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, “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 until the evening 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 one tribe lacking in Israel today?

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 next day that the people rose early and built an altar there 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 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.

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 sons of Israel repented because of 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 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?

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, 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 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 Jabeshgilead there.

For when the people were numbered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was 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 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 has lain with a 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 over Benjamin because 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 ¶ 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, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 sons 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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; each one did that which seemed right in his own eyes.

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