1
And the men◦ of Israel had promised in Mizpah, saying, There shall not a man◦ of us give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.
2
And the people came··into Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted their voice and wept with great weeping,
3
and said, O Jehovah, God of Israel, why is this in Israel, that there should be today one tribe◦ missing from Israel?
4
And it was, on the morrow, that the people got··up··early and built there an altar and offered··up burnt··offerings and peace··offerings.
5
And the sons of Israel said, Who is he that came not up in the assembly of all the tribes◦ of Israel to▵ Jehovah? For there was a great promise concerning him who came not up to▵ Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, Dying, he shall··be··put··to··death.
6
And the sons of Israel repented toward▵ Benjamin their brother, and said, Today one tribe◦ from Israel is hewn··off.
7
What shall we do for wives for them that remain? And we◦ have promised by Jehovah that we will not▵ give them any of our daughters for wives.
8
And they said, What one is there from the tribes◦ of Israel, that came· not ·up to▵ Jehovah to Mizpah? And behold, there came not a man◦ to▵ the camp from Jabesh-gilead to▵ the assembly.
9
And they numbered◦ the people, and, behold, there was no man◦ there from them dwelling··in Jabesh-gilead.
10
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men◦ of the sons of valor, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite them dwelling··in Jabesh-gilead with the mouth of the sword, and the women and the infants.
11
And this is the word that you shall do: You shall doom every male, and every woman that has known a male by lying with him.
12
And they found from those who dwelt in Jabesh of Gilead four hundred damsels, virgins who had not known a man◦ by lying with a male; and they brought them to▵ the camp of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13
And all the congregation sent and spoke to▵ the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock◦ Rimmon, and they proclaimed peace to them.
14
And Benjamin returned at that◦ time, and they gave them wives which they had let··live of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but thus◦ they did not find enough for all of them.
15
And the people repented for Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes◦ of Israel.
16
And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those remaining? For woman is blotted··out from Benjamin.
17
And they said, There must be a possession for those who are escaped◦ of Benjamin, that a tribe◦ be not wiped out from Israel.
18
But we◦ are· not ·able to give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have promised, saying, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.
19
And they said, Behold, there is a festival of Jehovah from days to days in Shiloh which is at the north of Bethel to the rising◦ of the sun, on the highway that goes··up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and set··an··ambush in the vineyards;
21
and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come··out to dance◦ in dances, then come· ye ·out from vineyards, and catch◦ them for yourselves, a man◦ his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go◦ to the land of Benjamin.
22
And it shall be, if▫ their fathers come or their brothers, to strive with us, we shall say to▵ them, Be··gracious to▵ them for us, for we took not a wife for each man◦ in the war; for you◦ did not give to them, that you should be··guilty at this time.
23
And the sons of Benjamin did so, and carried away wives, according to their number from those who danced◦, whom they snatched··away; and they went and returned to▵ their inheritance, and built the cities and dwelt in them.
24
And the sons of Israel went◦ thence at that◦ time, a man◦ to his tribe◦ and to his family, and went··out from thence a man◦ to his inheritance.
25
In those◦ days there was no king in Israel; every man◦ did what was upright in his eyes.
