Shoftim | Judges

The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter as a wife to Benjamin.”
21:1
The people came to Beth-el and remained there until evening before God. They raised their voices and wept in a loud lament.
21:2
They said, “Why, O Hashem, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe of Israel should be missing in Israel today?”
21:3
For the Children of Israel had relented towards their brother Benjamin, and they said, “Today one tribe will be eliminated from Israel!
:6
What can we do [to provide] wives for the survivors? For we have sworn by Hashem not to give them our daughters for wives!”
:7
So Benjamin returned at that time. They gave them the women whom they had spared of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they were not sufficient for them.
:14
They said, “The inheritance of the remnant of Benjamin [must survive], and let a tribe not be eliminated from Israel!
:17
But we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the Children of Israel have sworn, saying, ‘Cursed be whoever gives a woman to Benjamin.’”
:18
And see; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh go out to perform the dances, you shall emerge from the vineyards, and each of you grab his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
:21
The children of Benjamin did so. They took wives according to their number from the dancers whom they abducted, and they went and returned to their heritage; they rebuilt the cities and settled in them.
:23
In those days there was no king in Israel; a man would do whatever seemed proper in his eyes.
:25

Daily Holy Bible Reading

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “No man from us shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.”
2 And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there until the evening before God, and raised their voices and wept profusely.
3 And they said, “Why O Lord, God of Israel, has this come to pass in Israel, that one tribe of Israel should be missing today?”
4 And it was on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord in the assembly?” for there was a great oath concerning him that did not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
6 And the children of Israel reconsidered concerning Benjamin their brother, and said, “Today, one tribe has been cut off from Israel.
7 What shall we do for them that remain, for wives, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them of our daughters for wives?”
8 And they said, “Which one of the tribes of Israel did not go up to the Lord at Mizpah?” and behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to (attend) the assembly.
9 And the people were counted, and behold, no one was there of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.
10 And the congregation sent there twelve thousand of the valiant men, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that you shall do; every male, and every woman that had relations with man you shall destroy.”
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred virgin girls that had not had relations with any man; and they brought them to the camp, to Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and they proclaimed to them (words of) peace.
14 And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; but this was not sufficient for them.
15 And the people reconsidered concerning Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 And the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for those that remained for wives, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
17 And they said, “(There must be) an inheritance for the remnant of Benjamin, so that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
18 But we may not give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, ‘Cursed (be he) that gives a wife to Benjamin.’ “
19 And they said, “Behold, there is a sacrifice before the Lord in Shiloh from time to time, which is to the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah.”
20 And they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.
21 And you will see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards and you shall grab for yourselves each man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to quarrel with us, then we will say to them, ‘We took pity on them, because we did not take for each man his wife in the war, (neither should you be concerned) for you did not give them presently that you should be guilty.’ “
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and married wives according to their numbers, of those that danced whom they had seized; and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel went from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they departed from there every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his eyes.

Exposé | Moral

The Book Ends With A Reminder Of People Doing What Is Proper In Their Own Eyes

A wake up call, should you continue your own old ways of doing what you think is proper or right according to your own eyes? Or you would submit to obey what Hashem commanded through His servants the prophets; not a man-made commandment from the Greek book – New Testament!

*Today is the best time to decide and apply.