1 T he men of Israel had made a promise in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin.”

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

2 S o the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. In loud voices they cried,

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

3 “ O Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel? Why should there be one family group missing in Israel today?”

And 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?

4 T he people got up early the next day and built an altar there. They gave burnt gifts and peace gifts on it.

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

5 T hen the people of Israel said, “Who among all the family groups of Israel did not come with the people to the Lord?” For they had made a promise about the one who did not come to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “For sure he will be put to death.”

And 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.

6 T he people of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin. They said, “One family is cut off from Israel today.

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

7 W hat will we do for wives for those who are left? We have promised by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”

What 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?

8 T hey said, “Who of the families of Israel did not come to the Lord at Mizpah?” And they found that no one had come to the meeting from Jabesh-gilead.

And 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.

9 W hen the people were called, they saw that not one of the people of Jabesh-gilead was there.

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

10 T he people sent 12, 000 powerful soldiers to go there. They told them, “Go and kill the people of Jabesh-gilead with the sword. Kill the women and the children also.

And 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.

11 T his is what you must do. Destroy every man and every woman who has had a man.”

And this is what you shall do; utterly destroy every male and every woman who is not a virgin.

12 T hey found 400 young women who had never had a man. So they brought them to the tents at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.

And 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.

13 T hen all the people sent news to the people of Benjamin at the rock of Rimmon. They told them they wanted to have peace with them.

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

14 S o the people of Benjamin returned. The people of Israel gave them the women they had saved alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead. But there were not 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 there were not enough for them.

15 T he people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had divided the families of Israel.

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

16 T hen the leaders of the people said, “What will we do for wives for those who are left? All the women of Benjamin were killed.”

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

17 A nd they said, “There must be something that can be given to those of Benjamin who are left. Or a family will be taken out of Israel.

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

18 B ut we cannot give them our daughters for wives.” For the men of Israel had promised, “A curse will come to the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.”

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

19 S o they said, “See, there is a special supper to the Lord every year in Shiloh. It is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

So 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.

20 T hey told the men of Benjamin, “Go and hide in the grape-fields. Wait there

So they commanded the Benjamites, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

21 a nd watch. The daughters of Shiloh might come out to dance. Then come out of the grape-fields. Each of you will catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin.

And 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.

22 W hen their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Give them to us of your own free will. For we did not leave a wife for each of the men of Benjamin in battle. And you did not give them any. You would have been doing wrong.’”

And 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.

23 T he men of Benjamin did so. They took wives from those who danced, one for each man. They carried them away and returned to their land. Then they built the cities again and lived in them.

And 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.

24 T he people of Israel left there at that time. Each man returned to his family in his own land.

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

25 T here was no king in Israel in those days. Each man did what he thought was right.

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