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1. The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, "Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite."
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1. Now the men H376 of Israel H3478 had sworn H7650 in Mizpeh H4709 , saying H559 , There shall not H3808 any H376 of H4480 us give H5414 his daughter H1323 unto Benjamin H1144 to wife H802 .
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2. So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.
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2. And the people H5971 came H935 to the house of God H1008 , and abode H3427 there H8033 till H5704 even H6153 before H6440 God H430 , and lifted up H5375 their voices H6963 , and wept H1058 sore H1065 H1419 ;
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3. They said, "Why, O LORD God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?" An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!"
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3. And said H559 , O LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 , why H4100 is this H2063 come to pass H1961 in Israel H3478 , that there should be today H3117 one H259 tribe H7626 lacking H6485 in Israel H4480 H3478 ?
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4. The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace.
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4. And it came to pass H1961 on the morrow H4480 H4283 , that the people H5971 rose early H7925 , and built H1129 there H8033 an altar H4196 , and offered H5927 burnt offerings H5930 and peace offerings H8002 .
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5. The Israelites asked, "Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the LORD?" They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the LORD at Mizpah must certainly be executed.
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5. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said H559 , Who H4310 is there among all H4480 H3605 the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 that H834 came not up H5927 H3808 with the congregation H6951 unto H413 the LORD H3068 ? For H3588 they had made H1961 a great H1419 oath H7621 concerning H834 him that came not up H5927 H3808 to H413 the LORD H3068 to Mizpeh H4709 , saying H559 , He shall surely be put to death H4191 H4191 .
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6. The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, "Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!
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6. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 repented H5162 them for H413 Benjamin H1144 their brother H251 , and said H559 , There is one H259 tribe H7626 cut off H1438 from Israel H4480 H3478 this day H3117 .
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7. How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, we took an oath in the LORD's name not to give them our daughters as wives."
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7. How H4100 shall we do H6213 for wives H802 for them that remain H3498 , seeing we H587 have sworn H7650 by the LORD H3068 that we will not H1115 give H5414 them of our daughters H4480 H1323 to wives H802 ?
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8. So they asked, "Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the LORD at Mizpah?" Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering.
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8. And they said H559 , What H4310 one H259 is there of the tribes H4480 H7626 of Israel H3478 that H834 came not up H5927 H3808 to Mizpeh H4709 to H413 the LORD H3068 ? And, behold H2009 , there came H935 none H3808 H376 to H413 the camp H4264 from Jabesh H4480 H3003 H1568 -gilead to H413 the assembly H6951 .
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9. When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
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9. For the people H5971 were numbered H6485 , and, behold H2009 , there were none H369 H376 of the inhabitants H4480 H3427 of Jabesh H3003 H1568 -gilead there H8033 .
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10. So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, "Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.
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10. And the congregation H5712 sent H7971 hither H8033 twelve H8147 H6240 thousand H505 men H376 of the most valiant H4480 H1121 H2428 , and commanded H6680 them, saying H559 , Go H1980 and smite H5221 H853 the inhabitants H3427 of Jabesh H3003 H1568 -gilead with the edge H6310 of the sword H2719 , with the women H802 and the children H2945 .
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11. Do this: exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. But spare the lives of any virgins." So they did as instructed.
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11. And this H2088 is the thing H1697 that H834 ye shall do H6213 , Ye shall utterly destroy H2763 every H3605 male H2145 , and every H3605 woman H802 that hath lain H3045 H4904 by man H2145 .
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12. They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins� they had never had sexual relations with a male. They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
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12. And they found H4672 among the inhabitants H4480 H3427 of Jabesh H3003 H1568 -gilead four H702 hundred H3967 young H5291 virgins H1330 , that H834 had known H3045 no H3808 man H376 by lying H4904 with any male H2145 : and they brought H935 them unto H413 the camp H4264 to Shiloh H7887 , which H834 is in the land H776 of Canaan H3667 .
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13. The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.
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13. And the whole H3605 congregation H5712 sent H7971 some to speak H1696 to H413 the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 that H834 were in the rock H5553 Rimmon H7417 , and to call H7121 peaceably H7965 unto them.
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14. The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.
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14. And Benjamin H1144 came again H7725 at that H1931 time H6256 ; and they gave H5414 them wives H802 which H834 they had saved alive H2421 of the women H4480 H802 of Jabesh H3003 H1568 -gilead : and yet so H3651 they sufficed H4672 them not H3808 .
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15. The people regretted what had happened to Benjamin because the LORD had weakened the Israelite tribes.
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15. And the people H5971 repented them H5162 for Benjamin H1144 , because H3588 that the LORD H3068 had made H6213 a breach H6556 in the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 .
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16. The leaders of the assembly said, "How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.
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16. Then the elders H2205 of the congregation H5712 said H559 , How H4100 shall we do H6213 for wives H802 for them that remain H3498 , seeing H3588 the women H802 are destroyed H8045 out of Benjamin H4480 H1144 ?
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17. The remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.
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17. And they said H559 , There must be an inheritance H3425 for them that be escaped H6413 of Benjamin H1144 , that a tribe H7626 be not H3808 destroyed H4229 out of Israel H4480 H3478 .
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18. But we can't allow our daughters to marry them, for the Israelites took an oath, saying, 'Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed!'
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18. Howbeit we H587 may H3201 not H3808 give H5414 them wives H802 of our daughters H4480 H1323 : for H3588 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have sworn H7650 , saying H559 , Cursed H779 be he that giveth H5414 a wife H802 to Benjamin H1144 .
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19. However, there is an annual festival to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah."
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19. Then they said H559 , Behold H2009 , there is a feast H2282 of the LORD H3068 in Shiloh H7887 yearly H4480 H3117 H3117 in a place which H834 is on the north side H4480 H6828 of Bethel H4480 H1008 , on the east side H4217 H8121 of the highway H4546 that goeth up H5927 from Bethel H4480 H1008 to Shechem H7927 , and on the south H4480 H5045 of Lebonah H3829 .
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20. So they commanded the Benjaminites, "Go hide in the vineyards,
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20. Therefore they commanded H6680 H853 the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 , saying H559 , Go H1980 and lie in wait H693 in the vineyards H3754 ;
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21. and keep your eyes open. When you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration, jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin.
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21. And see H7200 , and, behold H2009 , if H518 the daughters H1323 of Shiloh H7887 come out H3318 to dance H2342 in dances H4246 , then come ye out H3318 of H4480 the vineyards H3754 , and catch H2414 you every man H376 his wife H802 of the daughters H4480 H1323 of Shiloh H7887 , and go H1980 to the land H776 of Benjamin H1144 .
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22. When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us, we'll say to them, "Do us a favor and let them be, for we could not get each one a wife through battle. Don't worry about breaking your oath! You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.'"
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22. And it shall be H1961 , when H3588 their fathers H1 or H176 their brethren H251 come H935 unto H413 us to complain H7378 , that we will say H559 unto H413 them , Be favorable H2603 unto them for our sakes: because H3588 we reserved H3947 not H3808 to each man H376 his wife H802 in the war H4421 : for H3588 ye H859 did not H3808 give H5414 unto them at this time H6256 , that ye should be guilty H816 .
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23. The Benjaminites did as instructed. They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives. They went home to their own territory, rebuilt their cities, and settled down.
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23. And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 did H6213 so H3651 , and took H5375 them wives H802 , according to their number H4557 , of H4480 them that danced H2342 , whom H834 they caught H1497 : and they went H1980 and returned H7725 unto H413 their inheritance H5159 , and repaired H1129 H853 the cities H5892 , and dwelt H3427 in them.
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24. Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property.
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24. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 departed H1980 thence H4480 H8033 at that H1931 time H6256 , every man H376 to his tribe H7626 and to his family H4940 , and they went out H3318 from thence H4480 H8033 every man H376 to his inheritance H5159 .
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25. In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.
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25. In those H1992 days H3117 there was no H369 king H4428 in Israel H3478 : every man H376 did H6213 that which was right H3477 in his own eyes H5869 .
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