1 O s homens de Israel tinham feito este juramento em Mispá: “Nenhum de nós dará sua filha em casamento a um benjamita”.

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 O povo foi a Betel, onde esteve sentado perante Deus até a tarde, chorando alto e amargamente.

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 “ Ó Senhor Deus de Israel”, lamentaram, “por que aconteceu isso em Israel? Por que teria que faltar hoje uma tribo em Israel?”

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 manhã do dia seguinte o povo se levantou cedo, construiu um altar e apresentou holocaustos e ofertas de comunhão.

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 O s israelitas perguntaram: “Quem dentre todas as tribos de Israel deixou de vir à assembléia perante o Senhor ?” Pois tinham feito um juramento solene de que qualquer que deixasse de se reunir perante o Senhor em Mispá seria morto.

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 O s israelitas prantearam pelos seus irmãos benjamitas. “Hoje uma tribo foi eliminada de Israel”, diziam.

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

7 “ Como poderemos conseguir mulheres para os sobreviventes, visto que juramos pelo Senhor não lhes dar em casamento nenhuma de nossas filhas?”

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 E ntão perguntaram: “Qual das tribos de Israel deixou de reunir-se perante o Senhor em Mispá?” Descobriu-se então que ninguém de Jabes-Gileade tinha vindo ao acampamento para a assembléia.

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 Q uando contaram o povo, verificaram que ninguém do povo de Jabes-Gileade estava ali.

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

10 E ntão a comunidade enviou doze mil homens de guerra com instruções para irem a Jabes-Gileade e matarem à espada todos os que viviam lá, inclusive mulheres e crianças.

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 “ É isto o que vocês deverão fazer”, disseram, “matem todos os homens e todas as mulheres que não forem virgens.”

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 E ntre o povo que vivia em Jabes-Gileade encontraram quatrocentas moças virgens e as levaram para o acampamento de Siló, em Canaã.

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 D epois a comunidade toda enviou uma oferta de comunhão aos benjamitas que estavam na rocha de Rimom.

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

14 O s benjamitas voltaram naquela ocasião e receberam as mulheres de Jabes-Gileade que tinham sido poupadas. Mas não havia mulheres suficientes para todos eles.

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 O povo pranteou Benjamim, pois o Senhor tinha aberto uma lacuna nas tribos de Israel.

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

16 E os líderes da comunidade disseram: “Mortas as mulheres de Benjamim, como conseguiremos mulheres para os homens que restaram?

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 O s benjamitas sobreviventes precisam ter herdeiros, para que uma tribo de Israel não seja destruída.

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

18 N ão podemos dar-lhes nossas filhas em casamento, pois nós israelitas fizemos este juramento: Maldito seja todo aquele que der mulher a um benjamita.

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 H á, porém, a festa anual do Senhor em Siló, ao norte de Betel, a leste da estrada que vai de Betel a Siquém, e ao sul de Lebona”.

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 E ntão mandaram para lá os benjamitas, dizendo: “Vão, escondam-se nas vinhas

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

21 e fiquem observando. Quando as moças de Siló forem para as danças, saiam correndo das vinhas e cada um de vocês apodere-se de uma das moças de Siló e vá para a terra de Benjamim.

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 Q uando os pais ou irmãos delas se queixarem a nós, diremos: Tenham misericórdia deles, pois não conseguimos mulheres para eles durante a guerra, e vocês são inocentes, visto que não lhes deram suas filhas”.

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 F oi o que os benjamitas fizeram. Quando as moças estavam dançando, cada homem tomou uma para fazer dela sua mulher. Depois voltaram para a sua herança, reconstruíram as cidades e se estabeleceram nelas.

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 mesma ocasião os israelitas saíram daquele local e voltaram para as suas tribos e para os seus clãs, cada um para a sua própria herança.

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 N aquela época não havia rei em Israel; cada um fazia o que lhe parecia certo.

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