1 S o all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord at Mizpah.

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

2 A nd 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 who drew the sword.

And the 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 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?”

(Now the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) There the Israelites asked, How did this wickedness happen?

4 S o the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night.

And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, replied, I came to Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

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

And the men of Gibeah rose against me and beset the house round about me by night; they meant to kill me and they raped my concubine, and she is dead.

6 S o I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel.

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 abomination and folly in Israel.

7 L ook! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!”

Behold, you Israelites, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.

8 S o all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house;

And all the people arose as one man, saying, Not any of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his home.

9 b ut now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it by lot.

But now this we will do to Gibeah: we will go up by lot against it,

10 W e 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.”

And we will take ten men of 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel, and 100 of 1, 000, and 1, 000 out of 10, 000, to bring provisions for the men, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin they may do to them according to all the folly which they have committed in Israel.

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

So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

12 T hen the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you?

13 N ow therefore, deliver up the men, the perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel.

Now therefore, give up the men, the base fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel. But the Benjamites would not listen to the voice of their kinsmen the Israelites.

14 I nstead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the children of Israel.

But the Benjamites out of the cities assembled at Gibeah to go out to battle against the other Israelites.

15 A nd from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men.

And the Benjamites mustered out of their cities at that time 26, 000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.

16 A mong all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.

Among all these were 700 chosen left-handed men; every one could sling stones at a hair and not miss.

17 N ow besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

And the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, mustered 400, 000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.

18 T hen the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!”

The Israelites arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall take the lead to battle against the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.

19 S o the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

Then the Israelites rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

20 A nd 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.

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin and set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

21 T hen the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.

The Benjamites came forth out of Gibeah and felled to the ground that day 22, 000 men of the Israelites.

22 A nd 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.

But the people, the men of Israel, took courage and strengthened themselves and again set their battle line in the same place where they formed it the first day.

23 T hen 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.”

And the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening and asked of the Lord, Shall we go up again to battle against our brethren the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Go up against them.

24 S o the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day.

So the Israelites came near against the Benjamites the second day.

25 A nd 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.

And Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah against them the second day and felled to the ground the Israelites again, 18, 000 men, all of whom were swordsmen.

26 T hen all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to 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.

Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up and came to the house of God and wept; and they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

27 S o the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

And the Israelites 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 children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days—saying, Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjamites or shall we quit? And the Lord said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.

29 T hen Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.

So Israel set men in ambush round about Gibeah.

30 A nd 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.

And the Israelites went up against the Benjamites on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times.

31 S o 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 (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

And the Benjamites went out against their army and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill some of the people as at other times, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country—about thirty men of Israel.

32 A nd 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.”

And the Benjamites said, They are routed before us as at first. But the Israelites said, Let us flee and draw them from the city to the highways.

33 S o 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.

And all the men of Israel rose out of their places and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel in ambush rushed out of their place in the meadow of Geba.

34 A nd ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them.

And there came against Gibeah 10, 000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjamites did not know disaster was close upon them.

35 T he Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword.

And the Lord overcame Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25, 100 men, all of whom were swordsmen.

36 S o the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to the Benjamites, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.

So the Benjamites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to the Benjamites, because they trusted in the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.

37 A nd 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.

And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah, and the liers-in-wait moved out and smote all the city with the sword.

38 N ow the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,

Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke arise from the city,

39 w hereupon the men of Israel would turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun 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.”

The men of Israel should all turn back in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill some of the men of Israel, about thirty persons. They said, Surely they are falling before us as in the first battle.

40 B ut when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven.

But when the cloud began to rise out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to the heavens.

41 A nd when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin panicked, for they saw that disaster had come upon them.

When the men of Israel turned back again, the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster had come upon them.

42 T herefore they 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.

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel and fled toward the wilderness, but the battle followed close behind and overtook them; and the inhabitants of the cities destroyed those who came through them in their midst.

43 T hey surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east.

They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and overtook and trod them down at their resting-place as far as opposite Gibeah toward the east.

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

And there fell 18, 000 men of Benjamin, all of them men of valor.

45 T hen they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of 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.

And turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel picked off on the highways 5, 000 men of them; they pursued hard after them to Gidom and slew 2, 000 more of them.

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

So that all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25, 000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor.

47 B ut 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.

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

48 A nd 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.

And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjamites and smote them with the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. Also they set on fire all the towns to which they came.