Now the men of Israel
had sworn
in Mizpeh
, saying
, There shall not any
of us give
his daughter
unto Benjamin
to wife
.
And the people came
to the house
of God
, and abode
there till even
before
God
, and lifted up
their voices
, and wept
sore
;
And said, O LORD
God
of Israel
, why is this come to pass in Israel
, that there should be to day
one
tribe
lacking
in Israel
?
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people
rose early
, and built
there an altar
, and offered
burnt offerings
and peace offerings
.
And the children of Israel
said
, Who is there among all the tribes
of Israel
that
came
not up with the congregation
unto the LORD
? For they had made a great
oath
concerning him that came not up
to the LORD
to Mizpeh
, saying
, He shall surely
be put to death
.
And the children of Israel
repented
them for Benjamin
their brother
, and said
, There is one
tribe
cut off
from Israel
this day
.
How shall we do for wives
for them that remain
, seeing we have sworn
by the LORD
that we will not give
them of our daughters
to wives
?
And they said, What one
is there of the tribes
of Israel
that came not up
to Mizpeh
to the LORD
? And, behold, there came
none
to the camp
from Jabeshgilead
to the assembly
.
For the people were numbered
, and, behold, there were none
of the inhabitants
of Jabeshgilead
there.
And the congregation sent
thither twelve
thousand
men
of the valiantest
, and commanded
them, saying
, Go
and smite
the inhabitants
of Jabeshgilead
with the edge
of the sword
, with the women
and the children
.
And this is the thing that ye shall do
, Ye shall utterly destroy
every male
, and every woman
that hath lain
by man
.
And they found among the inhabitants
of Jabeshgilead
four
hundred
young
virgins
, that had known
no man
by lying
with any male
: and they brought
them unto the camp
to Shiloh
, which is in the land
of Canaan
.
And the whole congregation sent
some to speak
to the children
of Benjamin
that were in the rock
Rimmon
, and to call
peaceably
unto them.
And Benjamin came again
at that time
; and they gave
them wives
which they had saved alive
of the women
of Jabeshgilead
: and yet so they sufficed
them not.
And the people repented
them for Benjamin
, because that the LORD
had made
a breach
in the tribes
of Israel
.
Then the elders of the congregation
said
, How shall we do
for wives
for them that remain
, seeing the women
are destroyed
out of Benjamin
?
And they said, There must be an inheritance
for them that be escaped
of Benjamin
, that a tribe
be not destroyed
out of Israel
.
Howbeit we may not give
them wives
of our daughters
: for the children
of Israel
have sworn
, saying
, Cursed
be he that giveth
a wife
to Benjamin
.
Then they said, Behold, there is a feast
of the LORD
in Shiloh
yearly
in a place which is on the north side
of Bethel
, on the east side
of the highway
that goeth up
from Bethel
to Shechem
, and on the south
of Lebonah
.
Therefore they commanded the children
of Benjamin
, saying
, Go
and lie in wait
in the vineyards
;
And see, and, behold, if the daughters
of Shiloh
come out
to dance
in dances
, then come ye out
of the vineyards
, and catch
you every man
his wife
of the daughters
of Shiloh
, and go
to the land
of Benjamin
.
And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren
come
unto us to complain
, that we will say
unto them, Be favourable
unto them for our sakes: because we reserved
not to each man
his wife
in the war
: for ye did not give
unto them at this time
, that ye should be guilty
.
And the children of Benjamin
did so
, and took
them wives
, according to their number
, of them that danced
, whom they caught
: and they went
and returned
unto their inheritance
, and repaired
the cities
, and dwelt
in them.
And the children of Israel
departed
thence at that time
, every man
to his tribe
and to his family
, and they went out
from thence every man
to his inheritance
.
In those days there was no king
in Israel
: every man
did
that which was right
in his own eyes
.