The Judges & Ruth

Then I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel: for they haue committed abomination and villenie in Israel.

Behold, ye are al children of Israel: giue your aduise, and counsell herein.

Then all the people arose as one man, saying, There shall not a man of vs goe to his tent, neither any turne into his house.

But now this is that thing which we will do to Gibeah: we wil goe vp by lot against it,

And we wil take ten men of the hundreth throughout al the tribes of Israel, and an hundreth of the thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand to bring vitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeah of Beniamin) according to all the villeny, that it hath done in Israel.

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the citie, knit together, as one man.

And the tribes of Israel sent men through al the tribe of Beniamin, saying, What wickednesse is this that is committed among you?

Nowe therefore deliuer vs those wicked men which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away euill from Israel: but the children of Beniamin would not obey the voyce of their brethren the children of Israel.

But ye children of Beniamin gathered them selues together out of the cities vnto Gibeah, to come out and fight against the children of Israel.

And ye children of Beniamin were nombred at that time out of the cities sixe and twenty thousand men that drewe sworde, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were nombred seuen hundreth chosen men.

Of all this people were seuen hundreth chosen men, being left handed: all these could sling stones at an heare breadth, and not faile.

Also the men of Israel, beside Beniamin, were nombred foure hundreth thousande men that drew sword, euen all men of warre.

And the children of Israel arose, and went vp to the house of God, and asked of God, saying, Which of vs shall goe vp first to fight against the children of Beniamin? And the Lord said, Iudah shalbe first.

Then the children of Israel arose vp earely and camped against Gibeah.

And the men of Israel went out to battell against Beniamin, and the men of Israel put themselues in aray to fight against the beside Gibeah.

And the children of Beniamin came out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the ground of the Israelites that day two and twentie thousand men.

And the people, the men of Israel plucked vp their hearts, and set their battel againe in aray in the place where they put them in aray the first day.

(For the children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening, and had asked of the Lord, saying, Shall I goe againe to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren? and the Lord said, Go vp against them)

Then the children of Israel came neere against the children of Beniamin the second day.

Also the second day Beniamin came forth to meete them out of Gibeah, and slewe downe to the grounde of the children of Israel againe eighteene thousand men: all they could handle the sword.

Then al the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God, and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings before the Lord.

And the children of Israel asked the Lord (for there was the Arke of the couenat of God in those dayes,

And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stoode before it at that time) saying, Shall I yet goe anie more to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go vp: for to morowe I will deliuer them into your hand.

And Israel set men to lie in waite round about Gibeah.

And the children of Israel went vp against the children of Beniamin the third day, and put theselues in aray against Gibeah, as at other times.