¹⁸ Now the children of Israel did not attack them, for the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so the congregation murmured against the leaders.

¹⁹ Yet all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We swore to them by the Lord God of Israel, so now we may not harm them. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them. We will let them live so that wrath will not come upon us due to the oath that we swore to them.”