1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Judges 21

1 The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin. 8 By the destruction of Jabesh-gilead they provide them four hundred wives. 16 They advise them to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh.

 21:1 Now the men 376 of Israel 3478 had sworn 7650 in Mizpah 4709, saying 559, “None 376 3808 of us shall give 5414 his daughter 1323 to Benjamin 1144 in marriage 802.”

 21:2 So the people 5971a came 935 to Bethel 1008 and sat 3427 there 8033 before 6440 God 430 until 5704 evening 6153, and lifted 5375 up their voices 6963 and wept 1058 bitterly 1419 1065.

 21:3 They said 559, “Why 4100, O LORD 3068, God 430 of Israel 3478, has this 2088 come 1961 about in Israel 3478, so that one 259 tribe 7626 should be [missing] today 3117 in Israel 3478?”

 21:4 It came 1961 about the next 4283 day 4283 that the people 5971a arose 7925 early 7925 and built 1129 an altar 4196 there 8033 and offered 5927 burnt 5930a offerings 5930a and peace 8002 offerings 8002.

 21:5 ¶ Then the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 said 559, “Who 4310 is there among 4480 all 3605 the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478 who 834 did not come 5927 up in the assembly 6951 to the LORD 3068?” For they had taken 1961 a great 1419 oath 7621 concerning him who 834 did not come 5927 up to the LORD 3068 at Mizpah 4709, saying 559, “He shall surely 4191 be put 4191 to death 4191.”

 21:6 And the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 were sorry 5162 for their brother 251 Benjamin 1144 and said 559, “One 259 tribe 7626 is cut 1438 off 1438 from Israel 3478 today 3117.

 21:7 “What 4100 shall we do 6213a for wives 802 for those 1992a who are left 3498, since we have sworn 7650 by the LORD 3068 not to give 5414 them any 4480 of our daughters 1323 in marriage 802?”

 21:8 ¶ And they said 559, “What 4310 one 259 is there of the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478 who 834 did not come 5927 up to the LORD 3068 at Mizpah 4709?” And behold 2009, no 3808 one 376 had come 935 to the camp 4264 from Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568 to the assembly 6951.

 21:9 For when the people 5971a were numbered 6485, behold 2009, not one 376 of the inhabitants 3427 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568 was there 8033.

 21:10 And the congregation 5712 sent 7971 12,000 8147 6240 505 of the valiant 2428 warriors 1121 there 8033, and commanded 6680 them, saying 559, “Go 1980 and strike 5221 the inhabitants 3427 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568 with the edge 6310 of the sword 2719, with the women 802 and the little 2945 ones 2945.

 21:11 “This 2088 is the thing 1697 that you shall do 6213a: you shall utterly 2763a destroy 2763a every 3605 man 2145 and every 3605 woman 802 who has lain 3045 4904 with a man 2145.”

 21:12 And they found 4672 among 4480 the inhabitants 3427 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568 400 702 3967 young 5291 virgins 1330 who 834 had not known 3045 a man 376 by lying 4904 with him; and they brought 935 them to the camp 4264 at Shiloh 7887, which 834 is in the land 776 of Canaan 3667a.

 21:13 ¶ Then the whole 3605 congregation 5712 sent 7971 [word] and spoke 1696 to the sons 1121 of Benjamin 1144 who 834 were at the rock 5553 of Rimmon 7417c, and proclaimed 7121 peace 7965 to them.

 21:14 Benjamin 1144 returned 7725 at that time 6256, and they gave 5414 them the women 802 whom 834 they had kept 2421a alive 2421a from the women 802 of Jabesh-gilead 3003 1568; yet they were not enough 3651 for them.

 21:15 And the people 5971a were sorry 5162 for Benjamin 1144 because 3588 the LORD 3068 had made 6213a a breach 6556 in the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478.

 21:16 ¶ Then the elders 2205 of the congregation 5712 said 559, “What 4310 shall we do 6213a for wives 802 for those who are left 3498, since 3588 the women 802 are destroyed 8045 out of Benjamin 1144?”

 21:17 They said 559, “[There must be] an inheritance 3425 for the survivors 6413 of Benjamin 1144, so 3808 that a tribe 7626 will not be blotted 4229a out from Israel 3478.

 21:18 “But we cannot 3201 3808 give 5414 them wives 802 of our daughters 1323.” For the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 had sworn 7650, saying 559, “Cursed 779 is he who gives 5414 a wife 802 to Benjamin 1144.”

 21:19 ¶ So they said 559, “Behold 2009, there is a feast 2282 of the LORD 3068 from year 3117 to year 3117 in Shiloh 7887, which 834 is on the north 6828 side 6828 of Bethel 1008, on the east 4217 8121 side 4217 8121 of the highway 4546 that goes 5927 up from Bethel 1008 to Shechem 7927, and on the south 5045 side 5045 of Lebonah 3829.”

 21:20 And they commanded 6680 the sons 1121 of Benjamin 1144, saying 559, “Go 1980 and lie 693 in wait 693 in the vineyards 3754,

 21:21 and watch 7200; and behold 2009, if 518 the daughters 1323 of Shiloh 7887 come 3318 out to take 2342a part 2342a in the dances 4246, then you shall come 3318 out of the vineyards 3754 and each 376 of you shall catch 2414 his wife 802 from the daughters 1323 of Shiloh 7887, and go 1980 to the land 776 of Benjamin 1144.

 21:22 “It shall come 1961 about, when 3588 their fathers 1 or 176 their brothers 251 come 935 to complain 7378 to us, that we shall say 559 to them, ‘Give 2603a them to us voluntarily 2603a, because 3588 we did not take 3947 for each 376 man 376 [of Benjamin] a wife 802 in battle 4421, nor 3588 3808 did you give 5414 [them] to them, [else] you would now 6256 be guilty 816.’”

 21:23 The sons 1121 of Benjamin 1144 did 6213a so 3651, and took 5375 wives 802 according to their number 4557 from those who danced 2342a, whom 834 they carried 1497 away 1497. And they went 1980 and returned 7725 to their inheritance 5159 and rebuilt 1129 the cities 5892b and lived 3427 in them.

 21:24 The sons 1121 of Israel 3478 departed 1980 from there 8033 at that time 6256, every 376 man 376 to his tribe 7626 and family 4940, and each 376 one 376 of them went 3318 out from there 8033 to his inheritance 5159.

 21:25 ¶ In those 1992a days 3117 there 369 was no 369 king 4428 in Israel 3478; everyone 376 did 6213a what 3477 was right 3477 in his own eyes 5869.