1 T hen all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.

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 T he chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who 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 children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?”

(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 T he Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, “I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

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 T he men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine, and 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 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 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, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.”

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

8 A ll the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us turn to 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 B ut now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot;

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 one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to get food for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have worked 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 T he tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that is happen 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 up the men, the base fellows, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel.” But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers the children 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 T he children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children 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 T he children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the 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 these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a hair 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 T he men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who 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 T he children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. They asked, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” Yahweh said, “Judah 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 T he children 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 T he men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

The men of Israel went to fight against Benjamin. They dressed themselves for battle against them at Gibeah.

21 T he children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed twenty-two thousand of the Israelite men down to the ground.

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

22 T he people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array 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 T he children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?” Yahweh 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 T he children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

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

25 B enjamin went out against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men. 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 T hen all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

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 T he children of Israel asked Yahweh (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 children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” Yahweh said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your 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 I srael set ambushes all around Gibeah.

So Israel sent men to hide around Gibeah.

30 T he children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at 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 T he children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, 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 T he children of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to 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 A ll the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal Tamar. Then the ambushers of Israel broke out of their place, even out of Maareh Geba.

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 T en thousand chosen men out of all Israel came over against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but they didn’t know that disaster was close to 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 Y ahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin 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 children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; for the men of Israel yielded to Benjamin, because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against 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 he ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; then the ambushers spread out, and struck 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 the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke 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 he men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are struck 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 cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole city went up in smoke to the sky.

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 he men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that disaster had come on 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 to the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the middle of it.

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 hey surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down at their resting place, as far as near Gibeah toward the sunrise.

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 E ighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor.

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

45 T hey turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned five thousand men of them in the highways, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck 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 who drew the sword. All these were men of valor.

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 toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.

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

48 T he men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the livestock, and all that they found. Moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

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.