4. The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace.
5. The Israelites asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?” They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed.
6. The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!
7. How 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.”
8. So 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.
9. When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.
10. So 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.
11. Do 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.
12. They 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.