NASB — Judges 21 — KJV

Mourning Lost Tribe

1 Now the men° of Israel° ahad sworn° in Mizpah°, saying°, “None°° of us shall give° his daughter° to Benjamin° Iin marriage°.” 2 aSo the people° came° to Bethel° and sat° there° before° God° until° evening°, and lifted° up their voices° and wept° Ibitterly°°. 3 They said°, “Why°, O LORD°, God° of Israel°, has this° come° about in Israel°, so that one° tribe° should be [missing] today° in Israel°?” 4 It came° about the next° day° that the people° arose° early° and built° aan altar° there° and offered° burnt° offerings° and peace° offerings°.

[1] ILit for a wife aJg 21:7, 18
[2] ILit with great weeping aJg 20:26
[4] aDt 12:5; 2S 24:25

5 ¶ Then the sons° of Israel° said°, “Who° is there among° all° the tribes° of Israel° who° did not come° up in the assembly° to the LORD°?” For Ithey had taken° a great° oath° concerning him awho° did not come° up to the LORD° at Mizpah°, saying°, “He shall surely° be put° to death°.” 6 And the sons° of Israel° were sorry° for their brother° Benjamin° and said°, “One° tribe° is cut° off° from Israel° today°. 7 What° shall we do° for wives° for those° who are left°, since we have asworn° by the LORD° not to give° them any° of our daughters° in marriage°?”

[5] ILit there was a great oath aJg 5:23
[7] aJg 21:1

Provision for Their Survival

8 ¶ And they said°, “What° one° is there of the tribes° of Israel° who° did not come° up to the LORD° at Mizpah°?” And behold°, no° one° had come° to the camp° from Jabesh-gilead°° to the assembly°. 9 For when the people° were Inumbered°, behold°, not one° of the inhabitants° of Jabesh-gilead°° was there°. 10 And the congregation° sent° 12,000°°° of the valiant° warriors° there°, and commanded° them, saying°, “Go° and astrike° 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 ashall utterly° destroy° every° man° and every° woman° who has Ilain°° with a man°.” 12 And they found° among° the inhabitants° of Jabesh-gilead°° 400°° young° virgins° who° had not known° a man° by lying° with Ihim; and they brought° them to the camp° at Shiloh°, which° is in the land° of Canaan°.

[9] IOr mustered
[10] aNu 31:17; Jg 5:23; 1S 11:7
[11] ILit known lying with aNu 31:17
[12] ILit a male

13 ¶ Then the whole° congregation° sent° [word] and spoke° to the sons° of Benjamin° who° were aat the rock° of Rimmon°, and bproclaimed° peace° to them. 14 Benjamin° returned° at that time°, and they gave° them the women° whom° they had kept° alive° from the women° of Jabesh-gilead°°; yet they Iwere not enough° for them. 15 And the people° were sorry° for Benjamin° because° the LORD° had made° a breach° in the tribes° of Israel°.

[13] aJg 20:47 bDt 20:10
[14] ILit did not find it so

16 ¶ Then the elders° of the congregation° said°, “What° shall we do° for wives° for those who are left°, since° the women° are destroyed° out of Benjamin°?” 17 They said°, “[There must be] an inheritance° for the survivors° of Benjamin°, so° that a tribe° will not be blotted° out from Israel°. 18 But we cannot°° give° them wives° of our daughters°.” For the sons° of Israel° ahad sworn°, saying°, “Cursed° is he who gives° a wife° to Benjamin°.”

[18] aJg 21:1

19 ¶ So they said°, “Behold°, there is a feast° of the LORD° from year° to year° in aShiloh°, which° is on the north° side° of Bethel°, on the east°° side°° of the highway° that goes° up from Bethel° to Shechem°, and on the south° side° of Lebonah°.” 20 And they commanded° the sons° of Benjamin°, saying°, “Go° and lie° in wait° in the vineyards°, 21 and watch°; and behold°, if° the daughters° of Shiloh° come° out to Iatake° part° in the dances°, then you shall come° out of the vineyards° and each° of you shall catch° his wife° from the daughters° of Shiloh°, and go° to the land° of Benjamin°. 22 It shall come° about, when° their fathers° or° their brothers° come° to complain° to us, that we shall say° to them, ‘Give° them to us voluntarily°, because° we did not take° for each° man° [of Benjamin] Ia wife° in battle°, IIanor°° did you give° [them] to them, [else] you would now° be guilty°.’” 23 The sons° of Benjamin° did° so°, and took° wives° according to their number° from those who danced°, whom° they carried° away°. And they went° and returned° to their inheritance° and arebuilt° the cities° and lived° in them. 24 The sons° of Israel° departed° from there° at that time°, every° man° to his tribe° and family°, and each° one° of them went° out from there° to his inheritance°.

[19] aJsh 18:1; Jg 18:31; 1S 1:3
[21] ILit dance aEx 15:20; Jg 11:34
[22] ILit his IILit because aJg 21:1, 18
[23] aJg 20:48

25aIn those° days° there° was no° king° in Israel°; everyone° did° what° was right° in his own eyes°.

[25] aJg 17:6; 18:1; 19:1


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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

[1] Ex 34:12; Dt 7:2; Jg 11:30; 20:1, 8, 10; 21:5; 1S 14:24, 28; Ec 5:2; Jr 4:2; Mk 6:23; Ac 23:12; Ro 10:2.
[2] Gn 27:38; Jsh 18:1; Jg 2:4; 20:18, 23, 26; 21:12; 1S 30:4.
[3] Dt 29:24; Jsh 7:7; Ps 74:1; 80:12; Pv 19:3; Is 63:17; Jr 12:1.
[4] Ex 20:24; Jg 6:26; 2S 24:18, 25; 1K 8:64; Ps 78:34; Ho 5:15; He 13:10.
[5] Lv 27:28; Jg 5:23; 21:1, 18; 1S 11:7; Jr 48:10.
[6] Jg 11:35; 20:23; 21:15; 2S 2:26; Ho 11:8; Lk 19:41.
[7] Jg 21:1, 18; 1S 14:28, 45.

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

[8] 1S 11:1; 31:11; 2S 2:5.
[10] Dt 13:15; Jsh 7:24; Jg 5:23; 21:5; 1S 11:7; 15:3.
[11] Nu 31:17; Dt 2:34.
[12] Jsh 18:1; Jg 20:18, 23; Ps 78:60; Jr 7:12.
[13] Dt 20:10; Jsh 15:32; Jg 20:47; Is 57:19; Lk 10:5; Ep 2:17.
[14] Jg 20:47; 21:12; 1Co 7:2.
[15] Jg 21:6, 17; 1Ch 13:11; 15:13; Is 30:13; 58:12.

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

[17] Nu 26:55; 36:7.
[18] Jg 11:35; 21:1.
[19] Ex 23:14; Lv 23:2, 4, 6, 10, 34; Nu 10:10; 28:16, 26; 29:12; Dt 16:1, 10, 13; Ps 81:3; Jn 5:1; 7:2.
[21] Ex 15:20; Jg 11:34; 1S 18:6; 2S 6:14, 21; Ps 149:3; 150:4; Ec 3:4; Jr 31:13; Mt 10:17; Lk 17:25.
[22] Gn 1:27; 7:13; Jg 21:1, 7, 14, 18; Pv 20:25; Mk 10:6; 1Co 7:2; Phm 1:9.
[23] Jg 20:48.
[25] Dt 12:8; Jg 17:6; 18:1, 7; 19:1; Ps 12:4; Pv 3:5; 14:12; Ec 11:9; Mi 2:1.


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