| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then 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. | 1All the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the community assembled as one body before the LORD at Mizpah. |
| 2The 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. | 2The leaders of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God's people: 400,000 armed foot soldiers. |
| 3(Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?” | 3The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites asked, "Tell us, how did this outrage occur?" |
| 4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. | 4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: "I went to Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night. |
| 5And 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. | 5Citizens of Gibeah ganged up on me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, but they raped my concubine, and she died. |
| 6Then 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. | 6Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout Israel's territory, because they committed a horrible shame in Israel. |
| 7Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.” | 7Look, all of you are Israelites. Give your judgment and verdict here and now." |
| 8Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house. | 8Then all the people stood united and said, "None of us will go to his tent or return to his house. |
| 9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates. | 9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go against it by lot. |
| 10We 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.” | 10We will take 10 men out of every 100 from all the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of every 1,000, and 1,000 out of every 10,000 to get provisions for the people when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for all the horror they did in Israel." |
| 11So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city. | 11So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city. |
| 12And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? | 12Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this outrage that has occurred among you? |
| 13Hand 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. | 13Hand over the perverted men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and eradicate evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not obey their fellow Israelites. |
| 14And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. | 14Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. |
| 15On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. | 15On that day the Benjaminites rallied 26,000 armed men from their cities, besides 700 choice men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah. |
| 16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. | 16There were 700 choice men who were left-handed among all these people; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. |
| 17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior. | 17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, rallied 400,000 armed men, every one an experienced warrior. |
| 18The 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. | 18They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God. The Israelites asked, "Who is to go first to fight for us against the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered, "Judah will be first." |
| 19The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. | 19In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. |
| 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. | 20The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah. |
| 21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. | 21The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered 22,000 men of Israel on the field that day. |
| 22But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day. | 22But the Israelite army rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day. |
| 23They 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.” | 23They went up, wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of Him: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered: "Fight against them." |
| 24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites. | 24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites. |
| 25That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords. | 25That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and slaughtered an additional 18,000 Israelites on the field; all were armed men. |
| 26Then 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. | 26The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD. |
| 27And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, | 27Then the Israelites inquired of the LORD. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there, |
| 28and 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.” | 28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?" The LORD answered: "Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow." |
| 29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. | 29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. |
| 30On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before. | 30On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before. |
| 31The 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. | 31Then the Benjaminites came out against the people and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about 30 men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country. |
| 32“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.” | 32The Benjaminites said, "We are defeating them as before." But the Israelites said, "Let's flee and draw them away from the city to the highways." |
| 33So 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. | 33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and took their battle positions at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush charged out of their places west of Geba. |
| 34Then 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. | 34Then 10,000 choice men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was about to strike them. |
| 35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. | 35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men of Benjamin; all were armed men. |
| 36Then 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. | 36Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated. The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah. |
| 37The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. | 37The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. |
| 38The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, | 38The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, |
| 39the 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.” | 39the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about 30 men of Israel, they said, "They're defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle." |
| 40But 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. | 40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke. |
| 41Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them. | 41Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them. |
| 42So 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. | 42They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities slaughtered those between them. |
| 43They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. | 43They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east. |
| 44And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor. | 44There were 18,000 men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors. |
| 45Then 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. | 45Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel killed 5,000 men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck 2,000 more dead. |
| 46That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor. | 46All the Benjaminites who died that day were 25,000 armed men; all were warriors. |
| 47But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. | 47But 600 men escaped into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and stayed there four months. |
| 48And 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. | 48The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and killed them with their swords--the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned down all the cities that remained. |
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