1 GLT Now each man of Israel bound himself by an oath at Mizpah, saying,“Everyone of 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 GLT Then the people came to Bethel and they sat there until the evening before the true God. They lifted up their voices and they wept, a loud weeping. BSB BSB: So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
3 GLT They said,“Why, O Yahweh, God of Israel, has this happened to 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 GLT Now it happened the next day that the people rose up early and they built an altar there and they offered up 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 GLT The sons of Israel said,“Who is it that did not go up with the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?” For the great oath was against whoever did not go up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying,“Surely he must be put to death.” 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 GLT The sons of Israel were moved to pity towards Benjamin, his brother. They said,“Today one tribe has been hewn down from Israel. BSB BSB: And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.
7 GLT What can we do for them, for the ones remaining, for a wife, since we have put ourselves under an oath to Yahweh to not 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 GLT They said,“Who is anyone from the tribes of Israel who did not go up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” Now look, not anyone had gone to the camp, to the assembly, from Jabesh Gilead. 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 GLT When the people inspected themselves, look, not anyone was there from the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead. BSB BSB: For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
10 GLT So the assembly sent twelve thousand men there, from the sons of the army, and they instructed them, saying,“Go, and you must strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge 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 GLT This is the thing that you must do: every male, and every woman who has known the bed of a male, you must ban for destruction.” 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 GLT They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who had not known a man by lying with 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 GLT The entire assembly reached out and they spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they proclaimed 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 GLT Benjamin returned at that time and they gave to them the women who were alive from the women of Jabesh Gilead. But they had not found sufficient 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 GLT Now the people were sorry for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach between the tribes of Israel. BSB BSB: The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
16 GLT Then the elders of the assembly said,“How can we provide wives for the remaining ones, since women from Benjamin have been exterminated?” 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 GLT They said,“There must be an inheritance for the escaped remnant of Benjamin, so that a tribe is not blotted 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 GLT But we are not able to give them wives from our daughters, because the sons of Israel are bound to an oath, saying,‘Cursed is anyone who gives 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 GLT So they said,“Look, there is a feast for Yahweh from time to time at Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, to the direction of the rising of the sun on the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of 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 GLT They instructed the sons of Benjamin, saying,“Go and wait in hiding in the vineyards. BSB BSB: So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards
21 GLT You must watch, and look when the daughters of Shiloh are coming forth to dance in the dances, then you come forth out of the vineyards. You will catch for yourselves, each one his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and then you can go back 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 GLT It will happen, when their fathers or their brothers come out to argue with us, that we will say to them,‘Give them freely to us, because we did not take for each man his wife in the battle. Since you did not give them at that time, you would 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 GLT The sons of Benjamin did so. They carried off wives sufficient for their number from the ones who were dancing, who they snatched away. Then they went and they returned to their inheritance. They rebuilt the cities and they lived 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 GLT Then the sons of Israel disbursed themselves from there at that time, each one to his tribe and to his family. Thus they went away from there each one 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.