1Now the men of Yashar'el (Israel) had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2And the people came to the house of Elohim (God), and abode there till even before Elohim (God), and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3And said, O Yahuah Elohim (LORD God) of Yashar'el (Israel), why is this come to pass in Yashar'el (Israel), that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Yashar'el (Israel)?
4And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5And the children of Yashar'el (Israel) said, Who is there among all the tribes of Yashar'el (Israel) that came not up with the congregation unto Yahuah (LORD)? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to Yahuah (LORD) to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6And the children of Yashar'el (Israel) repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Yashar'el (Israel) this day.
7How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by Yahuah (LORD) that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Yashar'el (Israel) that came not up to Mizpeh to Yahuah (LORD)? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11And this is the thing that you shall do, You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man.
12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that Yahuah (LORD) had made a breach in the tribes of Yashar'el (Israel).
16Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Yashar'el (Israel).
18Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Yashar'el (Israel) have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife to Benjamin.
19Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of Yahuah (LORD) in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come you out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for you did not give unto them at this time, that you should be guilty.
23And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24And the children of Yashar'el (Israel) departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25In those days there was no king in Yashar'el (Israel): every man did that which was right in his own eyes.