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Chapter 20
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1
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Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba,
with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. |
2
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And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes
of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the
people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew
sword. |
3
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(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children
of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children
of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? |
4
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And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain,
answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to
Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. |
5
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And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the
house round about upon me by night, and thought to have
slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is
dead. |
6
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And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent
her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel:
for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. |
7
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Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your
advice and counsel. |
8
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And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will
not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us
turn into his house. |
9
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But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah;
we will go up by lot against it; |
10
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And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all
the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and
a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the
people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin,
according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. |
11
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So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city,
knit together as one man. |
12
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And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe
of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done
among you? |
13
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Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial,
which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and
put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin
would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children
of Israel. |
14
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But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together
out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against
the children of Israel. |
15
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And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time
out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew
sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered
seven hundred chosen men. |
16
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Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen
men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair
breadth, and not miss. |
17
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And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered
four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were
men of war. |
18
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And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the
house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which
of us shall go up first to the battle against the children
of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. |
19
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And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and
encamped against Gibeah. |
20
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And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin;
and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight
against them at Gibeah. |
21
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And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah,
and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that
day twenty and two thousand men. |
22
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And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves,
and set their battle again in array in the place where
they put themselves in array the first day. |
23
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(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the
LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying,
Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin
my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.) |
24
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And the children of Israel came near against the children
of Benjamin the second day. |
25
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And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the
second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children
of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the
sword. |
26
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Then all the children of Israel, and all the people,
went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and
sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even,
and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before
the LORD. |
27
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And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for
the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, |
28
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And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood
before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go
out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother,
or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow
I will deliver them into thine hand. |
29
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And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. |
30
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And the children of Israel went up against the children
of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array
against Gibeah, as at other times. |
31
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And the children of Benjamin went out against the people,
and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite
of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways,
of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other
to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. |
32
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And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down
before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel
said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the
highways. |
33
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And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place,
and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers
in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even
out of the meadows of Gibeah. |
34
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And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men
out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew
not that evil was near them. |
35
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And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children
of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and
five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. |
36
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So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten:
for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because
they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set
beside Gibeah. |
37
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And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah;
and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote
all the city with the edge of the sword. |
38
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Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel
and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame
with smoke rise up out of the city. |
39
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And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin
began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty
persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before
us, as in the first battle. |
40
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But when the flame began to arise up out of the city
with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them,
and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. |
41
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And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin
were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. |
42
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Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel
unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook
them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed
in the midst of them. |
43
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Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased
them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah
toward the sunrising. |
44
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And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all
these were men of valor. |
45
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And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the
rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways
five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom,
and slew two thousand men of them. |
46
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So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty
and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were
men of valor. |
47
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But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness
unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four
months. |
48
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And the men of Israel turned again upon the children
of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword,
as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that
came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that
they came to. |
