²⁰ The God of peace^(A) will soon crush^(B) Satan^(C) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(D)

Wives for the Benjamites

21 The men of Israel had taken an oath^(A) at Mizpah:^(B) “Not one of us will give^(C) his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

² The people went to Bethel,^[a] where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. ³ “Lord, God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing^(D) from Israel today?”

⁴ Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.^(E)

⁵ Then the Israelites asked, “Who from all the tribes of Israel^(F) has failed to assemble before the Lord?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death.

⁶ Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” they said. ⁷ “How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath^(G) by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?” ⁸ Then they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead^(H) had come to the camp for the assembly. ⁹ For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.

¹⁰ So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. ¹¹ “This is what you are to do,” they said. “Kill every male^(I) and every woman who is not a virgin.^(J)” ¹² They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh^(K) in Canaan.

¹³ Then the whole assembly sent an offer of peace^(L) to the Benjamites at the rock of Rimmon.^{(M) 14} So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them.

¹⁵ The people grieved for Benjamin,^(N) because the Lord had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. ¹⁶ And the elders of the assembly said, “With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? ¹⁷ The Benjamite survivors must have heirs,” they said, “so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.^{(O) 18} We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath:^(P) ‘Cursed be anyone who gives^(Q) a wife to a Benjamite.’ ¹⁹ But look, there is the annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh,^(R) which lies north of Bethel^(S), east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem,^(T) and south of Lebonah.”

²⁰ So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards ²¹ and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing,^(U) rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin. ²² When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Do us the favor of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give^(V) your daughters to them.’”

²³ So that is what the Benjamites did. While the young women were dancing,^(W) each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance^(X) and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.^(Y)

²⁴ At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance.

²⁵ In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.^(Z)

Psalm 108^[a](A)(B)

A song. A psalm of David.

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs^(A) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised^(B) her husband^(C) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.^{(D) 46} Your older sister^(E) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^{(F) 47} You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.^{(G) 48} As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign^(H) Lord, your sister Sodom^(I) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.^(J)

⁴⁹ “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:^(K) She and her daughters were arrogant,^(L) overfed and unconcerned;^(M) they did not help the poor and needy.^{(N) 50} They were haughty^(O) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.^{(P) 51} Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^{(Q) 52} Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous^(R) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear^(S) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

⁵³ “‘However, I will restore^(T) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,^{(U) 54} so that you may bear your disgrace^(V) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. ⁵⁵ And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.^{(W) 56} You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, ⁵⁷ before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned^(X) by the daughters of Edom^[a](Y) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸ You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.^(Z)

⁵⁹ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.^{(AA) 60} Yet I will remember the covenant^(AB) I made with you in the days of your youth,^(AC) and I will establish an everlasting covenant^(AD) with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed^(AE) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,^(AF) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶² So I will establish my covenant^(AG) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^{(AH) 63} Then, when I make atonement^(AI) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed^(AJ) and never again open your mouth^(AK) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AL)’”

Personal Greetings

16 I commend^(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon^[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae.^{(B) 2} I ask you to receive her in the Lord^(C) in a way worthy of his people^(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.^(X) Keep away from them.^{(Y) 18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,^(Z) but their own appetites.^(AA) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive^(AB) the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard^(AC) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.^(AD)

²⁰ The God of peace^(AE) will soon crush^(AF) Satan^(AG) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^(AH)

²¹ Timothy,^(AI) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,^(AJ) Jason^(AK) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.^(AL)

²² I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius,^(AM) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus,^(AN) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ^[24] [e]

²⁵ Now to him who is able^(AO) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,^(AP) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery^(AQ) hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings^(AR) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[f] faith^(AS)— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.^(AT)