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Judges 20
New King James Version

Israel’s War with the Benjamites

20 So (A)all the children of Israel came out, from (B)Dan to (C)Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord (D)at Mizpah. 2 And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers (E)who drew the sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.)

Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?”

4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and (F)I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night. 5 (G)And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, (H)but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died. 6 So (I)I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they (J)committed lewdness and outrage in Israel. 7 Look! All of you are children of Israel; (K)give your advice and counsel here and now!”

8 So all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house; 9 but now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up (L)against it by lot. 10 We will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.

12 (M)Then the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? 13 Now therefore, deliver up the men, (N)the [a]perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and (O)remove the evil from Israel!” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel. 14 Instead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the children of Israel. 15 And from their cities at that time (P)the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men. 16 Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were (Q)left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. 17 Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

18 Then the children of Israel arose and (R)went up to [b]the house of God to (S)inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?”

The Lord said, (T)“Judah first!”

19 So the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 Then (U)the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites. 22 And the people, that is, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and again formed the battle line at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day. 23 (V)Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, “Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?”

And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”

24 So the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day. 25 And (W)Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Israel; all these drew the sword.

26 Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, (X)went up and came to [c]the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord ((Y)the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 (Z)and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, (AA)stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?”

And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29 Then Israel (AB)set men in ambush all around Gibeah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times. 31 So the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (AC)(one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, as at first.”

But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33 So all the men of Israel rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Baal Tamar. Then Israel’s men in ambush burst forth from their position in the plain of Geba. 34 And ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. (AD)But [d]the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them. 35 The Lord [e]defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. (AE)The men of Israel had given ground to the Benjamites, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 (AF)And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah; the men in ambush spread out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of (AG)smoke rise up from the city, 39 whereupon the men of Israel would turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun [f]to strike and kill about thirty of the men of Israel. For they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites (AH)looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven. 41 And when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin panicked, for they saw that disaster had come upon them. 42 Therefore they [g]turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and whoever came out of the cities they destroyed in their midst. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east. 44 And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor. 45 Then [h]they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of (AI)Rimmon; and they cut down five thousand of them on the highways. Then they pursued them relentlessly up to Gidom, and killed two thousand of them. 46 So all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were [i]men of valor.

47 (AJ)But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon for four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword—from every city, men and beasts, all who were found. They also set fire to all the cities they came to.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 20:13 Lit. sons of Belial
  2. Judges 20:18 Or Bethel
  3. Judges 20:26 Or Bethel
  4. Judges 20:34 Lit. they
  5. Judges 20:35 Lit. struck
  6. Judges 20:39 Lit. to strike the slain ones
  7. Judges 20:42 fled
  8. Judges 20:45 LXX the rest
  9. Judges 20:46 valiant warriors
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Xaakinnada 20
Somali Bible

Reer Binu Israa'iil Oo La Dagaallamay Reer Benyaamiin

20 Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil oo dhammu soo wada baxeen, oo shirkiina wuxuu u soo ururay sidii nin qudha, oo waxay ka soo shireen tan iyo Daan iyo xataa Bi'ir Shebac, iyo weliba dalka reer Gilecaad, oo waxay Rabbiga ugu soo shireen Misfaah. 2 Markaasaa dadka madaxdiisii oo dhan ee ka socda qabiilooyinka reer binu Israa'iil oo dhan ayaa isa soo dhex taagay dadka Ilaah shirkiisii, kuwaasoo ahaa afar boqol oo kun oo nin oo lug ah oo wada seefqaad ah. 3 (Markaasaa reer Benyaamiin waxay maqleen in reer binu Israa'iil Misfaah tageen.) Oo reer binu Israa'iilna waxay yidhaahdeen, War bal noo sheeg siday xumaantanu u dhacday. 4 Markaasuu kii reer Laawi oo ahaa ninkii qabay naagtii la dilay jawaabay oo yidhi, Waxaan imid magaalada Gibecaah oo reer Benyaamiin ay leeyihiin, oo waxaannu doonaynay inaannu ku hoyanno aniga iyo naagtaydii addoonta ahayd. 5 Markaasay raggii reer Gibecaah igu kaceen, oo habeennimo ayay gurigii igu hareereeyeen, oo waxay damceen inay i dilaan, naagtaydii addoonta ahaydna way kufsadeen, wayna dhimatay. 6 Oo anna intaan naagtaydii addoonta ahayd qaaday ayaan cadcad u kala googooyay, oo waxaan u diray dalkii ay reer binu Israa'iil dhaxalka u heleen oo dhan; waayo, waxay reer binu Israa'iil ku dhex sameeyeen wasakhnimo iyo xumaan. 7 Hadda kulligiin reer binu Israa'iilow, bal ka tashada oo ka arrinsada. 8 Markaasaa dadkii oo dhammu isku mar isla kacay sidii nin qudha, oo waxay yidhaahdeen, Annaga midkayana tegi maayo teendhadiisii, oo midkayana ku leexan maayo gurigiisii. 9 Laakiinse waxa aannu Gibecaah ku samaynaynaa waa kan; saami baannu ku weeraraynaa. 10 Qabiilooyinka reer binu Israa'iil oo dhan boqolkiiba toban nin baannu kala baxaynaa, kunkiina waxaannu kala baxaynaa boqol nin, tobankii kunna waxaannu kala baxaynaa kun nin, inay dadka sahay u keenaan si markii ay tagaan Gibecaahda reer Benyaamiin ay wax ugu sameeyaan xumaantii ay ku dhex sameeyeen reer binu Israa'iil aawadeed. 11 Oo sidaasay raggii reer binu Israa'iil oo dhammu isugu soo urursadeen magaaladii, iyagoo u midoobay sidii nin qudha.

12 Markaasay qabiilooyinkii reer binu Israa'iil rag u direen qabiilkii reer Benyaamiin oo dhan, oo waxay ku yidhaahdeen, War xumaantan dhexdiinna ka dhacday waa maxay? 13 Haddaba sidaas daraaddeed nimanka xunxun ee Gibecaah jooga noo soo bixiya, aannu dilnee, oo aannu reer binu Israa'iil sharka ka dhex fogaynee. Laakiinse reer Benyaamiin ma ay doonaynin inay dhegaystaan codkii reer binu Israa'iil oo walaalahood ahaa. 14 Oo reer Benyaamiinna waxay iska soo urursadeen magaalooyinkii, oo waxay ku soo shireen Gibecaah, inay ku duulaan reer binu Israa'iil. 15 Oo maalintaas waa la tiriyey reer Benyaamiinkii magaalooyinka ka baxay, oo waxay noqdeen lix iyo labaatan kun oo seefqaad ah, iyo weliba kuwii Gibecaah degganaa oo tiradoodii ahayd toddoba boqol oo nin oo la soo xulay. 16 Oo dadkaas oo dhanna waxaa ka mid ahaa toddoba boqol oo nin oo la soo xulay oo wada gurran, oo mid waluba ka dhaadhacay wadhafka tuuristiisa oo xataa uusan la waayayn tin.

17 Oo raggii reer binu Israa'iil oo reer Benyaamiin aanay ku jirinna tiradoodii waxay ahayd afar boqol oo kun oo nin oo wada seefqaad ah; oo kulligoodna waxay ahaayeen rag dagaalgal ah. 18 Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil kaceen, oo waxay tageen Beytel, oo Ilaah bay talo weyddiisteen. Oo waxay yidhaahdeen, Yaa reer Benyaamiin marka hore noogu duulaya? Markaasaa Rabbigu wuxuu ku yidhi, Reer Yahuudah ha u horreeyeen. 19 Subaxdii dambe ayay reer binu Israa'iil kaceen, oo ag degeen Gibecaah. 20 Oo raggii reer binu Israa'iil waxay u soo baxeen inay reer Benyaamiin ku duulaan; oo reer binu Israa'iilna Gibecaah bay isugu diyaariyeen inay reer Benyaamiin la dagaallamaan. 21 Markaasay reer Benyaamiin ka soo baxeen Gibecaah, oo baabbi'iyeen reer binu Israa'iil, oo maalintaas waxay ka laayeen laba iyo labaatan kun oo nin. 22 Markaasay raggii reer binu Israa'iil isdhiirrigeliyeen, oo mar kalay dagaal isugu soo diyaariyeen meeshii ay maalintii hore isku soo diyaariyeen. 23 (Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil tageen oo ilaa fiidkii ku hor ooyeen Rabbiga, oo Rabbigay weyddiisteen iyagoo leh, Miyaannu haddana u dhowaannaa inaannu walaalahayo reer Benyaamiin la dirirno? Markaasuu Rabbigu ku yidhi, Taga oo la dirira.)

24 Oo haddana maalintii labaad ayaa reer binu Israa'iil u soo dhowaadeen reer Benyaamiin. 25 Kolkaasay reer Benyaamiin maalintii labaad kaga soo baxeen Gibecaah, oo haddana waxay baabbi'iyeen reer binu Israa'iil, oo waxay ka laayeen siddeed iyo toban kun oo nin oo wada seefqaad ah. 26 Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil oo dhan iyo dadkii oo dhammu wada tageen oo waxay yimaadeen Beytel, oo intay Rabbiga hor fadhiisteen ayay ooyeen, oo maalintaasna ilaa fiidkii way soomanaayeen; oo waxay Rabbiga hortiisa ku bixiyeen qurbaanno la gubo iyo qurbaanno nabaadiino. 27 Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil haddana Rabbiga wax weyddiisteen, (waayo, wakhtigaas waxaa halkaas oolli jiray sanduuqii axdiga Ilaah, 28 oo wakhtigaas waxaa is-hor taagi jiray Fiinexaas ina Elecaasaar oo ina Haaruun ahaa), oo waxay yidhaahdeen, Miyaannu mar kale haddana ku duulnaa walaalahayo reer Benyaamiin, mise waannu ka joogsannaa? Markaasuu Rabbigu ku yidhi, Taga, waayo, berri baan gacanta idiin soo gelin doonaa. 29 Markaasay reer binu Israa'iil Gibecaah hareeraheeda dhigeen rag gaadmo ah.

30 Oo haddana maalintii saddexaad reer binu Israa'iil waxay ku soo kaceen reer Benyaamiin, oo waxay dagaal isugu diyaariyeen Gibecaah sidii mararkii hore. 31 Oo reer Benyaamiinna waxay ku soo baxeen dadkii, oo magaaladiina waa laga fogeeyey, oo waxay bilaabeen inay dadkii laayaan oo dilaan sidii mararkii hore, oo waxay ku laayeen waddooyinkii waaweynaa kuwaasoo middood Beytel loo maro, tan kalena Gibecaah loo maro, iyo duurka, oo waxay dileen in ku dhow soddon nin oo reer binu Israa'iil ah. 32 Markaasay reer Benyaamiin isku yidhaahdeen, Sidii mararkii hore ayay hortayada ugu le'deen. Laakiinse reer binu Israa'iil waxay yidhaahdeen, War aynu cararno, oo iyaga magaalada ka fogayno oo geeyno xagga waddooyinka waaweyn. 33 Markaasay raggii reer binu Israa'iil oo dhammu ka kaceen meeshoodii, oo waxay dagaal isugu diyaariyeen Bacal Taamaar; oo raggii gaadmada ahaa oo reer binu Israa'iilna waxay ka soo yaaceen meeshoodii, taasoo ahayd duurka Gibecaah. 34 Oo waxaa Gibecaah hor yimid toban kun oo nin oo laga soo doortay reer binu Israa'iil oo dhan, oo dagaalkiina aad iyo aad buu u sii kululaaday; laakiinse ma ay ogayn in belaayo ku soo dhow dahay. 35 Markaasuu Rabbigu reer Benyaamiin ku laayay reer binu Israa'iil hortooda; oo maalintaas reer binu Israa'iil waxay reer Benyaamiin ka baabbi'iyeen shan iyo labaatan kun iyo boqol nin oo wada seefqaad ah.

36 Sidaas daraaddeed reer Benyaamiin waxay arkeen in la jebiyey, waayo, reer binu Israa'iil waxay meel u banneeyeen reer Benyaamiin, maxaa yeelay, waxay isku halleeyeen raggii qarsoonaa ee ay Gibecaah gaadmada u geliyeen. 37 Markaasay raggii gaadmada ahaa soo dhaqsadeen oo haddiiba ku soo yaaceen Gibecaah, oo kuwii gaadmada ahaana intay soo baxeen ayay magaaladii oo dhan ku laayeen seef. 38 Haddaba reer binu Israa'iil iyo raggii gaadmada ahaa waxaa calaamad u ahaa inay qiiq weyn ka kiciyaan magaalada. 39 Markaasay raggii reer binu Israa'iil dagaalkii ka jeesteen, oo reer Benyaamiinna waxay bilaabeen inay laayaan oo dilaan, oo waxay raggii reer binu Israa'iil ka dileen in ku dhow soddon qof; waayo, waxay isyidhaahdeen, Hubaal sidii dagaalkii horay ku le'deen hortayada. 40 Laakiinse markii daruurtii ka kacday magaaladii iyadoo tiir qiiq ah ayaa reer Benyaamiin dib u fiiriyeen, oo waxay arkeen magaaladii oo dhammaanteed qiiq samada uga baxay. 41 Markaasay raggii reer binu Israa'iil soo jeesteen, oo raggii reer Benyaamiinna way yaabeen; waayo, waxay arkeen in belaayo ku dhacday iyaga. 42 Sidaas daraaddeed waxay dhabarka u jeediyeen raggii reer binu Israa'iil, oo waxay u carareen xagga cidlada; laakiinse dagaalkii si adag baa loola sii raacay, oo kuwii magaalooyinka ka soo baxay ayaa labadhexaadkii ku laayay. 43 Oo intay hareereeyeen ayay reer Benyaamiin sii eryadeen, oo waxay ku gaadheen meeshii ay ku nasteen taasoo ka horraysa oo xagga qorrax ka soo baxa ka xigta Gibecaah. 44 Oo waxaa reer Benyaamiin haddana ka le'day siddeed iyo toban kun oo nin, oo kulligoodna waxay wada ahaayeen rag xoog badan. 45 Oo intay jeesteen ayay u carareen xagga cidlada iyo ilaa dhagaxii weynaa oo Rimmon; oo waxaa jidadka waaweyn lagu sii laayay shan kun oo nin; oo waxaa loo sii raacdaystay xagga Gidcom, oo laga laayay laba kun oo nin. 46 Sidaas daraaddeed maalintaas wixii reer Benyaamiin ka le'day kulligood waxay ahaayeen shan iyo labaatan kun oo nin oo seefqaad ah, oo kulligoodna waxay wada ahaayeen rag xoog badan. 47 Laakiinse lix boqol oo nin ayaa jeesatay oo waxay u carareen xagga cidlada iyo ilaa dhagaxii weynaa oo Rimmon oo waxay dhagaxii weynaa oo Rimmon joogeen afar bilood. 48 Oo raggii reer binu Israa'iil haddana way ku soo noqdeen reer Benyaamiin, oo waxay ku laayeen seef magaaladii oo dhan, iyo xoolihii, iyo wixii ay heleen oo dhanba; oo weliba magaalooyinkii ay heleen oo dhanna dab bay qabadsiiyeen.

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Judges 20
New International Version

The Israelites Punish the Benjamites

20 Then all Israel(A) from Dan to Beersheba(B) and from the land of Gilead came together as one(C) and assembled(D) before the Lord in Mizpah.(E) 2 The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand men(F) armed with swords. 3 (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah(G) in Benjamin to spend the night.(H) 5 During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me.(I) They raped my concubine, and she died.(J) 6 I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance,(K) because they committed this lewd and outrageous act(L) in Israel. 7 Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.(M)”

8 All the men rose up together as one, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we’ll do to Gibeah: We’ll go up against it in the order decided by casting lots.(N) 10 We’ll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah[a] in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for this outrageous act done in Israel.” 11 So all the Israelites got together and united as one against the city.(O)

12 The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What about this awful crime that was committed among you?(P) 13 Now turn those wicked men(Q) of Gibeah over to us so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.(R)”

But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 14 From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. 15 At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred able young men from those living in Gibeah. 16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed,(S) each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fit for battle.

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel[b](T) and inquired of God.(U) They said, “Who of us is to go up first(V) to fight(W) against the Benjamites?”

The Lord replied, “Judah(X) shall go first.”

19 The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. 20 The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. 21 The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites(Y) on the battlefield that day. 22 But the Israelites encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord(Z) until evening,(AA) and they inquired of the Lord.(AB) They said, “Shall we go up again to fight(AC) against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites?”

The Lord answered, “Go up against them.”

24 Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. 25 This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites,(AD) all of them armed with swords.

26 Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord.(AE) They fasted(AF) that day until evening and presented burnt offerings(AG) and fellowship offerings(AH) to the Lord.(AI) 27 And the Israelites inquired of the Lord.(AJ) (In those days the ark of the covenant of God(AK) was there, 28 with Phinehas son of Eleazar,(AL) the son of Aaron, ministering before it.)(AM) They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”

The Lord responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.(AN)”

29 Then Israel set an ambush(AO) around Gibeah. 30 They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. 31 The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away(AP) from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel(AQ) and the other to Gibeah. 32 While the Benjamites were saying, “We are defeating them as before,”(AR) the Israelites were saying, “Let’s retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads.”

33 All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place(AS) on the west[c] of Gibeah.[d] 34 Then ten thousand of Israel’s able young men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize(AT) how near disaster was.(AU) 35 The Lord defeated Benjamin(AV) before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. 36 Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten.

Now the men of Israel had given way(AW) before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush(AX) they had set near Gibeah. 37 Those who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.(AY) 38 The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke(AZ) from the city,(BA) 39 and then the Israelites would counterattack.

The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”(BB) 40 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.(BC) 41 Then the Israelites counterattacked,(BD) and the Benjamites were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come(BE) on them. 42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness, but they could not escape the battle. And the Israelites who came out of the towns cut them down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily[e] overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters.(BF) 45 As they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,(BG) the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.

46 On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite(BH) swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters. 47 But six hundred of them turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. 48 The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 20:10 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  2. Judges 20:18 Or to the house of God; also in verse 26
  3. Judges 20:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Judges 20:33 Hebrew Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  5. Judges 20:43 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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© 1979, 2008 Society for International Ministries-Kenya

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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