1. The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.”
2. Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.
3. “O lord, God of Israel,” they cried out, “why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!”
4. Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.
5. Then they said, “Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the lord?” At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the lord’s presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.
6. The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.
7. How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the lord not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
8. So they asked, “Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the lord?” And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly.
9. For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.
10. So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.
11. “This is what you are to do,” they said. “Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin.”
12. Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13. The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.