The ¹  remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out. ² 

So they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards,

Ithai ¹  son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Some of the descendants of ¹  Benjamin settled in Geba, ²  Micmash, Aija, Bethel ³  and its villages,

Then the man ¹  searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!

You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you. ¹ 

The sons of Benjamin: ¹  Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning devouring the prey, and in the evening dividing the plunder.”

The Benjaminites by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

These are the Benjaminites, according to their families, and according to those numbered of them, 45,600. ¹ 

The Jordan River borders it on the east. These were the borders of the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans. ¹ 

These cities belonged to the tribe ¹  of Benjamin by its clans: Jericho, ²  Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned ¹  Gibeon, Geba,

So they traveled on, ¹  and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. ² 

The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah ¹  to make war against the Israelites.

When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked ¹  because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep. ² 

They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, ¹  and annihilated ²  them all the way to a spot east of Geba. ³ 

Eighteen thousand Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead.

The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.”

The Israelites regretted what had happened to ¹  their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire ²  tribe from Israel!