Judges 20

1 And all the sons of Israel go out, and the congregation is assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, and the land of Gilead, to YHWH, at Mizpeh.

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 the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, station themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing 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 sons of Benjamin hear that the sons of Israel have gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel say, “Speak! How has this evil been?”

(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 man, the Levite, husband of the woman who has been murdered, answers and says, “My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which [is] 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 masters of Gibeah rise against me—and they go around the house against me by night—they thought to slay me, and they have humbled my concubine, and she dies;

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 lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly 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, you [are] all sons of Israel; give for yourselves a word and counsel here.”

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

8 And all the people rise as one man, saying, “None of us goes to his tent, and none of us turns aside 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 we do to Gibeah: [we 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 And we have taken ten men of one hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of a myriad, to receive provision for the people, to do, at their coming to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly which it has done 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 every man of Israel is gathered to the city, as one man—companions.

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

12 And the tribes of Israel send men among all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What [is] this evil which has been 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 And now, give up the men—sons of worthlessness—which [are] in Gibeah, and we put them to death, and we put away evil from Israel.” And [the sons of] Benjamin have not been willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons 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 sons of Benjamin are gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons 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 sons of Benjamin number themselves on that day; out of the cities [are] twenty-six thousand men drawing sword, apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah, [who] numbered themselves, seven hundred chosen men;

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 among all this people [are] seven hundred chosen men, their right hand bound, each of these slinging with a stone at the hair, and he does not err.

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 numbered themselves, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, drawing sword, each of these a man 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 rise and go up to Beth-El, and ask of God, and the sons of Israel say, “Who goes up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?” And YHWH says, “Judah—at the commencement.”

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 sons of Israel rise in the morning, and encamp against Gibeah,

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

20 and the men of Israel go out to battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel set themselves in array [for] battle with them, against Gibeah,

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 come out from Gibeah, and destroy twenty-two thousand men in Israel on that day—to the earth.

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 people, the men of Israel, strengthen themselves, and add to set in array [for] battle in the place where they arranged themselves 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 sons of Israel go up and weep before YHWH until the evening, and ask of YHWH, saying, “Do I add to draw near to battle with the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And YHWH says, “Go up against him.”

(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 sons of Israel draw near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day,

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

25 and Benjamin comes out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroy eighteen thousand men among the sons of Israel again—to the earth; all these are drawing 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 all the sons of Israel go up, even all the people, and come to Beth-El, and weep, and sit there before YHWH, and fast on that day until the evening, and cause burnt-offerings and peace-offerings to ascend before YHWH.

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 And the sons of Israel ask of YHWH—and the Ark of the Covenant of God [is] 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 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, is standing before it in those days, saying, “Do I add to go out to battle again with the sons of my brother Benjamin, or do I cease?” And YHWH says, “Go up, for tomorrow I give him into your hand.”

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 Israel sets ones lying in wait against Gibeah, all around,

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 and the sons of Israel go up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and arrange themselves against Gibeah, as time by time.

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 sons of Benjamin come out to meet the people; they have been drawn away out of the city, and begin to strike [some] of the people—wounded as time by time—in the highways (of which one is going up to Beth-El, and the other to Gibeah in the field), [are] 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 sons of Benjamin say, “They are struck before us as at the beginning”; but the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, to the highways.”

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 of Israel have risen from their place, and arrange themselves at Ba‘al-Tamar, and the ambush of Israel is coming forth out of its place, out of the meadow of Gibeah.

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 they come in from the front against Gibeah—ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel—and the battle [is] grievous, and they have not known that the calamity is reaching toward 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 YHWH strikes Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroy in Benjamin, on that day, twenty-five thousand and one hundred men; all these [are] drawing 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 sons of Benjamin see that they have been struck—and the men of Israel give place to Benjamin, for they have trusted in the ambush which they had set against Gibeah,

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 the ambush has hurried, and pushes against Gibeah, and the ambush draws itself out, and strikes the whole of the city by the mouth 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 appointed sign of the men of Israel with the ambush was their causing a great volume of smoke to go up 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 men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin has begun to strike the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, “Surely they are utterly struck before us, as [at] 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 but the volume has begun to go up from the city—a pillar of smoke—and Benjamin turns behind, and behold, the perfection of the city has gone up toward the heavens.

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 have turned, and the men of Benjamin are troubled, for they have seen that the calamity has struck against 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 turn before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, and the battle has followed them; and those who [are] from the cities are destroying them in their midst;

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 they have surrounded the Benjamites—they have pursued them—they have trodden them down with ease as far as the front of Gibeah, at the sun-rising.

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

44 And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fall—all these [were] men of valor;

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

45 and they turn and flee toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon; and they glean five thousand of their men in the highways, and follow after them to Gidom, and strike two thousand [more] of their 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 those falling of Benjamin are twenty-five thousand men drawing sword, on that day—all these [were] men of valor;

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 but six hundred men turn and flee into the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they dwell in the rock of Rimmon four months.

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 men of Israel have turned back to the sons of Benjamin, and strike them by the mouth of the sword out of the city—men even to livestock, even to all that is found; they have also sent all the cities which are found into the fire.

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.