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Judges 21

1 The Israelites sweare that they wil not mary their daughters to the Benjamites. 10 They slay them of Jabésh Gileád, and give their virgines to the Benjamites. 21 The Benjamites take the daughters of Shilóh.
1.Moreover the men of Israél asware in Mizpéh, saying, None of us shal give his daughter unto the Benjamites to wife.
2.And the people came unto the house of God and abode there til even before God, and lift up 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 up and made there an baltar, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings.
5.Then the children of Israél said, Who is he among all the tribes of Israél, that came not up with the Congregacion unto the Lord? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpéh, saying, Let him dye the death.
6.And the children of Israél cwere sorie for Benjamín their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut of from Israél this day. Wives Judges 21:
7.How shal we do for wives to them that remaine, seing we have sworne by the Lord, that we wil not give them of our daughters to wives?
8.Also they said, Is there anie of the tribes of Israél that dcame not up to Mizpéh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Jabésh Gileád unto the hoste and to the Congregacion.
9.For when the people were vewed, beholde, none of the inhabitants of Jabésh Gileád were there.
10.Therefore the Congregacion sent thether twelve thousand men of the ^most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go, and smite the inhabitants of Jabésh Gileád with the edge of the sworde, both women and children.
11.*And this is it that ye shal do: ye shal utterly destroy all the males and all the women that have lien by men.
12.And they founde among the inhabitants of Jabésh Gileád foure hundreth maides, virgins that had knowen no man by lying with anie male: and they broght them unto the hoste to Shilóh, which is in the land of Canáan.
13.¶ Then the whole Congregacion esent and spake with the children of Benjamín that were in the rocke of Rimmón, and called ^peaceably unto them.
14.And Benjamín came againe at that time, and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabésh Gileád: but they had not fso ynough for them:
15.And the people were sory for Benjamín, 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 wives to the remnant? for the women of Benjamín are destroyed.
17.And they said, There must be an ginheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamín, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israél.
18.Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israél had sworne, saying, Cursed be he, that giveth a wife to Benjamín.
19.Therefore they said, Beholde, there is a feast of the Lord everie yere in Shilóh in a place, which is on the hNorthside of Beth-él, and on the Eastside of the way that goeth up from Bethél to Shechém, and on the South of Lebonáh.
20.Therefore thei commanded the children of Benjamín, 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, & catche you every man a wife of the daughters of Shilóh, and go into the land of Benjamín.
22.And iwhen their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complaine, we wil say unto them, Have pitie on them for our sakes, because we reserved not to eche man his wife in the warre, and because ye have not given unto them hetherto, ye have sinned.
23.And the children of Benjamín did so, and toke wives of them that danced according to their knomber: which they toke, and went away, and returned to their inheritance, and repaired the cities and dwelt in them.
24.So the children of Israél departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe, and to his familie, and went out from thence everie man to his inheritance,
25.*In those dayes there was no King in Israél, but everie man did that which was good in his eyes.

Notes

1-a.
This oath came of rashness & not of judgement: for after they broke it, in showing secretly the means to marry with certain of their daughters.
4-b.
According to their custom, when they would consult with the Lord.
6-c.
Or, repented that they had destroyed their brethren, as appears in verse 15. 9
8-d.
Condemning them to be fauters of vice, which would not put their hand to punish it.
10-^.
Ebr., children of strength.
11-*.
Num. 31.17.
13-*.
Or, friendly.
13-e.
To wit, about four months after the discomfiture, Ch. 20.47.
14-f.
For there lacked two hundred. 2 Geneva Bible 1560
17-g.
Benjamin must be reserved to have the twelfth portion in the inheritance of Jacob.
19-h.
He describes the place where the maids used yearly to dance, as the manner then was, and to sing Psalms and songs of God’s works among them.
22-i.
Though they thought hereby to persuade men that they kept their oath, yet before God it was broken.
23-k.
Meaning, two hundred.
25-*.
Chap. 17.6., 18.1. and 19.1. 0