The Judges & Ruth

I took my concubine's body, cut it into pieces and sent them throughout all the territories belonging to Isra'el; because they committed a shockingly obscene and degrading crime in Isra'el.

Look, you are all people of Isra'el. So discuss what to do, and give your advice here and now."

All the people stood up in agreement and said, "None of us will go home to his tent or his house.

What we will do now to Giv'ah is this: we'll draw lots,

we'll take ten men out of each hundred throughout all the tribes of Isra'el, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to collect food for the others. When these come to Giv'ah in Binyamin, they will avenge the crime that was committed."

Thus all the men of Isra'el, joined together in complete agreement, assembled to attack the city.

The tribes of Isra'el sent men throughout all the tribe of Binyamin with this message: "What is this crime committed by some of your people?

Turn over these good-for-nothings who are in Giv'ah at once, so that we can execute them and rid Isra'el of such evil." But the people of Binyamin refused to obey the order of their kinsmen the people of Isra'el.

Instead the people of Binyamin gathered themselves together from their cities and went to Giv'ah to fight the people of Isra'el.

On that day there were 26,000 men from Binyamin armed with swords, besides the inhabitants of Giv'ah, who numbered 700 specially chosen men.

All of these 700 specially picked men were left-handed, and every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

The army of Isra'el, apart from Binyamin, numbered 400,000 men with swords; they were all experienced soldiers.

The army of Isra'el began by going up to Beit-El, where they asked God, "Who should go up first to attack the army of Binyamin?" ADONAI said, "Y'hudah first."

So the army of Isra'el got up in the morning and set up their camp near Giv'ah.

Then the army of Isra'el went out to attack Binyamin and set up their battle line in front of Giv'ah.

But the army of Binyamin came out of Giv'ah and slaughtered the army of Isra'el; on that day 22,000 men fell.

The people, the men of Isra'el, restored their morale and again positioned themselves for battle where they had been the first day.

Then the army of Isra'el went up and cried before ADONAI until evening. They asked ADONAI, "Should we attack our kinsmen the people of Binyamin again? ADONAI answered, "Attack them."

So the army of Isra'el went out to attack the army of Binyamin the second day.

But Binyamin went out against them from Giv'ah the second day and slaughtered the army of Isra'el; 18,000 men armed with swords fell.

Then the whole army of Isra'el, all the people, went up to Beit-El and cried and sat there in the presence of ADONAI. They fasted that day until evening, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to ADONAI,

and asked ADONAI what to do. The ark for the covenant of God was there at that time;

and Pinchas the son of El'azar, the son of Aharon, stood before it at that time. They asked, "Should we still go out to battle again against our kinsmen the people of Binyamin, or should we stop?" ADONAI answered, "Attack, because tomorrow I will hand them over to you."

Isra'el hid some men around Giv'ah,

and on the third day Isra'el attacked the army of Binyamin and took a position against Giv'ah as they had the other times.