1Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and the land of Gilead, came together as one man unto the LORD in Mizpah. 2And the leaders of all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men armed with swords. 3(Now the descendants of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the people of Israel said, “Tell us how this wicked thing happened?” 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was slain, answered, “I and my concubine came into Gibeah, that belongs to Benjamin, to lodge. 5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, surrounded the house where we were staying the night, and intended to kill me; and they raped and abused my concubine, so that she died. 6And I took my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent them throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed this lewd and outrageous act in Israel. 7Look, you are all children of Israel; give your advice and counsel.” 8And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will return to his house. 9But this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it in the order decided by lot. 10We will take ten out of every hundred men throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the army, that, when they arrive at Gibeah of Benjamin, they may do what they deserve for the outrageous act that they have committed in Israel.”

11So all the men of Israel were gathered, unified as one, against the city. 12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13Deliver these wicked men who are in Gibeah to us now, that we may put them to death, and purge this evil from Israel.” But the descendants of Benjamin would not listen to their fellow Israelites; 14But instead, they came from their cities to Gibeah, to battle against their fellow Israelites. 15The descendants of Benjamin that came from their cities were numbered at that time at twenty-six thousand men with swords, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, itself, who were numbered at seven hundred chosen men. 16Among all these Benjamite soldiers were chosen seven hundred left-handed men; each could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss. 17And the men of Israel, apart from the tribe of Benjamin, were numbered at four hundred thousand men with swords - all these were men of war.

18And Israel, apart from the tribe of Benjamin, went up to the house of God, to ask counsel of God, and asked, “Which of us shall go up first to fight against the descendants of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.” 19And the men of Israel arose in the morning, and camped near Gibeah. 20And they went out to battle the Benjamites; and they took up battle positions against Gibeah. 21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah, and inflicted twenty-two thousand casualties on the Israelites that day. 22Then the men of Israel encouraged each other, and took up the same battle positions they had the first day. 23And the Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and again asked counsel of the LORD, saying, “Shall we go up again to battle against the descendants of Benjamin, our brother?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.” 24And the Israelites approached the descendants of Benjamin the second day. 25And Benjamin came out of Gibeah against them the second day, and inflicted casualties of eighteen thousand Israelites; all armed with swords. 26Then all the people of Israel went up to the house of God, wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted until evening of that day, and offered burnt and peace offerings before the LORD. 27And the children of Israel again enquired of the LORD, (for in those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there; 28And Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, stood before it, saying, “Shall we go out yet again to battle against the descendants of Benjamin, our brother, or not?” And the LORD said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will turn them over into your hands.”

29And Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. 30And they went up against the Benjamites on the third day, and took battle positions against Gibeah, as at other times. 31And the Benjamites came out against them, and were lured away from the city; and began inflicting casualties, killing about thirty men of Israel, as they had earlier, in the fields, on the road leading to the house of God at Bethel, and on the road leading to Gibeah. 32And the men of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, just like before.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee, and lure them out of the city to the highways.” 33And all the men of Israel rose from their place, and took battle positions at Baal-tamar; and those of the Israelite ambush came out of their places in the meadows of Gibeah. 34And ten thousand chosen men of Israel came out in a frontal attack against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but the Benjamites did not realize how near to disaster they were. 35And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel. And that day the men of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand, one hundred Benjamites; all armed with swords. 36Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten; because the men of Israel had given ground to them, trusting in the ambushers positioned near Gibeah. 37And the ambushers rushed upon Gibeah from all sides; and killed all those in the city with the sword.

38Now there was a pre-arranged signal between the men of Israel and the ambushers, that they should cause a great flame and cloud of smoke to rise from the city. 39And when the men of Israel retreated as the Benjamites began their assault and killed about thirty Israelites, they said, “Surely they are beaten again, just as in the first battle.” 40But then the Benjamites saw the flames began to rise from the city like a pillar of smoke behind them. 41And when the retreating Israelites turned back, the men of Benjamin were surprised; and realized that disaster had come upon them. 42Then, they turned to flee from the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them; and the men coming out of the nearby towns cut them down. 43Thus they surrounded the Benjamites, chased and easily overran them east of Gibeah. 44And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all men of war. 45And they turned and fled through the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and the Israelites killed another five thousand of them along the roads, and pursued them as far as Gidom, killing two thousand more of them. 46So that the total of the all Benjamites who died that day was twenty-five thousand who drew the sword; all men of war. 47But six hundred of the Benjamites turned and fled through the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed there for four months. 48And the men of Israel returned to the descendants of Benjamin, and killed them with the sword - the men of every city, as well as the livestock, and anything else they found. They also set fire to all the towns they came to.