1 以色列人在米斯巴曾经起誓说： "我们中间不可有人把自己的女儿嫁给便雅悯人作妻子。" 2 众人来到伯特利， 在那里坐在 神面前直到晚上， 放声大哭， 3 说： "耶和华以色列的 神啊， 今日以色列中缺少了一个支派， 为什么在以色列中发生这事呢？" 4 次日， 众人清早起来， 在那里筑了一座祭坛， 献上燔祭和平安祭。 5 以色列人彼此说： "以色列各支派中， 谁没有与会众上到耶和华面前来呢？"因为他们曾经起过很严厉的誓， 说： "不上米斯巴到耶和华面前的， 必把他处死。" 6 以色列人为他们的兄弟便雅悯难过， 说： "今天以色列中有一个支派被剪除了。 7 我们曾经指着耶和华起过誓， 必不把我们的女儿给便雅悯人作妻子， 那么现在我们当怎样办理， 使他们剩下的人有妻子呢？" 8 他们又彼此问： "以色列各支派中， 有谁没有上米斯巴到耶和华面前来的呢？"他们就发现基列．雅比中没有一人去到营中会众那里。 9 众人被数点的时候， 就发现基列．雅比的居民中没有一人在那里。 10 因此会众从勇士中差派一万二千人到那里去， 吩咐他们说： "你们去用刀击杀基列．雅比的居民， 连妇女与孩子都要杀。 11 你们要这样行， 你们要把所有的男子， 和所有与男子同过房的女子， 完全毁灭。" 12 他们在基列．雅比的居民中， 找到了四百个未曾与人同房， 也未曾与男子同寝的年轻少女， 就把她们带到迦南地的示罗营那里。 13 全体会众又派人到临门的磐石那里， 对便雅悯人说话， 向他们宣告和平。 14 那时便雅悯人回来了， 以色列人就把他们保留的基列．雅比的女子给他们作妻子， 但还是不够。 15 众人为便雅悯人难过， 因为耶和华使以色列众支派中有了缺口。 16 会众中的长老说： "便雅悯的女子既然都被除灭了， 我们应怎样行， 使那些余下的人有妻子呢？" 17 又说： "便雅悯逃脱的人应有地业， 免得有个支派从以色列中被消灭。 18 但是我们不能把我们自己的女儿给他们作妻子。"因为以色列人曾经起誓说： "把女儿给便雅悯人作妻子的， 是可咒诅的。" 19 他们又说： "看哪， 每年在示罗都举行耶和华的节期； 示罗就是在伯特利的北面， 从伯特利上示剑的大路的东面， 在利波拿的南面。" 20 于是他们吩咐便雅悯人说： "你们去在葡萄园中设下埋伏； 21 在那里观看， 示罗的女子出来跳舞的时候， 你们就从葡萄园出来， 从示罗的女子中， 各抢一个作妻子， 然后回便雅悯地去。 22 如果她们的父亲或是兄弟来与我们争论， 我们就对他们说： ‘求你们恩待他们吧， 因为我们在战场上没有给他们留下女子作妻子， 而且这次又不是你们把女儿给他们； 若是你们给的， 你们就有罪了。’" 23 于是便雅悯人照样行了： 按着他们的数目， 从跳舞的女子中强抢她们作妻子， 然后离开那里， 回到自己的地业去， 重建城市， 住在其中。 24 那时， 以色列人离开那里， 各人回到自己的支派和自己的家族去； 他们离开那里， 各人回到自己的地业去。 25 在那些日子， 以色列中没有王， 各人都行自己看为对的事。

1 And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, `None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.`2 And the people come in to Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice, and weep -- a great weeping,3 and say, `Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath this been in Israel -- to be lacking to-day, from Israel, one tribe?`4 And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that the people rise early, and build there an altar, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.5 And the sons of Israel say, `Who [is] he that hath not come up in the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel unto Jehovah?` for the great oath hath been concerning him who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, `He is surely put to death.`6 And the sons of Israel repent concerning Benjamin their brother, and say, `There hath been to-day cut off one tribe from Israel,7 what do we do for them -- for those who are left -- for wives, and we -- we have sworn by Jehovah not to give to them of our daughters for wives?`8 And they say, `Who is [that] one out of the tribes of Israel who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh?` and lo, none hath come in unto the camp from Jabesh-Gilead -- unto the assembly.9 And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.10 And the company send there twelve thousand men of the sons of valour, and command them, saying, `Go -- and ye have smitten the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead by the mouth of the sword, even the women and the infants.11 And this [is] the thing which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye devote.`12 And they find out of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who have not known man by the lying of a male, and they bring them in unto the camp at Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.13 And all the company send, and speak, unto the sons of Benjamin who [are] in the rock Rimmon, and proclaim to them peace;14 and Benjamin turneth back at that time, and they give to them the women whom they have kept alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead, and they have not found for [all of] them so.15 And the people repented concerning Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.16 And the elders of the company say, `What do we do to the remnant for wives -- for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?`17 And they say, `A possession of an escaped party [is] to Benjamin, and a tribe is not blotted out from Israel;18 and we -- we are not able to give to them wives out of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed [is] he who is giving a wife to Benjamin.`19 And they say, `Lo, a festival of Jehovah [is] in Shiloh, from time to time, which [is] on the north of Beth-El, at the rising of the sun, by the highway which is going up from Beth-El to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.`20 And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, `Go -- and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,21 and have seen, and lo, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances -- then ye have gone out from the vineyards, and caught for you each his wife out of the daughters of Shiloh, and gone to the land of Benjamin;22 and it hath been, when their fathers or their brethren come in to plead unto us, that we have said unto them, Favour us [by] them, for we have not taken [to] each his wife in battle, for ye -- ye have not given to them at this time [that] ye are guilty.`23 And the sons of Benjamin do so, and take women according to their number, out of the dancers whom they have taken violently away; and they go, and turn back unto their inheritance, and build the cities, and dwell in them.24 And the sons of Israel go up and down thence at that time, each to his tribe, and to his family; and they go out thence each to his inheritance.25 In those days there is no king in Israel; each doth that which is right in his own eyes.