The Book of Judges, Chapter 21שפטים 21

וְאִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נִשְׁבַּ֥ע בַּמִּצְפָּ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ לֹא יִתֵּ֥ן בִּתּ֛וֹ לְבִנְיָמִ֖ן לְאִשָּֽׁה

And the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying, No man of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.

וַיָּבֹ֤א הָעָם֙ בֵּֽית אֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֤שְׁבוּ שָׁם֙ עַד הָעֶ֔רֶב לִפְנֵ֖י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ קוֹלָ֔ם וַיִּבְכּ֖וּ בְּכִ֥י גָדֽוֹל

And the people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted their voice and wept a great weeping.

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ לָמָ֗ה יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הָ֥יְתָה זֹּ֖את בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְהִפָּקֵ֥ד הַיּ֛וֹם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁ֥בֶט אֶחָֽד

And they said, Why, YHWH, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that there should be missing today from Israel one tribe?

וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הָעָ֔ם וַיִּבְנוּ שָׁ֖ם מִזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיַּעֲל֥וּ עֹל֖וֹת וּשְׁלָמִֽים

And the next day the people rose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא עָלָ֧ה בַקָּהָ֛ל מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל יְהוָ֑ה כִּי֩ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֜ה הָיְתָ֗ה לַ֠אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלָ֨ה אֶל יְהוָ֧ה הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת

And the sons of Israel said, Who is there who did not go up in the assembly from all the tribes of Israel to YHWH? For the great oath was upon whoever did not go up to YHWH at Mizpah, saying, He shall surely die.

וַיִּנָּֽחֲמוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל בִּנְיָמִ֖ן אָחִ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ נִגְדַּ֥ע הַיּ֛וֹם שֵׁ֥בֶט אֶחָ֖ד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל

And the sons of Israel had compassion on Benjamin their brother, and they said, Today one tribe is cut off from Israel.

מַה נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לָהֶ֛ם לַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים לְנָשִׁ֑ים וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ בַֽיהוָ֔ה לְבִלְתִּ֛י תֵּת לָהֶ֥ם מִבְּנוֹתֵ֖ינוּ לְנָשִֽׁים

What shall we do for them, for those who remain, for wives? And we have sworn by YHWH not to give them of our daughters as wives.

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מִ֗י אֶחָד֙ מִשִּׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא עָלָ֥ה אֶל יְהוָ֖ה הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וְ֠הִנֵּה לֹ֣א בָא אִ֧ישׁ אֶל הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה מִיָּבֵ֥ישׁ גִּלְעָ֖ד אֶל הַקָּהָֽל

And they said, Which one of the tribes of Israel did not go up to YHWH at Mizpah? And behold, no man had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

וַיִּתְפָּקֵ֖ד הָעָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵֽין שָׁם֙ אִ֔ישׁ מִיּוֹשְׁבֵ֖י יָבֵ֥שׁ גִּלְעָֽד

And the people were mustered, and behold, there was no man there of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ שָׁ֣ם הָעֵדָ֗ה שְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ מִבְּנֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וַיְצַוּ֨וּ אוֹתָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר לְ֠כוּ וְהִכִּיתֶ֞ם אֶת יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יָבֵ֤שׁ גִּלְעָד֙ לְפִי חֶ֔רֶב וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּֽף

And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the sons of valor and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, and the women and the little ones.

וְזֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ כָּל זָכָ֗ר וְכָל אִשָּׁ֛ה יֹדַ֥עַת מִשְׁכַּב זָכָ֖ר תַּחֲרִֽימוּ

And this is the thing that you shall do: every male, and every woman who has known lying with a male, you shall devote to destruction.

וַֽיִּמְצְא֞וּ מִיּוֹשְׁבֵ֣י יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֗ד אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ נַעֲרָ֣ה בְתוּלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא יָדְעָ֛ה אִ֖ישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּ֣ב זָכָ֑ר וַיָּבִ֨יאוּ אוֹתָ֤ם אֶל הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙ שִׁלֹ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן

And they found of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who had not known a man as to lying with a male, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ כָּל הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיְדַבְּרוּ֙ אֶל בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּסֶ֣לַע רִמּ֑וֹן וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם שָׁלֽוֹם

And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they proclaimed peace to them.

וַיָּ֤שָׁב בִּנְיָמִן֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ לָהֶם֙ הַנָּשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר חִיּ֔וּ מִנְּשֵׁ֖י יָבֵ֣שׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד וְלֹֽא מָצְא֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן

And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women who had been kept alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, and they did not find enough for them.

וְהָעָ֥ם נִחָ֖ם לְבִנְיָמִ֑ן כִּֽי עָשָׂ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה פֶּ֖רֶץ בְּשִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

And the people had compassion on Benjamin, because YHWH had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ זִקְנֵ֣י הָעֵדָ֔ה מַה נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים לְנָשִׁ֑ים כִּֽי נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן אִשָּֽׁה

And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for those who remain, for wives, for the woman has been destroyed from Benjamin?

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ יְרֻשַּׁ֥ת פְּלֵיטָ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִ֑ן וְלֹֽא יִמָּחֶ֥ה שֵׁ֖בֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל

And they said, There is an inheritance of remnant for Benjamin, and a tribe shall not be blotted out from Israel.

וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֛ל לָתֵת לָהֶ֥ם נָשִׁ֖ים מִבְּנוֹתֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי נִשְׁבְּע֤וּ בְנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָר֕וּר נֹתֵ֥ן אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִֽן

But we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.

וַיֹּאמְר֡וּ הִנֵּה֩ חַג יְהוָ֨ה בְּשִׁל֜וֹ מִיָּמִ֣ים יָמִ֗ימָה אֲשֶׁ֞ר מִצְּפ֤וֹנָה לְבֵֽית אֵל֙ מִזְרְחָ֣ה הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ לִמְסִלָּ֔ה הָעֹלָ֥ה מִבֵּֽית אֵ֖ל שְׁכֶ֑מָה וּמִנֶּ֖גֶב לִלְבוֹנָֽה

And they said, Behold, there is a feast of YHWH from year to year at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, toward the sunrise of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.

ויצו וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶת בְּנֵ֥י בִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר לְכ֖וּ וַאֲרַבְתֶּ֥ם בַּכְּרָמִֽים

And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם וְ֠הִנֵּה אִם יֵ֨צְא֥וּ בְנוֹת שִׁילוֹ֮ לָח֣וּל בַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒ וִֽיצָאתֶם֙ מִן הַכְּרָמִ֔ים וַחֲטַפְתֶּ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם אִ֥ישׁ אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מִבְּנ֣וֹת שִׁיל֑וֹ וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖ם אֶ֥רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן

and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then you shall come out from the vineyards and seize for yourselves, each man his wife, from the daughters of Shiloh, and you shall go to the land of Benjamin.

וְהָיָ֡ה כִּֽי יָבֹ֣אוּ אֲבוֹתָם֩ א֨וֹ אֲחֵיהֶ֜ם לרוב לָרִ֣יב אֵלֵ֗ינוּ וְאָמַ֤רְנוּ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ חָנּ֣וּנוּ אוֹתָ֔ם כִּ֣י לֹ֥א לָקַ֛חְנוּ אִ֥ישׁ אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה כִּ֣י לֹ֥א אַתֶּ֛ם נְתַתֶּ֥ם לָהֶ֖ם כָּעֵ֥ת תֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we will say to them, Be gracious to them, for we did not take each man his wife in the war, for you did not give them to them; at this time you would be guilty.

וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ כֵן֙ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ נָשִׁים֙ לְמִסְפָּרָ֔ם מִן הַמְּחֹלְל֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר גָּזָ֑לוּ וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ וַיָּשׁ֨וּבוּ֙ אֶל נַ֣חֲלָתָ֔ם וַיִּבְנוּ֙ אֶת הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ בָּהֶֽם

And the sons of Benjamin did so, and they carried off wives according to their number from the dancers whom they abducted, and they went and returned to their inheritance and built the cities and lived in them.

וַיִּתְהַלְּכ֨וּ מִשָּׁ֤ם בְּנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא אִ֥ישׁ לְשִׁבְט֖וֹ וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ לְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ

And the sons of Israel went from there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his clan, and they went out from there, each man to his inheritance.

בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה

In those days there was no king in Israel; each man did what was right in his own eyes.