Judges 21 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Judges 21 ►

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

1The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.”

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

2Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.

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

3“O LORD, God of Israel,” they cried out, “why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!”

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

4Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.

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.

5Then they said, “Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the LORD?” At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD’s presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.

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

6The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.

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?"

7How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

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.

8So they asked, “Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the LORD?” And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly.

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

9For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.

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.

10So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.

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

11“This is what you are to do,” they said. “Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin.”

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.

12Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

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

13The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.

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.

14Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.

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

15The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made this gap among the tribes of Israel.

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

16So the elders of the assembly asked, “How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?

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

17There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out.

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.'

18But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God’s curse.”

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."

19Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.

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

20They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, “Go and hide in the vineyards.

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.

21When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!

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.'"

22And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, ‘Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn’t find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.’”

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.

23So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.

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

24Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.

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

25In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

New International Version (NIV)

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