< Judges 21 >

1 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.
Pea naʻe fuakava ʻae kau tangata ʻIsileli ʻi Misipa, ʻo pehē, “ʻOua naʻa ai ha tokotaha ʻiate kitautolu ʻe ʻatu hono ʻofefine kia Penisimani kenau mali.”
2 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:
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻae kakai ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, pea nofo ʻi ai ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi, pea naʻe hiki honau leʻo, ʻo tangi mamahi;
3 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?
Pea naʻa nau pehē, “ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e hā kuo hoko ai ʻae meʻa ni ʻi ʻIsileli, koeʻuhi ke mole ai he ʻaho ni ha faʻahinga ʻi ʻIsileli?”
4 And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said:
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he pongipongi hake, naʻe tuʻu ai ʻae kakai, pea fokotuʻu ʻi ai ʻae feilaulauʻanga, pea naʻe ʻatu ai ʻae ngaahi feilaulau tutu mo e ngaahi feilaulau fakalelei.
5 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.
Pea pehē ʻe he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, “Ko hai ia ʻi he ngaahi faʻahinga ʻo ʻIsileli naʻe ʻikai ʻalu hake mo e fakataha lahi kia Sihova? He naʻa nau fai ʻae fuakava lahi koeʻuhi ko ia naʻe ʻikai ʻalu hake kia Sihova ki Misipa, ʻo pehē, ‘Ko e moʻoni ʻe tāmateʻi ia.’”
6 And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
Pea naʻe fakatomala ʻe he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli koeʻuhi ko Penisimani ko honau tokoua, ʻonau pehē, “Kuo motuhi ha faʻahinga ʻe taha mei ʻIsileli he ʻaho ni.
7 Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn, not to give our daughters to them.
Ko e hā te tau fai koeʻuhi ke maʻu honau uaifi ʻekinautolu ʻoku toe, he kuo tau fuakava ʻia Sihova ʻe ʻikai te tau foaki kenau mali mo hotau ngaahi ʻofefine?”
8 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.
Pea naʻa nau pehē, “Ko hai ha tokotaha ʻoe faʻahinga ʻo ʻIsileli naʻe ʻikai ʻalu hake ki Misipa kia Sihova?” Pea vakai, naʻe ʻikai haʻu ha tokotaha ki he ʻapitanga mei Sepesi-Kiliati ki he fakataha lahi.
9 (At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there.)
He naʻe lau ʻae kakai, pea vakai, naʻe ʻikai ʻi ai ha taha mei he kakai ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati.
10 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.
Pea naʻe fekau ki ai ʻe he fakataha lahi ʻae kau tangata ʻe tokotaha mano naʻe mālohi lahi, pea naʻe fekau pehē kiate kinautolu, “ʻAlu, ʻo taaʻi ʻae kakai ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati ʻaki ʻae mata ʻoe heletā, ʻae kau fefine mo e fānau.”
11 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.
Pea ko e meʻa ni ke mou fai, Te mou fakaʻauha ʻaupito ʻae tangata kotoa pē, mo e fefine kotoa pē kuo mohe mo e tangata.
12 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.
Pea naʻa nau ʻilo ʻi he kakai ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati ʻae kau taʻahine tāupoʻou ʻe toko fāngeau, naʻe ʻikai tenau ʻilo ʻae tangata ʻi he mohe mo e tangata: pea naʻa nau ʻomi ʻakinautolu ki he ʻapitanga ki Sailo, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fonua ko Kēnani.
13 And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
Pea naʻe ʻave ʻae lea mei he fakataha lahi ki he fānau ʻa Penisimani, naʻe [nofo ]ʻi he maka ko Limoni, pea ko e lea fakamelino ia kiate kinautolu.
14 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.
Pea naʻe toe haʻu ʻa Penisimani he kuonga ko ia; pea naʻa nau ʻatu honau ngaahi uaifi ʻaia kuo nau fakamoʻui ʻi he kau fefine ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati: ka naʻe ʻikai tenau totofu.
15 And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of one tribe out of Israel.
Pea naʻe fakatomala ʻae kakai ʻia Penisimani, koeʻuhi kuo fai ʻe Sihova ha tautea ʻi he ngaahi faʻahinga ʻo ʻIsileli.
16 And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe he kau mātuʻa ʻoe fakataha, “Ko e hā ha meʻa te tau fai koeʻuhi ke maʻu uaifi ʻakinautolu ʻoku toe, koeʻuhi kuo ʻauha ʻae kau fefine meia Penisimani?
17 And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Pea naʻa nau pehē, Ke ʻai ha tofiʻa moʻonautolu kuo hao ʻia Penisimani, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻauha ha faʻahinga ʻe taha ʻi ʻIsileli.
18 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.
Ka ʻoku moʻoni ʻoku ʻikai ngofua ke tau ʻatu honau uaifi ʻi hotau ngaahi ʻofefine: he kuo fuakava ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻo pehē, Ke malaʻia ia ʻaia ʻoku ne foaki ha uaifi kia Penisimani.”
19 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.
Pea naʻa nau pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku ai ʻae kātoanga maʻa Sihova ʻoku fai ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē ʻi Sailo,” ʻi he potu fakatokelau ʻo Peteli, ʻi he potu hahake ʻi he hala lahi ʻoku ʻalu hake mei Peteli ki Sikemi, pea ʻi he potu tonga ʻo Lepona.
20 And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
Ko ia naʻa nau fekau ai ki he fānau ʻa Penisimani, ʻo pehē, “ʻAlu ʻo toitoi, tatali ʻi he ngaahi ngoue vaine;
21 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.
Pea sio, pea vakai, kapau ʻoku haʻu ʻae ngaahi ʻofefine ʻo Sailo ke meʻe ʻi he ngaahi meʻe, mou haʻu ai mei he ngaahi ngoue vaine, ʻo puke ke taki taha homou uaifi ʻi he ngaahi ʻofefine ʻo Sailo, pea mou ʻalu ki he fonua ʻo Penisimani.
22 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.
‘Pea ka haʻu ʻenau ngaahi tamai, pe ko honau ngaahi tuongaʻane ke ʻeke ia kiate kimautolu, te mau pehē kiate kinautolu, Mou fai ʻofa kiate kinautolu koeʻuhi ko kimautolu: koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai te mau fakatoe kiate kinautolu taki taha hono uaifi ʻi he tau: pea naʻe ʻikai te mou foaki ʻakinautolu ʻi he kuonga ni, ke mou halaia ai.’”
23 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.
Pea naʻe fai pehē ʻe he fānau ʻa Penisimani, ʻo fili honau uaifi ʻo fakatatau ki honau lau, meiate kinautolu naʻe meʻe, ʻakinautolu naʻa nau puke: pea naʻa nau ʻalu ʻo toe hoko ki honau tofiʻa, ʻo toe teuteu ʻenau ngaahi kolo, pea nofo ki ai.
24 The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families, to their dwellings.
Pea naʻe ʻalu mei ai ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he kuonga ko ia, ʻae tangata taki taha ki hono faʻahinga pea ki hono kāinga, pea naʻe ʻalu mei ai ʻae tangata taki taha ki hono tofiʻa.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: but every one did that which seemed right to himself.
‌ʻI he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia naʻe ʻikai ha tuʻi ʻi ʻIsileli: ka naʻe fai ʻe he tangata kotoa pē ʻaia naʻe lelei ʻi hono mata ʻoʻona.

< Judges 21 >