Judges 20:12-36

New International Version

¹² The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What about this awful crime that was committed among you?^{(A) 13} Now turn those wicked men^(B) of Gibeah over to us so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.^(C)”

But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. ¹⁴ From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. ¹⁵ At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred able young men from those living in Gibeah. ¹⁶ Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed,^(D) each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

¹⁷ Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fit for battle.

¹⁸ The Israelites went up to Bethel^[a](E) and inquired of God.^(F) They said, “Who of us is to go up first^(G) to fight^(H) against the Benjamites?”

The Lord replied, “Judah^(I) shall go first.”

¹⁹ The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. ²⁰ The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. ²¹ The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites^(J) on the battlefield that day. ²² But the Israelites encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. ²³ The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord^(K) until evening,^(L) and they inquired of the Lord.^(M) They said, “Shall we go up again to fight^(N) against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites?”

The Lord answered, “Go up against them.”

²⁴ Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites,^(O) all of them armed with swords.

²⁶ Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord.^(P) They fasted^(Q) that day until evening and presented burnt offerings^(R) and fellowship offerings^(S) to the Lord.^{(T) 27} And the Israelites inquired of the Lord.^(U) (In those days the ark of the covenant of God^(V) was there, ²⁸ with Phinehas son of Eleazar,^(W) the son of Aaron, ministering before it.)^(X) They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”

The Lord responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.^(Y)”

²⁹ Then Israel set an ambush^(Z) around Gibeah. ³⁰ They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. ³¹ The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away^(AA) from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel^(AB) and the other to Gibeah. ³² While the Benjamites were saying, “We are defeating them as before,”^(AC) the Israelites were saying, “Let’s retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads.”

³³ All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place^(AD) on the west^[b] of Gibeah.^{[c] 34} Then ten thousand of Israel’s able young men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize^(AE) how near disaster was.^{(AF) 35} The Lord defeated Benjamin^(AG) before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. ³⁶ Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten.

Now the men of Israel had given way^(AH) before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush^(AI) they had set near Gibeah.