1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah. 2 The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?"
4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, "I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 The men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They intended to kill me and they raped my concubine, and she is dead. 6 I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7 Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel."
8 All the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, neither will any of us turn to his house. 9 But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot; 10 and we will take ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to get food for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that the men of Gibeah have done in Israel." 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that has happened among you? 13 Now therefore deliver up the men, the wicked fellows who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel."
But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel. 14 The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15 The children of Benjamin were counted on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, in addition to the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred chosen men. 16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were counted four hundred thousand men who drew sword. All these were men of war.
18 The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. They asked, "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?"
Yahweh said, "Judah first."
19 The children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah. 21 The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed twenty-two thousand of the Israelite men down to the ground. 22 The people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day. 23 The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?"
Yahweh said, "Go up against him."
24 The children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 Benjamin went out against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men. All these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. 27 The children of Israel asked Yahweh (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 children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?"
Yahweh said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand."
29 Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah. 30 The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 The children of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the children of Israel said, "Let’s flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."
33 All the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal Tamar. Then the ambushers of Israel broke out of their place, even out of Maareh Geba. 34 Ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came over against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but they didn’t know that disaster was close to them. 35 Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men. All these drew the sword. 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck, for the men of Israel yielded to Benjamin because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 The ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; then the ambushers spread out, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. 39 The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, "Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle." 40 But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole city went up in smoke to the sky. 41 The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that disaster had come on them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle followed hard after them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the middle of it. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down at their resting place, as far as near Gibeah toward the sunrise. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor. 45 They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned five thousand men of them in the highways, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck two thousand men of them. 46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valor. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword—including the entire city, the livestock, and all that they found. Moreover they set all the cities which they found on fire.
1 于是以色列众人都出来， 从但到别是巴， 以及基列地的众人， 都在米斯巴耶和华面前聚集起来如同一人。
2 全民的领袖， 就是以色列众支派的领袖， 都站在 神子民的会中； 拿刀的步兵共有四十万人。
3 （以色列人上到米斯巴来， 便雅悯人听见了。）以色列人说： "这件恶事是怎样发生的？你们说吧。"
4 那利未人， 就是被害的妇人的丈夫， 回答说： "我和我的妾到了便雅悯的基比亚， 要在那里住宿。
5 基比亚人民起来攻击我， 在夜间包围我住的房子攻击我， 有意杀害我； 他们把我的妾污辱致死。
6 我就把我的妾切成块子， 送到以色列的各地业， 因为基比亚人在以色列中行了极羞耻的恶事。
7 以色列人哪， 你们都要说出你们的意见， 也要在这里提出你们的对策。"
8 于是众人都起来如同一人， 说： "我们当中谁都不回自己的帐棚， 谁都不回自己的家。
9 现在我们要这样对待基比亚人： 我们要照着所抽的签上去攻打他们。
10 我们要从以色列各支派中， 每百人抽取十人， 每千人抽取百人， 每万人抽取千人， 好为人民运送粮食； 等他们到了便雅悯的基比亚的时候， 就可以照着他们在以色列中所行的一切羞耻的事惩罚他们。"
11 于是以色列众人彼此联合， 如同一人， 聚集起来攻击那城。
12 以色列各支派打发人到便雅悯的各家去， 说： "你们中间怎么发生了这样的恶事呢？
13 现在你们要把那些人， 基比亚的无赖之徒， 交出来， 我们好处死他们， 从以色列中除掉这恶。"只是便雅悯人却不肯听从他们的兄弟以色列人的话。
14 便雅悯人从各城出来聚集， 往基比亚去， 要与以色列人交战。
15 那时便雅悯人， 从各城里被数点的， 共有二万六千拿刀的， 另外被数点的， 还有基比亚的居民， 共有七百精兵。
16 在这些人中， 还有七百精兵是善用左手的， 个个都能用机弦拋石， 毫发不差。
17 除了便雅悯人以外， 以色列人被数点的， 共有四十万拿刀的， 个个都是战士。
18 以色列人就起来， 上伯特利去求问 神， 说： "我们之中谁应首先上去， 与便雅悯人交战呢？"耶和华说： "犹大应首先上去。"
19 以色列人早晨起来， 对着基比亚安营。
20 以色列人出来， 要与便雅悯人交战； 以色列人在基比亚面前列阵等待他们。
21 便雅悯人从基比亚出来， 那一天使二万二千以色列人倒地身亡。
22 众民， 就是以色列人， 都奋勇起来， 又在头一天列阵的地方列阵。
23 事前， 以色列人上伯特利去， 在耶和华面前哀哭直到晚上， 然后求问耶和华， 说： "我们再去与我们的兄弟便雅悯人交战， 可以不可以？"耶和华说： "你们可以上去攻打他们。"
24 第二天， 以色列人就前去攻打便雅悯人。
25 便雅悯人第二天也从基比亚出来， 迎战以色列人， 又使一万八千以色列人倒地身亡， 都是拿刀的。
26 以色列众人， 就是全体人民， 又上到伯特利， 坐在耶和华面前哀哭， 那日禁食直到晚上， 然后在耶和华面前献上燔祭和平安祭。
27 那时， 神的约柜在那里。
28 那时， 亚伦的孙子、以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈， 侍立在约柜前供职。以色列人求问耶和华， 说： "我们应再出去与我们的兄弟便雅悯人交战呢？还是休战呢？"耶和华说： "你们应上去， 因为明天我必把他们交在你们手中。"
29 以色列人在基比亚四周设下伏兵。
30 第三天， 以色列人又上去攻打便雅悯人， 在基比亚前面列阵， 像前两次一样。
31 便雅悯人也出来迎敌， 他们被引出城外， 在两条大路上， 一条通往伯特利， 一条通往基比亚， 像前两次一样， 动手杀敌， 在田间杀死以色列人约有三十个。
32 便雅悯人说： "他们仍像前一次一样， 败在我们面前了。"以色列人却说： "我们逃跑吧， 引他们离开城市出到大路上来。"
33 以色列众人都从自己的地方起来， 在巴力．他玛列阵； 以色列的伏兵， 从基比亚西边埋伏的地方冲出来。
34 全以色列中的精兵， 有一万人前来攻打基比亚， 战争非常激烈； 便雅悯人还不知道灾祸快要临到他们的身上了。
35 耶和华在以色列人面前击败了便雅悯人； 那天以色列人消灭便雅悯人， 共二万五千一百名， 都是拿刀的。
36 这样， 便雅悯人就看出自己被击败了。原来以色列人倚靠在基比亚前面设下的伏兵， 就对便雅悯人诈败。
37 伏兵急忙冲入基比亚， 用刀击杀了全城的人。
38 以色列人与伏兵预先约定， 就是从城里放火， 以烟气上升为号。
39 以色列人在战场上撤退的时候， 便雅悯人就动手杀人， 刺死以色列人约三十个， 心里说： "他们真的像头一次战阵一样， 在我们面前被击败了。"
40 当烟柱信号从城中上升的时候， 便雅悯人就转身观看， 只见全城烟火冲天。
41 那时， 以色列人又转身回来， 便雅悯人就非常惊慌， 因为看见灾祸临到自己身上了。
42 他们在以色列人面前转身， 向旷野的路上逃走， 战争却紧随着他们； 那些从各城里出来的人也在他们中间消灭他们。
43 以色列人包围了便雅悯人， 追赶他们， 在他们歇息之地， 直到基比亚对面日出之处， 践踏他们。
44 便雅悯人中倒毙的共有一万八千人， 全都是勇士。
45 其余的人转身， 向着旷野逃跑， 到了临门的磐石那里； 以色列人在大路上除灭了他们五千人， 追赶他们直到基顿， 又击杀了他们二千人。
46 所以那一天便雅悯人倒毙的， 共有二万五千人， 都是拿刀的， 全部是勇士。
47 剩下的六百人转身， 向着旷野逃跑， 到了临门的磐石那里， 就在临门的磐石那里住了四个月。
48 以色列人又回到便雅悯人那里， 把全城的人和牲畜， 以及一切遇见的， 都用刀杀尽； 又把他们碰见的一切城市放火烧毁了。