Iudicum 21
1 Iuraverunt quoque filii Israel in Maspha et dixerunt: Nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem.
Now the men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah, “None of us will give his daughter to marry a Benjamite.”
2 Veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo, et in conspectu eius sedentes usque ad vesperam, levaverunt vocem, et magno ululatu cœperunt flere, dicentes:
Then the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until the evening, and with loud voices they wept bitterly.
3 Quare Domine Deus Israel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo, ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis?
They called out, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to Israel, that one of our tribes should be missing today?”
4 Altera autem die diluculo consurgentes, extruxerunt altare: obtuleruntque ibi holocausta, et pacificas victimas, et dixerunt:
The next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus Israel? Grandi enim iuramento se constrinxerant, cum essent in Maspha, interfici eos qui defuissent.
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 Ductique pœnitentia filii Israel super fratre suo Beniamin, cœperunt dicere: Ablata est tribus una de Israel,
The people of Israel had compassion for their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 unde uxores accipient? omnes enim in commune iuravimus, non daturos nos his filias nostras.
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 Idcirco dixerunt: Quis est de universis tribubus Israel, qui non ascendit ad Dominum in Maspha? Et ecce inventi sunt habitatores Iabes Galaad in illo exercitu non fuisse.
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 (Eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo, nullus ex eis ibi repertus est.)
For when the people were set out in an orderly manner, behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10 Miserunt itaque decem millia viros robustissimos, et præceperunt eis: Ite, et percutite habitatores Iabes Galaad in ore gladii, tam uxores quam parvulos eorum.
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 Et hoc erit quod observare debebitis: Omne generis masculini, et mulieres, quæ cognoverunt viros, interficite, virgines autem reservate.
“Do this: You must kill every male and every woman who has slept with a man.”
12 Inventæque sunt de Iabes Galaad quadringentæ virgines, quæ nescierunt viri thorum, et adduxerunt eas ad castra in Silo, in Terram Chanaan.
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 Miseruntque nuncios ad filios Beniamin, qui erant in Petra Remmon, et præceperunt eis, ut eos susciperent in pace.
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 Veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore, et datæ sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabes Galaad: alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent.
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 Universusque Israel valde doluit, et egit pœnitentiam super interfectione unius tribus ex Israel.
The people were sorry for what happened to Benjamin, because Yahweh made a division between the tribes of Israel.
16 Dixeruntque maiores natu: Quid faciemus reliquis, qui non acceperunt uxores? omnes in Beniamin feminæ conciderunt,
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 et magna nobis cura, ingentique studio providendum est, ne una tribus deleatur ex Israel.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not destroyed from Israel.
18 Filias enim nostras eis dare non possumus, constricti iuramento et maledictione, qua diximus: Maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Beniamin.
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 Ceperuntque consilium, atque dixerunt: Ecce sollemnitas Domini est in Silo anniversaria, quæ sita est ad Septentrionem urbis Bethel, et ad Orientalem plagam viæ, quæ de Bethel tendit ad Sichimam, et ad Meridiem oppidi 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 Præceperuntque filiis Beniamin, atque dixerunt: Ite, ad latitate in vineis.
They instructed the men of Benjamin, saying, “Go and hide in secret and wait in the vineyards.
21 Cumque videritis filias Silo ad ducendos choros ex more procedere, exite repente de vineis, et rapite ex eis singuli uxores singulas, et pergite in Terram Beniamin.
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 Cumque venerint patres earum, ac fratres, et adversum vos queri cœperint, atque iurgari, dicemus eis: Miseremini eorum: non enim rapuerunt eas iure bellantium atque victorum, sed rogantibus ut acciperent, non dedistis, et a vestra parte peccatum est.
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 Feceruntque filii Beniamin, ut sibi fuerat imperatum: et iuxta numerum suum rapuerunt sibi de his, quæ ducebant choros, uxores singulas: abieruntque in possessionem suam ædificantes urbes, et habitantes in eis.
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 Filii quoque Israel reversi sunt per tribus, et familias in tabernacula sua.
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 In diebus illis non erat rex in Israel: sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
