34. Then 10,000 of Israel’s best men attacked Gibeah. The battle was fierce. But Benjamin’s men didn’t realize their own evil was about to overtake them.
35. So the Lord defeated them in front of Israel. On that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men from Benjamin who were armed with swords.
36. Then the men of Benjamin realized they were defeated.The Israelites had allowed the men of Benjamin to take back some ground. The Israelites relied on those waiting in ambush near Gibeah.
37. The men in ambush quickly charged toward Gibeah. They spread out in the city and killed everyone.
38. The men of Israel had arranged with those waiting in ambush that they would make a big column of smoke rise from the city as a signal.
39. Then the men of Israel would turn around in the battle.The men of Benjamin had already killed about 30 men of Israel. They even said, “Israel is completely defeated, just like in the first battle.”
40. But when the column of smoke started to rise from the city, the men of Benjamin turned around and saw the whole city going up in smoke.