Judges 20 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Resolve to Punish the Guilty

Then all^H3605 the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 from Dan^H1835 to Beersheba^H884, including the land^H776 of Gilead^H1568, came^H3318 out^H3318, and the congregation^H5712 assembled^H6950 as one^H259 person^H376 to the LORD^H3068 at Mizpah^H4709.

Jdg 20:2

Jdg 20:2And the [fn]leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot [fn]soldiers who drew the sword.

Jdg 20:3

Jdg 20:3(Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?”

Jdg 20:4

Jdg 20:4So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

Jdg 20:5

Jdg 20:5“But the [fn]citizens of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night, [fn]threatening me. They intended to kill me; instead, they raped my concubine so that she died.

Jdg 20:6

Jdg 20:6“And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for they have committed an outrageous sin and vile act in Israel.

Jdg 20:7

Jdg 20:7“Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your [fn]response and advice here.”

Jdg 20:8

Then all^H3605 the people^H5971 rose^H6965 up^H6965 as one^H259 person^H376, saying^H559, “Not one^H376 of us will go^H1980 to his tent^H168, nor^H3808 will any^H376 of us go^H5493 home^H1004.

Jdg 20:9

Jdg 20:9“But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by lot.

Jdg 20:10

Jdg 20:10“And we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to [fn]supply provisions for the people, so that when they come to [fn]Gibeah of Benjamin, they may [fn]punish them for all the vile sin that they have committed in Israel.”

Jdg 20:11

Jdg 20:11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, [fn]united as one man.

Jdg 20:12

Then the tribes^H7626 of Israel^H3478 sent^H7971 men^H376 through the entire^H3605 [fn]tribe^H7626 of Benjamin^H1144, saying^H559, “What^H4100 is this^H2088 wickedness^H7451 that has taken^H1961 place^H1961 among you?

Jdg 20:13

Jdg 20:13“Now then, turn over the men, the [fn]worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.

Jdg 20:14

Jdg 20:14Instead, the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.

Jdg 20:15

Jdg 20:15From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were [fn]counted, twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were [fn]counted, seven hundred choice men.

Jdg 20:16

Jdg 20:16Out of all these people seven hundred choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

Jdg 20:17

Then the men^H376 of Israel^H3478 besides^H905^H4480 Benjamin^H1144 were [fn]counted^H6485, four^H702 hundred^H3967 thousand^H505 men^H376 who drew^H8025 the sword^H2719; all^H3605 of these^H2088 were men^H376 of war^H4421.

Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

Jdg 20:18

Now the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 set^H6965 out^H6965, went^H5927 up^H5927 to Bethel^H1008, and inquired^H7592 of God^H430 and said^H559, “Who^H4310 shall go^H5927 up^H5927 first^H8462 for us to battle^H4421 against^H5973 the sons^H1121 of Benjamin^H1144?” Then the LORD^H3068 said^H559, “Judah^H3063 shall go up first^H8462.”

Jdg 20:19

So the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 got^H6965 up^H6965 in the morning^H1242 and camped^H2583 against^H5921 Gibeah^H1390.

Jdg 20:20

Jdg 20:20The men of Israel went to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel lined up for battle against them at Gibeah.

Jdg 20:21

Jdg 20:21Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and [fn]struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel.

Jdg 20:22

Jdg 20:22But the people, the men of Israel, showed themselves courageous and lined up for battle again in the place where they had lined themselves up on the first day.

Jdg 20:23

Jdg 20:23And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall we again advance for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.”

Jdg 20:24

So the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 [fn]came^H7126 against^H413 the sons^H1121 of Benjamin^H1144 on the second^H8145 day^H3117.

Jdg 20:25

Jdg 20:25And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and struck to the ground again eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all of these drew the sword.

Jdg 20:26

Jdg 20:26Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and they wept and remained there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Jdg 20:27

Jdg 20:27And the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

Jdg 20:28

Jdg 20:28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I stop?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”

Jdg 20:29

So Israel^H3478 set^H7760 men in^H693 ambush^H693 around^H5439 Gibeah^H1390.

Jdg 20:30

Jdg 20:30And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as at other times.

Jdg 20:31

Jdg 20:31When the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, they were lured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the roads (one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

Jdg 20:32

Jdg 20:32And the sons of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, like the first time.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let’s flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the roads.”

Jdg 20:33

Jdg 20:33Then all the men of Israel rose from their place and lined up at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush charged from their place, from Maareh-geba.

Jdg 20:34

Jdg 20:34When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became [fn]fierce; but [fn]Benjamin did not know that disaster was [fn]close to them.

Jdg 20:35

Jdg 20:35And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that [fn]day, all who drew the sword.

Jdg 20:36

So the sons^H1121 of Benjamin^H1144 saw^H7200 that they were [fn]defeated^H5062. When the men^H376 of Israel^H3478 gave^H5414 [fn]ground^H4725 to Benjamin^H1144 because^H3588 they relied^H982 on the men in^H693 ambush^H693 whom^H834 they had set^H7760 against^H413 Gibeah^H1390,

Jdg 20:37

Jdg 20:37the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

Jdg 20:38

Jdg 20:38Now the agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.

Jdg 20:39

Jdg 20:39Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Undoubtedly they are [fn]defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

Jdg 20:40

Jdg 20:40But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the entire city was going up in smoke to heaven.

Jdg 20:41

Jdg 20:41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was [fn]close to them.

Jdg 20:42

Jdg 20:42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel to flee in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who attacked from the cities were annihilating them in the midst of them.

Jdg 20:43

Jdg 20:43They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the [fn]east.

Jdg 20:44

Jdg 20:44So eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant men.

Jdg 20:45

Jdg 20:45 [fn]The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they [fn]caught five thousand of them on the roads and overtook them [fn]at Gidom, and [fn]killed two thousand of them.

Jdg 20:46

Jdg 20:46So all those of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were valiant men.

Jdg 20:47

Jdg 20:47But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months.

Jdg 20:48

Jdg 20:48The men of Israel then turned back against 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.

See the NASB20 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NASB20 Footnotes

Lit cornerstones

Lit men

Or landowners

Lit against me

Lit word

Lit take

Heb Geba

Lit do

Lit companions as

Lit tribes

Lit sons of Belial

Or mustered

Or mustered

Or mustered

Lit destroyed

Lit approached

Lit heavy

Lit they

Lit touching

Lit day; all these drew

Lit struck

Lit place

Lit struck

Lit touching

Lit sunrise

As in LXX; Heb And they

(20:45)

Lit gleaned

(20:45)

Lit as far as

(20:45)

Lit struck

New American Standard Bible 2020
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For more information on this translation, see the NASB20 Preface.