20Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead. The entire community assembled in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.H1121H3478H3318H5712H6950H259H376H1835H884H776H1568H3068H4709 2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel—400,000 warriors armed with swords—took their positions in the assembly of the people of God.H6438H5971H7626H3478H3320H6951H5971H430H702H3967H505H376H7273H8025H2719 3(Word soon reached the land of Benjamin that the other tribes had gone up to Mizpah.) The Israelites then asked how this terrible crime had happened.H1121H1144H8085H1121H3478H5927H4709H559H1121H3478H1696H1961H7451 4The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, "My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin.H3881H376H376H802H7523H6030H559H935H1390H1144H6370H3885 5That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead.H1167H1390H6965H5437H1004H5437H3915H1819H2026H6370H6031H4191 6So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime.H270H6370H5408H7971H7704H5159H3478H6213H2154H5039H3478 7Now then, all of you—the entire community of Israel—must decide here and now what should be done about this!"H1121H3478H3051H1988H1697H6098 8And all the people rose to their feet in unison and declared, "None of us will return home! No, not even one of us!H5971H6965H259H376H559H376H3212H168H376H5493H1004 9Instead, this is what we will do to Gibeah; we will draw lots to decide who will attack it.H1697H6213H1390H1486 10One tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel."H3947H6235H582H3967H7626H3478H3967H505H505H7233H3947H6720H5971H6213H935H1387H1144H5039H6213H3478 11So all the Israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.H376H3478H622H5892H2270H259H376 12The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What a terrible thing has been done among you!H7626H3478H7971H582H7626H1144H559H7451H1961 13Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil." But the people of Benjamin would not listen.H5414H582H1121H1100H1390H4191H1197H7451H3478H1121H1144H14H8085H6963H251H1121H3478 14Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites.H1121H1144H622H5892H1390H3318H4421H1121H3478 15In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops who lived there.H1121H1144H6485H3117H5892H6242H8337H505H376H8025H2719H3427H1390H6485H7651H3967H977H376 16Among Benjamin's elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing.H5971H7651H3967H977H376H334H3027H3225H7049H68H8185H2398 17Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin's warriors.H376H3478H1144H6485H702H3967H505H376H8025H2719H376H4421 18Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, "Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?" The LORD answered, "Judah is to go first."H1121H3478H6965H5927H1004H430H1008H7592H430H559H4310H5927H8462H4421H1121H1144H3068H559H3063H8462 19So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibeah.H1121H3478H6965H1242H2583H1390 20Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin.H376H3478H3318H4421H1144H376H3478H6186H4421H1390 21But Benjamin's warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.H1121H1144H3318H1390H7843H776H3478H3117H6242H8147H505H376 22But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day.H5971H376H3478H2388H4421H3254H6186H4725H6186H7223H3117 23For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. They had asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the LORD had said, "Go out and fight against them."H1121H3478H5927H1058H6440H3068H6153H7592H3068H559H5066H3254H4421H1121H1144H251H3068H559H5927 24So the next day they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin,H1121H3478H7126H1121H1144H8145H3117 25but the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword.H1144H3318H7125H1390H8145H3117H7843H776H1121H3478H8083H6240H505H376H8025H2719 26Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.H1121H3478H5971H5927H935H1004H430H1008H1058H3427H6440H3068H6684H3117H6153H5927H5930H8002H6440H3068 27The Israelites went up seeking direction from the LORD. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel,H1121H3478H7592H3068H727H1285H430H3117 28and Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron was the priest.) The Israelites asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again, or should we stop?" The LORD said, "Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you."H6372H1121H499H1121H175H5975H6440H3117H559H3254H3318H4421H1121H1144H251H2308H3068H559H5927H4279H5414H3027 29So the Israelites set an ambush all around Gibeah.H3478H7760H693H5439H1390 30They went out on the third day and took their positions at the same place as before.H1121H3478H5927H1121H1144H7992H3117H6186H1390H6471 31When the men of Benjamin came out to attack, they were drawn away from the town. And as they had done before, they began to kill the Israelites. About thirty Israelites died in the open fields and along the roads, one leading to Bethel and the other leading back to Gibeah.H1121H1144H3318H7125H5971H5423H5892H2490H5221H5971H2491H6471H4546H259H5927H1004H430H1008H259H1390H7704H7970H376H3478 32Then the warriors of Benjamin shouted, "We're defeating them as we did before!" But the Israelites had planned in advance to run away so that the men of Benjamin would chase them along the roads and be drawn away from the town.H1121H1144H559H5062H6440H7223H1121H3478H559H5127H5423H5892H4546 33When the main group of Israelite warriors reached Baal-tamar, they turned and took up their positions. Meanwhile, the Israelites hiding in ambush to the west of Gibeah jumped up to fight.H376H3478H6965H4725H6186H1193H693H3478H1518H4725H4629H1387 34There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops who advanced against Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin didn't realize the impending disaster.H935H5048H1390H6235H505H977H376H3478H4421H3513H3045H7451H5060 35So the LORD helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin's warriors, all of whom were experienced swordsmen.H3068H5062H1144H6440H3478H1121H3478H7843H1145H3117H6242H2568H505H3967H376H8025H2719 36Then the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin's warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibeah.H1121H1144H7200H5062H376H3478H5414H4725H1145H982H693H7760H1390 37Then those who were hiding rushed in from all sides and killed everyone in the town.H693H2363H6584H1390H693H4900H5221H5892H6310H2719 38They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke from the town as a signal.H4150H376H3478H5973H693H7235H4864H6227H5927H5892 39When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin's warriors. By that time Benjamin's warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, "We're defeating them as we did in the first battle!"H376H3478H2015H4421H1144H2490H5221H2491H376H3478H7970H376H559H5062H5062H6440H7223H4421 40But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town,H4864H2490H5927H5892H5982H6227H1145H6437H310H3632H5892H5927H8064 41the men of Israel turned and attacked. At this point the men of Benjamin became terrified, because they realized disaster was close at hand.H376H3478H2015H376H1144H926H7200H7451H5060 42So they turned around and fled before the Israelites toward the wilderness. But they couldn't escape the battle, and the people who came out of the nearby towns were also killed.H6437H6440H376H3478H1870H4057H4421H1692H5892H7843H8432 43The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Gibeah.H3803H1145H3803H7291H1869H4496H5227H1390H4217H8121 44That day 18,000 of Benjamin's strongest warriors died in battle.H5307H1144H8083H6240H505H376H582H2428 45The survivors fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon, but Israel killed 5,000 of them along the road. They continued the chase until they had killed another 2,000 near Gidom.H6437H5127H4057H5553H7417H5953H4546H2568H505H376H1692H310H1440H5221H505H376 46So that day the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors armed with swords,H5307H3117H1144H6242H2568H505H376H8025H2719H582H2428 47leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months.H8337H3967H376H6437H5127H4057H5553H7417H3427H5553H7417H702H2320 48And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to.H376H3478H7725H1121H1144H5221H6310H2719H4974H5892H5704H929H4672H7971H784H5892H4672
21The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, "We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin."H376H3478H7650H4709H559H376H5414H1323H1144H802 2Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.H5971H935H1004H430H1008H3427H6153H6440H430H5375H6963H1058H1065H1419 3"O LORD, God of Israel," they cried out, "why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!"H559H3068H430H3478H3478H3117H259H7626H6485H3478 4Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.H4283H5971H7925H1129H4196H5927H5930H8002 5Then they said, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the LORD?" At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.H1121H3478H559H7626H3478H834H5927H6951H3068H1419H7621H5927H3068H4709H559H4191H4191 6The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.H1121H3478H5162H1144H251H559H259H7626H1438H3478H3117 7How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?"H6213H802H3498H7650H3068H5414H1323H802 8So they asked, "Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the LORD?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly.H559H259H7626H3478H5927H4709H3068H935H376H4264H3003H1568H6951 9For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.H5971H6485H376H3427H3003H1568 10So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.H5712H7971H8147H6240H505H376H1121H2428H6680H559H3212H5221H3427H3003H1568H6310H2719H802H2945 11"This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin."H1697H6213H2763H2145H802H4904H3045 12Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.H4672H3427H3003H1568H702H3967H5291H1330H3045H376H4904H2145H935H4264H7887H776H3667 13The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.H5712H7971H1696H1121H1144H5553H7417H7121H7965 14Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.H1144H7725H6256H5414H802H2421H802H3003H1568H4672 15The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had made this gap among the tribes of Israel.H5971H5162H1144H3068H6213H6556H7626H3478 16So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?H2205H5712H559H6213H802H3498H802H8045H1144 17There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out.H559H3425H6413H1144H7626H4229H3478 18But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse."H3201H5414H802H1323H1121H3478H7650H559H779H5414H802H1144 19Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.H559H2282H3068H7887H3117H3117H6828H1008H4217H8121H4546H5927H1008H7927H5045H3829 20They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards.H6680H1121H1144H559H3212H693H3754 21When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!H7200H1323H7887H3318H2342H4246H3318H3754H2414H376H802H1323H7887H1980H776H1144 22And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, 'Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.'"H1H251H935H7378H559H2603H3947H376H802H4421H5414H6256H816 23So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.H1121H1144H6213H5375H802H4557H2342H1497H3212H7725H5159H1129H5892H3427 24Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.H1121H3478H1980H6256H376H7626H4940H3318H376H5159 25In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.H3117H4428H3478H376H6213H3477H5869
Dublin, OH
from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel."H3947
