The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin.

1 ¶ Now the menº of Israelº had swornºª in Mizpeh,º saying,ºª There shall not² anyº of² us giveºª his daughterº unto Benjaminº to wife.º 2 And the peopleº cameºª to the house¹ of God,º¹ª and abodeºª there² till² evenº beforeº God,º and lifted upºª their voices,º and weptºª¹ sore;º² 3 And said,ºª O LORDº Godº of Israel,º why² is this² come to pass² in Israel,º that there should be to dayº oneº tribeº lackingºª in Israel?º² 4 And it came to pass² on the morrow,º² that the peopleº rose early,ºª and builtºª there² an altar,º and offeredºª burnt offeringsº and peace offerings.º 5 And the childrenº of Israelº said,ºª Who² [is there] among all²² the tribesº of Israelº thatº came¹ª not up²² with the congregationº unto² the LORD?º For² they had made² a greatº oathº concerning² him that came not upºª² to² the LORDº to Mizpeh,º saying,ºª He shall surely¹ª be put to death.ºª 6 And the childrenº of Israelº repentedºª them for² Benjaminº their brother,º and said,ºª There is oneº tribeº cut offºª from Israelº² this day.º 7 How² shall we doºª for wivesº for them that remain,ºª seeing we² have swornºª by the LORDº that we will not² giveºª them of our daughtersº² to wives?º

By the destruction of Jabesh-gilead they provide them four hundred wives.

8 ¶ And they said,ºª What² oneº [is there] of the tribesº² of Israelº that² came not upºª² to Mizpehº to² the LORD?º And, behold,² there cameºª noneº² to² the campº from Jabeshgileadºº² to² the assembly.º 9 For the peopleº were numbered,ºª and, behold,² [there were] noneº² of the inhabitantsºª² of Jabeshgileadºº there.² 10 And the congregationº sentºª thither² twelveºº thousandº menº of the valiantest,ºº² and commandedºª them, saying,ºª Go¹ª² and smiteºª² the inhabitantsºª of Jabeshgileadºº with the edgeº of the sword,º with the womenº and the children.º 11 And this² [is] the thingº that² ye shall do,ºª Ye shall utterly destroyºª every² male,º and every² womanº that hath lainº² by man.¹ª² 12 And they foundºª among the inhabitantsºª² of Jabeshgileadºº fourº hundredº youngº virgins,º that² had knownºª no² manº by lyingº with any male:º and they broughtºª them unto² the campº to Shiloh,º which² [is] in the landº of Canaan.º 13 And the whole² congregationº sentºª [some] to speakºª to² the childrenº of Benjaminº that² [were] in the rockº Rimmon,º and to callºª peaceablyº unto them. 14 And Benjaminº came againºª at that² time;º and they gaveºª them wivesº which² they had saved aliveºª of the womenº² of Jabeshgilead:ºº and yet so² they sufficedºª them not.² 15 And the peopleº repented¹ª them² for Benjamin,º because² that the LORDº had madeºª a breachº in the tribesº of Israel.º

They advise them to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh.

16 ¶ Then the eldersº of the congregationº said,ºª How² shall we doºª for wivesº for them that remain,ºª seeing² the womenº are destroyedºª out of Benjamin?º² 17 And they said,ºª [There must be] an inheritanceº for them that be escapedº of Benjamin,º that a tribeº be not² destroyedºª out of Israel.º² 18 Howbeit we² mayºª not² giveºª them wivesº of our daughters:º² for² the childrenº of Israelº have sworn,ºª saying,ºª Cursedºª [be] he that givethºª a wifeº to Benjamin.º 19 Then they said,ºª Behold,² [there is] a feastº of the LORDº in Shilohº yearlyº² [in a place] which² [is] on the north sideº² of Bethel,º² on the east sideºº of the highwayº that goeth upºª from Bethelº² to Shechem,º and on the southº² of Lebonah.º 20 Therefore they commandedºª² the childrenº of Benjamin,º saying,ºª Go¹ª² and lie in waitºª in the vineyards;º 21 And see,ºª and, behold,² if² the daughtersº of Shilohº come outºª to danceºª in dances,º then come ye outºª of² the vineyards,º and catchºª you every manº his wifeº of the daughtersº² of Shiloh,º and goºª to the landº of Benjamin.º 22 And it shall be,² when² their fathersº or² their brethrenº comeºª unto² us to complain,ºª that we will sayºª unto² them, Be favourableºª unto them for our sakes: because² we reservedºª not² to each manº his wifeº in the war:º for² ye² did not² giveºª unto them at this time,º [that] ye should be guilty.ºª 23 And the childrenº of Benjaminº did² so,¹ª² and tookºª [them] wives,º according to their number,º of² them that danced,ºª whom² they caught:ºª and they went¹ª² and returnedºª unto² their inheritance,º and repairedºª² the cities,º and dweltºª in them. 24 And the childrenº of Israelº departedºª thence²² at that² time,º every manº to his tribeº and to his family,º and they went outºª from thence²² every manº to his inheritance.º 25 In those² daysº [there was] no² kingº in Israel:º every manº didºª [that which was] rightº in his own eyes.º