Judges 20:8-18

8 All the people got up as one, saying, "We will not any of us go to our tents, nor will any of us return to our houses.
9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot.
10 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 troops, who are going to repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the disgrace that they have done in Israel."
11 So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one.
12 The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What crime is this that has been committed among you?
13 Now then, hand over those scoundrels in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death, and purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to their kinsfolk, the Israelites.
14 The Benjaminites came together out of the towns to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the Israelites.
15 On that day the Benjaminites mustered twenty-six thousand armed men from their towns, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah.
16 Of all this force, there were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss.
17 And the Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand armed men, all of them warriors.
18 The Israelites proceeded to go up to Bethel, where they inquired of God, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?" And the Lord answered, "Judah shall go up first."

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Gk: Heb lacks [we will go up]
  • [b]. Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.