Judges 20:18-27

18They went to Bethel. They asked God which tribe should go first to attack Benjamin's army. The Lord replied, ‘Judah must go first.’

19The next morning, the Israelites got up and they prepared to attack Gibeah.

20The Israelite army marched forward to fight against Benjamin's army. They stood in their places around the city.

21Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah to attack. They killed 22,000 Israelites in the battle that day.

22The Israelite soldiers told each other to be brave. They went to meet with the Lord and they wept until the evening. They asked the Lord, ‘Should we march out again to fight against our relatives, the men of Benjamin?’ The Lord said, ‘Yes, attack them.’ So they went to stand in the same places around the city as they had done the day before.

24The Israelites went to fight against Benjamin's army on the second day.

25This time, when the soldiers of Benjamin came out of Gibeah to attack them, they killed another 18,000 Israelite soldiers in the battle.

26Then the whole Israelite army went back to Bethel to meet with the Lord. They sat there and they wept. They did not eat any food that day until evening. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

27The Covenant Box was in Bethel at that time. Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was the priest who served the Lord there. The Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Should we march out to fight against our relatives, the men of Benjamin, again? Or should we leave them?’ The Lord said, ‘Attack them. Tomorrow I will put them under your power.’