1   The children of Israel sware also in Maspha, and said: None of vs shal geue of his daughters to the children of Beniamin to wife.

2   And they came al to the house of God in Silo, and sitting in his sight vntil euening, lifted vp their voice, and with great wayling beganne to weepe saying: Wherfore ô Lord God of Israel is this euil done in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away out of vs?

4   And on the morrow rising early, they built an altar: and offered there holocaustes, and pacifique victimes, and said:

5   Who hath not ascended in the hoste of our Lord of al the tribes of Israel? For they had bound them selues with a great othe, when they were in Maspha, that they should be slayne which had beene wanting.

6   And the children of Israel being

The tribe of Beniamin repaired ^note moued with repentance vpon their brother Beniamin, beganne to say: One tribe is taken away out of Israel,

7   whence shal they take wiues? For we haue al sworne in common, that we wil not geue our daughters to them.

8   Therfore they said: Who is there of al the tribes of Israel, that went not vp to our Lord into Maspha? And behold the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad were found not to haue bene in that armie.

9   (At that time also when they were in Silo, none of them was found there.)

10   They sent therfore ten thousand the strongest men, and commanded them: Goe, and strike the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad in the edge of the sword, as wel their wiues as their litle ones.

11   And this shal be it which you shal obserue: Al of the male kinde, and wemen, that haue knowen men, kil ye, but the virgins reserue.

12   And there were found of Iabes Galaad foure hundred virgins, that knew not mans bedde, and they brought them to the campe in Silo, into the Land of Chanaan.

13   And they sent messengers to the children of Beniamin, that were in Rocke Remmon, and commanded them that they should receiue them in peace.

14   And the children of Beniamin came at that time, and there were geuen vnto them wiues of the daughters of Iabes Galaad: but others they found not, which they might geue them in like maner.

15   And al Israel was very sorie, and repented for the killing of one tribe out of Israel.

16   And the ancientes said: What shal we doe to the rest, that haue not taken wiues? For al the wemen in Beniamin are dead.

17   And we must very carefully, and with great studie prouide, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

18   For our owne daughters we can not geue them, being bound with an oath and a curse, wherby we said: Cursed be he that shal geue to Beniamin anie of his daughters to wife.

19   And they tooke counsail, and said: Behold there is an anniuersaire solemnitie of our Lord in Silo, which is situate on the North of the citie of Bethel, on the East side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and on the South of the towne of Lebona.

20   And they commanded the children of Beniamin, and said: Goe, and lie hidde in the vineyardes.

21   And when you shal see the daughters of Silo come forth after the maner to lead daunses, issue forth sodenly out of the vineyardes, and catch of them euerie one his wife, and goe into the Land of Beniamin.

22   And when their fathers shal

come, and their brethren, and shal beginne to complaine against you, and to chide, we wil say to them: Haue pittie on them: for they tooke them not away by the right of warryors and conquerours, but when they desired to receiue them, you gaue them not, and on your part the fault was committed.

23   And the children of Beniamin did, as it had beene commanded them: and according to their number, they tooke away to them selues of those that ledde the daunses, euerie one his wife: and they went into their possession, building cities, and dwelling in them.

24   The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and families into their tabernacles. In those daies there was not a King in Israel: but euerie one did that ^note which semed right to him selfe.

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