⁷ He took a pair of oxen,^(A) cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel,^(B) proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone^(C) who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one.^(D)

²⁹ When he reached home, he took a knife^(A) and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.^(B)

The Israelites Punish the Benjamites

20 Then all Israel^(A) from Dan to Beersheba^(B) and from the land of Gilead came together as one^(C) and assembled^(D) before the Lord in Mizpah.^(E)

¹⁰ The fear^(A) of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.

¹⁴ They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror^(A) of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there.

⁵ Then the Israelites asked, “Who from all the tribes of Israel^(A) has failed to assemble before the Lord?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah was to be put to death.

⁶ Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” they said. ⁷ “How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath^(B) by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?” ⁸ Then they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead^(C) had come to the camp for the assembly. ⁹ For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.

¹⁰ So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. ¹¹ “This is what you are to do,” they said. “Kill every male^(D) and every woman who is not a virgin.^(E)”

⁵ Then they set out, and the terror of God^(A) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(B)