5. The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying. They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died.
6. I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces throughout the territory occupied by Israel, because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity in Israel.
7. All you Israelites, make a decision here!”
8. All Israel rose up in unison and said, “Not one of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!
9. Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.
10. We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.”
11. So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.
12. The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?
13. Now, hand over the good-for-nothings in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers.
14. The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites.
15. That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.
16. Among this army were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers. Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.
17. The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.
18. The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God, “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”