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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://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 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></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="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</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"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/judges/20.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Israel’s War with the Tribe of Benjamin</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> at Mizpah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> said, “Judah shall go up first.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>And the people of Israel went up and wept before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> until the evening. And they inquired of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> said, “Go up against them.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>And the people of Israel inquired of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>And the people of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Some Septuagint manuscripts place west of Geba">a</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>And the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.</p><p class="regular">The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-39.htm"><b>39</b></a></span>the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-40.htm"><b>40</b></a></span>But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-41.htm"><b>41</b></a></span>Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-42.htm"><b>42</b></a></span>Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-43.htm"><b>43</b></a></span>Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint; Hebrew [at their] resting place">b</a></sup></span> as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-44.htm"><b>44</b></a></span>Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-45.htm"><b>45</b></a></span>And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-46.htm"><b>46</b></a></span>So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-47.htm"><b>47</b></a></span>But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/judges/20-48.htm"><b>48</b></a></span>And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">33</span> Some Septuagint manuscripts <i>place west of Geba</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">43</span> Septuagint; Hebrew [at their] <i>resting place</i><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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