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 people of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out. The people gathered together 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 leaders of all the people, all the families of Israel, showed themselves in the meeting of the people of God. There were 400, 000 soldiers on foot who used 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?

(The people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The people of Israel said, “Tell us. How did this sinful thing happen?”

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.

The Levite, the husband of the woman who was killed, answered, “I came with my woman to stay the night at Gibeah, a city of 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 came against me. They gathered around the house at night because of me. They wanted to kill me. But they did sex with my woman instead, so 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.

I took my woman and cut her into pieces. I sent her out through all the land that was given to Israel. For they have done a sinful act of shame in Israel.

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

All you people of Israel, say what should be done.”

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

All the people stood up as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent. Not one of us will return to his house.

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

But this is what we will do to Gibeah. We will go against it by drawing names.

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.

We will take ten men of every 100 among the families of Israel, and 100 of every 1, 000, and 1, 000 of every 10, 000. They will take food for the people. So when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the acts of shame they have done in Israel.”

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

All the men of Israel were gathered against the city, 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?

The family groups of Israel sent men through the whole family group of Benjamin, saying, “What is this sin that has happened 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 give us the sinful men of Gibeah. Then we will put them to death and take this sin away from Israel.” But the people of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people 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 people of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah. They came to go out to battle against the people 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.

Out of the sons of Benjamin, there were 26, 000 men who used the sword who came from the cities on that day. And there were 700 chosen men who lived in Gibeah.

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.

There were 700 chosen men of all these people who were left-handed. Each one could use a sling to throw 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.

Apart from Benjamin, there were 400, 000 men of Israel who used the sword. All of them were men of war.

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.

The people of Israel went up to Bethel. There they asked God, “Who should go first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah should go first.”

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

So the people of Israel got up in the morning and went to get ready to fight 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 to fight against Benjamin. They dressed themselves 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.

The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and killed 22, 000 men of Israel on that day.

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 men of Israel made their hearts strong. They got ready for battle again in the same place they had fought 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 people of Israel went up and cried before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go fight against them.”

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

So the sons of Israel came to fight 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 they killed 18, 000 men of Israel who used 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 people of Israel went up to Bethel and cried. They stayed that day before the Lord and would not eat until evening. They gave burnt gifts and peace gifts to 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 people of Israel asked the Lord what to do. (For the special box with the Law 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.

Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, served in front of it those days.) The people said, “Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin? Or should we stop?” The Lord said, “Go fight against them. For tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

29 A nd Israel set ambushes round about Gibeah.

So Israel sent men to hide 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 to fight against the sons of Benjamin on the third day. They dressed themselves for battle against Gibeah as they had done before.

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 to fight the people and were taken away from the city. They began to fight and kill some of the people as they had done before. They killed about thirty men of Israel in the open country and on the roads. One road went up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

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 being killed in front of us as they were the first day.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us run away so we can get them away from the city and to the roads.”

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 left their place and went to fight at Baal-tamar. And the men of Israel who were hiding rushed out of their place in the plain of 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 10, 000 chosen men of Israel came against Gibeah, the battle was hard. But the people of Benjamin did not know that such danger was so 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.

The Lord destroyed Benjamin in front of Israel. The sons of Israel destroyed 25, 100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who used 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 people of Benjamin saw that they had lost the battle. The men of Israel ran from Benjamin because they trusted in the men who were hiding and waiting to take 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 who had been hiding were quick to rush against Gibeah. They destroyed all of the city with 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.

The men of Israel had agreed that the men who had been hiding should make a big cloud of smoke rise from the city. It would be something special for them to see.

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 around to fight in battle. Benjamin began to fight and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “For sure they are destroyed in front of 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 of smoke started to rise from the city, the men of Benjamin looked behind them. They saw the whole city 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 around. And the men of Benjamin were filled with fear. For they saw that they were in much danger.

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.

So they turned their backs to the men of Israel and ran toward the desert. But they were caught in the battle. Those who came out of the cities destroyed 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 gathered around the people of Benjamin. They ran after them without stopping to rest and came upon them at the east side of Gibeah.

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

So 18, 000 men of Benjamin were killed. All of them were powerful soldiers.

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 others turned and ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. But Israel killed 5, 000 of them on the roads, and 2, 000 at Gidom.

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 25, 000 men of Benjamin were killed that day. All of them were powerful soldiers who used the sword.

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 ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there for 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.

Then the men of Israel returned to fight the people of Benjamin. They destroyed them, their whole city, the cattle and all they found, with the sword. And they set fire to all the cities they found.