Judges 21

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The men of Israel had sworn this oath at Mizpah, 'None of us is to give his daughter in marriage toBenjamin.'	1 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah that none of them would give his daughter in marriage to anyone from Benjamin.
2 The people went to Bethel and stayed there until evening, sitting before God and raising their voices,made a great lament,	2 So the people went to Bethel and remained there before God until evening, raising their voices in bitter lament.
3 and exclaiming, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel that a tribe should be missingfrom Israel today?	3 They said, "LORD, God of Israel, why has it come to pass in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?"
4 The next day the people got up early and built an altar there; they presented burnt offerings andcommunion sacrifices.	4 Early the next day the people built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings.
5 The Israelites then said, 'Out of al the tribes of Israel, who has not come to Yahweh, to the assembly?'-- for they had sworn a solemn oath that anyone who did not come to Yahweh at Mizpah would certainly die.	5 Then the Israelites asked, "Are there any among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD for the assembly?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah should be put to death without fail.
6 Now the Israelites felt sorry about Benjamin their brother. 'Today', they said, 'a tribe has beenamputated from Israel.	6 The Israelites were disconsolate over their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.
7 What shall we do to provide wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by Yahweh not to givethem any of our own daughters in marriage?'	7 What can we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?"
8 They then asked, 'Out of the tribes of Israel, who is it that has not come to Yahweh at Mizpah?' It wasdiscovered that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly;	8 And when they asked whether anyone among the tribes of Israel had not come up to the LORD in Mizpah, they found that none of the men of Jabesh-gilead had come to the encampment for the assembly.
9 for, a muster having been cal ed of the people, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead waspresent.	9 A roll call of the army established that none of the inhabitants of that city were present.
10 The community then despatched twelve thousand of their bravest men there, with these orders: 'Goand slaughter all the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead, including the women and children.	10 The community, therefore, sent twelve thousand warriors with orders to go to Jabesh-gilead and put those who lived there to the sword, including the women and children.
11 This is what you are to do. Al males and al those women who have ever slept with a man, you wilput under the curse of destruction, but the lives of the virgins you wil spare.' And this they did.	11 They were told to include under the ban all males and every woman who was not still a virgin.
12 Among the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had neverslept with a man, and brought them to the camp (to Shiloh in the territory of Canaan).	12 Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had had no relations with men, they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 The whole community then sent messengers to offer peace to the Benjaminites who were at the Rockof Rimmon.	13 Then the whole community sent a message to the Benjaminites at the rock Rimmon, offering them peace.
14 Benjamin then came home: they were given those of the women of Jabesh in Gilead whose lives hadbeen spared, but there were not enough for al .	14 When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared; but these proved to be not enough for them.
15 The people felt sorry about Benjamin, Yahweh having made a breach in the tribes of Israel.	15 The people were still disconsolate over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
16 And the elders of the community said, 'What shall we do to provide wives for the survivors, since thewomen of Benjamin have been wiped out?'	16 And the elders of the community said, "What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For every woman in Benjamin has been put to death."
17 They went on, 'How can we preserve a remnant for Benjamin so that a tribe may not be lost to Israel?	17 They said, "Those of Benjamin who survive must have heirs, else one of the Israelite tribes will be wiped out.
18 We cannot give them our own daughters in marriage' -- for the Israelites had taken an oath,'Accursed be the man who gives a wife to Benjamin!'	18 Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage, because the Israelites have sworn, 'Cursed be he who gives a woman to Benjamin!'"
19 'However,' they said, 'there is the feast of Yahweh, held every year at Shiloh.' (The town lies north ofBethel, east of the highway that runs from Bethel up to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.)	19 Then they thought of the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.
20 So they told the Benjaminites to do as fol ows, 'Put yourselves in ambush in the vineyards.	20 And they instructed the Benjaminites, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.
21 Keep watch: when the girls of Shiloh come out in groups to dance, you then come out of thevineyards, each of you seize a wife from the girls of Shiloh and make for Benjaminite territory.	21 When you see the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dancing, leave the vineyards and each of you seize one of the girls of Shiloh for a wife, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 If their fathers or brothers come and complain to us, we shall say, "Let us have them, since we couldnot take wives for everyone in the battle; and you could not give them to them, or you would then have beenguilty." '	22 When their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, 'Release them to us as a kindness, since we did not take a woman apiece in the war. Had you yourselves given them these wives, you would now be guilty.'"
23 The Benjaminites did this and, from the dancers whom they caught, took as many wives as therewere men and then, setting off, went back to their heritage, rebuilt the towns and settled down in them.	23 The Benjaminites did this; they carried off a wife for each of them from their raid on the dancers, and went back to their own territory, where they rebuilt and occupied the cities.
24 The Israelites then dispersed, each man to rejoin his tribe and clan, each leaving that place for hisown heritage.	24 Also at that time the Israelites dispersed; each of them left for his own heritage in his own clan and tribe.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did as he saw fit.	25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best.