Judges 21 HCSB NIV Parallel

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◄ Judges 21 ►

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1The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: "None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage."

1The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite."

2So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and bitterly,

2The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly.

3and cried out, "Why, LORD God of Israel, has it occurred that one tribe is missing in Israel today?"

3"LORD, God of Israel," they cried, "why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?"

4The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

4Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

5The Israelites asked, "Who of all the tribes of Israel didn't come to the LORD with the assembly?" For a great oath had been taken that anyone who had not come to the LORD at Mizpah would certainly be put to death.

5Then the Israelites asked, "Who from all the tribes of Israel has failed to assemble before the LORD?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah was to be put to death.

6But the Israelites had compassion on their brothers, the Benjaminites, and said, "Today a tribe has been cut off from Israel.

6Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel," they said.

7What should we do about wives for the survivors? We've sworn to the LORD not to give them any of our daughters as wives."

7"How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?"

8They asked, "Which city among the tribes of Israel didn't come to the LORD at Mizpah?" It turned out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp and the assembly.

8Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the LORD at Mizpah?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

9For when the people were counted, no one was there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.

9For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.

10The congregation sent 12,000 brave warriors there and commanded them: "Go and kill the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, including women and children.

10So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children.

11This is what you should do: Completely destroy every male, as well as every female who has slept with a man."

11"This is what you are to do," they said. "Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin."

12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young women, who had not had sexual relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

12They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

13The whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon.

13Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace to the Benjamites at the rock of Rimmon.

14Benjamin returned at that time, and Israel gave them the women they had kept alive from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough for them.

14So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them.

15The people had compassion on Benjamin, because the LORD had made this gap in the tribes of Israel.

15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a gap in the tribes of Israel.

16The elders of the congregation said, "What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"

16And the elders of the assembly said, "With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left?

17They said, "There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.

17The Benjamite survivors must have heirs," they said, "so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.

18But we can't give them our daughters as wives." For the Israelites had sworn, "Anyone who gives a wife to a Benjaminite is cursed."

18We can't give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.'

19They also said, "Look, there's an annual festival to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."

19But look, there is the annual festival of the LORD in Shiloh, which lies north of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."

20Then they commanded the Benjaminites: "Go and hide in the vineyards.

20So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, "Go and hide in the vineyards

21Watch, and when you see the young women of Shiloh come out to perform the dances, each of you leave the vineyards and catch a wife for yourself from the young women of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

21and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin.

22When their fathers or brothers come to us and protest, we will tell them, 'Show favor to them, since we did not get enough wives for each of them in the battle. You didn't actually give the women to them, so you are not guilty of breaking your oath.'"

22When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, 'Do us the favor of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.'"

23The Benjaminites did this and took the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and lived in them.

23So that is what the Benjamites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.

24At that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and family. Each returned from there to his own inheritance.

24At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance.

25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.

25In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

New International Version (NIV)

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