Israelǁîn ge torob ǃoa ra ǂhomisen
1 Hoaraga Israelǁîn, Dans ǀapas ǃnâ ǁgoesa xu Bersebas ǃkhawagas ǃnâ ǁgoes kōse, tsî Gileadi, aiǂoas ǃnâ ǁgoeb kōse hân ge ǀgui khoeb khami Mispas tawa ǃKhūb aiǃâ ge ǀhao. 2 Israelǁîn ǃhaodi di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoagu ge nē ǀhaos Elob ǁaes dis tawa ge hâ i. ǁNāpa gu ge hakakaidisiǀoadisi ǀnūǃgû ra toroǃkhamaoga ge hâ i. 3 Tsîn ge Benjaminǁîna nau Israelǁîn hoan Mispas tawa ǀhao hâ ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu.
On ge Israelǁîna “Mâtib ge nē tsūdība ī ǃkhaisa mîba da re” ti ǁîna ge dî. 4 Ob ge Leviǁîb, ǃgamhe ge xōǀkhātaras diba ge ǃeream: “Tita tsî ti xōǀkhātaras tsîm ge Gibeas, Benjaminni ǀkharib ǃnâ ǂnôas ǁga ge ǃgû, ǁnāpam sī nî hâǁgoase. 5 O gu ge Gibeas di aoga tita gu nî ǁnāǂamse hā tsî omsa hoaraga tsuxuba ge mâǂnami. ǁÎgu ge tita gere ǃgam ǂgao, tsî gu ge ti xōǀkhātarasa ge ǀgaiǃkhō tsîs ge ge ǁō. 6 O ta ge ǁîs di sorosa ū, ǃâdi ǃnâ ǃgaoǃā tsî mâs Israelǁîn di disiǀgamǀa ǃhaodi dis hoasa ǀgui ǃâsa ge sîba. ǁNā khoen ge ǁgaisi tsî taotaosa dī-e Israeli ǃnâ go dī. 7 Sadu nēpa ǀhao hâdu hoadu ge a Israelǁî. Tare-e da nēs ǂama nî dī?”
8 On ge hoaraga khoena ǀhûǃkhō-am tsî ge mî: “ǀGui-i sida di-i tsîn ge tents ǃnâ iga ǁans, oms ǃnâ iga ǁans hoasa oa tide. 9 Nēti da ge nî dī: ǀKhūsa ǂnau tsî da ge ǀnî aoga nî ǁhûiǂui, î gu Gibeasa ǁnāǂam . 10 Disiǁîǃâb Israeli aogu dib ge toroǂnubisa nî ǂûmā tsî naugu ge Gibeasa sī nî ǁkhara, nē ǁgaiǁgaisa dīb Israeli ǃnâs ge dīb ǃaroma.” 11 O gu ge Israelǁî aogu hoaga ǀgui ǂâibasens ǀguis ǃaroma ge ǀhao, Gibeasa gu nî ǁnāǂamse.
12 Israeli ǃhaodi ge sîsabega Benjaminni ǃhaos di ǀkharib hoaragab ǃnâ ge sîǂui, î gu sī mî: “Tarebe ǁgaidī-e kha sadu ge dī-e? 13 ǁNā eloxoresa khoegu Gibeas diga māǂui, î da ǁîga ǃgam tsî nē ǂkhababa Israela xu dībē.” Xawen ge Benjaminǁîna nau Israelǁîna ǃgâ ǂgao tama ge i. 14 Benjaminǁîn ge ǁîn di ǃādi hoade xu Gibeas tawa ge ǀhaoǀhaosen, nau ǃhaodi Israelǁîn didi ǃoagun nî ǃkhamse. 15-16 ǁÎn ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisiǃnaniǀaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaoga ǁîn di ǃāde xu ge ǂgaiǀhao. ǁÎgu xōǀkhān ge Gibeas di khoena hûkaidisi ǀō-aisa toroǃkhamaoga ge ǀhaoǀhao, hoagu ge ǁare iga. Mâb ǁîgu dib hoab ge ǀgui ǀûba slengers di ǀuis ǀkha ge ǂnoahō ǁkhā i, tsî tātse ge ǂnoasā tama hâ i. 17 Nau ǃhaodi Israelǁîn didi ge hakakaidisiǀoadisi ǃkham ǁkhā toroǃkhamaoga ge ǀhaoǀhao.
Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu hâ torob
18 Israelǁîn ge Betels tawa hâ ǀgoreǀîǃkhais ǁga ǃgû tsî Elob ai sī ge dî: “Mâ ǃhaosa ǂgurose Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba “Judab ǃhaos ge nî ǂguro” ti ge ǃeream.
19 On ge Israelǁîna sao ra ǁgoaga ǂhomisen tsî Gibeas ǀgūse hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi. 20 ǁÎn ge Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubisa gu nî ǁnāǂamse ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga Gibeas ǃoa-ai sī ge mâi. 21 O gu ge Benjaminǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga Gibeasa xu ǃkhamǃgûǂoa tsî ǁnātsē ǀgamdisiǀgamǀaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu Israelǁîn diga ge ǃgam. 22-23 On ge Israelǁîna ǀgoreǀîǃkhais ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǃKhūb tawa ǃuis kōse sī ge ǃgae. Tsîn ge ǁîb ai “ǁKhawa da sida ǃgâsan Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba “Î, ǃkham sī” ti ge ǃeream.
ǁNātin ge Israelǁîna ǁkhoaǂgaoxa kaihe tsî ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga ǃkharu ge tsēs ain ge mâi hâ i khami ge mâi, 24 tsî gu ge ǀgamǁî ǃnāsa gu Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubis ǃoagu sī nî ǃkhamse ge ǃgûǂoa. 25 O gu ge Benjaminǁî toroǃkhamaoga Gibeasa xu ǂoaxa tsî disiǁkhaisaǀaǀoadisi ǃkham ǁkhā toroǃkhamaogu Israelǁîn diga ge ǃgam. 26 On ge hoaraga Israelǁîna Betels ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa ǃKhūb aiǃâ sī ǂnû tsî ge ā tsî ǃuis kōse ǂû tamase ge hâ. Tsîn ge ǂkhîbagusǁguibadi tsî khauǁguibadi tsîna ǃKhūba ge ǁguiba. 27-28 ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob dis ge ǁnā tsēdi ǃnâ Betels tawa ge hâ i, tsî Eleasari ôa tsî Aronni ǁnurib Pinehasi ge ǁîs ǂama ge mûǂamao ib ge ǃKhūb ai ge dî: “ǁKhawa da sida ǃgâsan Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham, tamas ka io ǀû da nî?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba ge ǃeream: “ǃKham sī. ǁAri ta ge ǁîn ǂama dansa nî mā du.”
29 On ge Israelǁîna ǀnî toroǃkhamaoga Gibeas ǂnamipe ge ǃâuǁgoe kai. 30 Tsîn ge ǃnonaǁî tsēs ai ǁkhawa Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu nî ǃkhamse ǂhomisen tsî ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga ǀnain gere dī khami Gibeas ǃoa-ai sī ge mâ kai. 31 Benjaminǁî toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃkhamǃgûǂoaxa gu geo, ǃāsa xu ge ǂgaeǂguibēhe. Aiǃâs khami gu ge ǁîga ǀnî Israelǁîga ǂgāb ǃnâ Betels ǃoa garu daob tsî Gibeas ǃoa garu daob tsîkha ai ge ǃgam. ǁÎgu ge ǁaubexa ǃnonadisi Israelǁîga ge ǃgam. 32 On ge Benjaminǁîna ge mî: “Aiǃâ da ge dī hâ is ǁkhās khami da ge ǁîna ǁkhawa go dan.”
Xawe gu ge Israelǁîga ǁnā-oa gu nîsa ge ǀape hâ i, tsî ǁîga ǃāsa xu daogu ǁga ge ǂgaeǂguibē. 33 ǃNāsa ǃâb Israelǁîn toroǃkhamaogu dib ge ge ǂgae-oasen tsî Baal-Tamars tawa ge ǀhaoǀhaosen; Gibeas ǂnamipe ge ǃâuǁgoe i Israelǁîgu ge gaugausen gu ge hâ i ǃkhaide xu ge ǃkhoeǂoaxa. 34 Disiǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu, Israeli toroǃkhamaogu hoaga xu ǃkhōǂuihe hâgu ge Gibeasa ge ǁnāǂam, tsî ǃkhammi ge kaise ge ǁkhō i. Benjaminǁîn ge hîkākāhe ǁga gu ra ǃkhaisa noxopa ge hōǃâ tama hâ i. 35 ǃKhūb ge Israelǁîga Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubis ǂama dansa ge mā. Israelǁîgu ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisikoroǀaǀoadisi tsî kaidisi toroǃkhamaogu Benjaminni ǃhaos diga ge ǃgam, 36 tsîn ge Benjaminǁîna danhen go ǃkhaisa ge mûǂan.
Israelǁîn ge dan ǀgaub
Israelǁî toroǃnans ge Benjaminǁîga xu ge ǂgae-oasen, Gibeas ǂnamipe gu ge ǃâuǁgoe kai hâ i toroǃkhamaogu ai gu gere mûmâinǃgâ xui-ao. 37 ǁNā aogu ge ǃhaese Gibeas ǁga ǃkhoe, ǁîsa ǃgûǃnâǃganu tsî ǁnāpa hoaraga khoena ge ǃgam. 38 Israelǁî toroǂnubis tsî ǃâuǁgoe ge hâ i toroǃkhamaogu tsîn ǁgauǁgau-e ge ǀapeǁgui hâ i. Kai ǀanni ǃāsa xu ra khâi ǃkhaisa gu ga mû, 39 o gu ge ǃkhammi ǃnâ hâ Israelǁîga nî dabasen. ǁNā ǁaeb ai gu ge Benjaminǁîga ǀnai ǃnonadisi Israelǁîga ge ǃgam hâ i. ǁÎgu ge “Amase da ge aiǃâ da ge dī hâ is ǁkhās khami ǁîna go dan” ti ge mî. 40 Os ge ǁgauǁgausa ge hā; kai ǀanni ge ǃāsa xu ge khâi. Benjaminǁîgu ge ǂnan gu ge, o hoaraga ǃāsa xub ǀaeǁhabuba ra khâi ǃkhaisa ge mû. 41 Israelǁîgu ge ǃkhamgu nîse a dabasen, o gu ge Benjaminǁîga kaise ge ǃao, hîkākāhes ams ai gu mâ ǃkhaisa gu ge hōǃâ xui-ao. 42 ǁÎgu ge Israelǁîga xu ǁnā-oa tsî gu ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃoa a ǁhâ, xawe ûiǂoa tama ge i. ǁÎgu ge Israelǁî toroǂnubis tsî nau toroǃkhamaogu ǃāsa xu ra ǂoaxagu tsîn xa ǁkhaeǂgāhe tsî ge hîkākāhe. 43 Israelǁîgu ge Benjaminǁîga ǃnamiǂgā, ǁîga ǀûs ose Gibeas di aiǂoasǀkhāb kōse ǃgôaǃgon tsî garu gere ǃgam. 44 Disiǁkhaisaǀaǀoadisi ǂoaǂamsa toroǃkhamaogu Benjaminǁîn digu ge ge ǃgamhe. 45 Naugu ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǁga Rimonǃgareǀuib ǃoa ge ǃhū. Daob ai gu ge noxopa koroǀoadisigu ǁîgu diga ge ǃgamhe. Israelǁîgu ge ǃgau ge ga Gidoms kōse ǃgôaǃgon tsî ǀgamǀoadisiga ge ǃgam. 46 ǀHaob ai gu ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisikoroǀaǀoadisi Benjaminǁîgu, hoagu ge ǁkhoaǂgaoxa toro-ao iga ge ǃgamhe.
47 Xawe gu ge ǃnanikaidisi aoga ǃgaroǃhūb ǁga Rimonǃgareǀuib kōse ǃhū tsî haka ǁkhâga ǁnāpa sī ge hâ. 48 Israelǁîgu ge ǁkhawa Benjaminǁîn ǃoa oa tsî aogu, taradi, ǀgôan tsî ûitsama xūn tsîn hoana sī ge ǃgam. ǁÎgu ge ǁkhāti ǁnā ǀkharib di ǃādi hoade ge khauǃkhū.
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.
