2. And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, were present in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
3. (Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then the sons of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
4. And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah of Benjamin with my concubine to pass the night there.
5. And the men of Gibeah rose up against me and beset the house round about upon me by night and thought to have slain me, and they have forced my concubine in such a manner that she is dead.
6. Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the possession of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7. Behold, all ye sons of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8. Then all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house
9. until we do this upon Gibeah that we cast lots against it;
10. and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the people that shall go against Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
11. So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13. Now therefore deliver us those men, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away the evil from Israel. But the sons of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;
14. but the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities in Gibeah to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.
15. And the sons of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty-six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.