Judges 20 - 21
A Battle Between Israel and Benjamin
20Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to Yahweh at aMizpah. 2And the 1chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot 2soldiers awho draw the sword. 3(Then the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil take place?” 4So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 5“Then the amen of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they bviolated my concubine, and she died. 6“And I aseized my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for bthey have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. 7“Behold, all you sons of Israel, agive your advice and counsel here.”
8Then all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us turn aside to his house. 9“But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot. 10“And we will take 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 in order to take up provisions for the people, that when they come to 1Gibeah of Benjamin, they may do to them according to all the disgraceful acts that they have done in Israel.” 11Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.
12Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire 1tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil that has taken place among you? 13“So now, give up the men, the 1,avile fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and bpurge this evil from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14Then the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel. 15And from the cities on that day the asons of Benjamin were 1numbered, 26,000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were 2numbered, 700 choice men. 16Out of all these people 700 achoice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17And the men of Israel besides Benjamin were 1numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.
18Then the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and aasked of God and said, “Who shall go up for us to begin the battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then Yahweh said, “Judah shall begin it.”
19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arranged themselves for battle against them at Gibeah. 21Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and adestroyed to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel. 22But the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves and arranged themselves for battle again in the place where they had arranged themselves the first day. 23aAnd the sons of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and basked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall we again approach for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Go up against him.”
24Then the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin the second day. 25And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day and destroyed to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword. 26Then aall the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before Yahweh and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. 27Then the sons of Israel aasked of Yahweh (now the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And Yahweh said, “Go up, afor tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”
29aSo Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times. 31aSo the sons of Benjamin went out to meet the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike 1and slay some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32The sons of Benjamin said, “They are 1defeated before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; aand the men of Israel in ambush burst forth of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. 34Then 10,000 choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle became heavy; abut 1Benjamin did not know that 2calamity was 3about to reach them. 35Then Yahweh 1defeated Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all 2who drew the sword.
36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were 1defeated. aNow the men of Israel had given 2ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37aSo the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah. Then the men in ambush deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was athat they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. 39So the men of Israel had turned around in the battle, and Benjamin had begun to strike 1and slay about thirty men of Israel, afor they said, “Surely they are 2defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40But the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned abehind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven. 41Then the men of Israel turned around again, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that 1,acalamity had 2reached them. 42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel atoward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them. 43aThey surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trod them down opposite Gibeah to the east toward the sunrise. 44Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant men. 451And the rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of aRimmon, but they 2caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them 3at Gidom and struck down 2,000 of them. 46So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who drew the sword; all these were valiant men. 47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48Now the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.
A Tribe Is Cut Off
21Now the men of Israel ahad sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2aSo the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening and lifted up their voices and wept 1bitterly. 3And they said, “Why, O Yahweh, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today from Israel?” 4Now it happened the next day that the people arose early and built aan altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5Then the sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For 1they had taken a great oath concerning him awho did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.” 6And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel today. 7“What shall we do for wives for those who are left? But we have asworn by Yahweh not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”
Sons of Benjamin Steal the Daughters of Shiloh
8So they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9Indeed the people were 1numbered, but behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. 10And the congregation sent 12,000 of the men of valor there and commanded them, saying, “Go and astrike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11“Now this is the thing that you shall do: you ashall devote to destruction every man and every woman who has known, that is lain with, a man.” 12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with 1him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were aat the rock of Rimmon and bcalled out peace to them. 14Then Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yet they did not find 1enough for them. 15And the people were sorry for Benjamin because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” 17And they said, “There must be a possession for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel. 18“But we cannot give them wives of our daughters.” For the sons of Israel ahad sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”
19So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in aShiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on 1the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.” 20And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to 1,atake part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. 22“And it will be when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we shall say to them, ‘Be gracious to us concerning them because we did not take for each man of Benjamin 1a wife in the battle, 2,aand you did not give your daughters to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’” 23And the sons of Benjamin did so and carried away wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they stole away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and arebuilt the cities and lived in them. 24Then the sons of Israel went away from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance.
25aIn those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.