1
And all the sons of Israel went··out, and the congregation was assembled as one man◦, from Dan and even··to Beer-sheba and the land of Gilead, to▵ Jehovah at Mizpah.
2
And the corners of all the people*, all the tribes◦ of Israel, stood··forth in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men◦ on··foot that drew▵ sword.
3
And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone··up to Mizpah. And the sons of Israel said, Speak, how◦ was this evil?
4
And the man◦, the Levite, the husband◦ of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, I came in to Gibeah that is of Benjamin, I◦ and my concubine, to pass··the··night.
5
And the citizens of Gibeah rose··up against me, and surrounded the house against me by night; they considered to kill me, and my concubine they afflicted, and she is··dead.
6
And I seized the body of my concubine and sectioned her, and sent her into all the field of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done crime and folly in Israel.
7
Behold, all of you are sons of Israel; give▵ hither your word and counsel.
8
And all the people rose··up as one man◦, saying, Not a man◦ of us will go to his tent, and not a man◦ of us will turn··aside unto his house.
9
But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, against it by lot.
10
And we will take ten men◦ of◦ a hundred for all the tribes◦ of Israel, and a hundred of◦ a thousand, and a thousand of◦ a myriad, to take provisions for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibea* of Benjamin, according··to all the folly which they have done in Israel.
11
And every man◦ of Israel was gathered against▵ the city, friends as one man◦.
12
And the tribes◦ of Israel sent men◦ into all the tribe◦ of Benjamin, saying, What is this evil which has come··to··pass◦ among◦ you?
13
And now give up the men◦, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put· them ·to··death, and put away evil from Israel. But the sons of Benjamin were· not ·willing to obey the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
14
But the sons of Benjamin gathered· themselves ·together from the cities unto Gibeah, to go··out to battle with the sons of Israel.
15
And the sons of Benjamin were mustered on◦ that◦ day from the cities, twenty and six thousand men◦ that drew▵ sword, besides the seven hundred chosen men◦ who were mustered from the inhabitants◦ of Gibeah.
16
Of all this people there were seven hundred chosen men◦, left-handed*; every one could sling with a stone at a hair and not miss*.
17
And the men◦ of Israel were mustered, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men◦ that drew▵ sword; all these were men◦ of war,
18
and they rose··up and went··up··to Bethel, and asked of God; and the sons of Israel said, Who shall go··up for us in the beginning, to the battle with the sons of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah, in the beginning.
19
And the sons of Israel rose··up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20
And the men◦ of Israel went··out to battle with Benjamin; and the men◦ of Israel set· themselves ·in··array to fight against▵ Gibeah.
21
And the sons of Benjamin came··out from Gibeah, and destroyed among Israel on◦ that◦ day, two and twenty thousand men◦ to◦ the earth.
22
And the people, the men◦ of Israel, made· themselves ·firm, and set· the battle ·in··array again, in the place where▵ they set· themselves ·in··array on the first day.
23
And the sons of Israel went··up and wept before Jehovah until evening; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again approach to battle with the sons of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go··up against▵ him.
24
And the sons of Israel came··near unto▵ the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
25
And Benjamin went··out from Gibeah to meet them on◦ the second day, and they destroyed to▫ the earth of the sons of Israel yet··again, eighteen thousand men◦; all these drew▵ the sword.
26
And all the sons of Israel and all the people went··up, and came unto Bethel and wept, and sat there before Jehovah, and fasted that◦ day until evening, and offered··up burnt··offerings and peace··offerings before Jehovah.
27
And the sons of Israel asked of Jehovah; and the ark of the covenant of God was there in those◦ days.
28
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron stood before it in those◦ days, saying, Shall I yet··again go··out to the battle with the sons of Benjamin my brother, or shall I desist? And Jehovah said, Go··up; for tomorrow I will give him into thy hand.
29
And Israel set··an··ambush all around Gibeah.
30
And the sons of Israel went··up against▵ the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and set· themselves ·in··array against▵ Gibeah this time◦ as at other times◦.
31
And the sons of Benjamin went··out to meet the people, and were pulled··away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and they were··slain as at other times in the highways, of which one goes··up to Bethel and one to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men◦ in Israel.
32
And the sons of Benjamin said, They◦ are struck down before us as at first. And the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and pull· them ·away from the city unto▵ the highways.
33
And every man◦ of Israel rose··up from his place, and they set· themselves ·in··array at Baal-tamar; and the ambusher of Israel came··out◦ from his place, from the outpouring◦ of Gibea.
34
And there came from over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men◦ from all Israel, and the battle was··heavy; and they◦ knew not that the evil was reaching them.
35
And Jehovah struck Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of Benjamin on◦ that◦ day, twenty and five thousand and a hundred men◦; all these drew▵ the sword.
36
And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were stricken; and the men◦ of Israel gave place to the Benjaminites, for they trusted to▵ those setting··an··ambush which they set against▵ Gibeah.
37
And the ambushers hurried and attacked Gibeah, and the ambushers drew··out and smote all the city with the mouth of the sword.
38
And the men◦ of Israel had◦ an appointed··time with those who would set··an··ambush to make much lifting··up of the smoke go··up from the city.
39
And the men◦ of Israel turned about in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and slay of the men◦ of Israel about thirty men◦; for they said, Struck, they are Struck down before us as in the first battle.
40
But the conflagration began to go··up from the city as a pillar of smoke. And Benjamin faced about behind him, and, behold, all the city went··up towards the skies.
41
And the man◦ of Israel turned, and the man◦ of Benjamin was vexed, for he saw that the evil had reached him.
42
And they faced about before the men◦ of Israel to▵ the way of the wilderness; and the battle stuck* to them; and they destroyed them from the cities in the midst of them.
43
They closed··around Benjamin, they pursued him, they trod upon him from Nuchah until opposite Gibeah, from the rising◦ of the sun.
44
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men◦; all these were men◦ of valor.
45
And they faced about and fled toward▵ the wilderness, to the rock◦ Rimmon; and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men◦, and stuck close after them until Gidom, and smote from among them two··thousand men◦.
46
And all the fallen of Benjamin on that◦ day were twenty and five thousand men◦ that drew▵ sword; all of these were men◦ of valor.
47
And six hundred men◦ faced about and fled toward the wilderness, to▵ the rock◦ Rimmon, and they dwelt at the rock◦ Rimmon four months.
48
And the men◦ of Israel turned··back to▵ the sons of Benjamin, and smote them with the mouth of the sword, from the entire city even··to a beast, even··to all that was··found; even all the cities that they found, they sent into the fire.
