Judges 21:1-14

1The men of Israel had taken this oath in Mizpah: “None of us will ever let our daughters marry anyone from Benjamin.”

2The people went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They cried very loudly,

3“Lord God of Israel, why has this happened among us? Why should one tribe be missing today in Israel?”

4The next day the people got up early. They built an altar there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

5The people asked, “Is there any family from Israel that did not take part in the assembly in the presence of the Lord?” They had taken a solemn oath that whoever had not come into the presence of the Lord at Mizpah must be put to death.

6The people of Israel felt sorry for their close relatives, the men of Benjamin. They said, “Today one tribe has been excluded from Israel.

7What will we do to provide wives for the men who are left? We swore to the Lord that we would not let any of our daughters marry them.”

8Then they asked, “Is there any family from Israel that did not come into the presence of the Lord at Mizpah?” No one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the assembly in the camp.

9So they questioned the people, and there was no one there from Jabesh Gilead.

10The congregation sent 12,000 soldiers. They ordered them, “Go and kill the people of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and children.

11These are your directions: Claim every female who has gone to bed with a man, and claim every male. Claim them for the Lord by destroying them.”

12Among the people of Jabesh Gilead they found 400 unmarried women who had never gone to bed with a man. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

13Then the whole congregation sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock and offered them peace.

14So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. These men were given the women from Jabesh Gilead who had been kept alive. However, the congregation had not found enough women for all of them.