Eighteen thousand Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead.

So they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards,

So the Israelites marched toward ¹  the Benjaminites the next day.

The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day. ¹ 

The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day; ¹  they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before.

They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, ¹  and annihilated ²  them all the way to a spot east of Geba. ³ 

The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed. ¹ 

The Benjaminites formed their ranks ¹  behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.

But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field. ¹  The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.) ² 

Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce. ¹  But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep. ² 

But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky. ¹ 

On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering.

The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah ¹  to make war against the Israelites.

But David’s soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner’s men – in all, 360 men had died!

Heled ¹  son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. ¹  The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. ² 

The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!”

The Israelites went up to Bethel ¹  and asked God, ²  “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” ³  The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”

The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we ¹  again march out to fight ²  the Benjaminites, our brothers?” ³  The Lord said, “Attack them!” ⁴