7. Behold, you Israelites, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.
8. And all the people arose as one man, saying, Not any of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his home.
9. But now this we will do to Gibeah: we will go up by lot against it,
10. And we will take ten men of 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel, and 100 of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring provisions for the men, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin they may do to them according to all the [wicked] folly which they have committed in Israel.
11. So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
12. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you?
13. Now therefore, give up the men [involved], the base fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel. But the Benjamites would not listen to the voice of their kinsmen the Israelites.
14. But the Benjamites out of the cities assembled at Gibeah to go out to battle against the other Israelites.
15. And the Benjamites mustered out of their cities at that time 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.
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.