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.

And all the sons of Israel go out, and the company is assembled as one man, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah, at Mizpeh.

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, station themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing 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?”

And the sons of Benjamin hear that the sons of Israel have gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel say, `Speak ye, how hath this evil been?'

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 man, the Levite, husband of the woman who hath been murdered, answereth and saith, `Into Gibeah (which to Benjamin) I have come, I and my concubine, to lodge;

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 rise against me do the masters of Gibeah -- and they go round the house against me by night -- me they thought to slay, and my concubine they have humbled, and she dieth;

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 lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel;

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

lo, ye all sons of Israel; give for you a word and counsel here.'

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 rise as one man, saying, `None of us doth go to his tent, and none of us doth turn aside to his house;

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

and now, this the thing which we do to Gibeah -- against it by lot!

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 have taken ten men of a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of a myriad, to receive provision for the people, to do, at their coming to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly which it hath done in Israel.'

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

And every man of Israel is gathered unto the city, as one man -- companions.

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 send men among all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, `What this evil which hath been 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.

And now, give up the men -- sons of worthlessness -- which in Gibeah, and we put them to death, and we put away evil from Israel.' And Benjamin have not been willing to hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;

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

and the sons of Benjamin are gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons of Israel.

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 sons of Benjamin number themselves on that day; out of the cities twenty and six thousand men drawing sword, apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah, numbered themselves, seven hundred 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 this people seven hundred chosen men, bound of their right hand, each of these slinging with a stone at the hair, and he doth not err.

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 numbered themselves, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, drawing sword, each of these a man 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.”

And they rise and go up to Beth-El, and ask of God, and the sons of Israel say, `Who doth go up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?' and Jehovah saith, `Judah -- at the commencement.'

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

And the sons of Israel rise in the morning, and encamp 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 go out to battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel set themselves in array with them, battle against Gibeah,

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

and the sons of Benjamin come out from Gibeah, and destroy in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men -- to the earth.

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.

And the people, the men of Israel, strengthen themselves, and add to set the battle in array in the place where they arranged themselves on 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 sons of Israel go up and weep before Jehovah till the evening, and ask of Jehovah, saying, `Do I add to draw nigh to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?' And Jehovah saith, `Go up against him.'

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

And the sons of Israel draw near unto the sons of Benjamin on 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 cometh out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroy among the sons of Israel again eighteen thousand men -- to the earth; all these are drawing sword.

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.

And all the sons of Israel go up, even all the people, and come in to Beth-El, and weep, and sit there before Jehovah, and fast on that day till the evening, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.

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 sons of Israel ask of Jehovah, -- and there the ark of the covenant of God 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, son of Aaron, is standing before it in those days -- saying, `Do I add again to go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or do I cease?' And Jehovah saith, `Go up, for to-morrow I give him into thy hand.'

29 S o Israel sent men to hide around Gibeah.

And Israel setteth liers in wait against Gibeah, round about,

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 sons of Israel go up against the sons of Benjamin, on the third day, and arrange themselves against Gibeah, as time by time.

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 sons of Benjamin come out to meet the people; they have been drawn away out of the city, and begin to smite of the people -- wounded as time by time, in the highways (of which one is going up to Beth-El, and the other to Gibeah in the field), 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 sons of Benjamin say, `They are smitten before us as at the beginning;' but the sons of Israel said, `Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, unto 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 have risen from their place, and arrange themselves at Baal-Tamar, and the ambush of Israel is coming forth out of its place, out of the meadow of Gibeah.

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 they come in over against Gibeah -- ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel -- and the battle grievous, and they have not known that the evil is striking against 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 Jehovah smiteth Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroy in Benjamin, on that day, twenty and five thousand, and a hundred men; all these drawing sword.

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.

And the sons of Benjamin see that they have been smitten -- and the men of Israel give place to Benjamin, for they have trusted unto the ambush which 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 ambush have hasted, and push against Gibeah, and the ambush draweth itself out, and smiteth the whole of the city by the mouth of 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.

And there was the appointed sign to the men of Israel with the ambush -- their causing to go up a great volume of smoke 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.”

And the men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin hath begun to smite the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, `Surely they are utterly smitten before us, as 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.

and the volume hath begun to go up from the city -- a pillar of smoke -- and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward 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.

And the men of Israel have turned, and the men of Benjamin are troubled, for they have seen that the evil hath stricken against 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.

and they turn before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, and the battle hath followed them; and those who from the city are destroying 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 have compassed the Benjamites -- they have pursued them -- with ease they have trodden them down till over-against Gibeah, at the sun-rising.

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

And there fall of Benjamin eighteen thousand men -- the whole of these men of valour;

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 they turn and flee toward the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon; and they glean of them in the highways five thousand men, and follow after them unto Gidom, and smite of them two thousand men.

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

And all those falling of Benjamin are twenty and five thousand men drawing sword, on that day -- the whole of these men of valour;

47 B ut 600 men ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there for four months.

and there turn and flee into the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon six hundred men, and they dwell in 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 have turned back unto the sons of Benjamin, and smite them by the mouth of the sword out of the city, -- men unto cattle, unto all that is found; also all the cities which are found they have sent into fire.