³⁵ And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he ^(A)tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I ^(B)have ^[a]given my word to the Lord, and ^(C)I cannot ^[b]go back on it.”

⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

⁸ So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

⁹ And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.

⁶ Do not let your ^(G)mouth cause your flesh to sin, ^(H)nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your ^[a]excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

²⁰ Then Job arose, ^(A)tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he ^(B)fell to the ground and worshiped.

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ^(A)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ^(B)my son!”

³⁰ And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!” ³¹ So the king arose and ^(A)tore his garments and ^(B)lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

⁴⁴ Saul answered, ^(A)“God do so and more also; ^(B)for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! ^(C)As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked ^(D)with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

Wives Provided for the Benjamites

21 Now ^(A)the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” ² Then the people came ^(B)to ^[a]the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, ³ and said, “O Lord God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”

⁴ So it was, on the next morning, that the people rose early and ^(C)built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 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?” ^(D)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?”