Chapter 21

Now the men of Israel had sworn⁸ in Mizpeh, saying,² There shall not any of us give⁴ his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

And the people came⁴ to the house of God, and abode⁴ there till even before God, and lifted up⁴ their voices, and wept⁴ sore; ¹⁴¹⁹

And said,⁴ O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking⁹ in Israel?

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early,⁵⁵ and built⁴ there an altar, and offered⁵⁵ burnt offerings and peace offerings.

And the children of Israel said,⁴ Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came not up¹ with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up¹ to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying,² He shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

And the children of Israel repented¹¹ them for Benjamin their brother, and said,⁴ There is one tribe cut off⁸ from Israel this day.

How shall we do⁴ for wives for them that remain,¹² seeing we have sworn⁸ by the LORD that we will not give² them of our daughters to wives?

And they said,⁴ What one [is there] of the tribes of Israel that came not up¹ to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came¹ none to the camp from Jabeshgilead ¹⁵⁶⁸ to the assembly.

For the people were numbered,¹⁰¹ and, behold, [there were] none of the inhabitants⁶ of Jabeshgilead ¹⁵⁶⁸ there.

And the congregation sent⁴ thither twelve ⁶²⁴⁰ thousand men of the valiantest, ²⁴²⁸ and commanded¹⁷ them, saying,² Go³ and smite⁵² the inhabitants⁶ of Jabeshgilead ¹⁵⁶⁸ with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

And this [is] the thing that ye shall do,⁴ Ye shall utterly destroy⁵⁵ every male, and every woman that hath⁶ lain by man.

And they found⁴ among the inhabitants⁶ of Jabeshgilead ¹⁵⁶⁸ four hundred young virgins, that had known¹ no man by lying with any male: and they brought⁵⁵ them unto the camp to Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.

And the whole congregation sent⁴ [some] to speak¹⁷ to the children of Benjamin that [were] in the rock Rimmon, and to call⁴ peaceably unto them.

And Benjamin came again⁴ at that time; and they gave⁴ them wives which they had saved alive¹⁴ of the women of Jabeshgilead: ¹⁵⁶⁸ and yet so they sufficed¹ them not.

And the people repented¹² them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made¹ a breach in the tribes of Israel.

Then the elders of the congregation said,⁴ How shall we do⁴ for wives for them that remain,¹² seeing the women are destroyed⁸ out of Benjamin?

And they said,⁴ [There must be] an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed¹¹ out of Israel.

Howbeit we may⁴ not give² them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn,⁸ saying,² Cursed⁷ [be] he that giveth⁶ a wife to Benjamin.

Then they said,⁴ Behold, [there is] a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly ³¹¹⁷ [in a place] which [is] on the north side of Bethel, on the east side ⁸¹²¹ of the highway that goeth up⁶ from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

Therefore they commanded¹⁷ the children of Benjamin, saying,² Go³ and lie in wait¹ in the vineyards;

And see,¹ and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out⁴ to dance² in dances, then come ye out¹ of the vineyards, and catch¹ you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go¹ to the land of Benjamin.

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come⁴ unto us to complain,² that we will say¹ unto them, Be favourable³ unto them for our sakes: because we reserved¹ not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give¹ unto them at this time, [that] ye should be guilty.⁴

And the children of Benjamin did⁴ so, and took⁴ [them] wives, according to their number, of them that danced,³⁵ whom they caught:¹ and they went⁴ and returned⁴ unto their inheritance, and repaired⁴ the cities, and dwelt⁴ in them.

And the children of Israel departed¹⁰¹ thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out⁴ from thence every man to his inheritance.

In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did⁴ [that which was] right in his own eyes.