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CHAPTER 21
1 Also the sons of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, and said, None of us shall give to the sons of Benjamin a wife of his daughters.
2 And all came to the house of God in Shiloh, and they sat in the sight of him till to eventide, and they raised their voice, and began to weep with great yelling,
3 and said, Lord God of Israel, why is this evil done in thy people, that today one lineage be taken away of us?
4 Soothly in the tother day they rised early, and builded an altar, and offered there burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices,
5 and said, Who of all the lineages of Israel went not up into the host of the Lord? For when they were in Mizpeh, they had bound themselves with a full great oath, that they that failed thence should be dead.
6 And the sons of Israel were led by penance on their brother Benjamin, and began to say, One lineage of Israel is taken away;
7 whereof shall they take wives? certainly all we have sworn in common, that we shall not give our daughters to them.
8 Then they said, Who is it of all the lineages of Israel, that went not up to the Lord in Mizpeh? And lo! the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead were found, that they were not in that host.
9 Also in that time, when they were in Shiloh, none of them was found there.
10 Therefore they sent ten thousand strongest men, and commanded to them, Go ye, and smite the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead by the sharpness of sword, as well the wives as the little children of them.
11 And this thing shall be to you, that ye shall keep; slay ye all of male kind, and the women that have known men fleshly; reserve ye the virgins or but keep ye the maidens.
12 And four hundred virgins, that knew not the bed of man, were found of Jabesh of Gilead; and they brought them to the tents in Shiloh, into the land of Canaan.
13 And Israel sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, that were in the stone of Rimmon; and they commanded to them, that they should receive those women in peace.
14 And the sons of Benjamin came in that time, and the daughters of Jabesh of Gilead were given to them to wives; for they found none other women, which they should give to them in like manner.
15 And all Israel sorrowed greatly, and did penance on the slaying of one lineage of Israel.
16 And the greater men in birth said, What shall we do to the other men, that have not taken wives? All the women in the lineage of Benjamin have fallen down,
17 and it is to us to purvey with great care and great study, that one lineage be not done away from Israel.
18 We may not give our daughters to them, for we be bound with an oath and cursing, by which we said, Be he cursed that giveth of his daughters a wife to Benjamin.
19 And they took counsel, and said, Lo! the solemnity of the Lord is in Shiloh, the year’s turning about, that is set at the north coast of the city of Bethel, and at the east coast of the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem, and at the south of the city of Lebonah.
20 And they commanded to the sons of Benjamin, and said, Go ye, and be ye hid in [the] vineries [or vines];
21 and when ye see [the] daughters of Shiloh go forth by custom to lead dances, go ye out of the vineries suddenly, and ravish ye them, each man one wife, and go ye into the land of Benjamin.
22 And when the fathers and brethren of them shall come, and begin to complain and plead against you, we shall say to them, Have ye mercy of them; for we took not from a man his wife in battle, neither ye gave to them, why ye shall be blamed in time.
23 And the sons of Benjamin did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they ravished wives to them, each man one wife, of them that led dances. And they went into their possession, and builded cities, and dwelled in those [or them].
24 And the sons of Israel turned again, by their lineages and meines, into their tabernacles.
25 In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that thing, that seemed rightful [or right] to himself.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble