1 N ow the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”

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

2 T he people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.

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

3 T hey said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”

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

4 O n the next day, the people rose early, and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

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

5 T he children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

Then 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.”

6 T he children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.

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

7 H ow shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”

What 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.”

8 T hey said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.

They 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.

9 F or when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.

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

10 T he congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men 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.

The 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.

11 T his is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”

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

12 T hey found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

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

13 T he whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

Then 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.

14 B enjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.

So 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.

15 T he people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

The people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had divided the families of Israel.

16 T hen the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”

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

17 T hey said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.

And 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.

18 H owever we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”

But 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.”

19 T hey said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”

So 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.”

20 T hey commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

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

21 a nd see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

and 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.

22 I t shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’”

When 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.’”

23 T he children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.

The 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.

24 T he children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.

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

25 I n those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

There was no king in Israel in those days. Each man did what he thought was right.