Judges 21:23 - Prayer Tents

Judges 21

21The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: "None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage."H376H3478H7650H4709H559H376H5414H1323H1144H8022So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and bitterly,H5971H935H1004H430H1008H3427H6153H6440H430H5375H6963H1058H1065H14193and cried out, "Why, LORD God of Israel, has it occurred that one tribe is [missing] in Israel today?"H559H3068H430H3478H3478H3117H259H7626H6485H34784The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.H4283H5971H7925H1129H4196H5927H5930H80025The Israelites asked, "Who of all the tribes of Israel didn't come to the LORD with the assembly?" For a great oath had been taken that anyone who had not come to the LORD at Mizpah would certainly be put to death.H1121H3478H559H7626H3478H834H5927H6951H3068H1419H7621H5927H3068H4709H559H4191H41916But the Israelites had compassion on their brothers, the Benjaminites, and said, "Today a tribe has been cut off from Israel.H1121H3478H5162H1144H251H559H259H7626H1438H3478H31177What should we do about wives for the survivors? We've sworn to the LORD not to give them any of our daughters as wives."H6213H802H3498H7650H3068H5414H1323H8028They asked, "Which city among the tribes of Israel didn't come to the LORD at Mizpah?" It turned out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp and the assembly.H559H259H7626H3478H5927H4709H3068H935H376H4264H3003H1568H69519For when the people were counted, no one was there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.H5971H6485H376H3427H3003H156810The congregation sent 12,000 brave warriors there and commanded them: "Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, including women and children.H5712H7971H8147H6240H505H376H1121H2428H6680H559H3212H5221H3427H3003H1568H6310H2719H802H294511This is what you should do: Completely destroy every male, as well as every female who has slept with a man."H1697H6213H2763H2145H802H4904H304512They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins, who had not had sexual relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.H4672H3427H3003H1568H702H3967H5291H1330H3045H376H4904H2145H935H4264H7887H776H366713The whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon.H5712H7971H1696H1121H1144H5553H7417H7121H796514Benjamin returned at that time, and Israel gave them the women they had kept alive from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough for them.H1144H7725H6256H5414H802H2421H802H3003H1568H467215The people had compassion on Benjamin, because the LORD had made this gap in the tribes of Israel.H5971H5162H1144H3068H6213H6556H7626H347816The elders of the congregation said, "What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"H2205H5712H559H6213H802H3498H802H8045H114417They said, "There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.H559H3425H6413H1144H7626H4229H347818But we can't give them our daughters as wives." For the Israelites had sworn: "Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjaminite is cursed."H3201H5414H802H1323H1121H3478H7650H559H779H5414H802H114419They also said, "Look, there's an annual festival to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."H559H2282H3068H7887H3117H3117H6828H1008H4217H8121H4546H5927H1008H7927H5045H382920Then they commanded the Benjaminites: "Go and hide in the vineyards.H6680H1121H1144H559H3212H693H375421Watch, and when you see the young women of Shiloh come out to perform the dances, each of you leave the vineyards and catch a wife for yourself from the young women of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.H7200H1323H7887H3318H2342H4246H3318H3754H2414H376H802H1323H7887H1980H776H114422When their fathers or brothers come to us and protest, we will tell them, 'Show favor to them, since we did not get enough wives for each of them in the battle. You didn't actually give [the women] to them, so you are not guilty [of breaking your oath].'"H1H251H935H7378H559H2603H3947H376H802H4421H5414H6256H81623The Benjaminites did this and took the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and lived in them.H1121H1144H6213H5375H802H4557H2342H1497H3212H7725H5159H1129H5892H342724At that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and family. Each returned from there to his own inheritance.H1121H3478H1980H6256H376H7626H4940H3318H376H515925In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.H3117H4428H3478H376H6213H3477H5869