Wives for the Men of Benjamin
1 When the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, they had made this sacred promise: “None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin.”
2 After the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly 3 and prayed, “Our Lord, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone.”
4 Early the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask his blessing. 5 Then they asked each other, “Did any of the tribes of Israel fail to come to the place of worship? We made a sacred promise that anyone who didn't come to the meeting at Mizpah would be put to death.”
6 The Israelites were sad about what had happened to the Benjamin tribe, and they said, “One of our tribes was almost wiped out. 7 Only a few men of Benjamin weren't killed in the war. We need to get wives for them, so the tribe won't completely disappear. But how can we do that, after promising in the Lord's name that we wouldn't let them marry any of our daughters?”
8-9 Again the Israelites asked, “Did any of the tribes stay away from the meeting at Mizpah?”
After asking around, they discovered that no one had come from Jabesh in Gilead. 10-11 So they sent 12,000 warriors with these orders: “Attack Jabesh in Gilead and kill everyone, except the women who have never been married.”
12 The warriors attacked Jabesh in Gilead, and returned to their camp at Shiloh in Canaan with 400 young women.
13 The Israelites met and sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock, telling them that the Israelites were willing to make peace with them. 14 So the men of Benjamin came back from Rimmon Rock, and the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh. But there weren't enough women.
15 The Israelites were very sad, because the Lord had almost wiped out one of their tribes. 16 Then their leaders said:
All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left? 17 If they don't have children, one of the Israelite tribes will die out. 18 But we can't let the men of Benjamin marry any of our daughters. We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.
19 Then someone suggested, “What about the Lord's Festival that takes place each year in Shiloh? It's held north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and just east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.”
20 The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives:
Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival. 21 Wait there for the young women of Shiloh to come out and perform their dances. Then rush out and grab one of the young women, then take her home as your wife. 22 If the fathers or brothers of these women complain about this, we'll say, “Be kind enough to let those men keep your daughter. After all, we couldn't get enough wives for all the men of Benjamin in the battle at Jabesh. And because you didn't give them permission to marry your daughters, you won't be under the curse we earlier agreed on.”
23 The men of Benjamin went to Shiloh and hid in the vineyards. The young women soon started dancing, and each man grabbed one of them and carried her off. Then the men of Benjamin went back to their own land and rebuilt their towns and started living in them again.
24 Afterwards, the rest of the Israelites returned to their homes and families.
Israel Was Not Ruled by a King
25 In those days Israel wasn't ruled by a king, and everyone did what they thought was right.
Benjāmins tiek glābts no iznīcināšanas
1 Israēla vīri bija zvērējuši Micpā: “Neviens no mums nedos savu meitu benjāminietim par sievu!” 2 Tauta sanāca Bētelē, sēdēja tur Dieva priekšā līdz vakaram un jo skaļi un rūgti raudāja, 3 sacīdami: “Kungs, Israēla Dievs, kāpēc tā ir noticis Israēlam, ka šodien ir zudusi viena no Israēla ciltīm!?” 4 Nākamajā rītā agri tauta cēla tur altāri un pienesa sadedzināmos upurus un miera upurus.
5 Israēla dēli sacīja: “Kurš nav atnācis visu Israēla cilšu sapulcē pie Kunga?” – jo tie bija saistīti ar smagu zvērestu, ka tam, kurš nebūs atnācis pie Kunga Micpā, mirtin jāmirst! 6 Israēla dēliem bija žēl savu brāļu benjāminiešu. Tie sacīja: “Šodien viens zars no Israēla ir nocirsts. 7 Ko lai mēs darām ar atlikušajiem, lai tie dabūtu sievas, jo mēs taču esam zvērējuši pie Kunga nedot viņiem sievas no savām meitām?” 8 Un tie runāja: “Vai ir kāda no Israēla ciltīm, kas nav nākusi pie Kunga uz Micpu?” Un, redzi, neviens no Jābēš-Gileādas nebija atnācis uz sapulci nometnē. 9 Ļaudis tika pārskaitīti, un tiešām tur nebija neviena no Jābēš-Gileādas. 10 Tad viņi aizsūtīja turp divpadsmit tūkstošus vīru lielu pulku no stipriniekiem un pavēlēja tiem: “Ejiet un ar zobena asmeni izkaujiet visus, kas mīt Jābēš-Gileādā, arī sievas un bērnus! 11 Dariet tā – ikvienu vīru un sievu, kas ar vīru gulējusi, iznīciniet!” 12 Un starp Jābēš-Gileādas iedzīvotājiem tie atrada četrsimt jaunavas, kas nebija ar vīru gulējušas. Tās viņi atveda uz nometni Šīlo, kas Kanaāna zemē.
13 Tad visa sapulce sūtīja vēsti Benjāmina dēliem, kas bija uz Rimmonas klints, un pasludināja tiem mieru. 14 Tad benjāminieši atgriezās, un tie deva viņiem tās sievas, kas bija atstātas dzīvas no Jābēšas sievām, bet tiem to nepietika. 15 Un tautai bija žēl Benjāmina, jo Kungs bija izrāvis robu Israēla ciltīs. 16 Tad sapulces vecajie sacīja: “Ko lai darām ar tiem, kas palikuši bez sievām, jo benjāminiešu sievas ir iznīcinātas?!” 17 Viņi teica: “Izbēgušajiem benjāminiešiem ir jādabū mantojums, lai cilts netiktu izdzēsta no Israēla. 18 Bet mēs nevaram tiem dot sievas no mūsu meitām, jo Israēla dēli ir zvērējuši: nolādēts, kas dod sievu benjāminietim!”
19 Tad viņi teica: “Redzi, gadu no gada Kungam ir svētki Šīlo, kas atrodas uz ziemeļiem no Bēteles, uz austrumiem no lielceļa, kas iet augšup no Bēteles uz Šehemu, uz dienvidiem no Lebonas.” 20 Un viņi lika Benjāmina dēliem: “Ejiet un noslēpieties vīnadārzos! 21 Kad jūs redzēsiet – lūk, Šīlo meitas nāk laukā, lai grieztos dejā, tad iznāciet no vīnadārziem, saķeriet sev katrs pa sievai no Šīlo meitām un dodieties uz Benjāmina zemi! 22 Ja viņu tēvi vai brāļi nāks mums sūdzēties, mēs tiem teiksim: ļaujiet mums būt žēlīgiem pret viņiem, jo mēs neesam ieguvuši vīriem sievas karā, nedz jūs esat viņiem tās devuši, ka jūs būtu vainīgi.”
23 Benjāmina dēli tā arī darīja – ņēma sievas pēc sava skaita no dejotājām, kuras tie nolaupīja, un tad atgriezās savā īpašumā, atjaunoja pilsētas un tur apmetās. 24 Bet Israēla dēli tolaik devās prom no turienes katrs uz savu cilti un dzimtu – ikviens devās uz savu īpašumu. 25 Tolaik Israēlā nebija ķēniņa un katrs darīja, kā tam šķita pareizi.
