Judges 20

1 Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

2 The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.

3 (Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

5 And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

6 Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7 Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

8 Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.

9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.

10 We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

11 So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

13 Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.

14 And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

15 On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.

16 Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

17 The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.

18 The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.

19 The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

20 And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

21 And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

22 But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

23 They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

24 On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites.

25 That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

26 Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

27 And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29 So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30 On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

31 The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

32 “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.

34 Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.

35 The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.

36 Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

37 The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

38 The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

39 the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

41 Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

42 So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

43 They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

44 And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

45 Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.

46 That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

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

48 And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

1 ¶ Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

2 And the chief of all the people, [even] of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that [belongeth] to Benjamin, 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 Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

7 Behold, ye [are] all children of Israel; 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 an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an 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 Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

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

12 ¶ And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver [us] the men, the children of Belial, which [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

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

15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside 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 an hair [breadth], and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these [were] men of war.

18 ¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first.

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

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

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

22 And the people the men of Israel 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 Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

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

26 ¶ Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days,

28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

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

31 And the children of Benjamin 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, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, They [are] smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel 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 Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil [was] near them.

35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, 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 Israel 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 Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite [and] kill of the men of Israel 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 looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned [their backs] before the men of Israel 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 round about, [and] chased them, [and] trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fell of Benjamin 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 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 Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, 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.

1 And the children of Israel went out, and gathered themselves together as one man from Dan unto Beer-sheba, and from the land of Gilead, unto the LORD to Mizpeh.

2 And the rulers of all the people of all the tribes of Israel stood by in the congregation of God, four hundred thousand men of foot, unsheathing the sword.

3 And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, Tell me, how is this evil done?

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said: I came to Gibeah of Benjamin with my cherub, to dwell there overnight.

5 And the citizens of Gibeah arose against me, and compassed me about in the house by night, and sought to slay me; and they defiled my concubine, and she died.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her into all the fields of the inheritance of Israel: for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel.

7 Behold, all ye children of Israel; take counsel, and do it.

8 And all the people arose as one man, and said, Let no man enter into his tent, nor return into his house,

9 But this will we now do against Gibeah:

10 Let us draw lots, and take ten men of an hundred, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel, to take meat for the people, that they may come and do to Gibeah of Benjamin according to all their folly which they have done in Israel.

11 So all the men of Israel gathered themselves together unto the city as one man, and joined themselves together.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men unto all the families of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Bring therefore the men, the wicked men of Gibeah, that we may kill them, and put away the evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of their brethren the children of Israel,

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

15 And there were numbered that day of the children of Benjamin out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the men of Gibeah, of whom there were numbered seven hundred choice men.

16 And of all this people seven hundred men were chosen, which were left, and could hit a hair with the sling, that they missed not.

17 And of the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that wielded the sword, and all the valiant men.

18 And they arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked God, saying: Who shall go up before us to begin war with the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall begin.

19 So the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and pitched before Gibeah.

20 And every man of Israel went out to fight with Benjamin, and sent to fight against Gibeah.

21 And the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and smote twenty and two thousand of Israel that day.

22 But the people, the men of Israel, arose, and prepared themselves to fight still more in the same place where they had prepared themselves the day before.

23 And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the LORD until the even: and they asked the LORD, saying, Shall we come near more to fight with the children of Benjamin our brethren? And the LORD said, Go up unto them.

24 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were come unto the children of Benjamin the second day,

25 And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah against them that day, and smote of the children of Israel eighteen thousand more to the ground, all of them with the sword.

26 And all the children of Israel went up, and all the people, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and tarried there before the LORD, and fasted all the day until the even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, There was the ark of the covenant of God there at that time,

28 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, stood before him at that time, and said, Shall we go forth more to fight with the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall I desist? And the LORD said, Go up; to morrow I will deliver them into your hand.

29 And the children of Israel set an ambush upon Gibeah round about.

30 And the children of Israel went up the third day unto the children of Benjamin, and pitched at Gibeah, as twice before.

31 And the children of Benjamin came out to meet the people, and tore themselves out of the city, and began to smite and to wound of the people, as they had done twice before, in the field, in two highways, the one to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten before us, as before. But the children of Israel said: Let us flee, that we may pluck them out of the city into the street.

33 And all the men of Israel arose out of their place, and prepared themselves for Baal-thamar. And the ambush of Israel sprang up in his place from the cave of Gaba.

34 And there came to Gibeah ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil should befall them.

35 So the LORD smote Benjamin before the children of Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men in Benjamin, all of them with the sword.

36 For when the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, the men of Israel gave them place: for they relied upon the ambush which they had set at Gibeah.

37 And the ambush also hasted, and came forth to Gibeah, and went up, and smote the whole city with the edge of the sword.

38 And they had a charge together, the men of Israel and the ambush, to fall upon them with the sword, when the smoke was lifted up from the city.

39 And when the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite, and wounded in Israel about thirty men, and thought that they were smitten before us, as in the former battle,

40 And there began to rise up a smoke from the city straight above. And Benjamin turned behind him, and, behold, the city ascended up to heaven.

41 And the men of Israel also turned, and affrighted the men of Benjamin: for they saw that evil was about to befall them;

42 And they turned before the men of Israel toward the wilderness. And the battle followed them, and they that came in from the cities destroyed them within.

43 And they compassed Benjamin, and pursued after him unto Menuah, and trampled them before Gibeah, toward the rising of the sun.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men, all of them valiant men.

45 And they turned, and fled to the wilderness, unto the rock Rimmon: and in the same way they slew five thousand men; and they followed them in the rear unto Gideom, and slew two thousand of them.

46 And there fell that day of Benjamin twenty and five thousand men that wielded the sword, all of them men of valour.

47 Only six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon: and they dwelt in the rock Rimmon four moons.

48 And the men of Israel came again unto the children of Benjamin, and smote with the edge of the sword them that were in the city, both men and cattle, and all that was found: and all the cities that were found were burnt with fire.