Laitloekkung 21
1 Te dongah Israel hlang loh Mizpah ah ol a caeng uh tih, “Mamih khuiah pakhat long khaw a tanu te Benjamin yuu la pae boel saeh,” a ti uh.
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Te phoeiah pilnam te Bethel la cet uh tih BOEIPA mikhmuh ah kholaeh duela ngol uh. Te vaengah a rhah ol a huel uh tih hluk hluk rhap uh.
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 Te dongah “Israel Pathen BOEIPA aw, Israel koca pakhat khui lamloh hloep aka buel uh ham te tihnin ah balae tih Israel taengah a om,” a ti uh.
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 A vuen ah pilnam te thoo tih hmueihtuk a suem uh. Te phoeiah hmueihhlutnah neh rhoepnah te a nawn uh.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Tedae, “BOEIPA taengah Mizpah la aka cet pawt tah duek rhoela duek saeh,” a ti tih olhlo puei a om dongah Israel ca rhoek loh, “Israel koca boeih khuiah BOEIPA taengkah hlangping lakli la aka mop pawt te ulae,” a ti uh.
The people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made an important promise concerning anyone who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah. They said, “He would certainly be put to death.”
6 Te daengah Israel ca rhoek loh a manuca Benjamin soah damti uh tih, “Israel khuiah koca pakhat tah tihnin ah pat coeng.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 Mah tanu te amih yuu la paek pawt ham mamih loh BOEIPA taengah n'toemngam uh dongah aka sueng rhoek ham a yuu metlam m'vawt uh eh,” a ti uh.
Who will provide wives for those who are left, since we have made a promise to Yahweh that we will not let any of them marry our daughters?”
8 Te dongah, “Israel koca khuikah pakhat khaw BOEIPA taengah Mizpah la aka mop pawt te melae,” a ti uh daengah Jabesh Gilead rhaehhmuen lamkah te hlangping taengah hlang pakhat khaw tarha mop pawh.
They said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” It was found that no one had come to the assembly from Jabesh Gilead.
9 Te dongah pilnam te a boel uh hatah te Jabesh Gilead khosa rhoek khui lamkah pakhat khaw om tangloeng pawh.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Te dongah tatthai hlang khui lamkah rhaengpuei la hlang thawng hlai hnih te a tueih uh tih amih te a uen uh hatah, “Cet uh lamtah Jabesh Gilead kah huta camoe khosa rhoek te cunghang ha neh ngawn uh.
The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with instructions to go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.
11 Te phoeiah tongpa boeih hekah olka bangla saii uh lamtah thingkong dongah tongpa neh aka ming uh huta te khaw boeih thup uh,” a ti nah.
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 Te dongah Jabesh Gilead kah khosa rhoek khuiah tongpa kah thingkong neh tongpa aka ming pawh hula, oila ya li a hmuh uh te khaw Kanaan kho kah Shiloh rhaehhmuen la a khuen uh.
The men found among those living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh, in Canaan.
13 Te phoeiah rhaengpuei pum te a tueih uh tih Rimmon thaelpang kah Benjamin ca rhoek te a voek uh. Te vaengah rhoepnah neh amih te a khue uh.
The entire assembly sent a message and told the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon that they were offering them peace.
14 Benjamin khaw te vaeng khohnin ah ha mael coeng. Te dongah Jabesh Gilead lamkah huta aka hing duen te amih yuu la a paek uh dae amih ham rhoeh tah dang uh pawh.
The Benjamites returned at that time and they were given the women of Jabesh Gilead, but there were not enough women for all of them.
15 Tedae BOEIPA loh Israel koca khuiah a puut a saii coeng dongah Benjamin ham khaw pilnam khaw hal van.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 Te dongah hlangboel khuikah a hamca rhoek, “Benjamin nu he a mitmoeng coeng dongah aka sueng rhoek ham a yuu metlam m'vawt pa eh,” a ti uh.
Then the leaders of the assembly said, “How will we arrange wives for the Benjamites who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Te phoeiah, “Benjamin rhalyong rhoek kah rho he Israel koca lamkah long khaw hmata boel saeh.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 Te phoeiah, 'Benjamin taengah huta aka pae tah thaephoei thil saeh,’ a ti tih Israel ca rhoek loh a toemngam coeng dongah mamih nu khui lamkah he amih taengah a yuu la pae ham khaw coeng pawh,” a ti uh.
We cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the people of Israel had made a promise, 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.'”
19 Te phoeiah, “A kum kum kah BOEIPA khotue te Shiloh ah om oem ta te. Shiloh he Bethel tlangpuei, Bethel, Shekhem lamloh Lebonah tuithim duela aka luei longpuei kah khocuk ah om ta,” a ti uh.
So they said, “You know there is a feast for Yahweh every year at Shiloh (which is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah).”
20 Te dongah Benjamin ca rhoek te a uen a uen uh tih, “Cet uh lamtah misur kung ah rhongngol uh.
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 Te vaengah so uh lamtah lam dongah thum ham Shiloh nu rhoek pawk ha thoeng uh ni. Te vaengah misur kung lamloh cuk thil uh lamtah namamih ham tu uh. Hlang boeih loh Shiloh nu te Benjamin kho ah na yuu la caeh puei uh.
Watch for the time when the girls from Shiloh come out to dance, then rush out of the vineyards and each one of you should grab a wife from the girls of Shiloh, then go back to the land of Benjamin.
22 Te vaengah a napa rhoek khaw, a nganpa rhoek khaw halo vetih mamih taengah aka ho khaw om ni. Tedae amih te, 'Kaimih he ng'rhen uh mai, caemtloek vaengah a yuu la hlang ka dang pa uh oeh pawh. Amih te a tuetang vaengah nangmih loh na pae uh pawt koinih na lolh uh ni,’ ka ti na uh bitni,” a ti nauh.
When their fathers or their brothers come to protest to us, we will say to them, 'Show us favor! Let them remain because we did not get wives for each man during the war. You are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.'”
23 Te dongah Benjamin ca rhoek loh a saii uh tih amamih tarhing ah huta a khuen uh. Aka lam rhoek khui lamkah te a tuuk uh daengah cet uh tih a rho te a paan uh. Te phoeiah khopuei te a khoeng uh tih a khuiah kho a sak uh.
The people of Benjamin did so. They took the number of wives that they needed from the girls who were dancing and they carried them off to be their wives. They went and returned to the place of their inheritance. They rebuilt the towns and lived in them.
24 Israel ca rhoek khaw tekah khohnin daengah te lamkah te amah koca rhoek neh a huiko taengla nong uh tih amah rho te rhip a paan uh.
Then the people of Israel left that place and went home, each one to his own tribe and clan, and each one to his own inheritance.
25 Te vaeng tue ah khaw Israel khuiah manghai tal tih hlang boeih loh a mik dongkah a thuem sak bangla a saii uh.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
