Judges 20

Then all of the sons of Israel came forth, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan and unto Beersheba and the land of Gilead, to God at Mizpah.

And the cornerstones of all of the people, all of the tribes of Israel, stationed themselves within the assembly of the people of God, 400, 000, a man, a footsoldier drawing the sword. \*

Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up {to} Mizpah. And the sons of Israel said, “Say how this evil has been done.”

So the man, the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “To Gibeah that {is} to Benjamin I came, I and my concubine, to lodge. \*

And the lords of Gibeah arose against me, and they encircled the house at night against me. Me, they intended to kill, but my concubine, they humbled, and she died.

And I took back my concubine, and I cut her up, and I sent her into every field of the inheritance of Israel, because they have done lewdness and outrage in Israel.

Behold, all of you sons of Israel, give to yourselves a word and advice here.” \*

And all of the people arose as one man, saying, “We will not go back, a man to his tent, and we will not return, a man to his house!

And now this {is} the thing that we should do to Gibeah, against it by lot. \*

Now we will take ten men of a hundred from all of the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from a myriad, to get provision for the people, to do at their coming to Gibeah in Benjamin according to all of the outrage that it did in Israel.”

So every man of Israel was gathered against the city as one man, associates. \*

And the tribes of Israel sent men into all of the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil that has been done among you?

And now, give over the men, the sons of wickedness, who {are} in Gibeah, that we may kill them so that we may burn up evil from Israel.” But they were not willing, Benjamin, to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

Then the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves from the cities to Gibeah, to come out to battle with the sons of Israel. \*

And the sons of Benjamin mobilized themselves on that day from the cities, 26,000 men drawing the sword, besides 700 chosen men from the dwellers of Gibeah {who} mobilized themselves.

Among all of this people {were} 700, a chosen man, impeded in his right hand, each of them slinging with a stone at a hair and he would not miss. \*

And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, mobilized themselves, 400, 000 men drawing the sword, each of them a man of war.

And they arose and went up to Bethel. And the sons of Israel inquired of God, and they said, “Who should go up for us at the start to the battle with the sons of Benjamin?” And God said, “Judah at the start.” \*

So the sons of Israel arose in the morning, and they camped near Gibeah.

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin. And the men of Israel arrayed themselves for battle against Gibeah.

And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gibeah, and they destroyed down to the ground 22,000 men from Israel on that day. \*

But the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves, and they resumed to array for battle at the place where they had arrayed there on the first day.

For the sons of Israel had gone up and wept to the face of God until the evening. And they had inquired of God, saying, “Shall I resume to approach to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?” And God had said, “Go up against him.” \*

So the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.

And Benjamin came forth to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and they destroyed to the ground yet 18,000 men from the sons of Israel, all of these drawers of a sword. \*

Then all of the sons of Israel went up, and all of the people, and they came {to} Bethel. And they wept, and they sat there to the face of God, and they fasted on that day until the evening, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the face of God. \*

Then the sons of Israel inquired of God, for the Box of the Covenant of God {was} there in those days

(and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, {was} standing to the face of it in those days), saying, “Shall I resume again to go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I stop?” And God said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.” \*

So Israel set ambushers against Gibeah all around.

And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and they arrayed against Gibeah as time upon time. \*

And the sons of Benjamin came out to meet the people. They were drawn from the city, and they began to strike down {some} of the people, slain as time upon time on the roads, {of} which one went up {to} Bethel and one {to} Gibeah by the field, about 30 men of Israel. \*

And the sons of Benjamin said, “They {are} being beaten to our faces as at the first.” But the sons of Israel had said, “Let us flee and let us draw him from the city to the roads.”

Then every man of Israel arose from his place, and they arrayed at Baal Tamar. And the ambush of Israel gushed from his place, from Maareh Gibeah. \*

And 10,000 men, chosen from all of Israel, came from opposite Gibeah, and the battle {was} heavy. But they did not know that harm {was} touching upon them.

So God defeated Benjamin to the face of Israel. And the sons of Israel destroyed Benjamin on that day, 25, 100 men, all of them drawing the sword. \*

And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. For the men of Israel had given place to Benjamin because they were confident in the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.

And the ambush hurried and spread out against Gibeah, and the ambush marched out and struck all of the city to the mouth of the sword.

Now a sign was to the men of Israel with the ambush, “Make great” for them sending up a signal of smoke from the city \*

when the men of Israel retreated from the battle. And Benjamin began to strike, the slain among the men of Israel {were} about 30 men. For they said, “Surely being beaten, he {is} being beaten to our faces, as {in} the first battle.” \*

But the signal began to go up from the city, a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned after it, and behold, the whole of the city had gone up to the heavens.

And a man of Israel turned, and a man of Benjamin was alarmed, for he saw that harm had touched upon him. \*

So they turned to the face of the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook him, and {those} who {were} from the cities {were} destroying him in the midst of him. \*

They surrounded Benjamin, they caused to pursue, {with} ease they trampled him unto before Gibeah, from the rising of the sun.

And they fell from Benjamin, 18,000 men, all of them men of valor. \*

And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon. And they gleaned along the pathways 5,000 men. And they pursued closely after him unto Gidom, and they struck from him 2,000 men.

So on that day all of the fallen ones from Benjamin were 25, 000 men drawing the sword, all of them men of valor. \*

But 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months.

Then the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin, and they struck them to the mouth of the sword, from a city of entirety to cattle to everything found. Also, all of the cities found, they sent into fire. \*