English Standard Version

Judges 20:4-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

4. And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

5. And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead.

6. So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.

7. Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”

8. And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house.

9. But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot,

10. and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin, for all the outrage that 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 evil is this that has taken place among you?

13. Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.

14. Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel.