The<n id="1" /> remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.<n id="2" />

So they traveled on,<n id="1" /> and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, &#8220;Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The people regretted what had happened to<n id="1" /> Benjamin because the <sc>Lordsc> had weakened<n id="2" /> the Israelite tribes.

The Levite,<n id="1" /> the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, &#8220;I and my concubine stopped in<n id="2" /> Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin<n id="3" /> to spend the night.

Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.p> <p class="bodytext">The Israelites retreated before<n id="1" /> Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah.

But we can&#8217;t allow our daughters to marry them,<n id="1" /> for the Israelites took an oath, saying, &#8216;Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed!&#8217;<n id="2" />