Judges 21:1-12 ▼

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn [an oath] at Mizpah, “None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to [a man of] Benjamin.”

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

3 They said, “O LORD, God of Israel, why has this come about in Israel, that there should be today one tribe missing from Israel?”

4 And the next day the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 Then the sons of Israel said, “Which one from 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 at Mizpah, saying, “He shall certainly be put to death.”

6 And the sons of Israel felt sorry [and had compassion] for their brother Benjamin and said, “One tribe has been cut off from Israel today.

7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn [an oath] by the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters as wives?”

8 And they said, “Which one is there of the tribes from Israel that did not come up to Mizpah to the LORD?” And behold, [it was discovered that] no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.

9 For when the people were assembled, behold, there was not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.

10 And the congregation sent twelve thousand of the most courageous men there, and commanded them saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, including the women and the children.

11 And this is the thing that you shall do; you shall utterly destroy every male and every woman who is not a virgin.”

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man intimately; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.