Iudicum 20
1 egressi sunt itaque omnes filii Israhel et pariter congregati quasi vir unus de Dan usque Bersabee et terra Galaad ad Dominum in Maspha
Then 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 the LORD at Mizpah.
2 omnesque anguli populorum et cunctae tribus Israhel in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt quadringenta milia peditum pugnatorum
The 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.
3 nec latuit filios Beniamin quod ascendissent filii Israhel in Maspha interrogatusque Levita maritus mulieris interfectae quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset
(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?”
4 respondit veni in Gabaa Beniamin cum uxore mea illucque deverti
The 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.
5 et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum in qua manebam volentes me occidere et uxorem meam incredibili libidinis furore vexantes denique mortua est
The 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.
6 quam arreptam in frusta concidi misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestrae quia numquam tantum nefas et tam grande piaculum factum est in Israhel
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.
7 adestis omnes filii Israhel decernite quid facere debeatis
Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.”
8 stansque omnis populus quasi unius hominis sermone respondit non recedemus in tabernacula nostra nec suam quisquam intrabit domum
All the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us turn to his house.
9 sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciemus
But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot;
10 decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israhel et centum de mille et mille de decem milibus ut conportent exercitui cibaria et possimus pugnantes contra Gabaa Beniamin reddere ei pro scelere quod meretur
and 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 the men of Gibeah have done in Israel.”
11 convenitque universus Israhel ad civitatem quasi unus homo eadem mente unoque consilio
So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 et miserunt nuntios ad omnem tribum Beniamin qui dicerent cur tantum nefas in vobis reppertum est
The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that has happened amongst you?
13 tradite homines de Gabaa qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt ut moriantur et auferatur malum de Israhel qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israhel audire mandatum
Now therefore deliver up the men, the wicked 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.
14 sed ex cunctis urbibus quae suae sortis erant convenerunt in Gabaa ut illis ferrent auxilium et contra universum Israhel populum dimicarent
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15 inventique sunt viginti quinque milia de Beniamin educentium gladium praeter habitatores Gabaa
The children of Benjamin were counted on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, in addition to the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred chosen men.
16 qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi ita sinistra ut dextra proeliantes et sic fundis ad certum iacientes lapides ut capillum quoque possent percutere et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur
Amongst 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.
17 virorum quoque Israhel absque filiis Beniamin inventa sunt quadringenta milia educentium gladios et paratorum ad pugnam
The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were counted four hundred thousand men who drew sword. All these were men of war.
18 qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei hoc est in Silo consulueruntque eum atque dixerunt quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Beniamin quibus respondit Dominus Iudas sit dux vester
The 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?” The LORD said, “Judah first.”
19 statimque filii Israhel surgentes mane castrametati sunt iuxta Gabaa
The children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
20 et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Beniamin urbem obpugnare coeperunt
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.
21 egressique filii Beniamin de Gabaa occiderunt de filiis Israhel die illo viginti duo milia viros
The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed twenty-two thousand of the Israelite men down to the ground.
22 rursum filii Israhel et fortitudine et numero confidentes in eodem loco in quo prius certaverant aciem direxerunt
The 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.
23 ita tamen ut prius ascenderent et flerent coram Domino usque ad noctem consulerentque eum et dicerent debeo ultra procedere ad dimicandum contra filios Beniamin fratres meos an non quibus ille respondit ascendite ad eum et inite certamen
The children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening; and they asked of the LORD, saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?” The LORD said, “Go up against him.”
24 cumque filii Israhel altero die contra Beniamin ad proelium processissent
The children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 eruperunt filii Beniamin de portis Gabaa et occurrentes eis tanta in illos caede baccati sunt ut decem et octo milia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent
Benjamin 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.
26 quam ob rem omnes filii Israhel venerunt in domum Dei et sedentes flebant coram Domino ieiunaveruntque illo die usque ad vesperam et obtulerunt ei holocausta et pacificas victimas
Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening; then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
27 et super statu suo interrogaverunt eo tempore ibi erat arca foederis Dei
The children of Israel asked the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 et Finees filius Eleazari filii Aaron praepositus domus consuluerunt igitur Dominum atque dixerunt exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Beniamin fratres nostros an quiescere quibus ait Dominus ascendite cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras
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?” The LORD said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand.”
29 posueruntque filii Israhel insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa
Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah.
30 et tertia vice sicut semel et bis contra Beniamin exercitum produxerunt
The 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.
31 sed et filii Beniamin audacter eruperunt de civitate et fugientes adversarios longius persecuti sunt ita ut vulnerarent ex eis sicut primo et secundo die et caederent per duas semitas terga vertentes quarum una ferebat in Bethel altera in Gabaa atque prosternerent triginta circiter viros
The 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.
32 putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere qui fugam arte simulantes iniere consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent
The children of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let’s flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
33 omnes itaque filii Israhel surgentes de sedibus suis tetenderunt aciem in loco qui vocatur Baalthamar insidiae quoque quae circa urbem erant paulatim se aperire coeperunt
All 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.
34 et ab occidentali urbis parte procedere sed et alia decem milia virorum de universo Israhel habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Beniamin et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus
Ten 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.
35 percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israhel et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque milia et centum viros omnes bellatores et educentes gladium
The LORD struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand and one hundred men. All these drew the sword.
36 filii autem Beniamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent coeperunt fugere quod cernentes filii Israhel dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum ut ad praeparatas insidias devenirent quas iuxta urbem posuerant
So 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.
37 qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent et Beniamin terga caedentibus daret ingressi sunt civitatem et percusserunt eam in ore gladii
The ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; then the ambushers spread out, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 signum autem dederant filii Israhel his quos in insidiis conlocaverant ut postquam urbem cepissent ignem accenderent et ascendente in altum fumo captam urbem demonstrarent
Now 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.
39 quod cum cernerent filii Israhel in ipso certamine positi putaverunt enim filii Beniamin eos fugere et instantius sequebantur caesis de exercitu eorum triginta viris
The 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.”
40 et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere Beniamin quoque retro aspiciens captam cerneret civitatem et flammas in sublime ferri
But 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.
41 qui prius simulaverant fugam versa facie fortius resistebant quod cum vidissent filii Beniamin in fugam versi sunt
The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that disaster had come on them.
42 et ad viam deserti ire coeperunt illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus sed et hii qui urbem succenderant occurrerunt eis
Therefore 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.
43 atque ita factum est ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus caederentur nec erat ulla morientium requies ceciderunt atque prostrati sunt ad orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa
They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down at their resting place, as far as near Gibeah towards the sunrise.
44 fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt decem et octo milia virorum omnes robustissimi pugnatores
Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valour.
45 quod cum vidissent qui remanserant de Beniamin fugerunt in solitudinem et pergebant ad petram cuius vocabulum est Remmon in illa quoque fuga palantes et in diversa tendentes occiderunt quinque milia viros et cum ultra tenderent persecuti sunt eos et interfecerunt etiam alios duo milia
They turned and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned five thousand men of them in the highways, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck two thousand men of them.
46 et sic factum est ut omnes qui ceciderant de Beniamin in diversis locis essent viginti quinque milia pugnatores ad bella promptissimi
So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valour.
47 remanserunt itaque de omni numero Beniamin qui evadere potuerant et fugere in solitudinem sescenti viri sederuntque in petra Remmon mensibus quattuor
But six hundred men turned and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.
48 regressi autem filii Israhel omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad iumenta gladio percusserunt cunctasque urbes et viculos Beniamin vorax flamma consumpsit
The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword—including the entire city, the livestock, and all that they found. Moreover they set all the cities which they found on fire.
