Today is the fifth day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is a joy to be here with you today.

As we gather, yet again, around the global campfire and just be here in this oasis of peace and let God speak through the Scriptures into our lives.

And our next step forward leads us to where we left off. And that leads us back into the book of Judges. We will conclude the book of Judges today and move forward into the book of Ruth today.

We began the final story of the book of Judges yesterday, a story that is a dark one that tells of Civil War in Israel where all of the tribes gather together to confront profound injustice and murder.

But the Benjaminites will not give up the perpetrators. And so they stand in the way of justice and that leads to war and a lot of people are destroyed.

And the tribe of the Benjamin is virtually annihilated. So there are 600 Benjaminites hiding in a place called the Rock of Ramon. And that's all that's left of them.

And that's where we pick up the story. Judges, chapter 21.

Now the men of Israel had sworn at Midspot. No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin. And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God.

And they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. And they said, oh Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?

And the next day the people rose early and built there and altered and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the people of Israel said,

which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord? For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Midspot saying, he shall surely be put to death.

And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin, their brother, and said, one tribe is cut off from Israel this day.

What shall we do for wives for those who are left since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?

And they said, what one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Midspot? And behold, no one had come to the camp from J. Bashgiliad to the assembly.

For when the people were mustard, behold, not one of the inhabitants of J. Bashgiliad was there.

So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them. Go and strike the inhabitants of J. Bashgiliad with the edge of the sword, also the women in the little ones.

This is what you shall do. Every male and every woman that is laying with a male, you shall devote to destruction.

And they found among the inhabitants of J. Bashgiliad 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him.

And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Ramon, and proclaimed peace to them.

And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of J. Bashgiliad, but they were not enough for them.

And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

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