Judges 20

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The Israelites then al turned out and, as one man, the entire community from Dan to Beersheba,including Gilead, assembled in Yahweh's presence at Mizpah.	1 Then all the children of Israel went out and gathered together as one man from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in Maspha:
2 The leaders of the entire people, of al the tribes of Israel, were present at this assembly of God'speople, four hundred thousand trained infantry.	2 And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen fit for war.
3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites then said, 'Tel ushow this crime was committed.'	3 (Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite the husband of the woman that was killed, being asked, how so great a wickedness had been committed,
4 The Levite, husband of the murdered woman, spoke in reply and said,	4 Answered: I came into Gabaa of Benjamin with my wife, and there I lodged:
5 'The men of Gibeah ganged up against me and, during the night, surrounded the house where I waslodging. They intended to murder me. They raped my concubine to death.	5 And behold the men of that city in the night beset the house wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an incredible fury of lust, so that at last she died.
6 I then took my concubine, cut her up and sent her throughout the entire territory of the heritage ofIsrael, since these men had committed a shameful act, an infamy, in Israel.	6 And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the, parts into all the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.
7 Now, all you Israelites, discuss the matter and give your decision here and now.'	7 You are all here, O children of Israel, determine what you ought to do.
8 The whole people stood up as one man and said, 'None of us wil go home, none of us will go back tohis house!	8 And all the people standing, answered as by the voice of one man: We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his own house:
9 And this is what we are now going to do to Gibeah. We shal draw lots	9 But this we will do in common against Gabaa:
10 and, throughout the tribes of Israel, select ten men out of a hundred, a hundred out of a thousand anda thousand out of ten thousand to col ect food for the people, so that, on their arrival, the latter may treat Gibeahin Benjamin as this infamy perpetrated in Israel deserves.'	10 We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we might fight against Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness, what it deserveth.
11 Thus, as one man, al the men of Israel mustered against the town.	11 And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one man, with one mind, and one counsel:
12 The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin to say, 'What is this crimewhich has been committed in your territory?	12 And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin to say to them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you?
13 Now, give up these men, these scoundrels, living in Gibeah, so that we can put them to death andwipe out this evil from Israel.' The Benjaminites, however, would not listen to their brother Israelites.	13 Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel. But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the children of Israel:
14 The Benjaminites left their towns and mustered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites.	14 But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the whole people of Israel.
15 At the time, a count was made of the Benjaminites from the various towns: there were twenty-sixthousand swordsmen; and the count excluded the inhabitants of Gibeah.	15 And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,
16 In this great army there were seven hundred first-rate left-handers, every man of whom could sling astone at a hair and not miss it.	16 Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side.
17 A count was also held of the men of Israel, excluding Benjamin: there were four hundred thousandmen, al experienced swordsmen.	17 Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords, and were prepared to fight.
18 They moved off, up to Bethel, to consult God. The Israelites put the question, 'Which of us is to gofirst into battle against the Benjaminites?' And Yahweh replied, 'Judah is to go first.'	18 And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.
19 In the morning, the Israelites moved off and pitched their camp over against Gibeah.	19 And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:
20 The men of Israel advanced to do battle with Benjamin; they drew up their battle line in front ofGibeah.	20 And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to assault the city.
21 But the Benjaminites sal ied out from Gibeah and that day massacred twenty-two thousand Israelites.	21 And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.
22 The army of the men of Israel then took fresh heart and again drew up their battle line in the sameplace as the day before.	22 Again Israel trusting in their strength and their number, set their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before:
23 The Israelites went and wept before Yahweh until evening; they then consulted Yahweh; they asked,'Shal we join battle again with the sons of our brother Benjamin?' Yahweh replied, 'March against him!'	23 Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.
24 This second day, the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites,	24 And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight against the children of Benjamin,
25 and, this second day, Benjamin sallied out from Gibeah to meet them and massacred anothereighteen thousand Israelites, al experienced swordsmen.	25 The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen thousand men that drew the sword.
26 Then al the Israelites and the whole people went off to Bethel; they wept and sat in Yahweh'spresence; they fasted all day till the evening and presented burnt offerings and communion sacrifices beforeYahweh.	26 Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings,
27 The Israelites then consulted Yahweh. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there,	27 And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there,
28 and Phinehas son of Eleazer, son of Aaron was its minister at the time. They said, 'Ought I to go intobattle against the sons of my brother Benjamin again, or should I stop?' Yahweh replied, 'March! For tomorrow Ishall deliver him into your hands.'	28 And Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron was over the house. So they consulted the Lord and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into your hands.
29 Israel then positioned troops in ambush al round Gibeah.	29 And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa:
30 On the third day the Israelites marched against the Benjaminites and, as before, drew up their line infront of Gibeah.	30 And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second.
31 The Benjaminites sal ied out to engage the people and let themselves be drawn away from the town.As before, they began by kil ing those of the people who were on the roads, one of which runs up to Bethel, andthe other to Gibeah through open country: some thirty men of Israel.	31 And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel, and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men:
32 The Benjaminites thought, 'We have beaten them, as we did the first time,' but the Israelites haddecided, 'We shal run away and draw them away from the town along the roads.'	32 For they thought to cut them off, as they did before. But they artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee to bring them to the highways aforesaid.
33 All the Israelites then retreated and reformed at Baal-Tamar, while the Israelite troops in ambushsurged from their positions to the west of Gibeah.	33 Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also which were about the city, began by little and little to come forth,
34 Ten thousand picked men, chosen from the whole of Israel, launched their attack on Gibeah. Thebattle was fierce; and the others knew nothing of the disaster impending.	34 And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel attacked the inhabitants of the city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they understood not that present death threatened them on every side.
35 Yahweh defeated Benjamin before Israel and that day the Israelites kil ed twenty-five thousand onehundred men of Benjamin, al of them trained swordsmen.	35 And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, all fighting men and that drew the sword.
36 The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had given ground to Benjamin, since theywere relying on the ambush which they had positioned close to Gibeah.	36 But the children of Benjamin when they saw themselves to be too weak, began to flee. Which the children of Israel seeing, gave them place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared, which they had set near the city.
37 The troops in ambush threw themselves against Gibeah at top speed; fanning out, they put the wholetown to the sword.	37 And they that were in ambush arose on a sudden out of their coverts, and whilst Benjamin turned their backs to the slayers, went into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
38 Now it had been agreed between the Israelites and those of the ambush that the latter should raise asmoke signal from the town,	38 Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the city was taken.
39 whereupon the Israelites in the thick of the battle would turn about. Benjamin began by kil ing some ofthe Israelites, about thirty men, and thought, 'We have certainly beaten them, as we did in the first battle.'	39 And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army)
40 But the signal, a column of smoke, began to rise from the town, and the Benjaminites looking backsaw the whole town going up in flames to the sky.	40 And perceived as it were a pillar of smoke rise up from the city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that the flames ascended on high:
41 The Israelites then turned about, and the Benjaminites were seized with terror, for they saw thatdisaster had struck them.	41 They that before had made as if they fled, turning their faces stood bravely against them; which the children of Benjamin seeing, turned their backs,
42 They broke before the Israelite onslaught and made for the desert, but the fighters pressed themhard, while the others coming out of the town took and slaughtered them from the rear.	42 And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet them.
43 They hemmed in the Benjaminites, pursued them relentlessly, crushing them opposite Gibeah on theeast.	43 And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down on the east side of the city Gabaa.
44 Of Benjamin, eighteen thousand men fel , al of them brave men.	44 And they that were slain in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all most valiant soldiers.
45 They then turned tail and fled into the desert, towards the Rock of Rimmon. Five thousand of themwere picked off on the roads, and the rest were relentlessly pursued as far as Gideon, two thousand of thembeing kil ed.	45 And when they that remained of Benjamin saw this, they fled into the wilderness and made towards the rock that is called Remmon. In that flight, also as they were straggling and going different ways, they slew of them five thousand men. And as they went farther, they still pursued them, and slew also other two thousand.
46 The total number of Benjaminites who fel that day was twenty-five thousand swordsmen, al of thembrave men.	46 And so it came to pass, that all that were slain of Benjamin in divers places, were five and twenty thousand fighting men, most valiant for war.
47 Six hundred men, however, turned tail and escaped into the desert, to the Rock of Rimmon, andthere they stayed for four months.	47 And there remained of all the number of Benjamin only six hundred men that were able to escape, and flee to the wilderness: and they abode in the rock Remmon four months.
48 The men of Israel then went back to the Benjaminites, and put them to the sword-people, livestockand everything else that came their way in the town. And they fired all the towns involved.	48 But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the city to the sword, both men and beasts, and all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.