1 N ow the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”

2 A nd the Israelites came to the house of God and sat there until evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.

3 A nd they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”

4 A nd next morning the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

On the next day, the people rose early, and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 A nd the Israelites said, Which among all the tribes of Israel did not come up with the assembly to the Lord? For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely die.

The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

6 A nd the Israelites changed their purpose for the Benjamites their kinsmen and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.

The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.

7 W hat shall we do for wives for those who are left, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?

How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”

8 A nd they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord? And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.

They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.

9 F or when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the citizens of Jabesh-gilead was there.

For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.

10 A nd the congregation sent there 12, 000 of the bravest men, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, also the women and the little ones.

The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men 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 what you shall do; utterly destroy every male and every woman who is not a virgin.

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

12 A nd they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins, who had known no man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 A nd the whole congregation sent word to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon and invited them to be friendly with them.

The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

14 A nd Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet there were not enough for them.

Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.

15 A nd the people had compassion on Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16 T hen the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin are destroyed?

Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”

17 A nd they said, There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe shall not be wiped out of Israel.

They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.

18 B ut we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the Israelites have sworn, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.

However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”

19 S o they said, Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and south of Lebonah.

They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”

20 S o they commanded the Benjamites, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

21 A nd watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and catch every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin.

and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 A nd when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, we will say to them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we did not reserve a wife for each of them in battle, neither did you give wives to them, for that would have made you guilty.

It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’”

23 A nd the Benjamites did so and took wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance and repaired the towns and dwelt in them.

The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.

24 A nd the Israelites left there then, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.

25 I n those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.