Judg 21 | ABEn | STEP | And the man of Israel swore by an oath in Mizpeh, saying, [ 2 man 3 from 4 us 1 No] shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.

Judges 21

CHAPTER 21 Wives for the Tribe of Benjamin

1 And the man of Israel swore by an oath in Mizpeh, saying, [²man ³from ⁴us ¹No] shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife. 2 And [⁴came ¹all ²the ³people] unto Beth-el, and sat there until evening before God. And they lifted their voice and wept [²weeping ¹a great]. 3 And they said, Why, O lord God of Israel, was this taken place in Israel, to overlook today in Israel [²tribe ¹one]? 4 And it happened the next day that [³rose early ¹the ²people], and they built there an altar, and offered a whole burnt-offering of deliverance. 5 And [⁴said ¹the ²sons ³of Israel], Who is the one not ascending among the assembly from all of the tribes of Israel to the lord? For [³oath ²a great ¹there was] concerning the one not ascending to the lord in Mizpeh, saying, To death he shall die. 6 And [⁴relented ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] concerning [²Benjamin ¹their brother], and said, [⁵is removed ⁶today ²tribe ¹one ³from ⁴Israel]. 7 What should we do to them, to the ones left behind for wives, for we swore by an oath to the lord to not give to them from our daughters for wives? 8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel which did not ascend to the lord in Mizpeh? And behold, no [²came ¹man] to the camp from Jabish Gilead to the assembly. 9 And [³were numbered ¹the ²people], And behold, there is not there a man from the ones dwelling in Jabish Gilead.

Jabish Gilead is Struck by the Sword

10 And [³sent ⁴there ¹the ²congregation] twelve thousand men from the sons of the force. And they gave charge to them, saying, Go and strike all the ones dwelling in Jabish Gilead by the mouth of the broadsword, even the women and the people! 11 And this is the word which you shall do. Every male and every woman knowing the marriage-bed of a man you shall devote to consumption. 12 And they found of ones dwelling Jabish Gilead four hundred young women virgins, the ones that knew not a man, in the marriage-bed of a man. And they led them into the camp in Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And [⁴sent ¹all ²the ³congregation] and spoke to the sons of Benjamin, of the ones at the rock of Rimmon, and they called them for peace. 14 And Benjamin returned to the sons of Israel in that time, and they gave them the women who were of the women of Jabish Gilead, and it pleased them thus. 15 And the people were comforted concerning Benjamin, for [³made ¹the ² lord] a breach among the tribes of Israel. 16 And [⁵said ¹the ²elders ³of the ⁴congregation], What shall we do to the remaining for wives, now that [²was removed ³from ⁴Benjamin ¹the woman]? 17 And he said, An inheritance for the ones surviving to Benjamin, that in no way [²should be wiped away ¹a tribe] from Israel. 18 For we are not able to give to them wives from our daughters, for [⁴swore by an oath ¹the ²sons ³of Israel], saying, Accursed is the one giving a wife to Benjamin. 19 And they said, Behold, there is a holiday to the lord in Shiloh from days to days, which is from the north of Beth-el, according to the rising of the sun, upon the corridor ascending from Beth-el unto Shechem, and from south of Lebonah.

Benjamin Snatches Wives from Shiloh

20 And they gave charge to the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go forth and lie in wait at the vineyards! 21 And look and behold, whenever [⁶should come forth ¹the ²daughters ³of the ones ⁴dwelling in ⁵Shiloh] joining in a dance with a company of dancers, then you shall come forth from the vineyards, and let [²seize by force ³to himself ¹a man] a wife from the daughters of Shiloh! then you shall depart unto the land of Benjamin. 22 And it will be whenever [⁴should come ¹their fathers ²or ³their brothers] to quarrel with us, that we shall say to them, Show mercy on them! for [²did not take ¹a man] to himself a wife in the battle, for you did not give to them according to the time which you trespassed. 23 And [⁴did ⁵thus ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin]; and they took wives according to their number from the ones dancing, whom they snatched. And they went and returned unto their inheritance, and they built up the cities, and dwelt in them. 24 And [⁴walked ⁵from there ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] in that time, each man to his tribe, and to his kin; and [²went forth ³from there ¹each man] to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was not a king in Israel. A man [²the ³upright thing ⁴in ⁵his eyes ¹did].