Then allthe childrenof Israelwent out, and the congregationwas gathered togetheras oneman, from Daneven toBeer-sheba, with the landof Gilead, untothe LORDin Mizpeh. And the chiefof allthe people, even of allthe tribesof Israel, presented themselvesin the assemblyof the peopleof God, fourhundredthousandfootmenthat drewsword. (Now the childrenof Benjaminheardthatthe childrenof Israelwere gone upto Mizpeh.) Then saidthe childrenof Israel, Tell us , howwasthiswickedness? And the Levite, the husbandof the womanthat was slain, answeredand said, I cameinto Gibeahthat belongeth to Benjamin, Iand my concubine, to lodge. And the menof Gibeahroseagainstme, and beset the house round aboutuponme by night, and thoughtto have slainme: and my concubinehave they forced, that she is dead. And I tookmy concubine, and cut her in pieces, and senther throughout allthe countryof the inheritanceof Israel: forthey have committedlewdnessand follyin Israel. Behold, ye are allchildrenof Israel; givehereyour adviceand counsel. And allthe peoplearoseas oneman, saying, We will notany of us goto his tent, neitherwill we any of us turninto his house. But nowthis shall be the thingwhichwe will doto Gibeah; we will go up by lotagainstit; And we will taketenmenof a hundredthroughout allthe tribesof Israel, and a hundredof a thousand, and a thousandout of ten thousand, to fetchvictualfor the people, that they may do, when they cometo Gibeahof Benjamin, according to allthe follythatthey have wroughtin Israel. So allthe menof Israelwere gatheredagainstthe city, knit togetheras oneman. And the tribesof Israelsentmenthrough allthe tribeof Benjamin, saying, Whatwickedness is thisthatis doneamong you? Nowtherefore deliver us the men, the childrenof Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put awayevilfrom Israel. But the childrenof Benjaminwouldnothearkento the voiceof their brethrenthe childrenof Israel: But the childrenof Benjamingathered themselves togetherout ofthe citiesunto Gibeah, to go outto battleagainstthe childrenof Israel. And the childrenof Benjaminwere numberedat thattimeout of the citiestwentyand sixthousandmenthat drewsword, besidethe inhabitantsof Gibeah, which were numberedsevenhundredchosenmen. Among allthispeople there were sevenhundredchosenmenleft-handed; every onecould slingstonesata hair breadth , and notmiss. And the menof Israel, besideBenjamin, were numberedfourhundredthousandmenthat drewsword: allthese were menof war. And the childrenof Israelarose, and went upto the house of God, and asked counselof God, and said, Whichof us shall go upfirstto the battleagainstthe childrenof Benjamin? And the LORDsaid, Judah shall go up first. And the childrenof Israelrose upin the morning, and encampedagainstGibeah. And the menof Israelwent outto battleagainstBenjamin; and the menof Israelput themselves in arrayto fightagainstthem atGibeah. And the childrenof Benjamincame forthout ofGibeah, and destroyed downto the groundof the Israelitesthatdaytwentyand twothousandmen. And the peoplethe menof Israelencouraged themselves, and settheir battleagainin arrayin the placewherethey put themselves in arraythe firstday. (And the childrenof Israelwent upand weptbeforethe LORDuntileven, and asked counselof the LORD, saying, Shall I go upagainto battleagainstthe childrenof Benjaminmy brother? And the LORDsaid, Go upagainsthim.) And the childrenof Israelcame nearagainstthe childrenof Benjaminthe secondday. And Benjaminwent forthagainstthem out ofGibeahthe secondday, and destroyeddown to the groundof the childrenof Israelagaineighteenthousandmen; allthesedrewthe sword. Then allthe childrenof Israel, and allthe people, went up, and cameunto the house of God, and wept, and sattherebeforethe LORD, and fastedthatdayuntileven, and offeredburnt offeringsand peace offeringsbeforethe LORD. And the childrenof Israelinquiredof the LORD, (for the arkof the covenantof God was therein thosedays, And Phinehas, the sonof Eleazar, the sonof Aaron, stoodbeforeit in thosedays,) saying, Shall I yetagaingo outto battleagainstthe childrenof Benjaminmy brother, orshall I cease? And the LORDsaid, Go up; fortomorrowI will deliverthem into thine hand. And Israelsetliers in waitround aboutGibeah. And the childrenof Israelwent upagainstthe childrenof Benjaminon the thirdday, and put themselves in arrayagainstGibeah, as at other times. And the childrenof Benjaminwent outagainstthe people, and were drawn awayfromthe city; and they beganto smiteof the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of whichonegoeth upto the house of God, and the otherto Gibeahin the field, about thirtymenof Israel. And the childrenof Benjaminsaid, They are smitten downbeforeus, as at the first. But the childrenof Israelsaid, Let us flee, and drawthem fromthe cityuntothe highways. And allthe menof Israelrose upout of their place, and put themselves in arrayat Baal-tamar: and the liers in waitof Israelcame forthout of their places, even out of the meadowsof Gibeah. And there cameagainstGibeahtenthousandchosenmenout of allIsrael, and the battlewas sore: but theyknewnotthatevil was nearthem. And the LORDsmoteBenjaminbeforeIsrael: and the childrenof Israeldestroyedof the Benjamitesthatdaytwentyand fivethousandand a hundredmen: allthesedrewthe sword. So the childrenof Benjaminsawthatthey were smitten: for the menof Israelgaveplaceto the Benjamites, becausethey trusteduntothe liers in waitwhichthey had setbesideGibeah. And the liers in waithasted, and rusheduponGibeah; and the liers in waitdrew themselves along, and smoteallthe citywith the edgeof the sword. Now there wasan appointed signbetween the menof Israeland the liers in wait, that they should make a greatflamewith smokerise upout ofthe city. And when the menof Israelretiredin the battle, Benjaminbeganto smite and killof the menof Israelabout thirtypersons: forthey said, Surelytheyare smitten downbeforeus, as in the firstbattle. But when the flamebeganto arise upout ofthe citywith a pillarof smoke, the Benjamiteslookedbehindthem, and, behold, the flameof the cityascended upto heaven. And when the menof Israelturned again, the menof Benjaminwere amazed: forthey sawthatevilwas comeuponthem. Therefore they turned their backs beforethe menof Israeluntothe wayof the wilderness; but the battleovertookthem; and them which came out of the citiesthey destroyedin the midstof them. Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chasedthem, and trod them downwith easeover againstGibeahtoward the sunrising. And there fellof Benjamineighteenthousandmen; allthese were menof valor. And they turnedand fledtoward the wildernessuntothe rockof Rimmon: and they gleanedof them in the highwaysfivethousandmen; and pursued hardafterthem untoGidom, and slewtwo thousandmenofthem. So that allwhich fellthatdayof Benjaminweretwentyand fivethousandmenthat drewthe sword; allthese were menof valor. But sixhundredmenturnedand fledto the wildernessuntothe rockRimmon, and abodein the rockRimmonfourmonths. And the menof Israelturned againuponthe childrenof Benjamin, and smotethem with the edgeof the sword, as well the menof every city, asthe beast, and allthat came to hand: alsothey seton fireallthe citiesthat they came to.