1 T hen 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.

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 T he 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.

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 ( 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?”

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

4 T he 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.

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 B ut 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.

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 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.

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

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

8 A ll 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.

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

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

10 W e 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.”

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 A ll the men of Israel were gathered against the city, together as one man.

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

12 T he family groups of Israel sent men through the whole family group of Benjamin, saying, “What is this sin that has happened 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 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.

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 T he people of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah. They came to go out to battle against the people of Israel.

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

15 O ut 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.

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 T here 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.

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

17 A part from Benjamin, there were 400, 000 men of Israel who used the sword. All of them 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 he 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.”

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 people of Israel got up in the morning and went to get ready to fight against Gibeah.

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

20 T he men of Israel went to fight against Benjamin. They dressed themselves for battle 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 he people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and killed 22, 000 men of Israel on that day.

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

22 B ut the men of Israel made their hearts strong. They got ready for battle again in the same place they had fought 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 he 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.”

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 sons of Israel came to fight against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

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

25 B enjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day. And they killed 18, 000 men of Israel who used 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 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.

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 T he people of Israel asked the Lord what to do. (For the special box with the Law 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 P hinehas 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.”

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 S o Israel sent men to hide around Gibeah.

So Israel set men in ambush round about Gibeah.

30 T he 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.

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

31 T he 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.

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 T he 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.”

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 T hen 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.

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 W hen 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 T he men who had been hiding were quick to rush against Gibeah. They destroyed all of the city with 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 T he 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.

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 T hen 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.”

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 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.

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 T hen the men of Israel turned around. And the men of Benjamin were filled with fear. For they saw that they were in much danger.

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

42 S o 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.

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 gathered around the people of Benjamin. They ran after them without stopping to rest and came upon them at the east side of Gibeah.

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

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

45 T he 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.

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

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 600 men ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there 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 T hen 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.

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.