^20:29So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. ^20:30The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;⁵⁷ they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. ^20:31The Benjaminites attacked⁵⁸ the army, leaving the city unguarded.⁵⁹ They began to strike down their enemy⁶⁰ just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel,⁶¹ the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down⁶² about thirty Israelites. ^20:32Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat⁶³ and lure them⁶⁴ away from the city into the main roads.” ^20:33⁶⁵ All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. ^20:34Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah—the battle was fierce.⁶⁶ But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.⁶⁷^20:35The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.⁶⁸^20:36Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before⁶⁹ Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah. ^20:37The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash⁷⁰ to Gibeah. They⁷¹ attacked⁷² and put the sword to the entire city. ^20:38The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush⁷³ sent up a smoke signal from the city,

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Footnotes

57 Heb “the third day.”
58 Heb “went out to meet.”
59 Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”
60 Heb “from the army wounded ones.”
61 For location see ; ; ; ; .
62 The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
63 Or “run away.”
64 Heb “him” (collective singular).
65 Verses 33–36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b–48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat.
66 Heb “heavy”; or “severe.”
67 Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.”
68 Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”
69 Heb “gave place to.”
70 Heb “hurried and put off [their hiding place].”
71 Heb “the men hiding in ambush.”
72 Or “deployed.” The verb normally means “to lead” or “to draw.”
73 Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity.