New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to 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 chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword.

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(Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?"

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 woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: "I went to Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night.

5"But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravished my concubine so that 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.

6"And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance; for they have 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.

7"Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your advice and counsel here."

7Look, all of you are Israelites. Give your judgment and verdict here and now."

8Then all the people arose as one man, saying, "Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house.

8Then all the people stood united and said, "None of us will go to his tent or return to his house.

9"But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot.

9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go against it by lot.

10"And we will take 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 to supply food for the people, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the disgraceful acts that 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."

11Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

11So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city.

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this outrage that has occurred among you?

13"Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

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.

14The sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.

14Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

15From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were numbered, 26,000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were numbered, 700 choice men.

15On that day the Benjaminites rallied 26,000 armed men from their cities, besides 700 choice men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah.

16Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

16There were 700 choice men who were left-handed among all these people; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, rallied 400,000 armed men, every one an experienced warrior.

18Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, "Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?" Then the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."

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."

19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah.

19In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

20The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah.

20The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah.

21Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel.

21The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered 22,000 men of Israel on the field that day.

22But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves 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.

23The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

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."

24Then the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites.

25Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword.

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 all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before 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.

27The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

27Then the Israelites inquired of the LORD. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there,

28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, 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 men in ambush around Gibeah.

29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times.

30On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before.

31The sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

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.

32The sons of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways."

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."

33Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

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.

34When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to 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.

35And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword.

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.

36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom 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 hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

37The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise 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,

39Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, "Surely 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 cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven.

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, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them.

41Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them.

42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

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 Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.

43They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.

44Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors.

44There were 18,000 men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors.

45The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them at Gidom and killed 2,000 of them.

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.

46So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors.

46All the Benjaminites who died that day were 25,000 armed men; all were warriors.

47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

47But 600 men escaped into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and stayed there four months.

48The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

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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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.