Judges 20:24-35

English Standard Version

²⁴ So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ And Benjamin ^(A)went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who ^(B)drew the sword. ²⁶ Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to ^(C)Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ²⁷ And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord ^(D)(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, ²⁸ and ^(E)Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ^(F)ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

^29 (G)So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. ³⁰ And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. ³¹ And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, ^(H)one of which goes up to ^(I)Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. ³² And the people of Benjamin said, ^(J)“They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” ³³ And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba.^{[a] 34} And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, ^(K)but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. ³⁵ And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who ^(L)drew the sword.