Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / March 30 - Pride, Choices, and Consequences

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March 30 - Pride, Choices, and Consequences · Bible Chat Devotional

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, March 30th.
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Pride, choices and consequences. It is surprising how often pride
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hides behind normal things. It can sound like confidence,
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but underneath it is resistance. Resistance to correction,
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resistance to advice, resistance to slowing down and admitting we
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may not be right. Pride tells us we already know
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enough, already see clearly enough, already understand the
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situation better than anyone else.
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But pride has a way of pulling us into conflict, confusion, and
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regret. Proverbs chapter 13, verse 10
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says by insolence comes nothing but strife.
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But with those who take advice is wisdom.
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That verse is direct and honest. Pride creates friction.
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Humility makes room for wisdom. When we refuse guidance, refuse
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correction, or insist on our own way, we often set ourselves up
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for pain that could have been avoided.
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Then the Book of Judges closes with that sobering statement.
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In those days, there was no king in Israel.
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Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
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That line explains so much. When everyone becomes their own
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guide, chaos follows. Judges chapters 19 to 21 are
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hard to read because they reveal how destructive things become.
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When people abandoned God's ways and trust only themselves, Sin
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multiplied. Violence spread, Hearts grew
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harder. But even in the middle of that
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mess, there was a moment when the people went before the Lord
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wept and sought His guidance. That matters.
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It shows us that no matter how far things have gone, turning
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back to God is still the right direction.
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Maybe there is an area of your life where pride has made you
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stubborn. Maybe you have been ignoring
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good advice, resisting correction, or just assuming
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your way is best. Pride can feel strong, but it is
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not safe. Humility may feel harder at
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first, but it leads to healing, peace, and wisdom.
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And your choices matter. Small choices shape habits.
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Habits shape direction. Direction shapes outcomes.
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The way you respond to correction today can influence
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where your life is headed tomorrow.
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God does not correct you to shame you.
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He guides you because He loves you.
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So choose humility, choose to listen.
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Choose to seek God before insisting on your own way.
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There is real freedom in laying down pride and saying, Lord,
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teach me Lord, lead me. Lord, I do not want to do what
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is merely right in my own eyes. I want to walk in what is right
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in yours. Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to guide and
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correct me. Forgive me for the times pride
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has made me stubborn, defensive, or unwilling to listen.
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Teach me to walk in humility and wisdom.
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Help me seek your direction in every decision and receive godly
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advice with an open heart. Lead me away from regret and
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into the peace that comes from trusting your way in Jesus name,
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Amen. What if the most important
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question in your life deserves more than a shallow answer?
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Does God Exist is a powerful, thought provoking series that
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explores reality, meaning, and truth through reason, evidence,
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human experience, and scripture without preaching pressure or
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assumptions. Book 1, Something from Nothing,
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confronts the mystery of existence itself and asks why
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anything exists at all. Book 2, The Cause Behind the
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Cosmos, examines the origin of the universe and whether it
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points beyond itself. Book 3, Design or Accident,
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wrestles with order and complexity.
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Are they products of chance or intelligence?
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Book 4, The Moral Signature, explores why objective right and
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wrong may require a source beyond human opinion.
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Book 5, The God We Cannot Escape, considers conscience,
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longing, and humanity's persistent awareness of God.
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Book 6, From Reason to Revelation, asks whether the God
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who exists would also speak, and Book 7, Denying God, examines
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the internal tensions of unbelief and the deeper
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implications of rejecting the divine.
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Written in clear, accessible language for seekers, skeptics,
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students, and curious minds, this series invites honest
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reflection and careful thinking. If you're ready to explore the
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question seriously, Order Does God Exist?
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On Amazon or visit prayerscripts.org today.
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Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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Bible reading plan. Proverbs Chapter 13 verses 9 to
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10 World English Bible The light of the righteous shines
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brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
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Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take
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advice. Judges, Chapters 19 to 21, World
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English Bible. In those days when there was no
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king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the
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farther side of the Hill Country of Ephraim, who took for himself
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a concubine out of Bethlehem, Judah.
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His concubine played the prostitute against him and went
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away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and
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was there for four months. Her husband arose and went after
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her to speak kindly to her, to bring her again.
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Having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys, she brought
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him into her father's house, and when the father of the young
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lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him, his father-in-law.
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The young lady's father kept him there, and he stayed with him
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three days. So they ate and drank and stayed
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there. On the 4th day they got up early
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in the morning, and he rose up to depart.
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The young lady's father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your
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heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards you shall go your
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way. So they sat down, ate and drank
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both of them together. Then the young lady's father
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said to the man, Please be pleased to stay all night, and
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let your heart be merry. The man rose up to depart, but
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his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there.
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Again he arose early in the morning on the 5th day to
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depart. And the young lady's father
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said, Please strengthen your heart and stay until the day
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declines. And they both ate.
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When the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his
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servant, his father-in-law, the young lady's father said to him,
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Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night.
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Behold, the day is ending. Stay here that your heart may be
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merry, and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.
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But the man wouldn't stay that night, but he rose up and went
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near Jebus, also called Jerusalem.
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With him were a couple of saddled donkeys.
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His concubine also was with him when they were by Jebus.
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The day was far spent and the servant said to his master,
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Please come and let's enter into this city of the Jebusites and
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stay in it. His master said to him, We won't
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enter into the city of a foreigner that is not of the
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children of Israel, but we will pass over to Jiba.
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He said to his servant, Come and let's draw near to one of these
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places, and we will lodge in Jiba or in Rama.
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So they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down on
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them near Jaiba, which belongs to Benjamin.
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They went over there to go in to stay in Jaiba.
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He went in and sat down in the street of the city, for there
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was no one who took them into his house to stay.
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Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at
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evening. Now the man was from the Hill
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Country of Ephraim, and he lived in Jaiba.
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But the men of the place were Benjamites.
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He lifted up his eyes and saw the wayfaring man in the street
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of the city. And the old man said, Where are
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you going? Where did you come from?
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He said to him, We are passing from Bethlehem, Judah, to the
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farther side of the Hill Country of Ephraim.
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I am from there and I went to Bethlehem, Judah.
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I am going to Yahweh's house, and there is no one who has
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taken me into his house yet. There is both straw and feed for
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our donkeys, and there is bread and wine also for me and for
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your servant and for the young man who is with your servants.
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There is no lack of anything, the old man said.
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Peace be to you. Just let me supply all your
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needs, but don't sleep in the street.
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So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder.
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Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.
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As they were making their hearts merry.
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Behold the men of the city. Certain wicked fellows
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surrounded the house, beating at the door, and they spoke to the
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master of the house, the old man saying, Bring out the man who
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came into your house, that we can have sex with him.
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The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said
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to them, No, my brothers, please don't act so wickedly.
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Since this man has come into my house, don't do this folly.
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Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine.
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I will bring them out now, humble them, and do with them
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what seems good to you. But to this man don't do any
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such folly. But the men wouldn't listen to
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him, so the man grabbed his concubine and brought her out to
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them, and they had sex with her and abused her all night until
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the morning. When the day began to dawn they
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let her go. Then the woman came in the
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dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's
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house, where her Lord was, until it was light.
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Her Lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the
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house and went out to go his way.
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And behold, the woman, his concubine, had fallen down at
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the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.
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He said to her, Get up and let's get going, But no one answered.
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Then he took her up on the donkey, and the man rose up and
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went to his place. When he had come into his house,
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he took a knife and cut up his concubine and divided her limb
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by limb into 12 pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders
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of Israel. It was so that all who saw it
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said such a deed has not been done or seen.
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From the day that the children of Israel came up out of the
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land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and
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speak. Then all the children of Israel
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went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from
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Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead to Yahweh at
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Mizpah, the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes
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of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of
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God. 400,000 footmen who drew sword.
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Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of
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Israel had gone up to Mizpah. The children of Israel said,
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Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?
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The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered,
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answered. I came into Jibah that belongs
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to Benjamin I and my concubine, to spend the night.
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The men of Jibah rose against me and surrounded the house.
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By night they intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine,
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and she is dead. I took my concubine and cut her
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in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of
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the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and
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folly in Israel. Behold, you children of Israel,
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all of you give here your advice and counsel.
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All the people arose as one man saying, None of us will go to
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his tent, neither will any of us turn to his house.
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But now this is the thing which we will do to Jiba.
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We will go up against it by lot, and we will take 10 men of 100
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throughout all the tribes of Israel, and 100 of 1000 and 1000
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out of 10,000 to get food for the people that they may do when
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they come to Jybra of Benjamin, according to all the folly that
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the men of Jyba have done in Israel.
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So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit
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together as one man. The tribes of Israel sent men
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through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What
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wickedness is this that has happened among you?
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Now therefore, deliver up the men, the wicked fellows who are
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in Jaiba, that we may put them to death and put away evil from
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Israel. But Benjamin would not listen to
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the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel.
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The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out
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of the cities to Jaiba to go out to battle against the children
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of Israel. The children of Benjamin were
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counted on that day out of the cities 26,000 men who drew the
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sword, in addition to the inhabitants of Jaiba who were
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counted 700 chosen men. Among all these soldiers there
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were 700 chosen men who were left-handed.
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Every one of them could sling a stone at a hare and not miss.
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The men of Israel, besides Benjamin were counted 400,000
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men who drew sword. All these were men of war.
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The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel and asked
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counsel of God. They asked Who shall go up for
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us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?
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Yahweh said Judah first. The children of Israel rose up
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in the morning and encamped against Jaiba.
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The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the
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men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Jaiba.
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The children of Benjamin came out of Jaiba and on that day
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destroyed 22,000 of the Israelite men down to the
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ground. The people, the men of Israel,
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encouraged themselves and set the battle again in array in the
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place where they set themselves in array.
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The first day the children of Israel went up and wept before
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Yahweh until evening. And they asked of Yahweh saying,
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Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of
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Benjamin, my brother? Yahweh said, Go up against him.
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The children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin
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the second day. Benjamin went out against them
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out of Jibah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of
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the children of Israel again 18,000 men.
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All these drew the sword. Then all the children of Israel
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and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and wept, and
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sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening.
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Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
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before Yahweh. The children of Israel asked
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Yahweh for the Ark of the Covenant of God was there in
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those days. And Feinhas the son of Elizar,
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the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying, Shall
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I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin
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my brother, or shall I cease? Yahweh said, Go up, for tomorrow
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I will deliver him into your hand.
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Israel set ambushes all around Jaiba.
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The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin
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on the third day and set themselves in array against
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Jaiba as at other times. The children of Benjamin went
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out against the people and were drawn away from the city and
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they began to strike and kill of the people as at other times in
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the highways of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to
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Jaiba in the field, about 30 men of Israel, the children of
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Benjamin, said, they are struck down before us as at the first,
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but the children of Israel said let's flee and draw them away
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from the city to the highways. All the men of Israel rose up
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out of their place and set themselves in array at Bail
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Tamer. Then the ambushers of Israel
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broke out of their place. Even out of Mare Jeba, 10,000
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chosen men out of all Israel came over against Jaiba, and the
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battle was severe, but they didn't know that disaster was
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close to them. Yahweh struck Benjamin before
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Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin
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that day 25,100 men. All these drew the sword.
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So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck, for the
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men of Israel yielded to Benjamin because they trusted
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the ambushers whom they had set against Jiba.
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The ambushers hurried and rushed on Jiba.
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Then the ambushers spread out and struck all the city with the
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edge of the sword. Now the appointed sign between
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the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should
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make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
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The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to
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strike and kill of the men of Israel about 30 persons, for
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they said, Surely they are struck down before us as in the
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first battle. But when the cloud began to
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arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites
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looked behind them, and behold, the whole city went up in smoke
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to the sky. The men of Israel turned, and
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the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that
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disaster had come on them. Therefore they turned their
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backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness.
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But the battle followed hard after them, and those who came
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out of the cities destroyed them in the middle of it.
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They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down
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at their resting place as far as near Jaiba.
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Toward the sunrise, 18,000 men of Benjamin fell.
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All these were men of valor. They turned and fled toward the
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wilderness to the rock of Rimmon.
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They gleaned 5000 men of them in the highways, and followed hard
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after them to Jidam, and struck 2000 men of them, so that all
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who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the
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sword. All these were men of valor, but
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600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of
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Rimmon, and stayed in the Rock of Rimmon for months.
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The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin and
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struck them with the edge of the sword, including the entire
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city, the livestock, and all that they found.
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Moreover, they set all the cities which they found on fire.
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Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, None of us
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will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.
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The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before
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God and lifted up their voices and wept severely.
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They said Yahweh the God of Israel, Why has this happened in
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Israel, that there should be 1 tribe lacking in Israel today?
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On the next day the people rose early and built an altar there
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and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
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The children of Israel said who is there among all the tribes of
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Israel who didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh?
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For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come
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up to Yahweh, to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
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The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin, their brother, and
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said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
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How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have
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sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to
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wives? They said, what 1 is there of
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the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh, to Mizpah?
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Behold, no one came from Jabish Gilead to the camp, to the
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assembly. For when the people were
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counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabish
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Gilead there. The congregation sent 12,000 of
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the most valiant men there and commanded them, saying, Go and
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strike the inhabitants of Jabish Gilead with the edge of the
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sword, with the women and the little ones.
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This is the thing that you shall do.
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You shall utterly destroy every male and every woman who has
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lain with a man. They found among the inhabitants
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of Jabish Gilead 400 young virgins who had not known man by
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lying with him, and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh,
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which is in the land of Canaan. The whole congregation sent and
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spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of
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Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
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Benjamin returned at that time and they gave them the women
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whom they had saved alive. Of the women of Jabish Gilead,
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there still weren't enough for them.
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The people grieved for Benjamin because Yahweh had made a breach
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in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the
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congregation said, How shall we provide wives for those who
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remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin.
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They said there must be an inheritance for those who are
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escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from
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Israel. However, we may not give them
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wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn,
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saying, Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.
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They said, Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to
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year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east
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side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on
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the South of Lebanon. They commanded the children of
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Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards and see
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and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the
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dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch
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his wife of the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of
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Benjamin. It shall be when their fathers
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or their brothers come to complain to us that we will say
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to them, grant them graciously to us, because we didn't take
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for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to
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them, otherwise you would now be guilty.
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The children of Benjamin did so and took wives for themselves,
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according to their number of those who danced, whom they
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carried. Off they went and returned to
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their inheritance, built the cities and lived in them.
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The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every
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man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out
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from there to his own inheritance.
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In those days, there was no king in Israel.
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Everyone did that, which was right in his own eyes.
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Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
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everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
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Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
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walking daily with Jesus.