Κριταί 20

1 καὶ ἐξῆλθον πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐξεκκλησιάσθη ἡ συναγωγὴ ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς ἀπὸ Δαν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεε καὶ γῆ τοῦ Γαλααδ πρὸς κύριον εἰς Μασσηφα

Then all the children of Israel went out and gathered together as one man from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in Maspha:

2 καὶ ἐστάθησαν κατὰ πρόσωπον κυρίου πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τετρακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν πεζῶν ἕλκοντες ῥομφαίαν

And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen fit for war.

3 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ὅτι ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ εἰς Μασσηφα καὶ ἐλθόντες εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ λαλήσατε ποῦ ἐγένετο ἡ πονηρία αὕτη

(Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite the husband of the woman that was killed, being asked, how so great a wickedness had been committed,

4 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ Λευίτης ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς φονευθείσης καὶ εἶπεν εἰς Γαβαα τῆς Βενιαμιν ἦλθον ἐγὼ καὶ ἡ παλλακή μου τοῦ αὐλισθῆναι

Answered: I came into Gabaa of Benjamin with my wife, and there I lodged:

5 καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς Γαβαα καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν νυκτός ἐμὲ ἠθέλησαν φονεῦσαι καὶ τὴν παλλακήν μου ἐταπείνωσαν καὶ ἀπέθανεν

And behold the men of that city in the night beset the house wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an incredible fury of lust, so that at last she died.

6 καὶ ἐκράτησα τὴν παλλακήν μου καὶ ἐμέλισα αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπέστειλα ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ κληρονομίας υἱῶν Ισραηλ ὅτι ἐποίησαν ζεμα καὶ ἀπόπτωμα ἐν Ισραηλ

And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the, parts into all the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.

7 ἰδοὺ πάντες ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ Ισραηλ δότε ἑαυτοῖς λόγον καὶ βουλὴν ἐκεῖ

You are all here, O children of Israel, determine what you ought to do.

8 καὶ ἀνέστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς λέγοντες οὐκ ἀπελευσόμεθα ἀνὴρ εἰς σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέψομεν ἀνὴρ εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ

And all the people standing, answered as by the voice of one man: We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his own house:

9 καὶ νῦν τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ποιηθήσεται τῇ Γαβαα ἀναβησόμεθα ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἐν κλήρῳ

But this we will do in common against Gabaa:

10 πλὴν λημψόμεθα δέκα ἄνδρας τοῖς ἑκατὸν εἰς πάσας φυλὰς Ισραηλ καὶ ἑκατὸν τοῖς χιλίοις καὶ χιλίους τοῖς μυρίοις λαβεῖν ἐπισιτισμὸν τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐλθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς Γαβαα Βενιαμιν ποιῆσαι αὐτῇ κατὰ πᾶν τὸ ἀπόπτωμα ὃ ἐποίησεν ἐν Ισραηλ

We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we might fight against Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness, what it deserveth.

11 καὶ συνήχθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς

And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one man, with one mind, and one counsel:

12 καὶ ἀπέστειλαν αἱ φυλαὶ Ισραηλ ἄνδρας ἐν πάσῃ φυλῇ Βενιαμιν λέγοντες τίς ἡ πονηρία αὕτη ἡ γενομένη ἐν ὑμῖν

And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin to say to them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you?

13 καὶ νῦν δότε τοὺς ἄνδρας υἱοὺς παρανόμων τοὺς ἐν Γαβαα καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκκαθαριοῦμεν πονηρίαν ἀπὸ Ισραηλ καὶ οὐκ εὐδόκησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ

Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel. But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the children of Israel:

14 καὶ συνήχθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων αὐτῶν εἰς Γαβαα ἐξελθεῖν εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ

But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the whole people of Israel.

15 καὶ ἐπεσκέπησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων εἴκοσι τρεῖς χιλιάδες ἀνὴρ ἕλκων ῥομφαίαν ἐκτὸς τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν Γαβαα οἳ ἐπεσκέπησαν ἑπτακόσιοι ἄνδρες ἐκλεκτοὶ

And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,

16 ἐκ παντὸς λαοῦ ἀμφοτεροδέξιοι πάντες οὗτοι σφενδονῆται ἐν λίθοις πρὸς τρίχα καὶ οὐκ ἐξαμαρτάνοντες

Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone’s going on either side.

17 καὶ ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ἐπεσκέπησαν ἐκτὸς τοῦ Βενιαμιν τετρακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἑλκόντων ῥομφαίαν πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες παρατάξεως

Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords, and were prepared to fight.

18 καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ ἀνέβησαν εἰς Βαιθηλ καὶ ἠρώτησαν ἐν τῷ θεῷ καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τίς ἀναβήσεται ἡμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν καὶ εἶπεν κύριος Ιουδας ἐν ἀρχῇ ἀναβήσεται ἀφηγούμενος

And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.

19 καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ πρωὶ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Γαβαα

And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:

20 καὶ ἐξῆλθον πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς Βενιαμιν καὶ συνῆψαν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ Γαβαα

And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to assault the city.

21 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ἀπὸ τῆς Γαβαα καὶ διέφθειραν ἐν Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ δύο καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.

22 καὶ ἐνίσχυσαν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ καὶ προσέθηκαν συνάψαι παράταξιν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ὅπου συνῆψαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πρώτῃ

Again Israel trusting in their strength and their number, set their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before:

23 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ ἠρώτησαν ἐν κυρίῳ λέγοντες εἰ προσθῶμεν ἐγγίσαι εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ἀνάβητε πρὸς αὐτούς

Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.

24 καὶ προσῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ

And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight against the children of Benjamin,

25 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαβαα ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ καὶ διέφθειραν ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἔτι ὀκτωκαίδεκα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν πάντες οὗτοι ἕλκοντες ῥομφαίαν

The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen thousand men that drew the sword.

26 καὶ ἀνέβησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βαιθηλ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐκεῖ ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ ἀνήνεγκαν ὁλοκαυτώσεις καὶ τελείας ἐνώπιον κυρίου

Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings,

27 ὅτι ἐκεῖ κιβωτὸς διαθήκης κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ

And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there,

28 καὶ Φινεες υἱὸς Ελεαζαρ υἱοῦ Ααρων παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιον αὐτῆς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐν κυρίῳ λέγοντες εἰ προσθῶμεν ἔτι ἐξελθεῖν εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν ἢ ἐπίσχωμεν καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ἀνάβητε ὅτι αὔριον δώσω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν

And Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron was over the house. So they consulted the Lord and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.

29 καὶ ἔθηκαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἔνεδρα τῇ Γαβαα κύκλῳ

And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa:

30 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ καὶ συνῆψαν πρὸς τὴν Γαβαα ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ

And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second.

31 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν εἰς συνάντησιν τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐξεκενώθησαν τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἤρξαντο πατάσσειν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ τραυματίας ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἥ ἐστιν μία ἀναβαίνουσα εἰς Βαιθηλ καὶ μία εἰς Γαβαα ἐν ἀγρῷ ὡς τριάκοντα ἄνδρας ἐν Ισραηλ

And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel, and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men:

32 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν πίπτουσιν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὡς τὸ πρῶτον καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ εἶπον φύγωμεν καὶ ἐκκενώσωμεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὰς ὁδούς καὶ ἐποίησαν οὕτως

For they thought to cut them off, as they did before. But they artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee to bring them to the highways aforesaid.

33 καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ἀνέστη ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ καὶ συνῆψαν ἐν Βααλθαμαρ καὶ τὸ ἔνεδρον Ισραηλ ἐπήρχετο ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Μααραγαβε

Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also which were about the city, began by little and little to come forth,

34 καὶ ἦλθον ἐξ ἐναντίας Γαβαα δέκα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἐκ παντὸς Ισραηλ καὶ παράταξις βαρεῖα καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι φθάνει ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἡ κακία

And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel attacked the inhabitants of the city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they understood not that present death threatened them on every side.

35 καὶ ἐπάταξεν κύριος τὸν Βενιαμιν ἐνώπιον υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ διέφθειραν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐκ τοῦ Βενιαμιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε χιλιάδας καὶ ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας πάντες οὗτοι εἷλκον ῥομφαίαν

And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, all fighting men and that drew the sword.

36 καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν ὅτι ἐπλήγησαν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ τόπον τῷ Βενιαμιν ὅτι ἤλπισαν πρὸς τὸ ἔνεδρον ὃ ἔθηκαν ἐπὶ τὴν Γαβαα

But the children of Benjamin when they saw themselves to be too weak, began to flee. Which the children of Israel seeing, gave them place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared, which they had set near the city.

37 καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς ὑποχωρῆσαι καὶ τὸ ἔνεδρον ἐκινήθη καὶ ἐξέτειναν ἐπὶ τὴν Γαβαα καὶ ἐξεχύθη τὸ ἔνεδρον καὶ ἐπάταξαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας

And they that were in ambush arose on a sudden out of their coverts, and whilst Benjamin turned their backs to the slayers, went into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

38 καὶ σημεῖον ἦν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ μετὰ τοῦ ἐνέδρου τῆς μάχης ἀνενέγκαι αὐτοὺς σύσσημον καπνοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως

Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the city was taken.

39 καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ὅτι προκατελάβετο τὸ ἔνεδρον τὴν Γαβαα καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει καὶ Βενιαμιν ἤρξατο πατάσσειν τραυματίας ἐν ἀνδράσιν Ισραηλ ὡς τριάκοντα ἄνδρας ὅτι εἶπαν πάλιν πτώσει πίπτουσιν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὡς ἡ παράταξις ἡ πρώτη

And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army)

40 καὶ τὸ σύσσημον ἀνέβη ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ὡς στῦλος καπνοῦ καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν Βενιαμιν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνέβη ἡ συντέλεια τῆς πόλεως ἕως οὐρανοῦ

And perceived as it were a pillar of smoke rise up from the city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that the flames ascended on high:

41 καὶ ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ἐπέστρεψεν καὶ ἔσπευσαν ἄνδρες Βενιαμιν ὅτι εἶδον ὅτι συνήντησεν ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἡ πονηρία

They that before had made as if they fled, turning their faces stood bravely against them; which the children of Benjamin seeing, turned their backs,

42 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν ἐνώπιον υἱῶν Ισραηλ εἰς ὁδὸν τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἔφυγον καὶ ἡ παράταξις ἔφθασεν ἐπ’ αὐτούς καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων διέφθειρον αὐτοὺς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν

And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet them.

43 καὶ κατέκοπτον τὸν Βενιαμιν καὶ ἐδίωξαν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Νουα κατὰ πόδα αὐτοῦ ἕως ἀπέναντι Γαβαα πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου

And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down on the east side of the city Gabaa.

44 καὶ ἔπεσαν ἀπὸ Βενιαμιν δέκα ὀκτὼ χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν οἱ πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες δυνάμεως

And they that were slain in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all most valiant soldiers.

45 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν οἱ λοιποὶ καὶ ἔφευγον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς τὴν πέτραν τοῦ Ρεμμων καὶ ἐκαλαμήσαντο ἐξ αὐτῶν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πεντακισχιλίους ἄνδρας καὶ κατέβησαν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἕως Γεδαν καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἐξ αὐτῶν δισχιλίους ἄνδρας

And when they that remained of Benjamin saw this, they fled into the wilderness and made towards the rock that is called Remmon. In that flight, also as they were straggling and going different ways, they slew of them five thousand men. And as they went farther, they still pursued them, and slew also other two thousand.

46 καὶ ἐγένοντο πάντες οἱ πίπτοντες ἀπὸ Βενιαμιν εἴκοσι πέντε χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἑλκόντων ῥομφαίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ οἱ πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες δυνάμεως

And so it came to pass, that all that were slain of Benjamin in divers places, were five and twenty thousand fighting men, most valiant for war.

47 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν οἱ λοιποὶ καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς τὴν πέτραν τοῦ Ρεμμων ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐν πέτρᾳ Ρεμμων τέσσαρας μῆνας

And there remained of all the number of Benjamin only six hundred men that were able to escape, and flee to the wilderness: and they abode in the rock Remmon four months.

48 καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐπέστρεψαν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμιν καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας ἀπὸ πόλεως Μεθλα καὶ ἕως κτήνους καὶ ἕως παντὸς τοῦ εὑρισκομένου εἰς πάσας τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰς πόλεις τὰς εὑρεθείσας ἐνέπρησαν ἐν πυρί

But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the city to the sword, both men and beasts, and all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.