Judges 20:18-36 - The War Against The Benjaminites
18 And the sons of Israel rose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the sons of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.
19 And the sons of Israel rose up early in the morning, and camped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin. And the men of Israel put themselves in order, ready to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the sons of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah and destroyed to the earth twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites that day. 22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and set their battle in order again in the place where they put themselves in order the first day. 23 And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until evening, and asked counsel from Jehovah saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the sons of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
24 And the sons of Israel came near against the sons of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth to meet them again from Gibeah the second day and again destroyed to the earth eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel. All these drew the sword.
26 And all the sons of Israel, and all the people, went up and came into the house of God, and wept, and sat there before Jehovah and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah. 27 And the sons of Israel inquired of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of Benjamin my brother, or shall I stop? And Jehovah said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand. 29 And Israel set ambushers all around Gibeah. 30 And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in order against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to strike some of the people and to kill, as at other times, in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the sons of Benjamin said, They are beaten before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them from the city to the highways. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and marshalled at Baal-tamar. And the ambush of Israel broke forth from their place, from the plains of Gibeah. 34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was heavy. But they did not know that evil was near them. 35 And Jehovah struck Benjamin before Israel. And the sons of Israel destroyed in Benjamin twenty-five thousand and a hundred men that day. All these drew the sword. 36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. For the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin because they trusted to the ambush which they had set against Gibeah.