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, to 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 belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about on 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, you 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 worked 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 listen to the voice of their brothers the children of Israel.
14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to 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 left handed; 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 to 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 inquired 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 your 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 goes 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 to 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 to the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 And the liers in wait hurried, and rushed on 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 on them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the middle of them.
43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and stepped them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sun rise.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to 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 valor.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon, and stayed in the rock Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again on 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 So all the sons of Israel came out, from Dan to Beer-sheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man, unto Jehovah at Mizpah.
2 And the chiefs of all the people of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword.
3 (Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They had thought to kill me, but instead they have humbled my concubine so that she died.
6 So I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the land of the inheritance of Israel, because they have committed lewdness and disgraceful folly in Israel.
7 Behold, all of you are sons of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8 And all the people rose up as one man, saying, None of us shall go to his tent, nor shall any turn away to his house;
9 but now this is the thing which we shall do to Gibeah: We shall go up against it by lot.
10 We shall take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to carry provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the disgrace that they have done in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What is this evil that has been done among you?
13 Now therefore, deliver up the men, the sons of wickedness who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel! But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel.
14 And the sons of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the sons of Israel.
15 And from their cities at that time the sons of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred choice men.
16 Among all this people were seven hundred choice men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17 Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.
18 And the sons of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, Which of us shall go up first to battle against the sons of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first!
19 And the sons of Israel arose 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 sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of Israel.
22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and again set the battle in array at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day.
23 And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until evening, and asked counsel of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
24 So the sons of Israel approached the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
25 And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroyed down to the ground eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword.
26 And all the children of Israel, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before Jehovah and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah.
27 And the sons of Israel inquired of Jehovah (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 sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.
29 And Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.
30 And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times.
31 And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 And the sons of Benjamin thought, They are struck down before us, as at first. But the sons of Israel had said, Let us flee and draw them away from the city into the highways.
33 So all the men of Israel rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Baal Tamar. Then Israels men in ambush burst forth from their places in the plain of Geba.
34 And ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was heavy. But the Benjamites did not know that evil was upon them.
35 And Jehovah struck down Benjamin before Israel. And the sons of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred of Benjamin; all who drew the sword.
36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were struck down. And the men of Israel had given ground to the Benjamites, because they had trusted on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.
37 And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah; the men in ambush drew out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,
39 whereupon the men of Israel turned around in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty of the men of Israel. For they thought, Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle.
40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold the whole city had gone up in smoke to the heavens.
41 And when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that evil had come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness; and the battle overtook them, and whoever came out of the cities they destroyed in their midst.
43 They surrounded Benjamin, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the rising sun.
44 And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they thrust upon five thousand of them on the highways; and pursued them to Gidom, and killed two thousand men.
46 So all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were men of valor.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned back against the sons of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword; entire cities, beasts, and all who were found. They also set fire to every city they found.