| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” | 1The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite." |
| 2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. | 2The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. |
| 3“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” | 3"LORD, God of Israel," they cried, "why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?" |
| 4The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. | 4Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. |
| 5The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death. | 5Then the Israelites asked, "Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the LORD?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah was to be put to death. |
| 6And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. | 6Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel," they said. |
| 7What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?” | 7"How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?" |
| 8So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. | 8Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. |
| 9For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there. | 9For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there. |
| 10So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. | 10So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. |
| 11This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” | 11"This is what you are to do," they said. "Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin." |
| 12So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. | 12They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan. |
| 13Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. | 13Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace to the Benjamites at the rock of Rimmon. |
| 14And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them. | 14So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them. |
| 15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. | 15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. |
| 16Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” | 16And the elders of the assembly said, "With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? |
| 17They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. | 17The Benjamite survivors must have heirs," they said, "so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. |
| 18But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.” | 18We can't give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.' |
| 19“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” | 19But look, there is the annual festival of the LORD in Shiloh, which lies north of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah." |
| 20So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards | 20So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, "Go and hide in the vineyards |
| 21and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. | 21and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin. |
| 22When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’ ” | 22When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, 'Do us the favor of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.'" |
| 23The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them. | 23So that is what the Benjamites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them. |
| 24And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance. | 24At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance. |
| 25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | 25In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. |
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