Judges 20:1-18

1Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one person to the Lord at 1Mizpah. 2And the 2leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand 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 56citizens of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night, 7threatening me. They intended to kill me; instead, they 8raped my concubine so that she died. 6And I 9took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for 10they have committed an outrageous sin and vile act in Israel. 7Behold, all you sons of Israel, 11give your 12response and advice here.”

8Then all the people rose up as one person, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us go home. 9But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot. 10And we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to 13supply provisions for the people, so that when they come to 14Gibeah of Benjamin, they may 15punish them for all the vile sin that they have committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, 16united as one man.

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire 17tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? 13Now then, turn over the men, the 1819worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and 20remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14Instead, the 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 21sons of Benjamin were 22counted, twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were 23counted, seven hundred choice men. 16Out of all these people seven hundred 24choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were 25counted, four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

18Now the sons of Israel set out, went up to Bethel, and 26inquired 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.”