16. The elders of the assembly said, “What can we do to find wives for those who are left? The Benjamite women were destroyed.”
17. They said, “There must be an inheritance for the remnant of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel.
18. Yet we cannot give them our daughters for wives, for the children of Israel swore, ‘Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ”
19. They said, “Wait! There is an annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
20. So they commanded the Benjamites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.
21. Watch, and then when the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, come out from the vineyards and have every man grab a wife for himself from among the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin.