Now the men{H376} of Israel{H3478} had sworn{H7650} in Mizpah,{H4709} saying,{H559} There shall not any{H376} of us give{H5414} his daughter{H1323} unto Benjamin{H1144} to wife.{H802}

And the people{H5971} came{H935} to {H1004} Beth-el,{H430} and sat{H3427} there till even{H6153} before{H6440} God,{H430} and lifted up{H5375} their voices,{H6963} and wept{H1058} sore.{H1419}

And they said,{H559} O Jehovah,{H3068} the God{H430} of Israel,{H3478} why is this come to pass in Israel,{H3478} that there should be to-day{H3117} one{H259} tribe{H7626} lacking{H6485} in Israel?{H3478}

And it came to pass on the morrow,{H4283} that the people{H5971} rose early,{H7925} and built{H1129} there an altar,{H4196} and offered{H5927} burnt-offerings{H5930} and peace-offerings.{H5930}

And the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478} said,{H559} Who is there among all the tribes{H7626} of Israel{H3478} that{H834} came{H5927} not up in the assembly{H6951} unto Jehovah?{H3068} For they had made a great{H1419} oath{H7621} concerning him that came not up{H5927} unto Jehovah{H3068} to Mizpah,{H4709} saying,{H559} He shall surely{H4191} be put to death.{H4191}

And the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478} repented{H5162} them for Benjamin{H1144} their brother,{H251} and said,{H559} There is one{H259} tribe{H7626} cut off{H1438} from Israel{H3478} this day.{H3117}

How shall we do{H6213} for wives{H802} for them that remain,{H3498} seeing we have sworn{H7650} by Jehovah{H3068} that we will not give{H5414} them of our daughters{H1323} to wives?{H802}

And they said,{H559} What one{H259} is there of the tribes{H7626} of Israel{H3478} that came not up{H5927} unto Jehovah{H3068} to Mizpah?{H4709} And, behold, there came{H935} none{H376} to the camp{H4264} from Jabesh-gilead{H3003} to the assembly.{H6951}

For when the people{H5971} were numbered,{H6485} behold, there were none{H376} of the inhabitants{H3427} of Jabesh-gilead{H3003} there.

And the congregation{H5712} sent{H7971} thither twelve{H8147} thousand{H505} men{H376} of the valiantest,{H1121} and commanded{H6680} them, saying,{H559} Go{H3212} and smite{H5221} the inhabitants{H3427} of Jabesh-gilead{H3003} with the edge{H6310} of the sword,{H2719} with the women{H802} and the little ones.{H2945}

And this is the thing{H1697} that ye shall do:{H6213} ye shall utterly destroy{H2763} every male,{H2145} and every woman{H802} that hath lain{H4904} by man.{H3045}

And they found{H4672} among the inhabitants{H3427} of Jabesh-gilead{H3003} four{H702} hundred{H3967} young{H5291} virgins,{H1330} that had not known{H3045} man{H376} by lying{H4904} with him;{H2145} and they brought{H935} them unto the camp{H4264} to Shiloh,{H7887} which is in the land{H776} of Canaan.{H3667}

And the whole congregation{H5712} sent{H7971} and spake{H1696} to the children{H1121} of Benjamin{H1144} that were in the rock{H5553} of Rimmon,{H7417} and proclaimed{H7121} peace{H7965} unto them.

And Benjamin{H1144} returned{H7725} at that time;{H6256} and they gave{H5414} them the women{H802} whom they had saved alive{H2421} of the women{H802} of Jabesh-gilead:{H3003} and yet so they sufficed{H4672} them not.

And the people{H5971} repented{H5162} them for Benjamin,{H1144} because that Jehovah{H3068} had made{H6213} a breach{H6556} in the tribes{H7626} of Israel.{H3478}

Then the elders{H2205} of the congregation{H5712} said,{H559} How shall we do{H6213} for wives{H802} for them that remain,{H3498} seeing the women{H802} are destroyed{H8045} out of Benjamin?{H1144}

And they said,{H559} There must be an inheritance{H3425} for them that are escaped{H6413} of Benjamin,{H1144} that a tribe{H7626} be not blotted{H4229} out from Israel.{H3478}

Howbeit we may{H3201} not give{H5414} them wives{H802} of our daughters,{H1323} for the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478} had sworn,{H7650} saying,{H559} Cursed{H779} be he that giveth{H5414} a wife{H802} to Benjamin.{H1144}

And they said,{H559} Behold, there is a feast{H2282} of Jehovah{H3068} from year to year{H3117} in Shiloh,{H7887} which is on the north{H6828} of Beth-el,{H1008} on the east side{H6828} of the highway{H4546} that goeth up{H5927} from Beth-el{H1008} to Shechem,{H7927} and on the south{H5045} of Lebonah.{H3829}

And they commanded{H6680} the children{H1121} of Benjamin,{H1144} saying,{H559} Go{H3212} and lie in wait{H693} in the vineyards,{H3754}

and see,{H7200} and, behold, if the daughters{H1323} of Shiloh{H7887} come out{H3318} to dance{H2342} in the dances,{H4246} then come ye out{H3318} of the vineyards,{H3754} and catch{H2414} you every man{H376} his wife{H802} of the daughters{H1323} of Shiloh,{H7887} and go{H1980} to the land{H776} of Benjamin.{H1144}

And it shall be, when their fathers{H1} or their brethren{H251} come{H935} to complain{H7378} unto us, that we will say{H559} unto them, Grant them graciously{H2603} unto us, because we took{H3947} not for each man{H376} [of them] his wife{H802} in battle,{H4421} neither did ye give{H5414} them unto them, else{H6256} would ye now be guilty.{H816}

And the children{H1121} of Benjamin{H1144} did so,{H6213} and took{H5375} them wives,{H802} according to their number,{H4557} of them that danced,{H2342} whom they carried{H1497} off: and they went{H3212} and returned{H7725} unto their inheritance,{H5159} and built{H1129} the cities,{H5892} and dwelt{H3427} in them.

And the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478} departed{H1980} thence at that time,{H6256} every man{H376} to his tribe{H7626} and to his family,{H4940} and they went out{H3318} from thence every man{H376} to his inheritance.{H5159}

In those days{H3117} there was no king{H4428} in Israel:{H3478} every man{H376} did{H6213} that which was right{H3477} in his own eyes.{H5869}