Now the menof Israelhad swornin Mizpah,saying,"Noneof us shall givehis daughterto Benjaminin marriage."
Do not be hastyin wordor impulsivein thoughtto bringup a matterin the presenceof God.For Godis in heavenand you are on the earth;thereforelet your wordsbe few.
And you will swear,'As the LORDlives,'In truth,in justiceand in righteousness;Then the nationswill blessthemselves in Him, And in Him they will glory."
Then Jeremiahwentto Mizpahto Gedaliahthe sonof Ahikamand stayedwith him amongthe peoplewho were leftin the land.
And he sworeto her, "Whateveryou askof me, I will giveit to you; up to halfof my kingdom."
When it was day,the Jewsformed a conspiracyand boundthemselvesunder an oath,sayingthat they would neithereatnordrinkuntilthey had killedPaul.
For I testifyabout them that they havea zealfor God,but not in accordancewith knowledge.
Then allthe sonsof Israelfrom Danto Beersheba,including the landof Gilead,cameout, and the congregationassembledas onemanto the LORDat Mizpah.
"And we will take10menout of 100throughoutthe tribesof Israel,and 100out of 1,000,and 1,000out of 10,000to supplyfoodfor the people,that when they cometo Gibeahof Benjamin,they may punish[them] for allthe disgracefulactsthat they have committedin Israel."
The menof Israelthen turnedbackagainstthe sonsof Benjaminand struckthem with the edgeof the sword,boththe entirecitywith the cattleand allthat they found;they alsoseton fireallthe citieswhich they found.
Then allthe peoplearoseas oneman,saying,"Not oneof us will goto his tent,norwill anyof us returnto his house.
"But we cannotgivethem wivesof our daughters."For the sonsof Israelhad sworn,saying,"Cursedis he who givesa wifeto Benjamin."
"It shall comeabout, whentheir fathersortheir brotherscometo complainto us, that we shall sayto them, 'Givethem to us voluntarily,becausewe did not takefor eachman[of Benjamin] a wifein battle,nordid you give[them] to them, [else] you would nowbe guilty.'"
Then the sonsof Israelsaid,"Whois there amongallthe tribesof Israelwhodid not comeup in the assemblyto the LORD?"For they had takena greatoathconcerning him whodid not comeup to the LORDat Mizpah,saying,"He shall surelybe putto death."
"Whatshall we dofor wivesfor thosewho are left,since we have swornby the LORDnot to givethem anyof our daughtersin marriage?"
Now the menof Israelwere hard-pressedon that day,for Saulhad putthe peopleunderoath,saying,"Cursedbe the manwhoeatsfoodbeforeevening,and untilI have avengedmyself on my enemies."So noneof the peopletastedfood.
