21The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, "We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin."H376H3478H7650H4709H559H376H5414H1323H1144H8022Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.H5971H935H1004H430H1008H3427H6153H6440H430H5375H6963H1058H1065H14193"O LORD, God of Israel," they cried out, "why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!"H559H3068H430H3478H3478H3117H259H7626H6485H34784Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.H4283H5971H7925H1129H4196H5927H5930H80025Then they said, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the LORD?" At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.H1121H3478H559H7626H3478H834H5927H6951H3068H1419H7621H5927H3068H4709H559H4191H41916The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.H1121H3478H5162H1144H251H559H259H7626H1438H3478H31177How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?"H6213H802H3498H7650H3068H5414H1323H8028So they asked, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the LORD?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly.H559H259H7626H3478H5927H4709H3068H935H376H4264H3003H1568H69519For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.H5971H6485H376H3427H3003H156810So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.H5712H7971H8147H6240H505H376H1121H2428H6680H559H3212H5221H3427H3003H1568H6310H2719H802H294511"This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin."H1697H6213H2763H2145H802H4904H304512Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.H4672H3427H3003H1568H702H3967H5291H1330H3045H376H4904H2145H935H4264H7887H776H366713The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.H5712H7971H1696H1121H1144H5553H7417H7121H796514Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.H1144H7725H6256H5414H802H2421H802H3003H1568H467215The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made this gap among the tribes of Israel.H5971H5162H1144H3068H6213H6556H7626H347816So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?H2205H5712H559H6213H802H3498H802H8045H114417There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out.H559H3425H6413H1144H7626H4229H347818But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse."H3201H5414H802H1323H1121H3478H7650H559H779H5414H802H114419Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.H559H2282H3068H7887H3117H3117H6828H1008H4217H8121H4546H5927H1008H7927H5045H382920They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards.H6680H1121H1144H559H3212H693H375421When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!H7200H1323H7887H3318H2342H4246H3318H3754H2414H376H802H1323H7887H1980H776H114422And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, 'Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.'"H1H251H935H7378H559H2603H3947H376H802H4421H5414H6256H81623So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.H1121H1144H6213H5375H802H4557H2342H1497H3212H7725H5159H1129H5892H342724Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.H1121H3478H1980H6256H376H7626H4940H3318H376H515925In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.H3117H4428H3478H376H6213H3477H5869
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all the males and every woman who is not a virgin."H1697
