16. The leaders of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.
17. The remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.
18. But we can’t allow our daughters to marry them, for the Israelites took an oath, saying, ‘Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed!’
19. However, there is an annual festival to 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 Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards,