9. A roll call of the people was taken, and none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was present.
10. So the assembly sent twelve thousand warriors there with orders, “Go put the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead to the sword.
11. This is what you are to do: Every male and every woman who has had relations with a male you shall put under the ban.”
12. Finding among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgin women, who had not had relations with a man, they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.
13. Then the whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites at the crag of Rimmon, offering them peace.
14. So Benjamin returned at that time, and they were given as wives the women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared; but these proved to be not enough for them.
15. The people had regrets about Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
16. The elders of the assembly said, “What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For the women of Benjamin have been annihilated.”
17. They said, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel.
18. Yet we cannot give them any of our daughters in marriage.” For the Israelites had taken an oath, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin!”
19. Then they thought of the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, north of Bethel, east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.