Chapter 20

Then all the children of Israel went out,⁴ and the congregation was gathered together¹¹ as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

And the chief of all the people, [even] of all the tribes of Israel, presented¹⁰¹ themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen ⁷²⁷³ that drew⁶ sword.

(Now the children of Benjamin heard⁴ that the children of Israel were gone up¹ to Mizpeh.) Then said⁴ the children of Israel, Tell¹⁶ [us], how was⁸ this wickedness?

And the Levite, ³⁷⁶ the husband of the woman that was slain,¹² answered⁴ and said,⁴ I came¹ into Gibeah that [belongeth] to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.²

And the men of Gibeah rose⁴ against me, and beset the house round about⁴ upon me by night, [and] thought¹⁴ to have slain² me: and my concubine have they forced,¹⁴ that she is dead.⁴

And I took⁴ my concubine, and cut her in pieces,¹⁷ and sent¹⁷ her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed¹ lewdness and folly in Israel.

Behold, ye [are] all children of Israel; give³ here your advice and counsel.

And all the people arose⁴ as one man, saying,² We will not any [of us] go⁴ to his tent, neither will we any [of us] turn⁴ into his house.

But now this [shall be] the thing which we will do⁴ to Gibeah; [we will go up] by lot against it;

And we will take¹ ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch² victual for the people, that they may do,² when they come² to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought¹ in Israel.

So all the men of Israel were gathered¹¹ against the city, knit together as one man.

And the tribes of Israel sent⁴ men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying,² What wickedness [is] this that is done⁸ among you?

Now therefore deliver³ [us] the men, the children of Belial, which [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death,⁵⁵ and put away¹⁷ evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would¹ not hearken² to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

But the children of Benjamin gathered¹¹ themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out² to battle against the children of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin were numbered¹⁰¹ at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew⁶ sword, beside the inhabitants⁶ of Gibeah, which were numbered⁹⁸ seven hundred chosen⁷ men.

Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen⁷ men lefthanded; ^{3027 3225} every one could sling⁶ stones at an hair [breadth], and not miss.⁵⁵

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered⁹⁸ four hundred thousand men that drew⁶ sword: all these [were] men of war.

And the children of Israel arose,⁴ and went up⁴ to the house of God, and asked⁴ counsel of God, and said,⁴ Which of us shall go up⁴ first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said,⁴ Judah [shall go up] first.

And the children of Israel rose up⁴ in the morning, and encamped⁴ against Gibeah.

And the men of Israel went out⁴ to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array⁴ to fight against them at Gibeah.

And the children of Benjamin came forth⁴ out of Gibeah, and destroyed⁵⁵ down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

And the people the men of Israel encouraged¹⁰¹ themselves, and set their battle again⁵⁵ in array² in the place where they put themselves in array¹ the first day.

(And the children of Israel went up⁴ and wept⁴ before the LORD until even, and asked⁴ counsel of the LORD, saying,² Shall I go up² again⁵⁵ to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said,⁴ Go up³ against him.)

And the children of Israel came near⁴ against the children of Benjamin the second day.

And Benjamin went forth⁴ against² them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed⁵⁵ down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen ⁶²⁴⁰ thousand men; all these drew⁶ the sword.

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up,⁴ and came⁴ unto the house of God, and wept,⁴ and sat⁴ there before the LORD, and fasted⁴ that day until even, and offered⁵⁵ burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And the children of Israel enquired⁴ of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days,

And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood⁶ before it in those days,) saying,² Shall I yet again⁵⁵ go out² to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?⁴ And the LORD said,⁴ Go up;³ for to morrow I will deliver⁴ them into thine hand.

And Israel set⁴ liers in wait⁶ round about Gibeah.

And the children of Israel went up⁴ against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array⁴ against Gibeah, as at other times. ⁶⁴⁷¹

And the children of Benjamin went out⁴ against² the people, [and] were drawn away⁹⁰ from the city; and they began⁵⁵ to smite⁵³ of the people, [and] kill, as at other times, ⁶⁴⁷¹ in the highways, of which one goeth up⁶ to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin said,⁴ They [are] smitten down¹² before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said,¹ Let us flee,⁴ and draw¹ them from the city unto the highways.

And all the men of Israel rose up¹ out of their place, and put themselves in array⁴ at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait⁶ of Israel came forth⁵⁶ out of their places, [even] out of the meadows of Gibeah.

And there came⁴ against Gibeah ten thousand chosen⁷ men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore:¹ but they knew¹ not that evil [was] near⁶ them.

And the LORD smote⁴ Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed⁵⁵ of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew⁶ the sword.

So the children of Benjamin saw⁴ that they were smitten:⁸ for the men of Israel gave⁴ place to the Benjamites, because they trusted¹ unto the liers in wait⁶ which they had set¹ beside Gibeah.

And the liers in wait⁶ hasted,⁵² and rushed⁴ upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait⁶ drew [themselves] along,⁴ and smote⁵⁵ all the city with the edge of the sword.

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait,⁶ that they should make a great⁵⁴ flame with smoke rise up⁵³ out of the city.

And when the men of Israel retired⁴ in the battle, Benjamin began⁵² to smite⁵³ [and] kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said,¹ Surely⁹ they are smitten down¹² before us, as [in] the first battle.

But when the flame began⁵² to arise up² out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked⁴ behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up¹ to heaven.

And when the men of Israel turned¹ again, the men of Benjamin were amazed:¹¹ for they saw¹ that evil was come¹ upon them.

Therefore they turned⁴ [their backs] before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook⁵² them; and them which [came] out of the cities they destroyed⁵⁶ in the midst of them.

[Thus] they inclosed¹⁴ the Benjamites round about,¹⁴ [and] chased⁵² them, [and] trode them down⁵² with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. ⁸¹²¹

And there fell⁴ of Benjamin eighteen ⁶²⁴⁰ thousand men; all these [were] men of valour.

And they turned⁴ and fled⁴ toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned²⁵ of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard⁵⁵ after them unto Gidom, and slew⁵⁵ two thousand men of them.

So that all which fell⁶ that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew⁶ the sword; all these [were] men of valour.

But six hundred men turned⁴ and fled⁴ to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode⁴ in the rock Rimmon four months.

And the men of Israel turned¹ again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote⁵⁵ them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand:¹² also they set¹⁴ on fire all the cities that they came to.¹²