Now the men of Israel
ahad sworn
in Mizpah
, saying
, "None
of us shall give
his daughter
to Benjamin
1in marriage
."
aSo the people came
to Bethel
and sat
there
before
God
until
evening
, and lifted
up their voices
and wept
1bitterly
.
They said, "Why
, O LORD
, God
of Israel
, has this
come
about in Israel
, so that one
tribe
should be missing today
in Israel
?"
It came about the next
day
that the people
arose
early
and built
aan altar
there
and offered
burnt
offerings
and peace
offerings
.
Then the sons of Israel
said
, "Who
is there among
all
the tribes
of Israel
who
did not come
up in the assembly
to the LORD
?" For 1they had taken
a great
oath
concerning him awho
did not come
up to the LORD
at Mizpah
, saying
, "He shall surely
be put
to death
."
And the sons of Israel
were sorry
for their brother
Benjamin
and said
, "One
tribe
is cut
off
from Israel
today
.
"What shall we do
for wives
for those
who are left
, since we have asworn
by the LORD
not to give
them any
of our daughters
in marriage
?"
And they said, "What
one
is there of the tribes
of Israel
who
did not come
up to the LORD
at Mizpah
?" And behold
, no
one
had come
to the camp
from Jabesh-gilead
to the assembly
.
For when the people were 1numbered
, behold
, not one
of the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead
was there
.
And the congregation sent
12,000
of the valiant
warriors
there
, and commanded
them, saying
, "Go
and astrike
the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead
with the edge
of the sword
, with the women
and the little
ones
.
"This is the thing
that you shall do
: you ashall utterly
destroy
every
man
and every
woman
who has 1lain
with a man
."
And they found among
the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead
400
young
virgins
who
had not known
a man
by lying
with 1him; and they brought
them to the camp
at Shiloh
, which
is in the land
of Canaan
.
Then the whole congregation
sent
word and spoke
to the sons
of Benjamin
who
were aat the rock
of Rimmon
, and bproclaimed
peace
to them.
Benjamin returned
at that time
, and they gave
them the women
whom
they had kept
alive
from the women
of Jabesh-gilead
; yet they 1were not enough
for them.
And the people were sorry
for Benjamin
because
the LORD
had made
a breach
in the tribes
of Israel
.
Then 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
?"
They said, "There must be an inheritance
for the survivors
of Benjamin
, so
that a tribe
will not be blotted
out from Israel
.
"But we cannot give
them wives
of our daughters
." For the sons
of Israel
ahad sworn
, saying
, "Cursed
is he who gives
a wife
to Benjamin
."
So they said, "Behold
, there is a feast
of the LORD
from year
to year
in aShiloh
, which
is on the north
side
of Bethel
, on the east
side
of the highway
that goes
up from Bethel
to Shechem
, and on the south
side
of Lebonah
."
And they commanded the sons
of Benjamin
, saying
, "Go
and lie
in wait
in the vineyards
,
and watch; and behold
, if
the daughters
of Shiloh
come
out to 1 atake
part
in the dances
, then you shall come
out of the vineyards
and each
of you shall catch
his wife
from the daughters
of Shiloh
, and go
to the land
of Benjamin
.
"It shall come about, when
their fathers
or
their brothers
come
to complain
to us, that we shall say
to them, `Give
them to us voluntarily
, because
we did not take
for each
man
of Benjamin 1a wife
in battle
, 2 anor
did you give
them to them, else you would now
be guilty
.' "
The sons of Benjamin
did
so
, and took
wives
according to their number
from those who danced
, whom
they carried
away
. And they went
and returned
to their inheritance
and arebuilt
the cities
and lived
in them.
The sons of Israel
departed
from there
at that time
, every
man
to his tribe
and family
, and each
one
of them went
out from there
to his inheritance
.
aIn those days
there
was no
king
in Israel
; everyone
did
what
was right
in his own eyes
.