Judges 18-20

1In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

2So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

3And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

4“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”

5Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”

6And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”

7So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.

8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”

9They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!

10When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”

11So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.

12They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

13And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.

14Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

16The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

17And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

18When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

20So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

21Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.

22After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.

23When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”

24He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

25The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”

26So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.

27After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

28There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.

29They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.

30The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.

1Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

2But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,

3her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

4His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.

5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”

6So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”

7The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.

8On the fifth day, he got up early in the morning to depart, but the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.

9When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”

10But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”

12But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”

13He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”

14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.

15They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.

16That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.

17When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”

18The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,

19even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”

20“Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”

21So he brought him to his house and fed his donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”

23The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.

24Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”

25But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

26Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light.

27In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.

28“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

29When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

30And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”

1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.

3(Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”

4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

5And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

6Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

8Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.

9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.

10We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

11So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.

12And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

13Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.

14And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.

15On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.

16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

17The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.

18The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.

19The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah.

20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

22But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

23They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

24On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites.

25That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

26Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

27And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

31The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

32“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.

34Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.

35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.

36Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

37The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

38The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

39the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

41Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

42So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

43They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

44And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

45Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.

46That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

47But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.

48And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.