Jueces 21
1 Ahora bien, en Masfá los hombres de Israel habían hecho este juramento: “Nadie de nosotros dará su hija por mujer a uno de Benjamín.”
When the Israeli men gathered at Mizpah [before the battle started], they vowed, “None of us will ever allow one of our daughters to marry any man from the tribe of Benjamin!”
2 Y vino el pueblo a Betel, y sentados allí hasta la tarde delante de Dios alzaron la voz y lloraron con grandes alaridos.
But now the Israelis went to Bethel and they cried loudly to Yahweh all day, until the sun went down.
3 Decían: “¿Por qué, oh Yahvé, Dios de Israel, ha acontecido esto en Israel, que falte hoy una tribu en Israel?”
They kept saying, “Yahweh, God of us Israeli people, [it is as though] one of the tribes of us Israelis does not exist any more! (Why has this happened to us?/It is terrible that this has happened to us!)” [RHQ]
4 Al día siguiente, se levantó el pueblo muy temprano; edificaron allí un altar, donde ofrecieron holocaustos y sacrificios pacíficos.
Early the next morning the people built an altar. Then they completely burned some sacrifices [on the altar], and also offered other sacrifices to maintain fellowship with God.
5 Y los hijos de Israel dijeron: “¿Quién hay de entre todas las tribus de Israel, que no haya subido a la asamblea de Yahvé? Porque habían hecho un gran juramento contra aquel que no subiere a Yahvé a Masfá, diciendo: “¡Morirá sin remedio!”
Then, because they had vowed that anyone who did not meet with them at Mizpah [to help fight the men of the tribe of Benjamin] would be killed, they asked among themselves, “Were there any of the tribes of Israel who did not come to Mizpah to meet with us in the presence of Yahweh?”
6 Mas ahora los hijos de Israel compadecidos de Benjamín, su hermano, dijeron: “Ha sido cortada hoy una tribu de Israel.
The Israelis felt sorry for their fellow Israelis from the tribe of Benjamin. They said, “Today one of our Israeli tribes (has disappeared/no longer exists).
7 ¿Qué haremos para dar mujeres a los que quedan, puesto que hemos jurado por Yahvé no darles por mujeres nuestras hijas?”
Yahweh heard us solemnly declare that we would not allow any of our daughters to marry any man from the tribe of Benjamin. What can we do to make certain that the men of the tribe of Benjamin who were not killed will have wives?”
8 Preguntaron pues: “¿Quién hay de entre todas las tribus de Israel que no haya subido a Yahvé a Masfá?” Y he aquí que de Jabés-Galaad nadie había venido al campamento, a la asamblea.
Then [one of] them asked, “What group from any of the tribes of Israel did not send any men here to Mizpah?”
9 E hicieron un recuento del pueblo y resultó que no se hallaba allí hombre alguno de los habitantes de Jabés-Galaad.
[They realized that] when the soldiers were counted, there was no one from Jabesh-Gilead [city] who had come there.
10 Por lo cual la asamblea envió allá doce mil hombres de entre los valientes, y les dio esta orden: “Andad y pasad a filo de espada a los habitantes de Jabés-Galaad, también a las mujeres y a los niños.
So all the Israelis decided to send 12,000 very good soldiers to Jabesh-Gilead to kill the people there with their swords, even to kill the married women and children.
11 Esto es lo que habéis de hacer: Ejecutaréis el anatema en todo varón, y en toda mujer que haya conocido varón.”
[They told this to those men]: “This is what you must do: You must kill every man in Jabesh-Gilead. You must also kill every married woman. [But do not kill the unmarried women].”
12 Y hallaron entre los habitantes de Jabés-Galaad cuatrocientas doncellas vírgenes que no habían conocido varón; y las trajeron al campamento de Silo, que está en el país de Canaán.
So those soldiers [went to Jabesh-Gilead and killed all the men, married women, and children. But they] found 400 unmarried young women there. So they brought them to their camp at Shiloh, in Canaan, [across the river from the Gilead area that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin].
13 Entonces toda la asamblea mandó mensajeros que hablaran con los hijos de Benjamín que estaban en la peña de Remmón, y les anunciasen la paz.
Then all the Israelis [who had gathered] sent a message to the 600 men who were at Rimmon Rock. They said that they would like to make peace with them.
14 Volvieron en aquel tiempo los benjaminitas y les dieron por mujeres a aquellas de las mujeres de Jabés-Galaad a quienes habían perdonado la vida; mas no hallaron así el número suficiente para ellos.
So the men came back from Rimmon Rock. The Israelis gave to them the women from Jabesh-Gilead whom they had not killed. But there were [only 400 women. But there were] not enough women [for those 600 men].
15 El pueblo tuvo gran pesar a causa de Benjamín, por cuanto Yahvé había abierto una brecha en las tribus de Israel.
The Israelis [still] felt sorry for the men of the tribe of Benjamin, because Yahweh had (decimated/almost wiped out) one of the Israeli tribes.
16 Dijeron los ancianos de la asamblea: “¿Qué haremos a fin de dar mujeres a los que quedan? porque han sido extirpadas las mujeres de Benjamín.”
The Israeli leaders said, “We have killed all the married women of the tribe of Benjamin. Where can we get women to be wives of the men who are still alive?
17 Y declararon: “Debe haber una herencia para los que han escapado de Benjamín; no sea borrada una tribu de en medio de Israel.
These men must have wives to give birth to children, in order that their families will continue. If that does not happen, all the people of one of the tribes of Israel will die.
18 Nosotros, empero, no podemos darles por mujeres nuestras hijas.” Pues habían jurado los hijos de Israel, diciendo: “¡Maldito aquel que de mujer a los de Benjamín!”
But we cannot allow our daughters to marry these men, because we vowed that Yahweh will curse anyone who gives one of his daughters to become a wife of any man of the tribe of Benjamin.”
19 Y dijeron: “He aquí, que todos los años se celebra la fiesta de Yahvé en Silo, situada al norte de Betel, al oriente del camino que sube de Betel a Siquem, y al sur de Leboná.”
Then [one of] them (had an idea/thought of something that they could do). He said, “Every year there is a festival to honor Yahweh at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel and east of the road that extends from Bethel to Shechem, and it is south of Lebonah [city].”
20 Por lo cual dieron a los hijos de Benjamín esta orden: “Id y poneos en emboscada en las viñas;
So the Israeli leaders told the men of the tribe of Benjamin, “[When it is the time for that festival], go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards.
21 y cuando veáis salir a las hijas de Silo a bailar en coro, salid de las viñas, y tomaos cada uno una mujer de las hijas de Silo, y llevadlas a tierra de Benjamín.
Keep watching for the young women to come out of the city to dance. [When they come out], all of you should run out of the vineyards. Each of you can seize one of the young women of Shiloh. Then you can all return to your homes [with those women].
22 Y cuando los padres de ellas, o sus hermanos vengan para reclamárnoslas, les diremos: «Regaládnoslas a nosotros; pues no hemos podido tomar para cada cual una mujer en la guerra; y vosotros no se las habéis dado, pues en este caso os habríais hecho culpables».”
If their fathers or brothers come to us and complain [about what you have done], we will say to them, ‘Be kind to the men of the tribe of Benjamin. When we fought them, we did not leave any women alive to become their wives, and you did not give those young women to the men from the tribe of Benjamin. [They stole them]. So you will not be guilty, [even though you said that you would not allow any of your daughters to marry one of them].’”
23 Los hijos de Benjamín hicieron así; se llevaron mujeres según el número de ellos, de entre las que danzaban. Las arrebataron y se fueron. Y volvieron a su herencia, reedificaron las ciudades y habitaron en ellas.
So that is what the men of the tribe of Benjamin did. [They went to Shiloh at the time of the festival]. And when the young women were dancing, each man caught one of them and took her away and married her. Then they took their wives back to the land that God had given to them. They rebuilt their cities [that had been burned down], and they lived there.
24 Regresaron entonces de allí los hijos de Israel, cada uno a su tribu y a su familia. Volvieron de allí cada uno a su herencia. En aquellos días no había rey en Israel; cada cual hacía lo que mejor le parecía.
The other Israelis went to their homes in the areas where their tribes and clans lived, the areas that God had allotted to them.
At that time, the Israeli people did not have a king. Everyone did what they themselves thought was right.
