Judges 20

1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to YHWH at Mizpah.

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 The leaders 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 who drew 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 people of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?"

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 The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my secondary wife, to spend the night.

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 leaders of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my secondary wife, and she is dead.

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

6 I took my secondary wife, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed wickedness and disgrace 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 Look, you children of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."

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

8 All the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us return to 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 the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot;

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

10 and we will take ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to get food for the people, those setting forth, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin they may repay all the disgrace that they have committed 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 gathered against the city, united as one man.

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

12 The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that has happened among you?

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

13 Now therefore deliver up the men, the wicked men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, 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 hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

14 The people of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle 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 The people of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred 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 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; everyone could sling stones at a hair and not miss.

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

17 The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword: all these were men of war.

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

18 The children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God; and they said, "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the people of Benjamin?" YHWH said, "Judah will go up 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 The children of Israel rose up in the morning, and camped against Gibeah.

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

20 The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

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

21 The people of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty-two 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 The people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array 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 The children of Israel went up and wept before YHWH until evening; and they asked of YHWH, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the people of Benjamin my brother?" YHWH said, "Go up against him."

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

24 The children of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day.

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

25 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.

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 all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before YHWH, and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YHWH.

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 The children of Israel asked of YHWH (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

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

28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the people of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?" YHWH said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him 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 Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah.

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

30 The children of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array 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 The people of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill some of the people, as at other times, on the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty 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 smite and slay 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 The people of Benjamin said, "They are defeated before us, as previously." But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."

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 All the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal Tamar. And the men of Israel in ambush rushed out of their place west of Geba.

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 There came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they didn't know that disaster was close upon 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 YHWH struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all armed with swords.

And the Lord smote 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 people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated; for the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah.

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

37 The ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; and the ambushers drew themselves along, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

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

38 Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.

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 The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."

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 smite 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.

40 But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and look, the whole city went up in smoke into the sky.

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 The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster had come on 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 turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in its midst.

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 They surrounded Benjamin, and they pursued them from Nohah and overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.

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

44 There fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor.

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

45 They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they killed on the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck down two thousand men.

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 smote of them two thousand men.

46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand swordsmen; all these were valiant fighters.

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 six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.

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 The men of Israel turned again on the people of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the livestock, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and smote 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.