Judges

The War

So all the children of Israel, the whole community from Dan to Beer-sheba, gathered as one man, including the land of Gilead, before the Lord at Mizpah.

The heads of all the people and all the tribes of Israel came to the assembly of the people of God: four hundred thousand men on foot, all armed with swords.

The men of the tribe of Benjamin also knew that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.

The Israelites said:

“Tell us how this crime happened.”

The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, addressed them and said:

“I arrived at Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night there.

By night, the residents of Gibeah showed up and surrounded the house, intending to harm us. They were determined to kill me, and they abused my concubine in such a way that she died.

I then took her, cut her into pieces, one piece to each territory of Israel, because what they have done is a shame for Israel.

Now that you are here, all Israelites, discuss among yourselves and plan now.”

All the people rose as one man and said:

“None of us shall return to his tent nor go to his house.

This is what we will do with the people of Gibeah: we will draw lots

and take from the tribes of Israel ten men for every hundred, a hundred for every thousand, and a thousand for every ten thousand. They shall gather provisions for the troops who will punish Gibeah in Benjamin for the crime its inhabitants have committed in Israel.”

So all the men of Israel united as one man against the city.

The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the whole tribe of Benjamin and said to them:

“What is this crime that has been committed among you?

Hand over those wicked men of Gibeah to us, that we may kill them and banish the evil from Israel.”

But the Benjaminites did not mind their Israelite brothers.

Meanwhile, the Benjaminites also left their cities and gathered at Gibeah to face the Israelites.

That day, the Benjaminites from different cities totaled twenty-six thousand men armed with swords, without counting the inhabitants of Gibeah.

The people of Israel also counted their men. Without counting Benjamin, four hundred thousand men could draw the sword, all men of war.

So they set out and went up to Bethel, asking God:

“Who among us shall go up first to fight the sons of Benjamin?”

And the Lord answered:

“Judah shall go up first.”

The Israelites rose early and encamped opposite Gibeah.

They went out to fight against Benjamin and drew up the battle line against Gibeah.

But the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and killed twenty-two thousand Israelites.

On the second day, the sons of Israel attacked the Benjaminites.

The Israelites then went up to weep before the Lord until evening and asked the Lord, saying:

“Shall we fight again with the sons of our brother Benjamin?” The Lord answered, “Go up against them.”

So the people, the troops of Israel, regained their courage and returned to their former battle line.

On that day, too, the Benjaminites went out against them and killed eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelites.

Then all the Israelites and people went up to Bethel. There they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted the whole day until evening and presented burnt and peace offerings before the Lord,

for the Ark of the Covenant was there,

with Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, as its minister. They asked:

“Shall we come out again and fight the sons of our brother Benjamin?”

The Lord replied:

“Go up tomorrow, and I will give them into your hands.”

Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

On the third day, the Israelites marched against Gibeah and positioned themselves in the battle line as in previous times.

The sons of Benjamin went out against them, but the Israelites cut off the way that led back to the city. The Benjaminites began as before to attack the men of Israel, killing about thirty men on the roads going up to Bethel and Gibeah.

The Benjaminites thought:

“We have defeated them again.”

But the Israelites said to themselves:

“Let us flee to draw them away from the city and cut off the roads.”

All the men of Israel moved from their camp and took up a position at Baal-Tamar, while those in ambush rushed to the west of Gibeah.

The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day, the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand Benjaminites, all sword-wielding men.

So ten thousand chosen men from all Israel came against Gibeah. The battle was fought hard, and the Benjaminites did not notice the calamity to come upon them.

The Benjaminites thought they were victorious, but the men of Israel gave them ground because they relied on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

The men in the ambush rushed out and quickly deployed themselves. They attacked Gibeah and put the whole city to the sword.

The men of Israel had planned with those in ambush that smoke would rise from the city as a signal. At this, the Israelites would then return and fight.

So the Israelites who pretended to escape returned when the Benjaminites had killed about thirty men and had thought:

“Now they are defeated as in the first battle.”

The smoke signal was already rising from the city. When the Benjaminites looked behind, they saw the whole city was on fire, with flames rising to heaven.

When the Israelites faced them, the Benjaminites trembled before the calamity which had come upon them.

They retreated before the men of Israel and fled in the direction leading to the desert.

But the Israelites who came out of the city overtook them and destroyed them.

They surrounded the men of Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and crushed them opposite Gibeah by the east.

Eighteen thousand Benjaminites fell, all valiant men.

The survivors retreated and fled towards the desert to the rock of Rimmon. About five thousand men, however, were killed on the way. They also pursued Benjamin as far as Gideon, killing two thousand men.

On that day, twenty-five thousand sword-wielding Benjaminites died, all valiant men. Of those who fled to the desert to the rock of Rimmon,

six hundred escaped. They remained there for four months.

The troops of Israel turned against the towns of Benjamin and put them to the sword, the people as well as the livestock, and everything in them. They also burned all the cities they found.