7. Look, all you Israelites! Make your decision and advice here.”
8. All the people got up as one body, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, or will any of us return to his house.
9. So then, this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against her by lot.
10. We will take ten men of one hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions to the troops, to repay them when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin for all the disgraceful things they did in Israel.”
11. And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one body united.
12. Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that happened among you?
13. So then, hand over the men, the perverse lot, who are in Gibeah, so that we may kill them and purge this wickedness from Israel.” But the descendants of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their relatives, the Israelites.
14. And the descendants of Benjamin were gathered from the cities to Gibeah to go out for battle against the Israelites.
15. From the cities the descendants of Benjamin were counted on that day twenty-six thousand sword-wielding men, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred well-trained men.
16. From all these troops were seven hundred well-trained men who were left-handed; each one could sling with a stone at a hair and not miss.
17. And the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted four hundred thousand sword-wielding men; all were warriors.
18. Then the Israelites got up and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God, saying, “Who will go up first for the battle against the descendants of Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Judah will go first.”
19. And the Israelites got up in the morning, and they encamped against Gibeah.
20. Then the men of Israel marched out for the battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel took up positions against them for battle at Gibeah.
21. The descendants of Benjamin went out from Gibeah, and they struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground.
22. But the troops, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and again they arranged their battle lines in the place where they had arranged themselves the first day.
23. The Israelites went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should we again draw near from the battle against the descendants of Benjamin, our relatives?” And Yahweh said, “Go up against them.”