1 iuraverunt quoque filii Israhel in Maspha et dixerunt
nullus nostrum dabit filiis Beniamin de filiabus suis uxorem
2 veneruntque omnes ad domum Dei in Silo
et in conspectu eius sedentes usque ad vesperam
levaverunt vocem et magno ululatu coeperunt flere
dicentes
3 quare Domine Deus Israhel factum est hoc malum in populo tuo
ut hodie una tribus auferretur ex nobis
4 altera autem die diluculo consurgentes extruxerunt altare
obtuleruntque ibi holocausta et pacificas victimas et dixerunt
5 quis non ascendit in exercitu Domini de universis tribubus
Israhel
grandi enim se iuramento constrinxerant
cum essent in Maspha
interfici eos qui defuissent
6 ductique paenitentia filii Israhel
super fratre suo Beniamin coeperunt dicere
ablata est una tribus de Israhel
7 unde uxores accipient
omnes enim in commune iuravimus
non daturos nos his filias nostras
8 idcirco dixerunt quis est de universis tribubus Israhel
qui non ascendit ad Dominum in Maspha
et ecce inventi sunt habitatores Iabisgalaad in illo exercitu non fuisse
9 eo quoque tempore cum essent in Silo nullus ex eis ibi reppertus est
10 miserunt itaque decem milia viros robustissimos et praeceperunt eis
ite et percutite habitatores Iabisgalaad in ore gladii
tam uxores quam parvulos eorum
11 et hoc erit quod observare debetis
omne generis masculini et mulieres quae cognoverunt
viros interficite
12 inventaeque sunt de Iabisgalaad quadringentae virgines
quae nescierunt viri torum
et adduxerunt eas in castra in Silo in terra
Chanaan
13 miseruntque nuntios ad filios Beniamin qui erant in petra Remmon
et praeceperunt eis ut eos in pace susciperent
14 veneruntque filii Beniamin in illo tempore
et datae sunt eis uxores de filiabus Iabisgalaad
alias autem non reppererunt quas simili modo traderent
15 universusque Israhel valde doluit et egit paenitudinem
super interfectione unius tribus ex Israhel
16 dixeruntque maiores natu
quid faciemus reliquis qui non acceperunt uxores
omnes in Beniamin feminae conciderunt
17 et magna nobis cura ingentique studio providendum est
ne una tribus deleatur ex Israhel
18 filias nostras eis dare non possumus
constricti iuramento et maledictione qua diximus
maledictus qui dederit de filiabus suis uxorem Beniamin
19 ceperuntque consilium atque dixerunt
ecce sollemnitas Domini est in Silo anniversaria
quae sita est ad septentrionem urbis Bethel
et ad orientalem plagam viae quae de Bethel tendit ad Sycimam
et ad meridiem oppidi Lebona
20 praeceperuntque filiis Beniamin atque dixerunt
ite et latete in vineis
21 cumque videritis filias Silo ad ducendos choros ex more procedere
exite repente de vineis et rapite eas
singuli uxores singulas
et pergite in terram Beniamin
22 cumque venerint patres earum ac fratres
et adversum vos queri coeperint atque iurgari
dicemus eis miseremini eorum
non enim rapuerunt eas iure bellantium atque victorum
sed rogantibus ut acciperent non dedistis
et a vestra parte peccatum est
23 feceruntque filii Beniamin ut sibi fuerat imperatum
et iuxta numerum suum rapuerunt sibi de his quae ducebant choros
uxores singulas
abieruntque in possessionem suam
aedificantes urbes et habitantes in eis
24 filii quoque Israhel reversi sunt per tribus et familias in tabernacula
sua
in diebus illis non erat rex in Israhel
sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur hoc faciebat
EXPLICIT LIBER SOPTHIMID EST IUDICUM1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 ¶ And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. 14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 ¶ Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them. 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.