Judges 21
1 Also the sones of Israel sworen in Maspha, and seiden, Noon of vs schal yyue to the sones of Beniamyn a wijf of his douytris.
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
2 And `alle camen to the hows of God in Silo, and thei saten in the `siyt of hym `til to euentid, and thei reisiden the vois, and bigunnen to wepe with greet yellyng,
The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
3 and seiden, Lord God of Israel, whi is this yuel don in thi puple, that to dai o lynage be takun awey of vs?
They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
4 Sotheli in the tother day thei risiden eerli, and bildyden an auter, and offriden there brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices, and seiden,
On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Who of alle the lynagis of Israel stiede not in to the oost of the Lord? For whanne thei weren in Maspha, thei `hadden bounde hem silf with a greuouse ooth, that thei that failiden schulden be slayn.
The children of Israel said, “Who is there amongst all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
6 And the sones of Israel weren led bi penaunce on her brother Beniamyn, and bigunnen to seie, O lynage of Israel is takun awey;
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
7 wherof schulen thei take wyues? for alle we sworen in comyn, that we schulen not yyue oure douytris to hem.
How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
8 Therfor thei seiden, Who is of alle the lynagis of Israel, that stiede not to the Lord in Maspha? And lo! the dwelleris of Jabes of Galaad weren foundun, that thei weren not in the oost.
They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
9 Also in that tyme, whanne thei weren in Silo, noon of hem was foundun there.
For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
10 Therfor thei senten ten thousynde strongeste men, and comaundiden to hem, Go ye, and smyte the dwelleris of Jabes of Galaad bi the scharpnesse of swerd, as wel the wyues as `the litle children of hem.
The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
11 And this thing schal be, which ye `owen to kepe, sle ye alle of male kynde, and the wymmen, that knewen men fleischli; reserue ye the virgyns.
This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
12 And foure hundrid virgyns, that knewen not the bed of man, weren foundun of Jabes of Galaad; and thei brouyten hem to the castels in Silo, in to the lond of Chanaan.
They found amongst the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And `thei senten messangeris to the sones of Beniamyn, that weren in the stoon of Remmon; and thei comaundiden to hem, that thei schulden resseyue tho wymmen in pees.
The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 And the sones of Beniamyn camen in that tyme, and the douytris of Jabes of Galaad weren youun to hem to wyues; forsothe thei founden not othere wymmen, whiche thei schulden yyue in lijk maner.
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
15 And al Israel sorewide greetly, and dide penaunce on the sleyng of o lynage of Israel.
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 And the grettere men in birthe seiden, What schulen we do to the othere men, that han not take wyues? Alle the wymmen in Beniamyn felden doun,
Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17 and it `is to vs to puruey `with greet cure and greet studie, that o lynage be not don awey fro Israel.
They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 We moun not yyue oure douytris to hem, for we ben boundun with an ooth and cursyng, bi which we seiden, Be he cursid that yyueth of hise douytris a wijf to Beniamyn.
However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
19 And thei token a counsel, and seiden, Lo! annyuersarie solempnyte of the Lord is in Silo, whych is set at the north of the citee of Bethel, and at the eest coost of the weie that goith from Bethel to Siccyma, and at the south of the citee of Lebona.
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
20 And thei comaundiden to the sones of Beniamyn, and seiden, Go ye, be ye hid in the vyneris;
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
21 and whanne ye seen douytris of Silo go forth bi custom to lede daunsis, go ye out of the vyneris sudeynli, and rauysche ye hem, eche man o wijf, and go ye in to the lond of Beniamyn.
and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And whanne the fadris and britheren of hem schulen come, and bigynne to pleyne and plete ayens you, we schulen seie to hem, Haue ye mercy of hem; for thei rauyschiden not hem bi riyt of fiyteris and ouercomeris, but ye `yauen not to hem preiynge that thei schulden take; and the synne is of youre part.
It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
23 And the sones of Beniamyn diden as it was comaundid to hem, and bi her noumbre thei rauyschiden wyues to hem, ech man o wijf, of hem that ledden daunsis. And thei yeden in to her possessioun, and bildiden citees, and dwelliden in tho.
The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
24 And the sones of Israel turneden ayen, bi lynagis and meynees, in to her tabernaclis.
The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
25 In tho dayes was no kyng in Israel, but ech man dide this, that semyde ryytful to hym silf.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
