1 N ow the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a 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 T hen the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

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 has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”

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 S o it was, on the next morning, 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 T he children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the Lord ?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, 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 children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

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 who remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as 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, “What one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord ?” And, in fact, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead 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 when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there.

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

10 S o the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and 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 you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately.”

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

12 S o they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man intimately; and they brought them to the camp at 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 word to the children of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and announced peace to 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 S o Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.

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 grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void 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 T hen the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

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, “ There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from 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 cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to 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, “In fact, there is a yearly feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of 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 instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, 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; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then 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 T hen it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’”

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 children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they 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 S o the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man 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; everyone did what was 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.