Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
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Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."
2 And they all came to the house of God in Silo, and sitting before him till the evening, lifted up their voices, and began to lament and weep, saying:
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And the people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.
3 O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?
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They said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, why has it come to pass that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?"
4 And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said:
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On the next day, the people got up early, and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of well-being.
5 Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the army of the Lord? for they had bound themselves with a great oath, when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain.
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Then the Israelites said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?" For a solemn oath had been taken concerning whoever did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, "That one shall be put to death."
6 And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
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But the Israelites had compassion for Benjamin their kin, and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.
7 Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn, not to give our daughters to them.
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What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters as wives?"
8 Therefore they said: Who is there of all the tribes of Israel, that came not up to the Lord to Maspha? And, behold, the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army.
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Then they said, "Is there anyone from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?" It turned out that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp, to the assembly.
9 (At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there,)
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For when the roll was called among the people, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.
10 So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword, with their wives and their children.
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So the congregation sent twelve thousand soldiers there and commanded them, "Go, put the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead to the sword, including the women and the little ones.
11 And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save.
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This is what you shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction."
12 And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that had not known the bed of a man, and they brought them to the camp in Silo, into the land of Chanaan.
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And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man and brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
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Then the whole congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
14 And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were given them of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might give in like manner.
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Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they did not suffice for them.
15 And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of one tribe out of Israel.
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The people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
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So the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since there are no women left in Benjamin?"
17 And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
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And they said, "There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, in order that a tribe may not be blotted out from Israel.
18 For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give Benjamin any of his daughters to wife.
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Yet we cannot give any of our daughters to them as wives." For the Israelites had sworn, "Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin."
19 So they took counsel, and said: Behold, there is a yearly solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona.
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So they said, "Look, the yearly festival of the Lord is taking place at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah."
20 And they commanded the children of Benjamin and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
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And they instructed the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
21 And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife among them, and go into the land of Benjamin.
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and watch; when the young women of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and each of you carry off a wife for himself from the young women of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have pity on them: for they took them not away as by the right of war or conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the fault was committed on your part.
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Then if their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, "Be generous and allow us to have them; because we did not capture in battle a wife for each man. But neither did you incur guilt by giving your daughters to them.' "
23 And the children of Benjamin did as they had been commanded: and, according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his wife of them that were dancing: and they went into their possession, and built up their cities, and dwelt in them.
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The Benjaminites did so; they took wives for each of them from the dancers whom they abducted. Then they went and returned to their territory, and rebuilt the towns, and lived in them.
24 The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families, to their dwellings.
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So the Israelites departed from there at that time by tribes and families, and they went out from there to their own territories.
25 (21-24) In those days there was no king in Israel: but every one did that which seemed right to himself.
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In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.