1 Now the men|strong="H0376" of Israel|strong="H3478" had sworn|strong="H7650" in Mizpeh|strong="H4709", saying|strong="H0559", There shall not any|strong="H0376" of us give|strong="H5414" his daughter|strong="H1323" unto Benjamin|strong="H1144" to wife|strong="H0802".
2 And the people|strong="H5971" came|strong="H0935" to the house|strong="H1004" of God|strong="H0430", and abode|strong="H3427" there till even|strong="H6153" before|strong="H6440" God|strong="H0430", and lifted up|strong="H5375" their voices|strong="H6963", and wept|strong="H1058" sore|strong="H1419";
3 And said|strong="H0559", O \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* God|strong="H0430" of Israel|strong="H3478", why is this come to pass in Israel|strong="H3478", that there should be to day|strong="H3117" one|strong="H0259" tribe|strong="H7626" lacking|strong="H6485" in Israel|strong="H3478"?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow|strong="H4283", that the people|strong="H5971" rose early|strong="H7925", and built|strong="H1129" there an altar|strong="H4196", and offered|strong="H5927" burnt offerings|strong="H5930" and peace offerings|strong="H8002".
5 And the children|strong="H1121" of Israel|strong="H3478" said|strong="H0559", Who is there among all the tribes|strong="H7626" of Israel|strong="H3478" that|strong="H0834" came|strong="H5927" not up with the congregation|strong="H6951" unto the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w*? For they had made a great|strong="H1419" oath|strong="H7621" concerning him that came not up|strong="H5927" to the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* to Mizpeh|strong="H4709", saying|strong="H0559", He shall surely|strong="H4191" be put to death|strong="H4191".
6 And the children|strong="H1121" of Israel|strong="H3478" repented|strong="H5162" them for Benjamin|strong="H1144" their brother|strong="H0251", and said|strong="H0559", There is one|strong="H0259" tribe|strong="H7626" cut off|strong="H1438" from Israel|strong="H3478" this day|strong="H3117".
7 How shall we do|strong="H6213" for wives|strong="H0802" for them that remain|strong="H3498", seeing we have sworn|strong="H7650" by the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* that we will not give|strong="H5414" them of our daughters|strong="H1323" to wives|strong="H0802"?
8 And they said|strong="H0559", What one|strong="H0259" is there of the tribes|strong="H7626" of Israel|strong="H3478" that came not up|strong="H5927" to Mizpeh|strong="H4709" to the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w*? And, behold, there came|strong="H0935" none|strong="H0376" to the camp|strong="H4264" from Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003" to the assembly|strong="H6951".
9 For the people|strong="H5971" were numbered|strong="H6485", and, behold, there were none|strong="H0376" of the inhabitants|strong="H3427" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003" there.
10 And the congregation|strong="H5712" sent|strong="H7971" thither twelve|strong="H8147" thousand|strong="H0505" men|strong="H0376" of the valiantest|strong="H1121", and commanded|strong="H6680" them, saying|strong="H0559", Go|strong="H3212" and smite|strong="H5221" the inhabitants|strong="H3427" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003" with the edge|strong="H6310" of the sword|strong="H2719", with the women|strong="H0802" and the children|strong="H2945".
11 And this is the thing|strong="H1697" that ye shall do|strong="H6213", Ye shall utterly destroy|strong="H2763" every male|strong="H2145", and every woman|strong="H0802" that hath lain|strong="H4904" by man|strong="H3045".
12 And they found|strong="H4672" among the inhabitants|strong="H3427" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003" four|strong="H0702" hundred|strong="H3967" young|strong="H5291" virgins|strong="H1330", that had known|strong="H3045" no man|strong="H0376" by lying|strong="H4904" with any male|strong="H2145": and they brought|strong="H0935" them unto the camp|strong="H4264" to Shiloh|strong="H7887", which is in the land|strong="H0776" of Canaan|strong="H3667".
13 And the whole congregation|strong="H5712" sent|strong="H7971" some to speak|strong="H1696" to the children|strong="H1121" of Benjamin|strong="H1144" that were in the rock|strong="H5553" Rimmon|strong="H7417", and to call|strong="H7121" peaceably|strong="H7965" unto them.
14 And Benjamin|strong="H1144" came again|strong="H7725" at that time|strong="H6256"; and they gave|strong="H5414" them wives|strong="H0802" which they had saved alive|strong="H2421" of the women|strong="H0802" of Jabesh-gilead|strong="H3003": and yet so they sufficed|strong="H4672" them not.
15 And the people|strong="H5971" repented|strong="H5162" them for Benjamin|strong="H1144", because that the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* had made|strong="H6213" a breach|strong="H6556" in the tribes|strong="H7626" of Israel|strong="H3478".
16 Then the elders|strong="H2205" of the congregation|strong="H5712" said|strong="H0559", How shall we do|strong="H6213" for wives|strong="H0802" for them that remain|strong="H3498", seeing the women|strong="H0802" are destroyed|strong="H8045" out of Benjamin|strong="H1144"?
17 And they said|strong="H0559", There must be an inheritance|strong="H3425" for them that be escaped|strong="H6413" of Benjamin|strong="H1144", that a tribe|strong="H7626" be not destroyed|strong="H4229" out of Israel|strong="H3478".
18 Howbeit we may|strong="H3201" not give|strong="H5414" them wives|strong="H0802" of our daughters|strong="H1323": for the children|strong="H1121" of Israel|strong="H3478" have sworn|strong="H7650", saying|strong="H0559", Cursed|strong="H0779" be he that giveth|strong="H5414" a wife|strong="H0802" to Benjamin|strong="H1144".
19 Then they said|strong="H0559", Behold, there is a feast|strong="H2282" of the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* in Shiloh|strong="H7887" yearly|strong="H3117" in a place which is on the north side|strong="H6828" of Beth-el|strong="H1008", on the east side|strong="H4217" of the highway|strong="H4546" that goeth up|strong="H5927" from Beth-el|strong="H1008" to Shechem|strong="H7927", and on the south|strong="H5045" of Lebonah|strong="H3829".
20 Therefore they commanded|strong="H6680" the children|strong="H1121" of Benjamin|strong="H1144", saying|strong="H0559", Go|strong="H3212" and lie in wait|strong="H0693" in the vineyards|strong="H3754";
21 And see|strong="H7200", and, behold, if the daughters|strong="H1323" of Shiloh|strong="H7887" come out|strong="H3318" to dance|strong="H2342" in dances|strong="H4246", then come ye out|strong="H3318" of the vineyards|strong="H3754", and catch|strong="H2414" you every man|strong="H0376" his wife|strong="H0802" of the daughters|strong="H1323" of Shiloh|strong="H7887", and go|strong="H1980" to the land|strong="H0776" of Benjamin|strong="H1144".
22 And it shall be, when their fathers|strong="H0001" or their brethren|strong="H0251" come|strong="H0935" unto us to complain|strong="H7378", that we will say|strong="H0559" unto them, Be favourable|strong="H2603" unto them for our sakes: because we reserved|strong="H3947" not to each man|strong="H0376" his wife|strong="H0802" in the war|strong="H4421": for ye did not give|strong="H5414" unto them at this time|strong="H6256", that ye should be guilty|strong="H0816".
23 And the children|strong="H1121" of Benjamin|strong="H1144" did so|strong="H6213", and took|strong="H5375" them wives|strong="H0802", according to their number|strong="H4557", of them that danced|strong="H2342", whom they caught|strong="H1497": and they went|strong="H3212" and returned|strong="H7725" unto their inheritance|strong="H5159", and repaired|strong="H1129" the cities|strong="H5892", and dwelt|strong="H3427" in them.
24 And the children|strong="H1121" of Israel|strong="H3478" departed|strong="H1980" thence at that time|strong="H6256", every man|strong="H0376" to his tribe|strong="H7626" and to his family|strong="H4940", and they went out|strong="H3318" from thence every man|strong="H0376" to his inheritance|strong="H5159".
25 In those days|strong="H3117" there was no king|strong="H4428" in Israel|strong="H3478": every man|strong="H0376" did|strong="H6213" that which was right|strong="H3477" in his own eyes|strong="H5869".