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Judges 20:36-46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Judges 20:36-46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
36 Then the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, trusting in the ambush they had set at Gibeah. 37 Then the men in ambush, having made a sudden dash against Gibeah, marched in and put the whole city to the sword. 38 The arrangement the men of Israel had with the men in ambush was that they would send up a smoke signal from the city, 39 and the men of Israel would then wheel about in the battle. Benjamin, having begun by killing off some thirty of the men of Israel, thought, “Surely they are completely routed before us, as in the earlier fighting.” 40 But when the signal, the column of smoke, began to rise up from the city, Benjamin looked back and there was the whole city going up in smoke toward heaven. 41 Then when the men of Israel wheeled about, the men of Benjamin were thrown into confusion, for they realized that disaster was closing in on them. 42 They retreated before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the fighting kept pace with them, and those who had been in the city were spreading destruction in between. 43 They surrounded the men of Benjamin, pursued them from Nohah and drove them along to a point east of Gibeah. 44 Eighteen thousand from Benjamin fell, all of them warriors. 45 They turned and fled into the wilderness to the crag of Rimmon. The Israelites picked off five thousand men on the highways and kept pace with them as far as Gidom, where they struck down another two thousand of them. 46 The total of those from Benjamin who fell that day was twenty-five thousand swordsmen, all of them warriors.
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Judges 20:36-46
New International Version
Judges 20:36-46
New International Version
36 Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten.
Now the men of Israel had given way(A) before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush(B) they had set near Gibeah. 37 Those who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.(C) 38 The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke(D) from the city,(E) 39 and then the Israelites would counterattack.
The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”(F) 40 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.(G) 41 Then the Israelites counterattacked,(H) and the Benjamites were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come(I) on them. 42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness, but they could not escape the battle. And the Israelites who came out of the towns cut them down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily[a] overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters.(J) 45 As they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,(K) the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.
46 On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite(L) swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters.
Footnotes
- Judges 20:43 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Judges 20:36-46
King James Version
Judges 20:36-46
King James Version
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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