Judges 21

¹ And the sones of Israel weren led bi penaunce on her brother Beniamyn, and bigunnen to seie, O lynage of Israel is takun awey; ² wherof schulen thei take wyues? for alle we sworen in comyn, that we schulen not yyue oure douytris to hem. ³ Therfor thei seiden, Who is of alle the lynagis of Israel, that stiede not to the Lord in Maspha? And lo! the dwelleris of Jabes of Galaad weren foundun, that thei weren not in the oost. ⁴ Also in that tyme, whanne thei weren in Silo, noon of hem was foundun there. ⁵ Therfor thei senten ten thousynde strongeste men, and comaundiden to hem, Go ye, and smyte the dwelleris of Jabes of Galaad bi the scharpnesse of swerd, as wel the wyues as the litle children of hem. 6 And this thing schal be, which ye owen to kepe, sle ye alle of male kynde, and the wymmen, that knewen men fleischli; reserue ye the virgyns. ⁷ And foure hundrid virgyns, that knewen not the bed of man, weren foundun of Jabes of Galaad; and thei brouyten hem to the castels in Silo, in to the lond of Chanaan. ⁸ And thei senten messangeris to the sones of Beniamyn, that weren in the stoon of Remmon; and thei comaundiden to hem, that thei schulden resseyue tho wymmen in pees. 9 And the sones of Beniamyn camen in that tyme, and the douytris of Jabes of Galaad weren youun to hem to wyues; forsothe thei founden not othere wymmen, whiche thei schulden yyue in lijk maner. 10 And al Israel sorewide greetly, and dide penaunce on the sleyng of o lynage of Israel. 11 And the grettere men in birthe seiden, What schulen we do to the othere men, that han not take wyues? Alle the wymmen in Beniamyn felden doun, 12 and it is to vs to puruey with greet cure and greet studie, that o lynage be not don awey fro Israel. 13 We moun not yyue oure douytris to hem, for we ben boundun with an ooth and cursyng, bi which we seiden, Be he cursid that yyueth of hise douytris a wijf to Beniamyn. 14 And thei token a counsel, and seiden, Lo! annyuersarie solempnyte of the Lord is in Silo, whych is set at the north of the citee of Bethel, and at the eest coost of the weie that goith from Bethel to Siccyma, and at the south of the citee of Lebona. 15 And thei comaundiden to the sones of Beniamyn, and seiden, Go ye, be ye hid in the vyneris; 16 and whanne ye seen douytris of Silo go forth bi custom to lede daunsis, go ye out of the vyneris sudeynli, and rauysche ye hem, eche man o wijf, and go ye in to the lond of Beniamyn. 17 And whanne the fadris and britheren of hem schulen come, and bigynne to pleyne and plete ayens you, we schulen seie to hem, Haue ye mercy of hem; for thei rauyschiden not hem bi riyt of fiyteris and ouercomeris, but ye yauen not to hem preiynge that thei schulden take; and the synne is of youre part. ¹⁸ And the sones of Beniamyn diden as it was comaundid to hem, and bi her noumbre thei rauyschiden wyues to hem, ech man o wijf, of hem that ledden daunsis. And thei yeden in to her possessioun, and bildiden citees, and dwelliden in tho. ¹⁹ And the sones of Israel turneden ayen, bi lynagis and meynees, in to her tabernaclis. In tho dayes was no kyng in Israel, but ech man dide this, that semyde ryytful to hym silf. ²² In the daies of o iuge, whanne iugis weren souereynes, hungur was maad in the lond; and a man of Bethleem of Juda yede to be a pylgrym in the cuntrei of Moab, with his wijf and twey fre sones. ²³ He was clepid Elymelech, and his wijf Noemy, and the twey sones, `the oon was clepid Maalon, and the tother Chelion, Effrateis of Bethleem of Juda; and thei entriden in to the cuntrey of Moab, and dwelliden there. ²⁴ And Elymelech, the hosebonde of Noemy, diede, and sche lefte with the sones; ²⁵ and thei token wyues of Moab, of whiche wyues oon was clepid Orpha, the tother Ruth. And the sones dwelliden there ten yeer,