Judges 20

1 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.

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

2 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.

And the chief of all the people, [even] of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 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?

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?

4 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.

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that [belongeth] to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 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.

And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, [and] thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

6 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.

And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

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

Behold, ye [are] all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8 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.

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.

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

But now this [shall be] the thing which we will do to Gibeah; [we will go up] by lot against it;

10 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.

And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

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

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

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

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done among you?

13 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.

Now therefore deliver [us] the men, the children of Belial, which [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

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

But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15 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;

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

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

Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair [breadth], and not miss.

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

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

18 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.

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first.

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

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

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

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 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.

And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

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

And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 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.

(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

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

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 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.

And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

26 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,

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

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

And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days,

28 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.

And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, ) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

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

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

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

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 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.

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 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.

And the children of Benjamin said, They [are] smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 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.

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, [even] out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 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.

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil [was] near them.

35 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.

And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 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.

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

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

And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew [themselves] along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 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.

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

39 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 among the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite [and] kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as [in] the first battle.

40 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.

But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

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

And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42 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.

Therefore they turned [their backs] before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which [came] out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

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

[Thus] they inclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

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

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valour.

45 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.

And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

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

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valour.

47 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.

But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 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.

And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.