Judges Chapter 20
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
2
With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men.
3
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi.
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And he was sore athirst, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.
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But God clave the hollow place that is in Lehi, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore the name thereof was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi, unto this day.
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And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
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And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.
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And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying,
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Let be till morning light, then we will kill him.
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And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
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And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
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And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred
13
pieces of silver.
14
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
15
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
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Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
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Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
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And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
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And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
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So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them off his arms like a thread.
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And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
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And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.
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And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
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And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death.
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And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
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And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.
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And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
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And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him.
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And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.
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Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
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And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
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And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who hath slain many of us.
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And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them. And they set him between the pillars:
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and Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them.
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Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
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And Samson called unto Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
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And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
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And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life.
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Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
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And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
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And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred
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pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah.
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And he restored the eleven hundred
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pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I verily dedicate the silver unto Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
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And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred
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pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah.
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And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
48
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And all the children of Israel went forth, and the assembly gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah.
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And the heads of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people ofGod, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
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And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?
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Then the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came to Gibeah that [belongs] to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
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And the citizens of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house because of me, by night; they thought to slay me, and my concubine have they humbled so that she died.
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Then I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and villany in Israel.
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Behold, all ye, children of Israel, deliberate and give here [your] counsel.
8
And all the people rose up as one man, saying, We will not any one go to his tent, neither will we any one turn into his house.
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But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: [we go] by lot against it;
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and 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 fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the villany that they have wrought in Israel.
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And all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
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And the tribes of Israel sent men to all the families of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you?
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And now give up the men, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But [the children of] Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities of Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities, twenty-six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
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Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; all these slang stones at a hair [breadth], and missed not.
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And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
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And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired ofGod, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.
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And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
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And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
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And the children of Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty-two thousand men.
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And the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and set the battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
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And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even, and inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
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And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
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And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and again destroyed to the ground of the children of Israel eighteen thousand men: all these drew the sword.
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Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up and came to Bethel, and wept, and abode there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.
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And the children of Israel inquired of Jehovah (and the ark of the covenant ofGod was there in those days,
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and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will give them into thy hand.
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And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about.
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And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at the other times.
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And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city, and began to smite of the people, slaying as at the former times, in the highways, of which one leads to Bethel and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. And the children of Israel said, Let us flee, that we may draw them from the city to the highways.
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And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar; and the ambush of Israel rushed forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Geba.
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And there came from opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that disaster was coming upon them.
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And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjaminites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all these drew the sword.
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And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. — And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.
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And the ambush hasted, and fell upon Gibeah; and the ambush drew along, and smote the whole city with the edge of the sword.
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Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush, that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of the city.
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And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle.
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And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended [in smoke] to the heavens.
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Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that disaster was come upon them.
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And they turned before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in their midst.
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They encompassed the Benjaminites, chased them, trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising.
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And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these, men of valour.
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And they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
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So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword: all these, men of valour.
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And six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and abode at the cliff of Rimmon four months.
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And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city as the cattle, and all that was found; even all the cities that were found did they set on fire.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
And all the children of Israel went out, and all the congregation was gathered as one man, from Dan even to Bersabee, and in the land of Galaad, to the Lord at Massepha.
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And all the tribes of Israel stood before the Lord in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
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And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Massepha: and the children of Israel came and said, Tell us, where did this wickedness take place?
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And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I and my concubine went to Gabaa of Benjamin to lodge.
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And the men of Gabaa rose up against me, and compassed the house by night against me; they wished to slay me, and they have humbled my concubine, and she is dead.
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And I laid hold of my concubine, and divided her in pieces, and sent [the parts] into every coast of the inheritance of the children of Israel; for they have wrought lewdness and abomination in Israel.
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Behold, all ye [are] children of Israel; and consider and take counsel here among yourselves.
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And all the people rose up as one man, saying, No one of us shall return to his tent, and no one of us shall return to his house.
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And now this [is] the thing which shall be done in Gabaa; we will go up against it by lot.
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Moreover we will take ten men for a hundred for all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for a thousand, and a thousand for ten thousand, to take provision, to cause them to come to Gabaa of Benjamin, to do to it according to all the abomination, which they wrought in Israel.
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And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one man.
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And the tribes of Israel sent men through the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, What [is] this wickedness that has been wrought among you?
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Now then give up the men the sons of transgressors that are in Gabaa, and we will put them to death, and purge out wickedness from Israel: but the children of Benjamin consented not to hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin were gathered from their cities to Gabaa, to go forth to fight with the children of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin from their cities were numbered in that day, twenty-three thousand, [every] man drawing a sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men of all the people, able to use both hands alike;
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all these could sling with stones at a hair, and not miss.
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And the men of Israel, exclusive of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these [were] men of war.
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And they arose and went up to Bæthel, and enquired of God: and the children of Israel said, Who shall go up for us first to fight with the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Juda shall go up first as leader.
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And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gabaa.
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And they went out, all the men of Israel, to fight with Benjamin, and engaged with them at Gabaa.
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And the sons of Benjamin went forth from Gabaa, and they destroyed in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men down to the ground.
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And the men of Israel strengthened themselves, and again engaged in battle in the place where they had engaged on the first day.
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And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we again draw nigh to battle with our brethren the children of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up against them.
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And the children of Israel advanced against the children of Benjamin on the second day.
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And the children of Benjamin went forth to meet them from Gabaa on the second day, and destroyed of the children of Israel yet further eighteen thousand men down to the ground: all these drew sword.
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And the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bæthel; and they wept, and sat there before the Lord; and they fasted on that day until evening, and offered whole-burnt-offerings and perfect sacrifices, before the Lord,
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for the ark of the Lord God [was] there in those days,
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and Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days; and the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we yet again go forth to fight with our brethren the sons of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up, to-morrow I will give them into your hands.
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And the children of Israel set an ambush against Gabaa round about [it].
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And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and arrayed themselves against Gabaa as before.
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And the children of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and were all drawn out of the city, and began to smite and slay the people as before in the roads, whereof one goes up to Bæthel, and one to Gabaa in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
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And the children of Benjamin said, They fall before us as at the first: but the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them out from the city into the roads; and they did so.
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And all the men rose up out of their places, and engaged in Baal Thamar; and the liers in wait of Israel advanced from their place from Maraagabe.
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And there came over against Gabaa ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel; and the fight [was] severe; and they knew not that evil was coming upon them.
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And the Lord smote Benjamin before the children of Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin in that day a hundred and twenty-five thousand men: all these drew sword.
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And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; and the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambuscade which they had prepared against Gabaa.
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And when they retreated, then the liers in wait rose up, and they moved on toward Gabaa, and the whole ambush came forth, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword.
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And the children of Israel had a signal of battle with the liers in wait, that they should send up a signal of smoke from the city.
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And the children of Israel saw that the liers in wait had seized Gabaa, and they stood in line of battle; and Benjamin began to smite down wounded ones among the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.
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And the signal went up increasingly over the city as a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin looked behind him, and behold the destruction of the city went up to heaven.
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And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin hasted, because they saw that evil had come upon them.
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And they turned to the way of the wilderness from before the children of Israel, and fled: but the battle overtook them, and they from the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.
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And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Nua closely till they came opposite Gabaa on the east.
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And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these [were] men of might.
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And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Remmon; and the children of Israel picked off of them five thousand men; and the children of Israel went down after them as far as Gedan, and they smote of them two thousand men.
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And all that fell of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew sword in that day: all these were men of might.
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And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Remmon, [even] six hundred men; and they sojourned four months in the rock of Remmon.
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And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword from the city of Methla, even to the cattle, and every thing that was found in all the cities: and they burnt with fire the cities they found.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Egressi itaque sunt omnes filii Israel, et pariter congregati, quasi vir unus, de Dan, usque Bersabee, et Terra Galaad ad Dominum in Maspha:
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Omnesque anguli populorum, et cunctæ tribus Israel in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt quadringenta millia peditum pugnatorum.
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(Nec latuit filios Beniamin quod ascendissent filii Israel in Maspha.) Interrogatusque Levita, maritus mulieris interfectæ, quomodo tantum scelus perpetratum esset,
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respondit: Veni in Gabaa Beniamin cum uxore mea, illucque diverti:
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et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum, in qua manebam, volentes me occidere, et uxorem meam incredibili furore libidinis vexantes, denique mortua est.
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Quam arreptam, in frustra concidi, misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis vestræ: quia numquam tantum nefas, et tam grande piaculum factum est in Israel.
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Adestis omnes filii Israel, decernite quid facere debeatis.
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Stansque omnis populus, quasi unius hominis sermone respondit: Non recedemus in tabernacula nostra, nec suam quisquam intrabit domum:
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sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciamus.
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Decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israel, et centum de mille, et mille de decem millibus, ut comportent exercitui cibaria, et possimus pugnare contra Gabaa Beniamin, et reddere ei pro scelere, quod meretur.
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Convenitque universus Israel ad civitatem, quasi homo unus eadem mente, unoque consilio.
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et miserunt nuncios ad omnem tribum Beniamin, qui dicerent: Cur tantum nefas in vobis repertum est?
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Tradite homines de Gabaa, qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt, ut moriantur, et auferatur malum de Israel. Qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israel audire mandatum:
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sed ex cunctis urbibus, quæ sortis suæ erant, convenerunt in Gabaa, ut illis ferrent auxilium, et contra universum populum Israel dimicarent.
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Inventique sunt viginti quinque millia de Beniamin educentium gladium, præter habitatores Gabaa,
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qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi, ita sinistra ut dextra prœliantes: et sic fundis lapides ad certum iacientes, ut capillum quoque possent percutere, et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur.
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Virorum quoque Israel, absque filiis Beniamin, inventa sunt quadringenta millia educentium gladium, et paratorum ad pugnam.
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Qui surgentes venerunt in domum Dei, hoc est, in Silo: consulueruntque Deum, atque dixerunt: Quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Beniamin? Quibus respondit Dominus: Iudas sit dux vester.
19
Statimque filii Israel surgentes mane, castrametati sunt iuxta Gabaa:
20
et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Beniamin, urbem oppugnare cœperunt.
21
Egressique filii Beniamin de Gabaa, occiderunt de filiis Israel die illo viginti duo millia virorum.
22
Rursum filii Israel et fortitudine et numero confidentes, in eodem loco, in quo prius certaverant, aciem direxerunt:
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ita tamen ut prius ascenderent et flerent coram Domino usque ad noctem: consulerentque eum, et dicerent: Debeo ultra procedere ad dimicandum contra filios Beniamin fratres meos, an non? Quibus ille respondit: Ascendite ad eos, et inite certamen.
24
Cumque filii Israel altera die contra filios Beniamin ad prœlium processissent,
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eruperunt filii Beniamin de portis Gabaa: et occurrentes eis tanta in illos cæde bacchati sunt, ut decem et octo millia virorum educentium gladium prosternerent.
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Quamobrem omnes filii Israel venerunt in domum Dei, et sedentes flebant coram Domino: ieiunaveruntque die illo usque ad vesperam, et obtulerunt ei holocausta, atque pacificas victimas,
27
et super statu suo interrogaverunt. Eo tempore ibi erat arca fœderis Dei,
28
et Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron præpositus domus. Consuluerunt igitur Dominum, atque dixerunt: Exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Beniamin fratres nostros, an quiescere? Quibus ait Dominus: Ascendite, cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras.
29
Posueruntque filii Israel insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa:
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et tertia vice, sicut semel et bis, contra Beniamin exercitum produxerunt.
31
Sed et filii Beniamin audacter eruperunt de civitate, et fugientes adversarios longius persecuti sunt, ita ut vulnerarent ex eis sicut primo die et secundo, et cæderent per duas semitas vertentes terga, quarum una ferebatur in Bethel, et altera in Gabaa, atque prosternerent triginta circiter viros:
32
putaverunt enim solito eos more cedere. Qui fugam arte simulantes inierunt consilium ut abstraherent eos de civitate, et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent.
33
Omnes itaque filii Israel surgentes de sedibus suis, tetenderunt aciem in loco, qui vocatur Baalthamar. Insidiæ quoque, quæ circa urbem erant, paulatim se aperire cœperunt,
34
et ab Occidentali urbis parte procedere. Sed et alia decem millia virorum de universo Israel, habitatores urbis ad certamina provocabant. Ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Beniamin: et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus.
35
Percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israel, et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque millia, et centum viros, omnes bellatores et educentes gladium.
36
Filii autem Beniamin cum se inferiores esse vidissent, cœperunt fugere. Quod cernentes filii Israel, dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum, ut ad præparatas insidias devenirent, quas iuxta urbem posuerant.
37
Qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent, et Beniamin terga cædentibus daret, ingressi sunt civitatem, et percusserunt eam in ore gladii.
38
Signum autem dederant filii Israel his, quos in insidiis collocaverant, ut postquam urbem cepissent, ignem accenderent: ut ascendente in altum fumo, captam urbem demonstrarent.
39
Quod cum cernerent filii Israel in ipso certamine positi (putaverunt enim filii Beniamin eos fugere, et instantius persequebantur, cæsis de exercitu eorum triginta viris.)
40
et viderent quasi columnam fumi de civitate conscendere. Beniamin quoque aspiciens retro, cum captam cerneret civitatem, et flammas in sublime ferri:
41
qui prius simulaverant fugam, versa facie fortius resistebant. Quod cum vidissent filii Beniamin, in fugam versi sunt,
42
et ad viam deserti ire cœperunt, illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus. sed et hi, qui urbem succenderant, occurrerunt eis.
43
Atque ita factum est, ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus cæderentur, nec erat ulla requies morientium. Ceciderunt, atque prostrati sunt ad Orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa.
44
Fuerunt autem qui in eodem loco interfecti sunt, decem et octo millia virorum, omnes robustissimi pugnatores.
45
Quod cum vidissent, qui remanserant de Beniamin, fugerunt in solitudinem: et pergebant ad Petram, cuius vocabulum est Remmon. In illa quoque fuga palantes, et in diversa tendentes, occiderunt quinque millia virorum. Et cum ultra tenderent, persecuti sunt eos, et interfecerunt etiam alia duo millia.
46
Et sic factum est, ut omnes qui ceciderant de Beniamin in diversis locis essent vigintiquinque millia, pugnatores ad bella promptissimi.
47
Remanserunt itaque de omni numero Beniamin, qui evadere, et fugere in solitudinem potuerunt, sexcenti viri: sederuntque in Petra Remmon mensibus quattuor.
48
Regressi autem filii Israel, omnes reliquias civitatis a viris usque ad iumenta gladio percusserunt, cunctasque urbes et viculos Beniamin vorax flamma consumpsit.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to the LORD at Mizpah.
2
The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.
3
(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?”
4
The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, “I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.
5
The men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They intended to kill me and they raped my concubine, and she is dead.
6
I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7
Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.”
8
All the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us turn 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 ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to get food for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that the men of Gibeah have done in Israel.”
11
So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12
The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that has happened among you?
13
Now therefore deliver up the men, the wicked fellows who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel.” But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel.
14
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15
The children of Benjamin were counted on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, in addition to the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred chosen men.
16
Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17
The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were counted four hundred thousand men who drew sword. All these were men of war.
18
The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. They asked, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The LORD said, “Judah first.”
19
The children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
20
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.
21
The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed twenty-two thousand of the Israelite men down to the ground.
22
The people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day.
23
The children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening; and they asked of the LORD, saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?” The LORD said, “Go up against him.”
24
The children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25
Benjamin went out against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men. All these drew the sword.
26
Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening; then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
27
The children of Israel asked the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28
and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” The LORD said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand.”
29
Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah.
30
The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31
The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32
The children of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let’s flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
33
All the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal Tamar. Then the ambushers of Israel broke out of their place, even out of Maareh Geba.
34
Ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came over against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but they didn’t know that disaster was close to them.
35
The LORD struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men. All these drew the sword.
36
So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck, for the men of Israel yielded to Benjamin because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah.
37
The ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; then the ambushers spread out, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.
38
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
39
The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle.”
40
But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole city went up in smoke to the sky.
41
The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that disaster had come on them.
42
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle followed hard after them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the middle of it.
43
They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down at their resting place, as far as near Gibeah toward the sunrise.
44
Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor.
45
They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned five thousand men of them in the highways, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck two thousand men of them.
46
So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valor.
47
But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.
48
The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword—including the entire city, the livestock, and all that they found. Moreover they set all the cities which they found on fire.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
And all the sons of Israel go out, and the company is assembled as one man, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah, at Mizpeh.
2
And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, station themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing sword.
3
And the sons of Benjamin hear that the sons of Israel have gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel say, `Speak ye, how hath this evil been?'
4
And the man, the Levite, husband of the woman who hath been murdered, answereth and saith, `Into Gibeah (which <FI>is<Fi> to Benjamin) I have come, I and my concubine, to lodge;
5
and rise against me do the masters of Gibeah--and they go round the house against me by night--me they thought to slay, and my concubine they have humbled, and she dieth;
6
and I lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel;
7
lo, ye <FI>are<Fi> all sons of Israel; give for you a word and counsel here.'
8
And all the people rise as one man, saying, `None of us doth go to his tent, and none of us doth turn aside to his house;
9
and now, this <FI>is<Fi> the thing which we do to Gibeah--against it by lot!
10
and we have taken ten men of a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of a myriad, to receive provision for the people, to do, at their coming to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly which it hath done in Israel.'
11
And every man of Israel is gathered unto the city, as one man--companions.
12
And the tribes of Israel send men among all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, `What <FI>is<Fi> this evil which hath been among you?
13
And now, give up the men--sons of worthlessness--which <FI>are<Fi> in Gibeah, and we put them to death, and we put away evil from Israel.' And <FI>the sons of<Fi> Benjamin have not been willing to hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;
14
and the sons of Benjamin are gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons of Israel.
15
And the sons of Benjamin number themselves on that day; out of the cities <FI>are<Fi> twenty and six thousand men drawing sword, apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah, <FI>who<Fi> numbered themselves, seven hundred chosen men;
16
among all this people <FI>are<Fi> seven hundred chosen men, bound of their right hand, each of these slinging with a stone at the hair, and he doth not err.
17
And the men of Israel numbered themselves, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, drawing sword, each of these a man of war.
18
And they rise and go up to Beth-El, and ask of God, and the sons of Israel say, `Who doth go up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?' and Jehovah saith, `Judah--at the commencement.'
19
And the sons of Israel rise in the morning, and encamp against Gibeah,
20
and the men of Israel go out to battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel set themselves in array with them, <FI>for<Fi> battle against Gibeah,
21
and the sons of Benjamin come out from Gibeah, and destroy in Israel on that day two and twenty thousand men--to the earth.
22
And the people, the men of Israel, strengthen themselves, and add to set the battle in array in the place where they arranged themselves on the first day.
23
And the sons of Israel go up and weep before Jehovah till the evening, and ask of Jehovah, saying, `Do I add to draw nigh to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?' And Jehovah saith, `Go up against him.'
24
And the sons of Israel draw near unto the sons of Benjamin on the second day,
25
and Benjamin cometh out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroy among the sons of Israel again eighteen thousand men--to the earth; all these are drawing sword.
26
And all the sons of Israel go up, even all the people, and come in to Beth-El, and weep, and sit there before Jehovah, and fast on that day till the evening, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.
27
And the sons of Israel ask of Jehovah, --and there <FI>is<Fi> the ark of the covenant of God in those days,
28
and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, is standing before it in those days--saying, `Do I add again to go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or do I cease?' And Jehovah saith, `Go up, for to-morrow I give him into thy hand.'
29
And Israel setteth liers in wait against Gibeah, round about,
30
and the sons of Israel go up against the sons of Benjamin, on the third day, and arrange themselves against Gibeah, as time by time.
31
And the sons of Benjamin come out to meet the people; they have been drawn away out of the city, and begin to smite <FI>some<Fi> of the people--wounded as time by time, in the highways (of which one is going up to Beth-El, and the other to Gibeah in the field), <FI>are<Fi> about thirty men of Israel.
32
And the sons of Benjamin say, `They are smitten before us as at the beginning;' but the sons of Israel said, `Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, unto the highways.'
33
And all the men of Israel have risen from their place, and arrange themselves at Baal-Tamar, and the ambush of Israel is coming forth out of its place, out of the meadow of Gibeah.
34
And they come in over against Gibeah--ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel--and the battle <FI>is<Fi> grievous, and they have not known that the evil is striking against them.
35
And Jehovah smiteth Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroy in Benjamin, on that day, twenty and five thousand, and a hundred men; all these <FI>are<Fi> drawing sword.
36
And the sons of Benjamin see that they have been smitten--and the men of Israel give place to Benjamin, for they have trusted unto the ambush which they had set against Gibeah,
37
and the ambush have hasted, and push against Gibeah, and the ambush draweth itself out, and smiteth the whole of the city by the mouth of the sword.
38
And there was the appointed sign to the men of Israel with the ambush--their causing to go up a great volume of smoke from the city.
39
And the men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin hath begun to smite the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, `Surely they are utterly smitten before us, as <FI>at<Fi> the first battle;
40
and the volume hath begun to go up from the city--a pillar of smoke--and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward the heavens.
41
And the men of Israel have turned, and the men of Benjamin are troubled, for they have seen that the evil hath stricken against them--
42
and they turn before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, and the battle hath followed them; and those who <FI>are<Fi> from the city are destroying them in their midst;
43
they have compassed the Benjamites--they have pursued them--with ease they have trodden them down till over-against Gibeah, at the sun-rising.
44
And there fall of Benjamin eighteen thousand men--the whole of these <FI>are<Fi> men of valour;
45
and they turn and flee toward the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon; and they glean of them in the highways five thousand men, and follow after them unto Gidom, and smite of them two thousand men.
46
And all those falling of Benjamin are twenty and five thousand men drawing sword, on that day--the whole of these <FI>are<Fi> men of valour;
47
and there turn and flee into the wilderness, unto the rock of Rimmon six hundred men, and they dwell in the rock Rimmon four months.
48
And the men of Israel have turned back unto the sons of Benjamin, and smite them by the mouth of the sword out of the city, --men unto cattle, unto all that is found; also all the cities which are found they have sent into fire.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).