1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
Basi watu wa Israeli walikuwa wameapa huko katika Mispa, wakisema, Hapana mtu awaye yote kwetu sisi atakayemwoza binti yake kumpa Benyamini.
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;
Basi hao watu wakafikilia Betheli, wakaketi kuko mbele ya Mungu hata jioni, nao wakainua sauti zao na kulia sana.
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?
Wakasema, Ee Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, kwani jambo hili kuwa katika Israeli, ya kwamba hivi leo ni kabila moja limepunguka katika Israeli?
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.
Kisha ikawa siku ya pili yake, hao watu wakaamka asubuhi na mapema, wakajenga madhabahu huko, wakasongeza sadaka za kuteketezwa na sadaka za amani.
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.
Wana wa Israeli wakasema, Katika hizi kabila zote za Israeli ni ipi isiyofika katika mkutano kumkaribia Bwana? Kwa maana walikuwa wameweka kiapo kikuu katika habari za huyo asiyefika kumkaribia Bwana huko Mispa, huku wakisema, Hakika yake atauawa huyo.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
Nao wana wa Israeli wakaghairi kwa ajili ya ndugu yao Benyamini, wakasema, Kabila moja imekatiliwa mbali na Israeli hivi leo.
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?
Tufanyeje sisi ili tuwapatie wake hao waliosalia, kwa kuwa tumeapa kwa Bwana ya kwamba hatutawapa binti zetu ili wawaoe?
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.
Basi wakasema, Ni ipi katika kabila za Israeli ambayo haikufika mbele ya Bwana huko Mispa? Na tazama, hakuja mmoja maragoni aliyetoka Yabeshi gileadi aufikilie huo mkutano.
9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
Kwa maana hapo watu walipohesabiwa, hakuwapo hata mtu mmoja katika wenyeji wa Yabesh-gileadi.
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.
Basi mkutano walipeleka huko watu kumi na mbili elfu wa hao waliokuwa mashujaa sana, kisha wakawaamuru, wakisema, Endeni mkawapige wenyeji wa Yabesh-gileadi kwa makali ya upanga, na hata wanawake na watoto wadogo.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
Na jambo mtakalotenda ni hili; mtamwangamiza kila mume kabisa, na kila mwanamke ambaye amelala na mume.
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.
Nao wakapata katika wenyeji wa Yabesh-gileadi wanawali mia nne, ambao hawajamjua mtu mume kwa kulala naye; basi wakawaleta maragoni huko Shilo, ulioko katika nchi ya Kanaani.
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.
Basi mkutano ukatuma watu na kunena na wana wa Benyamini waliokuwako huko katika jabali la Rimoni, wakawatangazia amani.
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.
Basi Benyamini wakarudi wakati huo; nao wakawapa wale wanawake waliowaponya wali hai katika hao wanawake wa Yabesh-gileadi; lakini hawakuwatosha.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
Nao watu wakaghairi kwa ajili ya Benyamini, kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa amefanya pengo katika hizo kabila za Israeli.
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?
Ndipo hao wazee wa huo mkutano walisema, Je! Tufanyeje ili tuwapatie wake hao waliosalia, kwa kuwa wanawake wameangamizwa katika Benyamini?
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.
Wakasema, Lazima kuwa urithi kwa hao wa Benyamini waliopona, isiwe kabila kufutika katika Israeli.
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.
Lakini sisi hatuwezi kuwaoza binti zetu kwa maana wana wa Israeli walikuwa wameapa, wakisema, Na alaaniwe huyo atakayempa Benyamini mke.
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.
Kisha wakasema, Angalieni, iko sikukuu ya Bwana mwaka baada ya mwaka katika Shilo, ulioko upande kaskazini wa Betheli, upande wa mashariki wa hiyo njia kuu iendeayo kutoka Betheli kwenda Shekemu, nao ni upande wa kusini wa Lebona.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Basi wakawaagiza hao wana wa Benyamini wakisema, Haya, endeni, mkaotee katika mashamba ya mizabibu,
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.
mkaangalie, kisha tazameni, kwamba hao binti za Shilo watoka ili wacheze katika hiyo michezo, basi tokeni ninyi mizabibuni, nanyi kila mtu na amshike mkewe katika hao binti za Shilo, kisha rudini nchi ya Benyamini.
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.
Kisha itakuwa, hapo baba zao au ndugu zao, watakapokuja kushitaki, sisi tutawaambia, Kwa ihisani yenu tupeni sisi; kwa kuwa hatukumtwalia kila mtu mkewe katika vita; wala ninyi hamkuwapa wao, au kama sivyo ninyi sasa mngekuwa na hatia.
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.
Wana wa Benyamini wakafanya vivyo, wakajitwalia wake, sawasawa na hesabu yao, katika hao waliocheza, wakawachukua wakaenda nao; kisha wakaenda kuurudia urithi wao, na kuijenga miji na kuikaa.
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.
Nao wana wa Israeli wakati huo wakaenda zao, kila mtu akaenda kwa kabila yake na kwa jamaa yake; nao wakatoka huko, waende kila mtu kuuendea urithi wake.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Siku hizo hapakuwa na mfalme katika Israeli; kila mtu alifanya yaliyokuwa ni mema machoni pake mwenyewe.
