HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 606
J U D G ES 2 0
them and do whatever you like. But don’t do
such a shameful thing to this man.”
25 But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her
out the door. The men of the town abused her
all night, taking turns raping her until morning.
Finally, at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak
the woman returned to the house where her
husband was staying. She collapsed at the door
of the house and lay there until it was light.
27 When her husband opened the door to
leave, there lay his concubine with her hands
on the threshold. 28 He said, “Get up! Let’s go!”
But there was no answer.* So he put her body on
his donkey and took her home.
29 When he got home, he took a knife and cut
his concubine’s body into twelve pieces. Then
he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all
the territory of Israel.
30 Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible
crime has not been committed in all the time
since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are
we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?”
Israel’s War with Benjamin
Then all the Israelites were united as
one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across
the Jordan in the land of Gilead. The entire community assembled in the presence of the Lord
at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the people and
all the tribes of Israel—400,000 warriors armed
with swords—took their positions in the assembly of the people of God. 3 (Word soon reached
the land of Benjamin that the other tribes
had gone up to Mizpah.) The Israelites then
asked how this terrible crime had happened.
4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who
had been murdered, said, “My concubine and
I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town
that belongs to the people of Benjamin. 5 That
night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah
surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and
they raped my concubine until she was dead.
6 So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent
the pieces throughout the territory assigned to
Israel, for these men have committed a terrible
and shameful crime. 7 Now then, all of you—the
entire community of Israel—must decide here
and now what should be done about this!”
8 And all the people rose to their feet in unison and declared, “None of us will return home!
No, not even one of us! 9 Instead, this is what we
will do to Gibeah; we will draw lots to decide
who will attack it. 10 One-tenth of the men* from
each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors
with food, and the rest of us will take revenge
on Gibeah* of Benjamin for this shameful thing
they have done in Israel.” 11 So all the Israelites
were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.
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12 The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe
of Benjamin, saying, “What a terrible thing has
been done among you! 13 Give up those evil men,
those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil.”
But the people of Benjamin would not listen. 14 Instead, they came from their towns and
gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites. 15 In
all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords
arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops
who lived there. 16 Among Benjamin’s elite
troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them
could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing. 17 Israel had 400,000
experienced soldiers armed with swords, not
counting Benjamin’s warriors.
18 Before the battle the Israelites went to
Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go
first to attack the people of Benjamin?”
The Lord answered, “Judah is to go first.”
19 So the Israelites left early the next morning
and camped near Gibeah. 20 Then they advanced
toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin.
21 But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending
the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites
on the battlefield that day.
22 But the Israelites encouraged each other
and took their positions again at the same place
they had fought the previous day. 23 For they had
gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of
the Lord until evening. They had asked the
Lord, “Should we fight against our relatives
from Benjamin again?”
And the Lord had said, “Go out and fight
against them.”
24 So the next day they went out again to fight
against the men of Benjamin, 25 but the men of
Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of
whom were experienced with the sword.
26 Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel
and wept in the presence of the Lord and fasted
until evening. They also brought burnt offerings
and peace offerings to the Lord. 27 The Israelites
went up seeking direction from the Lord. (In
those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was
in Bethel, 28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar and
grandson of Aaron was the priest.) The Israelites asked the Lord, “Should we fight against
our relatives from Benjamin again, or should
we stop?”
The Lord said, “Go! Tomorrow I will hand
them over to you.”
29 So the Israelites set an ambush all around
Gibeah. 30 They went out on the third day and
took their positions at the same place as before. 31 When the men of Benjamin came out to
attack, they were drawn away from the town.
19:28 Greek version adds for she was dead. 20:10a Hebrew
10 men from every hundred, 100 men from every thousand, and
1,000 men from every 10,000. 20:10b Hebrew Geba, in this
case a variant spelling of Gibeah; also in 20:33.