Ndị Ikpe 21
1 Mgbe ndị ikom Izrel niile zukọtara na Mizpa, ha ṅụrụ iyi sị, “O nweghị onye ọbụla nʼime anyị ga-ekwe ka nwoke ọbụla si nʼebo Benjamin lụọ ụmụ anyị ndị inyom.”
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Ndị Izrel niile gara Betel, nọdụ ebe ahụ ruo mgbede nʼihu Chineke. Ha welitere olu bee akwa dara ụda.
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 “Ha sịrị, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel, gịnị mere ihe dị otu a ji dakwasị Izrel? Gịnị mere a ga-eji na-achọ otu ebo Izrel achọ taa?”
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, ha biliri ngwangwa rụọ ebe ịchụ aja. Ha chụrụ aja nsure ọkụ, na aja udo nʼebe ahụ.
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Emesịa, ha jụrịtara onwe ha ajụjụ sị, “O nwere ebo Izrel na-enweghị onye nọchiri anya ha nʼihu Onyenwe anyị anyị mgbe anyị zukọrọ na Mizpa?” Nʼihi na ha ṅụrụ iyi kwuo na onye ọbụla jụrụ ịbịa nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na Mizpa aghaghị ịnwụ.
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 Ma oke iru ụjụ dị nʼala Izrel dum nʼihi ihe dakwasịrị ụmụnna ha, bụ ndị Benjamin. Ha niile kwuru sị, “Taa, otu ebo Izrel alaala nʼiyi, e kpochapụla ya.
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 Olee otu anyị ga-esi nwetara ndị fọdụrụ nwunye ha ga-alụ ebe anyị ṅụrụ iyi site nʼaha Onyenwe anyị na anyị agaghị enye ha ụmụ anyị ndị inyom?”
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 Mgbe ahụ, ha jụrụ ajụjụ sị, “O nwere ebo Izrel na-esoghị anyị zukọta mgbe anyị zukọtara nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na Mizpa?” Ha chọpụtara na o nweghị onye ọbụla si na Jebesh Gilead bịa.
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 Nʼihi na mgbe ha gụrụ ndị zukọrọ ọnụ, ha chọpụtara na o nweghị ndị si Jebesh Gilead bịa.
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Ya mere, nzukọ ahụ zipụrụ puku ndị agha iri na abụọ, ndị dị ike nʼetiti ha, ka ha gaa jiri mma agha gbuchapụ mmadụ niile bi na Jebesh Gilead, ndị nwoke, na ndị nwanyị, na ụmụntakịrị.
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 Nke a bụkwa ihe unu ga-eme, “Gbuonụ ndị ikom niile na ụmụ nwanyị niile matarala nwoke.”
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 Ọnụọgụgụ ụmụ agbọghọ na-amabeghị nwoke ha chọtara na Jebesh Gilead dị narị anọ. Ndị agha ahụ kpọtara ha na Shaịlo, nʼime Kenan, ebe ndị Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha.
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 Emesịa, ha zigara ụfọdụ mmadụ ka ha jekwuru ndị agha Benjamin na nkume Rimọn maka ime udo.
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 Mgbe ndị Benjamin lọghachiri, e dunyere ha narị ndị inyom anọ, ndị Jebesh Gilead, bụ ndị e mere ka ha dị ndụ. Ma ụmụ agbọghọ ndị a ezughị ọnụọgụgụ ha niile.
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 Oge ahụ bụ nnọọ oge iru ụjụ dị ukwuu nʼala Izrel maka ọnọdụ ndị Benjamin, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị emeela ka ebo ndị Izrel hapụ izu ezu.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 Ndị okenye Izrel jụrịtara onwe ha sị, “Gịnị ka anyị ga-eme ịlụtara ụmụnna anyị nwunye ebe ọ bụ na ụmụ agbọghọ ndị Benjamin anwụchaala?
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 Ndị Benjamin fọdụrụ ndụ aghaghị inweta ndị ga-anọchi anya ha,” bụ ihe ha kwuru, “ka otu nʼime ebo Izrel ghara ịbụ ndị e kpochapụrụ ekpochapụ.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 Ma anyị enweghị ike inye ha ndị nwunye site nʼụmụ anyị ndị inyom, nʼihi na ụmụ Izrel ṅụrụ iyi sị, ‘Onye abụrụ ọnụ ka ọ bụ, bụ onye ọbụla nke nyere onye Benjamin nwunye.’
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 Ma lee, e nwere mmemme Onyenwe anyị a na-eme afọ niile na Shaịlo, nʼakụkụ ugwu Betel, na mpaghara ọwụwa anyanwụ nke ụzọ ahụ sitere Betel gaa Shekem, na nʼakụkụ ndịda Lebona.”
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 Ya mere, ha gwara ndị ikom Benjamin, bụ ndị chọrọ nwunye okwu sị ha, “Gaanụ zoo onwe unu nʼubi vaịnị dị nʼagbata ụzọ ahụ,
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 ma na-elepụ anya. Mgbe ụmụ agbọghọ Shaịlo ga-apụta ite egwu ha, sitenụ nʼubi vaịnị gbapụtanụ jide ha, ka onye ọbụla nʼime unu jide otu nwaagbọghọ kpụrụ ya laa nʼala Benjamin, ka ha bụrụ nwunye unu.
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 Ọ bụrụ na nna ha maọbụ ụmụnne ha abịakwute anyị ịjụ ajụjụ banyere ha, anyị ga-agwa ha okwu sị, ‘Biko, gosinụ anyị amara, site nʼịhapụ ha ka ha lụọ ụmụ agbọghọ ahụ, nʼihi na anyị achọtaghị ụmụ agbọghọ ga-ezuru ha niile mgbe anyị gburu ndị niile bi na Jebesh Gilead. O nwekwaghị ụzọ ọzọ unu gaara esi nye ha ụmụ unu ndị nwanyị ghara ịbụ ndị ikpe mara.’”
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 Ya mere, ndị Benjamin mere dịka ndụmọdụ e nyere ha si dị. Onye ọbụla nʼime ha jidere otu nwaagbọghọ nʼike mgbe ha na-ete egwu nʼoge mmemme ahụ ka ọ bụrụ nwunye ya. Ha lara nʼihe nketa ha, wughachi obodo ha, biri nʼime ya.
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 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ụmụ Izrel laghachiri nʼobodo ha, nʼotu nʼotu, onye ọbụla kwa laghachiri nʼebo ya, nʼikwu ya, nʼihe nketa nke aka ya.
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 Nʼụbọchị ndị a, Izrel enweghị eze na-achị ha. Nʼihi nke a, onye ọbụla na-eme ihe ọbụla ọ chọrọ, na ihe ọbụla dị ya mma nʼanya.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
