7
Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."
8
And all the people arose as one man, saying, "We will not any of us go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house.
9
But now this is what we will do to Gib'e-ah: we will go up against it by lot,
10
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 requite Gib'e-ah of Benjamin, for all the wanton crime which they have committed in Israel."
11
So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
12
And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that has taken place among you?
13
Now therefore give up the men, the base fellows in Gib'e-ah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the people of Israel.
14
And the Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gib'e-ah, to go out to battle against the people of Israel.
15
And the Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gib'e-ah, who mustered seven hundred picked men.
16
Among all these were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss.
17
And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.
18
The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."
19
Then the people of Israel rose in the morning, and encamped against Gib'e-ah.
20
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gib'e-ah.
21
The Benjaminites came out of Gib'e-ah, and felled to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.
22
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.
23
And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."
24
So the people of Israel came near against the Benjaminites the second day.
25
And Benjamin went against them out of Gib'e-ah the second day, and felled to the ground eighteen thousand men of the people of Israel; all these were men who drew the sword.
26
Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept; they sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
27
And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,