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 an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”

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

Then the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They 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 said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing 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.

So it was, on the next morning, that the people rose early and built an altar there, 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.”

The 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.”

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

And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is 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 remain, 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, “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.

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 counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants 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.

So 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.

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

And this is the thing that you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately.”

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.

So 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.

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.

Then the whole congregation sent word to the children of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and announced peace to 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.

So 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.

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

And the people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void 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 remain, since the women of Benjamin have been 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, that a tribe may not be destroyed from 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.”

However, 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.’”

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.”

Then 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.”

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

Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, 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; 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.

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.’”

Then 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.’”

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 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.

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

So 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.

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; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.