18 Then the ⌊Israelites⌋y got up and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God, saying, “Who will go up first for the battle against the descendantsz of Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Judah will go first.” 19 And the ⌊Israelites⌋a got up in the morning, and they encamped against Gibeah. 20 Then the men of Israel marched out for the battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel took up positions against them for battle at Gibeah. 21 The descendantsb of Benjamin went out from Gibeah, and they struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground. 22 But the troops, the men of Israel, ⌊encouraged themselves⌋,c and again they arranged their battle lines in the place where they had arranged themselves the first day. 23 The ⌊Israelites⌋d went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should we again draw near from the battle against the descendantse of Benjamin, our relatives?”f And Yahweh said, “Go up against them.”g

24 And the ⌊Israelites⌋h drew near to the descendantsi of Benjamin on the second day. 25 And Benjamin went out from Gibeah to meet them on the second day, and they struck down the ⌊Israelites⌋j again, eighteen thousand men to the ground; all of these were ⌊sword-wielding⌋.k 26 And all the ⌊Israelites⌋l and all the troops went up and came to Bethel and wept; and they sat there before Yahweh and fasted on that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Yahweh. 27 And the ⌊Israelites⌋m inquired of Yahweh (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, 28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing ⌊before it⌋n to minister in those days), saying, “Should we go out once more to battle against the descendantso of Benjamin our relatives,p or should we stop?” And Yahweh said, “Go up tomorrow; I will give themq into your hand.”

29 So Israel stationed an ambush all around Gibeah. 30 And the ⌊Israelites⌋r went up against the descendantss of Benjamin on the third day, and they took up positions against Gibeah as before. 31 The descendantst of Benjamin went out to meet the troops, and they lured them away from the city and began to inflict casualties on the troops as before, on the main road, one of which goes up to Bethel, the other to Gibeah; and in the field there were about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the descendantsu of Benjamin thought,v “They are being defeated before us ⌊as previously⌋,”w and the ⌊Israelites⌋x said, “Let us flee and lure themy away from the city to the main roads.” 33 And all the men of Israel got up from their placesz and took up positions in Baal Tamar; and the ambush of Israel charged from their places,a from the vicinity of Gibeah.b 34 Then ten thousand well-trainedc men from all Israel came out against Gibeah, and the battle became fierce;d they did not know that disaster was about to ⌊close in⌋e on them. 35 And Yahweh defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and the ⌊Israelites⌋f destroyed on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all of them ⌊sword-wielding⌋.g

36 The descendantsh of Benjamin saw that they were defeated, and the men of Israel gave groundi to Benjamin because they trusted the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.