Judges 20

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 And so all the sons of Israel went out like one man, from Dan to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, and they gathered together, before the Lord, at Mizpah.
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 every tribe of Israel, convened as an assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers for battle.
3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites then said, 'Tel ushow this crime was committed.'	3 (But it was not hidden from the sons of Benjamin that the sons of Israel had ascended to Mizpah.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was killed, being questioned as to how so great a crime had been perpetrated,
4 The Levite, husband of the murdered woman, spoke in reply and said,	4 responded: “I went to Gibeah of Benjamin, with my wife, and I diverted to that place.
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, at night, surrounded the house in which I was staying, intending to kill me. And they abused my wife with such an incredible fury of lust that in the end 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 taking her up, I cut her into pieces, and I sent the parts into all the borders of your possession. For never before was such a nefarious crime, and so great a sin, committed in Israel.
7 Now, all you Israelites, discuss the matter and give your decision here and now.'	7 You are all present here, O sons of Israel. Discern 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, responded as if with the word of one man: “We shall not return to our own tents, nor shall anyone enter 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 shall do in common against Gibeah:
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 shall select ten men out of one hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of one thousand, and one thousand out of ten thousand, so that they may transport supplies for the army, and so that we will be able to fight against Gibeah of Benjamin, and to repay it for its crime as it deserves.”
11 Thus, as one man, al the men of Israel mustered against the town.	11 And all of Israel convened against the city, like 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 the entire tribe of Benjamin, who said: “Why has so great a wickedness 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 the men of Gibeah, who have perpetrated this deplorable act, so that they may die, and so that the evil may be taken away from Israel.” And they were not willing to listen to the command of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
14 The Benjaminites left their towns and mustered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites.	14 Instead, out of all the cities that were their lot, they convened at Gibeah, so that they might bring them assistance, and so that they might contend against the entire 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 from Benjamin twenty-five thousand who drew the sword, aside from the inhabitants of Gibeah,
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 very strong men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right hand, and casting stones from a sling so accurately that they were able to strike even a hair, and the path of the stone would by no means miss to either side.
17 A count was also held of the men of Israel, excluding Benjamin: there were four hundred thousandmen, al experienced swordsmen.	17 Then too, among the men of Israel apart from the sons of Benjamin, there were found four hundred thousand who drew the sword and who were prepared for battle.
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 rose up and went to the house of God, that is, to Shiloh. And they consulted God, and they said, “Who shall be, in our army, the first to contend against the sons of Benjamin?” And the Lord responded to them, “Let Judah be your leader.”
19 In the morning, the Israelites moved off and pitched their camp over against Gibeah.	19 And immediately the sons of Israel, rising up in the morning, made camp near Gibeah.
20 The men of Israel advanced to do battle with Benjamin; they drew up their battle line in front ofGibeah.	20 And setting out from there to fight against Benjamin, they 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 sons of Benjamin, departing from Gibeah, slew twenty-two thousand men from the sons of Israel, on that day.
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 the sons of Israel, trusting in both strength and number, set their troops in order, in the same place where they had contended 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 But first they also went up and wept before the Lord, even until night. And they consulted him and said, “Should I continue to go forth, so as to contend against the sons of Benjamin, my brothers, or not?” And he responded to them, “Ascend against them, and undertake the struggle.”
24 This second day, the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites,	24 And when the sons of Israel had continued to do battle against the sons of Benjamin on the next day,
25 and, this second day, Benjamin sallied out from Gibeah to meet them and massacred anothereighteen thousand Israelites, al experienced swordsmen.	25 the sons of Benjamin burst forth from the gates of Gibeah. And meeting them, they made such a frenzied slaughter against them that they struck down eighteen thousand men who 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 As a result, all the sons of Israel went to the house of God, and sitting down, they wept before the Lord. And they fasted that day until evening, and they 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 they inquired about their state. At that time, the ark of the covenant of the Lord was in that place.
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 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the first ruler of the house. And so, they consulted the Lord, and they said, “Should we continue to go forth in battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brothers, or should we cease?” And the Lord said to them: “Ascend. For tomorrow, I will deliver them into your hands.”
29 Israel then positioned troops in ambush al round Gibeah.	29 And the sons of Israel stationed ambushes around the city of Gibeah.
30 On the third day the Israelites marched against the Benjaminites and, as before, drew up their line infront of Gibeah.	30 And they brought out their army against Benjamin a third time, just as they had done on the first and second times.
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 But the sons of Benjamin again burst forth boldly from the city. And since their enemies were fleeing, they pursued them a long way, so that they might wound or kill some of them, just as they had done on the first and second days. And they turned their backs along two paths, one bringing them toward Bethel, and the other toward Gibeah. And they struck down 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 that they were falling back as they had done before. But instead, skillfully feigning flight, they undertook a plan to draw them away from the city, and by seeming to flee, to lead them along the above stated paths.
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 And so all the sons of Israel, rising up from their positions, set their troops in order, in the place which is called Baaltamar. Likewise, the ambushes that encircled the city began, little by little, to reveal themselves,
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 advance upon the western part of the city. Moreover, another ten thousand men from all of Israel were provoking a conflict with the inhabitants of the city. And the war grew heavy against the sons of Benjamin. And they did not realize that, on all sides of them, death was imminent.
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 struck them down in the sight of the sons of Israel, and they put to death, on that day, twenty-five thousand of them, along with one hundred men, all warriors and those who 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 sons of Benjamin, when they had seen themselves to be the weaker, began to flee. And the sons of Israel discerning this, gave them room to flee, so that they might arrive at the ambushes that were prepared, which they had positioned 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 after they had risen up suddenly from hiding, and those of Benjamin had turned their backs to those who cut them down, they entered the city, and they struck 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 sons of Israel had given a sign to those whom they had stationed in ambushes, so that, after they had seized the city, they would light a fire, and by the smoke ascending on high, they would show that the city was captured.
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 then, the sons of Israel discerned this sign during the battle (for the sons of Benjamin had thought that they fled, and they pursued them forcefully, cutting down thirty men from 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 they saw something like a pillar of smoke ascending from the city. Likewise, Benjamin, looking back, discerned that the city was captured, for the flames were being carried on high.
41 The Israelites then turned about, and the Benjaminites were seized with terror, for they saw thatdisaster had struck them.	41 And those who before had pretended to flee, turning their faces, withstood them more strongly. And when the sons of Benjamin had seen this, they turned their backs in flight,
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 they began to go toward the way of the desert, with the adversary pursuing them to that place also. Moreover, those who had set fire to the city also met them.
43 They hemmed in the Benjaminites, pursued them relentlessly, crushing them opposite Gibeah on theeast.	43 And so it happened that they were cut down on both sides by the enemies, nor was there any respite for the dying. They were killed and struck down on the eastern side of the city of Gibeah.
44 Of Benjamin, eighteen thousand men fel , al of them brave men.	44 Now those who were put to death in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all very robust fighters.
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 those who remained of Benjamin had seen this, they fled into the wilderness. And they were traveling toward the rock which is called Rimmon. In that flight also, among those who were scattering in different directions, they slew five thousand men. And though they scattered all the more, they continued to pursue them, and then they put to death another 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 happened that all of those who were slain from Benjamin, in various places, were twenty-five thousand fighters, very willing to go to 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 so there remained from the entire number of Benjamin six hundred men who were able to escape and to flee into the wilderness. And they settled at the rock of Rimmon, for 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 sons of Israel, returning, had struck with the sword all that remained in the city, from men even to cattle. And all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.