Judges 20

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.

Every single Israelite, united as one, journeyed from Dan to Beersheba, including the Gilead region, to worship 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.

The leader of all the people, from every tribe of Israel, stood before God's assembly. They were backed by an army of four hundred thousand sword-bearing soldiers.

(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?

Upon hearing that the Israelites had journeyed to Mizpeh, the Benjaminites were filled with curiosity. The Israelites, deeply troubled, asked, "Can you explain this terrible act?"

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.

The Levite, the grieving husband of the murdered woman, spoke up. He said, "I arrived in Gibeah, a city of Benjamin, with my wife, seeking shelter."

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.

The men of Gibeah attacked me, surrounding my house in the darkness of night, intending to kill me. They violated my beloved concubine, leading to her tragic death.

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.

In my grief, I divided the remains of my beloved concubine, sending them across the lands of Israel, because the men of Gibeah have committed a lewd and vile outrage in Israel.

Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

Listen, you are all part of Israel's family; share your wisdom and guidance.

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.

In unity, everyone stood up, declaring, "None of us will return to our homes or retreat to our personal spaces."

But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

Now, here's our plan for Gibeah; we'll decide our approach by casting lots.

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.

We'll select a few from every tribe in Israel - ten from every hundred, a hundred from every thousand, and a thousand from every ten thousand. Their task is to gather food for the army, so that when it arrives in Gibeah of Benjamin, it can punish them for the outrage they have committed in Israel.

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

Every man of Israel united, standing as one against the city, their hearts beating in unison.

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

The clans of Israel, shocked and appalled, sent messengers to their brethren in Benjamin. They asked, "What is this terrible act that has occurred in your midst?"

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.

Please hand over the wicked men of Gibeah, so we can put them to death and cleanse Israel of evil. But the people of Benjamin, our brothers, refused to listen.

But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

The Benjaminites, united from various cities, headed to Gibeah, ready to fight against the Israelites.

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.

At that moment, the count of Benjamin's children, those brave swordsmen from various cities, reached twenty-six thousand. In addition, Gibeah, their hometown, boasted seven hundred elite warriors.

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

Among the crowd, seven hundred chosen left-handed men stood out. Each one, with remarkable precision, could sling stones so accurately that they wouldn't miss even the thinnest strand of hair.

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

Apart from the tribe of Benjamin, four hundred thousand Israeli men, all skilled and ready for battle, were counted. They were warriors, their hearts filled with courage and their hands steady on their swords.

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.

The Israelites, filled with determination, journeyed to God's temple, seeking His guidance. They asked, "Who among us should lead the fight against the Benjaminites?" God, in His divine wisdom, chose Judah to lead the charge.

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

As dawn broke, the Israelites, filled with determination, set up their camp, ready to face 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.

The brave men of Israel, filled with determination, marched forth to confront Benjamin in battle. They stood ready, their hearts pounding with anticipation, at Gibeah, preparing to clash against their adversaries.

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.

From the heart of Gibeah, Benjamin's children emerged, their hearts filled with fury. That day, they left nothing but devastation in their wake, wiping out twenty-two thousand Israelite men, their lives extinguished like candles in the wind.

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.

The brave men of Israel, filled with renewed courage, reassembled their battle lines at the same place they had first prepared for combat.

(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.)

The people of Israel, with tears in their eyes, sought guidance from the Lord until dusk. They asked, "Should we continue to fight against our brothers, the Benjaminites?" The Lord responded, "Yes, continue the fight."

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

The Israelites bravely faced the Benjaminites for a second day, their hearts heavy with anticipation.

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.

On the second day, Benjamin, filled with determination, marched from Gibeah. He fiercely battled the children of Israel, leaving a devastating loss of eighteen thousand brave men, all of whom had fought with their swords.

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.

In deep sorrow, every Israeli, every soul, journeyed to God's house. They cried, sat in God's presence, and fasted till dusk. They expressed their devotion by offering burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

In their quest for guidance, the children of Israel turned to the LORD, as the sacred Ark of God's covenant was present among them during those times.

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.

Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, served before the Ark in those days. Through him the Israelites asked, "Should we continue to fight against our own kin, the Benjaminites, or should we stop?" God responded, "Move forward, for tomorrow, victory will be yours."

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

Israel strategically positioned hidden guards all around Gibeah, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

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.

On the third day, the Israelites bravely faced the Benjaminites, readying themselves for battle at Gibeah, just as they had done before.

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.

The sons of Benjamin, driven by anger, left their city to confront their enemies. They began to attack and kill, just as they had done before, on the roads leading to God's house and to the open fields of Gibeah. Sadly, about thirty men from Israel fell that day.

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.

The Benjaminites gloated, "Just like before, we've beaten them!" But the Israelites strategized, "Let's retreat, lure them away from the city into the open roads."

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.

Every man in Israel stood up from where they were, readying themselves at Baaltamar. The hidden warriors of Israel emerged from their hiding spots, from the fields 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.

Ten thousand brave men from all over Israel rallied against Gibeah, their battle fierce and intense. Yet the Benjaminites were oblivious to the disaster about to fall on 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.

In a heart-wrenching battle, the Lord struck Benjamin down before Israel. That day, Israel killed 25,100 brave Benjamite warriors, all of whom had taken up arms.

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.

The Benjaminites realized they were defeated. The Israelites had stepped back, trusting the ambush they had set near Gibeah, leaving the Benjaminites vulnerable.

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.

The ambushers swiftly and fiercely attacked Gibeah; they moved stealthily, striking the entire city with their swords' deadly force.

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.

The men of Israel and the hidden watchers had a secret signal. They would ignite a massive fire, sending a cloud of smoke billowing from 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.

As the Israeli soldiers retreated from the battlefield, Benjamin's men seized the opportunity. They struck down about thirty Israeli men, confident in their victory, just as they had been in the previous 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.

As the city's flames started to climb, creating a tower of smoke, the Benjamites turned around. To their shock, they saw the city's fire reaching towards the heavens.

And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

When the men of Israel returned, the men of Benjamin were stunned, realizing the disaster that had befallen 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.

Overwhelmed by fear, they fled from the Israelites towards the barren wilderness. But the battle caught up with them, and those who emerged from the cities were tragically destroyed amidst the chaos.

Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

They surrounded the Benjamites, pursuing them relentlessly and effortlessly trampling them down near Gibeah, on its east side.

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

Eighteen thousand brave men from Benjamin fell, their courage unmatched.

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.

In fear, they fled to the wilderness, seeking refuge at Rimmon's rock. Along the way, five thousand were cut down on the roads. The chase continued to Gidom, where another two thousand fell.

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.

On that fateful day, a staggering 25,000 brave Benjaminite warriors, each skilled in the art of the sword, tragically lost their lives.

But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

In fear, six hundred men escaped to the wilderness, seeking refuge in the rock Rimmon. There, they found a home for 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.

The men of Israel, filled with fury, returned to confront the people of Benjamin. They unleashed their wrath, their swords cutting down not just men from every city, but also animals and anything else in their path. Consumed by their anger, they set ablaze every city they encountered.