ULT by section JDG 20:1

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The Book of Judges 20

20 Then all of the sons of Israel came forth, and the company was assembled as one man, from Dan and as far as Beersheba and the land of Gilead, before Yahweh at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all of the people, of all of the tribes of Israel, stationed themselves among the company of the people of the true God, four hundred thousand, each a footsoldier wielding a sword. 3 Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. Then the sons of Israel said, “Explain how this wicked thing has been brought about.” 4 So the Levite man, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, answered. He said, “I came, myself and my concubine, to the Gibeah region that belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night. 5 The citizens of the Gibeah region rose up against me. They surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me. Instead they assaulted my concubine so that she died. 6 I took back my concubine and cut her in pieces, and I sent her out into every territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they have committed a heinous crime and a disgrace in Israel. 7 Look, all of you sons of Israel, decide for yourselves advice and a plan here.”

8 All of the people rose up as one man, saying, “We will not go back, each one to his tent, and we will not return, each one to his house! 9 Instead now this is the thing that we should do to the Gibeah region, against it by lot. 10 We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of a thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to get provision for the people, in order to do at their coming to Gibeah in Benjamin, according to all the disgrace that it committed in Israel.” 11 So every man of Israel was assembled against the city, as one man, united companions.

12 The tribes of Israel sent men into all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has been done among you? 13 Therefore, now, give over the men, the sons of worthlessness, who are in the region of Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and thus we may incinerate evil out of Israel.” But they were not willing, Benjamin, to heed the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14 Then the sons of Benjamin assembled themselves out of the cities to the region of Gibeah, coming out to the battle against the sons of Israel. 15 The sons of Benjamin mobilized together from the cities on that day twenty-six thousand men wielding a sword. In addition, out of the inhabitants of the Gibeah region seven hundred chosen men had been mobilized. 16 Among all of these people were seven hundred chosen men, impeded in his right hand, each of whom could sling with a stone at a specific hair and he would not miss.

17 The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, mustered up for themselves four hundred thousand men wielding a sword, all of whom were men of war. 18 Then they arose and they went up to Bethel. The sons of Israel asked God and they said, “Who should go up for us at the beginning to the battle with the sons of Benjamin?” Yahweh directed, “It shall be Judah at the beginning.”

19 So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and they encamped near the region of Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went forth to the battle against Benjamin. The men of Israel set themselves up for a battle against those in Gibeah. 21 But the sons of Benjamin came forth out of the Gibeah region, and they struck down among Israel twenty-two thousand men to the ground on that day. 22 However the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves and they continued to set up for battle at the place where they had set up there on the first day. 23 Then the sons of Israel went up and they wept before Yahweh until evening. They asked Yahweh, saying, “Should I continue to attack, to the battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother?” Yahweh replied, “Go up against him!”

24 So the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day. 25 Benjamin came forth to confront them from the Gibeah region on the second day, and against the sons of Israel they struck down to the ground another eighteen thousand men. All of these were wielders of a sword. 26 Then the sons of Israel and all the people went up and they came to Bethel. They wept, and they sat there before Yahweh. They fasted on that day until the evening, then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. 27 The sons of Israel asked Yahweh, for the ark of the covenant of the true God was there in those days, 28 when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was serving before it in those days, saying, “Should I continue to go forth to the battle once more against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or should I stop?” Yahweh said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.”

29 So Israel set groups in ambush around the Gibeah region on all sides. 30 The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and they set up for battle against the Gibeah region as was time after time. 31 The sons of Benjamin went forth to confront the people. They were lured away from the city, and they began to strike down some of the people. About thirty men of Israel were slain as was the other time on the roads, of which one went up to Bethel, and one went to the Gibeah region through the field. 32 Then the sons of Benjamin said, “They have been defeated before us, just as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee so that we will draw him away from the city to the roads.” 33 Then every man of Israel rose up out of his place and they set up battle lines at Baal Tamar. The one hiding in ambush of Israel burst forth out of his place from Maareh Gibeah. 34 Ten thousand men, chosen out of all Israel came out in the sight of the Gibeah region, and the battle was heavy. But they did not know that this calamity was coming near to them. 35 Thus Yahweh defeated Benjamin before Israel. The sons of Israel destroyed Benjamin on that day, twenty five thousand one hundred men, everyone of those were wielding a sword.

36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel had given a place to Benjamin, because they were confident in the group hiding in ambush that they had placed around the Gibeah region. 37 Then the group hiding in ambush hurried and they spread out around the Gibeah region. The group hiding in ambush marched out and it struck all of the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now there was the prearranged plan for the men of Israel on behalf of the group hiding in ambush: load up so that they would send the rising column of the smoke up out of the city, 39 when the men of Israel retreated from the battle. Then Benjamin began to attack, among the men of Israel about thirty men were slain. For they said, “Surely he is absolutely defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the signal began to rise up out of the city, a pillar of smoke, then Benjamin retreated away from it. Indeed, look, the entirety of the city had gone up to the heavens. 41 Then the men of Israel turned back. Each man of Benjamin was horrified, for he saw that the calamity had come upon them. 42 So they retreated before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the fighting overtook him. Meanwhile those coming out from the cities were destroying him in the very midst of him. 43 They surrounded Benjamin, they put him to flight. With ease they trampled him down as far as opposite the Gibeah region, in the direction of the rising sun. 44 They fell from Benjamin, eighteen thousand men, all of these were men of valor. 45 Then they turned and they fled to the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned along the pathways five thousand men. They pursued closely after him as far as Gidom, and they struck down from him two thousand more men. 46 So it happened that all of the fallen ones of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men wielding a sword, on that day. All of these were men of valor. 47 But six hundred men turned back and they fled to the wilderness, toward the rock of Rimmon. They stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 Then the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin. They struck them down with the edge of the sword, even a city in entirety, including cattle as well as everything that was found. Also all of the cities that were found, they set on fire.

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