1 ¶ Then all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beersheba and the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah.

2 A nd the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, were present in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400, 000 foot soldiers who drew the sword.

3 ( Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then the sons of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

(Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?”

4 A nd the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah of Benjamin with my concubine to pass the night there.

So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

5 A nd the men of Gibeah rose up against me and beset the house round about upon me by night and thought to have slain me, and they have forced my concubine in such a manner that she is dead.

But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravished my concubine so that she died.

6 T hen I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the possession of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7 B ehold, all ye sons of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your advice and counsel here.”

8 T hen 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

Then all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house.

9 u ntil we do this upon Gibeah that we cast lots against it;

But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot.

10 a nd we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the people that shall go against Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

And we will take 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1, 000, and 1, 000 out of 10, 000 to supply food for the people, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the disgraceful acts that they have committed in Israel.”

11 S o all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united 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?

Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?

13 N ow therefore deliver us those men, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away the evil from Israel. But the sons of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;

Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

14 b ut the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities in Gibeah to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.

The sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.

15 A nd the sons of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty-six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were numbered, 26, 000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were numbered, 700 choice men.

16 A mong all this people there were seven hundred chosen men with their right hands impeded (they were lefthanded); each one could sling stones at a hairs breadth, and not miss.

Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 A nd the men of Israel, not counting Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400, 000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war. Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

18 ¶ Then the sons 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 sons of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”

19 A nd the sons of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah.

20 A nd the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in order to fight against them at Gibeah.

The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah.

21 A nd the sons of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah and destroyed down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites that day.

Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22, 000 men of Israel.

22 A nd the people encouraged themselves, and the men of Israel set their battle again in order in the place where they put themselves in order the first day.

But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day.

23 ( And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

The sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”

24 A nd the sons of Israel came near against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

Then the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

25 A nd Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day and again destroyed down to the ground eighteen thousand of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword.

Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felled to the ground again 18, 000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword.

26 ¶ Then all the sons 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 evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

27 A nd the sons of Israel enquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

The sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 a nd 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 sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand.

and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29 A nd Israel set ambushes round about Gibeah.

So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

30 A nd the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and put themselves in order against Gibeah as at the other times.

The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times.

31 A nd the sons 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 the other times in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah by the field, and they killed about thirty men of Israel.

The sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 A nd the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways.

The sons of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.”

33 T hen all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and put themselves in order at Baaltamar, and also those of the ambushes of Israel came forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Gibeah.

Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

34 A nd ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was sore; but they did not know that evil was near them.

When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them.

35 A nd the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men; all these drew the sword.

And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25, 100 men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword.

36 S o the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, for the men of Israel had given place to the Benjamites because they trusted those of the ambushes which they had set behind Gibeah.

So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah,

37 T hen the men of the ambushes rushed upon Gibeah and spread out and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

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 N ow there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men of the ambushes that they should make a great signal by causing much smoke to rise up out of the city.

Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.

39 T hen when the men of Israel turned their backs in the battle and those of 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.

Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

40 B ut when the signal began to arise up out of the city, a pillar of smoke, those of Benjamin looked behind them, and, behold, the whole consumption of the city ascended up to heaven.

But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven.

41 T hen the men of Israel turned again, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that evil was come upon them.

Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them.

42 T herefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

43 T hus they inclosed those of Benjamin round about and chased them and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.

44 A nd there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

Thus 18, 000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors.

45 A nd 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.

The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught 5, 000 of them on the highways and overtook them at Gidom and killed 2, 000 of them.

46 S o that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25, 000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors.

47 B ut six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

48 A nd the men of Israel turned again upon the sons of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts in every city and all that was found; they also set on fire all the cities that they came to.

The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.