1And all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation assembled as one man (ish), from Dan to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, to YHWH at Mizpah.
2And the corners of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men (ish) on foot, drawing the sword.
3And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, "Speak: how did this evil happen?"
4And the Levite man (ish), the husband (ish) of the woman (ishah) who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5And the masters of Gibeah rose up against me, and surrounded the house against me by night; me they intended to kill, and my concubine they humbled, and she died.
6And I took hold of my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her into all the field of the inheritance of Israel; for they committed depravity and folly in Israel.
7Behold, all of you, children of Israel, give here your word and counsel."
8And all the people rose up as one man (ish), saying, "We will not go, any man (ish) to his tent, nor will we turn aside, any man (ish) to his house.
9And now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: against it by lot.
10And we will take ten men (ish) of a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to take provision for the people, to do, when they come to Geba of Benjamin, according to all the folly which it has done in Israel."
11And all the men (ish) of Israel were gathered to the city as one man (ish), united together.
12And the tribes of Israel sent men (ish) through all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, "What is this evil which has happened among you?
13And now give up the men (ish), the sons of belial who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and burn away evil from Israel." But the children of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel.
14And the children of Benjamin gathered together out of the cities to 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-six thousand men (ish) drawing the sword, apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred chosen men (ish).
16Out of all this people, seven hundred chosen men (ish) were restricted in the right hand; every one of these slinging a stone at a hair, and not missing.
17And the men (ish) of Israel were numbered, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men (ish) drawing the sword; every one of these a man (ish) of war.
18And they rose up and went up to Bethel, and asked of God, and the children of Israel said, "Who shall go up for us first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?" And YHWH said, "Judah first."
19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20And the men (ish) of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men (ish) of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.
21And the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and destroyed of Israel on that day twenty-two thousand men (ish) to the ground.
22And the people, the men (ish) of Israel, strengthened themselves, and again set the battle in array in the place where they had set themselves in array on the first day.
23And the children of Israel went up and wept before YHWH until the evening, and asked of YHWH, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" And YHWH said, "Go up against him."
24And the children of Israel drew near against the children of Benjamin on the second day.
25And Benjamin went out to meet them out of Gibeah on the second day, and destroyed of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men (ish) to the ground; all these drew the sword.
26And all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before YHWH, and fasted on that day until the evening, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings before YHWH.
27And the children of Israel asked of YHWH (and there was the ark of the covenant (berit) of God in those days,
28and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was standing 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 YHWH said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will give him into your hand."
29And Israel set ambushers 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 time upon time.
31And the children of Benjamin came out to meet the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, slain ones, as time upon time, on the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel and one to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men (ish) of Israel.
32And the children of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us as at the first." But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."
33And all the men (ish) of Israel rose up from their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar; and the ambush of Israel burst forth from its place, from the open place of Geba.
34And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men (ish) out of all Israel, and the battle was heavy; and they did not know that the evil was touching upon them.
35And YHWH struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men (ish); all these drew the sword.
36And the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck down. And the men (ish) of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambush which they had set against Gibeah.
37And the ambush hastened, and rushed against Gibeah; and the ambush drew out, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.
38Now the appointed time (moed) for the men (ish) of Israel with the ambush was to make abundant the bringing up of a column of smoke from the city.
39And the men (ish) of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite slain ones among the men (ish) of Israel, about thirty men (ish); for they said, "Surely they are struck down before us as in the first battle."
40And the column began to rise from the city, a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin turned behind him, and behold, the whole of the city went up to the heavens.
41And the men (ish) of Israel turned, and the men (ish) of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that the evil had touched upon them.
42And they turned before the men (ish) of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those from the cities were destroying him in their midst.
43They surrounded Benjamin, chased him, trod him down at the resting place, as far as opposite Gibeah toward the rising of the sun.
44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men (ish); all these were men (ish) of valor.
45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them on the highways five thousand men (ish); and they pursued hard after him as far as Gidom, and struck of him two thousand men (ish).
46And all who fell of Benjamin on that day were twenty-five thousand men (ish) drawing the sword; all these were men (ish) of valor.
47And six hundred men (ish) turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and dwelt in the rock of Rimmon four months.
48And the men (ish) of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, from the whole city to the cattle, to all that was found; also all the cities that were found they set on fire.