Okuyarurwa ko koupe kwomuhoko wa Benjamin
1 Ovaisrael, mba woronganene mOmispa, va tjitire omakwizikiro ku Muhona ave tja: “Kape na umwe wetu, ngu ma yenene okukupisa omusuko we kOmubenjamin.” 2 Nokuzambo Ovaisrael va ya kObetel nave kakara ngo komurungu wa Ndjambi nga kongurova. Nowo va rira tjinene, 3 ave tja: “Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, pa tjitirwa tjike nai kutja pe kaere omuhoko umwe wOvaisrael ndindondi?”
4 Nu omuhuka omunene wependukirwa raindo otjiwaṋa tja sekama, atji tungu otjipunguhiro mbo natji punguha ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa nozohange. 5 Tjazumba Ovaisrael arire tji va pura nave tja: “Omuhoko uṋe momihoko vya Israel mbu he ere kombongarero komurungu wa Muhona?” Orondu pa tjitirwe oruyano rwakatjotjiri kutja auhe ngu he ere ku Muhona mOmispa ma sokuṱa. 6 Nungwari Ovaisrael va ṱondjenda nomuhoko wawo Ovabenjamin nave tja: “Israel ndinondi tja pandjarisa umwe womihoko vyatjo. 7 Nambano matu tjiti vi kutja tu mune ovakazendu okukupisa kOvabenjamin mba sewa po? Orondu twa tjita oruyano ku Muhona kutja katu nokuvepa ovasuko vetu.”
8 Nowo tji va pura ave tja: “Omuhoko uṋe momihoko vya Israel mbu he ere komurungu wa Muhona kOmispa?” Pa munika kutja kape na umwe okuza kOjabes mOgilead ngwe ere kozondanda okukara pombongarero ndjo. 9 Notjiwaṋa tji tja varwa pa munika kutja kapa ri umwe wovature va Jabes mOgilead. 10 Ombongarero otji ya tuma ovarumendu omayovi omurongo na yevari, ovarwe ozombangaṋe, nomarakiza nga: “Twendeye mu kazepe ovature avehe va Jabes mOgilead, novakazendu novanatje wina. 11 Ihi tji mamu sokutjita, otjo hi: Zepeye ovarumendu avehe, nomukazendu ngamwa auhe ngwa rara puna omurumendu wina.” 12 Nu mokati kovature va Jabes mOgilead va kavaza mo ovasuko omasere yane mbe hiya rara puna ovarumendu. Nowo va etwa kozondanda kOsilo tji tji ri mehi ra Kanaan.
13 Nombongarero aihe ya tuma ovahindwa okukahungira kuna Ovabenjamin, mba ri pOruuwa rwa Rimon nave ningire okutjita ohange. 14 Ovabenjamin opu va kotokera, nave pewa ovasuko imba mba hupisirwe movakazendu va Jabes mOgilead; nungwari otjivaro tjovasuko mba katja yenenene ku wo.
15 Otjiwaṋa tja ṱondjenda nOvabenjamin, Muhona tjinga a haṋene omihoko vya Israel. 16 Novanane wombongo arire tji va tja: “Matu sokutjita vi na imba mba hupu kutja ve mune ovakazendu wina, imba ovakazendu vOvabenjamin tjinga ava nyonwa?” 17 Nu komurungu owo va tja nai: “Otjiwaṋa tjOvaisrael katji sokupandjarisa omuhoko umwe waimbi omurongo na vivari vyatjo. Ngatu pahe omuhingo wokutja omuhoko wa Benjamin au ha yanda. 18 Nungwari eṱe oveni kamaatu kupisa ovasuko vetu ku wo, Ovaisrael tjinga ava tjitire oruyano ave tja: ‘Nga sengwe ingwi ngu ma kupisa omusuko we kOmubenjamin.’ ”
19 Nowo opu va tjera nai: “Tara, pena omukandi wa Muhona, mbu tjitwa ombura aihe mOsilo.” Silo tji ri komukuma wokeyuva kokunene kwa Betel, komuhuka wondjira onene ndji ronda okuza kObetel okuyenda kOsikem, na komukuma wokeyuva kokumuho kwa Lebona. 20 Nowo va raera Ovabenjamin ave tja: “Twendeye mu kaṱare movikunino vyomivite, 21 nu mu katjevere nawa. Ovasuko va Silo tji mave tukuruka okupunda outjina motuteto, piteye momivite, nu auhe nge rikamburire omukazendu movasuko va Silo ne mu tware kehi rOvabenjamin. 22 Nu ndoovazu ooihe poo ovaṱena kwawo mave ya ku eṋe okutjita otjiposa, otji mamu tja nai ku wo: ‘Ve yandjeye ku eṱe, orondu katu ve kamburire ku eṋe movita kutja ve rire ovakazendu vetu. Nu tjinga amu he ve yandjere ku eṱe otji mu hi nokutura ondjo yokuteya omakwizikiro weṋu.’ ”
23 NOvabenjamin va tjita nao; auhe we ritoororera omukazendu movasuko imba mbaa ve pundu na twara. Owo va yaruka komahi wawo oveni, ave katungurura ovirongo vyawo nave tura mu vyo. 24 Nu moruveze tjingero ndo Ovaisrael va ya, nu auhe wa yaruka komuhoko we na keṱunḓu re, na kehi nda ri otjirumatwa tje omuini.
25 Nu moruveze tjingero ndo kamwa ri ombara mOisrael, auhe aa tjiti otja kombango ye.
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 ¶ And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. 14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 ¶ Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them. 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
