Judges, 21

1. The men of Israel had sworn this oath at Mizpah, 'None of us is to give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.'

1. Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."

2. The people went to Bethel and stayed there until evening, sitting before God and raising their voices, made a great lament,

2. And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

3. and exclaiming, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel that a tribe should be missing from Israel today?

3. And they said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"

4. The next day the people got up early and built an altar there; they presented burnt offerings and communion sacrifices.

4. And on the morrow the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5. The Israelites then said, 'Out of all the tribes of Israel, who has not come to Yahweh, to the assembly?' -- for they had sworn a solemn oath that anyone who did not come to Yahweh at Mizpah would certainly die.

5. And the people of Israel said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall be put to death."

6. Now the Israelites felt sorry about Benjamin their brother. 'Today', they said, 'a tribe has been amputated from Israel.

6. And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother, and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.

7. What shall we do to provide wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by Yahweh not to give them any of our own daughters in marriage?'

7. What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?"

8. They then asked, 'Out of the tribes of Israel, who is it that has not come to Yahweh at Mizpah?' It was discovered that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly;

8. And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Ja'besh-gil'ead, to the assembly.

9. for, a muster having been called of the people, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead was present.

9. For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead was there.

10. The community then despatched twelve thousand of their bravest men there, with these orders: 'Go and slaughter all the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead, including the women and children.

10. So the congregation sent thither twelve thousand of their bravest men, and commanded them, "Go and smite the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones.

11. This is what you are to do. All males and all those women who have ever slept with a man, you will put under the curse of destruction, but the lives of the virgins you will spare.' And this they did.

11. This is what you shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy."

12. Among the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man, and brought them to the camp (to Shiloh in the territory of Canaan).

12. And they found among the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13. The whole community then sent messengers to offer peace to the Benjaminites who were at the Rock of Rimmon.

13. Then the whole congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

14. Benjamin then came home: they were given those of the women of Jabesh in Gilead whose lives had been spared, but there were not enough for all.

14. And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Ja'besh-gil'ead; but they did not suffice for them.

15. The people felt sorry about Benjamin, Yahweh having made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

15. And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16. And the elders of the community said, 'What shall we do to provide wives for the survivors, since the women of Benjamin have been wiped out?'

16. Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

17. They went on, 'How can we preserve a remnant for Benjamin so that a tribe may not be lost to Israel?

17. And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.

18. We cannot give them our own daughters in marriage' -- for the Israelites had taken an oath, 'Accursed be the man who gives a wife to Benjamin!'

18. Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters." For the people of Israel had sworn, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin."

19. 'However,' they said, 'there is the feast of Yahweh, held every year at Shiloh.' (The town lies north of Bethel, east of the highway that runs from Bethel up to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.)

19. So they said, "Behold, there is the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebo'nah."

20. So they told the Benjaminites to do as follows, 'Put yourselves in ambush in the vineyards.

20. And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

21. Keep watch: when the girls of Shiloh come out in groups to dance, you then come out of the vineyards, each of you seize a wife from the girls of Shiloh and make for Benjaminite territory.

21. and watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and seize each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22. If their fathers or brothers come and complain to us, we shall say, "Let us have them, since we could not take wives for everyone in the battle; and you could not give them to them, or you would then have been guilty." '

22. And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, `Grant them graciously to us; because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.'"

23. The Benjaminites did this and, from the dancers whom they caught, took as many wives as there were men and then, setting off, went back to their heritage, rebuilt the towns and settled down in them.

23. And the Benjaminites did so, and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns, and dwelt in them.

24. The Israelites then dispersed, each man to rejoin his tribe and clan, each leaving that place for his own heritage.

24. And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

25. In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did as he saw fit.

25. In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.