Judges 20

1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the Congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, vnto the Lord in Mizpeh.

And all the children of Israel went out, and all the congregation was gathered as one man, from Dan even to Bersabee, and in the land of Galaad, to the Lord at Massepha.

2 And the chiefe of all the people, and all the tribes of Israel assembled in the Congregation of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drewe sword.

And all the tribes of Israel stood before the Lord in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Beniamin heard that the children of Israel were gone vp to Mizpeh) Then the children of Israel saide, Howe is this wickednesse committed?

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Massepha: and the children of Israel came and said, Tell us, where did this wickedness take place?

4 And the same Leuite, the womans husband that was slaine, answered and saide, I came vnto Gibeah that is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge,

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I and my concubine went to Gabaa of Benjamin to lodge.

5 And the men of Gibeah arose against me, and beset the house round about vpon mee by night, thinking to haue slaine me, and haue forced my concubine that she is dead.

And the men of Gabaa rose up against me, and compassed the house by night against me; they wished to kill me, and they have humbled my concubine, and she is dead.

6 Then I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel: for they haue committed abomination and villenie in Israel.

And I laid hold of my concubine, and divided her in pieces, and sent [the parts] into every coast of the inheritance of the children of Israel; for they have wrought lewdness and abomination in Israel.

7 Behold, ye are al children of Israel: giue your aduise, and counsell herein.

Behold, all you [are] children of Israel; and consider and take counsel here amongst yourselves.

8 Then all the people arose as one man, saying, There shall not a man of vs goe to his tent, neither any turne into his house.

And all the people rose up as one man, saying, No one of us shall return to his tent, and no one of us shall return to his house.

9 But now this is that thing which we will do to Gibeah: we wil goe vp by lot against it,

And now this [is] the thing which shall be done in Gabaa; we will go up against it by lot.

10 And we wil take ten men of the hundreth throughout al the tribes of Israel, and an hundreth of the thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand to bring vitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeah of Beniamin) according to all the villeny, that it hath done in Israel.

Moreover we will take ten men for a hundred for all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for a thousand, and a thousand for ten thousand, to take provision, to cause them to come to Gabaa of Benjamin, to do to it according to all the abomination, which they wrought in Israel.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the citie, knit together, as one man.

And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one man.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through al the tribe of Beniamin, saying, What wickednesse is this that is committed among you?

And the tribes of Israel sent men through the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, What [is] this wickedness that has been wrought amongst you?

13 Nowe therefore deliuer vs those wicked men which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away euill from Israel: but the children of Beniamin would not obey the voyce of their brethren the children of Israel.

Now then give up the men the sons of transgressors that are in Gabaa, and we will put them to death, and purge out wickedness from Israel: but the children of Benjamin consented not to listen to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

14 But ye children of Beniamin gathered them selues together out of the cities vnto Gibeah, to come out and fight against the children of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin were gathered from their cities to Gabaa, to go forth to fight with the children of Israel.

15 And ye children of Beniamin were nombred at that time out of the cities sixe and twenty thousand men that drewe sworde, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were nombred seuen hundreth chosen men.

And the children of Benjamin from their cities were numbered in that day, twenty-three thousand, [every] man drawing a sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men of all the people, able to use both hands alike;

16 Of all this people were seuen hundreth chosen men, being left handed: all these could sling stones at an heare breadth, and not faile.

All these could sling with stones at a hair, and not miss.

17 Also the men of Israel, beside Beniamin, were nombred foure hundreth thousande men that drew sword, euen all men of warre.

And the men of Israel, exclusive of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these [were] men of war.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went vp to the house of God, and asked of God, saying, Which of vs shall goe vp first to fight against the children of Beniamin? And the Lord said, Iudah shalbe first.

And they arose and went up to Baethel, and enquired of God: and the children of Israel said, Who shall go up for us first to fight with the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Juda shall go up first as leader.

19 Then the children of Israel arose vp earely and camped against Gibeah.

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gabaa.

20 And the men of Israel went out to battell against Beniamin, and the men of Israel put themselues in aray to fight against the beside Gibeah.

And they went out, all the men of Israel, to fight with Benjamin, and engaged with them at Gabaa.

21 And the children of Beniamin came out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the ground of the Israelites that day two and twentie thousand men.

And the sons of Benjamin went forth from Gabaa, and they destroyed in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men down to the ground.

22 And the people, the men of Israel plucked vp their hearts, and set their battel againe in aray in the place where they put them in aray the first day.

And the men of Israel strengthened themselves, and again engaged in battle in the place where they had engaged on the first day.

23 (For the children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening, and had asked of the Lord, saying, Shall I goe againe to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren? and the Lord said, Go vp against them)

And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we again draw near to battle with our brethren the children of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up against them.

24 Then the children of Israel came neere against the children of Beniamin the second day.

And the children of Israel advanced against the children of Benjamin on the second day.

25 Also the second day Beniamin came forth to meete them out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the grounde of the children of Israel againe eighteene thousand men: all they could handle the sword.

And the children of Benjamin went forth to meet them from Gabaa on the second day, and destroyed of the children of Israel yet further eighteen thousand men down to the ground: all these drew sword.

26 Then al the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God, and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings before the Lord.

And the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Baethel; and they wept, and sat there before the Lord; and they fasted on that day until evening, and offered whole burnt offerings and perfect sacrifices, before the Lord,

27 And the children of Israel asked the Lord (for there was the Arke of the couenat of God in those dayes,

for the ark of the Lord God [was] there in those days,

28 And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stoode before it at that time) saying, Shall I yet goe anie more to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go vp: for to morowe I will deliuer them into your hand.

and Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days; and the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we yet again go forth to fight with our brethren the sons of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up, to-morrow I will give them into your hands.

29 And Israel set men to lie in waite round about Gibeah.

And the children of Israel set an ambush against Gabaa round about [it].

30 And the children of Israel went vp against the children of Beniamin the third day, and put theselues in aray against Gibeah, as at other times.

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and arrayed themselves against Gabaa as before.

31 Then the children of Beniamin comming out against the people, were drawen from the citie: and they began to smite of ye people and kill as at other times, euen by the wayes in the fielde (whereof one goeth vp to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah) vpon a thirtie men of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and were all drawn out of the city, and began to strike and kill the people as before in the roads, whereof one goes up to Baethel, and one to Gabaa in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 (For the children of Beniamin sayd, They are fallen before vs, as at the first. But the children of Israel saide, Let vs flee and plucke them away from the citie vnto the hie wayes)

And the children of Benjamin said, They fall before us as at the first: but the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them out from the city into the roads; and they did so.

33 And all the men of Israel rose vp out of their place, and put themselues in aray at Baal-tamar: and the men that lay in wayte of the Israelites came forth of their place, euen out of the medowes of Gibeah,

And all the men rose up out of their places, and engaged in Baal Thamar; and the liers in wait of Israel advanced from their place from Maraagabe.

34 And they came ouer against Gibeah, ten thousande chosen men of all Israel, and the battell was sore: for they knewe not that the euill was neere them.

And there came over against Gabaa ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel; and the fight [was] severe; and they knew not that evil was coming upon them.

35 And the Lord smote Beniamin before Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of the Beniamites the same day fiue and twenty thousand and an hundreth men: all they could handle the sword.

And the Lord struck Benjamin before the children of Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin in that day a hundred and twenty-five thousand men: all these drew sword.

36 So the children of Beniamin sawe that they were striken downe: for the men of Israel gaue place to the Beniamites, because they trusted to the men that lay in waite, which they had laide beside Gibeah.

And the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; and the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambuscade which they had prepared against Gabaa.

37 And they that lay in wait hasted, and brake forth toward Gibeah, and the ambushment drewe themselues along, and smote all the citie with the edge of the sword.

And when they retreated, then the liers in wait rose up, and they moved towards Gabaa, and the whole ambush came forth, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Also the men of Israel had appoynted a certaine time with the ambushmentes, that they should make a great flame and smoke rise vp out of the citie.

And the children of Israel had a signal of battle with the liers in wait, that they should send up a signal of smoke from the city.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battel, Beniamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirtie persons: for they said, Surely they are striken downe before vs, as in the first battell.

And the children of Israel saw that the liers in wait had seized Gabaa, and they stood in line of battle; and Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones amongst the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.

40 But when the flame bega to arise out of the citie, as a pillar of smoke, the Beniamites looked backe, and behold, the flame of the citie began to ascend vp to heauen.

And the signal went up increasingly over the city as a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin looked behind him, and behold the destruction of the city went up to heaven.

41 Then the men of Israel turned againe, and the men of Beniamin were astonied: for they saw that euill was neere vnto them.

And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin hasted, because they saw that evil had come upon them.

42 Therefore they fled before the men of Israel vnto the way of the wildernesse, but the battell ouertooke them: also they which came out of the cities, slew them among them.

And they turned to the way of the wilderness from before the children of Israel, and fled: but the battle overtook them, and they from the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

43 Thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at ease, and ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibeah on the Eastside.

And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Nua closely till they came opposite Gabaa on the east.

44 And there were slaine of Beniamin eyghteene thousad men, which were all men of warre.

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these [were] men of might.

45 And they turned and fled to the wildernes vnto the rocke of Rimmon: and the Israelites glayned of them by the way fiue thousand men, and pursued after them vnto Gidom, and slewe two thousand men of them,

And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Remmon; and the children of Israel picked off of them five thousand men; and the children of Israel went down after them as far as Gedan, and they struck of them two thousand men.

46 So that all that were slayne that day of Beniamin, were fiue and twentie thousand men that drewe sword, which were all men of warre:

And all that fell of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew sword in that day: all these were men of might.

47 But sixe hundreth men turned and fled to the wildernesse vnto the rocke of Rimmon, and abode in the rocke of Rimmon foure moneths.

And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Remmon, even [six] hundred men; and they sojourned four months in the rock of Remmon.

48 Then the men of Israel returned vnto the children of Beniamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword from the men of the citie vnto the beasts, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they coulde come by.

And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword from the city of Methla, even to the cattle, and every thing that was found in all the cities: and they burnt with fire the cities they found.