1 N a kua puaki noa ake to oati a nga tangata o Iharaira i Mihipa, i mea ratou, Kaua tetahi tangata o tatou e hoatu i tana tamahine hei wahine ma Pineamine.

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 N a ka haere te iwi ki Peteere, a noho ana i reira i te aroaro o te Atua a ahiahi noa; na rahi noa atu o ratou reo, he nui te tangi.

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 I mea hoki ratou, Na te aha, e Ihowa, e te Atua o Iharaira, i puta ake ai tenei i roto i a Iharaira; i ngaro ai tetahi iwi i tenei ra i roto i a Iharaira?

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 N a i te ata ka maranga wawe te iwi, a hanga ana he aata e ratou, a whakaekea ana he tahunga tinana, he whakahere mo te pai.

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 N a ka mea nga tama a Iharaira, Ko wai o nga iwi katoa o Iharaira kahore i tae mai i roto i te whakaminenga ki a Ihowa? Kua takoto hoki he oati nui mo te tangata e kore e haere ki a Ihowa ki Mihipa: i mea ratou, Ka whakamatea rawatia.

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 A koingo tonu nga tama a Iharaira ki to ratou teina, ki a Pineamine; i mea, Kua hautopea atu tetahi iwi i tenei ra i roto i a Iharaira.

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

7 M e aha tatou ki etahi wahine ma nga mea o ratou i mahue; kua oatitia hoki a Ihowa e tatau e kore a tatou tamahine e hoatu hei wahine ma ratou?

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 N a ka mea ano ratou, Ko tehea o nga iwi o Iharaira kahore nei i tae mai ki a Ihowa ki Mihipa? Na kahore tetahi tangata o Iapehe Kireara i haere ki te puni ki te whakaminenga.

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 I taua hoki te iwi, a kahore tetahi tangata i reira o nga tangata o Iapehe Kireara.

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

10 N a ka tono te huihui i etahi tangata ki reira, kotahi tekau ma rua mano, he hunga toa, a ka whakahau i a ratou, ka mea, Tikina patua nga tangata o Iapehe Kireara ki te mata o te hoari, me nga wahine me nga tamariki.

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 A ko tenei ta koutou e mea ai, Ko nga tane katoa, me nga wahine katoa i takoto ki te tane, me huna.

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 A e wha rau nga kotiro i mau i a ratou i roto i nga tangata o Iapehe Kireara, he wahine kahore ano i mohio noa, ara i takoto ki te tane: na kawea ana e ratou ki te puni ki Hiro, ki tera i te whenua o Kanaana.

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 K atahi ka unga tangata te huihui katoa hei korero ki nga tama a Pineamine i te kamaka i Rimono, hei karanga ki a ratou, Kua mau te rongo.

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

14 N a ka hoki a Pineamine i taua wa; a ka hoatu ki a ratou nga wahine i whakaorangia e ratou i roto i nga wahine o Iapehe Kireara; otiia kihai ano i rato.

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 N a koingo tonu te iwi ki a Pineamine, no te mea kua wahia e Ihowa nga iwi o Iharaira.

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

16 N a ka mea nga kaumatua o te huihui, Me aha tatou ki etahi wahine ma nga mea i mahue, kua huna nei hoki nga wahine a Pineamine?

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 I mea ano ratou, Kia whai kainga tupu nga morehu o Pineamine, kei moti rawa tetahi iwi i roto i a Iharaira.

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

18 O tiia e kore e taea te hoatu e tatou a tatou tamahine hei wahine ma ratou; no te mea kua oati nga tama a Iharaira, kua mea, Kia kanga te tangata e hoatu ana i te wahine ki a Pineamine.

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 N a ka mea ratou, Nana, he hakari tera ki a Ihowa i Hiro, i tenei tau, i tenei tau, i te taha ki te raki o Peteere, i te taha ki te rawhiti o te huarahi e tika atu ana i Peteere ki Hekeme, i te tonga o Repona.

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 N a ka whakahau atu ratou ki nga tama a Pineamine, ka mea, Haere ki nga mara waina whanga ai;

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

21 A e kite koutou, na, kua puta nga tamahine o Hiro ki te kanikani, na ka haere atu koutou i nga mara waina, ka hopu i tana wahine, i tana wahine, i roto i nga tamahine o Hiro, a ka haere ki te whenua o Pineamine.

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 A ka tae mai o ratou matua, o ratou tungane ranei, ki a matou whakawa ai, ko reira matou mea ai ki a ratou, Kia atawhai ki a matou, ara ki a ratou: kihai hoki i riro i a matou he wahine ma tenei, ma tenei, o ratou i te mea e whawhai ana: ehara a no i te mea na koutou i hoatu i tenei wa, e he ai koutou.

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 N a pera ana nga tama a Pineamine, a tangohia ana e ratou etahi wahine i roto i te hunga i kanikani ra; rite tonu ki a ratou te tokomaha, he mea hopu na ratou: a haere ana, noho ana ki to ratou kainga tupu; kei te hanga i o ratou pa, nohoia iho e ratou.

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 N a ka turia atu i reira i taua wa e nga tama a Iharaira ki tona iwi, ki tona iwi, ki tona hapu, ki tona hapu; na haere ana ratou i reira ki tona kainga, ki tona kainga.

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 I aua ra kahore o Iharaira kingi, ko ta ratou i mea ai ko nga mea i tika ki te titiro a tenei, a tenei.

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