Civil War, Benjamin Defeated: BIBLE, New American Standard Bible == BIBLE-CENTER

Judges, Chapter 20, verses 18-48

¹⁸ Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.”	18 Num 27:21 Jdg 20:23 Jdg 20:27
¹⁹ So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah. ²⁰ The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah. ²¹ Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and^k Lit destroyedfelled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel. ²² But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day. ²³ The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.”	21 Jdg 20:25 23 Jos 7:6 Jos 7:7 Jdg 20:18
²⁴ Then the sons of Israel^l Lit approachedcame against the sons of Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ Benjamin went out^m Lit to meetagainst them from Gibeah the second day andⁿ Lit destroyedfelled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword. ²⁶ Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. ²⁷ The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, ²⁸ and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”	26 Jdg 20:23 Jdg 21:2 27 Jdg 20:18 28 Jdg 7:9
²⁹ So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. ³⁰ The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times. ³¹ The sons of Benjamin went out^o Lit to meetagainst the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike^p Lit slain onesand kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel. ³² The sons of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.” ³³ Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. ³⁴ When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became^q Lit heavyfierce; but^r Lit theyBenjamin did not know that^s Lit evildisaster was^t Lit touchingclose to them. ³⁵ And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all^u Lit thesewho draw the sword.	29 Jos 8:4 31 Jos 8:16 33 Jos 8:19 34 Jos 8:14 Job 21:13
³⁶ So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were^v Lit smittendefeated. When the men of Israel gave^w Lit placeground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah, ³⁷ the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. ³⁸ Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. ³⁹ Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike^x Lit slain onesand kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Surely they are^y Lit smittendefeated before us, as in the first battle.” ⁴⁰ But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven. ⁴¹ Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that^z Lit evildisaster was^aa Lit touchingclose to them. ⁴² Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them. ⁴³ They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the^ab Lit sunriseeast. ⁴⁴ Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors. ⁴⁵ ^ac So with Gr; Heb And theyThe rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they^ad Lit gleanedcaught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them^ae Lit as far asat Gidom and^af Lit smotekilled 2,000 of them. ⁴⁶ So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors. ⁴⁷ But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. ⁴⁸ The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.	36 Jos 8:15 37 Jos 8:19 38 Jos 8:20 39 Jdg 20:32 40 Jos 8:20 41 Pro 5:22 Pro 11:5 Pro 11:6 Pro 29:6 42 Jos 8:15 Jos 8:24 43 Hos 9:9 Hos 10:9 45 Jdg 21:13


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