Judges 21:1–25

¹ Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” ² So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. ³ “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” ⁴ The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. ⁵ The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death. ⁶ And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. ⁷ What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?” ⁸ So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. ⁹ For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there. ¹⁰ So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. ¹¹ This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” ¹² So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. ¹³ Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. ¹⁴ And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them. ¹⁵ The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. ¹⁶ Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” ¹⁷ They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. ¹⁸ But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.” ¹⁹ “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” ²⁰ So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the viney…