Dommer 21
1 Men Israels Mænd havde i Mizpa aflagt den Ed: "Ingen af os vil give en Benjaminit sin Datter til Ægte!"
Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
2 Da nu Folket var kommet til Betel, sad de der lige til Aften for Guds Åsyn og opløftede deres Røst, græd heftigt
And they all came to the house of God in Silo, and abiding before him till the evening, lifted up their voices, and began to lament and weep, saying:
3 og sagde: "Hvorfor, HERRE, Israels Gud, er dog dette hændet i Israel, så at vi i Dag må savne en Stamme af Israel?"
O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?
4 Tidligt næste Morgen byggede Folket et Alter der og ofrede Brændofre og Takofre.
And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said:
5 Derpå sagde Israelitterne: "Hvem blandt alle Israels Stammer undlod at drage op med Forsamlingen til HERREN?" Der var nemlig svoret en dyr Ed på, at enhver, der undlod at drage op til HERREN i Mizpa, skulde dø.
Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the army of the Lord? for they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain.
6 Men nu gjorde det Israelitterne ondt for deres Broder Benjamin, og de sagde: "I Dag er en Stamme hugget af Israel!
And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
7 Hvad skal vi gøre for dem, der er tilbage, for at skaffe dem Hustruer, eftersom vi har svoret ved HERREN, at vi ikke vil give dem nogen af vore Døtre fil Ægte?"
Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn, not to give our daughters to them.
8 Så spurgte de: "Er der måske en af Israels Stammer, der undlod at drage op til HERREN i Mizpa?" Og se, der var ingen kommet til Lejren, til Forsamlingen, fra Jabesj i Gilead.
Therefore they said: Who is thereof all the tribes of Israel, that came not up to the Lord to Maspha. And behold the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army.
9 Så blev Folket mønstret, og se, der var ingen af Indbyggerne fra Jabesj i Gilead.
(At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there.)
10 Da sendte Menigheden 12000 Mand af de tapreste Folk derhen med den Befaling: "Drag hen og hug Indbyggerne i Jabesj i Gilead ned med Sværdet tillige med deres Kvinder og Børn.
So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword, with their wives and their children.
11 Således skal I bære eder ad: Alle af Mandkøn og alle Kvinder, der har haft Omgang med Mænd, skal I lægge Band på!"
And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save.
12 De fandt så hos Indbyggerne i Jabesj i Gilead 400 unge Piger, der var Jomfruer og ikke havde haft Omgang med nogen Mand, og dem førte de til Lejren i Silo i Kana'ans Land.
And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that had not known the bed of a man, and they brought them to the camp Silo, into the land of Chanaan.
13 Derpå sendte hele Menigheden Sendebud hen for af underhandle med Benjaminiterne, der befandt sig på Rimmons Klippe, og tilbyde dem Fred.
And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
14 På det Tidspunkt vendte Benjaminiterne så tilbage, og de gav dem de Kvinder fra Jabesj i Gilead, som man havde ladet i Live. Men de var ikke nok til dem.
And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were given them of the daughters of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might give in like manner.
15 Da gjorde det Folket ondt for Benjamin, fordi HERREN havde gjort et Skår i Israels Stammer.
And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of one tribe out of Israel.
16 Og Menighedens Ældste sagde: "Hvad skal vi gøre for dem, der er tilbage, for at skaffe dem Hustruer, eftersom alle Kvinder i Benjamin er udryddet?"
And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
17 Og de sagde: "Hvorledes kan der reddes en Rest af Benjamin, så at ikke en Stamme i Israel går til Grunde?
And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Vi kan jo ikke give dem nogen af vore Døtre til Ægte!" Israelitterne havde nemlig svoret og sagt: "Forbandet være den, som giver Benjaminiterne en Hustru!"
For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give Benjamin any of his daughters to wife.
19 Da sagde de: "Se, HERRENs Højtid fejres jo hvert År i Silo!" Det ligger norden for Betel, østen for Vejen, der fører op fra Betel til Sikem, og sønden for Lebona.
So they took counsel, and said: Behold there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona.
20 Og de bød Benjaminiterne: "Gå hen og læg eder på Lur i Vingårdene!
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
21 Se så nøje til, og når de unge Kvinder fra Silo kommer ud for at opføre deres Danse, skal I komme frem af Vingårdene og røve hver sin Hustru af de unge Kvinder fra Silo og så drage hjem til Benjamins Land!
And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife among them, and go into the land of Benjamin.
22 Når så deres Fædre eller Brødre kommer for at gå i Rette med eder, skal I sige til dem: Skån os, thi vi fik os ikke alle en Hustru i Krigen! Det er jo ikke eder, der har givet os dem; i så Fald vilde I have forbrudt eder!"
And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have pity on them for they took them not away as by the right of war or conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the fault was committed on your part.
23 Det gjorde Benjaminiterne da, og de tog sig Hustruer af de dansende Kvinder, som de røvede, een til hver; derpå vendte de tilbage til deres Arvelod, opbyggede deres Byer og boede i dem.
And the children of Benjamin did, as they had been commanded: and according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his wife of them that were dancing: and they went into their possession and built up their cities, and dwelt in them.
24 Og samtidig drog Israelitterne derfra, hver til sin Stamme og Slægt, og de gik derfra hver til sin Arvelod,
The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families, to their dwellings.
25 I de Dage var der ingen Konge i Israel; enhver gjorde, hvad han fandt for godt.
In those days there was no king in Israel: but every one did that which seemed right to himself.
