A Tribe is Cut Off

1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening and lifted up their voices and wept [†]bitterly. 3And they said, “Why, O Yahweh, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today from Israel?” 4Now it happened the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5Then the sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For [†]they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. 7What shall we do for wives for those who are left? But we have sworn by Yahweh not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”

Sons of Benjamin Steal the Daughters of Shiloh

8So they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9Indeed the people were [†]numbered, but behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10And the congregation sent 12,000 of the men of valor there and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11Now this is the thing that you shall do: you shall devote to destruction every man and every woman who has known, that is lain with, a man.” 12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with [†]him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and called out peace to them. 14Then Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they did not find [†]enough for them. 15And the people were sorry for Benjamin because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16Then 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?” 17And they said, “There must be a possession for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel. 18But we cannot give them wives of our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”

19So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on [†]the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.” 20And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to [†]take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. 22And it will be when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we shall say to them, ‘Be gracious to us concerning them because we did not take for each man of Benjamin [†]a wife in the battle, [†]and you did not give your daughters to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’” 23And the sons of Benjamin did so and carried away wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they stole away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and lived in them. 24Then the sons of Israel went away from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance.

25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.