1 In Mizpah the men of Israel had taken an oath: “No one among us will give his daughter to a Benjamite as his wife.”
2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They raised their voices and wept, sobbing loudly.
3 They said, “Why, Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that today a tribe is missing from Israel?”
4 In the morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 The children of Israel said, “Who from all the tribes of Israel did not go up with the assembly to the Lord?” For they vowed a solemn oath regarding whoever did not go up to the Lord at Mizpah stating, “He must be killed.”
6 The children of Israel lamented for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today.
7 What can we do to find wives for those who are left? For we swore by the Lord not to give them our daughters as wives.”