Judges 20:36–48

³⁶And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. —And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush that they had set against Gibeah. ³⁷And the ambush hasted, and fell upon Gibeah; and the ambush drew along, and smote the whole city with the edge of the sword. ³⁸Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush, that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of the city. ³⁹And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle. ⁴⁰And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended in smoke to the heavens. ⁴¹Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that disaster was come upon them. ⁴²And they turned before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in their midst. ⁴³They encompassed the Benjaminites, chased them, trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising. ⁴⁴And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these, men of valour. ⁴⁵And they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. ⁴⁶So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword: all these, men of valour. ⁴⁷And six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and abode at the cliff of Rimmon four months. ⁴⁸And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city as the cattle, and all that was found; even all the cities that were found did they set on fire.