Judges 21:16-25

Judges 21:16-25

[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 Bethel,  on the east side  of the highway  that goeth up  from Bethel  to Shechem,  and on the south  of Lebonah.  [20] Therefore they commanded  the children  of Benjamin,  saying,  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 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.