Judges 21:6-15

6The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!

7How 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.”

8So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering.

9When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.

10So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.

11Do this: exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed.

12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male. They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.

14The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.

15The people regretted what had happened to Benjamin because the Lord had weakened the Israelite tribes.