Judges

21 Now the men of Israel don swear and promise for Mizʹpah say: “Nobody among us go give im daughter to any man from Benjamin as wife.” 2 So, the people come Bethʹel and sitdown for there for front of the true God till evening, them de shout and de cry well-well. 3 And them talk say: “O Jehovah the God of Israel, why this thing happen for Israel? Why one tribe go de miss today from Israel?” 4 And the next day, the people get up for early morning and build one altar for there so that them go give offerings wey them de burn and peace offerings as sacrifice.

5 Then the people of Israel talk say: “Among all the tribes of Israel, who no come up to gather for front of Jehovah?” because them be don make serious promise say anybody wey no come up for front of Jehovah for Mizʹpah, them go surely kill the person. 6 So Israel people really feel bad about wetin happen to Benjamin their brother. Them talk say: “Today one tribe don almost disappear from Israel. 7 Wetin we suppose do to bring wives for people wey remain, now wey e be say we don use Jehovah name swear say we no go give them any of our daughters as wives?”

8 Them ask say: “Among the tribes of Israel, who no come up for front of Jehovah for Mizʹpah?” E come happen say nobody from Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad come the camp where the people gather.* 9 When them count the people, them see say nobody wey de live for Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad dey there. 10 So the people send 12,000 of the men wey strong pass go there. Them command them say: “Make una go use sword kill the people wey de live for Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad, even the women and the children. 11 This one na wetin una go do: Any man, together with any woman wey don sleep with man, make una kill the person.” 12 Among the people wey de live for Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad, them see 400 girls wey be virgins, wey never sleep with man. So them bring them come the camp for Shiʹloh, wey dey the land of Caʹnaan.

13 Then all the people send message to the people from the tribe of Benjamin wey dey the rock of Rimʹmon and tell them say them want make peace. 14 So the people from the tribe of Benjamin come back to their land that time. Them give them the women wey them no kill among the women of Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad, but them no see enough women for them. 15 And the people feel bad because of wetin happen to the tribe of Benjamin, since Jehovah don make the tribes of Israel divide. 16 The elders of the people talk say: “Wetin we go do to give wives to the men wey remain, since them don kill all the women from the tribe of Benjamin?” 17 Them answer say: “The people wey survive for the tribe of Benjamin suppose get property, so that one tribe no go wipe comot from Israel. 18 But we no fit give them wives from our daughters because the people of Israel don swear say: ‘Curse go follow the person wey give wife to the people from the tribe of Benjamin.’”

19 Then them talk say: “See! Every year we de do festival to Jehovah for Shiʹloh, wey dey the north side of Bethʹel and east side of the road wey go up from Bethʹel to Sheʹchem and the south side of Le·boʹnah.” 20 So them command the men from the tribe of Benjamin say: “Make una go hide wait for inside the vine farms. 21 And when una see say the young women* of Shiʹloh don come out to join dance their circle dance, make each of una come out from the vine farms and grab one of the young women of Shiʹloh as wife, and make una go back to the land of Benjamin. 22 And if their papa them or their brothers come complain against us, then we go tell them say, ‘Make una show us favor because of them, because we no fit give each of them wife wey we get from war, and una no fit give them wife because una go break the promise wey una make.’”

23 So the men from the tribe of Benjamin do like that, and each of them carry wife go from among the women wey de dance. After that one, them go back to their property, them build their cities again and start to live for inside.

24 And Israel people go back to their different-different place from there that time, each person go im tribe and im family, and them comot from there, and each person go im property.

25 That time, no king dey Israel. Each person de do wetin correct for im own eye.*