Judges 21 - Darby Translation (DARBY)

21 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife.

2 And the people came to Bethel, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

3 and said, Jehovah, God of Israel, why is it come to pass in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?

4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.

5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation to Jehovah? For they had [made] a great oath concerning him that came not up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall certainly be put to death.

6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, To-day is one tribe extirpated from Israel.

7 What shall we do for wives for them that remain? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives.

8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpah to Jehovah? And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead, to the congregation;

9 for the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead there.

10 And the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, and the women and the children.

11 And this is the thing which ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain with man.

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women that were virgins, who had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them to the camp, to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 And the whole assembly sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them.

14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them the wives whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead; but even so they found not enough for them.

15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16 And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.

17 And they said, There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped, that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel.

18 But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjaminites!

19 And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, toward the sun-rising of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

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

21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Gratify us with them, because we did not take each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give them to them, that ye should now be guilty.

23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.

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

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

You Might Also Like:

Judges 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, `None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.' 2 And the people come in to Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice, and weep -- a great weeping, 3 and say, `Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath thi...
Read More

Judges 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 Also the sons of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, and said, None of us shall give to the sons of Benjamin a wife of his daughters. (At Mizpeh the Israelites had sworn, and said, None of us shall give any of his daughters for a wife to the Benjaminites.) 2 And all came to the house of God in Shiloh, an...
Read More

Judges 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely. 3 They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Isra...
Read More

Judges 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

21 One thing the people of Israel had sworn in their council at Mizpah was that no tribe would give wives to the men of Benjamin. 2 The people returned to Bethel, house of God, and there they cried out and wept bitterly before the True God until evening. Israelites: 3 Why, Eternal One, True God of ...
Read More

Judges 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Israel Preserves the Benjaminites21 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 They said, “Adonai God of Israel,...
Read More

Judges 21 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction21 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 And they said, “O Lord, t...
Read More

Judges 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction21 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 And they said, “O Lord, t...
Read More

Judges 21 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction21 Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2 And the people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 They said, “O Lord, the God...
Read More

Judges 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction21 Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, ‘No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.’ 2 And the people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3 They said, ‘O Lord, the God...
Read More

Judges 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction21 Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.”(A)2 And the people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.(B)3 They said, “O Lord, the Go...
Read More

Judges 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Israel Provides Wives for Benjamin21 The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.” 2 Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly. 3 “O Lord, God of Israel,” they crie...
Read More

Judges 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

Wives for the Men of Benjamin21 The men of Israel had made a promise in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. In loud voices they cried, 3 “O Lord, God of Israel, why has this hap...
Read More

Judges 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Wives Provided for the Benjamites21 Now (A)the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2 Then the people came (B)to [a]the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, ...
Read More

Judges 21 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Wives for the Benjaminites21 The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: ‘Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjaminite.’ 2 The people went to Bethel,[a] where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. 3 ‘Lord, God of Israel,’ they cried, ‘...
Read More

Judges 21 - New International Version (NIV)

Wives for the Benjamites21 The men of Israel had taken an oath(A) at Mizpah:(B) “Not one of us will give(C) his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” 2 The people went to Bethel,[a] where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. 3 “Lord, God of Israel,” they crie...
Read More

Judges 21 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Wives for the Men of Benjamin21 The men of Israel had made a promise at Mizpah. They had said, “Not one of us will give his daughter to be married to a man from Benjamin.” 2 The people went to Bethel. They sat there until evening in front of God. They wept loudly and bitterly. 3 “Lord, you are the ...
Read More

Judges 21 - New English Translation (NET)

Six Hundred Brides for Six Hundred Brothers21 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.[a] 3 They said, “Why, O Lord G...
Read More