Judges 20:18-36 - The War Against The Benjaminites
18 The Israelis mounted up, traveled to Bethel, and asked God what to do. They said, "Who is to lead us in our opening attack against the descendants of Benjamin?" The LORD replied, "Judah is to open the attack."
19 So the Israelis got up in the morning, encamped near Gibeah, 20 and the army of Israel went out to fight the tribe of Benjamin, assembling in battle array against them at Gibeah. 21 The descendants of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and 22,000 soldiers of Israel fell in battle that day. 22 But the army the men of Israel encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again the next day in the same place where they had gathered the day before. 23 From there the Israelis went up and wept in the LORD's presence until evening. Then they asked the LORD, "Should we attack the descendants of Benjamin again?" The LORD replied, "Attack them."
24 So the Israelis attacked the descendants of Benjamin for a second day, 25 and the tribe of Benjamin went to war against them from Gibeah during that second day, and 18,000 soldiers from the Israelis all of them expert swordsmen fell to the ground.
26 All the Israelis, including its army, went up from there to Bethel and wept, remaining there in the LORD's presence, fasting throughout the day until dusk, when they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the LORD's presence. 27 The Israelis inquired of the LORD, since the Ark of the Covenant was there at that time 28 while Eleazar's son Phinehas, a descendant of Aaron, served before it in those days. They asked, "Should we go out to war again against the descendants of our relative Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the LORD answered, "Go out, and tomorrow I will deliver them into your control." 29 So Israel set soldiers in ambush around Gibeah. 30 The Israelis went out against the descendants of Benjamin on the third day, arraying themselves against Gibeah as they had done previously. 31 They attacked the army and were drawn away from the city as they began to inflict casualties on the soldiers along the roads to Bethel and Gibeah, just as they had done the other times. About 30 soldiers from Israel fell in battle there and in the fields. 32 Then the descendants of Benjamin told themselves, "They're falling right in front of us, just like before!" 33 But the army of Israel told themselves, "Let's draw them away by escaping to the highways from the city." So the entire army of Israel moved from their location and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamer while that part of their army moved from their ambush positions from Maareh-geba. 34 As 10,000 of Israel's best soldiers came to fight Gibeah, the battle became fierce, but the army of Benjamin didn't know that disaster was close at hand. 35 The LORD struck Benjamin in the full view of Israel. As a result, the Israelis destroyed 25,100 soldiers of Benjamin that day, all expert swordsmen. 36 Then the descendants of Benjamin realized that they had been defeated. The army of Israel pretended to retreat from the army of Benjamin, knowing that they had set some soldiers in ambush near Gibeah.