[20:18] The Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel, and there they asked God, “Which tribe should attack the Benjaminites first?” The Lord answered, “The tribe of Judah.”
[20:19] So the Israelites started out the next morning and camped near the city of Gibeah.
[20:20] They went to attack the army of Benjamin, and placed the soldiers in position facing the city.
[20:21] The army of Benjamin came out of the city, and before the day was over they had killed twenty-two thousand Israelite soldiers. The Lord answered, “Yes.” So the Israelite army was encouraged, and they placed their soldiers in position again, where they had been the day before.
[20:24] They marched against the army of Benjamin a second time.
[20:25] And for the second time the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and this time they killed eighteen thousand trained Israelite soldiers.
[20:26] Then all the people of Israel went up to Bethel and mourned. They sat there in the Lord's presence and did not eat until evening. They offered fellowship sacrifices and burned some sacrifices whole—all in the presence of the Lord. The Lord answered, “Fight. Tomorrow I will give you victory over them.”
[20:29] So the Israelites put some soldiers in hiding around Gibeah.
[20:30] Then for the third straight day they marched against the army of Benjamin and placed their soldiers in battle position facing Gibeah, as they had done before.
[20:31] The Benjaminites came out to fight and were led away from the city. As they had before, they began killing some Israelites in the open country, on the road to Bethel and on the road to Gibeah. They killed about thirty Israelites.
[20:32] The Benjaminites said, “We've beaten them just as before.” But the Israelites had planned to retreat and lead them away from the city onto the roads.
[20:33] So when the main army of the Israelites pulled back and regrouped at Baaltamar, the men surrounding Gibeah suddenly rushed out of their hiding places in the rocky country around the city.
[20:34] Ten thousand men, specially chosen out of all Israel, attacked Gibeah, and the fighting was hard. The Benjaminites had not realized that they were about to be destroyed.
[20:35] The Lord gave Israel victory over the army of Benjamin. The Israelites killed 25,100 of the enemy that day,
[20:36] and the Benjaminites realized they were defeated.