Previous Chapter Full Page Full Page Next Chapter

Judges 20 :: New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95)

Resolve to Punish the Guilty

Jdg 20:1

Jdg 20:1Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah.

Jdg 20:2

Jdg 20:2The [fn]chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 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 men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravished 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 a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

Jdg 20:7

Jdg 20:7“Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your advice and counsel here.”

Jdg 20:8

Jdg 20:8Then all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house.

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 10 men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 to [fn]supply food for the people, that when they come to [fn]Gibeah of Benjamin, they may [fn]punish them for all the disgraceful acts that they have committed in Israel.”

Jdg 20:11

Jdg 20:11Thus all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

Jdg 20:12

Jdg 20:12Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire [fn]tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?

Jdg 20:13

Jdg 20:13“Now then, deliver up the men, the [fn]worthless fellows in Gibeah, 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 20:14The 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]numbered, 26,000 men who draw the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were [fn]numbered, 700 choice men.

Jdg 20:16

Jdg 20:16Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

Jdg 20:17

Jdg 20:17Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were [fn]numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

Jdg 20:18

Jdg 20:18Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.”

Jdg 20:19

Jdg 20:19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah.

Jdg 20:20

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

Jdg 20:21

Jdg 20:21Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and [fn]felled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel.

Jdg 20:22

Jdg 20:22But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day.

Jdg 20:23

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

Jdg 20:24

Jdg 20:24Then the sons of Israel [fn]came against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

Jdg 20:25

Jdg 20:25Benjamin went out [fn]against them from Gibeah the second day and [fn]felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all 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 wept; thus they 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 20:27The 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 cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

Jdg 20:29

Jdg 20:29So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

Jdg 20:30

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

Jdg 20:31

Jdg 20:31The sons of Benjamin went out [fn]against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike [fn]and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, 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 20:32The sons of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.”

Jdg 20:33

Jdg 20:33Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of 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 [fn]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 day, all [fn]who draw the sword.

Jdg 20:36

Jdg 20:36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were [fn]defeated. When the men of Israel gave [fn]ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah,

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 appointed 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 [fn]and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Surely 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 whole 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 [fn]disaster was [fn]close to them.

Jdg 20:42

Jdg 20:42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

Jdg 20:43

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

Jdg 20:44

Jdg 20:44Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors.

Jdg 20:45

Jdg 20:45[fn]The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they [fn]caught 5,000 of them on the highways and overtook them [fn]at Gidom and [fn]killed 2,000 of them.

Jdg 20:46

Jdg 20:46So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who draw the sword; all these were valiant warriors.

Jdg 20:47

Jdg 20:47But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon 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 NASB95 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NASB95 Footnotes
Literally: cornerstones
Literally: men
Literally: take
Hebrew: Geba
Literally: do
Literally: tribes
Literally: sons of Belial
Or, mustered
Or, mustered
Literally: destroyed
Literally: approached
Literally: to meet
Literally: destroyed
Literally: to meet
Literally: slain ones
Literally: heavy
Literally: they
Literally: evil
Literally: touching
Literally: these
Literally: smitten
Literally: place
Literally: slain ones
Literally: smitten
Literally: evil
Literally: touching
Literally: sunrise
So with Gr; Heb And they
Literally: gleaned
Literally: as far as
Literally: smote
Translation Copyright Logo

New American Standard Bible 1995
Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved
https://www.lockman.org/new-american-standard-bible-nasb/

The "NASB," "NAS," "New American Standard Bible," and "New American Standard" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by The Lockman Foundation. Use of these trademarks requires the permission of The Lockman Foundation.

For Permission To Quote visit http://www.lockman.org

For more information on this translation, see the NASB95 Preface.

Judges Chapter 20 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Did You Know BLB Is User Supported?

Your partnership makes all we do possible. Would you prayerfully consider a gift of support today?

Remind Me
Dismiss