וְאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִשְׁבַּע בַּמִּצְפָּה לֵאמֹר אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֹא־יִתֵּן בִּתּוֹ לְבִנְיָמִן לְאִשָּׁה׃   21:1

Judg. 21:1   Now each man of Israel had sworn in Mizpah saying, “Not one of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.”

וַיָּבֹא הָעָם בֵּית־אֵל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם עַד־הָעֶרֶב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּשְׂאוּ קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ בְּכִי גָדוֹל׃   21:2

Judg. 21:2   And the people came to Beth-el and they stayed there until the evening before He Who is God, and they lifted their voices, and wept a great weeping.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָמָה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה זֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהִפָּקֵד הַיּוֹם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד׃   21:3

Judg. 21:3   And they said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, to be missing today one tribe from Israel?”

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ הָעָם וַיִּבְנוּ־שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים׃   21:4

Judg. 21:4   And it came to pass the next day that the people rose up early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָה בַקָּהָל מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוָה כִּי הַשְּׁבוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה   21:5

הָיְתָה לַאֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָה אֶל־יְהוָה הַמִּצְפָּה לֵאמֹר מוֹת יוּמָת׃

Judg. 21:5   And the children of Israel said, “Who is it that did not come up with the assembly from all the tribes of Israel to the Lord?”  For they had made a great oath concerning who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah saying, “Surely he will be put to death.”

וַיִּנָּחֲמוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־בִּנְיָמִן אָחִיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ נִגְדַּע הַיּוֹם שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:6

Judg. 21:6   And the children of Israel repented over Benjamin, his brother, and they said, “One tribe has been cut off today from Israel.”

מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לַנּוֹתָרִים לְנָשִׁים וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ בַיהוָה לְבִלְתִּי תֵּת־לָהֶם מִבְּנוֹתֵינוּ לְנָשִׁים׃   21:7

Judg. 21:7   “What shall we do for wives for those remaining, as we swore by the Lord to not give them from our daughters for wives?”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי אֶחָד מִשִּׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָה אֶל־יְהוָה הַמִּצְפָּה וְהִנֵּה לֹא בָא־אִישׁ אֶל־   21:8

הַמַּחֲנֶה מִיָּבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד אֶל־הַקָּהָל׃

Judg. 21:8   And they said, “Who was any from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, not any man came to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

וַיִּתְפָּקֵד הָעָם וְהִנֵּה אֵין־שָׁם אִישׁ מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד׃   21:9

Judg. 21:9   When the people were numbered, then behold, there was not there anyone from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ־שָׁם הָעֵדָה שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֶלֶף אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי הֶחָיִל וַיְצַוּוּ אוֹתָם לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וְהִכִּיתֶם אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי   21:10

יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד לְפִי־חֶרֶב וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטָּף׃

Judg. 21:10   So the congregation sent there twelve thousand men from the sons of valor and commanded them saying, “Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead by the edge of the sword, with the wives and the children.

וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּל־זָכָר וְכָל־אִשָּׁה יֹדַעַת מִשְׁכַּב־זָכָר תַּחֲרִימוּ׃   21:11

Judg. 21:11   And this is the thing that you shall do:  Every male, and every woman knowing from laying with a male, you shall utterly destroy.

וַיִּמְצְאוּ מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת נַעֲרָה בְתוּלָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעָה אִישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּב זָכָר וַיָּבִיאוּ   21:12

אוֹתָם אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה שִׁלֹה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן׃

Judg. 21:12   And they found from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who did not know of man to lay with a male, and they brought them to the camp of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ כָּל־הָעֵדָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן אֲשֶׁר בְּסֶלַע רִמּוֹן וַיִּקְרְאוּ לָהֶם שָׁלוֹם׃   21:13

Judg. 21:13   And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were on the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them. 

וַיָּשָׁב בִּנְיָמִן בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיִּתְּנוּ לָהֶם הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר חִיּוּ מִנְּשֵׁי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד וְלֹא־מָצְאוּ לָהֶם כֵּן׃   21:14

Judg. 21:14   So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave to them the women whom they had let live from the women of Jabesh-gilead, but there were not enough for them thus.

וְהָעָם נִחָם לְבִנְיָמִן כִּי־עָשָׂה יְהוָה פֶּרֶץ בְּשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:15

Judg. 21:15   And the people repented for Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

וַיֹּאמְ רוּ זִקְנֵי הָעֵדָה מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂה לַנּוֹתָרִים לְנָשִׁים כִּי־נִשְׁמְדָה מִבִּנְיָמִן אִשָּׁה׃   21:16

Judg. 21:16   Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for the remainder, as the women from Benjamin have perished?”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְרֻשַּׁת פְּלֵיטָה לְבִנְיָמִן וְלֹא־יִמָּחֶה שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל׃   21:17

Judg. 21:17   And they said, “The heritage of the escaped will be for Benjamin, so a tribe from Israel will not be blotted out.”

וַאֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נוּכַל לָתֵת־לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִבְּנוֹתֵינוּ כִּי־נִשְׁבְּעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אָרוּר נֹתֵן אִשָּׁה   21:18

לְבִנְיָמִן׃

Judg. 21:18   But we will not be able to give wives to them from our daughters, for the children of Israel swore saying, “Curse the giver of a wife to Benjamin!”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִנֵּה חַג־יְהוָה בְּשִׁלוֹ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה אֲשֶׁר מִצְּפוֹנָה לְבֵית־אֵל מִזְרְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לִמְסִלָּה   21:19  הָעֹלָה מִבֵּית־אֵל שְׁכֶמָה וּמִנֶּגֶב לִלְבוֹנָה׃

Judg. 21:19   And they said, “Behold, a feast of the Lord is in Shiloh from year to year,” which is from the north to Beth-el on the east side to the highway that goes up from Beth-el toward Shechem and from the south to Lebonah.

וְיְַצְּוֻּ) [וַיְצַוּוּ] אֶת־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וַאֲרַבְתֶּם בַּכְּרָמִים׃   21:20

Judg. 21:20   And they commanded the children of Benjamin saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

The first word in this verse, before the left parenthesis, is thought to be in error.  I’m not sure it is, but I am showing the assumed correction in the brackets.

וּרְאִיתֶם וְהִנֵּה אִם־יֵצְאוּ בְנוֹת־שִׁילוֹ לָחוּל בַּמְּחֹלוֹת וִיצָאתֶם מִן־הַכְּרָמִים וַחֲטַפְתֶּם לָכֶם אִיש   21:21

אִשְׁתּוֹ מִבְּנוֹת שִׁילוֹ וַהֲלַכְתֶּם אֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִן׃

Judg. 21:21   and watch, and behold if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances; then you come out from the vineyards and catch for yourselves, each man his wife, from the daughters of Shiloh, then go to the land of Benjamin.”

וְהָיָה כִּי־יָבֹאוּ אֲבוֹתָם אוֹ אֲחֵיהֶם לרוֹב אֵלֵינוּ וְאָמַרְנוּ אֲלֵיהֶם חָנּוּנוּ אוֹתָם כִּי לֹא לָקַחְנוּ   21:22

אִישׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ בַּמִּלְחָמָה כִּי לֹא אַתֶּם נְתַתֶּם לָהֶם כָּעֵת תֶּאְשָׁמוּ׃

Judg. 21:22   And it shall be when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us, that we will say to them, “Graciously grant them, for we did not take, each man, his wife in a battle, for did not yourselves give to them, that now you would be guilty?”

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־כֵן בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן וַיִּשְׂאוּ נָשִׁים לְמִסְפָּרָם מִן־הַמְּחֹלְלוֹת אֲשֶׁר גָּזָלוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּשׁוּבוּ אֶל־נַחֲלָתָם   21:23

וַיִּבְנוּ אֶת־הֶעָרִים וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָּהֶם׃

Judg. 21:23   And the children of Benjamin did so and took wives according to their numbers from who danced, whom they carried off.  And they went and returned to their inheritance and they built the cities and dwelled in them.

וַיִּתְהַלְּכוּ מִשָּׁם בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵת הַהִיא אִישׁ לְשִׁבְטוֹ וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ׃   21:24

Judg. 21:24   And the children of Israel departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶׂה׃   21:25

Judg. 21:25   In those days there was no king in Israel.  Every man did what was right in his eyes.

You know what that means, don’t you?  It’s a euphemism for they most likely all did wrong.

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