1 Israēla vīri bija Micpā solījušies, zvērēdami: "Neviens no mums nedos savu meitu benjamīniešiem par sievu." 2 Un tauta nogāja uz Bēteli un palika tur līdz vakaram Dieva priekšā, un tad tie pacēla savas balsis un raudāja ar gaužām vaimanām 3 un teica: "Kādēļ, ak, Kungs, Israēla Dievs, tam bija Israēlā tā notikt, ka šodien no Israēla ir atrauta vesela cilts!" 4 Un nākamajā rītā agri tauta cēlās, uzcēla tur altāri un upurēja dedzināmos un kaujamos pateicības upurus. 5 Un Israēla bērni jautāja: "Kurš ir tas, kas no visām Israēla ciltīm nav atnācis uz draudzes sapulci pie Tā Kunga?" Jo bija ar zvērestu noteikts, ka tam, kas neatnāktu pie Tā Kunga uz Micpu, tam jātiek nonāvētam. 6 Tomēr sava brāļa Benjamīna Israēla bērniem kļuva žēl, un tie sacīja: "Šodien vesela cilts ir atlauzta no Israēla! 7 Ko lai mēs darām ar atlikušajiem, lai tie tiktu pie sievām? Mēs taču esam pie Tā Kunga zvērējuši, ka mēs no savām meitām viņiem nedosim nevienu par sievu!" 8 Un viņi jautāja: "Vai ir kāds no Israēla cilts, kurš nebūtu devies pie Tā Kunga uz Micpu?" Un redzi, neviens no Jabešas Gileādā nebija nācis nometnē uz sapulci. 9 Tad ļaudis tika vēlreiz pārskaitīti, un redzi, tiešām tur nebija neviena no Jabešas Gileādā. 10 Tad sapulce nosūtīja divpadsmit tūkstošus vīru no tiem stiprākiem vīriem un tiem pavēlēja, sacīdami: "Noejiet un nokaujiet ar zobena asmeni Jabešas, kas Gileādā, iedzīvotājus - gan sievas, gan mazos bērnus! 11 Bet šī ir tā lieta, kas jums ir jādara: visi vīri un visas sievas, kuras vīriem piederējušas, jums jāiznīcina." 12 Un aizsūtītie atrada Jabešas, Gileādas pilsētas, iedzīvotāju starpā četri simti meitenes, jaunavas, kuras nebija vīru pazinušas un ar tiem gulējušas; tās viņi aizveda uz nometni Šīlo, kas bija Kānaāna zemē. 13 Tad visa sapulce nosūtīja vēstnešus un lika paziņot miera vēsti Benjamīna bērniem, kas atradās pie Rimonas klints. 14 Tā tanī laikā Benjamīns griezās atpakaļ, un tie viņiem deva tās sievas, ko tie bija no Jabešas sievām atstājuši pie dzīvības, taču ar tām viņiem nepietika. 15 Un tautai bija Benjamīna žēl, ka Tas Kungs bija izrāvis tik dziļu robu Israēla ciltīs. 16 Un tad draudzes vecaji sacīja: "Ko lai mēs iesākam, lai arī atlikušie tiktu pie sievām, jo Benjamīna sievas ir iznīcinātas?" 17 Tad tie sacīja: "Benjamīna zemes īpašumi ir jāiemanto tiem no Benjamīna cilts, kas ir izglābušies, lai vesela cilts netiktu izdzēsta no Israēla vidus. 18 Tikai mēs paši nevaram tiem dot sievas no mūsu meitām, jo Israēla bērni ar zvērestu ir solījušies: nolādēts lai ir ikviens, kas savu meitu dod benjamīniešiem par sievu!" 19 Un viņi sacīja: "Redzi, ik gadus ir Tā Kunga svētki Šīlo, kas atrodas ziemeļos no Bēteles pret rītiem, bet, ja iet pa ceļu no Bēteles uz Sihemu, tad dienvidos no Lebonas." 20 Un viņi pavēlēja Benjamīna bērniem, sacīdami: "Ejiet un paslēpieties vīna dārzos! 21 Un, ja jūs tad novērojat, ka tuvojas Šīlo meitas, lai ietu rotaļās, tad izejiet laukā no vīna dārziem, satveriet ikviens sev sievu no Šīlo meitām un ejiet atpakaļ uz Benjamīna zemi. 22 Un, ja viņu tēvi vai viņu brāļi nāktu, lai sūdzētos viņu dēļ, tad mēs tiem sacīsim: "Dodiet tās mums labprātīgi - mēs neviens neesam ņēmuši sev sievu karā, un arī jūs paši tās viņiem neesat devuši; citādi jūs tagad būtu vainīgi." 23 Un Benjamīna bērni tā arī izdarīja un ņēma tik daudz sievu no dejotājām, cik liels bija viņu skaits; viņi tās nolaupīja, aizgāja un griezās atkal atpakaļ savos īpašumos, uzcēla no jauna pilsētas un dzīvoja tanīs. 24 Bet Israēla bērni tanī laikā cēlās no turienes un sadalījās, ikviens iedams pie savas cilts un pie savas dzimtas, un ikviens no turienes devās atpakaļ uz savu īpašumu. 25 Tanī laikā vēl nebija ķēniņa Israēlā; un ikviens darīja, kas šķita taisns paša acīs.
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 ¶ And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. 14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 ¶ Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them. 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
