Study Desk

Then the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

And they set up for themselves Micahs graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

And they turned aside there to spend the night; and they went to Gibeah, and sat down in a street of the city.; for there was no man to take them into his house to spend the night.

And yet there is both straw and fodder for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me and for your maidservant and for the young man, your servant; there is no lack of anything.

And the old man said to him, Peace be with you; anything that you may lack I will provide for you; only do not spend the night in the street.

Behold, here is my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine; I will bring them out for you, and you may humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man you shall not do any shameful thing.

And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent them throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they had committed sin and wickedness in Israel.

We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to take provisions for the people, who cross over against Gibeah of Benjamin, to do to it according to all the wickedness which they have committed in Israel.

And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of the LORD was there in those days;

And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, ministered before it in those days), saying, Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjamites, or shall we cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.

And when the men of Israel retreated in the battle, the Benjamites killed of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said. Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.

And when the men of Israel turned against them, the Benjamites were terrified; for they saw that disaster was upon them.

And the children of Israel said. Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up in the assembly before the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Mizpeh before the LORD, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

Then the children of Israel were sorry for the Benjamites their brethren, and said, One tribe has disappeared from Israel this day.

And they said, What shall we do for those who are left without wives, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them our daughters to wife?

For the people were numbered there, and behold, not one man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was found there.

And Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but there were not enough for them.

And the people were sorry for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

Then the elders of the people said. What shall we do for wives for those that remain, for all the Benjamite women have perished?

Howbeit we cannot give them wives of our daughters; for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.