Judges 20

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

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to 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 ye, how hath 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 hath been murdered, answereth and saith, 'Into Gibeah (which [is] to Benjamin) I have come, I and my concubine, 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 rise against me do the masters of Gibeah — and they go round the house against me by night — me they thought to slay, and my concubine they have humbled, and she dieth;

And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house 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 lo, ye [are] all sons of Israel; give for you 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 doth go to his tent, and none of us doth turn 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 — 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 a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a 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 hath 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 provisions 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 unto 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 hath 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 hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;

Now therefore deliver us the men, the perverted men, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and remove the 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 to 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 and 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, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 among all this people [are] seven hundred chosen men, bound of their right hand, each of these slinging with a stone at the hair, and he doth 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, besides 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 doth go up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?' and Jehovah saith, '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 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 with them, [for] battle 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 in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men — to the earth.

And the children of Benjamin came forth from 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 the battle in array 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 Jehovah till the evening, and ask of Jehovah, saying, 'Do I add to draw nigh to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?' And Jehovah saith, 'Go up against him.'

(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, 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 unto 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 cometh out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroy among the sons of Israel again eighteen thousand men — 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 in to Beth-El, and weep, and sit there before Jehovah, and fast on that day till the evening, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.

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

27 And the sons of Israel ask of Jehovah, — and there [is] the ark of the covenant of God 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 again to go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or do I cease?' And Jehovah saith, 'Go up, for to-morrow I give him into thy 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 thy hand.

29 And Israel setteth liers in wait against Gibeah, round about,

And Israel set men in ambush around 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 smite [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 smitten before us as at the beginning;' but the sons of Israel said, 'Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, unto 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 to the highways.

33 And all the men of Israel have risen from their place, and arrange themselves at Baal-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 out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and those of Israel who were in ambush came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And they come in over against Gibeah — ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel — and the battle [is] grievous, and they have not known that the evil is striking against them.

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

35 And Jehovah smiteth Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroy in Benjamin, on that day, twenty and five thousand, and a 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 smitten — and the men of Israel give place to Benjamin, for they have trusted unto 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 to the ones lying in ambush which they had set beside Gibeah.

37 and the ambush have hasted, and push against Gibeah, and the ambush draweth itself out, and smiteth the whole of the city by the mouth of the sword.

And those in ambush hastened, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the ones lying in ambush drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 And there was the appointed sign to the men of Israel with the ambush — their causing to go up a great volume of smoke from the city.

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush, that they should make a great flame with smoke to ascend up from the city.

39 And the men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin hath begun to smite the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, 'Surely they are utterly smitten 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 and the volume hath begun to go up from the city — a pillar of smoke — and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward the heavens.

But when the flame began to ascend up from 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 evil hath stricken against them —

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

42 and they turn before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, and the battle hath followed them; and those who [are] from the city are destroying them in their midst;

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 they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 they have compassed the Benjamites — they have pursued them — with ease they have trodden them down till over-against Gibeah, at the sun-rising.

Thus they inclosed the Benjamites on all sides, and chased them, and trod them down with ease opposite Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fall of Benjamin eighteen thousand men — the whole of these [are] men of valour;

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

45 and they turn and flee toward the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon; and they glean of them in the highways five thousand men, and follow after them unto Gidom, and smite of them two thousand men.

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

46 And all those falling of Benjamin are twenty and five thousand men drawing sword, on that day — the whole of these [are] men of valour;

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

47 and there turn and flee into the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon six hundred men, and they dwell in the rock Rimmon four months.

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

48 And the men of Israel have turned back unto the sons of Benjamin, and smite them by the mouth of the sword out of the city, — men unto cattle, unto all that is found; also all the cities which are found they have sent into 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.