Now the men³⁷⁶ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ had sworn⁷⁶⁵⁰ in Mizpeh,⁴⁷⁰⁹ saying,⁵⁵⁹ There shall not any³⁷⁶ of us give⁵⁴¹⁴ his daughter¹³²³ unto Benjamin¹¹⁴⁴ to wife.⁸⁰²

And the people⁵⁹⁷¹ came⁹³⁵ to the house of El,¹⁰⁰⁸ and abode³⁴²⁷ there till even⁶¹⁵³ before⁶⁴⁴⁰ Elohim,⁴³⁰ and lifted up⁵³⁷⁵ their voices,⁶⁹⁶³ and wept¹⁰⁵⁸ sore;¹⁰⁶⁵

And said,⁵⁵⁹ O Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ Elohim⁴³⁰ of Israel,³⁴⁷⁸ why is this come to pass in Israel,³⁴⁷⁸ that there should be to day³¹¹⁷ one²⁵⁹ tribe⁷⁶²⁶ lacking⁶⁴⁸⁵ in Israel?³⁴⁷⁸

And it came to pass on the morrow,⁴²⁸³ that the people⁵⁹⁷¹ rose early,⁷⁹²⁵ and built¹¹²⁹ there an altar,⁴¹⁹⁶ and offered⁵⁹²⁷ burnt offerings⁵⁹³⁰ and peace offerings.⁸⁰⁰²

And the children¹¹²¹ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ Who is there among all the tribes⁷⁶²⁶ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ that came not up⁵⁹²⁷ with the congregation⁶⁹⁵¹ unto Yahweh?³⁰⁶⁸ For they had made a great¹⁴¹⁹ oath⁷⁶²¹ concerning him that⁸³⁴ came not up⁵⁹²⁷ to Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ to Mizpeh,⁴⁷⁰⁹ saying,⁵⁵⁹ He shall surely⁴¹⁹¹ be put to death.⁴¹⁹¹

And the children¹¹²¹ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ repented⁵¹⁶² them for Benjamin¹¹⁴⁴ their brother,²⁵¹ and said,⁵⁵⁹ There is one²⁵⁹ tribe⁷⁶²⁶ cut off¹⁴³⁸ from Israel³⁴⁷⁸ this day.³¹¹⁷

How shall we do⁶²¹³ for wives⁸⁰² for them that remain,³⁴⁹⁸ seeing we have sworn⁷⁶⁵⁰ by Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ that we will not give⁵⁴¹⁴ them of our daughters¹³²³ to wives?⁸⁰²

And they said,⁵⁵⁹ What one²⁵⁹ is there of the tribes⁷⁶²⁶ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ that came not up⁵⁹²⁷ to Mizpeh⁴⁷⁰⁹ to Yahweh?³⁰⁶⁸ And, behold, there came⁹³⁵ none³⁷⁶ to the camp⁴²⁶⁴ from Jabeshgilead³⁰⁰³ to the assembly.⁶⁹⁵¹

For the people⁵⁹⁷¹ were numbered,⁶⁴⁸⁵ and, behold, there were none³⁷⁶ of the inhabitants³⁴²⁷ of Jabeshgilead³⁰⁰³ there.

And the congregation⁵⁷¹² sent⁷⁹⁷¹ thither twelve⁸¹⁴⁷ thousand⁵⁰⁵ men³⁷⁶ of the valiantest,¹¹²¹ and commanded⁶⁶⁸⁰ them, saying,⁵⁵⁹ Go³²¹² and smite⁵²²¹ the inhabitants³⁴²⁷ of Jabeshgilead³⁰⁰³ with the edge⁶³¹⁰ of the sword,²⁷¹⁹ with the women⁸⁰² and the children.²⁹⁴⁵

And this is the thing¹⁶⁹⁷ that ye shall do,⁶²¹³ Ye shall utterly destroy²⁷⁶³ every male,²¹⁴⁵ and every woman⁸⁰² that hath³⁰⁴⁵ lain⁴⁹⁰⁴ by man.²¹⁴⁵

And they found⁴⁶⁷² among the inhabitants³⁴²⁷ of Jabeshgilead³⁰⁰³ four⁷⁰² hundred³⁹⁶⁷ young⁵²⁹¹ virgins,¹³³⁰ that had known³⁰⁴⁵ no man³⁷⁶ by lying⁴⁹⁰⁴ with any male:²¹⁴⁵ and they brought⁹³⁵ them unto the camp⁴²⁶⁴ to Shiloh,⁷⁸⁸⁷ which is in the land⁷⁷⁶ of Canaan.³⁶⁶⁷

And the whole congregation⁵⁷¹² sent⁷⁹⁷¹ some to speak¹⁶⁹⁶ to the children¹¹²¹ of Benjamin¹¹⁴⁴ that were in the rock⁵⁵⁵³ Rimmon,⁷⁴¹⁷ and to call⁷¹²¹ peaceably⁷⁹⁶⁵ unto them.

And Benjamin¹¹⁴⁴ came again⁷⁷²⁵ at that time;⁶²⁵⁶ and they gave⁵⁴¹⁴ them wives⁸⁰² which they had saved alive²⁴²¹ of the women⁸⁰² of Jabeshgilead:³⁰⁰³ and yet so they sufficed⁴⁶⁷² them not.

And the people⁵⁹⁷¹ repented⁵¹⁶² them for Benjamin,¹¹⁴⁴ because that Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ had made⁶²¹³ a breach⁶⁵⁵⁶ in the tribes⁷⁶²⁶ of Israel.³⁴⁷⁸

Then the elders²²⁰⁵ of the congregation⁵⁷¹² said,⁵⁵⁹ How shall we do⁶²¹³ for wives⁸⁰² for them that remain,³⁴⁹⁸ seeing the women⁸⁰² are destroyed⁸⁰⁴⁵ out of Benjamin?¹¹⁴⁴

And they said,⁵⁵⁹ There must be an inheritance³⁴²⁵ for them that be escaped⁶⁴¹³ of Benjamin,¹¹⁴⁴ that a tribe⁷⁶²⁶ be not destroyed⁴²²⁹ out of Israel.³⁴⁷⁸

Howbeit we may³²⁰¹ not give⁵⁴¹⁴ them wives⁸⁰² of our daughters:¹³²³ for the children¹¹²¹ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ have sworn,⁷⁶⁵⁰ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Cursed⁷⁷⁹ be he that giveth⁵⁴¹⁴ a wife⁸⁰² to Benjamin.¹¹⁴⁴

Then they said,⁵⁵⁹ Behold, there is a feast²²⁸² of Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ in Shiloh⁷⁸⁸⁷ yearly³¹¹⁷ in a place which is on the north⁶⁸²⁸ side of Bethel,¹⁰⁰⁸ on the east side⁴²¹⁷ of the highway⁴⁵⁴⁶ that goeth up⁵⁹²⁷ from Bethel¹⁰⁰⁸ to Shechem,⁷⁹²⁷ and on the south⁵⁰⁴⁵ of Lebonah.³⁸²⁹

Therefore they commanded⁶⁶⁸⁰ the children¹¹²¹ of Benjamin,¹¹⁴⁴ saying,⁵⁵⁹ Go³²¹² and lie in wait⁶⁹³ in the vineyards;³⁷⁵⁴

And see,⁷²⁰⁰ and, behold, if the daughters¹³²³ of Shiloh⁷⁸⁸⁷ come out³³¹⁸ to dance²³⁴² in dances,⁴²⁴⁶ then come ye out³³¹⁸ of the vineyards,³⁷⁵⁴ and catch²⁴¹⁴ you every man³⁷⁶ his wife⁸⁰² of the daughters¹³²³ of Shiloh,⁷⁸⁸⁷ and go¹⁹⁸⁰ to the land⁷⁷⁶ of Benjamin.¹¹⁴⁴

And it shall be, when their fathers¹ or their brethren²⁵¹ come⁹³⁵ unto us to complain,⁷³⁷⁸ that we will say⁵⁵⁹ unto them, Be favourable²⁶⁰³ unto them for our sakes: because we reserved³⁹⁴⁷ not to each man³⁷⁶ his wife⁸⁰² in the war:⁴⁴²¹ for ye did not give⁵⁴¹⁴ unto them at this time,⁶²⁵⁶ that ye should be guilty.⁸¹⁶

And the children¹¹²¹ of Benjamin¹¹⁴⁴ did⁶²¹³ so, and took⁵³⁷⁵ them wives,⁸⁰² according to their number,⁴⁵⁵⁷ of them that danced,²³⁴² whom they caught:¹⁴⁹⁷ and they went³²¹² and returned⁷⁷²⁵ unto their inheritance,⁵¹⁵⁹ and repaired¹¹²⁹ the cities,⁵⁸⁹² and dwelt³⁴²⁷ in them.

And the children¹¹²¹ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ departed¹⁹⁸⁰ thence at that time,⁶²⁵⁶ every man³⁷⁶ to his tribe⁷⁶²⁶ and to his family,⁴⁹⁴⁰ and they went out³³¹⁸ from thence every man³⁷⁶ to his inheritance.⁵¹⁵⁹

In those days³¹¹⁷ there was no king⁴⁴²⁸ in Israel:³⁴⁷⁸ every man³⁷⁶ did⁶²¹³ that which was right³⁴⁷⁷ in his own eyes.⁵⁸⁶⁹

Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6