1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife." 2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely. 3 They said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?"

4 On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 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." 6 The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel today. 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?" 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. 9 For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 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. 11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man." 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.

13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to 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. 15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 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?" 17 They said, "There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 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.’" 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." 20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 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. 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.’"

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. 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. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

1 以色列人在米斯巴曾经起誓说： "我们中间不可有人把自己的女儿嫁给便雅悯人作妻子。"

2 众人来到伯特利， 在那里坐在 神面前直到晚上， 放声大哭，

3 说： "耶和华以色列的 神啊， 今日以色列中缺少了一个支派， 为什么在以色列中发生这事呢？"

4 次日， 众人清早起来， 在那里筑了一座祭坛， 献上燔祭和平安祭。

5 以色列人彼此说： "以色列各支派中， 谁没有与会众上到耶和华面前来呢？"因为他们曾经起过很严厉的誓， 说： "不上米斯巴到耶和华面前的， 必把他处死。"

6 以色列人为他们的兄弟便雅悯难过， 说： "今天以色列中有一个支派被剪除了。

7 我们曾经指着耶和华起过誓， 必不把我们的女儿给便雅悯人作妻子， 那么现在我们当怎样办理， 使他们剩下的人有妻子呢？"

8 他们又彼此问： "以色列各支派中， 有谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华面前来的呢？"他们就发现基列．雅比中没有一人去到营中会众那里。

9 众人被数点的时候， 就发现基列．雅比的居民中没有一人在那里。

10 因此会众从勇士中差派一万二千人到那里去， 吩咐他们说： "你们去用刀击杀基列．雅比的居民， 连妇女与孩子都要杀。

11 你们要这样行， 你们要把所有的男子， 和所有与男子同过房的女子， 完全毁灭。"

12 他们在基列．雅比的居民中， 找到了四百个未曾与人同房， 也未曾与男子同寝的年轻少女， 就把她们带到迦南地的示罗营那里。

13 全体会众又派人到临门的磐石那里， 对便雅悯人说话， 向他们宣告和平。

14 那时便雅悯人回来了， 以色列人就把他们保留的基列．雅比的女子给他们作妻子， 但还是不够。

15 众人为便雅悯人难过， 因为耶和华使以色列众支派中有了缺口。

16 会众中的长老说： "便雅悯的女子既然都被除灭了， 我们应怎样行， 使那些余下的人有妻子呢？"

17 又说： "便雅悯逃脱的人应有地业， 免得有个支派从以色列中被消灭。

18 但是我们不能把我们自己的女儿给他们作妻子。"因为以色列人曾经起誓说： "把女儿给便雅悯人作妻子的， 是可咒诅的。"

19 他们又说： "看哪， 每年在示罗都举行耶和华的节期； 示罗就是在伯特利的北面， 从伯特利上示剑的大路的东面， 在利波拿的南面。"

20 于是他们吩咐便雅悯人说： "你们去在葡萄园中设下埋伏；

21 在那里观看， 示罗的女子出来跳舞的时候， 你们就从葡萄园出来， 从示罗的女子中， 各抢一个作妻子， 然后回便雅悯地去。

22 如果她们的父亲或是兄弟来与我们争论， 我们就对他们说： ‘求你们恩待他们吧， 因为我们在战场上没有给他们留下女子作妻子， 而且这次又不是你们把女儿给他们； 若是你们给的， 你们就有罪了。’"

23 于是便雅悯人照样行了： 按着他们的数目， 从跳舞的女子中强抢她们作妻子， 然后离开那里， 回到自己的地业去， 重建城市， 住在其中。

24 那时， 以色列人离开那里， 各人回到自己的支派和自己的家族去； 他们离开那里， 各人回到自己的地业去。

25 在那些日子， 以色列中没有王， 各人都行自己看为对的事。