12. The Israelite tribes sent messengers all through the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to say, “What is this crime that you have committed?
13. Now hand over those perverts in Gibeah, so that we can kill them and remove this evil from Israel.” But the people of Benjamin paid no attention to the other Israelites.
14. From all the cities of Benjamin they came to Gibeah to fight against the other people of Israel.
15-16. They called out 26,000 soldiers from their cities that day. Besides these, the citizens of Gibeah gathered 700 specially chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a strand of hair and never miss.
17. The rest of the Israelite tribes gathered 400,000 trained soldiers.
18. The Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel, and there they asked God, “Which tribe should attack the Benjaminites first?”The Lord answered, “The tribe of Judah.”