Judges 21
GOD’S WORD Translation
Israel Provides Wives for the Surviving Men of Benjamin
21 The men of Israel had taken this oath in Mizpah: “None of us will ever let our daughters marry anyone from Benjamin.”
2 The people went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They cried very loudly, 3 “Lord God of Israel, why has this happened among us? Why should one tribe be missing today in Israel?”
4 The next day the people got up early. They built an altar there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. 5 The people asked, “Is there any family from Israel that did not take part in the assembly in the presence of the Lord?” They had taken a solemn oath that whoever had not come into the presence of the Lord at Mizpah must be put to death.
6 The people of Israel felt sorry for their close relatives, the men of Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been excluded from Israel. 7 What will we do to provide wives for the men who are left? We swore to the Lord that we would not let any of our daughters marry them.” 8 Then they asked, “Is there any family from Israel that did not come into the presence of the Lord at Mizpah?” No one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the assembly in the camp. 9 So they questioned the people, and there was no one there from Jabesh Gilead.
10 The congregation sent 12,000 soldiers. They ordered them, “Go and kill the people of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and children. 11 These are your directions: Claim every female who has gone to bed with a man, and claim every male. Claim them for the Lord by destroying them.”
12 Among the people of Jabesh Gilead they found 400 unmarried women who had never gone to bed with a man. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock and offered them peace. 14 So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. These men were given the women from Jabesh Gilead who had been kept alive. However, the congregation had not found enough women for all of them.
15 The congregation felt sorry for the people of Benjamin because the Lord had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. 16 The leaders of the congregation asked, “What should we do to provide wives for the men who are left, since the women in Benjamin have been killed?”
17 Some said, “Benjamin’s men who survived must be allowed to have families. No tribe of Israel should be wiped out. 18 However, we can’t give them any of our daughters as wives. The people of Israel have taken an oath that whoever gives wives to the men of Benjamin is under a curse.”
19 Others said, “Every year the Lord’s festival is held at Shiloh. Shiloh is north of Bethel, east of the highway going from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20 So they told the men of Benjamin, “Hide in the vineyards and 21 watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, come out of the vineyards. Each of you catch a woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then go back to the territory of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we’ll tell them, ‘Have pity on them, since we didn’t provide a wife for each man in the battle. You won’t be guilty because you didn’t give them the wives yourselves.’ ”
23 The men of Benjamin did just that. They captured the number of wives they needed from the women who were dancing and went home. So they rebuilt their cities and lived in them.
24 At that time the people of Israel left. Each man went to his tribe and family. They all went home.
25 In those days Israel didn’t have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right.
Jueces 21
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Mujeres para los benjamitas
21 Los hombres de Israel habían jurado en Mizpa y dijeron: «Ninguno de nosotros dará su hija por mujer a los de Benjamín(A)». 2 Entonces el pueblo vino a Betel[a], y permaneció allí delante de Dios hasta la noche. Y alzaron sus voces y lloraron amargamente[b](B). 3 «¿Por qué, oh Señor, Dios de Israel», dijeron, «ha sucedido esto en Israel, que falte hoy una tribu en Israel?». 4 Y al día siguiente el pueblo se levantó temprano, y edificaron allí un altar y ofrecieron holocaustos y ofrendas de paz(C).
5 Después los israelitas dijeron: «¿Quién de entre todas las tribus de Israel no subió a[c] la asamblea del[d] Señor?». Porque habían hecho[e] gran juramento en cuanto a todo aquel que no subiera al Señor en Mizpa, diciendo: «Ciertamente se le dará muerte(D)». 6 Los israelitas se entristecieron por su hermano Benjamín, y dijeron: «Hoy ha sido cortada una tribu de Israel. 7 ¿Qué haremos para conseguir mujeres para los que han quedado, ya que hemos jurado por el Señor no darles ninguna de nuestras hijas en matrimonio(E)?».
8 Entonces dijeron: «¿Cuál de las tribus de Israel no subió al Señor en Mizpa?». Y sucedió que ninguno de Jabes Galaad había venido al campamento, a la asamblea. 9 Porque cuando contaron al pueblo, ninguno de los habitantes de Jabes Galaad estaba allí. 10 La congregación envió a 12,000 de los hombres de guerra[f] allá, y les mandaron diciendo: «Vayan y hieran a los habitantes de Jabes Galaad a filo de espada, con las mujeres y los niños(F). 11 Esto es lo que harán: destruirán a todo hombre y a toda mujer que se haya acostado[g] con varón(G)». 12 Y hallaron entre los habitantes de Jabes Galaad a 400 vírgenes que no se habían acostado[h] con varón. Y las llevaron al campamento en Silo, que está en la tierra de Canaán.
13 Toda la congregación envió palabra, y hablaron a los benjamitas que estaban en la peña de Rimón(H), y les hablaron de paz(I). 14 Volvieron entonces los benjamitas, y les dieron las mujeres que habían guardado vivas de entre las mujeres de Jabes Galaad. Pero no había suficientes para todos[i]. 15 Y el pueblo tuvo tristeza por Benjamín, porque el Señor había abierto una brecha en las tribus de Israel.
16 Entonces los ancianos de la congregación dijeron: «¿Qué haremos para conseguir mujeres para los que quedan, ya que las mujeres de Benjamín fueron destruidas?». 17 Y dijeron: «Debe haber herencia para los benjamitas que han escapado, para que no sea exterminada[j] una tribu de Israel. 18 Pero nosotros no le podemos dar mujeres de nuestras hijas». Porque los israelitas habían jurado: «Maldito el que dé mujer a los de Benjamín(J)».
19 Y dijeron: «Cada año hay una fiesta del Señor en Silo(K), que está al norte de Betel[k], al lado oriental del camino que sube de Betel a Siquem, y al sur de Lebona». 20 Y dieron esta orden a los benjamitas: «Vayan, y embósquense en las viñas, 21 y velen. Cuando las hijas de Silo salgan a tomar parte[l] en las danzas(L), entonces ustedes saldrán de las viñas y cada uno tomará una[m] mujer de las hijas de Silo, y vuelvan[n] a la tierra de Benjamín. 22 Y cuando sus padres o sus hermanos vengan a quejarse a nosotros, les diremos: “Dénnoslas voluntariamente, porque no pudimos tomar en batalla una[o] mujer para cada hombre de Benjamín. Tampoco[p] ustedes se las dieron, pues entonces serían culpables(M)”».
23 Así lo hicieron los benjamitas, y tomaron mujeres conforme a su número de entre las que danzaban, de las que se apoderaron. Entonces se fueron y volvieron a su heredad, reedificaron las ciudades y habitaron en ellas(N). 24 Los israelitas se fueron entonces de allí, cada uno a su tribu y a su familia. Cada uno de ellos salió de allí para su heredad.
25 En esos días no había rey en Israel(O); cada uno hacía lo que le parecía bien ante sus propios ojos.
Footnotes
- 21:2 I.e. Casa de Dios.
- 21:2 Lit. con gran llanto.
- 21:5 Lit. en.
- 21:5 O ante el.
- 21:5 Lit. había un.
- 21:10 Lit. valientes guerreros.
- 21:11 Lit. que haya conocido el acostarse.
- 21:12 Lit. que no habían conocido hombre, acostándose.
- 21:14 Lit. no encontraron así para ellos.
- 21:17 O borrada.
- 21:19 I.e. Casa de Dios.
- 21:21 Lit. a danzar.
- 21:21 Lit. su.
- 21:21 Lit. vayan.
- 21:22 Lit. su.
- 21:22 Lit. porque ustedes no.
Judges 21
New King James Version
Wives Provided for the Benjamites
21 Now (A)the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2 Then the people came (B)to [a]the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, 3 and said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”
4 So it was, on the next morning, that the people rose early and (C)built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the Lord?” (D)For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6 And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. 7 What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?”
8 And they said, “What one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord?” And, in fact, no one had come to the camp from (E)Jabesh Gilead to the assembly. 9 For when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there. 10 So the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men, and commanded them, saying, (F)“Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children. 11 And this is the thing that you shall do: (G)You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately.” 12 So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man intimately; and they brought them to the camp at (H)Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the children of Benjamin (I)who were at the rock of Rimmon, and announced peace to them. 14 So Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.
15 And the people (J)grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel. 18 However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, (K)for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ” 19 Then they said, “In fact, there is a yearly (L)feast of the Lord in (M)Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the (N)highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
20 Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards, 21 and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out (O)to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin. 22 Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’ ”
23 And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they (P)rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them. 24 So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.
25 (Q)In those days there was no king in Israel; (R)everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Footnotes
- Judges 21:2 Or Bethel
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
