Judges 21

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."	1 The sons of Israel had also taken an oath at Mizpah, and they said, “None of us shall give his daughters as a wife to the sons of Benjamin.”
2 And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.	2 And they all went to the house of God at Shiloh. And sitting in his sight until evening, they lifted up their voice, and they began to weep, with a great wailing, saying,
3 And they said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"	3 “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”
4 And on the morrow the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.	4 Then, rising at first light on the next day, they built an altar. And they offered holocausts and victims of peace offerings there, and they said,
5 And the people of Israel said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall be put to death."	5 “Who, out of all the tribes of Israel, did not ascend with the army of the Lord?” For they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were at Mizpah, that whoever was not present would be slain.
6 And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother, and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.	6 And the sons of Israel, having been led to repentance over their brother Benjamin, began to say: “One tribe has been taken away from Israel.
7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?"	7 From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”
8 And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.	8 For this reason, they said, “Who is there, out of all the tribes of Israel, that did not ascend to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were found not to have been among that army.
9 For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.	9 (Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)
10 So the congregation sent thither twelve thousand of their bravest men, and commanded them, "Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones.	10 And so they sent ten thousand very robust men, and they instructed them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, including their wives and little ones.”
11 This is what you shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy."	11 And this shall be what you ought to do: “Everyone of the male gender, as well as all the women who have known men, shall be put to death. But the virgins you shall reserve.”
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.	12 And four hundred virgins, who had not known the bed of a man, were found from Jabesh-Gilead. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.	13 And they sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they instructed them, so that they would receive them in peace.
14 And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they did not suffice for them.	14 And the sons of Benjamin went, at that time, and wives were given to them from the daughters of Jabesh-Gilead. But others were not found, whom they might give in a similar manner.
15 And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.	15 And all of Israel was very saddened, and they did penance for destroying one tribe out of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"	16 And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,
17 And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.	17 and we must take great care, and make provision with a very great diligence, so that one tribe may not be wiped away from Israel.
18 Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters." For the people of Israel had sworn, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin."	18 As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’ ”
19 So they said, "Behold, there is the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."	19 And they took counsel, and they said, “Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord at Shiloh, which is situated to the north of the city of Bethel, and on the eastern side of the way that one takes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the town of Lebonah.”
20 And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,	20 And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.
21 and watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and seize each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.	21 And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.
22 And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, 'Grant them graciously to us; because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.'"	22 And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’ ”
23 And the Benjaminites did so, and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns, and dwelt in them.	23 And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.
24 And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.	24 The sons of Israel also returned, according to their tribes and families, to their tents. In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.