Judges 20 (GLT)

1Then all of the sons of Israel came forth, and the company was assembled as one man, from Dan and as far as Beersheba and the land of Gilead, before Yahweh at Mizpah.Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

2The leaders of all of the people, of all of the tribes of Israel, stationed themselves among the company of the people of the true God, four hundred thousand, each a footsoldier wielding a sword.The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.

3Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. Then the sons of Israel said,“Explain how this wicked thing has been brought about.”(Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”

4So the Levite man, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, answered. He said,“I came, myself and my concubine, to the Gibeah region that belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night.So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

5The citizens of the Gibeah region rose up against me. They surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me. Instead they assaulted my concubine so that she died.And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

6I took back my concubine and cut her in pieces, and I sent her out into every territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they have committed a heinous crime and a disgrace in Israel.Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7Look, all of you sons of Israel, decide for yourselves advice and a plan here.”Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

8All of the people rose up as one man, saying,“We will not go back, each one to his tent, and we will not return, each one to his house!Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.

9Instead now this is the thing that we should do to the Gibeah region, against it by lot.Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.

10We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of a thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to get provision for the people, in order to do at their coming to Gibeah in Benjamin, according to all the disgrace that it committed in Israel.”We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

11So every man of Israel was assembled against the city, as one man, united companions.So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.

12The tribes of Israel sent men into all the tribes of Benjamin, saying,“What is this wickedness that has been done among you?And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

13Therefore, now, give over the men, the sons of worthlessness, who are in the region of Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and thus we may incinerate evil out of Israel.” But they were not willing, Benjamin, to heed the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.

14Then the sons of Benjamin assembled themselves out of the cities to the region of Gibeah, coming out to the battle against the sons of Israel.And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

15The sons of Benjamin mobilized together from the cities on that day twenty- six thousand men wielding a sword. In addition, out of the inhabitants of the Gibeah region seven hundred chosen men had been mobilized.On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.

16Among all of these people were seven hundred chosen men, impeded in his right hand, each of whom could sling with a stone at a specific hair and he would not miss.Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

17The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, mustered up for themselves four hundred thousand men wielding a sword, all of whom were men of war.The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.

18Then they arose and they went up to Bethel. The sons of Israel asked God and they said,“Who should go up for us at the beginning to the battle with the sons of Benjamin?” Yahweh directed,“It shall be Judah at the beginning.”The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.

19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and they encamped near the region of Gibeah.The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

20The men of Israel went forth to the battle against Benjamin. The men of Israel set themselves up for a battle against those in Gibeah.And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

21But the sons of Benjamin came forth out of the Gibeah region, and they struck down among Israel twenty- two thousand men to the ground on that day.And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

22However the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves and they continued to set up for battle at the place where they had set up there on the first day.But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

23Then the sons of Israel went up and they wept before Yahweh until evening. They asked Yahweh, saying,“Should I continue to attack, to the battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother?” Yahweh replied,“Go up against him!”They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

24So the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites.

25Benjamin came forth to confront them from the Gibeah region on the second day, and against the sons of Israel they struck down to the ground another eighteen thousand men. All of these were wielders of a sword.That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

26Then the sons of Israel and all the people went up and they came to Bethel. They wept, and they sat there before Yahweh. They fasted on that day until the evening, then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

27The sons of Israel asked Yahweh, for the ark of the covenant of the true God was there in those days,And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

28when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was serving before it in those days, saying,“Should I continue to go forth to the battle once more against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or should I stop?” Yahweh said,“Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.”and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29So Israel set groups in ambush around the Gibeah region on all sides.So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and they set up for battle against the Gibeah region as was time after time.On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

31The sons of Benjamin went forth to confront the people. They were lured away from the city, and they began to strike down some of the people. About thirty men of Israel were slain as was the other time on the roads, of which one went up to Bethel, and one went to the Gibeah region through the field.The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

32Then the sons of Benjamin said,“They have been defeated before us, just as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said,“Let us flee so that we will draw him away from the city to the roads.”“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

33Then every man of Israel rose up out of his place and they set up battle lines at Baal Tamar. The one hiding in ambush of Israel burst forth out of his place from Maareh Gibeah.So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.

34Ten thousand men, chosen out of all Israel came out in the sight of the Gibeah region, and the battle was heavy. But they did not know that this calamity was coming near to them.Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.

35Thus Yahweh defeated Benjamin before Israel. The sons of Israel destroyed Benjamin on that day, twenty five thousand one hundred men, everyone of those were wielding a sword.The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.

36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel had given a place to Benjamin, because they were confident in the group hiding in ambush that they had placed around the Gibeah region.Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

37Then the group hiding in ambush hurried and they spread out around the Gibeah region. The group hiding in ambush marched out and it struck all of the city with the edge of the sword.The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

38Now there was the prearranged plan for the men of Israel on behalf of the group hiding in ambush: load up so that they would send the rising column of the smoke up out of the city,The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

39when the men of Israel retreated from the battle. Then Benjamin began to attack, among the men of Israel about thirty men were slain. For they said,“Surely he is absolutely defeated before us, as in the first battle.”the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

40But when the signal began to rise up out of the city, a pillar of smoke, then Benjamin retreated away from it. Indeed, look, the entirety of the city had gone up to the heavens.But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

41Then the men of Israel turned back. Each man of Benjamin was horrified, for he saw that the calamity had come upon them.Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

42So they retreated before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the fighting overtook him. Meanwhile those coming out from the cities were destroying him in the very midst of him.So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

43They surrounded Benjamin, they put him to flight. With ease they trampled him down as far as opposite the Gibeah region, in the direction of the rising sun.They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

44They fell from Benjamin, eighteen thousand men, all of these were men of valor.And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

45Then they turned and they fled to the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned along the pathways five thousand men. They pursued closely after him as far as Gidom, and they struck down from him two thousand more men.Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.

46So it happened that all of the fallen ones of Benjamin were twenty- five thousand men wielding a sword, on that day. All of these were men of valor.That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

47But six hundred men turned back and they fled to the wilderness, toward the rock of Rimmon. They stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months.But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.

48Then the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin. They struck them down with the edge of the sword, even a city in entirety, including cattle as well as everything that was found. Also all of the cities that were found, they set on fire.And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

Judges 20

You’ve read Judges 20

Go Deeper

Judges 20

You’ve read Judges 20

Go Deeper