1   Therfore al the children of Israel went forth, and were gathered together, as it were one man, from Dan to Bersabee, and the Land of Galaad, to our Lord in Maspha:

2   and al the corners of the people, and al the tribes of Israel assembled into the church of the people of God foure hundred thousand footemen warriers.

3   (Neirher were the children of Beniamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come vp into Maspha.) And the Leuite the husband of the woman that was killed being asked, how so great wickednes had beene c&obar;mitted,

4   answered: I came into Gabaa of Beniamin with my wife, and there I tooke my lodging:

5   and behold the men of that citie by night besette the house wherein I taried, meaning to kil me, and vexing my wife with incredible furie of lust, finally she died.

6   Whom being taken I did cutte into peeces, and sent the partes into al the borders of your possession: because neuer was there so heinous an offense, and so greate an abomination done in Israel.

7   You are al present the children of Israel, determine what you ought to doe.

8   And al the people standing, answered as it were by the word of one man: we wil not depart into our tabernacles, neither shal any man enter into his house:

9   but this wil we doe in common against Gabaa.

10   Let ten men be chosen of an hundred out of al the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring victuals for the armie, and that we may fight against Gabaa of Beniamin, & render to it for the wicked fact, which it deserueth.

11   And al Israel assembled to the citie, as it were one man with one minde, and one counsel:

12   and they sent messengers to al the tribe of Beniamin, which should say: Why is there soe great abomination found in you?

13   Deliuer the men of Gabaa, that haue committed this heinous fact, ^note that they may die, and the euil may be taken away out of Israel. Who would not heare the commandment of their brethren the children of Israel:

14   but out of al cities, which were of their lotte, they assembled into Gabaa, to ayde them, and to fight against al the people of Israel.

15   And there were found

400000. fight against Beniamin. fiue and twentie thousand of Beniamin of them that drew sword, beside the inhabitantes of Gabaa,

16   which were seuen hundred most valiant men, so fighting with the left hand as with the right: and so directly casting stones with slinges, that they could strike a heare also, and the stroke of the stone should not be caried awry on either part.

17   Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Beniamin, were found foure hundred thousande of them that drew swordes, & were prepared to fight.

18   Who rising came into the house of God, that is, into Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shal be in our armie general of the battel against the children of Beniamin? To whom our Lord answered: Let ^note Iudas be your captayne.

19   And forthwith the children of Israel arysing in the morning, camped beside Gabaa:

20   and thence proceeding to fight against Beniamin, beganne to assault the citie.

21   And the children of Beniamin issuing out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day two and twentie thousand men.

22   Agayne Israel hauing confidence ^note in their strength and number, sette the armie in aray in the same place, wherein they had fought before:

23   yet so that they did first goe vp and weepe before our Lord vntil night: and consulted him, and said: Shal I procede any more to fight against the children of Beniamin my brethren, or not? To whom he answered: ^note Goe vp to them, and enter battel.

24   And when the children of Israel the next day had proceded against the children of Beniamin to battel,

25   the children of Beniamin brake forth out of the gates of Gabaa: and meeting them they raged with so great a slaughter against them, that they ouerthrew eightene thousand men that drew sword.

26   For the which thing al the children of Israel came into the house of God, and sitting wept before our Lord: and they fasted that day vntil euening, and offered to him holocaustes, and pacifique victimes,

27   and asked him concerning their state. At that time the arke of the couenant of our Lord was there,

28   and ^note Phinees the sonne of Eleazarus the sonne of Aaron prouost of the house. They therfore consulted our Lord, and said: Shal we goe forth any more to fight against the children of Beniamin our brethren, or rest? To whom our Lord said: Goe vp, for to morrow I wil deliuer them into your handes.

29   And the children of Israel sette ambushmentes round about the citie of Gabaa:

30   and the third time,

400000. fight against Beniamin. as once and twise, they brought forth their armie against Beniamin.

31   But the children of Beniamin also issued forth boldly out of the citie, and pursewed a long way the aduersaries fleeing, so that they wounded of them, as the first day and the second, and slew them turning their backes by two wayes, wherof the one went into Bethel, and the other into Gabaa, and ouerthrew about thirtie men:

32   for they thought to kil them after their accustomed maner. Who feyning artificially as though they fled tooke aduise to draw them away from the citie, & as it were fleing to bring them to the pathes aforesayd.

33   Therfore al the children of Israel rysing out of their seates, sette their armie in battel aray, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushmentes also, which were about the citie, began by litle and litle to open them selues,

34   and to proceede from the West part of the citie. Yea and other ten thousand men of al Israel prouoked the inhabitantes of the citie to skirmishes. And the battel grew sore against the children of Beniamin: and they vnderstoode not that on euerie side destruction hong ouer them.

35   And our Lord stroke them in the sight of the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day fiue and twentie thousand, and an hundred men, al warryers and that drew sword.

36   But the children of Beniamin when they saw them selues to be inferiour, beganne to flee. Which the children of Israel seing, gaue them place to flee, that they might come to the ambushmentes prepared, which they had sette neere the citie.

37   Who when they had sodenly risen out of their dennes, and Beniamin turned their backes to the sleaers, they entred the citie, and stroke it in the edge of the sword.

38   And the children of Israel had geuen a signe to them, whom they had laid in the ambushementes, that after they had taken the citie, they should kindle a fire: that the smoke ascending on high, they might shew that the citie was taken.

39   Which when the children of Israel saw being in the verie fight (for the children of Beniamin thought that they fled, and pursewed more instantly, hauing slaine thirtie men of their armie.)

40   and they saw as it were a piller of smoke to rise vp from the citie. Beniamin also looking backe, when he saw the citie taken, and the flames caried on high:

41   they that before had feyned as if they fled, turning their face resisted more manfully. Which when the children of Beniamin had sene, they were

The tribe of Beniamin repaired turned into flight,

42   and beganne to goe the way of the desert, the aduersaries pursewing them thither also. But they also that had fyred the citie, mette them.

43   And so it came to passe, that on both sides they were slaine of the enemies, neither was there any rest of men dying. They fel, and were ouerthrowen on the east side of the citie of Gabaa.

44   And there were that were slaine in the same place, eightene thousand men, al most valiant warryers.

45   Which when they had seene, that were remayning of Beniamin, they fled into the wildernes, and went on to the rocke, the name wherof is Remmon. In that flight also stragling, and going diuers waies, they slew fiue thousand men. And whereas they went farder, they pursewed them, and slew also other two thousand.

46   And so it came to passe, that al which were slaine of Beniamin in diuerse places, were fiue and twentie thousand one hundred fighting men, most prompt to warres.

47   There remayned therfore of al the number of Beniamin that could escape, and flee into the wildernes, six hundred men: and they abode in the Rocke Remmon foure monethes.

48   But the children of Israel retyring, stroke al the remaines of the citie with the sword from men euen to beastes, and al the cities and villages of Beniamin the deuouring flame did consume.

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