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          DASV: Judges 21    

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying,
"None of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite."
2 The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening
before God and wept, grieving bitterly.
3 They said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this
happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe
lacking in Israel?"
4 On the next day the people got up early, built an altar
there, and offered burnt and peace offerings.

5 The Israelites said, "Who is there among all the tribes
of Israel who did not assemble before the LORD?" For they
had taken a solemn oath concerning anyone who did not
come up to the LORD at Mizpah, vowing, "He must surely
be put to death."
6 The Israelites had compassion on Benjamin their brother,
and lamented, "Today there is one tribe cut off from Israel."
7 How can we find wives for those who are left,
since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not
allow them to marry our daughters?"

8 They asked, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not come up
to the LORD at Mizpah?" They found that no one from
Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp that had assembled.
9 When the people were counted, no one from Jabesh-gilead was
present.
10 The congregation sent there 12,000 valiant warriors,
and told them, "Go and strike down with the sword the
residents of Jabesh-gilead, including the women and children.
11 This is what you are to do: totally destroy every male,
and every woman who has is not a virgin."
12 They found among the residents of Jabesh-gilead 400
young virgins, who had never had sexual relations with
a man. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the
land of Canaan.
13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the Benjaminites
that were at the rock of Rimmon, and offered them peace.
14 Benjamin returned at that time. They gave them the
women they had saved alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead
but there were not enough women for them.
15 So the people had compassion for Benjamin, because the
LORD had made a hole in the tribes of Israel.

16 Then the elders of the congregation asked, "How should we
find wives for those who remain, since the women were
destroyed from Benjamin?"
17 Then they said, "There must be heirs for those from Benjamin
who escaped, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 But we cannot give them wives from our daughters."
For the Israelites had sworn, "Cursed be anyone who
gives a wife to Benjamin."
19 They said, "Look, there is a feast of the LORD from year
to year in Shiloh, which is the north of Bethel, on the
east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem,
and south of Lebonah.
20 So they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and hide
in the vineyards,
21 and watch. When the daughters of Shiloh come out for
their dances, then come out of the vineyards, and let every
man catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and then
return home to the land of Benjamin.
22 When their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us,
we will tell them, 'Do us a favor and let us have them,
because each man did not capture a wife in battle. You did
not incur guilt by giving up your daughters to them.'"

23 So the Benjaminites did as they were told, and caught wives
according to their number from those who danced. They carried
them off and returned to their own territory, and rebuilt
the cities, and settled in them.
24 Then the Israelites left there, every one returning to
his tribe and family, they went home each to his own
land inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel.
Each man did what was right in his own eyes.

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