Iudicum 20

1 egressi sunt itaque omnes filii Israhel et pariter congregati quasi vir unus de Dan usque Bersabee et terra Galaad ad Dominum in Maspha

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 omnesque anguli populorum et cunctae tribus Israhel in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt quadringenta milia peditum pugnatorum

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 nec latuit filios Beniamin quod ascendissent filii Israhel in Maspha interrogatusque Levita maritus mulieris interfectae quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset

(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 respondit veni in Gabaa Beniamin cum uxore mea illucque deverti

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

5 et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum in qua manebam volentes me occidere et uxorem meam incredibili libidinis furore vexantes denique mortua est

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 quam arreptam in frusta concidi misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestrae quia numquam tantum nefas et tam grande piaculum factum est in Israhel

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 adestis omnes filii Israhel decernite quid facere debeatis

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

8 stansque omnis populus quasi unius hominis sermone respondit non recedemus in tabernacula nostra nec suam quisquam intrabit domum

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 sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciemus

But this we will do in common against Gabaa:

10 decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israhel et centum de mille et mille de decem milibus ut conportent exercitui cibaria et possimus pugnantes contra Gabaa Beniamin reddere ei pro scelere quod meretur

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 convenitque universus Israhel ad civitatem quasi unus homo eadem mente unoque consilio

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

12 et miserunt nuntios ad omnem tribum Beniamin qui dicerent cur tantum nefas in vobis reppertum est

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 tradite homines de Gabaa qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt ut moriantur et auferatur malum de Israhel qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israhel audire mandatum

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 sed ex cunctis urbibus quae suae sortis erant convenerunt in Gabaa ut illis ferrent auxilium et contra universum Israhel populum dimicarent

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 inventique sunt viginti quinque milia de Beniamin educentium gladium praeter habitatores Gabaa

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

16 qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi ita sinistra ut dextra proeliantes et sic fundis ad certum iacientes lapides ut capillum quoque possent percutere et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur

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 virorum quoque Israhel absque filiis Beniamin inventa sunt quadringenta milia educentium gladios et paratorum ad pugnam

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 qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei hoc est in Silo consulueruntque eum atque dixerunt quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Beniamin quibus respondit Dominus Iudas sit dux vester

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 statimque filii Israhel surgentes mane castrametati sunt iuxta Gabaa

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

20 et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Beniamin urbem obpugnare coeperunt

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

21 egressique filii Beniamin de Gabaa occiderunt de filiis Israhel die illo viginti duo milia viros

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

22 rursum filii Israhel et fortitudine et numero confidentes in eodem loco in quo prius certaverant aciem direxerunt

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

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 eum et inite certamen

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 cumque filii Israhel altero die contra Beniamin ad proelium processissent

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

25 eruperunt filii Beniamin de portis Gabaa et occurrentes eis tanta in illos caede baccati sunt ut decem et octo milia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent

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 quam ob rem omnes filii Israhel venerunt in domum Dei et sedentes flebant coram Domino ieiunaveruntque illo die usque ad vesperam et obtulerunt ei holocausta et pacificas victimas

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 et super statu suo interrogaverunt eo tempore ibi erat arca foederis Dei

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

28 et Finees filius Eleazari filii Aaron praepositus 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

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 posueruntque filii Israhel insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa

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

30 et tertia vice sicut semel et bis contra Beniamin exercitum produxerunt

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

31 sed et filii Beniamin audacter eruperunt de civitate et fugientes adversarios longius persecuti sunt ita ut vulnerarent ex eis sicut primo et secundo die et caederent per duas semitas terga vertentes quarum una ferebat in Bethel altera in Gabaa atque prosternerent triginta circiter viros

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 putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere qui fugam arte simulantes iniere consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent

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 omnes itaque filii Israhel surgentes de sedibus suis tetenderunt aciem in loco qui vocatur Baalthamar insidiae quoque quae circa urbem erant paulatim se aperire coeperunt

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 et ab occidentali urbis parte procedere sed et alia decem milia virorum de universo Israhel habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Beniamin et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus

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 percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israhel et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque milia et centum viros omnes bellatores et educentes gladium

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 filii autem Beniamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent coeperunt fugere quod cernentes filii Israhel dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum ut ad praeparatas insidias devenirent quas iuxta urbem posuerant

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 qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent et Beniamin terga caedentibus daret ingressi sunt civitatem et percusserunt eam in ore gladii

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 signum autem dederant filii Israhel his quos in insidiis conlocaverant ut postquam urbem cepissent ignem accenderent et ascendente in altum fumo captam urbem demonstrarent

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 quod cum cernerent filii Israhel in ipso certamine positi putaverunt enim filii Beniamin eos fugere et instantius sequebantur caesis de exercitu eorum triginta viris

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 et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere Beniamin quoque retro aspiciens captam cerneret civitatem et flammas in sublime ferri

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 qui prius simulaverant fugam versa facie fortius resistebant quod cum vidissent filii Beniamin in fugam versi sunt

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 et ad viam deserti ire coeperunt illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus sed et hii qui urbem succenderant occurrerunt eis

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 atque ita factum est ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus caederentur nec erat ulla morientium requies ceciderunt atque prostrati sunt ad orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa

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 fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt decem et octo milia virorum omnes robustissimi pugnatores

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

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 milia viros et cum ultra tenderent persecuti sunt eos et interfecerunt etiam alios duo milia

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 et sic factum est ut omnes qui ceciderant de Beniamin in diversis locis essent viginti quinque milia pugnatores ad bella promptissimi

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 remanserunt itaque de omni numero Beniamin qui evadere potuerant et fugere in solitudinem sescenti viri sederuntque in petra Remmon mensibus quattuor

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 regressi autem filii Israhel omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad iumenta gladio percusserunt cunctasque urbes et viculos Beniamin vorax flamma consumpsit

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.