Shof'tim (Jdg) 20
20
1All the people of Isra’el came out, from Dan to Be’er-sheva, including Gil‘ad; the community assembled with one accord before Adonai at Mitzpah. 2The leaders of all the tribes of Isra’el presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers armed with swords. 3Now the people of Binyamin heard that the people of Isra’el had gone up to Mitzpah. The people of Isra’el said, “Tell us, how was this crime committed?” 4The Levi, the husband of the murdered woman, answered, “I came to Giv‘ah, which belongs to Binyamin, I and my concubine, to stay the night; 5and the men in Giv‘ah attacked me and surrounded the house I was staying in at night. They wanted to kill me, but instead they raped my concubine to death. 6I took my concubine’s body, cut it into pieces and sent them throughout all the territories belonging to Isra’el ; because they committed a shockingly obscene and degrading crime in Isra’el. 7Look, you are all people of Isra’el. So discuss what to do, and give your advice here and now.”
8All the people stood up in agreement and said, “None of us will go home to his tent or his house. 9What we will do now to Giv‘ah is this: we’ll draw lots, 10we’ll take ten men out of each hundred throughout all the tribes of Isra’el, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to collect food for the others. When these come to Giv‘ah in Binyamin, they will avenge the crime that was committed.” 11Thus all the men of Isra’el, joined together in complete agreement, assembled to attack the city.
12The tribes of Isra’el sent men throughout all the tribe of Binyamin with this message: “What is this crime committed by some of your people? 13Turn over these good-for-nothings who are in Giv‘ah at once, so that we can execute them and rid Isra’el of such evil.” But the people of Binyamin refused to obey the order of their kinsmen the people of Isra’el. 14Instead the people of Binyamin gathered themselves together from their cities and went to Giv‘ah to fight the people of Isra’el. 15On that day there were 26,000 men from Binyamin armed with swords, besides the inhabitants of Giv‘ah, who numbered 700 specially chosen men. 16All of these 700 specially picked men were left-handed, and every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17The army of Isra’el, apart from Binyamin, numbered 400,000 men with swords; they were all experienced soldiers. 18The army of Isra’el began by going up to Beit-El, where they asked God, “Who should go up first to attack the army of Binyamin?” Adonai said, “Y’hudah first.” 19So the army of Isra’el got up in the morning and set up their camp near Giv‘ah. 20Then the army of Isra’el went out to attack Binyamin and set up their battle line in front of Giv‘ah. 21But the army of Binyamin came out of Giv‘ah and slaughtered the army of Isra’el; on that day 22,000 men fell. 22The people, the men of Isra’el, restored their morale and again positioned themselves for battle where they had been the first day. 23Then the army of Isra’el went up and cried before Adonai until evening. They asked Adonai, “Should we attack our kinsmen the people of Binyamin again? Adonai answered, “Attack them.”
24So the army of Isra’el went out to attack the army of Binyamin the second day. 25But Binyamin went out against them from Giv‘ah the second day and slaughtered the army of Isra’el; 18,000 men armed with swords fell. 26Then the whole army of Isra’el, all the people, went up to Beit-El and cried and sat there in the presence of Adonai. They fasted that day until evening, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to Adonai, 27and asked Adonai what to do. The ark for the covenant of God was there at that time; 28and Pinchas the son of El‘azar, the son of Aharon, stood before it at that time. They asked, “Should we still go out to battle again against our kinsmen the people of Binyamin, or should we stop?” Adonai answered, “Attack, because tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
29Isra’el hid some men around Giv‘ah, 30and on the third day Isra’el attacked the army of Binyamin and took a position against Giv‘ah as they had the other times. 31Again the army of Binyamin went out against the people. Lured away from the city, they began attacking and killing some of the people, as they had the other times — they killed about thirty men of Isra’el in the countryside and on the roads, one of which goes up to Beit-El and the other to Giv‘ah. 32The army of Binyamin said, “They’re defeated, just as before.” But the army of Isra’el said, “Let’s run off and draw them away from the city onto the roads.” 33All the men of Isra’el left their places and took up a battle position at Ba‘al-Tamar, while the other Isra’el men burst out of their hiding places at Ma‘areh-Geva. 34Ten thousand men chosen out of all Isra’el came over to attack Giv‘ah, and the combat was intense. But the army of Binyamin didn’t know that they were about to be defeated. 35For Adonai routed Binyamin in Isra’el’s presence; that day the army of Isra’el destroyed 25,100 men of Binyamin, all of whom carried swords; 36and the people of Binyamin realized that they had been beaten.
The men of Isra’el, trusting the ones they had put in place to ambush Binyamin, gave ground to the men of Binyamin. 37Then the men who had been lying in wait rushed in on Giv‘ah, drew their swords and destroyed the city. 38The army of Isra’el and the ambushers had agreed that as a signal they would make a huge cloud of smoke rise from the city, 39at which time the men of Isra’el would turn back. When this happened, Binyamin began to attack. They killed about thirty of Isra’el’s men and said, “Clearly we’re defeating them again, as in the first battle.” 40But when the smoke signal began rising from the city, the men of Binyamin looked behind them and saw the whole city going up to the sky in smoke. 41Then, as the men of Isra’el reversed direction, those of Binyamin were overcome with terror. When they saw that disaster had come upon them, 42they turned their backs on the men of Isra’el and made for the road to the desert. But the battle followed them, and those who came out of the city destroyed them from the rear. 43They surrounded the men of Binyamin, chased them and trampled them down across from Giv‘ah on the east. 44Eighteen thousand men of Binyamin fell, all of them experienced soldiers. 45They turned and fled toward the desert to the Rock of Rimmon; and 5,000 of them were killed on the roads. They followed them to Gid‘om and killed another 2,000. 46Thus the total number from Binyamin who fell that day was 25,000 experienced, sword-bearing soldiers. 47But 600 turned and fled toward the desert to the Rock of Rimmon, and lived there four months. 48The men of Isra’el turned back on the people of Binyamin and killed them with the sword, the entire city, the cattle and everything they found. Moreover, they set on fire all the cities they encountered.
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Shof'tim (Jdg) 20: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleJudges 20
20
1Then all the children of Israel went out and gathered together as one man from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in Maspha.
2And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen fit for war.
3(Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was killed, being asked, how so great a wickedness had been committed,
4Answered: I came into Gabaa of Benjamin with my wife, and there I lodged:
5And, behold, the men of that city in the night beset the house wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an incredible fury of lust, so that at last she died.
6And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the, parts into all the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.
7You are all here, O children of Israel: determine what you ought to do.
8And all the people standing answered as by the voice of one man: We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his own house:
9But this we will do in common against Gabaa.
10We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we might fight against Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness what it deserveth.
11And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one man, with one mind, and one counsel.
12And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin to say to them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you?
13Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel. But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the children of Israel.
14But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the whole people of Israel.
15And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,
16Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side.
17Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords, and were prepared to fight.
18And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo. And they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.
19And forthwith the children of Israel, rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:
20And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin began to assault the city.
21And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.
22Again Israel, trusting in their strength and their number, set their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before.
23Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night, and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.
24And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight against the children of Benjamin,
25The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen thousand men that drew the sword.
26Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord. And they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace-offerings:
27And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there.
28And Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron was over the house. So they consulted the Lord and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to-morrow I will deliver them into your hands.
29And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa.
30And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second.
31And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and, seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel, and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men:
32For they thought to cut them off, as they did before. But they, artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee to bring them to the highways aforesaid.
33Then all the children of Israel, rising up out of the places where they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also which were about the city began by little and little to come forth,
34And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel attacked the inhabitants of the city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they understood not that present death threatened them on every side.
35And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel and they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, all fighting men and that drew the sword.
36But the children of Benjamin when they saw themselves to be too weak, began to flee. Which the children of Israel seeing gave them place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared, which they had set near the city.
37And they that were in ambush arose on a sudden out of their coverts, and whilst Benjamin turned their backs to the slayers, went into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
38Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the city was taken.
39And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army):
40And perceived as it were a pillar of smoke rise up from the city; and Benjamin, looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that the flames ascended on high:
41They that before had made as if they fled, turning their faces, stood bravely against them. Which the children of Benjamin seeing, turned their backs,
42And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet them.
43And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down on the east side of the city Gabaa.
44And they that were slain in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all most valiant soldiers.
45And when they that remained of Benjamin saw this, they fled into the wilderness and made towards the rock that is called Remmon. In that flight, also as they were straggling and going different ways, they slew of them five thousand men. And as they went farther, they still pursued them, and slew also other two thousand.
46And so it came to pass, that all that were slain of Benjamin in divers places were five and twenty thousand fighting men, most valiant for war.
47And there remained of all the number of Benjamin only six hundred men that were able to escape, and flee to the wilderness. And they abode in the rock Remmon four months.
48But the children of Israel returning put all the remains of the city to the sword, both men and beasts: and all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.