Study Desk

The people of Israel went up to Bethel. There they asked God, "Who should go first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?" The Lord said, "Judah should go first."

The men of Israel went to fight against Benjamin. They dressed themselves for battle against them at Gibeah.

But the men of Israel made their hearts strong. They got ready for battle again in the same place they had fought the first day.

The people of Israel asked the Lord what to do. (For the special box with the Law of God was there in those days.

Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, served in front of it those days.) The people said, "Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin? Or should we stop?" The Lord said, "Go fight against them. For tomorrow I will give them into your hand."

The sons of Israel went to fight against the sons of Benjamin on the third day. They dressed themselves for battle against Gibeah as they had done before.

The men of Israel had agreed that the men who had been hiding should make a big cloud of smoke rise from the city. It would be something special for them to see.

Then the men of Israel turned around to fight in battle. Benjamin began to fight and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "For sure they are destroyed in front of us as in the first battle."

Then the men of Israel turned around. And the men of Benjamin were filled with fear. For they saw that they were in much danger.

But 600 men ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there for four months.

Then the people of Israel said, "Who among all the family groups of Israel did not come with the people to the Lord?" For they had made a promise about the one who did not come to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, "For sure he will be put to death."

The people of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin. They said, "One family is cut off from Israel today.

What will we do for wives for those who are left? We have promised by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage."

So the people of Benjamin returned. The people of Israel gave them the women they had saved alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough for them.

The people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had divided the families of Israel.

Then the leaders of the people said, "What will we do for wives for those who are left? All the women of Benjamin were killed."

But we cannot give them our daughters for wives." For the men of Israel had promised, "A curse will come to the one who gives a wife to Benjamin."

When their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Give them to us of your own free will. For we did not leave a wife for each of the men of Benjamin in battle. And you did not give them any. You would have been doing wrong.'"

The men of Benjamin did so. They took wives from those who danced, one for each man. They carried them away and returned to their land. Then they built the cities again and lived in them.

Return, my daughters. Go. For I am too old to have a husband. If I had hope, if I should have a husband tonight and give birth to sons,