Israel Prepares for War
1 All the people of Israel from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, as well as from the land of Gilead in the east, answered the call. They gathered in one body in the Lord's presence at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the tribes of Israel were present at this gathering of God's people, and there were 400,000 foot soldiers. 3 Meanwhile the people of Benjamin heard that all the other Israelites had gathered at Mizpah.
The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how was this crime committed?” 4 The Levite whose concubine had been murdered answered, “My concubine and I went to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin to spend the night. 5 The men of Gibeah came to get me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me; instead they raped my concubine, and she died. 6 I took her body, cut it in pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These people have committed an evil and immoral act among us. 7 All of you here are Israelites. What are we going to do about this?”
8 All the people stood up together and said, “None of us, whether he lives in a tent or in a house, will go home. 9 This is what we will do: we will draw lots and choose some men to attack Gibeah. 10 One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men in Israel assembled with one purpose—to attack the town.
12 The Israelite tribes sent messengers all through the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to say, “What is this crime that you have committed? 13 Now hand over those perverts in Gibeah, so that we can kill them and remove this evil from Israel.” But the people of Benjamin paid no attention to the other Israelites. 14 From all the cities of Benjamin they came to Gibeah to fight the other people of Israel. 15-16 They called out twenty-six thousand soldiers from their cities that day. Besides these, the citizens of Gibeah gathered seven hundred specially chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a strand of hair and never miss. 17 Not counting the tribe of Benjamin, the Israelites gathered 400,000 trained soldiers.
The War against the Benjaminites
18 The Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel, and there they asked God, “Which tribe should attack the Benjaminites first?”
The Lord answered, “The tribe of Judah.”
19 So the Israelites started out the next morning and camped near the city of Gibeah. 20 They went to attack the army of Benjamin, and placed the soldiers in position facing the city. 21 The army of Benjamin came out of the city, and before the day was over they had killed twenty-two thousand Israelite soldiers. 22-23 Then the Israelites went to the place of worship and mourned in the presence of the Lord until evening. They asked him, “Should we go again into battle against our brothers the Benjaminites?”
The Lord answered, “Yes.”
So the Israelite army was encouraged, and they placed their soldiers in position again, where they had been the day before. 24 They marched against the army of Benjamin a second time. 25 And for the second time the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and this time they killed eighteen thousand trained Israelite soldiers. 26 Then all the people of Israel went up to Bethel and mourned. They sat there in the Lord's presence and did not eat until evening. They offered fellowship sacrifices and burned some sacrifices whole—all in the presence of the Lord. 27-28 God's Covenant Box was there at Bethel in those days, and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was in charge of it. The people asked the Lord, “Should we go out to fight our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we give up?”
The Lord answered, “Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.”
29 So the Israelites put some soldiers in hiding around Gibeah. 30 Then for the third straight day they marched against the army of Benjamin and placed their soldiers in battle position facing Gibeah, as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites came out to fight and were led away from the city. As they had before, they began killing some Israelites in the open country, on the road to Bethel and on the road to Gibeah. They killed about thirty Israelites. 32 The Benjaminites said, “We've beaten them just as before.”
But the Israelites had planned to retreat and lead them away from the city onto the roads. 33 So when the main army of the Israelites pulled back and regrouped at Baaltamar, the men surrounding Gibeah suddenly rushed out of their hiding places in the rocky country around the city. 34 Ten thousand men, specially chosen out of all Israel, attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was hard. The Benjaminites had not realized that they were about to be destroyed. 35 The Lord gave Israel victory over the army of Benjamin. The Israelites killed 25,100 of the enemy that day, 36 and the Benjaminites realized they were defeated.
How the Israelites Won
The main body of the Israelite army had retreated from the Benjaminites because they were relying on the men that they had put in hiding around Gibeah. 37 These men ran quickly toward Gibeah; they spread out in the city and killed everyone there. 38 The main Israelite army and the men in hiding had arranged a signal. When they saw a big cloud of smoke going up from the town, 39 the Israelites out on the battlefield were to turn around. By this time the Benjaminites had already killed the thirty Israelites. They told themselves, “Yes, we've beaten them just as before.” 40 Then the signal appeared; a cloud of smoke began to go up from the town. The Benjaminites looked behind them and were amazed to see the whole city going up in flames. 41 Then the Israelites turned around, and the Benjaminites were thrown into panic because they realized that they were about to be destroyed. 42 They retreated from the Israelites and ran toward the open country, but they could not escape. They were caught between the main army and the men who were now coming out of the city, and they were destroyed. 43 The Israelites had the enemy trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point east of Gibeah, killing them as they went. 44 Eighteen thousand of the best Benjaminite soldiers were killed. 45 The others turned and ran toward the open country to Rimmon Rock. Five thousand of them were killed on the roads. The Israelites continued to pursue the rest to Gidom, killing two thousand. 46 In all, twenty-five thousand Benjaminites were killed that day—all of them brave soldiers.
47 But six hundred men were able to escape to the open country to Rimmon Rock, and they stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites turned back against the rest of the Benjaminites and killed them all—men, women, and children, and animals as well. They burned every town in the area.
Israelǁîn ge torob ǃoa ra ǂhomisen
1 Hoaraga Israelǁîn, Dans ǀapas ǃnâ ǁgoesa xu Bersebas ǃkhawagas ǃnâ ǁgoes kōse, tsî Gileadi, aiǂoas ǃnâ ǁgoeb kōse hân ge ǀgui khoeb khami Mispas tawa ǃKhūb aiǃâ ge ǀhao. 2 Israelǁîn ǃhaodi di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoagu ge nē ǀhaos Elob ǁaes dis tawa ge hâ i. ǁNāpa gu ge hakakaidisiǀoadisi ǀnūǃgû ra toroǃkhamaoga ge hâ i. 3 Tsîn ge Benjaminǁîna nau Israelǁîn hoan Mispas tawa ǀhao hâ ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu.
On ge Israelǁîna “Mâtib ge nē tsūdība ī ǃkhaisa mîba da re” ti ǁîna ge dî. 4 Ob ge Leviǁîb, ǃgamhe ge xōǀkhātaras diba ge ǃeream: “Tita tsî ti xōǀkhātaras tsîm ge Gibeas, Benjaminni ǀkharib ǃnâ ǂnôas ǁga ge ǃgû, ǁnāpam sī nî hâǁgoase. 5 O gu ge Gibeas di aoga tita gu nî ǁnāǂamse hā tsî omsa hoaraga tsuxuba ge mâǂnami. ǁÎgu ge tita gere ǃgam ǂgao, tsî gu ge ti xōǀkhātarasa ge ǀgaiǃkhō tsîs ge ge ǁō. 6 O ta ge ǁîs di sorosa ū, ǃâdi ǃnâ ǃgaoǃā tsî mâs Israelǁîn di disiǀgamǀa ǃhaodi dis hoasa ǀgui ǃâsa ge sîba. ǁNā khoen ge ǁgaisi tsî taotaosa dī-e Israeli ǃnâ go dī. 7 Sadu nēpa ǀhao hâdu hoadu ge a Israelǁî. Tare-e da nēs ǂama nî dī?”
8 On ge hoaraga khoena ǀhûǃkhō-am tsî ge mî: “ǀGui-i sida di-i tsîn ge tents ǃnâ iga ǁans, oms ǃnâ iga ǁans hoasa oa tide. 9 Nēti da ge nî dī: ǀKhūsa ǂnau tsî da ge ǀnî aoga nî ǁhûiǂui, î gu Gibeasa ǁnāǂam . 10 Disiǁîǃâb Israeli aogu dib ge toroǂnubisa nî ǂûmā tsî naugu ge Gibeasa sī nî ǁkhara, nē ǁgaiǁgaisa dīb Israeli ǃnâs ge dīb ǃaroma.” 11 O gu ge Israelǁî aogu hoaga ǀgui ǂâibasens ǀguis ǃaroma ge ǀhao, Gibeasa gu nî ǁnāǂamse.
12 Israeli ǃhaodi ge sîsabega Benjaminni ǃhaos di ǀkharib hoaragab ǃnâ ge sîǂui, î gu sī mî: “Tarebe ǁgaidī-e kha sadu ge dī-e? 13 ǁNā eloxoresa khoegu Gibeas diga māǂui, î da ǁîga ǃgam tsî nē ǂkhababa Israela xu dībē.” Xawen ge Benjaminǁîna nau Israelǁîna ǃgâ ǂgao tama ge i. 14 Benjaminǁîn ge ǁîn di ǃādi hoade xu Gibeas tawa ge ǀhaoǀhaosen, nau ǃhaodi Israelǁîn didi ǃoagun nî ǃkhamse. 15-16 ǁÎn ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisiǃnaniǀaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaoga ǁîn di ǃāde xu ge ǂgaiǀhao. ǁÎgu xōǀkhān ge Gibeas di khoena hûkaidisi ǀō-aisa toroǃkhamaoga ge ǀhaoǀhao, hoagu ge ǁare iga. Mâb ǁîgu dib hoab ge ǀgui ǀûba slengers di ǀuis ǀkha ge ǂnoahō ǁkhā i, tsî tātse ge ǂnoasā tama hâ i. 17 Nau ǃhaodi Israelǁîn didi ge hakakaidisiǀoadisi ǃkham ǁkhā toroǃkhamaoga ge ǀhaoǀhao.
Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu hâ torob
18 Israelǁîn ge Betels tawa hâ ǀgoreǀîǃkhais ǁga ǃgû tsî Elob ai sī ge dî: “Mâ ǃhaosa ǂgurose Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba “Judab ǃhaos ge nî ǂguro” ti ge ǃeream.
19 On ge Israelǁîna sao ra ǁgoaga ǂhomisen tsî Gibeas ǀgūse hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi. 20 ǁÎn ge Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubisa gu nî ǁnāǂamse ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga Gibeas ǃoa-ai sī ge mâi. 21 O gu ge Benjaminǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga Gibeasa xu ǃkhamǃgûǂoa tsî ǁnātsē ǀgamdisiǀgamǀaǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu Israelǁîn diga ge ǃgam. 22-23 On ge Israelǁîna ǀgoreǀîǃkhais ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǃKhūb tawa ǃuis kōse sī ge ǃgae. Tsîn ge ǁîb ai “ǁKhawa da sida ǃgâsan Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba “Î, ǃkham sī” ti ge ǃeream.
ǁNātin ge Israelǁîna ǁkhoaǂgaoxa kaihe tsî ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga ǃkharu ge tsēs ain ge mâi hâ i khami ge mâi, 24 tsî gu ge ǀgamǁî ǃnāsa gu Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubis ǃoagu sī nî ǃkhamse ge ǃgûǂoa. 25 O gu ge Benjaminǁî toroǃkhamaoga Gibeasa xu ǂoaxa tsî disiǁkhaisaǀaǀoadisi ǃkham ǁkhā toroǃkhamaogu Israelǁîn diga ge ǃgam. 26 On ge hoaraga Israelǁîna Betels ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa ǃKhūb aiǃâ sī ǂnû tsî ge ā tsî ǃuis kōse ǂû tamase ge hâ. Tsîn ge ǂkhîbagusǁguibadi tsî khauǁguibadi tsîna ǃKhūba ge ǁguiba. 27-28 ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob dis ge ǁnā tsēdi ǃnâ Betels tawa ge hâ i, tsî Eleasari ôa tsî Aronni ǁnurib Pinehasi ge ǁîs ǂama ge mûǂamao ib ge ǃKhūb ai ge dî: “ǁKhawa da sida ǃgâsan Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu sī nî ǃkham, tamas ka io ǀû da nî?”
Ob ge ǃKhūba ge ǃeream: “ǃKham sī. ǁAri ta ge ǁîn ǂama dansa nî mā du.”
29 On ge Israelǁîna ǀnî toroǃkhamaoga Gibeas ǂnamipe ge ǃâuǁgoe kai. 30 Tsîn ge ǃnonaǁî tsēs ai ǁkhawa Benjaminǁîn ǃoagu nî ǃkhamse ǂhomisen tsî ǁîn di toroǃkhamaoga ǀnain gere dī khami Gibeas ǃoa-ai sī ge mâ kai. 31 Benjaminǁî toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃkhamǃgûǂoaxa gu geo, ǃāsa xu ge ǂgaeǂguibēhe. Aiǃâs khami gu ge ǁîga ǀnî Israelǁîga ǂgāb ǃnâ Betels ǃoa garu daob tsî Gibeas ǃoa garu daob tsîkha ai ge ǃgam. ǁÎgu ge ǁaubexa ǃnonadisi Israelǁîga ge ǃgam. 32 On ge Benjaminǁîna ge mî: “Aiǃâ da ge dī hâ is ǁkhās khami da ge ǁîna ǁkhawa go dan.”
Xawe gu ge Israelǁîga ǁnā-oa gu nîsa ge ǀape hâ i, tsî ǁîga ǃāsa xu daogu ǁga ge ǂgaeǂguibē. 33 ǃNāsa ǃâb Israelǁîn toroǃkhamaogu dib ge ge ǂgae-oasen tsî Baal-Tamars tawa ge ǀhaoǀhaosen; Gibeas ǂnamipe ge ǃâuǁgoe i Israelǁîgu ge gaugausen gu ge hâ i ǃkhaide xu ge ǃkhoeǂoaxa. 34 Disiǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu, Israeli toroǃkhamaogu hoaga xu ǃkhōǂuihe hâgu ge Gibeasa ge ǁnāǂam, tsî ǃkhammi ge kaise ge ǁkhō i. Benjaminǁîn ge hîkākāhe ǁga gu ra ǃkhaisa noxopa ge hōǃâ tama hâ i. 35 ǃKhūb ge Israelǁîga Benjaminǁîn di toroǂnubis ǂama dansa ge mā. Israelǁîgu ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisikoroǀaǀoadisi tsî kaidisi toroǃkhamaogu Benjaminni ǃhaos diga ge ǃgam, 36 tsîn ge Benjaminǁîna danhen go ǃkhaisa ge mûǂan.
Israelǁîn ge dan ǀgaub
Israelǁî toroǃnans ge Benjaminǁîga xu ge ǂgae-oasen, Gibeas ǂnamipe gu ge ǃâuǁgoe kai hâ i toroǃkhamaogu ai gu gere mûmâinǃgâ xui-ao. 37 ǁNā aogu ge ǃhaese Gibeas ǁga ǃkhoe, ǁîsa ǃgûǃnâǃganu tsî ǁnāpa hoaraga khoena ge ǃgam. 38 Israelǁî toroǂnubis tsî ǃâuǁgoe ge hâ i toroǃkhamaogu tsîn ǁgauǁgau-e ge ǀapeǁgui hâ i. Kai ǀanni ǃāsa xu ra khâi ǃkhaisa gu ga mû, 39 o gu ge ǃkhammi ǃnâ hâ Israelǁîga nî dabasen. ǁNā ǁaeb ai gu ge Benjaminǁîga ǀnai ǃnonadisi Israelǁîga ge ǃgam hâ i. ǁÎgu ge “Amase da ge aiǃâ da ge dī hâ is ǁkhās khami ǁîna go dan” ti ge mî. 40 Os ge ǁgauǁgausa ge hā; kai ǀanni ge ǃāsa xu ge khâi. Benjaminǁîgu ge ǂnan gu ge, o hoaraga ǃāsa xub ǀaeǁhabuba ra khâi ǃkhaisa ge mû. 41 Israelǁîgu ge ǃkhamgu nîse a dabasen, o gu ge Benjaminǁîga kaise ge ǃao, hîkākāhes ams ai gu mâ ǃkhaisa gu ge hōǃâ xui-ao. 42 ǁÎgu ge Israelǁîga xu ǁnā-oa tsî gu ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃoa a ǁhâ, xawe ûiǂoa tama ge i. ǁÎgu ge Israelǁî toroǂnubis tsî nau toroǃkhamaogu ǃāsa xu ra ǂoaxagu tsîn xa ǁkhaeǂgāhe tsî ge hîkākāhe. 43 Israelǁîgu ge Benjaminǁîga ǃnamiǂgā, ǁîga ǀûs ose Gibeas di aiǂoasǀkhāb kōse ǃgôaǃgon tsî garu gere ǃgam. 44 Disiǁkhaisaǀaǀoadisi ǂoaǂamsa toroǃkhamaogu Benjaminǁîn digu ge ge ǃgamhe. 45 Naugu ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǁga Rimonǃgareǀuib ǃoa ge ǃhū. Daob ai gu ge noxopa koroǀoadisigu ǁîgu diga ge ǃgamhe. Israelǁîgu ge ǃgau ge ga Gidoms kōse ǃgôaǃgon tsî ǀgamǀoadisiga ge ǃgam. 46 ǀHaob ai gu ge ǁnātsē ǀgamdisikoroǀaǀoadisi Benjaminǁîgu, hoagu ge ǁkhoaǂgaoxa toro-ao iga ge ǃgamhe.
47 Xawe gu ge ǃnanikaidisi aoga ǃgaroǃhūb ǁga Rimonǃgareǀuib kōse ǃhū tsî haka ǁkhâga ǁnāpa sī ge hâ. 48 Israelǁîgu ge ǁkhawa Benjaminǁîn ǃoa oa tsî aogu, taradi, ǀgôan tsî ûitsama xūn tsîn hoana sī ge ǃgam. ǁÎgu ge ǁkhāti ǁnā ǀkharib di ǃādi hoade ge khauǃkhū.
