Judges 20:1-18
Israel’s War with the Tribe of Benjamin
1Then aall the people of Israel came out, bfrom Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at cMizpah. 2And the dchiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot ethat drew the sword. 3(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, f“I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 gAnd the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 hSo I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and ioutrage in Israel. 7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, jgive your advice and counsel here.”8And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10and 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 repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
12 kAnd the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13Now therefore give up the men, lthe worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death mand purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day n26,000 men owho drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were pleft-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered q400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
18The people of Israel arose and went up to rBethel and inquired of God, s“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, t“Judah shall go up first.”
1 Samuel 4:3
3And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here ufrom Shiloh, that it ▼▼Or he
may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 2 Samuel 15:24
24And wAbiathar came up, and behold, xZadok came also with all the Levites, ybearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.
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