Study Desk

The men replied, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don't hesitate to go and take possession of it.

"Be quiet and come with us," they said. "Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn't it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?"

So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.

There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there.

Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile.

her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father's house, her father saw him and welcomed him.

so they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night.

"We have been in Bethlehem in Judah," the man replied. "We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I'm returning home. But no one has taken us in for the night,

even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves."

The old man stepped outside to talk to them. "No, my brothers, don't do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful.

So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime.

One-tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel."

For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord until evening. They had asked the Lord , "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the Lord had said, "Go out and fight against them."

leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months.

The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.

How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters in marriage?"

For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.

Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.

The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had made this gap among the tribes of Israel.

So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?