4. And it came to pass on the next day that the people rose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5. And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up with the congregation unto the Lord? For they had made a great oath concerning the one that would not come up to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6. And the sons of Israel repented because of Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7. What shall we do for wives for those that remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters for wives?
8. And they said, Is there anyone of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpeh to the Lord? And they found that no one from Jabeshgilead had come to the camp nor to the assembly.
9. For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
10. Then the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword with the women and the children.
11. And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male and every woman that has lain with a man.
12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins that had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13. Then the whole congregation sent some to speak to the sons of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon and to call peaceably unto them.
14. And those of Benjamin had returned at that time; and they gave them as wives those whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead, and even so they were not enough.
15. And the people repented over Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16. Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those that remain? For the female sex had been destroyed out of Benjamin.
17. And they said, Let the inheritance of Benjamin be saved that a tribe not be destroyed out of Israel.
18. However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife to anyone of Benjamin.
19. Then they said, Behold, there is a solemn feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly in a place which is towards the Aquilon from Bethel and towards the rising of the sun from the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and towards the Negev from Lebonah.
20. Therefore, they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards