13. Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil.”But the people of Benjamin would not listen.
14. Instead, they came from their towns and gathered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites.
15. In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops who lived there.
16. Among Benjamin’s elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing.
17. Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin’s warriors.
18. Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?”The lord answered, “Judah is to go first.”
19. So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibeah.
20. Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin.
21. But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.
22. But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day.
23. For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the lord until evening. They had asked the lord, “Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?”And the lord had said, “Go out and fight against them.”
24. So the next day they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin,
25. but the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword.
26. Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the lord and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the lord.