15. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because the Lord had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel.
16. So the leaders of the gathering said, “There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left?
17. Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive,
18. but we cannot allow them to marry our daughters, because we have put a curse on anyone of us who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters.”
19. Then they thought, “The yearly festival of the Lord at Shiloh is coming soon.” (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.)
20. They said to the Benjaminites, “Go and hide in the vineyards
21. and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you.