Judges 21
WEB·Judges 21
1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
KJVNow the menH376 of IsraelH3478 had swornH7650(H8738) in MizpehH4709, sayingH559(H8800), There shall not anyH376 of us giveH5414(H8799) his daughterH1323 unto BenjaminH1144 to wifeH802.
2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
KJVAnd the peopleH5971 cameH935(H8799) to the houseH1004 of GodH430(H8677)H1008, and abodeH3427(H8799) there till evenH6153 beforeH6440 GodH430, and lifted upH5375(H8799) their voicesH6963, and weptH1058(H8799)H1065 soreH1419;
3 They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
KJVAnd saidH559(H8799), O LORDH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478, why is this come to pass in IsraelH3478, that there should be to dayH3117 oneH259 tribeH7626 lackingH6485(H8736) in IsraelH3478?
4 On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
KJVAnd it came to pass on the morrowH4283, that the peopleH5971 rose earlyH7925(H8686), and builtH1129(H8799) there an altarH4196, and offeredH5927(H8686) burnt offeringsH5930 and peace offeringsH8002.
5 The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
KJVAnd the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 saidH559(H8799), Who is there among all the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478 thatH834 cameH5927(H8804) not up with the congregationH6951 unto the LORDH3068? For they had made a greatH1419 oathH7621 concerning him that came not upH5927(H8804) to the LORDH3068 to MizpehH4709, sayingH559(H8800), He shall surelyH4191(H8800) be put to deathH4191(H8714).
6 The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
KJVAnd the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 repentedH5162(H8735) them for BenjaminH1144 their brotherH251, and saidH559(H8799), There is oneH259 tribeH7626 cut offH1438(H8738) from IsraelH3478 this dayH3117.
7 How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
KJVHow shall we doH6213(H8799) for wivesH802 for them that remainH3498(H8737), seeing we have swornH7650(H8738) by the LORDH3068 that we will not giveH5414(H8800) them of our daughtersH1323 to wivesH802?
8 They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
KJVAnd they saidH559(H8799), What oneH259 is there of the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478 that came not upH5927(H8804) to MizpehH4709 to the LORDH3068? And, behold, there cameH935(H8804) noneH376 to the campH4264 from JabeshgileadH3003H1568 to the assemblyH6951.
9 For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
KJVFor the peopleH5971 were numberedH6485(H8691), and, behold, there were noneH376 of the inhabitantsH3427(H8802) of JabeshgileadH3003H1568 there.
10 The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men 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.
KJVAnd the congregationH5712 sentH7971(H8799) thither twelveH8147H6240 thousandH505 menH376 of the valiantestH1121H2428, and commandedH6680(H8762) them, sayingH559(H8800), GoH3212(H8798) and smiteH5221(H8689) the inhabitantsH3427(H8802) of JabeshgileadH3003H1568 with the edgeH6310 of the swordH2719, with the womenH802 and the childrenH2945.
11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
KJVAnd this is the thingH1697 that ye shall doH6213(H8799), Ye shall utterly destroyH2763(H8686) every maleH2145, and every womanH802 that hath lainH4904 by manH3045(H8802).
12 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 to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
KJVAnd they foundH4672(H8799) among the inhabitantsH3427(H8802) of JabeshgileadH3003H1568 fourH702 hundredH3967 youngH5291 virginsH1330, that had knownH3045(H8804) no manH376 by lyingH4904 with any maleH2145: and they broughtH935(H8686) them unto the campH4264 to ShilohH7887, which is in the landH776 of CanaanH3667.
13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
KJVAnd the whole congregationH5712 sentH7971(H8799) some to speakH1696(H8762) to the childrenH1121 of BenjaminH1144 that were in the rockH5553 RimmonH7417, and to callH7121(H8799) peaceablyH7965 unto them.
14 Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
KJVAnd BenjaminH1144 came againH7725(H8799) at that timeH6256; and they gaveH5414(H8799) them wivesH802 which they had saved aliveH2421(H8765) of the womenH802 of JabeshgileadH3003H1568: and yet so they sufficedH4672(H8804) them not.
15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
KJVAnd the peopleH5971 repentedH5162(H8737) them for BenjaminH1144, because that the LORDH3068 had madeH6213(H8804) a breachH6556 in the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
KJVThen the eldersH2205 of the congregationH5712 saidH559(H8799), How shall we doH6213(H8799) for wivesH802 for them that remainH3498(H8737), seeing the womenH802 are destroyedH8045(H8738) out of BenjaminH1144?
17 They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
KJVAnd they saidH559(H8799), There must be an inheritanceH3425 for them that be escapedH6413 of BenjaminH1144, that a tribeH7626 be not destroyedH4229(H8735) out of IsraelH3478.
18 However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
KJVHowbeit we mayH3201(H8799) not giveH5414(H8800) them wivesH802 of our daughtersH1323: for the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 have swornH7650(H8738), sayingH559(H8800), CursedH779(H8803) be he that givethH5414(H8802) a wifeH802 to BenjaminH1144.
19 They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
KJVThen they saidH559(H8799), Behold, there is a feastH2282 of the LORDH3068 in ShilohH7887 yearlyH3117H3117 in a place which is on the north sideH6828 of BethelH1008, on the east sideH4217H8121 of the highwayH4546 that goeth upH5927(H8802) from BethelH1008 to ShechemH7927, and on the southH5045 of LebonahH3829.
20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
KJVTherefore they commandedH6680(H8762) the childrenH1121 of BenjaminH1144, sayingH559(H8800), GoH3212(H8798) and lie in waitH693(H8804) in the vineyardsH3754;
21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
KJVAnd seeH7200(H8804), and, behold, if the daughtersH1323 of ShilohH7887 come outH3318(H8799) to danceH2342(H8800) in dancesH4246, then come ye outH3318(H8804) of the vineyardsH3754, and catchH2414(H8804) you every manH376 his wifeH802 of the daughtersH1323 of ShilohH7887, and goH1980(H8804) to the landH776 of BenjaminH1144.
22 It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
KJVAnd it shall be, when their fathersH1 or their brethrenH251 comeH935(H8799) unto us to complainH7378(H8800), that we will sayH559(H8804) unto them, Be favourableH2603(H8798) unto them for our sakes: because we reservedH3947(H8804) not to each manH376 his wifeH802 in the warH4421: for ye did not giveH5414(H8804) unto them at this timeH6256, that ye should be guiltyH816(H8799).
23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
KJVAnd the childrenH1121 of BenjaminH1144 did soH6213(H8799), and tookH5375(H8799) them wivesH802, according to their numberH4557, of them that dancedH2342(H8789), whom they caughtH1497(H8804): and they wentH3212(H8799) and returnedH7725(H8799) unto their inheritanceH5159, and repairedH1129(H8799) the citiesH5892, and dweltH3427(H8799) in them.
24 The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
KJVAnd the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 departedH1980(H8691) thence at that timeH6256, every manH376 to his tribeH7626 and to his familyH4940, and they went outH3318(H8799) from thence every manH376 to his inheritanceH5159.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
KJVIn those daysH3117 there was no kingH4428 in IsraelH3478: every manH376 didH6213(H8799) that which was rightH3477 in his own eyesH5869.
Judges 21
Section titles come from the Biblion commentary, not from Scripture.
You can also read or listen to the Introduction to the book of Judges.
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