Judges 21

¹Moreouer, the men of Israel sware in Mizpeh, saying, None of vs shall giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites to wyfe.

²And the people came vnto ye house of God and abode there till euen before God, and lift vp their voyces, and wept with great lamentation,

³And sayde, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that this day one tribe of Israel should want?

⁴And on the morow the people rose vp and made there an altar, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings.

⁵Then the children of Israel said, Who is he among all the tribes of Israel, that came not vp with the Congregation vnto the Lord? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, Let him die the death.

⁶And the children of Israel were sory for Beniamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

⁷How shall we do for wiues to them that remaine, seeing we haue sworne by the Lord, that we will not giue them of our daughters to wiues?

⁸Also they saide, Is there any of the tribes of Israel that came not vp to Mizpeh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Iabesh Gilead vnto the hoste and to the Congregation.

⁹For when the people were vewed; beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead were there.

¹⁰Therefore the Congregation sent thither twelue thousande men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Goe, and smite the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, both women, and children.

¹¹And this is it that ye shall do: ye shall vtterly destroye all the males and all the women that haue lien by men.