Judges 20

1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the Congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, vnto the Lord in Mizpeh.

And so all the sons of Israel went out like one man, from Dan to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, and they gathered together, before the Lord, at Mizpah.

2 And the chiefe of all the people, and all the tribes of Israel assembled in the Congregation of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drewe sword.

And all the chiefs of the people, and every tribe of Israel, convened as an assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers for battle.

3 (Now the children of Beniamin heard that the children of Israel were gone vp to Mizpeh) Then the children of Israel saide, Howe is this wickednesse committed?

(But it was not hidden from the sons of Benjamin that the sons of Israel had ascended to Mizpah.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was killed, being questioned as to how so great a crime had been perpetrated,

4 And the same Leuite, the womans husband that was slaine, answered and saide, I came vnto Gibeah that is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge,

responded: “I went to Gibeah of Benjamin, with my wife, and I diverted to that place.

5 And the men of Gibeah arose against me, and beset the house round about vpon mee by night, thinking to haue slaine me, and haue forced my concubine that she is dead.

And behold, the men of that city, at night, surrounded the house in which I was staying, intending to kill me. And they abused my wife with such an incredible fury of lust that in the end she died.

6 Then I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel: for they haue committed abomination and villenie in Israel.

And taking her up, I cut her into pieces, and I sent the parts into all the borders of your possession. For never before was such a nefarious crime, and so great a sin, committed in Israel.

7 Behold, ye are al children of Israel: giue your aduise, and counsell herein.

You are all present here, O sons of Israel. Discern what you ought to do.”

8 Then all the people arose as one man, saying, There shall not a man of vs goe to his tent, neither any turne into his house.

And all the people, standing, responded as if with the word of one man: “We shall not return to our own tents, nor shall anyone enter into his own house.

9 But now this is that thing which we will do to Gibeah: we wil goe vp by lot against it,

But this we shall do in common against Gibeah:

10 And we wil take ten men of the hundreth throughout al the tribes of Israel, and an hundreth of the thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand to bring vitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeah of Beniamin) according to all the villeny, that it hath done in Israel.

We shall select ten men out of one hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of one thousand, and one thousand out of ten thousand, so that they may transport supplies for the army, and so that we will be able to fight against Gibeah of Benjamin, and to repay it for its crime as it deserves.”

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the citie, knit together, as one man.

And all of Israel convened against the city, like one man, with one mind and one counsel.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through al the tribe of Beniamin, saying, What wickednesse is this that is committed among you?

And they sent messengers to the entire tribe of Benjamin, who said: “Why has so great a wickedness been found among you?

13 Nowe therefore deliuer vs those wicked men which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away euill from Israel: but the children of Beniamin would not obey the voyce of their brethren the children of Israel.

Deliver the men of Gibeah, who have perpetrated this deplorable act, so that they may die, and so that the evil may be taken away from Israel.” And they were not willing to listen to the command of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

14 But ye children of Beniamin gathered them selues together out of the cities vnto Gibeah, to come out and fight against the children of Israel.

Instead, out of all the cities that were their lot, they convened at Gibeah, so that they might bring them assistance, and so that they might contend against the entire people of Israel.

15 And ye children of Beniamin were nombred at that time out of the cities sixe and twenty thousand men that drewe sworde, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were nombred seuen hundreth chosen men.

And there were found from Benjamin twenty-five thousand who drew the sword, aside from the inhabitants of Gibeah,

16 Of all this people were seuen hundreth chosen men, being left handed: all these could sling stones at an heare breadth, and not faile.

who were seven hundred very strong men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right hand, and casting stones from a sling so accurately that they were able to strike even a hair, and the path of the stone would by no means miss to either side.

17 Also the men of Israel, beside Beniamin, were nombred foure hundreth thousande men that drew sword, euen all men of warre.

Then too, among the men of Israel apart from the sons of Benjamin, there were found four hundred thousand who drew the sword and who were prepared for battle.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went vp to the house of God, and asked of God, saying, Which of vs shall goe vp first to fight against the children of Beniamin? And the Lord said, Iudah shalbe first.

And they rose up and went to the house of God, that is, to Shiloh. And they consulted God, and they said, “Who shall be, in our army, the first to contend against the sons of Benjamin?” And the Lord responded to them, “Let Judah be your leader.”

19 Then the children of Israel arose vp earely and camped against Gibeah.

And immediately the sons of Israel, rising up in the morning, made camp near Gibeah.

20 And the men of Israel went out to battell against Beniamin, and the men of Israel put themselues in aray to fight against the beside Gibeah.

And setting out from there to fight against Benjamin, they began to assault the city.

21 And the children of Beniamin came out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the ground of the Israelites that day two and twentie thousand men.

And the sons of Benjamin, departing from Gibeah, slew twenty-two thousand men from the sons of Israel, on that day.

22 And the people, the men of Israel plucked vp their hearts, and set their battel againe in aray in the place where they put them in aray the first day.

Again the sons of Israel, trusting in both strength and number, set their troops in order, in the same place where they had contended before.

23 (For the children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening, and had asked of the Lord, saying, Shall I goe againe to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren? and the Lord said, Go vp against them)

But first they also went up and wept before the Lord, even until night. And they consulted him and said, “Should I continue to go forth, so as to contend against the sons of Benjamin, my brothers, or not?” And he responded to them, “Ascend against them, and undertake the struggle.”

24 Then the children of Israel came neere against the children of Beniamin the second day.

And when the sons of Israel had continued to do battle against the sons of Benjamin on the next day,

25 Also the second day Beniamin came forth to meete them out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the grounde of the children of Israel againe eighteene thousand men: all they could handle the sword.

the sons of Benjamin burst forth from the gates of Gibeah. And meeting them, they made such a frenzied slaughter against them that they struck down eighteen thousand men who drew the sword.

26 Then al the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God, and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings before the Lord.

As a result, all the sons of Israel went to the house of God, and sitting down, they wept before the Lord. And they fasted that day until evening, and they offered to him holocausts and victims of peace offerings.

27 And the children of Israel asked the Lord (for there was the Arke of the couenat of God in those dayes,

And they inquired about their state. At that time, the ark of the covenant of the Lord was in that place.

28 And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stoode before it at that time) saying, Shall I yet goe anie more to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go vp: for to morowe I will deliuer them into your hand.

And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the first ruler of the house. And so, they consulted the Lord, and they said, “Should we continue to go forth in battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brothers, or should we cease?” And the Lord said to them: “Ascend. For tomorrow, I will deliver them into your hands.”

29 And Israel set men to lie in waite round about Gibeah.

And the sons of Israel stationed ambushes around the city of Gibeah.

30 And the children of Israel went vp against the children of Beniamin the third day, and put theselues in aray against Gibeah, as at other times.

And they brought out their army against Benjamin a third time, just as they had done on the first and second times.

31 Then the children of Beniamin comming out against the people, were drawen from the citie: and they began to smite of ye people and kill as at other times, euen by the wayes in the fielde (whereof one goeth vp to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah) vpon a thirtie men of Israel.

But the sons of Benjamin again burst forth boldly from the city. And since their enemies were fleeing, they pursued them a long way, so that they might wound or kill some of them, just as they had done on the first and second days. And they turned their backs along two paths, one bringing them toward Bethel, and the other toward Gibeah. And they struck down about thirty men.

32 (For the children of Beniamin sayd, They are fallen before vs, as at the first. But the children of Israel saide, Let vs flee and plucke them away from the citie vnto the hie wayes)

For they thought that they were falling back as they had done before. But instead, skillfully feigning flight, they undertook a plan to draw them away from the city, and by seeming to flee, to lead them along the above stated paths.

33 And all the men of Israel rose vp out of their place, and put themselues in aray at Baal-tamar: and the men that lay in wayte of the Israelites came forth of their place, euen out of the medowes of Gibeah,

And so all the sons of Israel, rising up from their positions, set their troops in order, in the place which is called Baaltamar. Likewise, the ambushes that encircled the city began, little by little, to reveal themselves,

34 And they came ouer against Gibeah, ten thousande chosen men of all Israel, and the battell was sore: for they knewe not that the euill was neere them.

and to advance upon the western part of the city. Moreover, another ten thousand men from all of Israel were provoking a conflict with the inhabitants of the city. And the war grew heavy against the sons of Benjamin. And they did not realize that, on all sides of them, death was imminent.

35 And the Lord smote Beniamin before Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of the Beniamites the same day fiue and twenty thousand and an hundreth men: all they could handle the sword.

And the Lord struck them down in the sight of the sons of Israel, and they put to death, on that day, twenty-five thousand of them, along with one hundred men, all warriors and those who drew the sword.

36 So the children of Beniamin sawe that they were striken downe: for the men of Israel gaue place to the Beniamites, because they trusted to the men that lay in waite, which they had laide beside Gibeah.

But the sons of Benjamin, when they had seen themselves to be the weaker, began to flee. And the sons of Israel discerning this, gave them room to flee, so that they might arrive at the ambushes that were prepared, which they had positioned near the city.

37 And they that lay in wait hasted, and brake forth toward Gibeah, and the ambushment drewe themselues along, and smote all the citie with the edge of the sword.

And after they had risen up suddenly from hiding, and those of Benjamin had turned their backs to those who cut them down, they entered the city, and they struck it with the edge of the sword.

38 Also the men of Israel had appoynted a certaine time with the ambushmentes, that they should make a great flame and smoke rise vp out of the citie.

Now the sons of Israel had given a sign to those whom they had stationed in ambushes, so that, after they had seized the city, they would light a fire, and by the smoke ascending on high, they would show that the city was captured.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battel, Beniamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirtie persons: for they said, Surely they are striken downe before vs, as in the first battell.

And then, the sons of Israel discerned this sign during the battle (for the sons of Benjamin had thought that they fled, and they pursued them forcefully, cutting down thirty men from their army).

40 But when the flame bega to arise out of the citie, as a pillar of smoke, the Beniamites looked backe, and behold, the flame of the citie began to ascend vp to heauen.

And they saw something like a pillar of smoke ascending from the city. Likewise, Benjamin, looking back, discerned that the city was captured, for the flames were being carried on high.

41 Then the men of Israel turned againe, and the men of Beniamin were astonied: for they saw that euill was neere vnto them.

And those who before had pretended to flee, turning their faces, withstood them more strongly. And when the sons of Benjamin had seen this, they turned their backs in flight,

42 Therefore they fled before the men of Israel vnto the way of the wildernesse, but the battell ouertooke them: also they which came out of the cities, slew them among them.

and they began to go toward the way of the desert, with the adversary pursuing them to that place also. Moreover, those who had set fire to the city also met them.

43 Thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at ease, and ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibeah on the Eastside.

And so it happened that they were cut down on both sides by the enemies, nor was there any respite for the dying. They were killed and struck down on the eastern side of the city of Gibeah.

44 And there were slaine of Beniamin eyghteene thousad men, which were all men of warre.

Now those who were put to death in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all very robust fighters.

45 And they turned and fled to the wildernes vnto the rocke of Rimmon: and the Israelites glayned of them by the way fiue thousand men, and pursued after them vnto Gidom, and slewe two thousand men of them,

And when those who remained of Benjamin had seen this, they fled into the wilderness. And they were traveling toward the rock which is called Rimmon. In that flight also, among those who were scattering in different directions, they slew five thousand men. And though they scattered all the more, they continued to pursue them, and then they put to death another two thousand.

46 So that all that were slayne that day of Beniamin, were fiue and twentie thousand men that drewe sword, which were all men of warre:

And so it happened that all of those who were slain from Benjamin, in various places, were twenty-five thousand fighters, very willing to go to war.

47 But sixe hundreth men turned and fled to the wildernesse vnto the rocke of Rimmon, and abode in the rocke of Rimmon foure moneths.

And so there remained from the entire number of Benjamin six hundred men who were able to escape and to flee into the wilderness. And they settled at the rock of Rimmon, for four months.

48 Then the men of Israel returned vnto the children of Beniamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword from the men of the citie vnto the beasts, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they coulde come by.

But the sons of Israel, returning, had struck with the sword all that remained in the city, from men even to cattle. And all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.