1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, Not any of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.2 And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept intensely.3 And they said, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?4 And it came to pass on the next day, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.5 And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, He will surely be put to death.6 And the sons of Israel repented for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.7 What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them our daughters as wives?8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah? And, look, none came to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.9 For when the people were numbered, look, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.10 And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.11 And this is the thing that you{+} will do: you{+} will completely destroy every male, and every woman that has had any sex with a man.12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not had any sex with a man; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.13 And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.14 And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet they did not suffice them.15 And the people repented for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.16 Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women were destroyed out of Benjamin?17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.18 Nevertheless we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.19 And they said, Look, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,21 and see, and watch if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come{+} out of the vineyards, and you{+} catch every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.22 And it will be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man [of them] his wife in battle, neither did you{+} give them to them, or else you{+} would now be guilty.23 And the sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.24 And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

1 Os homens de Israel tinham feito este juramento em Mispá: "Nenhum de nós dará sua filha em casamento a um benjamita".2 O povo foi a Betel, onde esteve sentado perante o Senhor até à tarde, chorando bem alto e amargamente.3 "Ó Senhor, Deus de Israel", lamentaram, "por que aconteceu isso em Israel? Por que teria que faltar hoje uma tribo em Israel? "4 Na manhã do dia seguinte o povo se levantou cedo, construiu um altar e apresentou holocaustos e ofertas de comunhão.5 Os israelitas perguntaram: "Quem dentre todas as tribos de Israel deixou de vir à assembléia perante o Senhor? " Pois tinham feito um juramento solene de que qualquer que deixasse de se reunir perante o Senhor em Mispá seria morto.6 Os israelitas prantearam pelos seus irmãos benjamitas. "Hoje uma tribo foi eliminada de Israel", diziam.7 "Como poderemos conseguir mulheres para os sobreviventes, visto que juramos pelo Senhor não lhes dar em casamento nenhuma de nossas filhas? "8 Então perguntaram: "Qual das tribos de Israel deixou de reunir-se perante o Senhor em Mispá? " Descobriu-se então que ninguém de Jabes-Gileade tinha vindo ao acampamento para a assembléia.9 Quando contaram o povo, verificaram que ninguém do povo de Jabes-Gileade estava ali.10 Então a comunidade enviou doze mil homens de guerra com instruções para irem a Jabes-Gileade e matarem à espada todos os que viviam lá, inclusive mulheres e crianças.11 "É isto o que vocês deverão fazer", disseram, "matem todos os homens e todas as mulheres que não forem virgens".12 Entre o povo que vivia em Jabes-Gileade encontraram quatrocentas moças virgens e as levaram para o acampamento de Siló, em Canaã.13 Depois a comunidade toda enviou uma oferta de comunhão aos benjamitas que estavam na rocha de Rimom.14 Os benjamitas voltaram naquela ocasião e receberam as mulheres de Jabes-Gileade que tinham sido poupadas. Mas não havia suficientes mulheres para todos eles.15 O povo pranteou Benjamim, pois o Senhor tinha aberto uma lacuna nas tribos de Israel.16 E os líderes da comunidade disseram: "Mortas as mulheres de Benjamim, como conseguiremos mulheres para os homens que restaram?17 Os benjamitas sobreviventes precisam ter herdeiros, para que uma tribo de Israel não seja destruída.18 Não podemos dar-lhes nossas filhas em casamento, pois nós israelitas fizemos este juramento: Maldito seja todo aquele que der mulher a um benjamita.19 Há, porém, a festa anual do Senhor em Siló, ao norte de Betel, a leste da estrada que vai de Betel a Siquém, e ao sul de Lebona".20 Então mandaram para lá os benjamitas, dizendo: "Vão, escondam-se nas vinhas21 e fiquem observando. Quando as moças de Siló forem para as danças, saiam correndo das vinhas e cada um de vocês apodere-se de uma das moças de Siló e vá para a terra de Benjamim.22 Quando os pais ou irmãos delas se queixarem a nós diremos: Tenham misericórdia deles, pois não conseguimos mulheres para eles durante a guerra, e vocês são inocentes, visto que não lhes deram suas filhas".23 Foi o que os benjamitas fizeram. Quando as moças estavam dançando, cada homem tomou uma para fazer dela sua mulher. Depois voltaram para a sua herança, reconstruíram as cidades e se estabeleceram nelas.24 Na mesma ocasião os israelitas saíram daquele local e voltaram para as suas tribos e para os seus clãs, cada um para a sua própria herança.25 Naquela época não havia rei em Israel; cada um fazia o que lhe parecia certo.