Judges 20:18-26

English Standard Version

¹⁸ The people of Israel arose and went up to ^(A)Bethel and inquired of God, ^(B)“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, ^(C)“Judah shall go up first.”

¹⁹ Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. ²⁰ And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. ^21 (D)The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. ²² But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. ^23 (E)And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”

²⁴ So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ And Benjamin ^(F)went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who ^(G)drew the sword. ²⁶ Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to ^(H)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.