Judges 20

1 Then all the children of Yisrael went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-Sheva, with the land of Gilad, unto יהוה in Mizpeh.

2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Yisrael, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God (Elohim), four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Binyamin heard that the children of Yisrael were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Yisrael, “Tell us, how was this wickedness?”

4 And the Lewite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, “I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.”

5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me; and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Yisrael; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Yisrael.

7 Behold, you are all children of Yisrael; give here your advice and counsel.

8 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 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

10 And we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Yisrael, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Binyamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Yisrael.”

11 So all the men of Yisrael were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 And the tribes of Yisrael sent men through all the tribe of Binyamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the scoundrel (beliyaal) children, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Yisrael!” But the children of Binyamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Yisrael.

14 But the children of Binyamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Yisrael.

15 And the children of Binyamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Yisrael, beside Binyamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

18 And the children of Yisrael arose, and went up to the house of God (Elohim), and asked counsel of God (Elohim), and said, “Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Binyamin?” And יהוה said, “Judah (Yehudah) shall go up first.”

19 And the children of Yisrael rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20 And the men of Yisrael went out to battle against Binyamin; and the men of Yisrael put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 And the children of Binyamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Yisraelis that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people the men of Yisrael encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 (And the children of Yisrael went up and wept before יהוה until even, and asked counsel of יהוה, saying, “Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother?” And יהוה said, “Go up against him.”)

24 And the children of Yisrael came near against the children of Binyamin the second day.

25 And Binyamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Yisrael again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

26 Then all the children of Yisrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God (Elohim), and wept, and sat there before יהוה, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before יהוה.

27 And the children of Yisrael enquired of יהוה, (for the ark of the covenant of God (Elohim) was there in those days,

28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron (Aharon), stood before it in those days,) saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother, or shall I cease?” And יהוה said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29 And Yisrael set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 And the children of Yisrael went up against the children of Binyamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 And the children of Benjamin (Binyamin) 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 (Elohim), and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Yisrael.

32 And the children of Benjamin (Binyamin) said, “They are smitten down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Yisrael said, “Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.”

33 And all the men of Yisrael rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar; and the liers in wait of Yisrael came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Yisrael, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was near them.

35 And יהוה smote Benjamin (Binyamin) before Yisrael; and the children of Yisrael destroyed of the Benjamites (Ben-yemini) that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin (Binyamin) saw that they were smitten; for the men of Yisrael gave place to the Benjamites (Ben-yemini), because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Yisrael and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Yisrael retired in the battle, Benjamin (Binyamin) began to smite and kill of the men of Yisrael about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.”

40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites (Ben-yemini) looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

41 And when the men of Yisrael turned again, the men of Benjamin (Binyamin) were amazed; for they saw that 43adisaster (raah) was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Yisrael unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites (Ben-yemini) round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease opposite Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fell of Benjamin (Binyamin) eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

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

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin (Binyamin) were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

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

48 And the men of Yisrael turned again upon the children of Benjamin (Binyamin), 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.