Judges 20

1 Then went out all the children of Israel, and the congregation was assembled together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba', with the land of Gil'ad, unto the Lord in Mizpah.

Then all the people of Israel came out as one man, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead also, and they assembled together before Yahweh at Mizpah.

2 and there presented themselves the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword.

The leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the assembly of the people of God—400,000 men on foot, who were ready to fight with the sword.

3 (And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Speak, how did this wickedness take place?

Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. The people of Israel said, “Tell us how this wicked thing happened.”

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came to Gib'ah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to stay one night,

The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, answered, “I came to Gibeah in the territory that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

5 When the men of Gib'ah rose against me, and beset the house round about against me by night; me they intended to slay; and my concubine they humbled, so that she died.

During the night, the leaders of Gibeah attacked me, surrounding the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died.

6 And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her about throughout all the fields of the inheritance of Israel; for they had committed incest and scandal in Israel.

I took my concubine and cut her body into pieces, and sent them into each region of Israel's inheritance, because they have committed such wickedness and outrage in Israel.

7 Behold, ye are all here children of Israel: furnish for yourselves here advice and counsel.

Now, all you Israelites, give your advice and counsel here.”

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

All the people arose together as one man, and they said, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house!

9 And now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gib'ah: We will go up against it by lot;

But now this is what we must do to Gibeah: We will attack it as the lot directs us.

10 And we will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to procure provisions for the people; that they may do, when they come to Gib'ah of Benjamin, in accordance with all the scandalous deed that they have wrought in Israel.

We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of a thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to get provisions for these people, so that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may punish them for the wickedness they committed in Israel.”

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

So all the soldiers of Israel assembled against the city, as one man.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the divisions of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that hath been done among you?

The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that was done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver up the men, those worthless people, who are in Gib'ah, that we may put them to death, and remove evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

Therefore, give us those wicked men of Gibeah, so we may put them to death, and so we will completely remove this evil from Israel.” But the Benjamites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.

14 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gib'ah, to go out to battle with the children of Israel.

Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to get ready to fight against the people of Israel.

15 And at that time there were numbered of the children of Benjamin out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew the sword, beside the inhabitants of Gib'ah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

The people of Benjamin brought together from their cities to fight on that day twenty-six thousand soldiers who were trained to fight with the sword. In addition, there were seven hundred of their chosen men from the inhabitants of Gibeah.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lame in the right hand: every one of these could sling a stone at a hair, and would not miss.

Among all these soldiers were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed. Each of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

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

The people of Israel, not counting the number from Benjamin, numbered 400,000 men, who were trained to fight with the sword. All of these were men of war.

18 And they arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and the children of Israel said, Who of us shall go up at first to the battle with the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah, at first.

The people of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked for advice from God. They asked, “Who first will attack the people of Benjamin for us?” Yahweh said, “Judah will attack first.”

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gib'ah.

The people of Israel got up in the morning and they moved their camp near Gibeah.

20 And the men of Israel went out to battle with Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in battle-array against them by Gib'ah.

The people of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin. They set up their battle positions against them at Gibeah.

21 And the Children of Benjamin came forth out of Gib'ah, and struck down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty and two thousand men.

The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and they killed twenty-two thousand men of the army of Israel on that day.

22 And the people the men of Israel took courage, and set themselves again in battle-array in the place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

But the people of Israel strengthened themselves and they formed the battle line in the same place where they had taken positions on the first day.

23 And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I again approach to battle with the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.

Then the people of Israel went up and they wept before Yahweh until evening, and they sought direction from Yahweh. They said, “Should we go again to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” Yahweh said, “Attack them!”

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

So the people of Israel went against the soldiers of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gib'ah on the second day, and struck down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men: all these were men that drew the sword.

On the second day, Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah and they killed eighteen thousand men from the people of Israel. All were men who trained to fight with the sword.

26 Now all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted on that day until the evening, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord.

Then all the soldiers of Israel and all the people went up to Bethel and wept, and there they sat before Yahweh and they fasted that day until the evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

27 And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, (for there was the ark of the covenant of God in those days,

The people of Israel asked Yahweh—for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 And Phinehas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, ) saying, shall I yet continue to go out to battle with the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I forbear? And the Lord said, Go up; for tomorrow will I deliver him into thy hand.

and Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron, was serving before the ark in those days—”Should we go out to battle once more against the people of Benjamin, our brothers, or stop?” Yahweh said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will help you defeat them.”

29 And Israel sent men to lie in wait round about Gib'ah.

So Israel set men in secret places around Gibeah.

30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gib'ah, as at previous times.

The people of Israel fought against the people of Benjamin for the third day, and they formed their battle lines against Gibeah as they had done before.

31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite some of the people, and kill, as at previous times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gib'ah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

The people of Benjamin went and fought against the people, and they were drawn away from the city. They began to kill some of the people. There were about thirty men of Israel who died in the fields and on the roads. One of the roads went up to Bethel, and the other went to Gibeah.

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

Then the people of Benjamin said, “They are defeated and they are running away from us, just as at first.” But the soldiers of Israel said, “Let us run back and draw them away from the city to the roads.”

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Ba'al-thamar: and those that lay in wait of Israel rushed forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Gib'ah.

All the people of Israel rose up out of their places and formed themselves into lines for battle at Baal Tamar. Then the soldiers of Israel who had been hiding in secret places ran out from their places from Maareh Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gib'ah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that the evil was overtaking them.

There came out against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the fighting was fierce, but the Benjamites did not know that disaster was close to them.

35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites on that day twenty and five thousand and one hundred men: all these were those that drew the sword.

Yahweh defeated Benjamin before Israel. On that day, the soldiers of Israel killed 25,100 men of Benjamin. All these who died were those who had been trained to fight with the sword.

36 And the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated; for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto those that lay in wait whom they had set against Gib'ah.

So the soldiers of Benjamin saw they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to Benjamin, because they were counting on the men they had placed in hidden positions outside Gibeah.

37 And those in ambush hastened, and spread themselves over Gib'ah; and those that lay in wait moved along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

Then the men who were hiding got up and hurried and they rushed into Gibeah, and they struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now there was an understanding between the men of Israel and those that lay in wait, that they should make an abundance of columns of smoke rise up out of the city.

The arranged signal between the soldiers of Israel and the men hiding in secret would be that a great cloud of smoke would rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Israel turned round in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are entirely defeated before us, as in the first battle:

When the signal was sent the soldiers of Israel would turn from the battle. Now Benjamin began to attack and they killed about thirty men of Israel, and they said, “It is sure that they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

40 Then began the cloud to arise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke; and when the Benjamites looked behind them, behold, the flames of all the city were ascending up to heaven.

But when a pillar of smoke began to rise up out of the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke rising to the sky from the whole city.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed; for they saw that the evil had overtaken them.

Then the people of Israel turned against them. The men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that disaster had come on them.

42 Therefore they turned round before the men of Israel unto the way to the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

So they ran away from the people of Israel, escaping on the way to the wilderness. But the fighting overtook them. The soldiers of Israel came out of the cities and killed them where they stood.

43 They enclosed the Benjamites round about, chased them, they overtook them in their places of rest, as far as opposite to Gib'ah toward the rising of the sun.

They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and trampled them down at Nohah, all the way to the east side of Gibeah.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these were men of valor.

From the tribe of Benjamin, eighteen thousand people died, all of them men who were distinguished in battle.

45 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 they pursued hard after them as far as Gid'om, and slew of them two thousand men.

They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. The Israelites killed five thousand more of them along the roads. They kept going after them, following them closely all the way to Gidom, and there they killed two thousand more.

46 So that all who fell on that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword: all these were men of valor.

All the soldiers of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand—men who were trained to fight with the sword; all of them were distinguished in battle.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and they abode on the rock Rimmon four months.

But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness, toward the rock of Rimmon. For four months they stayed at the rock of Rimmon.

48 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 beasts, and all that was found: also all the cities that they came upon did they set on fire.

The soldiers of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, including the animals and everything that they found. They also burned down every town in their path.