Judges 20:36–48

³⁶and the Benjaminites realized they were defeated.

How the Israelites Won

The main body of the Israelite army had retreated from the Benjaminites because they were relying on the men that they had put in hiding round Gibeah. ³⁷These men ran quickly towards Gibeah; they spread out in the city and killed everyone there. ³⁸The main Israelite army and the men in hiding had arranged a signal. When they saw a big cloud of smoke going up from the town, ³⁹the Israelites out on the battlefield were to turn round. By this time the Benjaminites had already killed the 30 Israelites. They told themselves, “Yes, we’ve beaten them just as we did before.” ⁴⁰Then the signal appeared; a cloud of smoke began to go up from the town. The Benjaminites looked behind them and were amazed to see the whole city going up in flames. ⁴¹Then the Israelites turned round, and the Benjaminites were thrown into a panic because they realized that they were about to be destroyed. ⁴²They retreated from the Israelites and ran towards the open country, but they could not escape. They were caught between the main army and the men who were now coming out of the city,^x and they were destroyed. ⁴³The Israelites had the enemy trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point east of Gibeah, killing them as they went.^{y 44}Eighteen thousand of the best Benjaminite soldiers were killed. ⁴⁵The others turned and ran towards the open country to the Rock of Rimmon. Five thousand of them were killed along the road. The Israelites continued to pursue the rest to Gidom, killing 2,000. ⁴⁶In all, 25,000 Benjaminites were killed that day—all of them brave soldiers.

⁴⁷But 600 men were able to escape to the open country to the Rock of Rimmon, and they stayed there four months. ⁴⁸The Israelites turned back against the rest of the Benjaminites and killed them all—men, women, and children, and animals as well. They burnt every town in the area.