Judges 21:1-12 ▼

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, |None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.|

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, |Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be [missing] today in Israel?|

4 It came about the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 Then the sons of Israel said, |Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who 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 surely be put to death.|

6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, |One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

7 |What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?|

8 And they said, |What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah?| And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

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

10 And the congregation sent 12000 of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, |Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

11 |This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain with a man.|

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 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.