rd

Judges 21

1 The Iſraelites ſweare that they wil not mary their daughters to the Benamites. 10 They ſlay them of Iabéſh Gileád, and giue their virgines to the Beniamites 21 The Beniamites take the daughters of Shilóh.
1.MOreouer the men of Iſraél a ſware in Mizpéh, ſaying, None of vs ſhal giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites to wife.
2.And the people came vnto the houfe of God & abode there til euen before God, and lift vp their voices, and wept with great lamentacion,
3.And ſaid, ô Lord God of Iſraél, why is this come to paſſe in Iſraél, that this day one tribe of Iſraél ſhulde want?
4.¶ And on the morowe the people roſe vp and made there an b altar, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings.
5.Then the children of Iſraél ſaid, Who is he amōg all ŷ tribes of Iſraél, that came not vp with the Congregacion vnto the Lord? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpéh, ſaying, Let him dye the death.
6.And the children of Iſraél c were ſorie for Beniamín then brother, & ſaid, There is one tribe cut of from Iſraél this day.
7.How ſhal we do for wiues to them that remaine, ſeing we haue ſworne by ŷ Lord, that we wil not giue them of our daughters to wiues?
8.Alſo they ſaid, Is there anie of the tribes of Iſraél that d came not vp to Mizpéh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Iabéſh Gileád vnto the hoſte and to the Congregacion.
9.For when the people were vewed, beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabéſh Gileád were there.
10.Therefore the Congregacion ſent thither twelue thouſand men of the e moſte valiant, and commanded them, ſaying, Go, and ſmite the inhabitants of Iabéſh Gileád with the edge of the ſworde, bothe women and children.
11.* And this is it that ye ſhal do: ye ſhal vtterly deſtroy all the males and all the women that haue lien by men.
12.And they founde among the inhabitants of Iabéſh Gileád foure hundreth maides, virgins that had knowen no man by lying with anie male: and they broght them vnto the hoſte to Shilóh, which is in the land of Canáan.
13.¶ Thē the whole Congregacion ſent & ſpake with the children of Beniamín that were in the rocke of Rimmón, and called e peaceably vnto them:
14.And Beniamín came againe at ŷ time, & they gaue them wiues which they had ſaued aliue of the women of Iabéſh Gileád: but they had not f ſo ynough for thē.
15.And the people were ſory for Beniamín, becauſe the Lord had made a breache in the tribes of Iſraél.
16.Therefore the Elders of the Congregacion ſaid, How ſhal we do for wiues to the remnant? for the women of Beniamín are deſtroyed.
17.And they ſaid, There must be an g inheri-tance for them that be eſcaped of Beniamín, that a tribe be not deſtroyed out of Iſraél.
18.Howbeit we may not giue them wiues of our daughters: for the children of Iſraél had ſworne, ſaying, Curſed be he, that giueth a wife to Beniamín.
19.Therefore they ſaid, Beholde, there is a feaſt of the Lord euerie yere in Shilóh in a place, which is on the h Northſide of Beth-él, and on the Eaſtſide of the way that goeth vp from Beth-él to Shechém, and on the South of Lebonáh.
20.Therefore they commanded the childrē of Beniamín, ſaying, Go, and lye in waite in the vineyardes.
21.And when ye ſe that the daughters of Shilóh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyardes, and catche you euery man a wife of the daughters of Shilóh, & go into the land of Beniamín.
22.And when their fathers or their brethren come vnto vs to complaine, we wil ſay vnto them, i Haue pitie on thē for our ſakes, becauſe we reſerued not to eche man his wife in the warre, and becauſe ye haue not giuen vnto them hetherto, ye haue finned.
23.And the children of Beniamín did ſo, and toke wiues of them that dāced according to their k nomber: which they toke, and went away, and returned to their inheritance, and repaired the cities & dwelt in them.
24.So the childrē of Iſraél departed thēce at that time, euery man to his tribe, and to his familie, and went out from thence euerie man to his inheritance.
25.* In thoſe dayes there was no King in Iſraél, but euerie man did that which was good in his eyes.

Notes

1:a.
This othe I came of raſhneſs and not of iudgement: for after they brake it, in ſhewing ſecretly the meanes to mary with certaine of their daughters.
4:b.
According to their cuſtome, when they wolde conſult with the Lord.
6:c.
Or, repented that they had deſtroied their brethren, as appeareth verſ 15.
8:d.
Cōdemning thē to be fauters of vice, which wolde not put their hand to puniſh it.
10:e.
Ebr children of ſtrength.
11:*.
Numb. 31.17.
13:e.
To wit, about four monethes after y disco[m]fiture, Chap. 20.47 Or, friendly.
14:f.
For there lacked two hundreth
17:g.
Beniamín must be reſtored to haue ŷ twelft portiõ in ŷ inheritãce of Iaakób.
19:h.
He deſcribeth the place where the maides vſed yerely to dance, as ŷ maner then w[as], & to ſyng Pſalmes and ſongs of Gods workes emongs them.
22:i.
Thogh they thoght hereby to perſuade men that they kept their oth, yet before God it was broken
23:k.
Meaning, two hūdreth.
25:*.
Chap. 17.6. & 18.1. & 19.1.