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1. Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah that none of them would give his daughter in marriage to anyone from Benjamin.
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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 went to Bethel and remained there before God until evening, raising their voices in bitter lament.
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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, "LORD, God of Israel, why has it come to pass in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?"
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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. Early the next day the people built an altar there and offered holocausts and peace offerings.
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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. Then the Israelites asked, "Are there any among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD for the assembly?" For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah should be put to death without fail.
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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 were disconsolate over their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.
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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. What can we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?"
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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. And when they asked whether anyone among the tribes of Israel had not come up to the LORD in Mizpah, they found that none of the men of Jabesh-gilead had come to the encampment for the assembly.
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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. A roll call of the army established that none of the inhabitants of that city were present.
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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. The community, therefore, sent twelve thousand warriors with orders to go to Jabesh-gilead and put those who lived there to the sword, including the women and 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. They were told to include under the ban all males and every woman who was not still a virgin.
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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. Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who had had no relations with men, they brought them 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. Then the whole community sent a message to the Benjaminites at the rock Rimmon, offering them peace.
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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. When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared; but these proved to be not enough for them.
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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 were still disconsolate over Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
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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. And the elders of the community said, "What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For every woman in Benjamin has been put to death."
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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. They said, "Those of Benjamin who survive must have heirs, else one of the Israelite tribes will 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. Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage, because the Israelites have sworn, 'Cursed be he who gives a woman to Benjamin!'"
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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. Then they thought of the yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the highway 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. And they instructed the Benjaminites, "Go and lie in wait 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. When you see the girls of Shiloh come out to do their dancing, leave the vineyards and each of you seize one of the girls of Shiloh for a wife, and go 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 their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, 'Release them to us as a kindness, since we did not take a woman apiece in the war. Had you yourselves given them these wives, you would now be guilty.'"
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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 this; they carried off a wife for each of them from their raid on the dancers, and went back to their own territory, where they rebuilt and occupied the cities.
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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. Also at that time the Israelites dispersed; each of them left for his own heritage in his own clan and tribe.
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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 there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best.
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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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