Then all the children of Israel
went out
, and the congregation
was gathered together
as one
man
, from Dan
even to Beersheba
, with the land
of Gilead
, unto the LORD
in Mizpeh
.
And the chief 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
that drew
sword
.
(Now the children of Benjamin
heard
that the children
of Israel
were gone up
to Mizpeh
.) Then said
the children
of Israel
, Tell
us , how was
this wickedness
?
And the Levite, the husband
of the woman
that was slain
, answered
and said
, I came
into Gibeah
that belongeth to Benjamin
, I and my concubine
, to lodge
.
And the men of Gibeah
rose
against me, and beset
the house
round about
upon me by night
, and thought
to have slain
me: and my concubine
have they forced
, that she is dead
.
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
lewdness
and folly
in Israel
.
Behold, ye are all children of Israel
; give
here
your advice
and counsel
.
And all the people arose
as one
man
, saying
, We will not any
of us go
to his tent
, neither will we any
of us turn
into his house
.
But now this shall be the thing which we will do
to Gibeah
; we will go up by lot
against it;
And we will take ten
men
of an hundred
throughout all the tribes
of Israel
, and an hundred
of a thousand
, and a thousand
out of ten thousand
, to fetch
victual
for the people
, that they may do
, when they come
to Gibeah
of Benjamin
, according to all the folly
that they have wrought
in Israel
.
So all the men of Israel
were gathered
against the city
, knit together
as one
man
.
And the tribes of Israel
sent
men
through all the tribe
of Benjamin
, saying
, What wickedness
is this that is done
among you?
Now therefore deliver us the men
, the children
of Belial
, which are in Gibeah
, that we may put them to death
, and put away
evil
from Israel
. But the children
of Benjamin
would
not hearken
to the voice
of their brethren
the children
of Israel
:
But the children of Benjamin
gathered themselves together
out of the cities
unto Gibeah
, to go out
to battle
against the children
of Israel
.
And the children of Benjamin
were numbered
at that time
out of the cities
twenty
and six
thousand
men
that drew
sword
, beside the inhabitants
of Gibeah
, which were numbered
seven
hundred
chosen
men
.
Among all this people there were seven
hundred
chosen
men
lefthanded
; every one could sling
stones
at an hair
breadth , and not miss
.
And the men of Israel
, beside Benjamin
, were numbered
four
hundred
thousand
men
that drew
sword
: all these were men
of war
.
And the children of Israel
arose
, and went up
to the house
of God
, and asked
counsel of God
, and said
, Which
of us shall go up
first
to the battle
against the children
of Benjamin
? And the LORD
said
, Judah
shall go up first
.
And the children of Israel
rose up
in the morning
, and encamped
against 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
.
And the children of Benjamin
came forth
out of Gibeah
, and destroyed down
to the ground
of the Israelites
that day
twenty
and two
thousand
men
.
And the people the men
of Israel
encouraged
themselves, and set their battle
again
in array
in the place
where they put themselves in array
the first
day
.
(And the children of Israel
went up
and wept
before
the LORD
until even
, and asked
counsel of the LORD
, saying
, Shall I go up
again
to battle
against the children
of Benjamin
my brother
? And the LORD
said
, Go up
against him.)
And the children of Israel
came near
against the children
of Benjamin
the second
day
.
And Benjamin went forth
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
.
Then all the children of Israel
, and all the people
, went up
, and came
unto the house
of God
, and wept
, and sat
there before
the LORD
, and fasted
that day
until even
, and offered
burnt offerings
and peace offerings
before
the LORD
.
And the children of Israel
enquired
of the LORD
, (for the ark
of the covenant
of God
was there in those days
,
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 the LORD
said
, Go up
; for to morrow
I will deliver
them into thine hand
.
And Israel set
liers in wait
round about
Gibeah
.
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 other times
.
And the children of Benjamin
went out
against
the people
, and were drawn away
from the city
; and they began
to smite
of the people
, and kill
, as at other times
, in the highways
, of which one
goeth up
to the house
of God
, and the other
to Gibeah
in the field
, about thirty
men
of Israel
.
And the children of Benjamin
said
, They are smitten down
before
us, as at the first
. But the children
of Israel
said
, Let us flee
, and draw
them from the city
unto the highways
.
And all the men of Israel
rose up
out of their place
, and put themselves in array
at Baaltamar
: and the liers in wait
of Israel
came forth
out of their places
, even out of the meadows
of Gibeah
.
And there came against
Gibeah
ten
thousand
chosen
men
out of all Israel
, and the battle
was sore
: but they knew
not that evil
was near
them.
And the LORD smote
Benjamin
before
Israel
: and the children
of Israel
destroyed
of the Benjamites
that day
twenty
and five
thousand
and an hundred
men
: all these drew
the sword
.
So the children of Benjamin
saw
that they were smitten
: for the men
of Israel
gave
place
to the Benjamites
, because they trusted
unto the liers in wait
which they had set
beside Gibeah
.
And the liers in wait hasted
, and rushed
upon Gibeah
; and the liers in wait
drew themselves along
, and smote
all the city
with the edge
of the sword
.
Now there was an appointed sign between the men
of Israel
and
the liers in wait
, that they should make a great
flame
with smoke
rise up
out of the city
.
And when the men of Israel
retired
in the battle
, Benjamin
began
to smite
and kill
of the men
of Israel
about thirty
persons
: for they said
, Surely
they are smitten down
before
us, as in the first
battle
.
But when the flame began
to arise up
out of the city
with a pillar
of smoke
, the Benjamites
looked
behind
them, and, behold, the flame
of the city
ascended up
to heaven
.
And when the men of Israel
turned again
, the men
of Benjamin
were amazed
: for they saw
that evil
was come
upon them.
Therefore they turned their backs before
the men
of Israel
unto the way
of the wilderness
; but the battle
overtook
them; and them which came out of the cities
they destroyed
in the midst
of them.
Thus they inclosed the Benjamites
round about
, and chased
them, and trode them down
with ease
over against
Gibeah
toward the sunrising
.
And there fell of Benjamin
eighteen
thousand
men
; all these were men
of valour
.
And they turned and fled
toward the wilderness
unto the rock
of Rimmon
: and they gleaned
of them in the highways
five
thousand
men
; and pursued
hard after
them unto Gidom
, and slew
two thousand
men
of them.
So that all which fell that day
of Benjamin
were twenty
and five
thousand
men
that drew
the sword
; all these were men
of valour
.
But six hundred
men
turned
and fled
to the wilderness
unto the rock
Rimmon
, and abode
in the rock
Rimmon
four
months
.
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 every city
, as
the beast
, and all that came to hand
: also they set
on fire
all the cities
that they came to
.