Judges 20

1 Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

Therfor alle the sones of Israel yeden, and weren gaderid togidere as o man, fro Dan `til to Bersabee, and fro the lond of Galaad to the Lord in Maspha; and alle the `corneris of puplis;

2 The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.

and alle the lynagis of Israel camen to gidere in to the chirche of `the puple of God, foure hundrid thousynde of `foot men fiyters.

3 (Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”

And it was not `hid fro the sones of Beniamyn, that the sones of Israel hadden stied in to Maspha. And the dekene, hosebonde of the `wijf that was slayn, was axid, `how so greet felonye was doon;

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

and he answeride, Y cam with my wijf in to Gabaa of Beniamyn, and Y turnede thidur.

5 And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

And lo! men of that citee cumpassiden in nyyt the hows, in which Y dwellide, and thei wolden sle me, and thei bitraueliden my wijf with vnbileueful woodnesse of letcherie; at the last sche was deed.

6 Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

And Y took, and Y kittide hir in to gobetis, and Y sente partis in to alle the termes of youre possessioun; for so greet felonye and so greuouse synne was neuere doon in Israel.

7 Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

Alle ye sones of Israel ben present; deme ye, what ye owen do.

8 Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.

And al the puple stood, and answeride as bi word of o man, `that is acordyngli, with out ayenseiyng and with out delay, We schulen not go awei in to oure tabernaclis, nethir ony man schal entre in to his hows;

9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.

but we schulen do this in comyn ayens Gabaa.

10 We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

`Ten men be chosun of an hundrid, of alle the lynagis of Israel, and an hundrid of a thousynde, and a thousynde of ten thousynde, that thei bere metis to the oost, and that we, fiytynge ayens Gabaa of Beniamyn, moun yelde to it `for the trespas that that it deserueth.

11 So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.

And al the puple, `as o man, cam togidere to the citee bi the same thouyt and o counsel.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

And `thei senten messangeris to al the lynage of Beniamyn, `whiche messangeris seiden, Whi so greet felony is foundun in you?

13 Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.

Bitake ye the men of Gabaa, that diden this wickidnesse, that thei die, and yuel be doon awey fro Israel. `Whiche nolden here the comaundement of her britheren, the sones of Israel,

14 And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

but of alle the citees, that weren of `her part, thei camen togidere in to Gabaa, to helpe hem, and to fiyte ayens al the puple of Israel.

15 On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.

And fyue and twenti thousynde weren foundun of Beniamyn, of men drawynge out swerd, outakun the dwelleris of Gabaa,

16 Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

whiche weren seuen hundrid strongeste men, fiytynge so with the lefthond as with the riythond, and castynge so stoonus with slyngis at a certeyn thing, that thei myyten smyte also an heer, and the strook of the stoon schulde not be borun in to `the tother part.

17 The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.

Also of the men of Israel, with out the sones of Beniamin, weren foundun foure hundrid thousynd `of men drawynge swerd and redi to batel.

18 The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.

Whiche riseden and camen in to the hows of God, that is in Silo; and thei counceliden God, and seiden, Who schal be prince in oure oost of the batel ayens the sones of Beniamyn? To whiche the Lord answeride, Judas be youre duyk.

19 The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

And anoon the sones of Israel risiden eerli, and settiden tentis ayens Gabaa.

20 And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

And fro thennus thei yeden forth to batel ayens Beniamyn, and bigunnen to fiyte ayens `the citee.

21 And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

And the sones of Beniamyn yeden out of Gabaa, and killiden of the sones of Israel in that dai two and twenti thousynde of men.

22 But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

And eft the sones of Israel tristiden in strengthe and noumbre, and dressiden schiltrun, in the same place in which thei fouyten bifore;

23 They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

so netheles that thei stieden bifore, and wepten bifor the Lord `til to nyyt, and counseliden hym, and seiden, Owe Y go forth more to fiyte ayens the sones of Beniamyn, my britheren, ether nay? To whiche he answeride, Stie ye to hem, and bigynne ye batel.

24 On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites.

And whanne the sones of Israel hadden go forth to batel in the tother dai ayens Beniamyn,

25 That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

the sones of Beniamyn braken out of the yates of Gabaa, and camen to hem; and the sones of Beniamyn weren wood ayens hem bi so greet sleyng, that thei castiden doun eiytene thousynde of men drawynge swerd.

26 Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

Wherfor alle the sones of Israel camen in to the hows of God, and saten, and wepten bifore the Lord, and thei fastiden in that dai `til to euentid; and thei offeriden to the Lord brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices,

27 And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

and axiden of her staat. In that tyme the arke of boond of pees of God was there in Silo;

28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

and Fynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, was souereyn of the hows. Therfor thei counseliden the Lord, and seiden, Owen we go out more to batel ayens the sones of Beniamyn, oure britheren, ethir reste? To whiche the Lord seide, Stie ye, for to morewe Y schal bytake hem in to youre hondis.

29 So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

And the sones of Israel settiden buyschementis bi the cumpas of the citee of Gabaa;

30 On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

and the thridde tyme as onys and tweis thei brouyten forth oost ayens Beniamyn.

31 The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

But also the sones of Beniamyn braken out of the citee booldli, and pursueden ferthere the aduersaryes fleynge, so that thei woundiden of hem, as in the firste dai and the secounde, and killiden bi twey paththis `the aduersaries turnynge backis; of whiche paththis oon was borun in to Bethel, the tother in to Gabaa. And thei castiden doun aboute thretti men;

32 “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

for thei gessiden to sle hem `bi customable maner; whiche `feyneden fliyt bi craft, and token counsel, that thei schulden drawe hem fro the citee, and that thei as fleynge schulden brynge to the forseid paththis.

33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.

Therfor alle the sones of Israel risiden of her seetis, and settiden schiltrun in the place which is clepid Baalthamar. And the buschementis, that weren aboute the citee, bigunnen to opene hem silf litil and litil,

34 Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.

and to go forth fro the west part of the citee. But also othere ten thousynde of men of al Israel excitiden the dwelleris of the cite to batels; and the batel was maad greuous ayens the sones of Beniamyn, and thei vndurstoden not, that perisching neiyede to hem on eche part.

35 The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.

And the Lord smoot hem in the siyt of the sones of Israel, and `thei killiden of hem in that dai fyue and twenti thousynde and an hundrid men, alle the werryours and drawynge swerd.

36 Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

Sotheli the sones of Beniamyn bigunnen to fle, `whanne thei sien, that thei weren the lowere. And the sones of Israel sien this, and `yauen to hem place to fle, that thei schulden come to the buyschementis maad redi, whiche thei hadden set bisidis the citee.

37 The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

And whanne thei hadden rise sudenli fro hid places, and Beniamyn yaf backis to the sleeris, thei entriden in to the citee, and smytiden it by the scharpnesse of swerd.

38 The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

Sotheli the sones of Israel hadden youe a signe to hem whiche thei hadden set in buyschementis, that aftir that thei hadden take the citee, thei schulden kyndle fier, and that bi smook stiynge an hiy, thei schulden schewe the citee takun.

39 the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

And whanne the sones of Israel set in thilke batel sien this; for the sones of Beniamyn gessiden hem to fle, and thei sueden bisiliere, whanne thretti men of her oost weren slayn;

40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

and `the sones of Israel sien as a piler of smoke stie fro the citee; also Beniamyn bihelde bihynde, whanne he siy the citee takun, and flawmes borun in hiye,

41 Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

thei that feyneden fliyt bifore, `ayenstoden strongliere with face turned. And whanne the sones of Beniamyn hadden seyn this, thei weren turned in to fliyt,

42 So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

and thei bigunnen to go to the weie of deseert; while also aduersaries pursueden hem there, but also thei, that hadden brent the citee, camen ayens hem.

43 They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

And so it was doon, that thei weren slayn of enemyes on ech part, nether ony reste of men diynge was; and thei felden, and weren cast doun at the eest coost of the citee of Gabaa.

44 And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

Forsothe thei, that weren slayn in the same place, weren eiytene thousynde of `men, alle strongeste fiyteris.

45 Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.

And whanne thei that leften of Beniamyn hadden seyn this, thei fledden in to wildirnesse, and thei yeden to the stoon, whos name is Remmon. And in that fliyt the sones of Israel yeden opynli, `and yeden in to dyuerse places, and killiden fyue thousynde men; and whanne thei yeden ferther, thei pursueden hem, and killiden also othere twei thousynde.

46 That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

And so it was doon, that alle that felden doun of Beniamyn in diuerse places, weren fyue and twenti thousynde, `fiyterys moost redi to batels.

47 But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.

And so sixe hundrid men leften of al the noumbre of Beniamyn, that myyten ascape, and fle in to wildirnesse; and thei saten in the stoon of Remmon foure monethis.

48 And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

Forsothe the sones of Israel yeden out, and smytiden with swerd alle the remenauntis of the citee, fro men `til to werk beestis; and deuourynge flawme wastide alle the citees and townes of Beniamyn.