16. Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side.
17. Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords, and were prepared to fight.
18. And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.
19. And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:
20. And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to assault the city.
21. And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.
22. Again Israel trusting in their strength and their number, set their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before:
23. Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.
24. And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight against the children of Benjamin,
25. The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen thousand men that drew the sword.
26. Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings,
27. And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there,
28. And Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron was over the house. So they consulted the Lord and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into your hands.
29. And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa:
30. And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second.
31. And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel, and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men: