Judges · Chapter 21

[ edit] The ſones forſoþe of Yrael hadden ſworn in Maſpha, and ſeiden, Noon of vs ſhal ȝyue to þe ſones of Beniamyn of his douȝtris a wijf. And alle þei camen to þe hows of God in Sylo, and in þe ſiȝt of hym ſittynge vnto euen þei rereden a voys, and wiþ greet ȝeelynge bigunnen to wepe, ſeiynge, Whi, Lord God of Yrael, þis yuel ys doo in þi puple, þat þis day o lynage be doon awei fro vs? Forſoþe þe toþir day eerli ryſynge þei maden vp an auter, and offreden þere brent ſacrificis and peſible ſleyn offryngis, and ſeiden, Who ſtiede not vp in þe ooſt of þe Lord of alle þe lynagis of Yrael?

Forſoþe wiþ greet ooþ þei bounden hem ſeluen, whanne þei weren in Maſpha, hem to be ſlayn þat þennus weren. And lad by oþenkynge þe ſones of Yrael vpon her broþer Beniamyn, þei bigunnen to ſeyn, Þere is doon awey o lynage fro Irael; whens ſhulen þei taake wyues? forſoþe alle in comyn we han ſworn vs not to ȝyue oure douȝtres to hem. And þerfor þei ſeiden, Who is of alle þe lynagis of Irael, þat ſtiede not vp to þe Lord in to Maſpha? And loo! þere ben foundun dwellers of Jabis Galaad not haue ben in þat ooſt. Forſoþe þat tyme, whanne þei weren in Sylo, noon of hem is foundun þere.

And ſo þei ſenten ten þouſand mooſt ſtronge men, and comaundiden to hem, Goþ, and ſmitiþ þe dwellers of Jabis Galaad in mouþ of ſwerd, as wel wymmen as þe litil children of hem. And þis ſhal be, þat ȝe ſhulen kepe wel, alle of maal kynde and wymmen, þat han knowun men, ſleeþ; maydens kepe ȝe. And þere ben foundun of Jabis Galaad foure hundryd maydens, þat knewen not þe bed of man; and þei brouȝten hem to þe tentis in Silo, in to þe loond of Chanaan. And þei ſenten meſſagers to þe ſones of Beniamyn, þat weren in þe ſtoon of Remmon; and þei comaundiden to hem, þat þei ſhulden take hem in pees.

And þe ſones of Beniamyn camen in þat tyme, and ben ȝeuen to hem wyues of þe douȝtres of Jabis Galaad; forſoþe oþer þei founden, þe whiche lijk maner þei ſhulden take. And al Yrael greetli ſorowide, and dide oþenkynge vpon þe ſlauȝter of o lynage of Yrael. And þe more þurþ birþ ſeiden, What ſhulen we doo to þe toþer, þat han take no wyues? Alle þe wymmen in Beniamyn fellen togidre, and wiþ greet biſynes to vs and myche ſtodye it is to puruey, leſt o lynage be doon awey fro Yrael. Oure douȝtres we mowen not ȝyue to hem, bounden bi ooþ and curſynge, in þe which we han ſeide, Curſid þat ſhal ȝyue of his douȝtris a wijf to Beniamyn.

And þei token counſeil, and ſeiden, Loo, þe ſolempnete of þe Lord is in Silo, torn aboute bi þe ȝeer, þat is ſet at þe norþ of þe cytee of Beþel, and at þe eeſt cooſt of þe weye þat goþ fro Beþel to Siccymam, and to þe ſouþ of þe burȝ toun of Lebona. And þei comaundiden to þe ſones of Beniamyn, and ſeiden, Goþ, and lurkiþ in þe vynes; and whan ȝe ſeen þe douȝtris of Sylo at þe dauncis to be lad aftir þe maner to goo forþ, goþ out ſodeynly out of þe vines, and takiþ hem, eche ſondry wyues, and goþ into þe loond of Beniamyn.

And whanne þe faders of hem and briþeren comen, and aȝens ȝou bigynnen to pleyne and chiden, we ſhulen ſeye to hem, Haþ mercy on hem; forſoþe þei rauyſheden not hem bi lawe of fiȝters and of ouercomers; but to hem preyinge, þat þei myȝten take, ȝe han not ȝeuen; and on ȝoure parti is þe ſynne. And þe ſones of Beniamyn diden as to hem was comaundid, and after her noumbre þei rauyſſheden to hem, of hem þat ladden dauncis, ſondry wyues. And þei wenten into her poſſeſſioun, bildynge vp cytees, and dwellynge in hem. Forſoþe þe ſones of Yrael turneden aȝen, bi lynagis and meynees, into her tabernaclis. In þo days was no kyng in Yrael, but ech on þat to hym ſemyde ryȝt, þat dide he.

Here endiþ þe book of Judicum, and nowe bigynneþ þe book of Ruþ.