20. The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they arranged their battle lines against Gibeah.
21. The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.
22. The Israelite army took heart and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before.
23. The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we again march out to fight the Benjaminites, our brothers?” The Lord said, “Attack them!”
24. So the Israelites marched toward the Benjaminites the next day.
25. The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.
26. So all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace to the Lord.
27. The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days;
28. Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord in those days), “Should we once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, or should we quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
29. So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah.
30. The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day; they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before.
31. The Benjaminites attacked the army, leaving the city unguarded. They began to strike down their enemy just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down about thirty Israelites.