1 و َحَلَفَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ فِي المِصْفاةِ فَقالُوا: «لَنْ يُزَوِّجَ أحَدٌ مِنّا ابْنَتَهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي بَنْيامِيْنَ.»

Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”

2 و َلَمّا وَصَلَ الشَّعبُ إلَى بَيتِ إيلَ، جَلَسُوا هُناكَ فِي حَضْرَةِ اللهِ. صَرَخُوا بِصَوْتٍ عالٍ وَبَكُوا بُكاءً مُرّاً.

Then the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

3 ق الُوا: «يا اللهُ ، إلَهَ إسْرائِيلَ، لِماذا حَدَثَ هَذا، حَتَّى إنَّ قَبِيلَةً واحِدَةً مِنْ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ فُقِدَتْ؟»

and said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”

4 و في اليومِ التّالي، قامَ الشَّعبُ باكِراً، وَبَنَوا مذْبَحاً هُناكَ. وقَدَّموا ذَبائِحَ صاعِدَةً وذبائِحَ سَلامٍ.

So it was, on the next morning, that the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 ث ُمَّ قالَ بَنو إسْرائِيلَ: «مَنْ مِنْ قَبائِلَ إسْرائِيلَ لَمْ تَصْعَدْ إلَى الاجْتِماعِ فِي حَضرَةِ اللهِ ؟» فَقَدْ أقْسَمُوا قَسَماً عَظِيماً بِأنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَصْعَدْ إلَى الاجْتِماعِ فِي حَضرَةِ اللهِ فِي المِصْفاةِ: «يَنْبَغِي أنْ يُقْتَلَ.»

The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the Lord ?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

6 ل َكِنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ أحَسُّوا بِالحُزْنِ عَلَى أقرِبائِهِمْ بَنِي بَنْيامِيْنَ وَقالُوا: «قُطِعَت قَبِيلَةٌ واحِدَةٌ اليَومَ مِنْ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ.

And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

7 ف َماذا نَعمَلُ مَعَ النّاجِينَ مِنْهُمْ فِي مَسْألَةِ الزَّوجاتِ؟ فَقَدْ أقْسَمْنا بِاللهِ أنْ لا نُزَوِّجَهُمْ مِنْ بَناتِنا.»

What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?”

8 ث ُمَّ قالُوا: «هَلْ هُناكَ قَبِيلَةٌ مِنْ قَبائِلِ إسْرائِيلَ لَمْ تَصْعَدْ لِلاجتِماعِ فِي حَضرَةِ اللهِ فِي المِصفاةِ؟» فَوَجَدُوا أنَّهُ لَمْ يَأتِ أحَدٌ إلَى المُخَيَّمِ لِلاجتِماعِ مِنْ يابِيشِ جِلْعادَ.

And they said, “What one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord ?” And, in fact, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.

9 ف َعِندَما أجرُوا عَمَلِيَّةَ التَّفَقُّدِ لِمَعرِفَةِ الغائِبِينَ، لَمْ يَجِدُوا هُناكَ أحَداً مِنْ يابِيشِ جِلْعادَ.

For when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there.

10 ف َأرسَلَتِ الجَماعَةُ اثنَي عَشَرَ ألفَ جُندِيٍّ إلَى هُناكَ، وَأمَرُوهُمْ: «اذهَبُوا وَاقتُلُوا سُكّانَ يابِيشَ جِلْعادَ بِالسُّيُوفِ، مَعَ النِّساءِ وَالصِّغارِ.

So the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children.

11 و َهَذا هُوَ ما يَنْبَغِي أنْ تَفعَلُوهُ: اقتُلُوا كُلَّ ذَكَرٍ، وكُلَّ امْرأةٍ عاشَرَتْ رَجُلاً. أمّا العَذارَى فَحافِظُوا عَلَى حَياتِهِنَّ.»

And this is the thing that you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately.”

12 ف َوَجَدُوا بَينَ سُكّانِ يابِيشَ جِلْعادَ أربَعَ مِئَةِ شابَّةٍ عَذْراءَ لَمْ يُعاشِرْنَ أيَّ رَجُلٍ. فَأحضَرُوهُنَّ إلَى المُخَيَّمِ فِي شِيلُوهَ فِي أرْضِ كَنْعانَ.

So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man intimately; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 ث ُمَّ أرسَلَتِ الجَماعَةُ كُلَّها رِسالَةً إلَى البَنْيامِيْنِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ عِنْدَ صَخرَةِ رِمُّونَ، وَصالَحُوهُمْ.

Then the whole congregation sent word to the children of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and announced peace to them.

14 و َفِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، عادَ بَنُو بَنْيامِيْنَ، فَأعطُوهُمُ النِّساءَ النّاجِياتِ مِنْ نِساءِ يابِيشَ جِلْعادَ. لَكِنَّ عَدَدَ النِّساءِ لَمْ يَكُنْ كافِياً لَهُمْ.

So Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.

15 ف َأحَسَّ الشَّعبُ بِالحُزْنِ عَلَى بَنْيامِيْنَ لِأنَّ اللهَ قَدْ صَنَعَ شَرْخاً بَينَ قَبائِلِ إسْرائِيلَ.

And the people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

16 و َقالَ شُيُوخُ الجَماعَةِ: «ماذا نَعمَلُ مَعَ الباقِينَ بِشَأْنِ الزَّوجاتِ، فَقَدْ قُضِيَ عَلَى النِّساءِ فِي قَبِيلَةِ بَنْيامِيْنَ؟»

Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

17 ف َقالُوا: «لِنُخَصِّصْ مِيراثاً لِلنّاجِينَ مِنْ بَنِي بَنْيامِيْنَ، حَتَّى لا تُمحَى قَبِيلَةٌ مِنْ قَبائِلِ إسْرائِيلَ.

And they said, “ There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel.

18 ل َكِنْ لا يُمكِنُنا أنْ نُزَوِّجَهُمْ مِنْ بَناتِنا.» فَقَدْ سَبَقَ أنْ أقسَمَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ وَقألُوا: «مَلعُونٌ مَنْ يُزَوِّجُ ابنَتَهُ مِنْ بَنْيامِيْنِيٍّ.»

However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”

19 ف َقالُوا: «اسْمَعُوا، يُقامُ عِيدٌ سَنَوِيٌّ تَكرِيماً للهِ فِي شِيلُوهَ، إلَى الشِّمالِ مِنْ بَيتِ إيلَ، وَإلَى الشَّرْقِ مِنَ الطَّرِيقِ الرَّئِيسِيَّةِ الَّتِي تَصعَدُ مِنْ بَيتِ إيلَ إلَى شَكيمَ، وَإلَى الجَنُوبِ مِنْ لَبُونَةَ.»

Then they said, “In fact, there is a yearly feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

20 و َقالُوا لِلبَنْيامِيْنِيِّينَ: «اذهَبُوا وَاختَبِئُوا فِي الكُرُومِ.

Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,

21 و َانْتَظِرُوا إلَى أنْ تَخرُجَ بَناتُ شِيلُوهَ لِلرَّقْصِ. ثُمَّ اخرُجُوا مِنَ الكُرُومِ. وَليُمسِكْ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنْكُمْ لَهُ زَوجَةً مِنْ بَناتِ شِيلُوهَ، وَاذهَبُوا بِهُنَّ إلَى أرْضِ بَنْيامِيْنَ.

and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin.

22 و َحِينَ يَأْتِي آباؤُهُنَّ لِكَي يَشْكُوا إلَينا، سَنَقُولُ لَهُمْ: ‹أشفِقُوا عَلَيهِمْ مِنْ أجلِنا، فَنَحنُ لَمْ نَأخُذْ زَوجاتٍ لِأحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي الحَربِ، وَأنْتُمْ لَمْ تُعطُوهُمْ بَناتِكُمْ طَوْعاً، فَلَمْ تَكْسِرُوا قَسَمَكُمْ.›»

Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’”

23 ف َفَعَلَ البَنْيامِيْنِيُّونَ هَكَذا. وَأخَذَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ زَوجَةً مِنَ الرّاقِصاتِ اللَّواتِي خَطَفُوهُنَّ. ثُمَّ مَضَوْا وَعادُوا إلَى أرْضِهِمْ. وَأعادُوا بِناءَ مُدُنِهِمْ. وَاسْتَقَرُّوا فِيها.

And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

24 ف َذَهَبَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ مِنْ هُناكَ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، كُلٌّ إلَى قَبِيلَتِهِ وَعَشِيرَتِهِ، وَخَرَجَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِنْ هُناكَ إلَى أرْضِهِ.

So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.

25 ف ِي ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ هُناكَ مَلِكٌ عَلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ. وَكانَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ يَعمَلُ ما يَراهُ مُناسِباً.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.