Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1All the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the community assembled as one body before the LORD at Mizpah.

1Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah.

2The leaders of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God's people: four hundred thousand armed foot soldiers.

2And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.

3The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites asked, "Tell us, how did this evil act happen?"

3(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?”

4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: "I went to Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night.

4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

5Citizens of Gibeah came to attack me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, but they raped my concubine, and she died.

5And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead.

6Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout Israel's territory, because they have committed a wicked outrage in Israel.

6So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.

7Look, all of you are Israelites. Give your judgment and verdict here and now."

7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”

8Then all the people stood united and said, "None of us will go to his tent or return to his house.

8And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house.

9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will attack it. By lot

9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot,

10we will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of every thousand, and one thousand out of every ten thousand to get provisions for the troops when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for all the outrage they committed in Israel."

10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.”

11So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city.

11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this evil act that has happened among you?

12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you?

13Hand over the wicked men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and eradicate evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.

13Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.

14Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

14Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel.

15On that day the Benjaminites mobilized twenty-six thousand armed men from their cities, besides seven hundred fit young men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah.

15And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.

16There were seven hundred fit young men who were left-handed among all these troops; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized four hundred thousand armed men, every one an experienced warrior.

17And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.

18They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God. The Israelites asked, "Who is to go first to fight for us against the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered, "Judah will be first."

18The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.”

19In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

19Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

20The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah.

20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah.

21The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered twenty-two thousand men of Israel on the field that day.

21The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.

22But the Israelite troops rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day.

22But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.

23They went up, wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of him: "Should we again attack our brothers the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered: "Fight against them."

23And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against them.”

24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites.

24So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day.

25That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and slaughtered an additional eighteen thousand Israelites on the field; all were armed.

25And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword.

26The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD.

26Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27Then the Israelites inquired of the LORD. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there,

27And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?" The LORD answered: "Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow."

28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

29So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

30On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before.

30And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31Then the Benjaminites came out against the troops and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the troops as before, killing about thirty men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country.

31And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel.

32The Benjaminites said, "We are defeating them as before." But the Israelites said, "Let's flee and draw them away from the city to the highways."

32And the people of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.”

33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and took their battle positions at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush charged out of their places west of Geba.

33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba.

34Then ten thousand fit young men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was about to strike them.

34And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them.

35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men of Benjamin; all were armed.

35And the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword.

36Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated. The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

36So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.

37The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

37Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

38The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

38Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city

39the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, "They're defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle."

39the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke.

40But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

41Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them.

41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them.

42They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities slaughtered those between them.

42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst.

43They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.

43Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east.

44There were eighteen thousand men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors.

44Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.

45Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to Rimmon Rock, and Israel killed five thousand men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck two thousand more dead.

45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down.

46All the Benjaminites who died that day were twenty-five thousand armed men; all were warriors.

46So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor.

47But six hundred men escaped into the wilderness to Rimmon Rock and stayed there four months.

47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

48The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and killed them with their swords--the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned all the cities that remained.

48And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.