1
Now the men[H376] of Israel[H3478] had sworn[H7650] in Mizpeh[H4709], saying[H559], There shall not any[H376] of us give[H5414] his daughter[H1323] unto Benjamin[H1144] to wife[H802].
2
And the people[H5971]came[H935] to the house[H1004] of God[H430], and abode[H3427] there till even[H6153]before[H6440]God[H1008], and lifted up[H5375] their voices[H6963], and wept[H1058]sore[H1419];
3
And said[H559], O LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], why is this come to pass in Israel[H3478], that there should be to day[H3117]one[H259]tribe[H7626]lacking[H6485] in Israel?[H3478]
4
And it came to pass on the morrow[H4283], that the people[H5971] rose early[H7925], and built[H1129] there an altar[H4196], and offered[H5927] burnt offerings[H5930] and peace offerings[H8002].
5
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]said[H559], Who is there among all the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478]that[H834]came[H5927] not up[H5927] with the congregation[H6951] unto the LORD?[H3068] For they had made a great[H1419]oath[H7621] concerning him that[H834]came[H5927] not up[H5927] to the LORD[H3068] to Mizpeh[H4709], saying[H559], He shall surely[H4191] be put to death[H4191].
6
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]repented[H5162] them for Benjamin[H1144] their brother[H251], and said[H559], There is one[H259]tribe[H7626] cut off[H1438] from Israel[H3478] this day[H3117].
7
How shall we do[H6213] for wives[H802] for them that remain[H3498], seeing we have sworn[H7650] by the LORD[H3068] that we will not give[H5414] them of our daughters[H1323] to wives?[H802]
8
And they said[H559], What one[H259] is there of the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478] that came[H935] not up[H5927] to Mizpeh[H4709] to the LORD?[H3068] And, behold, there came[H935]none[H376] to the camp[H4264] from Jabeshgilead[H3003] to the assembly[H6951].
9
For the people[H5971] were numbered[H6485], and, behold, there were none[H376] of the inhabitants[H3427] of Jabeshgilead[H3003] there.
10
And the congregation[H5712]sent[H7971] thither twelve[H8147]thousand[H505]men[H376] of the valiantest[H1121], and commanded[H6680] them, saying[H559], Go[H3212] and smite[H5221] the inhabitants[H3427] of Jabeshgilead[H3003] with the edge[H6310] of the sword[H2719], with the women[H802] and the children[H2945].
11
And this is the thing[H1697] that ye shall do[H6213], Ye shall utterly destroy[H2763] every male[H2145], and every woman[H802] that hath lain[H4904] by man[H3045].
12
And they found[H4672] among the inhabitants[H3427] of Jabeshgilead[H3003]four[H702]hundred[H3967]young[H5291]virgins[H1330], that had known[H3045] no man[H376] by lying[H4904] with any male[H2145]: and they brought[H935] them unto the camp[H4264] to Shiloh[H7887], which is in the land[H776] of Canaan[H3667].
13
And the whole congregation[H5712]sent[H7971] some to speak[H1696] to the children[H1121] of Benjamin[H1144] that were in the rock[H5553]Rimmon[H7417], and to call[H7121]peaceably[H7965] unto them.
14
And Benjamin[H1144] came again[H7725] at that time[H6256]; and they gave[H5414] them wives[H802] which they had saved alive[H2421] of the women[H802] of Jabeshgilead[H3003]: and yet so they sufficed[H4672] them not.
15
And the people[H5971]repented[H5162] them for Benjamin[H1144], because that the LORD[H3068] had made[H6213] a breach[H6556] in the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478].
16
Then the elders[H2205] of the congregation[H5712]said[H559], How shall we do[H6213] for wives[H802] for them that remain[H3498], seeing the women[H802] are destroyed[H8045] out of Benjamin?[H1144]
17
And they said[H559], There must be an inheritance[H3425] for them that be escaped[H6413] of Benjamin[H1144], that a tribe[H7626] be not destroyed[H4229] out of Israel[H3478].
18
Howbeit we may[H3201] not give[H5414] them wives[H802] of our daughters[H1323]: for the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] have sworn[H7650], saying[H559], Cursed[H779] be he that giveth[H5414] a wife[H802] to Benjamin[H1144].
19
Then they said[H559], Behold, there is a feast[H2282] of the LORD[H3068] in Shiloh[H7887]yearly[H3117] in a place which is on the north side[H6828] of Bethel[H1008], on the east side[H4217] of the highway[H4546] that goeth up[H5927] from Bethel[H1008] to Shechem[H7927], and on the south[H5045] of Lebonah[H3829].
20
Therefore they commanded[H6680] the children[H1121] of Benjamin[H1144], saying[H559], Go[H3212] and lie in wait[H693] in the vineyards[H3754];
21
And see[H7200], and, behold, if the daughters[H1323] of Shiloh[H7887] come out[H3318] to dance[H2342] in dances[H4246], then come ye out[H3318] of the vineyards[H3754], and catch[H2414] you every man[H376] his wife[H802] of the daughters[H1323] of Shiloh[H7887], and go[H1980] to the land[H776] of Benjamin[H1144].
22
And it shall be, when their fathers[H1] or their brethren[H251]come[H935] unto us to complain[H7378], that we will say[H559] unto them, Be favourable[H2603] unto them for our sakes: because we reserved[H3947] not to each man[H376] his wife[H802] in the war[H4421]: for ye did not give[H5414] unto them at this time[H6256], that ye should be guilty[H816].
23
And the children[H1121] of Benjamin[H1144] did so[H6213], and took[H5375] them wives[H802], according to their number[H4557], of them that danced[H2342], whom they caught[H1497]: and they went[H3212] and returned[H7725] unto their inheritance[H5159], and repaired[H1129] the cities[H5892], and dwelt[H3427] in them.
24
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]departed[H1980] thence at that time[H6256], every man[H376] to his tribe[H7626] and to his family[H4940], and they went out[H3318] from thence every man[H376] to his inheritance[H5159].
25
In those days[H3117] there was no king[H4428] in Israel[H3478]: every man[H376]did[H6213] that which was right[H3477] in his own eyes[H5869].