| English Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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?” | 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 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. | 4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.” | 7Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.” |
| 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. | 8Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house. |
| 9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against 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 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.” | 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 in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.” |
| 11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. | 11So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city. |
| 12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? | 12And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? |
| 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. | 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. |
| 14Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. | 14And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. |
| 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. | 15On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. |
| 16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. | 16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. |
| 17And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. | 17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior. |
| 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.” | 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. |
| 19Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. | 19The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near 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. | 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. |
| 21The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. | 21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that 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. | 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 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.” | 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.” |
| 24So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. | 24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites. |
| 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. | 25That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords. |
| 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. | 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 the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, | 27And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 29So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. | 29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. |
| 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. | 30On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before. |
| 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. | 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 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.” | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 37The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. |
| 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 | 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, |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 43Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. | 43They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. |
| 44Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. | 44And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 46So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. | 46That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor. |
| 47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained 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 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. | 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. |
| 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. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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