Judges 20
20
Israel’s Civil War
1The Israelites were united as one man from Dan in the north to Beersheba # 20:1 “From Dan . . . to Beersheba” is a merism, meaning every Israelite, for Dan was the northernmost city in Israel and Beersheba was in the far south. in the south, including those living in Gilead on the other side of the Jordan. Everyone assembled together before Yahweh at Mizpah. 2All the leaders # 20:2 The Hebrew reads “All the corners.” This is a figure of speech for the tribal leaders. of all the people from the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand fighting men armed with swords. 3The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had assembled at Mizpah. The Israelites said to them, “Tell us, how did this evil rape and murder happen?”
4The Levite, whose mistress had been murdered, replied, “My mistress and I stopped in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin to spend the night. 5That night, the depraved men of Gibeah came after me to harm me, gathering around the house in the night where I was staying. They intended to kill me, but instead, they raped my mistress, and she died. 6This deliberate, outrageous act of depravity was committed in Israel! Therefore, I took her body and cut it in pieces and sent the pieces throughout every part of Israel. 7Now you Israelites must decide on a response! Let’s do something about it here and now!”
Attempt at Extradition
8Then all the people stood in unison and declared, “None of us will go back to our cities or return to our homes. 9This is what we’re going to do to Gibeah: We’ll cast lots to choose who will fight against it. 10And we’ll take a tenth # 20:10 Or “ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand.” of the men of our tribes of Israel to carry supplies for our forces. When our army arrives at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, we’ll give them what they deserve for the outrageous, disgraceful act they committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel united as one man to come against Gibeah. # 20:11 It is striking that the tribes refused to come together to help one another throughout most of the book of Judges until this clear moment of uniting to destroy one of their own tribes.
12The Israelite tribes sent couriers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this brutal crime that you have done? 13We demand that you surrender the depraved perverts from Gibeah who took part in this evil act. We’ll put them to death and purge the evil out of Israel.”
But the Benjamites refused to yield to the demands of their brothers the Israelites. 14Instead, the Benjamites gathered warriors from all their towns to come to Gibeah and fight their brothers, the Israelites. 15On that day, the Benjamites gathered a force from their towns of twenty-six thousand armed men, not including the seven hundred elite soldiers of Gibeah. 16Among Benjamin’s elite troops, seven hundred were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairbreadth without missing. 17The tribes of Israel had four hundred thousand experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin’s warriors.
The Israelites Inquire of God at Bethel
18Before the battle, the armies of Israel went to the house of God # 20:18 Or “to Bethel.” to seek counsel from God. The Israelites inquired, “Which tribe gets to go first to battle the Benjamites?”
Yahweh answered, “Judah will go first.”
19The Israelites got up the next morning and encamped near Gibeah. 20The men of Israel took up battle positions against the Benjamites at Gibeah, 21but the Benjamites rushed out of the city, and slaughtered twenty-two thousand Israelites.
22The men of Israel encouraged one another and resumed their battle positions where they had lined up the first day. 23The Israelites wept before Yahweh until evening, and they inquired of Yahweh, “Should we go out again to battle with our brothers the Benjamites?” And Yahweh answered, “Yes, go back into the battle!”
24The next day, the Israelites advanced toward the Benjamites. 25When Benjamin marched out from Gibeah to engage them, they struck down another eighteen thousand Israelite swordsmen.
26After losing again, the entire Israelite army went up to the house of God, # 20:26 The Latin Vulgate reads “the house of God at Shiloh.” The Hebrew is Bethel, which means “the house of God.” and they sat there fasting and weeping before Yahweh all day until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. 27The Israelites inquired of Yahweh at Shiloh, for the ark of God’s covenant # 20:27 This is the only mention of the ark in the book of Judges. was there in those days. 28Phineas son of Eleazer, son of Aaron, ministered there before the ark. # 20:28 Or “it.” He inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should we resume our battle with our brothers, the Benjamites? Or should we quit?”
Yahweh answered, “Attack! For tomorrow I will give you the victory!”
Victory
29So Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah. 30On the third day, one company of Israelites advanced against the Benjamites, deploying against Gibeah as they had before. 31This tactic drew the Benjamites out of the city to attack the advancing Israelite army, leaving the city unguarded. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before. There they killed about thirty men of Israel.
32The Benjamites boasted, “We are defeating them just as we did before!”
But when the Benjamites had taken the bait, the Israelites said, “Retreat, and draw them away from the city to the main roads.” 33Every Israelite rose from his position and took their assumed positions at Baal-Tamar. Then the Israelites who were hiding in ambush jumped up from their positions west of Gibeah. # 20:33 As translated from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is Maareh-Geba. 34Ten thousand elite soldiers from all over Israel made their direct assault on Gibeah.
The fighting was fierce. And the Benjamites had no clue that disaster was at their doorstep. 35On that day, Yahweh struck down the Benjamites before Israel. The Israelites slaughtered 25,100 swordsmen of Benjamin. 36Then the Benjamites realized that they were defeated. The Israelites had moved back because they were depending on the surprise attack they had set up near Gibeah.
37The men of Israel who had been waiting in ambush made a mad dash for Gibeah, attacked the city, and killed its inhabitants. 38The Israelites’ strategy was to send up a smoke signal from the city once they had sacked it, 39and when the men of Israel saw the smoke signal, they would turn and rejoin the battle.
When the Benjamites had inflicted about thirty casualties on the men of Israel, they said, “Look, we are defeating them as we did in the first battle!”
40But when the smoke signal began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke!
41When the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin saw that disaster had come upon them, and they panicked. 42So they fled toward the wilderness, retreating from the Israelites, but the Israelites overtook them and killed them there. 43Surrounding the Benjamites, the Israelites chased them and easily overran them in the area east of Gibeah.
Survivors
44Eighteen thousand Benjamites died, all of them valiant fighters. 45As they turned and fled in the wilderness to Rimmon Rock, the Israelites picked off another five thousand Benjamites on the main roads. They chased them as far as Gidom, killing two thousand more there. 46That day, a total of twenty-five thousand sword-bearing Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters. 47But six hundred men who had fled to the wilderness camped at Rimmon Rock and remained there for four months. 48The men of Israel went back to the Benjamites and slaughtered every living thing in every town—men and beasts and all that were found, and they burned down every town they came across.
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Judges 20: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationJudges 20
20
1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah. 2And 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 that drew sword. 3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass? 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night; me they thought to have slain, and my concubine they forced, and she is dead. 6And 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. 7Behold, ye children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.
8And 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 unto his house. 9But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot; 10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals 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. 11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you? 13Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel. 14And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15And the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men. 16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.
17And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. 18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up first.
19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah. 21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty and two thousand men. 22And 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. 23And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
24And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25And 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. 26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even; and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. 27And the children of Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and 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 Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy hand.
29And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about. 30And 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. 31And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32And 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 away from the city unto the highways. 33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. 34And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was close upon them. 35And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah. 37And 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. 38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. 39And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and 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. 40But 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 of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that evil was come upon them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they that came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof. 43They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trod them down at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. 44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor. 45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men. 46So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valor. 47But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months. 48And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.
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