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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Judges 20 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/judges/20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/judges/20-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > Judges 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../judges/19.htm" title="Judges 19">◄</a> Judges 20 <a href="../judges/21.htm" title="Judges 21">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">Israel Prepares for War</h3><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_1"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.1" class="v7_20_1">1</span>All the people of Israel from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, as well as from the land of Gilead in the east, answered the call. They gathered in one body in the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s presence at Mizpah. </span><span class="v7_20_2"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.2" class="v7_20_2">2</span>The leaders of all the tribes of Israel were present at this gathering of God's people, and there were 400,000 foot soldiers. </span><span class="v7_20_3"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.3" class="v7_20_3">3</span>Meanwhile the people of Benjamin heard that all the other Israelites had gathered at Mizpah.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_3">The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how was this crime committed?” </span><span class="v7_20_4"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.4" class="v7_20_4">4</span>The Levite whose concubine had been murdered answered, “My concubine and I went to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin to spend the night. </span><span class="v7_20_5"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.5" class="v7_20_5">5</span>The men of Gibeah came to get me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me; instead they raped my concubine, and she died. </span><span class="v7_20_6"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.6" class="v7_20_6">6</span>I took her body, cut it in pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These people have committed an evil and immoral act among us. </span><span class="v7_20_7"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.7" class="v7_20_7">7</span>All of you here are Israelites. What are we going to do about this?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_8"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.8" class="v7_20_8">8</span>All the people stood up together and said, “None of us, whether he lives in a tent or in a house, will go home. </span><span class="v7_20_9"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.9" class="v7_20_9">9</span>This is what we will do: we will draw lots and choose some men to attack Gibeah.<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.9!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v7_20_10"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.10" class="v7_20_10">10</span>One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel.” </span><span class="v7_20_11"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.11" class="v7_20_11">11</span>So all the men in Israel assembled with one purpose—to attack the town.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_12"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.12" class="v7_20_12">12</span>The Israelite tribes sent messengers all through the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to say, “What is this crime that you have committed? </span><span class="v7_20_13"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.13" class="v7_20_13">13</span>Now hand over those perverts in Gibeah, so that we can kill them and remove this evil from Israel.” But the people of Benjamin paid no attention to the other Israelites. </span><span class="v7_20_14"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.14" class="v7_20_14">14</span>From all the cities of Benjamin they came to Gibeah to fight the other people of Israel. </span><span class="v7_20_15"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.15-Judg.20.16" class="v7_20_15">15-16</span>They called out twenty-six thousand soldiers from their cities that day. Besides these, the citizens of Gibeah gathered seven hundred specially chosen men<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.15-Judg.20.16!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a strand of hair and never miss. </span><span class="v7_20_17"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.17" class="v7_20_17">17</span>Not counting the tribe of Benjamin, the Israelites gathered 400,000 trained soldiers.</span></p><h3 class="s">The War against the Benjaminites</h3><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_18"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.18" class="v7_20_18">18</span>The Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel, and there they asked God, “Which tribe should attack the Benjaminites first?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_18">The <span class="nd">Lord</span> answered, “The tribe of Judah.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_19"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.19" class="v7_20_19">19</span>So the Israelites started out the next morning and camped near the city of Gibeah. </span><span class="v7_20_20"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.20" class="v7_20_20">20</span>They went to attack the army of Benjamin, and placed the soldiers in position facing the city. </span><span class="v7_20_21"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.21" class="v7_20_21">21</span>The army of Benjamin came out of the city, and before the day was over they had killed twenty-two thousand Israelite soldiers. </span><span class="v7_20_22"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.22-Judg.20.23" class="v7_20_22">22-23</span>Then the Israelites went to the place of worship and mourned in the presence of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> until evening. They asked him, “Should we go again into battle against our brothers the Benjaminites?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_22">The <span class="nd">Lord</span> answered, “Yes.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_22">So the Israelite army was encouraged, and they placed their soldiers in position again, where they had been the day before. </span><span class="v7_20_24"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.24" class="v7_20_24">24</span>They marched against the army of Benjamin a second time. </span><span class="v7_20_25"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.25" class="v7_20_25">25</span>And for the second time the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and this time they killed eighteen thousand trained Israelite soldiers. </span><span class="v7_20_26"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.26" class="v7_20_26">26</span>Then all the people of Israel went up to Bethel and mourned. They sat there in the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s presence and did not eat until evening. They offered fellowship sacrifices and burned some sacrifices whole—all in the presence of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>. </span><span class="v7_20_27"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.27-Judg.20.28" class="v7_20_27">27-28</span>God's Covenant Box was there at Bethel in those days, and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was in charge of it. The people asked the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, “Should we go out to fight our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we give up?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_27">The <span class="nd">Lord</span> answered, “Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_29"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.29" class="v7_20_29">29</span>So the Israelites put some soldiers in hiding around Gibeah. </span><span class="v7_20_30"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.30" class="v7_20_30">30</span>Then for the third straight day they marched against the army of Benjamin and placed their soldiers in battle position facing Gibeah, as they had done before. </span><span class="v7_20_31"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.31" class="v7_20_31">31</span>The Benjaminites came out to fight and were led away from the city. As they had before, they began killing some Israelites in the open country, on the road to Bethel and on the road to Gibeah. They killed about thirty Israelites. </span><span class="v7_20_32"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.32" class="v7_20_32">32</span>The Benjaminites said, “We've beaten them just as before.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_32">But the Israelites had planned to retreat and lead them away from the city onto the roads. </span><span class="v7_20_33"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.33" class="v7_20_33">33</span>So when the main army of the Israelites pulled back and regrouped at Baaltamar, the men surrounding Gibeah suddenly rushed out of their hiding places in the rocky country around the city.<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.33!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v7_20_34"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.34" class="v7_20_34">34</span>Ten thousand men, specially chosen out of all Israel, attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was hard. The Benjaminites had not realized that they were about to be destroyed. </span><span class="v7_20_35"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.35" class="v7_20_35">35</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> gave Israel victory over the army of Benjamin. The Israelites killed 25,100 of the enemy that day, </span><span class="v7_20_36"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.36" class="v7_20_36">36</span>and the Benjaminites realized they were defeated.</span></p><h3 class="s">How the Israelites Won</h3><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_36">The main body of the Israelite army had retreated from the Benjaminites because they were relying on the men that they had put in hiding around Gibeah. </span><span class="v7_20_37"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.37" class="v7_20_37">37</span>These men ran quickly toward Gibeah; they spread out in the city and killed everyone there. </span><span class="v7_20_38"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.38" class="v7_20_38">38</span>The main Israelite army and the men in hiding had arranged a signal. When they saw a big cloud of smoke going up from the town, </span><span class="v7_20_39"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.39" class="v7_20_39">39</span>the Israelites out on the battlefield were to turn around. By this time the Benjaminites had already killed the thirty Israelites. They told themselves, “Yes, we've beaten them just as before.” </span><span class="v7_20_40"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.40" class="v7_20_40">40</span>Then the signal appeared; a cloud of smoke began to go up from the town. The Benjaminites looked behind them and were amazed to see the whole city going up in flames. </span><span class="v7_20_41"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.41" class="v7_20_41">41</span>Then the Israelites turned around, and the Benjaminites were thrown into panic because they realized that they were about to be destroyed. </span><span class="v7_20_42"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.42" class="v7_20_42">42</span>They retreated from the Israelites and ran toward the open country, but they could not escape. They were caught between the main army and the men who were now coming out of the city,<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.42!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and they were destroyed. </span><span class="v7_20_43"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.43" class="v7_20_43">43</span>The Israelites had the enemy trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point east of Gibeah, killing them as they went.<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.20.43!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v7_20_44"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.44" class="v7_20_44">44</span>Eighteen thousand of the best Benjaminite soldiers were killed. </span><span class="v7_20_45"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.45" class="v7_20_45">45</span>The others turned and ran toward the open country to Rimmon Rock. Five thousand of them were killed on the roads. The Israelites continued to pursue the rest to Gidom, killing two thousand. </span><span class="v7_20_46"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.46" class="v7_20_46">46</span>In all, twenty-five thousand Benjaminites were killed that day—all of them brave soldiers.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_20_47"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.47" class="v7_20_47">47</span>But six hundred men were able to escape to the open country to Rimmon Rock, and they stayed there four months. </span><span class="v7_20_48"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.20.48" class="v7_20_48">48</span>The Israelites turned back against the rest of the Benjaminites and killed them all—men, women, and children, and animals as well. They burned every town in the area.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.9: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation </char><char style="fq" closed="false">to attack Gibeah; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">to Gibeah.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.10: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Gibeah; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Geba.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.15-16: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Some ancient translations </char><char style="fq" closed="false">men; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">men. In all this number there were seven hundred specially chosen men.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.33: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the city </char><char style="ft" closed="false">(that is, Gibeah); Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Geba.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.42: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Probable text </char><char style="fq" closed="false">city; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">cities.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">20.43: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Verse 43 in Hebrew is unclear.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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