Judges 20

1 Therfor alle the sones of Israel yeden, and weren gaderid togidere as o man, fro Dan `til to Bersabee, and fro the lond of Galaad to the Lord in Maspha; and alle the `corneris of puplis;

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

2 and alle the lynagis of Israel camen to gidere in to the chirche of `the puple of God, foure hundrid thousynde of `foot men fiyters.

And the chiefs 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 it was not `hid fro the sones of Beniamyn, that the sones of Israel hadden stied in to Maspha. And the dekene, hosebonde of the `wijf that was slayn, was axid, `how so greet felonye was doon;

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?

4 and he answeride, Y cam with my wijf in to Gabaa of Beniamyn, and Y turnede thidur.

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

5 And lo! men of that citee cumpassiden in nyyt the hows, in which Y dwellide, and thei wolden sle me, and thei bitraueliden my wijf with vnbileueful woodnesse of letcherie; at the last sche was deed.

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

6 And Y took, and Y kittide hir in to gobetis, and Y sente partis in to alle the termes of youre possessioun; for so greet felonye and so greuouse synne was neuere doon 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 Alle ye sones of Israel ben present; deme ye, what ye owen do.

Behold, ye children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.

8 And al the puple stood, and answeride as bi word of o man, `that is acordyngli, with out ayenseiyng and with out delay, We schulen not go awei in to oure tabernaclis, nethir ony man schal entre in to his hows;

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 unto his house.

9 but we schulen do this in comyn ayens Gabaa.

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

10 `Ten men be chosun of an hundrid, of alle the lynagis of Israel, and an hundrid of a thousynde, and a thousynde of ten thousynde, that thei bere metis to the oost, and that we, fiytynge ayens Gabaa of Beniamyn, moun yelde to it `for the trespas that that it deserueth.

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 al the puple, `as o man, cam togidere to the citee bi the same thouyt and o counsel.

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

12 And `thei senten messangeris to al the lynage of Beniamyn, `whiche messangeris seiden, Whi so greet felony is foundun in you?

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you?

13 Bitake ye the men of Gabaa, that diden this wickidnesse, that thei die, and yuel be doon awey fro Israel. `Whiche nolden here the comaundement of her britheren, the sones of Israel,

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

14 but of alle the citees, that weren of `her part, thei camen togidere in to Gabaa, to helpe hem, and to fiyte ayens al the puple of Israel.

And 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 fyue and twenti thousynde weren foundun of Beniamyn, of men drawynge out swerd, outakun the dwelleris of Gabaa,

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

16 whiche weren seuen hundrid strongeste men, fiytynge so with the lefthond as with the riythond, and castynge so stoonus with slyngis at a certeyn thing, that thei myyten smyte also an heer, and the strook of the stoon schulde not be borun in to `the tother part.

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

17 Also of the men of Israel, with out the sones of Beniamin, weren foundun foure hundrid thousynd `of men drawynge swerd and redi to batel.

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

18 Whiche riseden and camen in to the hows of God, that is in Silo; and thei counceliden God, and seiden, Who schal be prince in oure oost of the batel ayens the sones of Beniamyn? To whiche the Lord answeride, Judas be youre duyk.

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first.

19 And anoon the sones of Israel risiden eerli, and settiden tentis ayens Gabaa.

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

20 And fro thennus thei yeden forth to batel ayens Beniamyn, and bigunnen to fiyte ayens `the citee.

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

21 And the sones of Beniamyn yeden out of Gabaa, and killiden of the sones of Israel in that dai two and twenti thousynde of men.

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

22 And eft the sones of Israel tristiden in strengthe and noumbre, and dressiden schiltrun, in the same place in which thei fouyten bifore;

And 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.

23 so netheles that thei stieden bifore, and wepten bifor the Lord `til to nyyt, and counseliden hym, and seiden, Owe Y go forth more to fiyte ayens the sones of Beniamyn, my britheren, ether nay? To whiche he answeride, Stie ye to hem, and bigynne ye batel.

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

24 And whanne the sones of Israel hadden go forth to batel in the tother dai ayens Beniamyn,

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

25 the sones of Beniamyn braken out of the yates of Gabaa, and camen to hem; and the sones of Beniamyn weren wood ayens hem bi so greet sleyng, that thei castiden doun eiytene thousynde of men drawynge swerd.

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 Wherfor alle the sones of Israel camen in to the hows of God, and saten, and wepten bifore the Lord, and thei fastiden in that dai `til to euentid; and thei offeriden to the Lord brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices,

Then 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 that day until even; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 and axiden of her staat. In that tyme the arke of boond of pees of God was there in Silo;

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

28 and Fynees, the sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, was souereyn of the hows. Therfor thei counseliden the Lord, and seiden, Owen we go out more to batel ayens the sones of Beniamyn, oure britheren, ethir reste? To whiche the Lord seide, Stie ye, for to morewe Y schal bytake hem in to youre hondis.

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 tomorrow I will deliver him into thine hand.

29 And the sones of Israel settiden buyschementis bi the cumpas of the citee of Gabaa;

And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah round about.

30 and the thridde tyme as onys and tweis thei brouyten forth oost ayens Beniamyn.

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

31 But also the sones of Beniamyn braken out of the citee booldli, and pursueden ferthere the aduersaryes fleynge, so that thei woundiden of hem, as in the firste dai and the secounde, and killiden bi twey paththis `the aduersaries turnynge backis; of whiche paththis oon was borun in to Bethel, the tother in to Gabaa. And thei castiden doun aboute thretti men;

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

32 for thei gessiden to sle hem `bi customable maner; whiche `feyneden fliyt bi craft, and token counsel, that thei schulden drawe hem fro the citee, and that thei as fleynge schulden brynge to the forseid paththis.

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

33 Therfor alle the sones of Israel risiden of her seetis, and settiden schiltrun in the place which is clepid Baalthamar. And the buschementis, that weren aboute the citee, bigunnen to opene hem silf litil and litil,

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

34 and to go forth fro the west part of the citee. But also othere ten thousynde of men of al Israel excitiden the dwelleris of the cite to batels; and the batel was maad greuous ayens the sones of Beniamyn, and thei vndurstoden not, that perisching neiyede to hem on eche part.

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

35 And the Lord smoot hem in the siyt of the sones of Israel, and `thei killiden of hem in that dai fyue and twenti thousynde and an hundrid men, alle the werryours and drawynge swerd.

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

36 Sotheli the sones of Beniamyn bigunnen to fle, `whanne thei sien, that thei weren the lowere. And the sones of Israel sien this, and `yauen to hem place to fle, that thei schulden come to the buyschementis maad redi, whiche thei hadden set bisidis the citee.

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

37 And whanne thei hadden rise sudenli fro hid places, and Beniamyn yaf backis to the sleeris, thei entriden in to the citee, and smytiden it by the scharpnesse of swerd.

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 Sotheli the sones of Israel hadden youe a signe to hem whiche thei hadden set in buyschementis, that aftir that thei hadden take the citee, thei schulden kyndle fier, and that bi smook stiynge an hiy, thei schulden schewe the citee takun.

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

39 And whanne the sones of Israel set in thilke batel sien this; for the sones of Beniamyn gessiden hem to fle, and thei sueden bisiliere, whanne thretti men of her oost weren slayn;

And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and 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 sones of Israel sien as a piler of smoke stie fro the citee; also Beniamyn bihelde bihynde, whanne he siy the citee takun, and flawmes borun in hiye,

But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up [in smoke] to heaven.

41 thei that feyneden fliyt bifore, `ayenstoden strongliere with face turned. And whanne the sones of Beniamyn hadden seyn this, thei weren turned in to fliyt,

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

42 and thei bigunnen to go to the weie of deseert; while also aduersaries pursueden hem there, but also thei, that hadden brent the citee, camen ayens hem.

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they which came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof.

43 And so it was doon, that thei weren slayn of enemyes on ech part, nether ony reste of men diynge was; and thei felden, and weren cast doun at the eest coost of the citee of Gabaa.

They enclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trode them down at [their] resting place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 Forsothe thei, that weren slayn in the same place, weren eiytene thousynde of `men, alle strongeste fiyteris.

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

45 And whanne thei that leften of Beniamyn hadden seyn this, thei fledden in to wildirnesse, and thei yeden to the stoon, whos name is Remmon. And in that fliyt the sones of Israel yeden opynli, `and yeden in to dyuerse places, and killiden fyue thousynde men; and whanne thei yeden ferther, thei pursueden hem, and killiden also othere twei thousynde.

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 followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men.

46 And so it was doon, that alle that felden doun of Beniamyn in diuerse places, weren fyue and twenti thousynde, `fiyterys moost redi to batels.

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 so sixe hundrid men leften of al the noumbre of Beniamyn, that myyten ascape, and fle in to wildirnesse; and thei saten in the stoon of Remmon foure monethis.

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

48 Forsothe the sones of Israel yeden out, and smytiden with swerd alle the remenauntis of the citee, fro men `til to werk beestis; and deuourynge flawme wastide alle the citees and townes of Beniamyn.

And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.