The Decree of the Assembly
And all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation assembled as one man, from Dan to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to the LORD at Mizpah.
And the chiefs of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God — four hundred thousand men on foot who drew the sword.
And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the sons of Israel said, “Speak — how did this evil happen?”
And the Levite man, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said: “I came to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
And the masters of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. Me they intended to kill; and my concubine they humbled, and she died.
And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her through all the countryside of the inheritance of Israel — for they have committed depravity and outrage in Israel.
Look — all of you are sons of Israel. Give here your word and counsel.”
And all the people rose as one man, saying: “Not one of us will go to his tent, and not one of us will turn aside to his house.
And now, this is the thing we will do to Gibeah: against it by lot.
And we will take ten men of a hundred, for all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to take provisions for the people — so that when they come to Geba of Benjamin, they may do according to all the outrage that it has done in Israel.”
And every man of Israel was gathered against the city, as one man, companions.
And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil that has happened among you?
And now, give up the men, the worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and burn away the evil from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin were mustered on that day from the cities: twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword — besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were mustered at seven hundred chosen men.
Of all this people there were seven hundred chosen men bound in the right hand; every one of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
And the men of Israel were mustered, apart from Benjamin: four hundred thousand men who drew the sword — every one of them a man of war.
Civil War against Benjamin
And they rose and went up to Bethel and asked of God; and the sons of Israel said, “Who shall go up first for us to the battle with the sons of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Judah first.”
And the sons of Israel rose in the morning, and camped against Gibeah.
And the men of Israel went out to battle with Benjamin; and the men of Israel drew up in battle order against them at Gibeah.
And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gibeah, and they brought to ruin in Israel on that day twenty-two thousand men, down to the ground.
But the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves and again drew up for battle in the place where they had drawn up on the first day.
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they asked of the LORD, saying, “Shall I again draw near for battle with the sons of Benjamin my brother?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.”
And the sons of Israel came near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and brought to ruin among the sons of Israel another eighteen thousand men, down to the ground — all of these drew the sword.
And all the sons of Israel, and all the people, went up and came to Bethel; and they wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until the evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
And the sons of Israel asked of the LORD — for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was standing before it in those days — saying, “Shall I once more go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin my brother, or shall I stop?” And the LORD said, “Go up — for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.”
And Israel set men in ambush against Gibeah, all around.
And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and drew up against Gibeah as at other times.
And the sons of Benjamin went out to meet the people; they were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike down some of the people, slain as at other times, on the highways — one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah — in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin said, “They are beaten before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them away from the city onto the highways.”
And all the men of Israel rose from their place and drew up at Baal-tamar; and the ambush of Israel burst out from its place, from the open ground of Geba.
And ten thousand chosen men from all Israel came from in front of Gibeah, and the battle was heavy; but they did not know that the evil was touching them.
And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel; and the sons of Israel brought to ruin in Benjamin on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men — all of these drew the sword.
And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. And the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.
And the ambush hurried and rushed upon Gibeah; and the ambush moved out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword.
Now the appointed sign for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city;
then the men of Israel would turn in the battle. And Benjamin had begun to strike down slain among the men of Israel, about thirty men — for they said, “Surely they are utterly beaten before us, as in the first battle.”
But the cloud had begun to go up from the city, a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin turned behind him — and look, the whole city was going up to the heavens.
And the men of Israel turned; and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that the evil had touched them.
And they turned before the men of Israel toward the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them; and those from the cities were bringing them to ruin in the midst of it.
They surrounded Benjamin; they pursued him; they trod him down with ease, as far as opposite Gibeah toward the rising of the sun.
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men — all of these men of valor.
And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them on the highways five thousand men, and pressed hard after them as far as Gidom, and struck down two thousand men of them.
And all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword — all of these men of valor.
And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon — six hundred men; and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months.
And the men of Israel turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword — from the city, men to livestock, to all that was found; also all the cities that were found they set on fire.