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. 37 And the ambush came quickly and advanced against Gibeah, and it ⌊put the whole city to the sword⌋.j 38 Now the appointed time for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they sent up for them a great amount of smoke from the city. 39 And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to inflict casualties on about thirty men of Israel because they thought,k “They will be completely defeated before us as in the first battle.” 40 And the cloud of smoke began to go up from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned backward, and behold, the whole city was going up ⌊in smoke⌋!l 41 And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed because they saw that disaster was ⌊closing in⌋m on them. 42 And they retreated from before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle caught up to them, and those who came from the citiesn destroyed them in the midst of them. 43 They surrounded Benjamin; they pursued themo without restp and trod themq down opposite Gibeah to the east. 44 And eighteen thousand men from Benjamin fell, all of them ⌊able men⌋.r 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, but they cut down on the main roads five thousand men; and they pursued after them up to Gidom, and they struck down two thousand men. 46 So all of Benjamin who fell on that day were twenty-five thousand ⌊sword-wielding men⌋;s all of these were ⌊able men⌋.t 47 But six hundred turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months. 48 And the men of Israel returned to the descendantsu of Benjamin, and they put them to ⌊the edge of the sword⌋,v both the inhabitants of the city and the animals that were found; they also set on fire all the cities that they found.