30AND IT WAS EVERY <THE> [ONE WHO] SAW AND HE SAID NOT IT HAS OCCURRED AND NOT IT HAS BEEN SEEN LIKE THIS <TO> FROM [THE] DAY CAME UP [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FROM [THE] LAND OF EGYPT UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS SET FOR <THE> YOURSELVES ON IT TAKE COUNSEL AND SPEAK 30And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
1AND THEY WENT OUT ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND IT WAS ASSEMBLED THE CONGREGATION LIKE A MAN ONE <TO> FROM DAN AND TO BEER SHEBA AND [THE] LAND OF <THE> GILEAD TO YAHWEH <THE> MIZPAH The Decree of the Assembly 1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.
2AND THEY PRESENTED THEMSELVES [THE] CORNERS OF ALL THE PEOPLE ALL [THE] TRIBES OF ISRAEL IN [THE] ASSEMBLY OF [THE] PEOPLE OF <THE> GOD FOUR HUNDRED<S> THOUSAND MAN ON FOOT [WHO] DREW A SWORD 2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000. men on foot, armed with swords.
3AND THEY HEARD [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN THAT THEY HAD GONE UP [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL <THE> MIZPAH AND THEY SAID [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SPEAK HOW? DID IT OCCUR THE EVIL <THE> THIS 3(Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”
4AND HE ANSWERED THE MAN THE LEVITE [THE] HUSBAND OF THE WOMAN <THE> MURDERED AND HE SAID <THE> GIBEAH TOWARDS WHICH [BELONGS] TO BENJAMIN I CAME I AND CONCUBINE MY TO SPEND [THE] NIGHT 4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.
5AND THEY ROSE UP ON ME [THE] CITIZENS OF <THE> GIBEAH AND THEY SURROUNDED ON ME <OBJ.> THE HOUSE NIGHT <OBJ.> ME THEY INTENDED TO KILL AND <OBJ.> CONCUBINE MY THEY ABUSED AND SHE DIED 5And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.
6AND I TOOK HOLD ON CONCUBINE MY AND I CUT IN PIECES HER AND I SENT OFF HER IN ALL [THE] LAND OF [THE] INHERITANCE OF ISRAEL FOR THEY HAVE DONE WICKEDNESS AND DISGRACEFUL FOLLY IN ISRAEL 6Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
7HERE! ALL OF YOU O PEOPLE OF ISRAEL GIVE FOR <THE> YOURSELVES A WORD AND COUNSEL HERE 7Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”
8AND IT AROSE ALL THE PEOPLE LIKE A MAN ONE <TO> SAYING NOT WE WILL GO ANYONE TO TENT HIS AND NOT WE WILL DEPART ANYONE TO HOUSE HIS 8Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.
9AND NOW THIS [IS] THE THING WHICH WE WILL DO TO <THE> GIBEAH ON IT BY LOT 9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.
10AND WE WILL TAKE TEN MEN TO THE HUNDRED OF ALL [THE] TRIBES OF ISRAEL AND ONE HUNDRED TO THE THOUSAND AND ONE THOUSAND TO THE TEN THOUSAND TO BRING PROVISION[S] FOR THE PEOPLE TO DO TO COMING THEIR TO GEBA OF BENJAMIN ACCORDING TO ALL THE DISGRACEFUL FOLLY WHICH IT DID IN ISRAEL 10We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah*NoteCloseOne Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”
11AND IT GATHERED EVERY <THE> MAN OF ISRAEL TO THE CITY LIKE A MAN ONE UNITED 11So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.
12AND THEY SENT [THE] TRIBES OF ISRAEL MEN IN ALL [THE] TRIBES OF BENJAMIN <TO> SAYING WHAT? [IS] THE EVIL <THE> THIS WHICH IT HAS HAPPENED AMONG <THE> YOU 12And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?
13AND THEREFORE GIVE UP <OBJ.> THE MEN SONS OF WORTHLESSNESS WHO [ARE] IN <THE> GIBEAH SO WE MAY PUT TO DEATH THEM AND LET US REMOVE EVIL FROM ISRAEL AND NOT THEY WERE WILLING [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN TO LISTEN TO [THE] VOICE OF BROTHERS THEIR [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL 13Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.
14AND THEY GATHERED [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN FROM THE CITIES <THE> GIBEAH TOWARDS TO GO OUT FOR <THE> BATTLE WITH [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL 14And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.
15AND THEY WERE MUSTERED [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN ON THE DAY <THE> THAT FROM THE CITIES TWENTY AND SIX THOUSAND MAN [WHO] DREW A SWORD <TO> APART FROM [THE] INHABITANTS OF <THE> GIBEAH [WHO] THEY WERE MUSTERED SEVEN HUNDRED<S> MAN CHOSEN 15On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.
16[WERE] FROM ALL THE PEOPLE <THE> THIS SEVEN HUNDRED<S> MAN CHOSEN IMPEDED [THE] HAND OF RIGHT HIS ALL THIS [WAS] SLINGING WITH THE STONE TO THE SINGLE HAIR AND NOT HE MISSED 16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.
17AND [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL THEY WERE MUSTERED <TO> APART FROM BENJAMIN FOUR HUNDRED<S> THOUSAND MAN [WHO] DREW A SWORD ALL THIS [WAS] MAN OF WAR 17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000. swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.
18AND THEY AROSE AND THEY WENT UP BETH- -EL AND THEY ASKED BY GOD AND THEY SAID [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WHO? WILL HE GO UP FOR <THE> US AT THE FIRST TO THE BATTLE WITH [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN AND HE SAID YAHWEH JUDAH [WILL BE] AT THE FIRST Civil War against Benjamin 18The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites “Judah will be first the LORD replied.
19AND THEY AROSE [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IN THE MORNING AND THEY ENCAMPED ON <THE> GIBEAH 19The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.
20AND HE WENT OUT [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL TO THE BATTLE WITH BENJAMIN AND THEY DEPLOYED WITH THEM [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL BATTLE TO <THE> GIBEAH 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.
21AND THEY WENT OUT [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN FROM <THE> GIBEAH AND THEY DESTROYED AMONG ISRAEL ON THE DAY <THE> THAT TWO AND TWENTY THOUSAND MAN [THE] GROUND TOWARDS 21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.
22AND IT SHOWED ITSELF STRONG THE PEOPLE [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL AND THEY REPEATED TO DEPLOY BATTLE IN THE PLACE WHERE THEY HAD DEPLOYED THERE ON THE DAY <THE> FIRST 22But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.
23AND THEY WENT UP [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND THEY WEPT <TO> BEFORE YAHWEH UNTIL THE EVENING AND THEY ENQUIRED BY YAHWEH <TO> SAYING ¿ WILL I REPEAT TO DRAW NEAR FOR <THE> BATTLE WITH [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN BROTHER MY AND HE SAID YAHWEH GO UP AGAINST HIM 23They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”
24AND THEY DREW NEAR [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TO [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN ON THE DAY <THE> SECOND 24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites.
25AND IT WENT OUT BENJAMIN TO MEET THEM FROM <THE> GIBEAH ON THE DAY <THE> SECOND AND THEY DESTROYED AMONG [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AGAIN EIGHT- TEEN THOUSAND MAN [THE] GROUND TOWARDS ALL THESE [WERE] DRAWERS OF A SWORD 25That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000. Israelites all of them armed with swords.
26AND THEY WENT UP ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE PEOPLE AND THEY CAME BETH- -EL AND THEY WEPT AND THEY SAT THERE <TO> BEFORE YAHWEH AND THEY FASTED ON THE DAY <THE> THAT UNTIL THE EVENING AND THEY OFFERED UP BURNT OFFERINGS AND PEACE OFFERINGS <TO> BEFORE YAHWEH 26Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
27AND THEY ENQUIRED [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL BY YAHWEH AND [WAS] THERE [THE] ARK OF [THE] COVENANT OF <THE> GOD IN THE DAYS <THE> THOSE 27And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,
28AND PHINEHAS [THE] SON ELEAZAR [THE] SON OF AARON [WAS] STANDING <TO> BEFORE IT IN THE DAYS <THE> THOSE <TO> SAYING ¿ WILL I REPEAT AGAIN TO GO OUT FOR <THE> BATTLE WITH [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN BROTHER MY OR? WILL I CEASE AND HE SAID YAHWEH GO UP FOR TOMORROW I WILL GIVE HIM IN HAND YOUR 28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
29AND IT SET ISRAEL AMBUSHERS TO <THE> GIBEAH ROUND ABOUT 29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.
30AND THEY WENT UP [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AGAINST [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN ON THE DAY <THE> THIRD AND THEY DEPLOYED AGAINST <THE> GIBEAH AS TIME ON TIME 30On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.
31AND THEY WENT OUT [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN TO MEET THE PEOPLE THEY WERE DRAWN AWAY FROM THE CITY AND THEY BEGAN TO STRIKE DOWN SOME OF THE PEOPLE FATALLY WOUNDED AS TIME ON TIME IN THE HIGHWAYS WHICH ONE [IS] GOING UP BETH- -EL AND ONE GIBEAH TOWARDS IN THE FIELD ABOUT THIRTY MAN IN ISRAEL 31The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
32AND THEY SAID [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN [ARE] DEFEATED THEY <TO> BEFORE US AS AT THE FORMER [TIME] AND [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THEY SAID LET US FLEE AND WE WILL DRAW AWAY HIM FROM THE CITY TO THE HIGHWAYS 32“We are defeating them as before said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”
33AND EVERY <THE> MAN OF ISRAEL THEY ROSE FROM PLACE HIS AND THEY DEPLOYED AT BAAL TAMAR AND [THE] AMBUSHER OF ISRAEL [WAS] BURSTING FORTH FROM PLACE HIS FROM [THE] OPEN PLACE OF GEBA 33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.*NoteCloseSome LXX manuscripts and Vulgate; Hebrew charged from their positions in Maareh-geba or charged from their positions into the open space of Geba
34AND THEY CAME FROM BEFORE TO <THE> GIBEAH TEN THOUSAND<S> MAN CHOSEN FROM ALL ISRAEL AND THE BATTLE IT WAS HEAVY AND THEY NOT THEY KNEW THAT [WAS] ABOUT TO TOUCH TO THEM <THE> CALAMITY 34Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.
35AND HE DEFEATED YAHWEH <OBJ.> BENJAMIN <TO> BEFORE ISRAEL AND THEY DESTROYED [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AMONG BENJAMIN ON THE DAY <THE> THAT TWENTY AND FIVE THOUSAND AND ONE HUNDRED MAN ALL THESE [WAS] DRAWING A SWORD 35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.
36AND THEY SAW [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN FOR THEY WERE DEFEATED AND THEY GAVE [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL PLACE TO BENJAMIN FOR THEY TRUSTED TO THE AMBUSHER WHOM THEY HAD SET AGAINST <THE> GIBEAH 36Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
37AND THE AMBUSHER THEY MADE HASTE AND THEY MADE A RAID AGAINST <THE> GIBEAH AND HE MARCHED THE AMBUSHER AND HE STRUCK <OBJ.> ALL THE CITY TO [THE] MOUTH OF [THE] SWORD 37The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.
38AND THE APPOINTED SIGNAL IT BELONGED TO [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL WITH THE AMBUSHER MAKE GREAT TO CAUSE TO GO UP THEY [THE] RISING OF THE SMOKE FROM THE CITY 38The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
39AND HE TURNED [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL IN THE BATTLE AND BENJAMIN IT BEGAN TO STRIKE DOWN FATALLY WOUNDED AMONG [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL ABOUT THIRTY MAN FOR THEY SAID SURELY CERTAINLY <TO DEFEATED> [IS] DEFEATED IT <TO> BEFORE US LIKE THE BATTLE <THE> FIRST 39the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”
40AND THE RISING IT BEGAN TO GO UP FROM THE CITY A PILLAR OF SMOKE AND IT TURNED BENJAMIN BEHIND IT AND THERE! IT WENT UP [THE] ENTIRETY OF THE CITY THE HEAVENS TOWARDS 40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
41AND [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL HE TURNED AND HE WAS TERRIFIED [THE] MAN OF BENJAMIN IF HE SAW THAT IT HAD TOUCHED TO HIM <THE> CALAMITY 41Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.
42AND THEY TURNED <TO> BEFORE [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL TO [THE] WAY OF THE WILDERNESS AND THE BATTLE IT OVERTOOK HIM AND [THOSE] WHO [WERE] FROM THE CITIES [WERE] DESTROYING <OBJ.> HIM IN [THE] MIDST OF HIM 42So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.
43THEY SURROUNDED <OBJ.> BENJAMIN THEY PURSUED HIM REST THEY TROD DOWN HIM TO OPPOSITE <THE> GIBEAH FROM [THE] RISING OF [THE] SUN 43They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.
44AND THEY FELL OF BENJAMIN EIGHT- TEEN THOUSAND MAN <OBJ.> ALL THESE [WERE] MEN OF STRENGTH 44And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.
45AND THEY TURNED AND THEY FLED THE WILDERNESS TOWARDS TO [THE] ROCK OF <THE> RIMMON AND THEY GLEANED HIM IN THE HIGHWAYS FIVE THOUSAND<S> MAN AND THEY PURSUED CLOSELY AFTER HIM TO GIDOM AND THEY STRUCK DOWN OF HIM TWO THOUSAND MAN 45Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000. men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.
46AND IT WAS ALL THOSE [WHO] FELL OF BENJAMIN TWENTY AND FIVE THOUSAND MAN [WHO] DREW A SWORD ON THE DAY <THE> THAT <OBJ.> ALL THESE [WERE] MEN OF STRENGTH 46That day 25,000. Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.
47AND THEY TURNED AND THEY FLED THE WILDERNESS TOWARDS TO [THE] ROCK OF <THE> RIMMON SIX HUNDRED<S> MAN AND THEY DWELT AT [THE] ROCK OF RIMMON FOUR MONTHS 47But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.
48AND [THE] MAN OF ISRAEL THEY TURNED BACK AGAINST [THE] DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN AND THEY STRUCK THEM TO [THE] MOUTH OF [THE] SWORD FROM A CITY OF SOUNDNESS UNTO ANIMAL UNTO EVERYTHING WHICH WAS FOUND ALSO ALL THE CITIES WHICH WERE FOUND THEY SENT IN <THE> FIRE 48And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.