Judges 20:36–48

³⁶So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were ¹defeated. ^aNow the men of Israel had given ²ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.

^37aSo the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah. Then the men in ambush deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

³⁸Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was ^athat they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.

³⁹So the men of Israel had turned around in the battle, and Benjamin had begun to strike ¹and slay about thirty men of Israel, ^afor they said, “Surely they are ²defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

⁴⁰But the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned ^abehind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven.

⁴¹Then the men of Israel turned around again, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that ^1acalamity had ²reached them.

⁴²Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel ^atoward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

^43aThey surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trod them down opposite Gibeah to the east toward the sunrise.

⁴⁴Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant men.

⁴⁵¹And the rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of ^aRimmon, but they ²caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them ³at Gidom and struck down 2,000 of them.

⁴⁶So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who drew the sword; all these were valiant men.

⁴⁷But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

⁴⁸Now the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.