Judges 20:34-44

New American Standard Bible

³⁴ When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became ^[a]fierce; ^(A)but ^[b]Benjamin did not know that disaster was ^[c]close to them. ³⁵ And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that ^[d]day, all who drew the sword.

³⁶ So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were ^[e]defeated. ^(B)When the men of Israel gave ^[f]ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, ^37 (C)the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. ³⁸ Now the agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was ^(D)that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. ³⁹ Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, ^(E)for they said, “Undoubtedly they are ^[g]defeated before us, as in the first battle.” ⁴⁰ But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked ^(F)behind them; and behold, the entire city was going up in smoke to heaven. ⁴¹ Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that ^(G)disaster was ^[h]close to them. ⁴² Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel to flee in the ^(H)direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who attacked from the cities were annihilating them in the midst of them. ^43 (I)They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the ^[i]east. ⁴⁴ So eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant men.