The little tribe of Benjamin leads the worshipers. Next comes the great crowd of Judah’s princes. Then come the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

在那里，有统管他们的小便雅悯，有犹大的首领和他们的群众，有西布伦的首领，有拿弗他利的首领。

在那里，有统管他们的小便雅悯，有犹大的领袖和他们的一群人，有西布伦的领袖，有拿弗他利的领袖。

在那里，有统管他们的小便雅悯，有犹大的领袖和他们的一群人，有西布伦的领袖，有拿弗他利的领袖。

最小的便雅悯支派在前领路，后面跟着大群的犹大首领，还有西布伦和拿弗他利的首领。

在那里有微小的便雅悯领导他们；随后的，有犹大的领袖，成群结队，还有西布伦和拿弗他利的领袖。

那里有最小的本雅明管理他们，在他们的队伍中有犹大的首领们，还有西布伦的首领们和拿弗他利的首领们。

在那裏，有統管他們的小便雅憫，有猶大的首領和他們的羣眾，有西布倫的首領，有拿弗他利的首領。

在那裏，有統管他們的小便雅憫，有猶大的領袖和他們的一羣人，有西布倫的領袖，有拿弗他利的領袖。

在那裏，有統管他們的小便雅憫，有猶大的領袖和他們的一羣人，有西布倫的領袖，有拿弗他利的領袖。

最小的便雅憫支派在前領路，後面跟著大群的猶大首領，還有西布倫和拿弗他利的首領。

在那裡有微小的便雅憫領導他們；隨後的，有猶大的領袖，成群結隊，還有西布倫和拿弗他利的領袖。

在那裏有蕞爾微小的便雅憫領先；有猶大的首領成羣成堆；有西布倫的首領，有拿弗他利的首領。

那裡有最小的便雅憫管理他們，在他們的隊伍中有猶大的首領們，還有西布倫的首領們和拿弗他利的首領們。

在彼、小便雅憫為其首領、有猶大之牧伯、及其羣眾、西布倫之牧伯、拿弗他利之牧伯兮、○

厥惟雅各季子便雅憫之支派、與其牧伯猶大族長、與其群從、及西布倫、納大利諸伯兮。

在彼有最小之便雅憫與其統領、有猶大之牧伯率領群眾、有西布倫之牧伯、有拿弗他利之牧伯、

義塞支派。同聲共奏。

There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them, the rulers of Judah in their assembly, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.

Benjamin, the youngest, is there, ruling them, The leaders of Judah in their company, The leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin, their leader, The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin their ruler, The princes of Judah and their council, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them, the rulers of Judah in their assembly, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.

There[ is] little Benjamin[ with] their ruler, the princes of Judah[ and] their council, the princes of Zebulun,[ and] the princes of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin, their ruler, and the princes of Judah in their robes, along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Saul answered,“ But I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. It’s the smallest tribe in Israel. And my family group is the least important in the whole tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying that to me?”

Some men from the territories of Benjamin and Judah also came to David at his usual place of safety.

David gathered the whole community of Israel together in Jerusalem. He wanted to carry up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.

The men from Benjamin were from Saul’s tribe. Most of them had remained faithful to Saul’s family until that time. The total number of them was 3,000.

The Lord helped Israel win the battle over Benjamin. On that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 men of Benjamin. All the men who died had been carrying swords.

Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I am going to get the stick of Joseph and the Israelites connected with it. That stick is in Ephraim’s hand. I am going to join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them a single stick of wood in my hand.” ’Show them the sticks you wrote on.Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them together from all around. I will bring them back to their own land.There I will make them one nation. They will live on the mountains of Israel. All of them will have one king. They will never be two nations again. They will never again be separated into two kingdoms.They will no longer make themselves‘ unclean’ by worshiping any of their evil gods. They will not do wrong things anymore. They always turn away from me. But I will save them from that sin. I will make them pure and‘ clean.’ They will be my people. And I will be their God.“‘ “A man who belongs to the family line of my servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will obey my laws. And they will be careful to keep my rules.They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. That is where your people of long ago lived. They, their children, their children’s children, and their children after them will live there forever. And my servant from David’s family line will be their prince forever.I will make a covenant with them. It promises to give them peace. The covenant will last forever. I will make them my people. And I will cause there to be many of them. I will put my temple among them forever.I will live with them. I will be their God. And they will be my people.

Gilead belongs to me. So does the land of Manasseh. Ephraim is the strongest tribe. It is like a helmet for my head. Judah is the royal tribe. It is like a ruler’s scepter.

The ninth commander for the ninth month was Abiezer. He was from Anathoth in Benjamin. The total number of men in Abiezer’s fighting group was 24,000.

We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one father. But now one brother is gone. And our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’

The people of Zebulun put their very lives in danger. So did Naphtali on the hillside fields.

The nobles of the nations come together. They are now part of the people of the God of Abraham. The kings of the earth belong to God. He is greatly honored.

Ephraim’s people won’t be jealous anymore. Judah’s attackers will be destroyed. Ephraim won’t be jealous of Judah. And Judah won’t attack Ephraim.

The Israelites were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. After all, they were their fellow Israelites.“ Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel,” they said.“ How can we provide wives for the men who are left? We’ve made a promise in front of the Lord. We’ve promised not to give any of our daughters to be married to them.”Then they asked,“ Has any tribe of Israel failed to come here to Mizpah in front of the Lord?” They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come. No one from there had gathered together with the others in the camp.They counted the people. They found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead had come to Mizpah.So the community sent 12,000 fighting men to Jabesh Gilead. They directed them to take their swords and kill those living there. That included the women and children.“ Here is what you must do,” they said.“ Kill every male. Also kill every woman who is not a virgin.”They found 400 young women in Jabesh Gilead who had never slept with a man. So they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.Then the whole community sent an offer of peace to the men of Benjamin. The men were at the rock of Rimmon.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.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.The elders of the community spoke up. They said,“ All the women of Benjamin have been wiped out. So how will we find wives for the men who are left?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.But we can’t give them our daughters to be their wives. We Israelites have made a promise. We’ve said,‘ May anyone who gives a wife to a man from Benjamin be under the Lord’ s curse.’Look, a feast is celebrated every year in Shiloh to honor the Lord. Shiloh is north of Bethel. It’s east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. It’s south of Lebonah.”So they told the men of Benjamin what to do. They said,“ Go. Hide in the vineyardsand 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 a young woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin.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. Your daughters were stolen from you.’ ”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 made their homes in them.At that time the Israelites also left. They went home to their tribes and family groups. Each one went to his own share of land.In those days Israel didn’t have a king. The people did anything they thought was right.