22 When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, “Do us the favour of helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war. You will not be guilty of breaking your oath because you did not give your daughters to them.” ’
23 So that is what the Benjaminites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.
24 At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance.
25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.Footnotes for the Book of Judgesa 5 Bokim means weepers.b 9 Also known as Timnath Serah (see Joshua 19:50 and 24:30)c 16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19a 4 Traditionally judgingb 11 Or father-in-lawa 19 That is, probably about 16 kilogramsb 25 Or Take a full-grown, mature bull from your father’s herdc 25 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; also in verses 26, 28 and 30d 26 Or build with layers of stone ane 26 Or full-grown; also in verse 28f 32 Jerub-Baal probably means let Baal contend.a 4 That is, about 800 gramsb 29 Septuagint; Hebrew him. Then he said to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’c 37 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.d 39 Or Gaal went out in the sight ofa 16 Or the Sea of Reedsb 20 Or however, would not make an agreement for Israela 18 Or is wonderfula 16 Or made a heap or two; the Hebrew for donkey sounds like the Hebrew for heap.b 17 Ramath Lehi means jawbone hill.c 19 En Hakkore means caller’s spring.d 20 Traditionally judgeda 2 That is, about 13 kilogramsb 4 That is, about 2.3 kilogramsc 8 Or To carry on his professiond 10 That is, about 115 gramsa 18 Hebrew, Vulgate, Syriac and Targum; Septuagint going homea 2 Or to the house of God