16
The elders of the congregation said, "How can we get wives for the rest of the men, since all the Benjaminite women have been killed?
17
How can we keep the inheritance alive for the Benjaminite survivors? How can we prevent an entire tribe from extinction?
18
We certainly can't give our own daughters to them as wives." (Remember, the Israelites had taken the oath: "Cursed is anyone who provides a wife to Benjamin.")
19
Then they said, "There is that festival of God held every year in Shiloh. It's north of Bethel, just east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and a little south of Lebonah."
20
So they told the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
21
Stay alert - when you see the Shiloh girls come out to dance the dances, run out of the vineyards, grab one of the Shiloh girls for your wife, and then hightail it back to the country of Benjamin.
22
When their fathers or brothers come to lay charges against us, we'll tell them, 'We did them a favor. After all we didn't go to war and kill to get wives for men. And it wasn't as if you were in on it by giving consent. But if you keep this up, you will incur blame.'"
23
And that's what the Benjaminites did: They carried off girls from the dance, wives enough for their number, got away, and went home to their inheritance. They rebuilt their towns and settled down.
24
From there the People of Israel dispersed, each man heading back to his own tribe and clan, each to his own plot of land.
25
At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.