Knjiga o Sucima 21

Biblija Hrvatski	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Izraelovi se ljudi bijahu ovako zakleli u Mispi: »Nitko od nas neće dati svoju kćer za ženu Benjaminovu sinu.«	1 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah that none of them would give his daughter in marriage to anyone from Benjamin.
2 I ode narod u Betel i ostade ondje pred Bogom do večeri, naričući i jecajući.	2 So the people went to Bethel and remained there before God until evening, raising their voices in bitter lament.
3 Govorili su: »Zašto se, o Jahve, Bože Izraelov, ova nesreća morala dogoditi da Izraelu danas nestane jednog plemena?«	3 They said, "LORD, God of Israel, why has it come to pass in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?"
4 Sutradan uraniše ljudi i sagradiše ondje žrtvenik; prinesoše paljenice i žrtve zahvalnice.	4 Early the next day the people built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings.
5 Tad zapitaše Izraelci: »Ima li koga među svim plemenima Izraelovim da nije došao na zbor Jahvi?« Jer su se svečano zakleli da će pogubiti onoga tko ne dođe u Mispu k Jahvi.	5 Then the Israelites asked, "Are there any among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD for the assembly?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah should be put to death without fail.
6 Izraelcima se sada sažalilo na brata Benjamina te rekoše: »Danas je otkinuto jedno pleme od Izraela.	6 The Israelites were disconsolate over their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.
7 Kako ćemo dati žene onima koji su preostali kad se zaklesmo Jahvom da im nećemo dati svojih kćeri za žene?«	7 What can we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?"
8 Zato zapitaše: »Ima li koga među Izraelovim plemenima da nije došao k Jahvi u Mispu?« I pronađe se da nije došao u tabor, na zbor, nitko od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.	8 And when they asked whether anyone among the tribes of Israel had not come up to the LORD in Mizpah, they found that none of the men of Jabesh-gilead had come to the encampment for the assembly.
9 Jer kada se narod prebrojio, ondje ne bijaše nikoga od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.	9 A roll call of the army established that none of the inhabitants of that city were present.
10 Zato zajednica posla onamo dvanaest tisuća hrabrih ljudi i zapovjedi im: »Idite i posijecite oštrim mačem stanovnike Jabeša u Gileadu, zajedno sa ženama i djecom.	10 The community, therefore, sent twelve thousand warriors with orders to go to Jabesh-gilead and put those who lived there to the sword, including the women and children.
11 Evo što ćete učiniti: izručit ćete prokletstvu sve muškarce i sve žene što su dijelile postelju s čovjekom, ali ćete sačuvati život djevicama.« Tako i učiniše.	11 They were told to include under the ban all males and every woman who was not still a virgin.
12 I našli su među stanovnicima Jabeša u Gileadu četiri stotine mladih djevojaka koje nisu dijelile postelje s čovjekom i doveli su ih u tabor u Šilu, koji je u Kanaanu.	12 Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had had no relations with men, they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 Sva zajednica posla tada poslanike Benjaminovcima koji bijahu na Rimonskoj stijeni: objaviše im mir.	13 Then the whole community sent a message to the Benjaminites at the rock Rimmon, offering them peace.
14 Tako se oporavi Benjamin. Dadoše im one među ženama iz Jabeša u Gileadu koje su ostavili na životu, ali ih ne bijaše dovoljno za sve.	14 When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared; but these proved to be not enough for them.
15 Narodu se sažalio Benjamin što je Jahve načinio prazninu među Izraelovim plemenima.	15 The people were still disconsolate over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
16 »Kako ćemo naći žene onima što su ostali«, rekoše starješine zbora, »kad su Benjaminu istrijebljene žene?«	16 And the elders of the community said, "What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For every woman in Benjamin has been put to death."
17 Rekoše još: »Kako sačuvati ostatak Benjaminu da se ne zatre jedno pleme iz Izraela?	17 They said, "Those of Benjamin who survive must have heirs, else one of the Israelite tribes will be wiped out.
18 A ne možemo im dati svoje kćeri za žene.« Jer se bijahu zakleli rekavši: »Proklet bio onaj koji dade ženu Benjaminu!«	18 Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage, because the Israelites have sworn, 'Cursed be he who gives a woman to Benjamin!'"
19 »Ali«, rekoše, »svake se godine slavi u Šilu Jahvina svetkovina.« Grad se nalazi na sjeveru od Betela, istočno od ceste koja vodi iz Betela u Šekem i južno od Lebone.	19 Then they thought of the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.
20 I zato svjetovaše Benjaminovce: »Idite u zasjedu po vinogradima.	20 And they instructed the Benjaminites, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.
21 Pazite, pa kada djevojke iz Šila iziđu da plešu u kolu, vi iskočite iz vinograda, otmite svaki sebi ženu između šilskih kćeri pa otiđite u Benjaminovu zemlju.	21 When you see the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dancing, leave the vineyards and each of you seize one of the girls of Shiloh for a wife, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 A kad njihovi očevi ili njihova braća dođu da se prituže na vas, mi ćemo im reći: ‘Oprostite im što je svaki uzeo po ženu kao u ratu; vi im ih niste dali, pa je tako krivnja na vama.’«	22 When their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, 'Release them to us as a kindness, since we did not take a woman apiece in the war. Had you yourselves given them these wives, you would now be guilty.'"
23 Benjaminovci učiniše tako i od djevojaka koje oteše uzeše onoliki broj žena koliko bijaše njih. Onda odoše svaki na svoju baštinu, sagradiše opet gradove i naseliše se u njima.	23 The Benjaminites did this; they carried off a wife for each of them from their raid on the dancers, and went back to their own territory, where they rebuilt and occupied the cities.
24 Izraelci se tada raziđoše, svaki u svoje pleme i u svoj rod, i svaki se odande vrati na svoju baštinu.	24 Also at that time the Israelites dispersed; each of them left for his own heritage in his own clan and tribe.
25 U to vrijeme ne bijaše kralja u Izraelu i svatko je živio kako mu se činilo da je pravo.	25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best.