Judges 21

ve'ish yisra'el nishba bammitspah lemor ish mimmennu lo-yitten bitto levinyamin le'isha

Now Israel’s side had taken an oath at Mizpah: “None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjaminite.”

vayyavo ha'am bet-el vayyeshevu sham ad-ha'erev lifne ha'elohim vayyisu qolam vayyivku bekhi gadol

The people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wailed and wept bitterly,

vayyomeru lamah Adonai elohe yisra'el hayetah zot beyisra'el lehippaqed hayyom miyyisra'el shevet ekhad

and they said, “O ETERNAL God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that one tribe must now be missing from Israel?”

vayehi mimmokhorat vayyashkimu ha'am vayyivnu-sham mizbeakh vayya'alu olot ushelamim

Early the next day, the people built an altar there, and they brought burnt offerings and offerings of well-being.

vayyomeru bene yisra'el mi asher lo-alah vaqqahal mikkol-shivte yisra'el el-Adonai ki hashevu'ah haggedolah hayetah la'asher lo-alah el-Adonai hammitspah lemor mot yumat

The Israelites asked, “Is there anyone from all the tribes of Israel who failed to come up to the assembly before GOD?” For a solemn oath had been taken concerning anyone who did not go up to GOD at Mizpah: “He shall be put to death.”

vayyinnakhamu bene yisra'el el-binyamin akhiv vayyomeru nigda hayyom shevet ekhad miyyisra'el

The Israelites now relented toward their kin the Benjaminites, and they said, “This day one tribe has been cut off from Israel!

mah-nna'aseh lahem lannotarim lenashim va'anakhnu nishbanu va-Adonai levilti tet-lahem mibbenotenu lenashim

What can we do to provide wives for those who are left, seeing that we have sworn by GOD not to give any of our daughters to them in marriage?”

vayyomeru mi ekhad mishivte yisra'el asher lo-alah el-Adonai hammitspah vehinneh lo va-ish el-hammakhaneh miyyavesh gilad el-haqqahal

They inquired, “Is there anyone from the tribes of Israel who did not go up to GOD at Mizpah?” Now no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp, to the assembly.

vayyitpaqed ha'am vehinneh en-sham ish miyyosheve yavesh gilad

For, when the roll of the troops was taken, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was present.

vayyishlekhu-sham ha'edah shenem-asar elef ish mibbene hekhayil vayetsavvu otam lemor lekhu vehikkitem et-yosheve yavesh gilad lefi-kherev vehannashim vehattaf

So the assemblage dispatched 12,000 of the warriors, instructing them as follows: “Go and put the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead to the sword, women and children included.

vezeh haddavar asher ta'asu kol-zakhar vekhol-isha yoda'at mishkav-zakhar takharimu

This is what you are to do: Proscribe every male, and every woman who has known a man carnally.”

vayyimtse'u miyyosheve yavesh gilad arba me'ot na'arah vetulah asher lo-yade'ah ish lemishkav zakhar vayyavi'u otam el-hammakhaneh shiloh asher be'erets kena'an

They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 maidens who had not known a man carnally; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

vayyishlekhu kol-ha'edah vayedabberu el-bene vinyamin asher besela rimmon vayyiqre'u lahem shalom

Then the whole community sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the Rock of Rimmon, and offered them terms of peace.

vayyashov binyamin ba'et hahi vayyittenu lahem hannashim asher khiyyu minneshe yavesh gilad velo-matse'u lahem ken

Thereupon the Benjaminites returned, and they gave them the maidens who had been spared from the women of Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough of them.

veha'am nikham levinyamin ki-asah Adonai perets beshivte yisra'el

Now the people had relented toward Benjamin, for GOD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

vayyomeru ziqne ha'edah mah-nna'aseh lannotarim lenashim ki-nishmedah mibbinyamin isha

So the elders of the community asked, “What can we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed off?”

vayyomeru yerushat peletah levinyamin velo-yimmakheh shevet miyyisra'el

For they said, “There must be a saving remnant for Benjamin, that a tribe may not be blotted out of Israel;

va'anakhnu lo nukhal latet-lahem nashim mibbenotenu ki-nishbe'u vene-yisra'el lemor arur noten isha levinyamin

yet we cannot give them any of our daughters as wives,” since the Israelites had taken an oath: “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin!”

vayyomeru hinneh khag-Adonai beshilo miyyamim yamimah asher mitsefonah levet-el mizrekhah hashemesh limsillah ha'olah mibbet-el shekhemah uminnegev lilvonah

They said, “The annual feast of GOD is now being held at Shiloh.” (It lies north of Bethel, east of the highway that runs from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.)

(vytsv) [vayetsavvu] et-bene vinyamin lemor lekhu va'aravtem bakkeramim

So they instructed the Benjaminites as follows: “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.

ure'item vehinneh im-yetse'u venot-shilo lakhul bammekholot vitsatem min-hakkeramim vakhataftem lakhem ish ishto mibbenot shilo vahalakhtem erets binyamin

As soon as you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to join in the dances, come out from the vineyards; let each of you seize a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh, and be off for the land of Benjamin.

vehayah ki-yavo'u avotam o akhehem (lrvv) [lariv ] elenu ve'amarnu alehem khonnunu otam ki lo laqakhnu ish ishto bammilkhamah ki lo attem netattem lahem ka'et teshamu

And if their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we shall say to them, ‘Be generous to them for our sake! We could not provide any of them with a wife on account of the war, and you would have incurred guilt if you yourselves had given them [wives].’”

vayya'asu-khen bene vinyamin vayyisu nashim lemisparam min-hammekholelot asher gazalu vayyelekhu vayyashuvu el-nakhalatam vayyivnu et-he'arim vayyeshevu bahem

The Benjaminites did so. They took to wife, from the dancers whom they carried off, as many as they themselves numbered. Then they went back to their own territory, and rebuilt their towns and settled in them.

vayyithallekhu misham bene-yisra'el ba'et hahi ish leshivto ulemishpakhto vayyetse'u misham ish lenakhalato

Thereupon the Israelites dispersed to their own tribes and clans; everyone departed for their own territory.

bayyamim hahem en melekh beyisra'el ish hayyashar be'enayw ya'aseh

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did as they pleased.