Hakim-hakim 20:22-28

20:22 The Israelite army ¹  took heart ²  and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before. 20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we ³  again march out to fight ⁴  the Benjaminites, our brothers?” ⁵  The Lord said, “Attack them!” ⁶  20:24 So the Israelites marched toward ⁷  the Benjaminites the next day. 20:25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers. ⁸ 

20:26 So all the Israelites, the whole army, ⁹  went up to ¹⁰  Bethel. ¹¹  They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything ¹²  that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace ¹³  to the Lord. 20:27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 20:28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord ¹⁴  in those days), “Should we ¹⁵  once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, ¹⁶  or should we ¹⁷  quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them ¹⁸  over to you.”

[20:22]  ¹ tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.”

[20:22]  ² tn Or “encouraged one another.”

[20:23]  ³ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “approach for battle.”

[20:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).

[20:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).

[20:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “drew near to.”

[20:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day, and they struck down among the sons of Israel eighteen thousand men to the ground, all of these were wielding the sword.”

[20:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “and all the people.”

[20:26]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “went up and came [to].”

[20:26]  ¹¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:26]  ¹² tn Traditionally, “fasted.”

[20:26]  ¹³ tn Or “peace offerings.”

[20:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “standing before him.”

[20:28]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “I” (collective singular).

[20:28]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “him” (collective singular).