Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Armies » Refusal to obey the summons, instance of
They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? read more.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.
the Armies of israel » Refusing to join, often punished
Saul took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the territory of Israel with the following message: This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle. The people were afraid of Jehovah. They came out united behind Saul.
Verse Concepts
They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.)
Verse Concepts
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. read more.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.
tribe of Benjamin » Remnant of, provided with wives to preserve the tribe
The Israelites gathered at Mizpah. They made a solemn promise to Jehovah: None of us will allow a daughter to marry a Benjaminite. The people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They lifted their voices and wept bitterly. They said: Jehovah God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel? read more.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.
Captive » Cruelty to » Putting to death
Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites, Samuel said. Agag came to him trembling. Surely, the bitterness of death is past, Agag said. But Samuel said: As your sword made women childless, so your mother will be made childless among women. Samuel cut Agag in pieces in the presence of Jehovah at Gilgal.
He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening. As soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they take his carcass down from the tree and throw it at the entering gate of the city. They raised a large pile of rocks over it that is there to this day.
Verse Concepts
Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon: Kill us yourself. It takes a man to do this job. Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Verse Concepts
The Israelites took the Midianite women and children as prisoners of war. They also took all their animals, their livestock, and their valuables as loot. They burned the cities where the Midianites lived and all their settlements. They took everything as loot including all the people and animals, read more.
and brought the prisoners of war, the loot, and everything to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation went outside the camp to meet them. Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of the companies and battalions, who were returning from battle. Moses asked them: Have you spared all the women? Look, these women caused the Israelites, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor. Thus the congregation of Jehovah experienced the plague. So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man. But keep alive for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man. Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin. You must do the same for all the clothes and everything made of leather, goats' hair, or wood.
and brought the prisoners of war, the loot, and everything to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the congregation went outside the camp to meet them. Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of the companies and battalions, who were returning from battle. Moses asked them: Have you spared all the women? Look, these women caused the Israelites, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor. Thus the congregation of Jehovah experienced the plague. So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man. But keep alive for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man. Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin. You must do the same for all the clothes and everything made of leather, goats' hair, or wood.
When Jehovah your God lets you capture the city, kill every man in it.
Verse Concepts
When you go to war with your enemies and Jehovah your God hands them over to you, you may take them captive.
Verse Concepts
All Israel returned with Joshua to the camp at Gilgal. These five kings ran away and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua was told: The five kings are found hidden in a cave at Makkedah. read more.
Joshua said: Roll large stones in front of the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them. Do not stay there but pursue after your enemies and strike the rear guard. Do not enter their cities for Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand. When Joshua and the children of Israel finished slaying them those who escaped entered the fortified cities. All the people returned in peace to Joshua's at Makkedah. No one spoke against any of the children of Israel. Then Joshua said: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me. They did so, and brought the five kings to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. When they brought out the kings to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him: Come near, put your feet on the back of the necks of (humiliate) (abase) these kings. They came near, and put their feet upon their necks. Joshua said: Do not be afraid. Do not be terrified! Be strong and have courage: for this is what Jehovah will do to all your enemies against whom you fight. Afterward Joshua struck and killed them. He hanged them on five trees: and they hung on the trees until evening. At sunset Joshua commanded that they remove them. They took them down from the trees, and cast them into the cave where they had been hidden. They laid large stones in the mouth of the cave. Even today the stones are there. That day Joshua struck Makkedah with the edge of the sword. The king was destroyed all the people who lived there. He let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah the same as he did to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel went with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah: Jehovah delivered it and the king into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the persons who lived there. He let none remain: and he did to the king of Libnah as he did to the king of Jericho. Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel on the second day. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the persons who lived there according to all that he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. Joshua killed him and his people, until he had left none remaining. From Lachish Joshua went to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They encamped against it, and fought against it: They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All that were there were destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. Joshua and all Israel with him went from Eglon to Hebron; and they fought against it: They capture it and destroyed it with the edge of the sword. This included the king and all the cities, and all the people who were there. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and destroyed all the people there. Joshua and all Israel returned with him to Debir and fought against it: He took it, and the king and all the cities there. They killed them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all people there. He left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king. So Joshua struck all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah God of Israel commanded.
Joshua said: Roll large stones in front of the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them. Do not stay there but pursue after your enemies and strike the rear guard. Do not enter their cities for Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand. When Joshua and the children of Israel finished slaying them those who escaped entered the fortified cities. All the people returned in peace to Joshua's at Makkedah. No one spoke against any of the children of Israel. Then Joshua said: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me. They did so, and brought the five kings to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. When they brought out the kings to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him: Come near, put your feet on the back of the necks of (humiliate) (abase) these kings. They came near, and put their feet upon their necks. Joshua said: Do not be afraid. Do not be terrified! Be strong and have courage: for this is what Jehovah will do to all your enemies against whom you fight. Afterward Joshua struck and killed them. He hanged them on five trees: and they hung on the trees until evening. At sunset Joshua commanded that they remove them. They took them down from the trees, and cast them into the cave where they had been hidden. They laid large stones in the mouth of the cave. Even today the stones are there. That day Joshua struck Makkedah with the edge of the sword. The king was destroyed all the people who lived there. He let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah the same as he did to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel went with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah: Jehovah delivered it and the king into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the persons who lived there. He let none remain: and he did to the king of Libnah as he did to the king of Jericho. Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel on the second day. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the persons who lived there according to all that he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. Joshua killed him and his people, until he had left none remaining. From Lachish Joshua went to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They encamped against it, and fought against it: They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All that were there were destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. Joshua and all Israel with him went from Eglon to Hebron; and they fought against it: They capture it and destroyed it with the edge of the sword. This included the king and all the cities, and all the people who were there. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and destroyed all the people there. Joshua and all Israel returned with him to Debir and fought against it: He took it, and the king and all the cities there. They killed them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all people there. He left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king. So Joshua struck all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah God of Israel commanded.
They killed all the people there with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them. None were left alive. He burned Hazor with fire.
Verse Concepts
They captured the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at Oreb Rock, and Zeeb at the Winepress of Zeeb. They continued to pursue the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now east of the Jordan.
Verse Concepts
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.
Show 3 more verses
He defeated the Moabites. He made the prisoners lie down on the ground and put two out of every three of them to death. So the Moabites became his subjects and paid taxes to him.
Verse Concepts
Why are you crying? Hazael asked. Because I know the horrible things you will do against the people of Israel, Elisha answered. You will burn their fortresses, slaughter their finest young men, batter their children to death, and rip open their pregnant women.
Verse Concepts
At Riblah he put Zedekiah's sons to death while Zedekiah was looking on, and he also had the officials of Judah executed.
Verse Concepts
Discipline » Of armies, for disobedience of orders
Jehovah said to Joshua: You get up! Why are you on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things and put them in their own possessions. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They ran from their enemies, because they were accursed. I will not be with you any more until you destroy the devoted things you have among you. read more.
Get up and sanctify the people. Say: 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: You cannot stand before you enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning assemble by tribe. The tribe Jehovah picks will come forward family by family and man by man. He that has take the devoted things shall be burned in the fire, along with all that he owns. He has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah. He has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.' So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: He brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Joshua said to Achan: My son, give glory to Jehovah God of Israel and confess to him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. Achan answered Joshua: Indeed I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel. This I have done. When I saw among the spoils a quality Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them. I hid them in the earth in the middle of my tent. So Joshua sent messengers to the tent and found it and the silver. They took them out of the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before Jehovah. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. Joshua said: Why have you troubled us? Jehovah will trouble you this day. All Israel stoned them with stones. After they stoned them they burned them with fire. They raised over them a great heap of stones that is there to this day. So Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. The name of that place was called, the Valley of Achor, to this day.
Get up and sanctify the people. Say: 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: You cannot stand before you enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning assemble by tribe. The tribe Jehovah picks will come forward family by family and man by man. He that has take the devoted things shall be burned in the fire, along with all that he owns. He has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah. He has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.' So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: He brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Joshua said to Achan: My son, give glory to Jehovah God of Israel and confess to him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. Achan answered Joshua: Indeed I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel. This I have done. When I saw among the spoils a quality Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them. I hid them in the earth in the middle of my tent. So Joshua sent messengers to the tent and found it and the silver. They took them out of the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before Jehovah. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. Joshua said: Why have you troubled us? Jehovah will trouble you this day. All Israel stoned them with stones. After they stoned them they burned them with fire. They raised over them a great heap of stones that is there to this day. So Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. The name of that place was called, the Valley of Achor, to this day.
They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? read more.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Jabesh-gilead » A city » East » Jordon
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. read more.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel.
Rashness » Instances of » Israel's vow to destroy the benjamites
The Israelites gathered at Mizpah. They made a solemn promise to Jehovah: None of us will allow a daughter to marry a Benjaminite. The people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They lifted their voices and wept bitterly. They said: Jehovah God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel? read more.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.