Judges 20:20–32

²⁰Then 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. ²¹The descendants^b of Benjamin went out from Gibeah, and they struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground. ²²But 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. ²³The 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 descendants^e of Benjamin, our relatives?”^f And Yahweh said, “Go up against them.”^g

²⁴And the Israelites^h drew near to the descendantsⁱ of Benjamin on the second day. ²⁵And 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. ²⁷And the Israelites^m inquired of Yahweh (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, ²⁸and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing before itⁿ to minister in those days), saying, “Should we go out once more to battle against the descendants^o of Benjamin our relatives,^p or should we stop?” And Yahweh said, “Go up tomorrow; I will give them^q into your hand.”

²⁹So Israel stationed an ambush all around Gibeah. ³⁰And the Israelites^r went up against the descendants^s of Benjamin on the third day, and they took up positions against Gibeah as before. ³¹The descendants^t 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. ³²And the descendants^u of Benjamin thought,^v “They are being defeated before us as previously,”^w and the Israelites^x said, “Let us flee and lure them^y away from the city to the main roads.”