11. "Here is what you must do," they said. "Kill every male. Also kill every woman who is not a virgin."
12. They found 400 young women in Jabesh Gilead who had never made love to a man. So they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.
13. Then the whole community sent an offer of peace to the men of Benjamin. The men were at the rock of Rimmon.
14. So the men of Benjamin returned at that time. They were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there weren't enough women for all of them.
15. The people were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord had left a gap in the tribes of Israel. They weren't complete without Benjamin.
16. The elders of the community spoke up. They said, "All of the women of Benjamin have been wiped out. So how will we find wives for the men who are left?
17. The men of Benjamin who are still alive need to have children," they said. "If they don't, a tribe of Israel will be wiped out.
18. "But we can't give them our daughters to be their wives. We Israelites have taken an oath and made a promise. We've said, 'May anyone who gives a wife to a man from Benjamin be under the Lord's curse.'
19. "Look, a feast is celebrated every year in Shiloh in honor of the Lord. Shiloh is north of Bethel. It's east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. It's south of Lebonah."
20. So they told the men of Benjamin what to do. They said, "Go. Hide in the vineyards
21. and watch. The young women of Shiloh will come out. They'll join in the dancing. When they do, run out of the vineyards. Each of you grab hold of a young woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then go to the land of Benjamin.
22. "Their fathers or brothers might not be happy with what we're doing. If they aren't, we'll say to them, 'Do us a favor. Help the men of Benjamin. We didn't get wives for them during the battle. You aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. After all, you didn't give your daughters to them. They were stolen from you.' "
23. So that's what the men of Benjamin did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one. He carried her away to be his wife. Then the men returned to their own share of land. They built the towns again. They settled down in them.
24. At that time the men of Israel also left. They went home to their tribes and family groups. Each one went to his own share of land.