Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife.
Now, the men of Israel, had sworn in Mizpah, saying, —Not a man from among us, shall give his daughter unto Benjamin, to wife.
2 And the people came to Bethel, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,
So then the people came to Bethel, and abode there, until the evening, before God, —and lifted up their voice, and wept bitterly,
3 and said, Jehovah, God of Israel, why is it come to pass in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?
and said, Wherefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel, hath this come about in Israel, —that there should be lacking, to-day, out of Israel, one tribe?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
And it came to pass, on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there, an altar, —and offered ascending-sacrifices, 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 to Jehovah? For they had [made] a great oath concerning him that came not up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall certainly be put to death.
And the sons of Israel said, Who was there that came not up, in the convocation, out of all the tribes of Israel, unto Yahweh? For, the great oath, had been taken, as to any who came not up unto Yahweh at Mizpah, saying—He shall be, put to death.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, To-day is one tribe extirpated from Israel.
And the sons of Israel grieved for Benjamin, their brother, —and they said, There is cut off, to-day, one tribe out of Israel.
7 What shall we do for wives for them that remain? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives.
What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —seeing that, we ourselves, have sworn by Yahweh, not to give them of our daughters, for wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpah to Jehovah? And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead, to the congregation;
So they said, What one of the tribes of Israel is there, that hath not come up unto Yahweh at Mizpah? And lo! no man had come into the camp, out of Jabesh-gilead, unto the convocation:
9 for the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead there.
When the people were numbered, lo! there was not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.
10 And the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, and the women and the children.
So the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men, of the sons of valour, —and commanded them, saying: —Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, with the edge of the sword, with the women, and the little ones.
11 And this is the thing which ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain with man.
And, this, is the thing that ye shall do, —Every male, and every woman that hath cohabited with man, shall ye devote to destruction.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women that were virgins, who had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them to the camp, to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
And they found—of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead—four hundred young women, virgins, who had not cohabited with man, —so they brought them into the camp, at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole assembly sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them.
Then the whole assembly sent, and spake unto the sons of Benjamin, who were in the cliff Rimmon, —and proclaimed to them, peace.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them the wives whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead; but even so they found not enough for them.
So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, —but they found not for them [to suffice], even so.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
Now, the assembly, had grieved for Benjamin, —because Yahweh had made a breach, in the tribes of Israel.
16 And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.
So then, the elders of the assembly said, What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, —for womankind, hath been destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped, that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel.
And they said, There is an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, —and there must not be wiped out, a tribe, out of Israel.
18 But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjaminites!
Yet, we, may not give them wives, of our own daughters, For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed, be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, toward the sun-rising of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
Then said they—Lo! the festival of Yahweh in Shiloh, from year to year, Which [Shiloh] is on the north of Bethel, towards sunrise, by the highway that goeth up from Bethel, towards Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, —Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
and look, and lo! if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then shall ye come forth out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife, of the daughters of Shiloh, —and go your way to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Gratify us with them, because we did not take each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give them to them, that ye should now be guilty.
And it shall be, when their fathers, or their brethren, come in to complain to us, that we will say unto them—As a favour to us, grant them, because we took not for each man his wife in the battle, —for, ye yourselves, gave them not unto them, so as, now, to be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.
And the sons of Benjamin did so, and carried off wives, according to their number, of them who were dancing, whom they seized, —and they went their way, and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt therein.
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.
And the sons of Israel at that time went their several ways from thence, every man to his own tribe, and to his own family, —yea they went forth from thence, every man to his own inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
In those days, there was no king in Israel, —every man did, that which was right in his own eyes.
