Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

Cursed {be} he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed {be} he that keepeth back his sword from blood. {deceitfully: or, negligently}

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent {them} throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. {with...: Heb. as one man}

Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed {be} he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, {both} of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing {is} most holy unto the LORD.

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any {of us} go to his tent, neither will we any {of us} turn into his house.

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent {them} throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. {with...: Heb. as one man}

And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. {forfeited: Heb. devoted}

{And to} the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and {to} the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and {to} the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.

Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, {both} of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing {is} most holy unto the LORD.