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
- Judges 20:13 Lit. sons of Belial
- Judges 20:18 Or Bethel
- Judges 20:26 Or Bethel
- Judges 20:34 Lit. they
- Judges 20:35 Lit. struck
- Judges 20:39 Lit. to strike the slain ones
- Judges 20:42 fled
- Judges 20:45 LXX the rest
- Judges 20:46 valiant warriors
Judges 20
King James Version
20 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the Lord in Mizpeh.
2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Israel rose up 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 array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)
24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.
Mga Hukom 20
Ang Dating Biblia (1905)
20 Nang magkagayo'y lumabas ang lahat ng mga anak ni Israel, at ang kapisanan ay nagpisang gaya ng isang tao sa Panginoon sa Mizpa, mula sa Dan hanggang sa Beer-seba, na kalakip ng lupain ng Galaad.
2 At nagsiharap ang mga pinuno ng buong bayan, sa makatuwid baga'y ng lahat ng mga lipi ng Israel, sa kapulungan ng bayan ng Dios, na apat na raang libong lalake na humahawak ng tabak.
3 (Nabalitaan nga ng mga anak ni Benjamin na umahon ang mga anak ni Israel sa Mizpa.) At sinabi ng mga anak ni Israel, Saysayin ninyo sa amin kung bakit ang kasamaang ito ay nangyari?
4 At ang Levita, ang asawa ng babaing pinatay, ay sumagot at kaniyang sinabi, Ako'y naparoon sa Gabaa na ukol sa Benjamin, ako at ang aking babae upang tumigil.
5 At bumangon ang mga lalake sa Gabaa laban sa akin, at kinubkob ang bahay sa palibot laban sa akin nang kinagabihan; ako'y kanilang pinagakalaang patayin, at kanilang dinahas ang aking babae, at siya'y namatay.
6 At aking kinuha ang aking babae, at aking pinagputolputol, at ipinadala ko sa buong lupain ng mana ng Israel: sapagka't sila'y nagkasala ng kalibugan at ng kaululan sa Israel.
7 Narito, kayong mga anak ni Israel, kayong lahat, ibigay ninyo rito ang inyong payo at pasiya.
8 At ang buong bayan ay bumangong parang isang tao, na nagsasabi, Hindi na babalik ang sinoman sa amin sa kaniyang tolda, ni uuwi man ang sinoman sa amin sa kaniyang bahay.
9 Kundi ngayo'y ito ang bagay na aming gagawin sa Gabaa; magsisiahon kami laban sa kaniya na aming pagsasapalaran;
10 At magsisikuha kami ng sangpung lalake sa isang daan, sa lahat ng mga lipi ng Israel, at isang daan sa isang libo, at isang libo sa sangpung libo, upang ipagbaon ng pagkain ang bayan, upang kanilang gawin pagparoon nila sa Gabaa ng Benjamin ang ayon sa buong kaululang kanilang ginawa sa Israel.
11 Sa gayo'y nagpipisan ang lahat ng mga lalake ng Israel laban sa bayang yaon, na nagtibay na magkakapisang parang isang tao.
12 At nagsugo ang mga lipi ng Israel ng mga lalake sa buong lipi ng Benjamin, na sinasabi, Anong kasamaan ito na nangyari sa gitna ninyo?
13 Ngayon nga'y ibigay ninyo ang mga lalake, ang mga hamak na tao, na nasa Gabaa, upang aming patayin sila, at alisin ang kasamaan sa Israel. Nguni't hindi dininig ng mga anak ni Benjamin ang tinig ng kanilang mga kapatid na mga anak ni Israel.
14 At nagpisan ang mga anak ni Benjamin sa mga bayang patungo sa Gabaa, upang lumabas na makibaka laban sa mga anak ni Israel.
15 At ang mga anak ni Benjamin ay binilang nang araw na yaon sa mga bayan, na dalawang pu't anim na libong lalake na humahawak ng tabak, bukod pa ang mga tumatahan sa Gabaa na binilang, na pitong daang piling lalake.
16 Sa kabuoan ng bayang ito ay may pitong daang piling lalake na kaliwete: na bawa't isa'y nakapagpapahilagpos ng pagpapatama ng bato sa isang buhok, at hindi sumasala.
17 At binilang ang mga lalake sa Israel, bukod pa ang sa Benjamin, ay apat na raang libong lalake na humahawak ng tabak: lahat ng mga ito ay mga lalaking mangdidigma.
18 At bumangon ang mga anak ni Israel, at nagsiahon sa Beth-el upang sumangguni sa Dios; at kanilang sinabi, Sino ang unang aahon sa amin upang makibaka laban sa mga anak ni Benjamin? At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ang Juda ang unang aahon.
19 At nagsibangon ang mga anak ni Israel sa kinaumagahan, at humantong laban sa Gabaa.
20 At lumabas ang mga lalake ng Israel upang makibaka laban sa Benjamin; at humanay ang mga lalake ng Israel sa Gabaa, sa pakikibaka laban sa kanila.
21 At lumabas ang mga anak ni Benjamin sa Gabaa at ibinuwal sa lupa sa mga Israelita sa araw na yaon ay dalawang pu't dalawang libong lalake.
22 At ang bayan, ang mga lalake ng Israel, ay nagpakatapang, at humanay uli sa pakikibaka sa dakong kanilang hinanayan nang unang araw.
23 At nagsiahon ang mga anak ni Israel, at nagsiiyak sa harap ng Panginoon hanggang sa kinahapunan; at sila'y sumangguni sa Panginoon, na sinasabi, Lalapit ba uli ako upang makibaka laban sa mga anak ni Benjamin na aking kapatid? At sinabi ng Panginoon. Umahon ka laban sa kanila.
24 At lumapit uli ang mga anak ni Israel laban sa mga anak ni Benjamin nang ikalawang araw.
25 At lumabas ang sa Benjamin sa Gabaa laban sa kanila nang ikalawang araw, at nabuwal uli sa lupa sa mga anak ni Israel ay labing walong libong lalake; lahat ng mga ito ay humahawak ng tabak.
26 Nang magkagayo'y nagsiahon ang lahat ng mga anak ni Israel, at ang buong bayan, at nagsiparoon sa Bethel, at nagsiiyak, at nagsiupo roon sa harap ng Panginoon, at nagsipagayuno nang araw na yaon hanggang sa kinahapunan; at sila'y naghandog ng mga handog na susunugin at ng mga handog tungkol sa kapayapaan sa harap ng Panginoon.
27 At itinanong ng mga anak ni Israel sa Panginoon (sapagka't ang kaban ng tipan ng Dios ay nandoon nang mga araw na yaon,
28 At si Phinees, na anak ni Eleazar, na anak ni Aaron, ay tumayo sa harap niyaon nang mga araw na yaon,) na sinasabi, Lalabas ba ako uli upang makibaka laban sa mga anak ni Benjamin na aking kapatid, o magtitigil ako? At sinabi ng Panginoon, Umahon ka; sapagka't bukas ay ibibigay ko siya sa iyong kamay.
29 At bumakay ang Israel laban sa Gabaa, sa buong palibot.
30 At nagsiahon ang mga anak ni Israel laban sa mga anak ni Benjamin nang ikatlong araw, at humanay laban sa Gabaa, gaya ng dati.
31 At ang mga anak ni Benjamin ay nagsilabas laban sa bayan, na ipinalayo sa bayan; at kanilang pinasimulang sinaktan at pinatay ang bayan gaya ng dati, sa mga lansangan, na ang isa'y umahon sa Beth-el, at ang isa'y sa Gabaa, sa bukid, na may tatlong pung lalake ng Israel.
32 At sinabi ng mga anak ni Benjamin, Sila'y nangasaktan sa harap natin, gaya ng una. Nguni't sinabi ng mga anak ni Israel, Tayo'y tumakas, at palabasin natin sila mula sa bayan hanggang sa mga lansangan.
33 At lahat ng mga lalake sa Israel ay bumangon sa kanilang dako, at nagsihanay sa Baal-tamar: at ang mga bakay ng Israel ay nagsilabas mula sa kanilang dako, sa makatuwid baga'y mula sa Maare-Gabaa.
34 At nagsidating laban sa Gabaa ang sangpung libong piling lalake sa buong Israel, at ang pagbabaka ay lumala: nguni't hindi nila naalaman na ang kasamaan ay malapit na sa kanila.
35 At sinaktan ng Panginoon ang Benjamin sa harap ng Israel: at pinatay ng mga anak ni Israel sa Benjamin nang araw na yaon ay dalawang pu't limang libo at isang daang lalake: lahat ng mga ito'y humahawak ng tabak.
36 Sa gayo'y nakita ng mga anak ni Benjamin na sila'y nasaktan: sapagka't binigyang kaluwagan ng mga lalake ng Israel ang Benjamin, sapagka't sila'y umaasa sa mga bakay na kanilang inilagay laban sa Gabaa.
37 At nangagmadali ang mga bakay at nagsidaluhong sa Gabaa, at nangagpatuloy ang mga bakay, at sinugatan ang buong bayan ng talim ng tabak.
38 Nagkaroon nga ng palatandaan ang mga anak ng Israel at ang mga bakay, na sila'y gagawa ng alapaap na usok na pauusukin mula sa bayan.
39 At nang ang mga lalake ng Israel ay nagsipihit mula sa pagbabaka, at pinasimulang sinaktan at pinatay ng Benjamin ang mga lalake ng Israel na may tatlong pung lalake: sapagka't kanilang sinabi, Walang pagsalang sila'y nasaktan sa harap natin gaya ng unang pagbabaka.
40 Nguni't nang ang alapaap ay magpasimulang umilanglang mula sa bayan, sa isang haliging usok, ang mga Benjaminita ay lumingon sa likuran, at, narito, ang apoy ng buong bayan ay napaiilanglang sa langit.
41 At nangagbalik ang mga lalake ng Israel, at ang mga lalake ng Benjamin ay nangabalisa: sapagka't kanilang nakita na ang kasamaan ay dumating sa kanila.
42 Kaya't kanilang itinalikod ang kanilang likod sa harap ng mga lalake ng Israel, na nangagsitungo sa ilang; nguni't hinabol silang mainam ng pakikibaka; at yaong nangagsilabas sa mga bayan, ay nagsilipol sa kanila sa gitna ng ilang.
43 Kanilang kinubkob ang mga Benjamita sa palibot, at kanilang hinabol, at kanilang inabutan sa pahingahang dako hanggang sa tapat ng Gabaa, sa dakong sinisikatan ng araw.
44 At nabuwal sa Benjamin, ay labing walong libong lalake; lahat ng mga ito ay mga lalaking may tapang.
45 At sila'y nagsiliko at nagsitakas sa dakong ilang sa malaking bato sa Rimmon. At hinabol nila sa mga lansangan ang limang libong lalake; at hinabol silang mainam hanggang sa Gidom, at pumatay sa kanila ng dalawang libong lalake.
46 Na ano pa't lahat na nabuwal nang araw na yaon sa Benjamin ay dalawang pu't limang libong lalake na humawak ng tabak; lahat ng mga ito ay mga lalaking may tapang.
47 Nguni't anim na raang lalake ay nagsiliko at nagsitakas sa dakong ilang sa malaking bato ng Rimmon, at nagsitahan sa malaking bato ng Rimmon na apat na buwan.
48 At binalikan ng mga lalake ng Israel ang mga anak ni Benjamin, at sinugatan nila ng talim ng tabak, ang buong bayan, at gayon din ang kawan, at yaong lahat na kanilang nasumpungan: bukod dito'y yaong lahat ng mga bayan na kanilang nasumpungan ay kanilang sinilaban.
Judges 20
English Standard Version
Israel's War with the Tribe of Benjamin
20 Then (A)all the people of Israel came out, (B)from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at (C)Mizpah. 2 And the (D)chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot (E)that drew the sword. 3 (Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” 4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, (F)“I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 (G)And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 (H)So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and (I)outrage in Israel. 7 Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, (J)give your advice and counsel here.”
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10 and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
12 (K)And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13 Now therefore give up the men, (L)the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death (M)and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14 Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day (N)26,000 men (O)who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16 Among all these were 700 chosen men who were (P)left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered (Q)400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
18 The people of Israel arose and went up to (R)Bethel and inquired of God, (S)“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, (T)“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 (U)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 (V)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 (W)went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who (X)drew the sword. 26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to (Y)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 (Z)(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and (AA)Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, (AB)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 (AC)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, (AD)one of which goes up to (AE)Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the people of Benjamin said, (AF)“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, (AG)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 (AH)drew the sword. 36 So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.
The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 (AI)Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39 the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, (AJ)“Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, (AK)the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, (AL)for they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in (AM)the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah[b] as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45 And they turned (AN)and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of (AO)Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47 But 600 men turned and (AP)fled toward the wilderness to the rock of (AQ)Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
Footnotes
- Judges 20:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts place west of Geba
- Judges 20:43 Septuagint; Hebrew [at their] resting place
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
