Wives for the Benjamites
Judges 21, verse 1. Now the men of Israel swore an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” Judges 21, verse 2. Then the people came to Bethel, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept mightily Judges 21, verse 3. and said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass, that today one tribe should be missing in Israel?” Judges 21, verse 4. The next morning the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Judges 21, verse 5. The sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the Lord?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” Judges 21, verse 6. And the sons of Israel had compassion toward Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. Judges 21, verse 7. What shall we do for wives for the large number who remain, for we have sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters as wives?” Judges 21, verse 8. And they said, “What one tribe of Israel did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord?” And take notice, no one came to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly. Judges 21, verse 9. For when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there. Judges 21, verse 10. So the congregation sent out there twelve thousand men from the sons of valor, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword. Judges 21, verse 11. And this is what you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately. But the virgins you will preserve.” And they did so. Judges 21, verse 12. So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man intimately; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan. Judges 21, verse 13. Then the whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and called them to peace. Judges 21, verse 14. Benjamin came back to the sons of Israel at that time, and the sons of Israel gave them the women whom they saved alive of the daughters of Jabesh Gilead, and it was thus pleasing to them. Judges 21, verse 15. The people had compassion for Benjamin, because the Lord brought about a rift in the tribes of Israel. Judges 21, verse 16. And the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin were destroyed?” Judges 21, verse 17. And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel may not be wiped out. Judges 21, verse 18. For we will not be able to give them wives from our daughters, because we swore among the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’” Judges 21, verse 19. And they said, “Remember, in a few days there is the yearly feast of the Lord in Shiloh, on the north of Bethel, on the road leading eastward from Bethel to Shechem, and from the south of Lebonah.” Judges 21, verse 20. Therefore they instructed the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards Judges 21, verse 21. and watch. And behold, if the daughters of the inhabitants of Shiloh come out to perform in their dances, then go out from the vineyards, and let every man capture a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh and return to the land of Benjamin. Judges 21, verse 22. And whenever their fathers or their brothers come to pass judgment on you, we will say to them, ‘Have compassion on them for us, since no men received from us a wife for himself in the war, because you did not give to them at the appointed time you transgressed.” Judges 21, verse 23. And the sons of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they seized. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them. Judges 21, verse 24. At that time, the sons of Israel walked away from that place, every man to his tribe and his family. And they went out from there, every man to his inheritance. Judges 21, verse 25. In those days there was no king in Israel. A man did what was right according to his own vision.