16. Among all these were 700 chosen left-handed men; every one could sling stones at a hair and not miss.
17. And the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
18. The Israelites arose and went up to the house of God [Bethel] and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall take the lead to battle against the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.
19. Then the Israelites rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
20. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin and set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.
21. The Benjamites came forth out of Gibeah and felled to the ground that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.
22. But the people, the men of Israel, took courage and strengthened themselves and again set their battle line in the same place where they formed it the first day.
23. And the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening and asked of the Lord, Shall we go up again to battle against our brethren the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Go up against them.
24. So the Israelites came near against the Benjamites the second day.
25. And Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah against them the second day and felled to the ground the Israelites again, 18,000 men, all of whom were swordsmen.
26. Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up and came to the house of God [Bethel] and wept; and they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27. And the Israelites inquired of the Lord–for the ark of the covenant of God was there [at Bethel] in those days,
28. And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days–saying, Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjamites or shall we quit? And the Lord said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.
29. So Israel set men in ambush round about Gibeah.
30. And the Israelites went up against the Benjamites on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times.
31. And the Benjamites went out against their army and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill some of the people as at other times, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country–about thirty men of Israel.
32. And the Benjamites said, They are routed before us as at first. But the Israelites said, Let us flee and draw them from the city to the highways.
33. And all the men of Israel rose out of their places and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel in ambush rushed out of their place in the meadow of Geba.
34. And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjamites did not know disaster was close upon them.
35. And the Lord overcame Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25,100 men, all of whom were swordsmen.