Judg 20 | ABEn | STEP | And there came forth all the sons of Israel, and [ 3 held an assembly 1 the 2 congregation] as [ 2 man 1 one], from Dan and unto Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, before the lord in Mizpeh.

‏ Judges 20

CHAPTER 20 Israel Confronts Benjamin

1 And there came forth all the sons of Israel, and [³held an assembly ¹the ²congregation] as [²man ¹one], from Dan and unto Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, before the lord in Mizpeh. 2 And [³established ¹the ²region] all of the people in all the tribes of Israel in the assembly of the people of God -- four hundred thousand men on foot unsheathing the broadsword. 3 And [⁴heard ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] that [⁴ascended ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] unto Mizpeh. And [⁴said ¹the ²sons ³of Israel], Tell where [³took place ²evil ¹this]? 4 And [³answered ¹the ²man], the Levite, the husband of the woman having been murdered. And he said, [²unto ³Gibeah ⁴of Benjamin ¹I came], I and my concubine to rest up. 5 And [³rose up ⁴against ⁵me ¹the ²men], the ones of Gibeah, and they encircled upon me, upon the house at night; and [³me ¹they wanted ²to kill], and [²my concubine ¹they humbled], and sported with her, and she died. 6 And I took hold of my concubine, and I dismembered her, and I sent out into every border of the inheritance of Israel; for they committed folly in Israel. 7 Behold, all you, the sons of Israel, make to yourselves an account and plan here! 8 And [⁴rose up ¹all ²the ³people] as [²man ¹one], saying, We shall not enter -- a man into his tent, and we shall not turn aside -- a man to his house. 9 And now [²the ³thing ¹this is] which we shall do to Gibeah; we will ascend against it by lot. 10 And we shall take ten men out of a hundred for all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand men, and a thousand out of ten thousand men, to take a provision for the people, to complete the task to the ones in going unto Gibeah of Benjamin, against all the folly which they did in Israel. 11 And came together every man of Israel to the city as [²man ¹one] coming. 12 And [⁴sent out ¹the ²tribes ³of Israel] men in all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What is this evil that took place among you? 13 And now, give over the [²men ¹impious] in Gibeah, the sons of Belial, and we shall kill them and lift away evil from Israel. But [⁴did not ⁵want ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] to hear the voice of their brethren of the sons of Israel. 14 And [⁴came together ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] from their cities to Gibeah, to go forth into battle array against the sons of Israel. 15 And [⁴numbered ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] in that day of the cities, twenty five thousand men unsheathing the broadsword, apart from the ones dwelling in Gibeah. 16 These numbered seven hundred [²men ¹chosen] from all of the people, ambidextrous; all these were slingers casting stones accurate to the hair, and not missing. 17 And every man of Israel -- they were numbered, separate from the sons of Benjamin, four hundred thousand men unsheathing the broadsword; all these were men warriors. 18 And they rose up and ascended unto Beth-el, and asked of God. And [⁴said ¹the ²sons ³of Israel], Who shall ascend to us guiding to wage war with the sons of Benjamin? And the lord said, Judah shall ascend guiding.

Israel Wars against Benjamin

19 And [⁴rose up ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] in the morning, and camped at Gibeah. 20 And [⁴went forth ¹every ²man ³of Israel] for war against Benjamin; and he deployed against them -- the man of Israel for war against Gibeah. 21 And came forth the sons of Benjamin from the city, and utterly destroyed in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men upon the ground. 22 And [³strengthened ¹the ²people] -- the man of Israel, and proceeded to deploy for war in the place in which he deployed there on the [²day ¹first]. 23 And [⁴ascended up ¹the ²sons ³of Israel], and they wept before the lord until evening, and they asked of the lord, saying, Shall I proceed to draw near for war against the sons of Benjamin my brother? And the lord said, Ascend against him! 24 And [⁴came forward ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] against the sons of Benjamin in the [²day ¹second]. 25 And Benjamin came forth to meet them from Gibeah on the [²day ¹second]. And they utterly destroyed yet of the people of Israel eighteen thousand men upon the ground, all these unsheathing the broadsword. 26 And [⁵ascended up ¹all ²the ³sons ⁴of Israel], and all the people, and they came unto Beth-el and wept, and sat there before the lord, and fasted in that day until evening; and they offered a whole burnt-offering for deliverance before the lord. 27 And [⁴asked ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] in the lord. And [⁴was there ¹the ark ²of the covenant ³of the lord] in those days. 28 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron stood before it in those days, saying, Shall I proceed still to go forth for war against the sons of Benjamin my brother, or slacken? And the lord said, Ascend, and tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand.

Ambush at Gibeah

29 And [⁴placed ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] an ambush in Gibeah round about. 30 And [⁴ascended ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] against the sons of Benjamin on the [²day ¹third]. And they deployed against Gibeah as once before, and once before that. 31 And [⁴came forth ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] for meeting the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to strike of the people (slain as once before, and once before that) in the ways which there is one ascending to Beth-el, and one ascending to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And [⁴said ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin], They stumble before us as before. And the sons of Israel said, We should flee and pull them out from the city into the ways. 33 And every man of Israel rose up from his place, and deployed in Baal-tamar. And the ambush of Israel wrestled from out of its place from the descent of Gibeah. 34 And they arrived right opposite Gibeah -- ten thousand [²men ¹chosen] from out of all Israel. And the battle weighed down, and they did not know that [²has been affixed ³upon ⁴them ¹hurt]. 35 And [²put ⁴to flight ¹the lord ³Benjamin] before Israel. And [⁴utterly destroyed ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] among Benjamin in that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men, all these unsheathing the broadsword. 36 And [⁴beheld ¹the ²sons ³of Benjamin] that they were put to flight. And [³gave ¹the man ²of Israel] place to Benjamin, for they hoped upon the ambush which they arranged near Gibeah.

Gibeah is Destroyed

37 And the ambush advanced, and they poured out against Gibeah. And [³went ¹the ²ambush], and they struck all the city by the mouth of the broadsword. 38 And the arranged order was with the man of Israel with the ambush, for them to offer a signal-fire of smoke from the city. 39 And [³turned ¹the man ²of Israel] in the battle. And Benjamin began to strike slain against the man of Israel about thirty men. For they said, Surely being put to flight he was put to flight before us as the battle before. 40 And the signal-fire began to ascend from the city as a column of smoke. And Benjamin looked behind him, and behold, there ascended the consummation of the city unto the heaven. 41 And the man of Israel turned. And [³hastened ¹the man ²of Benjamin], for he beheld that [²has touched ³him ¹a bad thing]. 42 And they leaned before the man of Israel in the way of the wilderness, and the battle fell [³unawares ¹upon ²them]; and the ones from the cities -- they utterly destroyed them in their midst. 43 And they cut up Benjamin, and pursued him according to his feet, and trampled him unto before Gibeah towards the rising of the sun. 44 And [⁶fell ⁴of ⁵Benjamin ¹eighteen ²thousand ³men]; all these men of power. 45 And they turned aside and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. And they gleaned him in the ways -- five thousand men. And they cleaved after them unto Gidom, and struck of them two thousand men. 46 And it came to pass all the ones falling among Benjamin was twenty-five thousand men unsheathing the broadsword in that day; all these were men of power. 47 And they turned aside and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon -- six hundred men; and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the man of Israel turned against the sons of Benjamin, and they struck them by the mouth of the broadsword, from [²city ¹the next], unto beast, and unto all being found in the cities; and the cities being found they burned by fire.