Iudicum 20

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Egressi itaque sunt omnes filii Israël, et pariter congregati, quasi vir unus, de Dan usque Bersabee, et terra Galaad, ad Dominum in Maspha.	1 So all the Israelites came out as one man: from Dan to Beer-sheba, and from the land of Gilead, the community was gathered to the LORD at Mizpah.
2 Omnesque anguli populorum, et cunctæ tribus Israël in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt, quadringenta millia peditum pugnatorum.	2 The leaders of all the people and all the tribesmen of Israel, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who were swordsmen, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God.
3 (Nec latuit filios Benjamin quod ascendissent filii Israël in Maspha.) Interrogatusque Levita, maritus mulieris interfectæ, quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset,	3 Meanwhile, the Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites asked to be told how the crime had taken place,
4 respondit : Veni in Gabaa Benjamin cum uxore mea, illucque diverti :	4 and the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, testified: "My concubine and I went into Gibeah of Benjamin for the night.
5 et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum in qua manebam, volentes me occidere, et uxorem meam incredibili furore libidinis vexantes, denique mortua est.	5 But the citizens of Gibeah rose up against me by night and surrounded the house in which I was. Me they attempted to kill, and my concubine they abused so that she died.
6 Quam arreptam, in frustra concidi, misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestræ : quia numquam tantum nefas, et tam grande piaculum, factum est in Israël.	6 So I took my concubine and cut her up and sent her through every part of the territory of Israel, because of the monstrous crime they had committed in Israel.
7 Adestis, omnes filii Israël : decernite quid facere debeatis.	7 Now that you are all here, O Israelites, state what you propose to do."
8 Stansque omnis populus, quasi unius hominis sermone respondit : Non recedemus in tabernacula nostra, nec suam quisquam intrabit domum :	8 All the people rose as one man to say, "None of us is to leave for his tent or return to his home.
9 sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciamus.	9 Now as for Gibeah, this is what we will do: We will proceed against it by lot,
10 Decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israël, et centum de mille, et mille de decem millibus, ut comportent exercitui cibaria, et possimus pugnare contra Gabaa Benjamin, et reddere ei pro scelere, quod meretur.	10 taking from all the tribes of Israel ten men for every hundred, a hundred for every thousand, a thousand for every ten thousand, and procuring supplies for the soldiers who will go to deal fully and suitably with Gibeah of Benjamin for the crime it committed in Israel."
11 Convenitque universus Israël ad civitatem, quasi homo unus eadem mente, unoque consilio.	11 When, therefore, all the men of Israel without exception were leagued together against the city,
12 Et miserunt nuntios ad omnem tribum Benjamin, qui dicerent : Cur tantum nefas in vobis repertum est ?	12 the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin to say, "What is this evil which has occurred among you?
13 Tradite homines de Gabaa, qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt, ut moriantur, et auferatur malum de Israël. Qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israël audire mandatum :	13 Now give up these corrupt men of Gibeah, that we may put them to death and thus purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites refused to accede to the demand of their brothers, the Israelites.
14 sed ex cunctis urbibus, quæ sortis suæ erant, convenerunt in Gabaa, ut illis ferrent auxilium, et contra universum populum Israël dimicarent.	14 Instead, the Benjaminites assembled from their other cities to Gibeah, to do battle with the Israelites.
15 Inventique sunt viginti quinque millia de Benjamin educentium gladium, præter habitatores Gabaa,	15 The number of the Benjaminite swordsmen from the other cities on that occasion was twenty-six thousand, in addition to the inhabitants of Gibeah.
16 qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi, ita sinistra ut dextra præliantes : et sic fundis lapides ad certum jacientes, ut capillum quoque possent percutere, et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur.	16 Included in this total were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed, every one of them able to sling a stone at a hair without missing.
17 Virorum quoque Israël, absque filiis Benjamin, inventa sunt quadringenta millia educentium gladium, et paratorum ad pugnam.	17 Meanwhile the other Israelites who, without Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen ready for battle,
18 Qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei, hoc est, in Silo : consulueruntque Deum, atque dixerunt : Quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Benjamin ? Quibus respondit Dominus : Judas sit dux vester.	18 moved on to Bethel and consulted God. When the Israelites asked who should go first in the attack on the Benjaminites, the LORD said, "Judah shall go first."
19 Statimque filii Israël surgentes mane, castrametati sunt juxta Gabaa :	19 The next day the Israelites advanced on Gibeah with their forces.
20 et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Benjamin, urbem oppugnare cœperunt.	20 On the day the Israelites drew up in battle array at Gibeah for the combat with Benjamin,
21 Egressique filii Benjamin de Gabaa, occiderunt de filiis Israël die illo viginti duo millia virorum.	21 the Benjaminites came out of the city and felled twenty-two thousand men of Israel.
22 Rursum filii Israël et fortitudine et numero confidentes, in eodem loco in quo prius certaverant, aciem direxerunt :	22 But though the Israelite soldiers took courage and again drew up for combat in the same place as on the previous day,
23 ita tamen ut prius ascenderent et flerent coram Domino usque ad noctem, consulerentque eum, et dicerent : Debeo ultra procedere ad dimicandum contra filios Benjamin fratres meos, an non ? Quibus ille respondit : Ascendite ad eos, et inite certamen.	23 Then the Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening. "Shall I again engage my brother Benjamin in battle?" they asked the LORD; and the LORD answered that they should.
24 Cumque filii Israël altera die contra filios Benjamin ad prælium processissent,	24 when they met the Benjaminites for the second time,
25 eruperunt filii Benjamin de portis Gabaa : et occurrentes eis tanta in illos cæde bacchati sunt, ut decem et octo millia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent.	25 once again the Benjaminites who came out of Gibeah against them felled eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them swordsmen.
26 Quam ob rem omnes filii Israël venerunt in domum Dei, et sedentes flebant coram Domino : jejunaveruntque die illo usque ad vesperam, et obtulerunt ei holocausta, atque pacificas victimas,	26 So the entire Israelite army went up to Bethel, where they wept and remained fasting before the LORD until evening of that day, besides offering holocausts and peace offerings before the LORD.
27 et super statu suo interrogaverunt. Eo tempore ibi erat arca fœderis Dei,	27 When the Israelites consulted the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 et Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron præpositus domus. Consuluerunt igitur Dominum, atque dixerunt : Exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Benjamin fratres nostros, an quiescere ? Quibus ait Dominus : Ascendite : cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras.	28 and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was ministering to him in those days), and asked, "Shall I go out again to battle with Benjamin, my brother, or shall I desist?" the LORD said, "Attack! for tomorrow I will deliver him into your power."
29 Posueruntque filii Israël insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa :	29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.
30 et tertia vice, sicut semel et bis, contra Benjamin exercitum produxerunt.	30 The Israelites went up against the Benjaminites for the third time and formed their line of battle at Gibeah as on other occasions.
31 Sed et filii Benjamin audacter eruperunt de civitate, et fugientes adversarios longius persecuti sunt, ita ut vulnerarent ex eis sicut primo die et secundo, et cæderent per duas semitas vertentes terga, quarum una ferebatur in Bethel et altera in Gabaa, atque prosternerent triginta circiter viros :	31 The Benjaminites went out to meet them, and in the beginning they killed off about thirty of the Israelite soldiers in the open field, just as on the other occasions.
32 putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere. Qui fugam arte simulantes inierunt consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate, et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent.	32 Therefore the Benjaminites thought, "We are defeating them as before"; not realizing that disaster was about to overtake them. The Israelites, however, had planned the flight so as to draw them away from the city onto the highways. They were drawn away from the city onto the highways, of which the one led to Bethel, the other to Gibeon.
33 Omnes itaque filii Israël surgentes de sedibus suis, tetenderunt aciem in loco qui vocatur Baalthamar. Insidiæ quoque, quæ circa urbem erant, paulatim se aperire cœperunt,	33 And then all the men of Israel rose from their places. They re-formed their ranks at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush rushed from their place west of Gibeah,
34 et ab occidentali urbis parte procedere. Sed et alia decem millia virorum de universo Israël, habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant. Ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Benjamin : et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus.	34 ten thousand picked men from all Israel, and advanced against the city itself. In a fierce battle,
35 Percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israël, et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque millia, et centum viros, omnes bellatores et educentes gladium.	35 the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel; and on that day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all of them swordsmen.
36 Filii autem Benjamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent, cœperunt fugere. Quod cernentes filii Israël, dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum, ut ad præparatas insidias devenirent, quas juxta urbem posuerant.	36 To the Benjaminites it had looked as though the enemy were defeated, for the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, trusting in the ambush they had set at Gibeah.
37 Qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent, et Benjamin terga cædentibus daret, ingressi sunt civitatem, et percusserunt eam in ore gladii.	37 But then the men in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, overran it, and put the whole city to the sword.
38 Signum autem dederant filii Israël his quos in insidiis collocaverant, ut postquam urbem cepissent, ignem accenderent : ut ascendente in altum fumo, captam urbem demonstrarent.	38 Now, the other Israelites had agreed with the men in ambush on a smoke signal they were to send up from the city.
39 Quod cum cernerent filii Israël in ipso certamine positi (putaverunt enim filii Benjamin eos fugere, et instantius persequebantur, cæsis de exercitu eorum triginta viris),	39 And though the men of Benjamin had begun by killing off some thirty of the men of Israel, under the impression that they were defeating them as surely as in the earlier fighting, the Israelites wheeled about to resist
40 et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere : Benjamin quoque aspiciens retro, cum captam cerneret civitatem, et flammas in sublime ferri :	40 as the smoke of the signal column began to rise up from the city. It was when Benjamin looked back and saw the whole city in flames against the sky
41 qui prius simulaverant fugam, versa facie fortius resistebant. Quod cum vidissent filii Benjamin, in fugam versi sunt,	41 that the men of Israel wheeled about. Therefore the men of Benjamin were thrown into confusion, for they realized the disaster that had overtaken them.
42 et ad viam deserti ire cœperunt, illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus : sed et hi qui urbem succenderant, occurrerunt eis.	42 They retreated before the men of Israel in the direction of the desert, with the fight being pressed against them. In their very midst, meanwhile, those who had been in the city were spreading destruction.
43 Atque ita factum est, ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus cæderentur, nec erat ulla requies morientium. Ceciderunt, atque prostrati sunt ad orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa.	43 The men of Benjamin had been surrounded, and were now pursued to a point east of Gibeah,
44 Fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt, decem et octo millia virorum, omnes robustissimi pugnatores.	44 while eighteen thousand of them fell, warriors to a man.
45 Quod cum vidissent qui remanserant de Benjamin, fugerunt in solitudinem : et pergebant ad petram, cujus vocabulum est Remmon. In illa quoque fuga palantes, et in diversa tendentes, occiderunt quinque millia virorum. Et cum ultra tenderent, persecuti sunt eos, et interfecerunt etiam alia duo millia.	45 The rest turned and fled through the desert to the rock Rimmon. But on the highways the Israelites picked off five thousand men among them, and chasing them up to Gidom, killed another two thousand of them there.
46 Et sic factum est, ut omnes qui ceciderant de Benjamin in diversis locis essent viginti quinque millia pugnatores ad bella promptissimi.	46 Those of Benjamin who fell on that day were in all twenty-five thousand swordsmen, warriors to a man.
47 Remanserunt itaque de omni numero Benjamin, qui evadere et fugere in solitudinem potuerunt, sexcenti viri : sederuntque in petra Remmon mensibus quatuor.	47 But six hundred others who turned and fled through the desert reached the rock Rimmon, where they remained for four months.
48 Regressi autem filii Israël, omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad jumenta gladio percusserunt, cunctasque urbes et viculos Benjamin vorax flamma consumpsit.	48 The men of Israel withdrew through the territory of the Benjaminites, putting to the sword the inhabitants of the cities, the livestock, and all they chanced upon. Moreover they destroyed by fire all the cities they came upon.