1 N ow the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.”

2 A nd the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

3 a nd 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?

They said, “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?”

4 A nd it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

It came about the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 A nd 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.

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 they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

6 A nd the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

7 H ow 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?

What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?” Provision for Their Survival

8 A nd 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 Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

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.

9 F or the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.

For when the people were numbered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.

10 A nd the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

And the congregation sent 12, 000 of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

11 A nd this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man.”

12 A nd they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 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 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.

13 A nd the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

14 A nd Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they were not enough for them.

15 A nd the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

And the people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16 T hen the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

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?”

17 A nd they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

They said, “ There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.

18 H owbeit 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.

But we cannot give them wives of our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”

19 T hen they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, 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.”

20 T herefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

21 a nd 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 watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take 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.

22 A nd 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.

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 a wife in battle, nor did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’”

23 A nd 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.

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 rebuilt the cities and lived in them.

24 A nd 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.

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.

25 I n those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.