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1 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, |Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.| 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. 3 They said, |Why, O LORD God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?| An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!| 4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace. 5 The Israelites asked, |Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the LORD?| They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the LORD at Mizpah must certainly be executed. 6 The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, |Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel! 7 How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, we took an oath in the LORD's name not to give them our daughters as wives.| Judges 21:1-7, New English Translation. Copyright © 1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press.
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