Judges 20

1Then all the children of IsraelH3478 wentH3318 out, and the congregationH5712 was assembledH6950 as oneH259 manH376, from DanH1835 even to Beer-sheba, with the landH776 of GileadH1568, unto Jehovah at MizpahH4709. 2And the chiefs of all the peopleH5971, even of all the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478, presentedH3320 themselves in the assemblyH6951 of the peopleH5971 of GodH430, fourH702 hundredH3967 thousandH505 footmen that drewH8025 swordH2719. 3(Now the children of BenjaminH1144 heardH8085 that the children of IsraelH3478 wereH1961 goneH5927 up to MizpahH4709.) And the children of IsraelH3478 saidH559, Tell us, howH349 wasH1961 this wickednessH7451 broughtH5927 to pass? 4And the LeviteH3881, the husbandH376 of the womanH802 that was murderedH7523, answered and saidH559, I cameH935 into GibeahH1390 that belongeth to BenjaminH1144, I and my concubineH6370, to lodge. 5And the men of GibeahH1390 roseH6965 against me, and beset the houseH1004 roundH5437 about me by nightH3915; me they thought to have slainH2026, and my concubineH6370 they forced, and she is deadH4191. 6And I tookH270 my concubineH6370, and cutH5408 her in pieces, and sentH7971 her throughout all the countryH7704 of the inheritanceH5159 of IsraelH3478; for they have committed lewdness and follyH5039 in IsraelH3478. 7Behold, ye children of IsraelH3478, all of you, giveH3051 hereH2009 your adviceH6098 and counselH6098.

8And all the peopleH5971 aroseH6965 as oneH259 manH376, sayingH559, We will not any of us go to his tentH168, neither will we any of us turnH5493 unto his houseH1004. 9But nowH6258 this is the thingH1697 which we will do to GibeahH1390: we will go up against it by lotH1486; 10and we will takeH3947 tenH6235 menH376 of a hundredH3967 throughout all the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478, and a hundredH3967 of a thousandH505, and a thousandH505 out of tenH6235 thousandH505, to fetch victuals for the peopleH5971, that they may do, whenH834 they comeH935 to Gibeah of BenjaminH1144, according to all the follyH5039 that they have wrought in IsraelH3478. 11So all the menH376 of IsraelH3478 were gatheredH622 against the cityH5892, knit together as oneH259 manH376.

12And the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478 sentH7971 menH376 through all the tribeH7626 of BenjaminH1144, sayingH559, What wickednessH7451 is this that is come to pass among you? 13NowH6258 thereforeH6258 deliver up the menH376, the base fellows, that are in GibeahH1390, that we may putH5414 them to deathH4191, and putH5414 away evilH7451 from IsraelH3478. But BenjaminH1144 wouldH14 not hearken to the voiceH6963 of their brethren the children of IsraelH3478. 14And the children of BenjaminH1144 gatheredH622 themselves together out of the citiesH5892 unto GibeahH1390, to goH3318 out to battleH4421 against the children of IsraelH3478. 15And the children of BenjaminH1144 were numbered on that dayH3117 out of the citiesH5892 twentyH6242 and sixH8337 thousandH505 menH376 that drewH8025 swordH2719, besides the inhabitantsH3427 of GibeahH1390, who were numbered sevenH7651 hundredH3967 chosen menH376. 16Among all this peopleH5971 there were sevenH7651 hundredH3967 chosen menH376 lefthanded; every oneH376 could sling stonesH68 at a hair-breadth, and not miss.

17And the menH376 of IsraelH3478, besides BenjaminH1144, were numbered fourH702 hundredH3967 thousandH505 menH376 that drewH8025 swordH2719: all these were menH376 of warH4421. 18And the children of IsraelH3478 aroseH6965, and wentH5927 up to Beth-el, and askedH7592 counsel of GodH430; and they saidH559, Who shall goH5927 up for us firstH8462 to battleH4421 against the children of BenjaminH1144? And Jehovah saidH559, JudahH3063 shall goH5927 up firstH8462.

19And the children of IsraelH3478 roseH6965 up in the morningH1242, and encampedH2583 against GibeahH1390. 20And the menH376 of IsraelH3478 wentH3318 out to battleH4421 against BenjaminH1144; and the menH376 of IsraelH3478 set the battleH4421 in array against them at GibeahH1390. 21And the children of BenjaminH1144 cameH3318 forthH3318 out of GibeahH1390, and destroyedH7843 down to the groundH776 of the Israelites on that dayH3117 twentyH6242 and twoH8147 thousandH505 menH376. 22And the peopleH5971, the menH376 of IsraelH3478, encouragedH2388 themselves, and set the battleH4421 again in array in the placeH4725 whereH834 they set themselves in array the firstH7223 dayH3117. 23And the children of IsraelH3478 wentH5927 up and weptH1058 before Jehovah until even; and they askedH7592 of Jehovah, sayingH559, Shall I again drawH5066 nigh to battleH4421 against the children of BenjaminH1144 my brotherH251? And Jehovah saidH559, GoH5927 up against him.

24And the children of IsraelH3478 came near against the children of BenjaminH1144 the secondH8145 dayH3117. 25And BenjaminH1144 wentH3318 forthH3318 against them out of GibeahH1390 the secondH8145 dayH3117, and destroyedH7843 down to the groundH776 of the children of IsraelH3478 againH5750 eighteen thousandH505 menH376; all these drewH8025 the swordH2719. 26Then all the children of IsraelH3478, and all the peopleH5971, wentH935 up, and cameH935 unto Beth-el, and weptH1058, and satH3427 there before Jehovah, and fastedH6684 that dayH3117 until even; and they offeredH5927 burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. 27And the children of IsraelH3478 askedH7592 of Jehovah (for the arkH727 of the covenantH1285 of GodH430 was there in those daysH3117, 28and PhinehasH6372, the sonH1121 of EleazarH499, the sonH1121 of AaronH175, stoodH5975 before it in those daysH3117), sayingH559, Shall I yetH5750 againH5750 goH3318 out to battleH4421 against the children of BenjaminH1144 my brotherH251, or shall I ceaseH2308? And Jehovah saidH559, GoH3318 up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy handH3027.

29And IsraelH3478 setH7760 liers-in-wait against GibeahH1390 roundH5439 about. 30And the children of IsraelH3478 wentH5927 up against the children of BenjaminH1144 on the thirdH7992 dayH3117, and set themselves in array against GibeahH1390, as at other timesH6471. 31And the children of BenjaminH1144 wentH3318 out against the peopleH5971, and were drawn away from the cityH5892; and they beganH2490 to smite and kill of the peopleH5971, as at other timesH6471, in the highwaysH4546, of which oneH259 goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to GibeahH1390, in the fieldH7704, about thirtyH7970 menH376 of IsraelH3478. 32And the children of BenjaminH1144 saidH559, They are smitten down before us, as at the firstH7223. But the children of IsraelH3478 saidH559, Let us fleeH5127, and draw them away from the cityH5892 unto the highwaysH4546. 33And all the menH376 of IsraelH3478 roseH6965 up out of their placeH4725, and setH6965 themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of IsraelH3478 brake forthH1518 out of their placeH4725, even out of Maareh-geba. 34And there cameH935 over against GibeahH1390 tenH6235 thousandH505 chosen menH376 out of all IsraelH3478, and the battleH4421 was sore; but they knewH3045 not that evilH7451 was close upon them. 35And Jehovah smote BenjaminH1144 before IsraelH3478; and the children of IsraelH3478 destroyedH7843 of BenjaminH1144 that dayH3117 twentyH6242 and fiveH2568 thousandH505 and a hundredH3967 menH376: all these drewH8025 the swordH2719.

36So the children of BenjaminH1144 sawH7200 that they were smitten; for the menH376 of IsraelH3478 gaveH5414 placeH4725 to BenjaminH1144, because they trustedH982 unto the liers-in-wait whom they had setH7760 against GibeahH1390. 37And the liers-in-wait hasted, and rushed upon GibeahH1390; and the liers-in-wait drewH4900 themselves along, and smote all the cityH5892 with the edge of the swordH2719. 38Now the appointedH4150 sign between the menH376 of IsraelH3478 and the liers-in-wait wasH1961, that they should make a great cloud of smokeH6227 rise up out of the cityH5892. 39And the menH376 of IsraelH3478 turnedH2015 in the battleH4421, and BenjaminH1144 beganH2490 to smite and kill of the menH376 of IsraelH3478 about thirtyH7970 personsH376; for they saidH559, Surely they are smitten downH5221 before us, as in the firstH7223 battleH4421. 40But when the cloud beganH2490 to arise up out of the cityH5892 in a pillarH5982 of smokeH6227, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the wholeH3632 of the cityH5892 wentH5927 up in smokeH6227 to heavenH8064. 41And the menH376 of IsraelH3478 turnedH2015, and the menH376 of BenjaminH1144 were dismayedH926; for they sawH7200 that evilH7451 was come upon them. 42Therefore they turnedH6437 their backs before the menH376 of IsraelH3478 unto the wayH1870 of the wildernessH4057; but the battleH4421 followed hard after them; and they that came out of the citiesH5892 destroyedH7843 them in the midstH8432 thereof. 43They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trodH1869 them downH1869 at their resting-place, as far as over against GibeahH1390 toward the sunrising. 44And there fellH5307 of BenjaminH1144 eighteen thousandH505 menH376; all these were menH376 of valor. 45And they turnedH6437 and fledH5127 toward the wildernessH4057 unto the rockH5553 of RimmonH7417: and they gleaned of them in the highwaysH4546 fiveH2568 thousandH505 menH376, and followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousandH505 menH376. 46So that all who fellH5307 that dayH3117 of BenjaminH1144 wereH1961 twentyH6242 and fiveH2568 thousandH505 menH376 that drewH8025 the swordH2719; all these wereH1961 menH376 of valor. 47But sixH8337 hundredH3967 menH376 turnedH6437 and fledH5127 toward the wildernessH4057 unto the rockH5553 of RimmonH7417, and abode in the rockH5553 of RimmonH7417 fourH702 monthsH2320. 48And the menH376 of IsraelH3478 turnedH7725 again upon the children of BenjaminH1144, and smote them with the edge of the swordH2719, both the entire cityH5892, and the cattleH929, and all that they foundH4672: moreover all the citiesH5892 which they foundH4672 they set on fireH784.