¶ Then all¹ the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man², from Dan³ even to Beersheba, with the⁴ land of Gilead, unto the⁵ LORD in Mizpeh⁶.

And the chief 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 sword⁷.

(Now the children of Benjamin⁸ heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was⁹ this wickedness?

And the Levite¹⁰, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

And the men¹¹ of Gibeah rose against me, and beset¹² the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine¹³ have they forced¹⁴, that she is dead.

And I took my concubine, and cut her¹⁵ in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel¹⁶.

Behold, ye are all¹⁷ children of Israel; give here¹⁸ your advice and counsel.

And all the people arose as one man¹⁹, saying, We will not²⁰ any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it²¹;

¶ And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand²², to fetch victual 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.

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit²³ together as one man²⁴.

¶ And the tribes of Israel sent men²⁵ through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

Now therefore deliver²⁶ us the men, the children of Belial²⁷, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away²⁸ evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not²⁹ hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

³⁰But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty³¹ and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded³²; every one could sling stones³³ at an hair breadth, and not miss.

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred³⁴ thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of³⁵ God, and asked³⁶ counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah³⁷ shall go up first.

And the children of Israel rose up³⁸ in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

¶ And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

And the children³⁹ of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed⁴⁰ down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

And the people the men of Israel encouraged⁴¹ themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

(And the children of Israel went up and wept⁴² before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the⁴³ LORD said, Go up against him.)

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed⁴⁴ down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

¶ Then all the children⁴⁵ of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept⁴⁶, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And the children of Israel enquired⁴⁷ of the LORD, (for the ark⁴⁸ of the covenant of God was there in those days,

And Phinehas⁴⁹, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood⁵⁰ before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet⁵¹ again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up⁵²; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

And Israel⁵³ set liers⁵⁴ in wait round about Gibeah.

¶ And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn⁵⁵ away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at⁵⁶ other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty⁵⁷ men of Israel.

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee⁵⁸, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

And all the men of Israel rose up⁵⁹ out of their place, and put themselves⁶⁰ in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand⁶¹ chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not⁶² that evil was near them.

And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty⁶³ and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

And the liers in wait hasted⁶⁵, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along⁶⁶, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

Now there⁶⁷ was an appointed sign⁶⁸ between the men of Israel and⁶⁹ the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

And when⁷⁰ the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill⁷¹ of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

¶ But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar⁷² of smoke, the Benjamites looked⁷³ behind them, and, behold, the flame⁷⁴ of the city ascended up to heaven.

And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed⁷⁵: for they saw that evil was come upon them⁷⁶.

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle⁷⁷ overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

Thus they inclosed⁷⁸ the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease⁷⁹ over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon⁸⁰: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty⁸¹ and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

But six hundred⁸² men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them⁸⁴ with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand⁸⁵: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.