rd

Judges 20

1 The Israelites assemble in Mizpéh, to whome the Levite declareth his wrong – 13 They sent for them that did the vilenie. 25 The Israelites are twise overcome, 46 And at length get the victorie.
1.Then *all the children of Israél went out & the Congregacion was gathered together as aone man, from Dan to Beér shéba, with the land of Gilead, unto the bLord in Mizpéh.
2.And the ^chief of all the people and all the tribes of Israél assembled in the Congregacion of the people of God foure hundreth thousand fotemen that cdrewe sword.
3.(Now the children of Benjamín heard that the children of Israél were gone up to Mizpéh) Then the children of Israél dsaid, How is this wickednes committed?
4.And the same Levite, the womans housband that was slaine, answered and said, I came unto Gibeáh that is in Benjamín with my concubine to lodge,
5.And the ^men of Gibeáh arose against me, & beset the house round about upon me by night, thinking to have slaine me, and have forced my concubine that she is dead.
6.Then I toke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent eher through out all the countrey of the inheritance of Israél: for they have committed abominacion and vilenie in Israél.
7.Beholde, ye are all children of Israél: give your advise, and counsel herein.
8.Then all the people arose as one man, saying, There shal not a man of us go to his tent, nether anie turne into his fhouse.
9.But now this is that thing which we wil do to Gibeáh: we wil go up by lot against it,
10.And we wil take ten men of the hundreth throughout all the tribes of Israél, and an hundreth of the thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand to bring gvitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeáh of Benjamín) according to all the vilenie, that it hathe done in Israél.
11.¶ So all the men of Israél were gathered against the citie, knit together, as one man.
12.And the tribes of Israél sent men through all the htribe of Benjamín, saying, What wickednes is this that is committed among you?
13.Now therefore deliver us those wicked men which are in Gibeáh, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israél: but the children of Benjamín iwolde not obey the voyce of their brethren the children of Israél.
14.But the children of Benjamín gathered them selves together out of the cities unto Gibeáh, to come out and fight against the children of Israél.
15.¶ And the children of Benjamín were nombred at that time out of the cities six and twentie thousand men that drewe sworde, beside the inhabitants of Gibeáh, which were nombred seven hundreth chosen men.
16.Of all this people were seven hundreth chosen men, being *left handed: all these colde sling stones at an heere breadth, and not faile.
17.¶ Also the men of Israél, beside Benjamín, were nombred foure hundreth thousand men that drewe sworde, even all men of warre.
18.And the children of Israél arose, and went up kto the house of God, and asked of God, saying, Which of us shal go up first to fight against the children of Benjamín? And the Lord said, Judáh first.
19.Then the children of Israél arose up early and camped against Gibeáh.
20.And the men of Israél went out to battel against Benjamín, and the men of Israél put them selves in array to fight against them beside Gibeáh.
21.And the children of Benjamín came out of Gibeáh, and slewe downe to the grounde of the Israélites that day ltwo and twentie The battel with Judges 20: thousand men.
22.And the people, the men of Israél plucked up their hearts, and set their battel againe in array in the place where they put them in array the first day.
23.(For the children of Israél had gone up and wept before the Lord unto the evening, & had asked of the Lord, saying, Shal I go againe to battel against the children of Benjamín my brethren? and the Lord said, Go up against them)
24.¶ Then the children of Israél came nere against the children of Benjamín the seconde day.
25.Also the seconde day Benjamín came forthe to mete them out of Gibeáh, and slewe downe to the grounde of the children of Israél againe eightene thousand men: ^all they colde handle the sworde.
26.Then all the children of Israél went up and all the people came also unto the house of God, and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day unto the evening, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings before the Lord.
27.And the children of Israél asked the Lord (for mthere was the Arke of the covenant of God in those dayes,
28.And Phinehás the sonne of Eleazár, the sonne of Aarón nstode before it at that time) saying, Shal I yet go anie more to battel against the children of Benjamín my brethren, or shal I cease? And the Lord said, Go up: for tomorowe I wil deliver them into your hand.
29.And Israél set men to lye in wait round about Gibeáh.
30.And the children of Israél went up against the children of Benjamín the third day, and put them selves in array against Gibeáh, as at other times.
31.Then the children of Benjamín comming out against the people, were odrawen from the citie: and they began to smite of the people and kil as at other times, even by the wayes in the field (whereof one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeáh) upon a thirtie men of Israél.
32.(For the children of Benjamín said, They are fallen before us, as at the first. But the children of Israél said, Let us flee and plucke them away from the citie unto the hie pwayes)
33.And all the men of Israél rose up out of their place, and put them selves in array at Baál tamár: and the men that lay in waite of the Israélites came forthe of their place, even out of the medowes of Gibeáh,
34.And they came over against Gibeáh, ten thousand chosen men of all Israél, and the battel was sore: for they knewe not that the qevil was nere them.
35.¶ And the Lord smote Benjamín before Israél, & the children of Israél destroyed of the Benjamites the same day five & twentie thousand & an hundreth men: all they colde handle the sworde.
36.So the children of Benjamín sawe that they were striken downe: for the men of Israél rgave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted to the men that lay in wait, which they had laid beside Gibeáh.
37.And they that lay in waite hasted, and brake forthe towarde Gibeáh, and the embushment ^drewe them selves along, and smote all the citie with the edge of the sworde.
38.Also the men of Israél had appointed a certaine time with the embushments, that they shulde make a great flame, and smoke rise up out of the citie.
39.And when the men of Israél retired in the battel, Benjamín began to ssmite & kil of the men of Israél about thirtie persones: for they said, Surely they are striken downe before us, as in the first battel.
40.But when the flame began to arise out of the citie, as a piller of smoke, the Benjamites loked backe, and beholde, the flame of the citie began to ascende up to heaven.
41.Then the men of Israél turned tagaine, & the men of Benjamín were astonied: for they saw that evil was nere unto them.
42.Therefore they fled before the men of Israél unto the way of the wildernes, but the battel overtoke them: also they which came out of the cities, slewe them uamong them.
43.Thus they compassed the Benjamites about, and chased them ^at ease, and overran them, even over against Gibeáh on the Eastside.
44.And there were slaine of Benjamín eightene thousand men, which were all men of warre.
45.And they turned and fled to the wildernes unto the rocke of Rimmón: and the Israelites xglained of them by the way five thousand men, and pursued after them unto Gidóm, and slewe two thousand men of them,
46.So that all that were slaine that day of Benjamín, were yfive and twentie thousand men that drewe sworde, which were all men of warre:
47.But six hundreth men turned and fled to the wildernes, unto the rocke of Rimmón and abode in the rocke of Rimmón foure moneths.
48.Then the men of Israél returned unto the children of Benjamín, and smote them with the edge of the sworde from the men of the citie unto the beasts, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the zcities that they colde come by.

Notes

1-*.
Osee. 10.9.
1-a.
That is, all with one consent.
1-b.
To ask counsel.
2-^.
Ebr., corners.
2-c.
Meaning men able to handle their weapon.
3-d.
To the Levite. 1 Geneva Bible 1560
5-^.
Or, chief, or lords.
6-e.
That is, her pieces, to every tribe a piece, Chap. 19.29.
8-f.
Before we have revenged this wickedness.
10-g.
These only should have the charge to provide for vitaile for the rest.
12-h.
That is, every family of the tribe.
13-i.
Because they would not suffer the wicked to be punished, they declared themselves to maintain them in their evil, and therefore were all justly punished.
16-*.
Chap. 3.15.
18-k.
That is, to the Ark, which was in Shiloah: some think, in Mizpeh, as verse 1.
21-l.
This God permitted, because the Israelites partly trusted too much in their strength, and partly God would by this means punish their sins. 8
25-^.
Ebr., all they drawing the sword.
27-m.
To wit, in Shiloh.
28-n.
Or, served in the Priest’s office at those days: for the Jews write, that he lived three hundred years.
31-o.
By the policy of the children of Israel.
32-p.
Meaning, cross ways or, paths to divers places.
34-q.
They knew not, that God’s judgement was at hand to destroy them.
36-r.
Retired, to draw them after.
37-^.
Or, made along sound with a trumpet. 1 Geneva Bible 1560
39-s.
For they were waxen hardy by the two former victories.
41-t.
And withstood their enemies.
42-u.
For they were compassed in on every side.
43-^.
Or, drove them from their rest.
45-x.
They slew them by one and one, as they were scattered abroad.
46-y.
Beside eleven hundred that had been slain in the former battles.
48-z.
If they belonged to the Benjamites.