Judges 21
21
Israel Preserves the Benjaminites
1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.”
2So the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.
3They said, “Adonai God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that one tribe should be missing in Israel?”
4Then it was on the next day that the people rose up early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
5Then Bnei-Yisrael asked, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the assembly before Adonai?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who did not come up to Adonai at Mizpah saying, “He will surely be put to death.”
6Now Bnei-Yisrael felt sorry for Benjamin their brother and said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7What should we do about providing wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by Adonai not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?”
8Then they inquired, “Which one of the tribes of Israel that did not go up to Adonai at Mizpah?” Then behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9For when the people were numbered, behold not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.
10So the congregation sent 12,000 valiant warriors 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.
11Now this is the thing that you will do: you are to utterly destroy every male and every woman who has lain with a man.”
12So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known man by lying with him. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13Then the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed shalom to them.
14When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them the women whom they had spared from the women of Jabesh-gilead. Yet they were not enough for them.
15So the people were sorry for Benjamin because Adonai had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17They said “The survivors of Benjamin must have heirs, so that a tribe would not be blotted out from Israel.
18Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters,” for Bnei-Yisrael had sworn saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin!”
19So they said, “Behold, there is the feast of Adonai from year to year at Shiloh” (which is to the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah).
20So they commanded the children of Benjamin saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards,
21and watch, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh should come out to join in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and let each of you catch his wife from among the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin.
22So it will be, if their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously for us, because we did not provide each one of them his wife in battle—nor did you give the girls to them, else you would now be guilty.’”
23So the children of Benjamin did so, and took the number of wives from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.
24So Bnei-Yisrael departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and family. Everyone went out from there to his own inheritance.
25In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Judges 21
21
1 The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, "None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin."
2 And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
3 "Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?"
4 Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
5 "Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?" For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
6 And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: "One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them."
8 For this reason, they said, "Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?" And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
10 And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, "Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones."
11 And this shall be what you ought to do: "Everyone of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve."
12 And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in peace.
14 And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
16 And those greater by birth said: "What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
17 and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
18 As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, 'Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.' "
19 And they took counsel, and they said, "Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah."
20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: "Go, and hide in the vineyards.
21 And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.
22 And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: 'Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.' "
23 And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents. In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
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