⁷ So he took a yoke of oxen and ^(A)cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, ^(B)“Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.”

And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ^[a]with one consent.

²⁹ When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and ^(A)divided her into twelve pieces, ^[a]limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

Israel’s War with the Benjamites

20 So ^(A)all the children of Israel came out, from ^(B)Dan to ^(C)Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord ^(D)at Mizpah.

¹⁰ And ^(A)the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

¹⁴ Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for ^(A)the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much ^[a]spoil in them.

⁵ The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up with the assembly to the Lord?” ^(A)For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” ⁶ And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. ⁷ What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?”

⁸ And they said, “What one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord?” And, in fact, no one had come to the camp from ^(B)Jabesh Gilead to the assembly. ⁹ For when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there. ¹⁰ So the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men, and commanded them, saying, ^(C)“Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, including the women and children. ¹¹ And this is the thing that you shall do: ^(D)You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately.”

⁵ And they journeyed, and ^(A)the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.