Knjiga o Sucima 21

Biblija Hrvatski	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Izraelovi se ljudi bijahu ovako zakleli u Mispi: »Nitko od nas neće dati svoju kćer za ženu Benjaminovu sinu.«	1 The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, “None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin.”
2 I ode narod u Betel i ostade ondje pred Bogom do večeri, naričući i jecajući.	2 And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
3 Govorili su: »Zašto se, o Jahve, Bože Izraelov, ova nesreća morala dogoditi da Izraelu danas nestane jednog plemena?«	3 “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”
4 Sutradan uraniše ljudi i sagradiše ondje žrtvenik; prinesoše paljenice i žrtve zahvalnice.	4 Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
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 “Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?” For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
6 Izraelcima se sada sažalilo na brata Benjamina te rekoše: »Danas je otkinuto jedno pleme od Izraela.	6 And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: “One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
7 Kako ćemo dati žene onima koji su preostali kad se zaklesmo Jahvom da im nećemo dati svojih kćeri za žene?«	7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
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 For this reason, they said, “Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
9 Jer kada se narod prebrojio, ondje ne bijaše nikoga od žitelja Jabeša u Gileadu.	9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
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 And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones.”
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 And this shall be what you ought to do: “Everyone of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve.”
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 And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And 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 And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in 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 And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
15 Narodu se sažalio Benjamin što je Jahve načinio prazninu među Izraelovim plemenima.	15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
16 »Kako ćemo naći žene onima što su ostali«, rekoše starješine zbora, »kad su Benjaminu istrijebljene žene?«	16 And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
17 Rekoše još: »Kako sačuvati ostatak Benjaminu da se ne zatre jedno pleme iz Izraela?	17 and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
18 A ne možemo im dati svoje kćeri za žene.« Jer se bijahu zakleli rekavši: »Proklet bio onaj koji dade ženu Benjaminu!«	18 As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’ ”
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 And they took counsel, and they said, “Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah.”
20 I zato svjetovaše Benjaminovce: »Idite u zasjedu po vinogradima.	20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide 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 And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into 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 And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’ ”
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 And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
24 Izraelci se tada raziđoše, svaki u svoje pleme i u svoj rod, i svaki se odande vrati na svoju baštinu.	24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents. In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
25 U to vrijeme ne bijaše kralja u Izraelu i svatko je živio kako mu se činilo da je pravo.