32. And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us rise, and draw them away from the city unto the highways.
33. And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.
34. And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was close upon them.
35. And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36. So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set against Gibeah.
37. And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38. Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
39. And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.:
40. But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.
41. And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they which came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof.
43. They enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down at their resting place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.