Iudicum 20
1 Egressi itaque sunt omnes filii Israel, et pariter congregati, quasi vir unus, de Dan, usque Bersabee, et Terra Galaad ad Dominum in Maspha:
All the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, went and gathered at Mizpah before the Lord. The assembly was united in purpose.
2 Omnesque anguli populorum, et cunctæ tribus Israel in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt quadringenta millia peditum pugnatorum.
The leaders of all the people of every Israelite tribe took their assigned positions in the assembled army of God's people, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords.
3 (Nec latuit filios Beniamin quod ascendissent filii Israel in Maspha.) Interrogatusque Levita, maritus mulieris interfectæ, quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset,
The tribe of Benjamin found out that the Israelites had assembled at Mizpah. The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how could such an evil act have happened?”
4 respondit: Veni in Gabaa Beniamin cum uxore mea, illucque diverti:
The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, explained, “I and my concubine came to spend the night at the town of Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
5 et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum, in qua manebam, volentes me occidere, et uxorem meam incredibili furore libidinis vexantes, denique mortua est.
The leaders of Gibeah came to attack me at night. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine and she died.
6 Quam arreptam, in frustra concidi, misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestræ: quia numquam tantum nefas, et tam grande piaculum factum est in Israel.
I took my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent these pieces of her to every part of the country that had been given to Israel, because those men had done something shameful and disgusting in Israel.
7 Adestis omnes filii Israel, decernite quid facere debeatis.
So all of you Israelites have to decide here and now what you're going to do about it!”
8 Stansque omnis populus, quasi unius hominis sermone respondit: Non recedemus in tabernacula nostra, nec suam quisquam intrabit domum:
Everyone stood up and unitedly declared, “None of us are going home to our tents! None of us are going home to our houses!
9 sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciamus.
This is what we're going to do to Gilboah: we will attack it with our forces chosen by lot.
10 Decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israel, et centum de mille, et mille de decem millibus, ut comportent exercitui cibaria, et possimus pugnare contra Gabaa Beniamin, et reddere ei pro scelere, quod meretur.
We'll take ten men from a hundred from all the Israelite tribes, then a hundred from a thousand, then a thousand from ten thousand, to arrange food for the army, so when the troops reach Gibeah in Benjamin, they can pay them back for all these disgusting things they've done in Israel.”
11 Convenitque universus Israel ad civitatem, quasi homo unus eadem mente, unoque consilio.
All the men of Israel were in agreement and gathered to attack the town.
12 Et miserunt nuncios ad omnem tribum Beniamin, qui dicerent: Cur tantum nefas in vobis repertum est?
The Israelite tribes also sent men throughout the territory of Benjamin, asking the people, “What are you doing about this terrible evil that has taken place among you?
13 Tradite homines de Gabaa, qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt, ut moriantur, et auferatur malum de Israel. Qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israel audire mandatum:
Hand over these wicked men so we can execute them and get rid of this evil from Israel!” But the Benjamites refused to listen to what their fellow Israelites had to say.
14 sed ex cunctis urbibus, quæ sortis suæ erant, convenerunt in Gabaa, ut illis ferrent auxilium, et contra universum populum Israel dimicarent.
They left their towns and assembled at Gibeah to go and fight the other Israelites.
15 Inventique sunt viginti quinque millia de Beniamin educentium gladium, præter habitatores Gabaa,
That day a total of twenty-six thousand men armed with swords were called up from the towns of Benjamin, in addition to the seven hundred seasoned warriors from Gibeah.
16 qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi, ita sinistra ut dextra prœliantes: et sic fundis lapides ad certum iacientes, ut capillum quoque possent percutere, et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur.
Making up part of this army were seven hundred experienced soldiers who used their left hands. All of them could fire a slingshot and not miss by even a hair's breadth.
17 Virorum quoque Israel, absque filiis Beniamin, inventa sunt quadringenta millia educentium gladium, et paratorum ad pugnam.
The Israelite army (excluding Benjamin) numbered four hundred thousand seasoned warriors, all armed with swords.
18 Qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei, hoc est, in Silo: consulueruntque Deum, atque dixerunt: Quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Beniamin? Quibus respondit Dominus: Iudas sit dux vester.
The Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which ones of us should be the first to go and fight the Benjamites?” “Judah is to go first,” the Lord replied.
19 Statimque filii Israel surgentes mane, castrametati sunt iuxta Gabaa:
The next morning the Israelites left and set up their camp near Gibeah.
20 et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Beniamin, urbem oppugnare cœperunt.
Then they marched out for battle with the army of Benjamin, taking up their positions to attack Gibeah.
21 Egressique filii Beniamin de Gabaa, occiderunt de filiis Israel die illo viginti duo millia virorum.
But the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.
22 Rursum filii Israel et fortitudine et numero confidentes, in eodem loco, in quo prius certaverant, aciem direxerunt:
But the Israelites encouraged one other to be confident, and they took up the same positions they had on the first day.
23 ita tamen ut prius ascenderent et flerent coram Domino usque ad noctem: consulerentque eum, et dicerent: Debeo ultra procedere ad dimicandum contra filios Beniamin fratres meos, an non? Quibus ille respondit: Ascendite ad eos, et inite certamen.
The Israelites went and cried before the Lord until the evening and asked, “Should we go and attack the Benjamites again, our relatives?” “Go and attack them,” the Lord replied.
24 Cumque filii Israel altera die contra filios Beniamin ad prœlium processissent,
So the second day they advanced to attack the army of Benjamin.
25 eruperunt filii Beniamin de portis Gabaa: et occurrentes eis tanta in illos cæde bacchati sunt, ut decem et octo millia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent.
However, Benjamites came out of Gibeah once more and slaughtered eighteen thousand Israelites, all armed with swords.
26 Quam ob rem omnes filii Israel venerunt in domum Dei, et sedentes flebant coram Domino: ieiunaveruntque die illo usque ad vesperam, et obtulerunt ei holocausta, atque pacificas victimas,
Then all the Israelites and all their army went to Bethel, and sat crying there before the Lord. That day they fasted until evening and gave burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.
27 et super statu suo interrogaverunt. Eo tempore ibi erat arca fœderis Dei,
The Israelites asked the Lord what to do. At that time the Ark of God's Agreement was kept there.
28 et Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron præpositus domus. Consuluerunt igitur Dominum, atque dixerunt: Exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Beniamin fratres nostros, an quiescere? Quibus ait Dominus: Ascendite, cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras.
Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was the priest. The Israelites asked the Lord, “Should go and we fight again against our relatives from Benjamin, or not?” “Yes, go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you,” the Lord replied.
29 Posueruntque filii Israel insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa:
Then the Israelites set up an ambush around Gibeah.
30 et tertia vice, sicut semel et bis, contra Beniamin exercitum produxerunt.
On the third day they took up the same positions they had as before.
31 Sed et filii Beniamin audacter eruperunt de civitate, et fugientes adversarios longius persecuti sunt, ita ut vulnerarent ex eis sicut primo die et secundo, et cæderent per duas semitas vertentes terga, quarum una ferebatur in Bethel, et altera in Gabaa, atque prosternerent triginta circiter viros:
The Benjamites came out to attack them and were lured away from the town as they began to kill Israelites as they had before. Some thirty Israelites died on the battlefield and along the roads, the one that goes towards Bethel and the other that goes back towards Gibeah.
32 putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere. Qui fugam arte simulantes inierunt consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate, et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent.
“We're defeating them, just like before,” the Benjamites shouted. But the Israelites said, “Let's run away from them and lure them away from the town towards the roads.”
33 Omnes itaque filii Israel surgentes de sedibus suis, tetenderunt aciem in loco, qui vocatur Baalthamar. Insidiæ quoque, quæ circa urbem erant, paulatim se aperire cœperunt,
The main army of Israelites left where they were and took up positions at Baal-tamar, while those in the ambush west of Gibeah charged out to attack from where they had been hiding.
34 et ab Occidentali urbis parte procedere. Sed et alia decem millia virorum de universo Israel, habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant. Ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Beniamin: et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus.
Ten thousand seasoned Israelite warriors attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was so intense the Benjamites didn't realize they were on the brink of disaster.
35 Percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israel, et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque millia, et centum viros, omnes bellatores et educentes gladium.
So the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. That day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites, all armed with swords.
36 Filii autem Beniamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent, cœperunt fugere. Quod cernentes filii Israel, dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum, ut ad præparatas insidias devenirent, quas iuxta urbem posuerant.
The Benjamites saw that they were defeated. The Israelites had fallen back before the Benjamites because they were confident the ambush they had put in place near Gibeah would be successful.
37 Qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent, et Beniamin terga cædentibus daret, ingressi sunt civitatem, et percusserunt eam in ore gladii.
The men from the ambush raced to attack the town, and they killed everyone in it.
38 Signum autem dederant filii Israel his, quos in insidiis collocaverant, ut postquam urbem cepissent, ignem accenderent: ut ascendente in altum fumo, captam urbem demonstrarent.
The agreement was that they would send up a great cloud of smoke to show the town had fallen.
39 Quod cum cernerent filii Israel in ipso certamine positi (putaverunt enim filii Beniamin eos fugere, et instantius persequebantur, cæsis de exercitu eorum triginta viris)
The Israelite army turned to attack the Benjamites, who had already killed about thirty Israelites. The Benjamites were saying, “We're completely defeating them, just like the first battle!”
40 et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere. Beniamin quoque aspiciens retro, cum captam cerneret civitatem, et flammas in sublime ferri:
However, when the Israelites saw the columns of smoke rising heavenwards to form a great cloud over the whole of the town,
41 qui prius simulaverant fugam, versa facie fortius resistebant. Quod cum vidissent filii Beniamin, in fugam versi sunt,
they turned on their enemies. The Benjamites were horrified when they saw it and realized they were doomed.
42 et ad viam deserti ire cœperunt, illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus. Sed et hi, qui urbem succenderant, occurrerunt eis.
They turned and ran from the Israelites towards the desert, but the battle caught up with them, and the Israelites also killed those who left the towns on the way.
43 Atque ita factum est, ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus cæderentur, nec erat ulla requies morientium. Ceciderunt, atque prostrati sunt ad Orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa.
Chasing after the Benjamites, the Israelites surrounded them, easily overtaking them east of Gibeah.
44 Fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt, decem et octo millia virorum, omnes robustissimi pugnatores.
Eighteen thousand Benjamites were killed, all of them courageous warriors.
45 Quod cum vidissent, qui remanserant de Beniamin, fugerunt in solitudinem: et pergebant ad Petram, cuius vocabulum est Remmon. In illa quoque fuga palantes, et in diversa tendentes, occiderunt quinque millia virorum. Et cum ultra tenderent, persecuti sunt eos, et interfecerunt etiam alia duo millia.
Some of the Benjamites that were left ran towards Pomegranate Rock in the desert, and the Israelites killed another five thousand men on the way. They chased another group of Benjamites as far as Gidom and killed another thousand.
46 Et sic factum est, ut omnes qui ceciderant de Beniamin in diversis locis essent viginti quinque millia, pugnatores ad bella promptissimi.
So that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite were killed, all armed with swords and all courageous warriors.
47 Remanserunt itaque de omni numero Beniamin, qui evadere, et fugere in solitudinem potuerunt, sexcenti viri: sederuntque in Petra Remmon mensibus quattuor.
There were six hundred who ran away to Pomegranate Rock in the desert and they stayed there four months.
48 Regressi autem filii Israel, omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad iumenta gladio percusserunt, cunctasque urbes et viculos Beniamin vorax flamma consumpsit.
The Israelites went back into the territory of the Benjamites, and going from town to town, they killed everything: people, animals, everything they found. Then they burned down every town on their way.
