⁷ “How can we provide wives for those who are left, since we have taken an oath^(A) by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?”

Wives for the Benjamites

21 The men of Israel had taken an oath^(A) at Mizpah:^(B) “Not one of us will give^(C) his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

⁴⁵ But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair^(A) of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued^(B) Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

²⁸ Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble^(A) for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.

¹⁸ We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath:^(A) ‘Cursed be anyone who gives^(B) a wife to a Benjamite.’