Judges, 21

1. Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

1. The men of Israel swore at Mizpah: "None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to any Benjaminite."

2. And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;

2. The people went to Bethel. There they sat before Yahweh until evening, called on him and wept with great lamentation.

3. And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

3. They said, "Yahweh, God of Israel, why has this misfortune happened to Israel, that one of its tribes has perished today?"

4. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

4. On the next day, the people rose early, built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings.

5. And the children of Israel said, Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

5. The Israelites then asked, "Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly of Yahweh?" For they had sol-emnly sworn that whoever would not come up to Mizpah before Yahweh should die.

6. And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

6. The sons of Israel had compassion on their brother Benjamin and they said, "Today a tribe of Israel has been cut off,

7. How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

7. what shall we do to provide wives for those that remain, for we have sworn to Yahweh not to give them our daughters in marriage?"

8. And they said, What one [is there] of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

8. Because of this they asked, "Did any tribe of Israel not come up to Mizpah before Yahweh?" And they found out that none from Yabesh of Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

9. For the people were numbered, and, behold, [there were] none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.

9. They made the census and saw that there was no one from Yabesh of Gilead.

10. And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

10. Then the community sent there twelve thousand of their valiant men with this order: "Go and put to the sword the inhabitants of Yabesh of Gilead, including women and children.

11. And this [is] the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

11. This is what you shall do: kill every man and every woman who has had a relation with a man, but let the maidens live."

12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.

12. So they did. They found four hundred young virgins among the inhabitants of Yabesh in Gilead (who had not had any relations with man), and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13. And the whole congregation sent [some] to speak to the children of Benjamin that [were] in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

13. Then the community sent messengers to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon to make peace with them,

14. And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

14. and the Benjaminites returned. The Israelites gave them the women of Yabesh of Gilead they had spared, but there were not enough for all.

15. And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

15. The people had compassion again on Benjamin for Yahweh had let one of the tribes of Israel perish.

16. Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

16. So the community elders said, "What can we do to provide wives for those that are left, for the women of Benjamin were killed?"

17. And they said, [There must be] an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

17. and they added, "How can the survival of Benjamin be assured that a tribe of Israel may not perish?

18. Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed [be] he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

18. We cannot give them our daughters since we have made this oath: Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin?"

19. Then they said, Behold, [there is] a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly [in a place] which [is] on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

19. But they said, "It is now the feast of Yahweh which is celebrated annually at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."

20. Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

20. So they advised the Benjaminites: "Go and wait in ambush in the vineyards.

21. And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

21. Be ready and when the maidens of Shiloh come dancing in groups, come out of the vineyards and each man seize a wife and go to the land of Benjamin.

22. And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, [that] ye should be guilty.

22. If their fathers or brothers come to complain against you, we shall tell them: "Try to understand them; see, the war left us with no means of giving a wife to each one of them. You are not the ones who gave them your maidens, otherwise you would have broken your vow."

23. And the children of Benjamin did so, and took [them] wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

23. So the Benjaminites did and seized the women they needed. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, rebuilt their cities and dwelt in them.

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

24. The Israelites then marched from there to their homes, every man to his tribe and family.

25. In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.

25. At that time, there was no king in Israel and everyone did what seemed good to him.