1. When the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, they had made a solemn promise to the Lord: “None of us will allow a Benjaminite to marry a daughter of ours.”
2. So now the people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. Loudly and bitterly they mourned:
3. “Lord God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel?”
4. Early the next morning the people built an altar there, offered fellowship sacrifices and burnt some sacrifices whole.