11. So all the men of Israel assembled. They stood united against the city.
12. The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They asked, “How could such an evil thing happen among you?
13. Now hand over those worthless men in Gibeah. We must put them to death to rid ourselves of this kind of evil in Israel.”But the men of Benjamin refused to listen to the men of Israel.
14. So the men of Benjamin went from their towns and assembled at Gibeah to go to war with the men of Israel.
15. That day 26,000 men armed with swords came from Benjamin’s cities and organized for battle along with 700 of Gibeah’s best men.
16. Out of all these troops, the best 700 were left-handed. Each could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17. The men of Israel (Benjamin not included) totaled 400,000 soldiers armed with swords.
18. The men of Israel went to Bethel. They asked God, “Who will go first to fight Benjamin?”The Lord answered, “Judah will go first.”
19. The Israelites got up early in the morning and camped at Gibeah.
20. So the men of Israel went to war with the men of Benjamin. The Israelites formed their battle line facing Gibeah.
21. That day the men of Benjamin came out from Gibeah. They slaughtered 22,000 of Israel’s men.
22. But Israel’s troops got reinforcements. They formed their battle line where they had formed it on the first day.
23. The Israelites went and cried in the presence of the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin?”The Lord answered, “Go fight them!”
24. On the second day the Israelite troops advanced against Benjamin.
25. Benjamin went out from Gibeah to meet them. This time they slaughtered 18,000 men from Israel who were armed with swords.
26. Then all the men of Israel and all the troops went to Bethel. They sat there and cried in the presence of the Lord and fasted that day until evening. Then they sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
27. In those days the ark of God’s promise was at Bethel.
28. (Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, served in front of it.) So the people of Israel asked the Lord, “Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin? Or should we stop?”The Lord answered, “Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
29. Then Israel placed troops in ambush around Gibeah.
30. On the third day the men of Israel went to fight the men of Benjamin. They formed their battle line facing Gibeah as they did before.
31. The men of Benjamin went out to attack Israel’s troops and were led away from the city. They started to inflict casualties as before. They killed about 30 men from Israel in the open country and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah.