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1. At Mizpah the men of Israel had sworn, "Not one of us will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of 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. The people went to the city of Bethel and sat before God until evening, crying loudly.
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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 this terrible thing happened to us so that one tribe of Israel is missing 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. Early the next day the people built an altar and put burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God on it.
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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, "Did any tribe of Israel not come here to meet with us in the presence of the Lord?" They asked this question because they had sworn that anyone who did not meet with them at Mizpah would be killed.
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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 felt sorry for their relatives, the Benjaminites. They said, "Today one tribe has been cut off 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. We swore before the Lord that we would not allow our daughters to marry a Benjaminite. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have 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. Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come here to Mizpah?" They found that no one from the city of Jabesh Gilead had come.
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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. The people of Israel counted everyone, but there was no one from Jabesh Gilead.
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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 whole group of Israelites sent twelve thousand soldiers to Jabesh Gilead to kill the people with their swords, even 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. "This is what you must do: Kill every man in Jabesh Gilead and every married woman."
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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. The soldiers found four hundred young unmarried women in Jabesh Gilead, so they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in 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 group of Israelites sent a message to the men of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, offering to make peace with them.
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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. So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. The Israelites gave them the women from Jabesh Gilead who had not been killed, but there were not enough women.
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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 of Israel felt sorry for the Benjaminites because the Lord had separated 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. The older leaders of the Israelites said, "The women of Benjamin have been killed. Where can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are still alive?
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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. These men must have children to continue their families so a tribe in Israel will not die 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 cannot allow our daughters to marry them, because we swore, 'Anyone who gives a wife to a man of Benjamin is cursed.'
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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. We have an idea! There is a yearly festival of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of the city of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of the city 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 the older leaders told the men of Benjamin, "Go and 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. Watch for the young women from Shiloh to come out to join the dancing. Then run out from the vineyards and take one of the young Shiloh women and return 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. If their fathers or brothers come to us and complain, we will say: 'Be kind to the men of Benjamin. We did not get wives for Benjamin during the war, and you did not give the women to the men from Benjamin. So you are not 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. So that is what the Benjaminites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one of them, took her away, and married her. Then they went back to the land God had given them and rebuilt their cities and lived there.
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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 went home to their own tribes and family groups, to their own land that God had given them.
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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 did not have a king. Everyone did what seemed 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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