Judges 21:1-15 - LSB - Legacy Standard Bible

Judges 21:1-15

A Tribe Is Cut Off

Now the men of Israel ^ahad sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2 ^aSo the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening and lifted up their voices and wept ¹bitterly. 3 And they said, “Why, O Yahweh, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today from Israel?” 4 Now it happened the next day that the people arose early and built ^aan altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Then 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 ¹they had taken a great oath concerning him ^awho did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. 7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left? But we have ^asworn by Yahweh not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”

Sons of Benjamin Steal the Daughters of Shiloh

8 So 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. 9 Indeed the people were ¹numbered, but behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10 And the congregation sent 12,000 of the men of valor there and commanded them, saying, “Go and ^astrike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11 Now this is the thing that you shall do: you ^ashall devote to destruction every man and every woman who has known, that is lain with, a man.” 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with ¹him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were ^aat the rock of Rimmon and ^bcalled out peace to them. 14 Then 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 ¹enough for them. 15 And the people were sorry for Benjamin because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.