1Os homens de Israel tinham feito este juramento em Mispá: “Nenhum de nós dará sua filha em casamento a um benjamita”.2O povo foi a Betel*, onde esteve sentado perante Deus até a tarde, chorando alto e amargamente.3“Ó SENHOR Deus de Israel”, lamentaram, “por que aconteceu isso em Israel? Por que teria que faltar hoje uma tribo em Israel?”4Na manhã do dia seguinte, o povo se levantou cedo, construiu um altar e apresentou holocaustos e ofertas de comunhão*.5Os israelitas perguntaram: “Quem dentre todas as tribos de Israel deixou de vir à assembleia perante o SENHOR?” Pois tinham feito um juramento solene de que qualquer que deixasse de se reunir perante o SENHOR em Mispá seria morto.6Os israelitas prantearam pelos seus irmãos benjamitas. “Hoje uma tribo foi eliminada de Israel”, diziam.7“Como poderemos conseguir mulheres para os sobreviventes, visto que juramos pelo SENHOR não lhes dar em casamento nenhuma de nossas filhas?”8Então 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 assembleia.9Quando contaram o povo, verificaram que ninguém do povo de Jabes-Gileade estava ali.10Então 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.11“É isto o que vocês deverão fazer”, disseram, “matem todos os homens e todas as mulheres que não forem virgens.”12No meio de todo o povo que vivia em Jabes-Gileade encontraram quatrocentas moças virgens e as levaram para o acampamento de Siló, em Canaã.13Depois a comunidade toda enviou uma oferta de comunhão aos benjamitas que estavam na rocha de Rimom.14Os benjamitas voltaram naquela ocasião e receberam as mulheres de Jabes-Gileade que tinham sido poupadas. Mas não havia mulheres suficientes para todos eles.15O povo pranteou Benjamim, pois o SENHOR tinha aberto uma lacuna nas tribos de Israel.16E os líderes da comunidade disseram: “Mortas as mulheres de Benjamim, como conseguiremos mulheres para os homens que restaram?17Os benjamitas sobreviventes precisam ter herdeiros, para que uma tribo de Israel não seja destruída.18Não podemos dar-lhes nossas filhas em casamento, pois nós, israelitas, fizemos este juramento: Maldito seja todo aquele que der mulher a um benjamita.19Há, 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”.20Então mandaram para lá os benjamitas, dizendo: “Vão, escondam-se nas vinhas21e 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.22Quando 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”.23Foi 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.24Na 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.25Naquela época, não havia rei em Israel; cada um fazia o que lhe parecia certo.
English Standard Version
Wives Provided for the Tribe of Benjamin
1Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.”2And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.3And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”4And the next day the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.5And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”6And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.7What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?”8And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.9For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.10So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones.11This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.”12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.13Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them.14And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them.15And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.16Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”17And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.18Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”19So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”20And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards21and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.22And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’”23And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them.24And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.25In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
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