Judges 20:29-48

291So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as at other times. 312When the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, they were lured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the roads (one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32And the sons of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, like the first time.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let’s flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the roads.” 33Then all the men of Israel rose from their place and lined up at Baal-tamar; 3and the men of Israel in ambush charged from their place, from Maareh-geba. 34When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became 4fierce; 5but 6Benjamin did not know that disaster was 7close to them. 35And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that 8day, all who drew the sword.

36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were 9defeated. 10When the men of Israel gave 11ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, 3712the 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 agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was 13that 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 and kill about thirty men of Israel, 14for they said, “Undoubtedly they are 15defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked 16behind them; and behold, the entire 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 17disaster was 18close to them. 42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel to flee in the 19direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who attacked from the cities were annihilating them in the midst of them. 4320They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the 21east. 44So eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant men. 4522The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of 23Rimmon, but they 24caught five thousand of them on the roads and overtook them 25at Gidom, and 26killed two thousand of them. 46So all those of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were valiant men. 47But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for 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.