Wives for the Benjamites 1 ULT Now a man of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying,“A man from us shall not give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.” BSB BSB: Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
2 ULT And the people came{ to} Bethel, and they sat there until the evening to the face of God. And they lifted their voice and wept a great weeping. BSB BSB: So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
3 ULT And they said,“Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, should this be in Israel, to be missing today one tribe from Israel?” BSB BSB: “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”
4 ULT And it happened the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. BSB BSB: The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 ULT And the sons of Israel said,“Who{ is it} who did not go up with the assembly from all of the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?” For a great oath had been regarding whoever did not go up to Yahweh{ at} Mizpah, saying,“Dying, he shall be caused to die.” BSB BSB: The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.
6 ULT And the sons of Israel repented themselves toward Benjamin, his brother. And they said,“Today one tribe has been hewn from Israel. BSB BSB: And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
7 ULT What shall we do for them, for the remaining ones, for a wife, since we ourselves have sworn to Yahweh not to give to them from our daughters for a wife?” BSB BSB: What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
8 ULT And they said,“Who{ is} the one from the tribes of Israel who did not go up to Yahweh{ at} Mizpah?” And behold, a man had not come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead for the assembly. BSB BSB: So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.
9 ULT And the people counted themselves, and behold, a man{ was} not there from the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead. BSB BSB: For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
10 ULT So the congregation sent 12, 000 men there from the sons of the army and they commanded them, saying,“Go, and you shall strike the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead to the mouth of the sword, even the women and the children. BSB BSB: So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
11 ULT And this{ is} the thing that you shall do: every male and every woman having known the lying of a male, you shall devote.” BSB BSB: This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”
12 ULT And they found among the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead 400 young women, a virgin who had not known a man by the lying of a male, and they brought them to the camp{ at} Shiloh, which was in the land of Canaan. BSB BSB: So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 ULT And all of the congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who{ were} at the rock of Rimmon, and they called out peace to them. BSB BSB: Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.
14 ULT So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave to them the women who were alive from the women of Jabesh Gilead. But they did not find enough for them. BSB BSB: And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
15 ULT And the people repented itself for Benjamin, for Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. BSB BSB: The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
16 ULT So the elders of the congregation said,“What shall we do for wives for the remaining ones, since a woman has been destroyed from Benjamin?” BSB BSB: Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 ULT And they said,“A possession of the escapee of Benjamin, so a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel. BSB BSB: They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
18 ULT But we ourselves are not able to give wives to them from our daughters, because the sons of Israel have sworn, saying,‘Cursed{ is} the one giving a wife to Benjamin.’” BSB BSB: But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
19 ULT So they said,“Behold, a feast of Yahweh{ is} at Shiloh from days to days.”(That{ is} from the north to Bethel, from the rising of the sun to the road going up from Bethel{ to} Shechem and from the south to Lebonah.) BSB BSB: “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
20 ULT So they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying,“Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards. BSB BSB: So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
21 ULT And you shall look, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then you shall come out from the vineyards, and you shall catch for yourselves a man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and you shall go{ to} the land of Benjamin. BSB BSB: and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 ULT And it will happen, when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we will say to them,‘Grant us them, for we did not take, a man his wife, in the battle. For you have not given to them at{ this} time,{ that} you should be guilty.’” BSB BSB: When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
23 ULT And the sons of Benjamin did thus, and they carried away wives for their number from the ones dancing, whom they caught. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and they built the cities and dwelled in them. BSB BSB: The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.
24 ULT Then the sons of Israel disbursed themselves from there at that time, a man to his tribe and to his clan, and they went away from there, a man to his inheritance. BSB BSB: And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.