1 ¶ Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, None of us shall give his daughter unto those of Benjamin to wife.

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

2 A nd the people came to the house of God and abode there until the evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept sore

And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.

3 a nd said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?

And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?

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

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.

5 A nd the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning the one that would not come up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

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

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

7 W hat shall we do for wives for those that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters for wives?

How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

8 A nd they said, Is there anyone of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And they found that no one from Jabeshgilead had come to the camp nor to the assembly.

And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none 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 Jabeshgilead there.

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

10 T hen the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword with the women and the children.

And 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 little ones.

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

And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

12 A nd 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 they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 T hen the whole congregation sent some to speak to the sons of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon and to call peaceably unto them.

And the whole congregation sent and spake to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace unto them.

14 A nd those of Benjamin had returned at that time; and they gave them as wives those whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead, and even so they were not enough.

And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

15 A nd the people repented over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16 ¶ Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those that remain? For the female sex had been destroyed out of Benjamin.

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?

17 A nd they said, Let the inheritance of Benjamin be saved that a tribe not be destroyed out of Israel.

And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.

18 H owever, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife to anyone of Benjamin.

Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

19 T hen they said, Behold, there is a solemn feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is towards the Aquilon from Bethel and towards the rising of the sun from the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and towards the Negev from Lebonah.

And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

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

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

21 a nd watch with care, and when you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each one of you shall rapture a wife of 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 ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 A nd when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, we will say unto them, Be merciful unto us for their sakes because in the war we did not take enough women for all of them; and you could not have given them to them, or ye should be guilty now.

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain unto us, that we will say unto them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did ye give them unto them, else would ye now be guilty.

23 A nd the sons of Benjamin did so and took themselves wives, according to their number, rapturing them from among those that danced; and they went and returned unto their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.

24 T hen the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his family, each one going from there to his inheritance.

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.

25 I n those days there was no king in Israel; each one did that which seemed right in his own eyes.

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