Shof'tim (Jdg) 21
21
1The men of Isra’el had sworn in Mitzpah that none of them would let his daughter marry a man from Binyamin. 2The people came to Beit-El and stayed there before God till evening crying out and weeping. 3They said: “Adonai, why has this come about in Isra’el? Why should there be today in Isra’el one tribe missing?” 4The next day the people got up early, built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5The people of Isra’el asked, “Who among the tribes of Isra’el did not come up to assemble before Adonai? For they had made a great oath to put to death whoever didn’t come up to Adonai at Mitzpah. 6The people of Isra’el became sorry for Binyamin their brother and said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Isra’el. 7How are we going to obtain wives for those who remain alive, since we’ve sworn by Adonai that we won’t let our daughters marry them?”
8Then they asked who from the tribes of Isra’el had not come up to Adonai at Mitzpah and found that none had come from Yavesh-Gil‘ad to the camp where the assembly was; 9since when the people were counted, none of the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil‘ad were found there. 10So the gathering sent 12,000 warriors there and ordered them, “Go, and put the people who live in Yavesh-Gil‘ad to death with the sword, including women and children. 11Completely destroy every man and every woman who has had sex with a man.” 12Among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil‘ad they found 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Kena‘an.
13Then the whole gathering sent a message proclaiming peace to the people of Binyamin who were at the Rock of Rimmon. 14So Binyamin returned at that time, and the people of Isra’el gave them the women they had kept alive of the women from Yavesh-Gil‘ad. But those weren’t enough for them. 15The people were still sorry for Binyamin because Adonai had made a division among the tribes of Isra’el.
16The leaders of the assembly asked, “What are we to do for those who still don’t have wives, inasmuch as all the women of Binyamin have been killed?” 17They said, “There has to be a way to help the survivors preserve Binyamin’s inheritance, so that a tribe will not be eliminated from Isra’el. 18Yet we can’t give them our daughters as wives.” For the people of Isra’el had sworn, “Cursed be whoever gives a wife to Binyamin.”
19Then they said, “Look, each year there’s a festival in honor of Adonai in Shiloh, north of Beit-El, on the east side of the road that goes up from Beit-El to Sh’khem, and south of Levonah.” 20They ordered the men of Binyamin, “Go, hide in the vineyards, 21and keep watch. If the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each of you catch for himself a wife from the Shiloh girls, and go on to the land of Binyamin. 22When their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Give them as a personal favor to us, because we didn’t take wives for each of them in battle. You didn’t give them to them; that would have made you guilty of breaking your oath.’” 23So the men of Binyamin did this — they took wives for themselves from the girls who were dancing, as many as they needed. They carried them off, went back to the land of their inheritance, rebuilt the cities and lived in them. 24The people of Isra’el then left that place, each man returned to his tribe and family, and each man went out from there to the land he had inherited.
25At that time there was no king in Isra’el; a man simply did whatever he thought was right.
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Shof'tim (Jdg) 21: CJB
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21
1Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
2And they all came to the house of God in Silo: and abiding before him till the evening lifted up their voices, and began to lament and weep, saying:
3O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?
4And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered there holocausts, and victims of peace. And they said:
5Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the army of the Lord? For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain.
6And the children of Israel, being moved with repentance for their brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
7Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn not to give our daughters to them.
8Therefore they said: Who is thereof all the tribes of Israel, that came not up to the Lord to Maspha? And, behold, the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army.
9(At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there.)
10So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword, with their wives and their children.
11And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save.
12And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that had not known the bed of a man: and they brought them to the camp Silo, into the land of Chanaan.
13And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
14And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were given them of the daughters of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might give in like manner.
15And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of one tribe out of Israel.
16And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
17And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give Benjamin any of his daughters to wife.
19So they took counsel, and said: Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona.
20And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
21And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards; and catch you every man his wife among them: and go into the land of Benjamin.
22And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have pity on them: for they took them not away as by the right of war or conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the fault was committed on your part.
23And the children of Benjamin did, as they had been commanded: and according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his wife of them that were dancing. And they went into their possession and built up their cities, and dwelt in them.
24The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families, to their dwellings. In those days there was no king in Israel: but every one did that which seemed right to himself.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.