Judges 20

And all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Bersabee, and the land of Galaad, to the Lord at Massepha.

And all the tribes of Israel stood before the face of the Lord in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot, drawing the sword.

And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Massepha. And having come, the sons of Israel said, "Speak: where did this wickedness come about?"

And the Levite man, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gabaa of Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

"And the men of Gabaa rose up against me and surrounded the house against me by night; they wished to murder me, and they humbled my concubine, and she died.

"And I seized my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her into every territory of the inheritance of the sons of Israel, because they committed lewdness and an outrage in Israel.

"Behold, all you sons of Israel, give yourselves a word and counsel there."

And all the people rose up as one man, saying, "We will not go away, each man to his tent, and we will not turn back, each man to his house.

"And now this is the thing that shall be done to Gabaa: we will go up against her by lot.

"Only we will take ten men for the hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for the thousand, and a thousand for the ten thousand, to take provisions, to make them come to Gabaa of Benjamin, to do to her according to all the outrage which she did in Israel."

And every man of Israel was gathered to the city as one man.

And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this wickedness that has come to be among you?

"And now give up the men, the sons of lawless men, who are in Gabaa, and we will put them to death and purge out wickedness from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

And the sons of Benjamin gathered from their cities to Gabaa, to go out to battle array against the sons of Israel.

And the sons of Benjamin were numbered in that day from the cities: twenty-three thousand men drawing the sword, besides those dwelling in Gabaa, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

Out of all the people they were ambidextrous; all these were slingers with stones at a hair, and did not miss.

And the men of Israel were numbered, besides Benjamin, four hundred thousand men drawing the sword; all these were men of the battle line.

And they rose and went up to Baithel and inquired of God; and the sons of Israel said, "Who shall go up for us first to the battle line against the sons of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up first as leader."

And the sons of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gabaa.

And every man of Israel went out to the battle line against Benjamin, and they joined battle with them at Gabaa.

And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gabaa and destroyed in Israel on that day twenty-two thousand men, to the ground.

And the men of Israel strengthened themselves and again joined the battle line in the place where they had joined on the first day.

And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall we again draw near to the battle line against the sons of Benjamin our brothers?" And the Lord said, "Go up against them."

And the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.

And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gabaa to meet them on the second day, and destroyed of the sons of Israel yet another eighteen thousand men, to the ground; all these drew the sword.

And all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Baithel and wept and sat there before the Lord and fasted on that day until evening, and offered up whole burnt offerings and offerings of completion before the Lord.

for the ark of the covenant of the Lord God was there;

and Phinees son of Eleazar son of Aaron was standing before it in those days. And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall we yet again go out to the battle line against the sons of Benjamin our brothers, or shall we cease?" And the Lord said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands."

And the sons of Israel set ambushes around Gabaa.

And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and joined battle against Gabaa as at the former times.

And the sons of Benjamin went out to meet the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike down wounded ones among the people as at the former times, on the roads, of which one goes up to Baithel and one to Gabaa in the field, about thirty men in Israel.

And the sons of Benjamin said, "They are falling before us as at the first." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city onto the roads." And they did so.

And every man rose up from his place, and they joined battle at Baalthamar; and the ambush of Israel came up from its place, from Maaragabe.

And there came opposite Gabaa ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle line was heavy; and they did not know that the evil was overtaking them.

And the Lord struck Benjamin before the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of Benjamin on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men; all these drew the sword.

And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were struck. And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambush which they had set against Gabaa.

And while they were withdrawing, the ambush moved and stretched out against Gabaa; and the ambush poured out and struck the city with the mouth of the sword.

Now the sons of Israel had a sign with the ambush of the battle, that they should send up a smoke signal from the city.

And the sons of Israel saw that the ambush had already seized Gabaa, and they stood in the battle line; and Benjamin began to strike down wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, "Again they are surely falling before us, as in the first battle."

And the signal went up ever higher over the city like a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin looked behind him, and behold, the consuming of the city went up to heaven.

And the man of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin hurried away, because they saw that evil had come upon them.

And they turned before the sons of Israel toward the way of the wilderness and fled, but the battle overtook them; and those from the cities destroyed them in their midst.

And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Noua at his heel, as far as opposite Gabaa toward the risings of the sun.

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

And the rest looked and fled into the wilderness, to the rock of Remmon; and the sons of Israel gleaned of them five thousand men, and the sons of Israel went down after them as far as Gedan and struck of them two thousand men.

And all those of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men drawing the sword; all these were men of valour.

And the rest looked and fled into the wilderness, to the rock of Remmon, six hundred men; and they remained at the rock of Remmon four months.

And the sons of Israel turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the mouth of the sword, from the city of Methla, both to the cattle and to everything found in all the cities; and the cities that were found they burned with fire.