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.

And all the children of Israel went forth, and the assembly gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah.

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 heads of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew 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?”

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, Tell, how was this wickedness?

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.

Then the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came to Gibeah that to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

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 citizens of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house because of me, by night; they thought to slay me, and my concubine have they humbled so that she died.

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.

Then I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and villany in Israel.

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

Behold, all ye, children of Israel, deliberate and give here 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 rose up as one man, saying, We will not any one go to his tent, neither will we any one turn into his house.

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 is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: 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 a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the villany that they have wrought in Israel.

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

And all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together 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 to all the families 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.

And now give up the men, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

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

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities of Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

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 children 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.

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 this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; all these slang stones at a hair, and missed not.

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, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew 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!”

And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.

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

And the children of Israel rose up 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 the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight 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.

And the children of Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty-two thousand men.

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.

And the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and set the battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array 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 children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even, and inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.

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

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin 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 against them out of Gibeah the second day, and again destroyed to the ground of the children of Israel eighteen thousand men: all these drew the sword.

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 children of Israel, and all the people, went up and came to Bethel, and wept, and abode there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.

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 children of Israel inquired of Jehovah (and 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, 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 Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will give them into thy hand.

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

And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about.

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 children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at the 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 children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city, and began to smite of the people, slaying as at the former times, in the highways, of which one leads to Bethel and the other to Gibeah in the field, 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 children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. And the children of Israel said, Let us flee, that we may 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 up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar; and the ambush of Israel rushed forth out of their place, out of the meadows 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 from opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that disaster was coming 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 Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjaminites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all these drew the sword.

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.

And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten.—And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush that 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 ambush hasted, and fell upon Gibeah; and the ambush drew along, and smote the whole city with the edge of 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 there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush, that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of 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.”

And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed 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.

And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended 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.

Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that disaster was 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.

And they turned before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed 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 encompassed the Benjaminites, chased them, trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising.

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

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these, men of valour.

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 they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew two thousand men 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 who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword: all these, men of valour.

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.

And six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and abode at the cliff of 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 again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of city as the cattle, and all that was found; even all the cities that were found did they set on fire.