Now the menוְאִישׁof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלhad swornנִשְׁבַּעat Mizpah,בַּמִּצְפָּהsaying,לֵאמֹר“No oneאִישׁ לֹאof usמִמֶּנּוּshall giveיִתֵּןhis daughterבִּתּוֹto Benjaminלְבִנְיָמִןas a wife.”לְאִשָּׁה
And the peopleוַ הָעָםcameיָּבֹאto Bethelבֵּית אֵלand satוַיֵּשְׁבוּthereשָׁםuntilעַדeveningהָעֶרֶבbeforeלִפְנֵיElohim,הָאֱלֹהִיםand they lifted upוַיִּשְׂאוּtheir voiceקוֹלָםand weptוַיִּבְכּוּwith greatגָדוֹלweeping.בְּכִי
And they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Why,לָמָהYHWH,יְהוָהElohimאֱלֹהֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלhas thisזֹּאתhappenedהָיְתָהin Israel,בְּיִשְׂרָאֵלthat there should be missingלְהִפָּקֵדtodayהַיּוֹםfrom Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵלoneאֶחָדtribe?”שֵׁבֶט
And it happenedוַיְהִיthe next dayמִמָּחֳרָתthat the peopleוַ הָעָםrose earlyיַּשְׁכִּימוּand builtוַיִּבְנוּthereשָׁםan altarמִזְבֵּחַand offeredוַיַּעֲלוּburnt offeringsעֹלוֹתand peace offerings.וּשְׁלָמִים
And the sonsוַ בְּנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלsaid,יֹּאמְרוּ“Whoמִיis therethatאֲשֶׁרdid notלֹאcome upעָלָהin the assemblyבַקָּהָלfrom allמִכָּלthe tribesשִׁבְטֵיof IsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלtoאֶלYHWH?”יְהוָהForכִּיthe greatהַ הַגְּדוֹלָהoathשְּׁבוּעָהhad beenהָיְתָהconcerning him whoלַאֲשֶׁרdid notלֹאcome upעָלָהtoאֶלYHWHיְהוָהat Mizpah,הַמִּצְפָּהsaying,לֵאמֹר“He shall surelyמוֹתbe put to death.”יוּמָת
And the sonsוַ בְּנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלhad compassionיִּנָּחֲמוּonאֶלBenjaminבִּנְיָמִןtheir brotherאָחִיוand said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Oneאֶחָדtribeשֵׁבֶטis cut offנִגְדַּעtodayהַיּוֹםfrom Israel.מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל
Whatמַהshall we doנַּעֲשֶׂהfor them,לָהֶםfor those who are left,לַנּוֹתָרִיםfor wives,לְנָשִׁיםsince weוַאֲנַחְנוּhave swornנִשְׁבַּעְנוּby YHWHבַיהוָהnotלְבִלְתִּיto giveתֵּתthemלָהֶםany of our daughtersמִבְּנוֹתֵינוּas wives?”לְנָשִׁים
And they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Whatמִיoneאֶחָדis there of the tribesמִשִּׁבְטֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלthatאֲשֶׁרdid notלֹאcome upעָלָהtoאֶלYHWHיְהוָהat Mizpah?”הַמִּצְפָּהAnd look,וְהִנֵּהnoלֹאmanאִישׁhad comeבָאtoאֶלthe campהַמַּחֲנֶהfrom Jabesh-gileadמִיָּבֵישׁ גִּלְעָדtoאֶלthe assembly.הַקָּהָל
When the peopleוַ הָעָםwere counted,יִּתְפָּקֵדlook,וְהִנֵּהthere was notאֵיןthereשָׁםa manאִישׁof the inhabitantsמִיּוֹשְׁבֵיof Jabesh-gilead.יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד
So the communityוַ הָעֵדָהsentיִּשְׁלְחוּthereשָׁםtwelveשְׁנֵים עָשָׂרthousandאֶלֶףmenאִישׁof the men of valor,מִבְּנֵי הֶחָיִלand commandedוַיְצַוּוּthem,אוֹתָםsaying,לֵאמֹר“Goלְכוּand strikeוְהִכִּיתֶםthe inhabitantsאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵיof Jabesh-gileadיָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָדwith the edgeלְפִיof the sword,חֶרֶבwith the womenוְהַנָּשִׁיםand the little ones.וְהַטָּף
And this isוְזֶהthe thingהַדָּבָרthatאֲשֶׁרyou shall do:תַּעֲשׂוּeveryכָּלmaleזָכָרand everyוְכָלwomanאִשָּׁהwho has knownיֹדַעַתlyingמִשְׁכַּבwith a maleזָכָרyou shall devote to destruction.”תַּחֲרִימוּ
And they foundוַיִּמְצְאוּamong the inhabitantsמִיּוֹשְׁבֵיof Jabesh-gileadיָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָדfourאַרְבַּעhundredמֵאוֹתyoung women,נַעֲרָהvirgins,בְתוּלָהwhoאֲשֶׁרhad notלֹאknownיָדְעָהa manאִישׁby lyingלְמִשְׁכַּבwith a male;זָכָרand they broughtוַיָּבִיאוּthemאוֹתָםtoאֶלthe campהַמַּחֲנֶהat Shiloh,שִׁלֹהwhichאֲשֶׁרis in the landבְּאֶרֶץof Canaan.כְּנָעַן
And the wholeכָּלcommunityהָעֵדָהsentוַיִּשְׁלְחוּand spokeוַיְדַבְּרוּtoאֶלthe sonsבְּנֵיof Benjaminבִנְיָמִןwhoאֲשֶׁרwere at the cragבְּסֶלַעof Rimmon,רִמּוֹןand proclaimedוַיִּקְרְאוּto themלָהֶםpeace.שָׁלוֹם
And Benjaminוַ בִּנְיָמִןreturnedיָּשָׁבat thatבָּ הַהִיאtime,עֵתand they gaveוַיִּתְּנוּthemלָהֶםthe womenהַנָּשִׁיםwhomאֲשֶׁרthey had kept aliveחִיּוּof the womenמִנְּשֵׁיof Jabesh-gilead;יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָדbutוְeven soכֵּןthey did notלֹאfindמָצְאוּenough for them.לָהֶם
And the peopleוְהָעָםhad compassionנִחָםon Benjamin,לְבִנְיָמִןforכִּיYHWHיְהוָהhad madeעָשָׂהa breachפֶּרֶץin the tribesבְּשִׁבְטֵיof Israel.יִשְׂרָאֵל
Then the eldersזִקְנֵיof the communityהָעֵדָהsaid,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Whatמַהshall we doנַּעֲשֶׂהfor those who are left,לַנּוֹתָרִיםfor wives,לְנָשִׁיםsinceכִּיthe womenאִשָּׁהfrom Benjaminמִבִּנְיָמִןhave been destroyed?”נִשְׁמְדָה
And they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“There must be a possessionיְרֻשַּׁתfor those who escapedפְּלֵיטָהof Benjamin,לְבִנְיָמִןandוְa tribeשֵׁבֶטmust notלֹאbe blotted outיִמָּחֶהfrom Israel.מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל
But weוַאֲנַחְנוּcannotלֹא נוּכַלgiveלָתֵתthemלָהֶםwivesנָשִׁיםfrom our daughters,מִבְּנוֹתֵינוּforכִּיthe sonsבְנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלhave sworn,נִשְׁבְּעוּsaying,לֵאמֹר‘Cursed beאָרוּרhe who givesנֹתֵןa wifeאִשָּׁהto Benjamin.’”לְבִנְיָמִן
And they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Look,הִנֵּהthere is the feastחַגof YHWHיְהוָהin Shilohבְּשִׁלוֹfrom yearמִיָּמִיםto year,יָמִימָהwhichאֲשֶׁרis northמִצְּפוֹנָהof Bethel,לְבֵית אֵלon the eastמִזְרְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁof the highwayלִמְסִלָּהthat goes upהָעֹלָהfrom Bethelמִבֵּית אֵלto Shechem,שְׁכֶמָהand southוּמִנֶּגֶבof Lebonah.”לִלְבוֹנָה
And they commandedוַיְצַוּוּthe sonsאֶת בְּנֵיof Benjamin,בִנְיָמִןsaying,לֵאמֹר“Goלְכוּand lie in ambushוַאֲרַבְתֶּםin the vineyards,בַּכְּרָמִים
and watch;וּרְאִיתֶםand look,וְהִנֵּהifאִםthe daughtersבְנוֹתof Shilohשִׁילוֹcome outיֵצְאוּto danceלָחוּלin the dances,בַּמְּחֹלוֹתthen come outוִיצָאתֶםfromמִןthe vineyardsהַכְּרָמִיםand snatchוַחֲטַפְתֶּםfor yourselves,לָכֶםeach manאִישׁhis wifeאִשְׁתּוֹfrom the daughtersמִבְּנוֹתof Shiloh,שִׁילוֹand goוַהֲלַכְתֶּםto the landאֶרֶץof Benjamin.בִּנְיָמִן
And it shall be,וְהָיָהwhenכִּיtheir fathersאֲבוֹתָםorאוֹtheir brothersאֲחֵיהֶםcomeיָבֹאוּto quarrelלָרִיבwith us,אֵלֵינוּthat we will sayוְאָמַרְנוּto them,אֲלֵיהֶם‘Show us favorחָנּוּנוּregarding them,אוֹתָםforכִּיwe did notלֹאtakeלָקַחְנוּfor each manאִישׁhis wifeאִשְׁתּוֹin the war;בַּמִּלְחָמָהforכִּיyouאַתֶּםdid notלֹאgive themנְתַתֶּםto them;לָהֶםotherwise nowכָּעֵתyou would be guilty.’”תֶּאְשָׁמוּ
And the sonsוַ בְּנֵיof Benjaminבִנְיָמִןdidיַּעֲשׂוּso,כֵןand they tookוַיִּשְׂאוּwivesנָשִׁיםaccording to their numberלְמִסְפָּרָםfromמִןthe dancersהַמְּחֹלְלוֹתwhomאֲשֶׁרthey stole;גָּזָלוּand they wentוַיֵּלְכוּand returnedוַיָּשׁוּבוּtoאֶלtheir inheritance,נַחֲלָתָםand builtוַיִּבְנוּthe citiesאֶת הֶעָרִיםand livedוַיֵּשְׁבוּin them.בָּהֶם
And the sonsבְּנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלwent awayוַיִּתְהַלְּכוּfrom thereמִשָּׁםat thatבָּ הַהִיאtime,עֵתeach manאִישׁto his tribeלְשִׁבְטוֹand to his family;וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹand they went outוַיֵּצְאוּfrom there,מִשָּׁםeach manאִישׁto his inheritance.לְנַחֲלָתוֹ
In those daysבַּיָּמִים הָהֵםthere was noאֵיןkingמֶלֶךְin Israel;בְּיִשְׂרָאֵלeach manאִישׁdidיַעֲשֶׂהwhat was rightהַיָּשָׁרin his own eyes.בְּעֵינָיו