13
Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death , and put awayevil from Israel. But the children of Benjaminwould not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
14
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
And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the citiestwenty and sixthousandmen that drewsword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numberedsevenhundredchosenmen.
16
Among all this people there were sevenhundredchosenmenlefthanded** ; every one could slingstones at an hair breadth, and not miss .
17
And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numberedfourhundredthousandmen that drewsword: all these were men of war.
18
And the children of Israelarose , and went up to the house of God* , and asked counsel of God, and said , Which of us shall go upfirst to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORDsaid , Judah shall go up first.
19
And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20
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
And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that daytwenty and twothousandmen.
22
And the people the men of Israelencouraged themselves, and set their battleagain in array in the place where they put themselves in array the firstday.
23
(And the children of Israel went up and weptbefore the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD,saying , Shall I go upagain to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORDsaid , Go up against him.)