Judges 21:1-12 ▼

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.

3 “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

6 And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.

7 What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

8 So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

9 For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.

10 So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.

11 This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

12 So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.