20:001

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto HaShem at Mizpah

20:002

And the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of G-d, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.-

20:003

Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah. --And the children of Israel said: 'Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?

20:004

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said: 'I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge

20:005

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

20:006

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 wantonness in Israe

20:007

Behold, ye are all here, children of Israel, give here your advice and council.

20:008

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 unto his house

20:009

But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot

20:010

and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the wantonness that they have wrought in Israel.

20:011

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

20:012

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying: 'What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you

20:013

Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows that 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

20:014

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of their cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel

20:015

And the children of Benjamin numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred chosen men

20:016

All this people, even seven hundred chosen men, were left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss

20:017

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war

20:018

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of G-d; and they said: 'Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?' And HaShem said: 'Judah first.

20:019

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

20:020

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah

20:021

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

20:022

And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day

20:023

And the children of Israel went up and wept before HaShem until even; and they asked of HaShem, saying: 'Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?' And HaShem said: 'Go up against him.

20:024

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

20:025

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

20:026

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there before HaShem, and fasted that day until even; and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before HaShem

20:027

And the children of Israel asked of HaShem--for the ark of the covenant of G-d was there in those days

20:028

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 HaShem said: 'Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy hand.

20:029

And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about

20:030

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

20:031

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times, in the field, in the highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, about thirty men of Israel

20:032

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 away from the city unto the highways.

20:033

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar; and the liers-in-wait of Israel broke forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba

20:034

And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was close upon them

20:035

And HaShem smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men; all these drew the sword

20:036

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah.-

20:037

And the liers-in-wait hastened, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew forth, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword

20:038

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait, that they should make a great beacon of smoke rise up out of the city.-

20:039

And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and 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.

20:040

But when the beacon began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven

20:041

And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were amazed; for they saw that evil was come upon them

20:042

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they that came out of the city destroyed them in the midst of the men of Israel

20:043

They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and overtook them at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising

20:044

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour

20:045

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 followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men

20:046

So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour

20:047

But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months

20:048

And the men of Israel turned back upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found; moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire