Judges 20

Resolve to Punish the Guilty

1Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at 1Mizpah. 2The 2chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot 3soldiers 4who 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 take place?” 4So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 5But the 5men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they 6ravished my concubine so that she died. 6And I 7took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for 8they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. 7Behold, all you sons of Israel, 9give your advice and counsel here.”

8Then all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house. 9But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot. 10And we will take 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 to 10supply food for the people, that when they come to 11Gibeah of Benjamin, they may 12punish them for all the disgraceful acts that they have committed in Israel.” 11Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire 13tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? 13Now then, deliver up the men, the 1415worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and 16remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14The sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel. 15From the cities on that day the 17sons of Benjamin were 18numbered, 26,000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were 19numbered, 700 choice men. 16Out of all these people 700 20choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were 21numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

18Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and 22inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”

19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah. 21Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and 2324felled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel. 22But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day. 2325The sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and 26inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”

24Then the sons of Israel 27came against the sons of Benjamin the second day. 25Benjamin went out 28against them from Gibeah the second day and 29felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword. 26Then 30all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27The sons of Israel 31inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, 32for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

2933So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times. 3134The sons of Benjamin went out 35against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike 36and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32The sons of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; 37and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. 34When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became 38fierce; 39but 40Benjamin did not know that 41disaster was 42close to them. 35And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all 43who draw the sword.

36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were 44defeated. 45When the men of Israel gave 46ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, 3747the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was 48that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. 39Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike 49and kill about thirty men of Israel, 50for they said, “Surely they are 51defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked 52behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven. 41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that 5354disaster was 55close to them. 42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel 56toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them. 4357They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the 58east. 44Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors. 4559The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of 60Rimmon, but they 61caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them 62at Gidom and 63killed 2,000 of them. 46So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors. 47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.