of Gibeah, 44 until 18,000 of these warriors lay dead.
45 Some other warriors of Benjamin turned and ran down the road toward Rimmon Rock in the desert. The Israelites killed 5,000 of them on the road, then chased the rest until they had killed 2,000 more. 46 Twenty-five thousand soldiers of Benjamin died that day, all of them experienced warriors. 47 Only 600 of them finally made it into the desert to Rimmon Rock, where they stayed for four months.
48 The Israelites turned back and went to every town in Benjamin's territory, killing all the people and animals, and setting the towns on fire.
Ovabenjamin tava handukilwa unene
1 Opo nee ovana aveshe vaIsrael va ongala ngaashi omulumenhu umwe auke okudja kuDan fiyo okuBerseba, pamwe noshilongo shaGilead koshipala shOmwene muMispa. 2 Novakulunhu voshiwana ashishe vomapata aeshe aIsrael va holoka moshiongalele shoshiwana shaKalunga: ovalumenhu omayovi omafele ane vokolupadi, va djalekwa omaongamukonda. 3 Novana vaBenjamin va uda nokutya, ovana vaIsrael va ya kuMispa. Opo nee ovana vaIsrael tava ti: “Hepaululeni, nghe oixuna ei ya longwa ngahelipi?” 4 Opo nee omulumenhu Omulevi, omulumenhu womukainhu ou dipawa, ta nyamukula ta ti: “Naame nomwalikadi wange wopomunghulo twe uya kuGibea shomuBenjamin tu nangale mo. 5 Noonakukalamo muGibea va shinda nge ndele mokutonda nge va kondekela ongulu oufiku. Vo va li va hala okudipaa nge, nomwalikadi wange wopomunghulo vo ve mu monifa oixuna fiyo ta fi. 6 Opo nee ame nda kufa omwalikadi wange wopomunghulo ndele handi mu tetaula ndele nde mu tuma moshilongo ashishe shoshitukulwafyuululwa shaIsrael, osheshi venya ova ninga oixuna noshififahoni muIsrael. 7 Paife nye ovana vaIsrael amushe opo mu li apa: Kundafaneni, tokoleni!” 8 Opo nee ovanhu aveshe va fikama ngaashi omunhu umwe, ndele tava ti: “Nande umwe mufye aha ye koshihambo shaye ndele nande umwe womufye aha ye keumbo lavo; 9 ndelenee oshinima osho tu noku shi ningila Gibea, osheshi: Tu shi homoneni pashihoololifo! 10 Fye ohatu ka kufa mo ovalumenhu omulongo mefele keshe, omapata aeshe aIsrael, nefele meyovi, neyovi momayovi omulongo, va ye va ka tale eenghuta domatanga ovakwaita, opo fye, venya ngeenge va aluka, tu ningile Gibea shomuBenjamin paixuna sho she i ninga muIsrael.” 11 Opo nee ovalumenhu aveshe vaIsrael va ongala popepi noshilando ve shi homone, ve limanga kumwe ngaashi omunhu umwe.
12 Nomapata aIsrael a tuma ovalumenhu va endaenda moshilongo shepata laBenjamin va tye: “Oixuna oi fike peni ya ningwa mokati keni? 13 Yandjeni hano paife ovalumenhu venya vai vomuGibea, opo tu shiive oku va dipaa nokukomba po owii muIsrael.” Ndelenee Ovabenjamin inava pwilikina ovakwao, ovana vaIsrael. 14 Ndelenee ovana vaBenjamin va dja moilando, va ongala puGibea va ka homone ovana vaIsrael. 15 Mefiku tuu olo ovana vaBenjamin va ongelwa, vo va li omayovi omilongo mbali nomayovi ahamano vomoilando imwe ava ve nomaongamukonda, ponho yoonakukalamo muGibea, ava va ongelwa, ovalumenhu ovahoololwa omilongo heyali. 16 Movakwaita aveshe ava mwa li ovalumenhu ovahoololwa omilongo heyali volumosho. Vo aveshe ve shii kukupula emanya koluxwiki limwe ihava shekuna. 17 Novalumenhu vaIsrael ponho yOvabenjamin va ongelwa: ovalumenhu omayovi omafele ane ovanamikonda, vo aveshe va li ovakwaita. 18 Ndele vo ova fikama ndele tava i kuBetel, ndele tava pula Kalunga. Novana vaIsrael tava ti: “Olyelye mufye e nokufikama tete a ka homone ovana vaBenjamin?” Opo nee Omwene ta ti: “Juda tete!” 19 Opo nee ovana vaIsrael va fikama ongula inene ndele va onga onhanda popepi naGibea. 20 Novalumenhu vaIsrael ova fikama va ka lwe naBenjamin, novalumenhu vaIsrael ve lilongekidila oku va totela puGibea. 21 Opo nee ovana vaBenjamin va dja muGibea, ndele va dipaa mefiku tuu olo ovalumenhu omayovi omilongo mbali naavali muIsrael. 22 Ndelenee omatanga ovakwaita, ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli ove linyatipaleka vali okutota monhele tuu oyo va li mefiku lotete. 23 Novana vaIsrael va fikama, ndele tava lili koshipala shOmwene fiyo onguloshi, ndele tava pula kOmwene tava ti: “Ame ondi nokushuna ko vali ndi ka lwe novakwetu, ovana vaBenjamin?” NOmwene ta ti: “Inda u ke mu lwife!” 24 Ndele mefiku etivali ovana vaIsrael eshi va ehena ko novana vaBenjamin, 25 Ovakwabenjamin va dja muGibea mefiku etivali oku va shakeneka, ndele movana vaIsrael mwa dipawa natango ovalumenhu omayovi omulongo naahetatu, vo aveshe ovanamikonda. 26 Opo nee ovana vaIsrael, ovanhu aveshe, va dja po, ndele tave uya muBetel. Ndele va lila ndele tava kala koshipala shOmwene nokulidilika fiyo onguloshi, ndele tava yambe omaxwikiloyambo nomapanduloyambo koshipala shOmwene. 27 Novana vaIsrael va pula kOmwene, osheshi momafiku enya oshikefa shehangano laKalunga osha li ko, 28 ndele Pinehas yaEliaser yaAron okwa kala koshipala shaye oku mu longela pomafiku enya, ndele ta ti: “Ondi nokufikama vali tu lwife ovakwetu, ovana vaBenjamin ile ndi noku va efa?” Opo nee Omwene ta ti: “Fikama, osheshi mongula ohandi ke va yandja meke loye.” 29 Ndele Ovaisraeli va tula omakulwila keembinga adishe daGibea. 30 Ndele mefiku etitatu ovana vaIsrael va fikama va homone ovana vaBenjamin, ndele ve lilongekida okutotela Gibea ngaashi shito. 31 Novana vaBenjamin va pita mo, va ka shakeneke omatanga ovakwaita oo va tetwa ko koshilando, ndele ngaashi shito vo va hovela okudipaa vamwe vomovakwaita pomalila manene, muwo limwe tali i kuBetel nalikwao tali i kuGibea okupitila mepumbu, ova dipaa ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli ve fike ngeno pomilongo nhatu. 32 Opo nee ovana vaBenjamin va diladila: “Vo ova tewa po komesho yetu ngaashi shito!” Ndelenee ovana vaIsrael tava ti: “Natu fadukeni po, tu va tete ko koshilando langhele komalila manene.” 33 Novalumenhu aveshe vaIsrael va dja po ndele ve lilongekidila okulwa puBaal-Tamar, fimbo ekulwila lOvaisraeli la dja ko keembutamene dalo kouninginino waGeba. 34 Ndele ovalumenhu ovahoololwa omayovi omulongo vomuIsrael ve uya popepi naGibea. Nolwoodi la li lipyu. Ndelenee Ovabenjamin inava dimbulukwa omupya ou tau va hange. 35 Opo nee Omwene okwa taataa Ovabenjamin komesho yOvaisraeli, novana vaIsrael va dipaa mefiku tuu olo mOvabenjamin ovalumenhu omayovi omilongo nhatu naatano nefele, aveshe ava ve nomaongamukonda.
36 Osho ngaha hano ovana vaBenjamin ve wete va tewa. Ndelenee ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli va pa Ovabenjamin onhele, osheshi ove lineekela ekulwila, ve li tula konima yaGibea. 37 Opo nee ekulwila la endelela diva okutotela Gibea, nekulwila la ya mo, ndele la dipaa oonakukalamo aveshe vomoshilando neongamukonda. 38 Novalumenhu Ovaisraeli va udafana nekulwila nokutya, va yelulife okalungululu kanene komwifi taka lundumuka moshilando. 39 Onghee hano ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli va piluka molwoodi, nOvabenjamin va hovela okudipaa vamwe vomovalumenhu Ovaisraeli, ngeno ve fike pomilongo nhatu, osheshi va diladila: “Oshili fye ohatu va taataa komesho yetu ngaashi shito!” 40 Fimbo oshilemo shokalungululu sha hovela okuyeluka moshilando nokutya, oluudi lomwifi. NOvabenjamin eshi va tala konima yavo, oshilando ashishe sha ninga omwifi tau yeluka pombada! 41 Ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli eshi va piluka, ovalumenhu Ovabenjamin va haluka, osheshi ve wete omupya otau ke va hanga. 42 Ndele va ya onhapo komesho yovalumenhu vaIsrael nondjila yokombuwa. Ndelenee olwoodi le va kondekela mo ndele venya va dja mo moilando ove va dipaela pokati kavo. 43 Venya va kondekela Ovabenjamin, ve va shikula, ndele tave va lyataulile monhele yetulumuko langhele kuGibea kombinga yokoushilo. 44 Ndele oko kwa dipaelwa ovalumenhu omayovi omulongo naahetatu Ovabenjamin, ndele ava va li ovaladielela. 45 Vo ova piluka ndele va ya onhapo kombuwa, kemanya laRimmon; ndelenee momalila manene Ovaisraeli va dipaulula ko vali ovalumenhu omayovi atano nokushikula venya fiyo okuGidom ndele va dipaa muvo ovalumenhu omayovi avali. 46 NOvabenjamin aveshe ava va dipawa efiku tuu olo, ova li ve fike povalumenhu omayovi omilongo mbali naatano ovanamikonda, aveshe ovaladielela. 47 Ndelenee ovalumenhu omafele ahamano va piluka ndele va ya onhapo kombuwa kemanya laRimmon, ndele va kala pemanya laRimmon eehani nhee. 48 Novalumenhu vaIsrael va aluka ve uya kovana vaBenjamin, ndele ve va dipaa neongamukonda, ovanhu noimuna naashishe sha hangwa ko. Noilando oyo aishe ve i hanga, ve i xwika po.
