Judges 21:1-7 ▼

1 Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”

2 Then the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

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

4 So it was, on the next morning, that the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the LORD at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

6 And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

7 What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them our daughters as wives?”