rd

Judges 20

1 The Iſraelites aſſemble in Mizpéh, to whome the Leuite declareth his wrong. 13 They ſent for them that did the vilense. 25 The Iſraelites are ſwift ouercome. 46 And at length get the victorie
1.THen * all the childié of Iſraél wét out and the Congregacion was gathered together as a one man, from Dan to Beér ſhéba, with the land of Gilead, vnto the b Lord in Mizpéh.
2.And the " chief of all the people and all the tribes of Iſraél aſſembled in the Congregació of the people of God foure hüdreth thouſand fotemen yt c drewe ſword.
3.(Now the children of Beniamin heard that the childré of Iſraél were gone vp to Mizpéh) Then the children of Iſraél d ſaid, How is this wickednes committed?
4.And the ſame Leuite, the womans houſband that was ſlaine, anſwered and ſaid, I came vnto Gibeah that is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge,
5.And the * mé of Gibeah aroſe againſt me, and beſet the houſe round about vpon me by night, thinking to haue ſlaine me, and haue forced my cócubine that ſhe is dead.
6.Then I toke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and ſent e her through out all the countrey of the inheritance of Iſraél: for they haue committed abominacion and vilenie in Iſraél.
7.Beholde, ye are all children of Iſraél: giue your aduiſe, and counſel herein.
8.Thé all ye people aroſe as one má, ſaying, There ſhal not a man of vs go to his tent, nether anie turne into his f houſe.
9.But now this is that thing which we wil do to Gibeáh: we wil go vp by lot agaíſt it,
10.And we wil take ten men of the hüdreth throughout all the tribes of Iſraél, and an hundreth of the thouſand, and a thouſand of ten thouſand to bring g vitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeáh of Beniamin) 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 má.
12.And the tribes of Iſraél ſent mé through all the h tribe of Beniamin, ſaying, What wickednes is this yt is cómitted amóg you?
13.Now therefore deliuer vs thoſe wicked men which are in Gibeáh, that we may put them to death, and put away euil from Iſraél: but the children of Beniamin i wolde not obey the voyce of their brethren the children of Iſraél.
14.But the children of Beniamin gathered them ſelues together out of the cities vnto Gibeáh, to come out and fight againſt the children of Iſraél.
15.¶ And the children of Beniamin 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 ſeuen hundreth choſen men.
16.Of all this people were ſeuen hundreth choſen men, being * left handed: all theſe colde ſling ſtones at an heere breadth, and not faile.
17.¶ Alſo ye men of Iſraél, beſide Béiamin, were nóbred foure hundreth thouſand mé that drewe ſworde, euen all men of warre.
18.And the children of Iſraél aroſe, & wét vp k to the houſe of God, & aſked of God, ſayíg, Which of vs ſhal go vp firſt to fight againſt the children of Beniamin? And the Lord ſaid, Iudáh ſhalbe firſt.
19.Then the childré of Iſraél aroſe vp early and camped againſt Gibeáh.
20.And the men of Iſraél went out to battel againſt Beniamín, and the men of Iſraél put thé ſelues in array to fight againſt them beſide Gibeáh.
21.And the children of Beniamín came out of Gibeáh, & ſlewe downe to the grounde of the Iſraelites that day l two and twentie thouſand men.
22.And the people, the men of Iſraél plucked vp 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 vp and wept before the Lord vnto ye euening, and had aſked of the Lord, ſaying, Shal I go againe to battel againſt the children of Beniamín my brethren? & the Lord ſaid, Go vp againſt them)
24.¶Then the children of Iſraél came nere againſt the children of Beniamín the ſeconde day.
25.Alſo the ſeconde day Beniamín came forthe to mete thé out of Gibeáh, & ſlewe downe to the groūde of the childré of Iſraél againe eightene thouſand men: " all they colde handle the ſworde.
26.Then all the children of Iſraél went vp & all the people came alſo vnto the houſe of God, & wept and ſate there before the Lord & faſted that day vnto the euening, and offred burnt offrings & peace offrings before the Lord.
27.And the children of Iſraél aſked the Lord(for m there was the Arke of the couenant of God in thoſe dayes,
28.And Phinehás the ſonne of Eleazár, the ſonne of Aarón n ſtode before it at that time) ſaying, Shal I yet go anie more to battel againſt the childré of Beniamín my brethren, or ſhal I ceaſe? And the Lord ſaid, Go vp: for tomorowe I wil deliuer them into your hand.
29.And Iſraél ſet men to lye in wait round about Gibeáh.
30.And the children of Iſraél went vp againſt the children of Beniamín the third day, and put them ſelues in array againſt Gibeáh, as at other times.
31.Then the children of Beniamín comming out againſt the people, were o drawé from the citie: and they began to ſmite of the people and kil as at other times, euen by the ways in the field(whereof one goeth vp to the houſe of God, & the other to Gibeáh) vpon a thirtie men of Iſraél.
32.(For the childré of Beniamín ſaid, They are fallen before vs, as at the firſt. But the children of Iſraél ſaid, Let vs flee & plucke them away from the citie vnto the hie p wayes)
33.And all the men of Iſraél roſe vp out of their place, & put them ſelues in array at Baál tamár: and the men that lay in waite of the Iſraelites came forthe of their place, euen out of the medowes of Gibeáh,
34.And they came ouer againſt Gibeáh, ten thouſand choſen men of all Iſraél, & the battel was ſore: for they knewe not that the q euil was nere them.
35.¶And ye Lord ſmote Beniamín before Iſraél, and the children of Iſraél deſtroyed of the Beniamites the ſame day fiue and twentie thouſand and an hundreth men: all they colde handle the ſworde.
36.So the childré of Beniamín ſawe that they were ſtriken downe: for the men of Iſraél r gaue place to the Beniamites, 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 ſelues 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 embuſhméts, that they ſhulde make a great flame, and ſmoke riſe vp out of the citie.
39.And whé the men of Iſraél retired in the battel, Beniamín began to [ſ] ſmite and kil of the men of Iſraél about thirtie perſones: for they ſaid, Surely they are ſtriken downe before vs, as in the firſt battel.
40.But when the flame began to ariſe out of the citie, as a piller of ſmoke, the Beniamites loked backe, and beholde, the flame of the citie began to aſcende vp to heauen.
41.Then ye men of Iſraél turned t againe, and the men of Beniamín were aſtonied: for they ſaw that euil was nere vnto thé.
42.Therefore they fled before the men of Iſraél vnto the way of the wildernes, but the battel ouertoke them: alſo they which came out of the cities, ſlewe them u among them.
43.Thus they compaſſed the Beniamites about, and chaſed them * at eaſe, and ouerran them, euen ouer againſt Gibeáh on the Eaſtſide.
44.And there were ſlaine of Beniamín eightene thouſand men, which were all men of warre.
45.And they turned and fled to the wildernes vnto the rocke of Rimmón: and the Iſraelites x gleaned of them by the way fiue thouſand mé, & purſued after thé vnto Gidóm, & ſlewe two thouſand mé of thé,
46.So that all that were ſlaine that day of Beniamín, were y fiue and twentie thouſand men that drewe ſworde, which were all men of warre:
47.But ſix hundreth men turned & fled to the wildernes, vnto the rocke of Rimmón and abode in the rocke of Rimmón foure moneths.

Notes

1:*.
Oſee 10,9.
1:a.
That is, all with one conſent
1:b.
To aſke counſel
2:".
Ebr corners
2:c.
Meaning mé able to handle their weapon
3:d.
To the Leuite.
5:*.
Or, chief, or lords.
6:e.
That is, her pieces, to euerie tribe a piece, Chap.19,29.
8:f.
Before we haue reuenged this wickednes.
10:g.
Theſe onely ſhulde haue charge to prouide for vitaile for the reſt.
12:h.
That is euerie familie of the tribe.
13:i.
Becauſe they wolde not ſuffre the wicked to be puniſhed, they declared them ſelues to mainteine thé in their euil, & therefore were all iuſtly puniſhed.
16:*.
Chap 3.15.
18:k.
That is, to ye Arke, which was in Shiloh: ſome thinke, in Mizpéh, at verſ.1.
21:l.
This God permitted, becauſe the Iſraelites partely truſted to muche in their ſtrength, and partely God wolde by this meanes puniſh their ſinnes.
25:".
Ebr. all they drawing the ſworde.
27:m.
To wit, in Shilóh.
28:n.
Or, ſerued in the Prieſts office at thoſe daies: for the Iewes write, that he liued thre hundreth yeres.
31:o.
By the policie of the children of Iſraél.
32:p.
Meaning, croſſe wayes or, paths to diuers places.
34:q.
They knewe not, that Gods iudgemét was at hand to deſtroy them.
36:r.
Retired, to drawe them after.
37:*.
Or, made a lōg ſoūde with a trumpet.
39:ſ.
For they were waxen hardy by the two former victories.
41:t.
And withſtode their enemies.
42:u.
For they were cōpaſſed in on euerie ſide
43:*.
Or, droue thẽ frō their reſt.
45:x.
They ſlewe them by one & one, as they were ſcattered abroad
46:y.
Beſides eleuen hundreth that had bene ſlaine in the former battelles.