Iudicum 20
1 Egressi itaque sunt omnes filii Israël, et pariter congregati, quasi vir unus, de Dan usque Bersabee, et terra Galaad, ad Dominum in Maspha.
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 Omnesque anguli populorum, et cunctæ tribus Israël in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt, quadringenta millia peditum pugnatorum.
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 (Nec latuit filios Benjamin quod ascendissent filii Israël in Maspha.) Interrogatusque Levita, maritus mulieris interfectæ, quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset,
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 respondit: Veni in Gabaa Benjamin cum uxore mea, illucque diverti:
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 et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum in qua manebam, volentes me occidere, et uxorem meam incredibili furore libidinis vexantes, denique mortua est.
And the men of Gabaa rose up against me, and compassed the house by night against me; they wished to kill me, and they have humbled my concubine, and she is dead.
6 Quam arreptam, in frustra concidi, misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestræ: quia numquam tantum nefas, et tam grande piaculum, factum est in Israël.
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 Adestis, omnes filii Israël: decernite quid facere debeatis.
Behold, all you [are] children of Israel; and consider and take counsel here among yourselves.
8 Stansque omnis populus, quasi unius hominis sermone respondit: Non recedemus in tabernacula nostra, nec suam quisquam intrabit domum:
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 sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciamus.
And now this [is] the thing which shall be done in Gabaa; we will go up against it by lot.
10 Decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israël, et centum de mille, et mille de decem millibus, ut comportent exercitui cibaria, et possimus pugnare contra Gabaa Benjamin, et reddere ei pro scelere, quod meretur.
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 Convenitque universus Israël ad civitatem, quasi homo unus eadem mente, unoque consilio.
And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one man.
12 Et miserunt nuntios ad omnem tribum Benjamin, qui dicerent: Cur tantum nefas in vobis repertum est?
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 Tradite homines de Gabaa, qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt, ut moriantur, et auferatur malum de Israël. Qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israël audire mandatum:
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 listen to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
14 sed ex cunctis urbibus, quæ sortis suæ erant, convenerunt in Gabaa, ut illis ferrent auxilium, et contra universum populum Israël dimicarent.
And the children of Benjamin were gathered from their cities to Gabaa, to go forth to fight with the children of Israel.
15 Inventique sunt viginti quinque millia de Benjamin educentium gladium, præter habitatores Gabaa,
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 qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi, ita sinistra ut dextra præliantes: et sic fundis lapides ad certum jacientes, ut capillum quoque possent percutere, et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur.
All these could sling with stones at a hair, and not miss.
17 Virorum quoque Israël, absque filiis Benjamin, inventa sunt quadringenta millia educentium gladium, et paratorum ad pugnam.
And the men of Israel, exclusive of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these [were] men of war.
18 Qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei, hoc est, in Silo: consulueruntque Deum, atque dixerunt: Quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Benjamin? Quibus respondit Dominus: Judas sit dux vester.
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 Statimque filii Israël surgentes mane, castrametati sunt juxta Gabaa:
And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gabaa.
20 et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Benjamin, urbem oppugnare cœperunt.
And they went out, all the men of Israel, to fight with Benjamin, and engaged with them at Gabaa.
21 Egressique filii Benjamin de Gabaa, occiderunt de filiis Israël die illo viginti duo millia virorum.
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 Rursum filii Israël et fortitudine et numero confidentes, in eodem loco in quo prius certaverant, aciem direxerunt:
And the men of Israel strengthened themselves, and again engaged in battle in the place where they had engaged 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 Benjamin fratres meos, an non? Quibus ille respondit: Ascendite ad eos, et inite certamen.
And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we again draw near to battle with our brethren the children of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up against them.
24 Cumque filii Israël altera die contra filios Benjamin ad prælium processissent,
And the children of Israel advanced against the children of Benjamin on the second day.
25 eruperunt filii Benjamin de portis Gabaa: et occurrentes eis tanta in illos cæde bacchati sunt, ut decem et octo millia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent.
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 Quam ob rem omnes filii Israël venerunt in domum Dei, et sedentes flebant coram Domino: jejunaveruntque die illo usque ad vesperam, et obtulerunt ei holocausta, atque pacificas victimas,
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 et super statu suo interrogaverunt. Eo tempore ibi erat arca fœderis Dei,
for the ark of the Lord God [was] there in those days,
28 et Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron præpositus domus. Consuluerunt igitur Dominum, atque dixerunt: Exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Benjamin fratres nostros, an quiescere? Quibus ait Dominus: Ascendite: cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras.
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 Posueruntque filii Israël insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa:
And the children of Israel set an ambush against Gabaa round about [it].
30 et tertia vice, sicut semel et bis, contra Benjamin exercitum produxerunt.
And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and arrayed themselves against Gabaa as before.
31 Sed et filii Benjamin 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:
And the children of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and were all drawn out of the city, and began to strike and kill 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 putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere. Qui fugam arte simulantes inierunt consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate, et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent.
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 Omnes itaque filii Israël surgentes de sedibus suis, tetenderunt aciem in loco qui vocatur Baalthamar. Insidiæ quoque, quæ circa urbem erant, paulatim se aperire cœperunt,
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 et ab occidentali urbis parte procedere. Sed et alia decem millia virorum de universo Israël, habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant. Ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Benjamin: et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus.
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 Percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israël, et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque millia, et centum viros, omnes bellatores et educentes gladium.
And the Lord struck 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 Filii autem Benjamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent, cœperunt fugere. Quod cernentes filii Israël, dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum, ut ad præparatas insidias devenirent, quas juxta urbem posuerant.
And the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; and the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambuscade which they had prepared against Gabaa.
37 Qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent, et Benjamin terga cædentibus daret, ingressi sunt civitatem, et percusserunt eam in ore gladii.
And when they retreated, then the liers in wait rose up, and they moved toward Gabaa, and the whole ambush came forth, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Signum autem dederant filii Israël his quos in insidiis collocaverant, ut postquam urbem cepissent, ignem accenderent: ut ascendente in altum fumo, captam urbem demonstrarent.
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 Quod cum cernerent filii Israël in ipso certamine positi (putaverunt enim filii Benjamin eos fugere, et instantius persequebantur, cæsis de exercitu eorum triginta viris),
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 strike 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 et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere: Benjamin quoque aspiciens retro, cum captam cerneret civitatem, et flammas in sublime ferri:
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 qui prius simulaverant fugam, versa facie fortius resistebant. Quod cum vidissent filii Benjamin, in fugam versi sunt,
And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin hasted, because they saw that evil had come upon them.
42 et ad viam deserti ire cœperunt, illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus: sed et hi qui urbem succenderant, occurrerunt eis.
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 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.
And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Nua closely till they came opposite Gabaa on the east.
44 Fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt, decem et octo millia virorum, omnes robustissimi pugnatores.
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these [were] men of might.
45 Quod cum vidissent qui remanserant de Benjamin, fugerunt in solitudinem: et pergebant ad petram, cujus 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.
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 struck of them two thousand men.
46 Et sic factum est, ut omnes qui ceciderant de Benjamin in diversis locis essent viginti quinque millia pugnatores ad bella promptissimi.
And all that fell of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew sword in that day: all these were men of might.
47 Remanserunt itaque de omni numero Benjamin, qui evadere et fugere in solitudinem potuerunt, sexcenti viri: sederuntque in petra Remmon mensibus quatuor.
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 Regressi autem filii Israël, omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad jumenta gladio percusserunt, cunctasque urbes et viculos Benjamin vorax flamma consumpsit.
And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and struck 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.
