19. The next morning the Israelites got up. They made a camp near the city of Gibeah.
20. Then the army of Israel took their positions for battle against the army of Benjamin at the city of Gibeah.
21. Then the army of Benjamin came out of the city of Gibeah. The army of Benjamin killed 22,000 men in the army of Israel during the battle that day.
22-23. The Israelites went to the Lord and cried until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we go to fight the people of Benjamin again? They are our relatives.” The Lord answered, “Go fight against them.” The men of Israel encouraged each other. So they again went out to fight, as they had done the first day.
24. Then the army of Israel came near the army of Benjamin. This was the second day of the war.
25. The army of Benjamin came out of the city of Gibeah to attack the army of Israel on the second day. This time, the army of Benjamin killed another 18,000 men from the army of Israel. All the men in the army of Israel were trained soldiers.
26. Then all the Israelites went up to the city of Bethel. There they sat down and cried to the Lord. They did not eat anything all day, until evening. They also offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
27. The men of Israel asked the Lord a question. (In those days God’s Box of the Agreement was there at Bethel.
28. Phinehas was the priest who served God there. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Aaron.) The Israelites asked, “The people of Benjamin are our relatives. Should we again go to fight against them? Or should we stop fighting?” The Lord answered, “Go. Tomorrow I will help you defeat them.”
29. Then the army of Israel hid some men all around the city of Gibeah.