(KJV) Judges 20¹

⥃The Decree of the Assembly

[1] Then all² the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man³, from Dan⁴ even to Beer–sheba, with the⁵ land of Gilead, unto the⁶ Lord in Mizpeh⁷. [2] 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 sword⁸. [3] (Now the children of Benjamin⁹ heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell [us], how was¹⁰ this wickedness? [4] And the Levite¹¹, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came¹² into Gibeah that [belongeth] to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. [5] And the men¹³ of Gibeah rose against me, and beset¹⁴ the house round about upon me by night, [and] thought to have slain me: and my concubine¹⁵ have they forced¹⁶, that she is dead. [6] And I took my concubine, and cut her¹⁷ in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel¹⁸. [7] Behold, ye [are] all¹⁹ children of Israel; give here²⁰ your advice and counsel.

[8] [¶]And all the people arose as one man²¹, saying, We will not²² any [of us] go to his tent, neither will we any [of us] turn into his house. [9] But now this [shall be] the thing which we will do to Gibeah; [we will go up] by lot against it²³; [10] 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 thousand²⁴, 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. [11] So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

[12] And the tribes of Israel sent men²⁵ through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done among you? [13] Now therefore deliver²⁶ [us] the men, the children of Belial²⁷, which [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away²⁸ evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not²⁹ hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: [14] But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.³⁰ [15] And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty³¹ and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. [16] Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men lefthanded³²; every one could sling stones³³ at an hair [breadth], and not miss. [17] And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred³⁴ thousand men that drew sword: all these [were] men of war.

⥃Civil War against Benjamin

[18] And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of³⁵ God, and asked³⁶ counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah³⁷ [shall go up] first. [19] And the children of Israel rose up³⁸ in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. [20] 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. [21] And the children³⁹ of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed⁴⁰ down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. [22] And the people the men of Israel encouraged⁴¹ themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. [23] (And the children of Israel went up and wept⁴² 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 the⁴³ Lord said, Go up against him.) [24] And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. [25] And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed⁴⁴ down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

[26] Then all the children⁴⁵ of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept⁴⁶, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. [27] And the children of Israel enquired⁴⁷ of the Lord, (for the ark⁴⁸ of the covenant of God [was] there in those days, [28] And Phinehas⁴⁹, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood⁵⁰ before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet⁵¹ again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up⁵²; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. [29] And Israel⁵³ set liers⁵⁴ in wait round about Gibeah. [30] 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. [31] And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn⁵⁵ away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at⁵⁶ other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God⁵⁷, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty⁵⁸ men of Israel. [32] And the children of Benjamin said, They [are] smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee⁵⁹, and draw them from the city unto the highways. [33] And all the men of Israel rose up⁶⁰ out of their place, and put themselves⁶¹ in array at Baal–tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, [even] out of the meadows of Gibeah. [34] And there came against Gibeah ten thousand⁶² chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not⁶³ that evil [was] near them. [35] And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty⁶⁴ and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. [36] So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men⁶⁵ of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. [37] And the liers in wait hasted⁶⁶, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew [themselves] along⁶⁷, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. [38] Now there⁶⁸ was an appointed sign⁶⁹ between the men of Israel and⁷⁰ the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame⁷¹ with smoke rise up out of the city. [39] And when⁷² the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite [and] kill⁷³ of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as [in] the first battle. [40] But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar⁷⁴ of smoke, the Benjamites looked⁷⁵ behind them, and, behold, the flame⁷⁶ of the city ascended up to heaven. [41] And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed⁷⁷: for they saw that evil was come upon them⁷⁸. [42] Therefore they turned [their backs] before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle⁷⁹ overtook them; and them which [came] out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them. [43] [Thus] they inclosed⁸⁰ the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trode them down with ease⁸¹ over against⁸² Gibeah toward the sunrising. [44] And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valour. [45] And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon⁸³: 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. [46] So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty⁸⁴ and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valour. [47] But six hundred⁸⁵ men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. [48] And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them⁸⁶ with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand⁸⁷: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to⁸⁸.