Judges 20:15-27

¹⁵And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,

¹⁶Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone’s going on either side.

¹⁷Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords, and were prepared to fight.

¹⁸And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.

¹⁹And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, camped by Gabaa:

²⁰And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to assault the city.

²¹And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.

²²Again Israel trusting in their strength and their number, set their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before:

²³Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.

²⁴And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight against the children of Benjamin,

²⁵The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen thousand men that drew the sword.

²⁶Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings,

²⁷And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there,