New American Standard Bible 1995

Judges 21:16-25

16Then the eldersזִקְנֵ֣יzik.NeiH2205of the congregationהָעֵדָ֔הha.'e.DahH5712saidוַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּvai.yo.me.RuH559, “WhatH4310shall we doנַּעֲשֶׂ֥הna.'a.SehH6213for wivesלְנָשִׁ֑יםle.na.ShimH802for those who are leftלַנּוֹתָרִ֖יםla.no.ta.RimH3498,sinceכִּֽי־ki-H3588the womenאִשָּֽׁה׃'i.ShahH802are destroyedנִשְׁמְדָ֥הnish.me.DahH8045out of Benjaminמִבִּנְיָמִ֖ןmi.bin.ya.MinH1144?”

17They saidוַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvai.Yo.me.RuH559, “There must bean inheritanceיְרֻשַּׁ֥תye.ru.ShatH3425for the survivorsפְּלֵיטָ֖הpe.lei.TahH6413of Benjaminלְבִנְיָמִ֑ןle.vin.ya.MinH1144,soוְלֹֽא־ve.lo'-H3808that a tribeשֵׁ֖בֶטShe.vetH7626will not be blottedיִמָּחֶ֥הyi.ma.ChehH4229out from Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃mi.Yis.ra.'ElH3478.

18But we cannotלֹ֥א נוּכַ֛לlo' nu.KhalH3201 H3808giveלָתֵת־la.tet-H5414them wivesנָשִׁ֖יםna.ShimH802of our daughtersמִבְּנוֹתֵ֑ינוּmi.be.no.Tei.nuH1323.”For the sonsבְנֵֽי־ve.nei-H1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElH3478had swornנִשְׁבְּע֤וּnish.be.'UH7650,sayingלֵאמֹ֔רle.MorH559, “Cursedאָר֕וּר'a.RurH779is he who givesנֹתֵ֥ןno.TenH5414a wifeאִשָּׁ֖ה'i.ShahH802to Benjaminלְבִנְיָמִֽן׃ סle.vin.ya.MinH1144.”

19So they saidוַיֹּאמְר֡וּvai.yo.me.RuH559, “Beholdהִנֵּה֩hi.NehH2009,there is a feastחַג־chag-H2282of the Lordיְהוָ֨הYah.wehH3068from yearמִיָּמִ֣ים׀mi.ya.MimH3117to yearיָמִ֗ימָהya.Mi.mahH3117inShilohבְּשִׁל֜וֹbe.shi.LoH7887,whichאֲשֶׁ֞ר'a.SherH834is on the northH6828sideH6828of BethelH1008,on the eastH4217 H8121sideH4217 H8121of the highwayלִמְסִלָּ֔הlim.si.LahH4546that goesהָעֹלָ֥הha.'o.LahH5927up from BethelH1008to Shechemשְׁכֶ֑מָהshe.Khe.mahH7927,and on the southוּמִנֶּ֖גֶבu.mi.Ne.gevH5045sideH5045of Lebonahלִלְבוֹנָֽה׃lil.vo.NahH3829.”

20And they commandedוַיְצַוּ֕וּvay.tzavH6680the sonsבְּנֵ֥יbe.NeiH1121of Benjaminבִנְיָמִ֖ןvin.ya.MinH1144,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, “Goלְכ֖וּle.KhuH1980and lieוַאֲרַבְתֶּ֥םva.'a.rav.TemH693in waitH693in the vineyardsבַּכְּרָמִֽים׃ba.ke.ra.MimH3754,

21and watchוּרְאִיתֶ֗םu.re.'i.TemH7200;and beholdוְ֠הִנֵּהVe.hi.nehH2009,ifאִם־'im-H518the daughtersבְנוֹת־ve.not-H1323of Shilohשִׁילוֹ֮shi.LoH7887comeיֵ֨צְא֥וּye.tze.'UH3318out totakeH2342partH2342in the dancesבַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒ba.me.cho.lOtH4246,then you shall comeוִֽיצָאתֶם֙vi.tza.TemH3318out of the vineyardsהַכְּרָמִ֔יםha.ke.ra.MimH3754and eachאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376of you shall catchוַחֲטַפְתֶּ֥םva.cha.taf.TemH2414his wifeאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ'ish.ToH802from the daughtersמִבְּנ֣וֹתmi.be.NotH1323of Shilohשִׁיל֑וֹshi.LoH7887,and goוַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖םva.ha.lakh.TemH1980to the landאֶ֥רֶץ'E.retzH776of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִֽן׃bin.ya.MinH1144.

22It shall comeוְהָיָ֡הve.ha.YahH1961about, whenכִּֽי־ki-H3588their fathersאֲבוֹתָם֩'a.vo.TamH1orא֨וֹ'oH176their brothersאֲחֵיהֶ֜ם'a.chei.HemH251comeיָבֹ֣אוּya.Vo.'uH935to complainלָרִ֣יבla.rovH7378to us, that we shall sayוְאָמַ֤רְנוּve.'a.Mar.nuH559to them, ‘GiveH2603them to us voluntarilyH2603,becauseכִּ֣יkiH3588we did not takeלָקַ֛חְנוּla.Kach.nuH3947for eachH376manאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376of Benjamina wifeאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ'ish.ToH802in battleבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הba.mil.cha.MahH4421,norכִּ֣יkiH3588 H3808did you giveנְתַתֶּ֥םne.ta.TemH5414them to them, elseyou would nowכָּעֵ֥תka.'EtH6256be guiltyתֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ׃ סte'.Sha.muH816.’”

23The sonsבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Benjaminבִנְיָמִ֔ןvin.ya.MinH1144didוַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־vai.ya.'a.su-H6213soכֵן֙khenH3651,and tookוַיִּשְׂא֤וּvai.yis.'UH5375wivesנָשִׁים֙na.ShimH802according to their numberלְמִסְפָּרָ֔םle.mis.pa.RamH4557from those who dancedהַמְּחֹלְל֖וֹתha.me.cho.le.LotH2342,whomאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834they carriedH1497awayH1497.And they wentוַיֵּלְכ֗וּvai.ye.le.KhuH1980and returnedוַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙vai.ya.Shu.vuH7725to their inheritanceנַ֣חֲלָתָ֔םna.cha.la.TamH5159andrebuiltוַיִּבְנוּ֙vai.yiv.NuH1129the citiesהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםhe.'a.RimH5892and livedוַיֵּשְׁב֖וּvai.ye.she.VuH3427in them.

24The sonsבְּנֵֽי־be.nei-H1121of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElH3478departedוַיִּתְהַלְּכ֨וּvai.yit.ha.le.KhuH1980from thereמִשָּׁ֤םmi.ShamH8033at that timeבָּעֵ֣תba.'EtH6256,everyH376manH376to his tribeלְשִׁבְט֖וֹle.shiv.ToH7626and familyוּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹu.le.mish.pach.ToH4940,and eachH376oneH376of them wentוַיֵּצְא֣וּvai.ye.tze.'UH3318out from thereמִשָּׁ֔םmi.ShamH8033to his inheritanceלְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃le.na.cha.la.ToH5159.

25In thoseהָהֵ֔םha.HemH1992daysבַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.MimH3117thereH369was noH369kingמֶ֖לֶךְMe.lekhH4428in Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbe.Yis.ra.'ElH3478;everyoneאִ֛ישׁ'ishH376didיַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ya.'a.SehH6213whatH3477was rightהַיָּשָׁ֥רhai.ya.SharH3477in his own eyesבְּעֵינָ֖יוbe.'ei.NavH5869.

Read all of Judges 21

Commentaries on Judges 21