1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. 2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us , how was this wickedness? 4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead. 6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8 ¶ And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. 9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 ¶ And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. 16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth , and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 ¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. 22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.) 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 ¶ Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. 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. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.
20–BOB
Isroil xalqi urushga tayyorlanadi
1 Dan va Bersheba shaharlarining orasidagi keng hududda va Gilad oʻlkasida yashagan butun Isroil xalqi bir yoqadan bosh chiqarib, Egamiz huzurida Mispaxda toʻplandi. 2 Xudo ahlining yigʻinida jamiki Isroil qabilalarining yoʻlboshchilari va 400.000 qurollangan piyoda sipoh qatnashdi. 3 Mispaxdagi yigʻin haqidagi xabar tez orada Benyamin qabilasiga ham yetib bordi.
Isroil xalqi shunday dedi:
— Bu jinoyat qanday qilib yuz berganini bizga aytib ber.
4 Oʻldirilgan ayolning eri levi javob berdi:
— Men xotinim bilan tunamoq uchun Benyamin qabilasiga qarashli Givo shahriga bordim. 5 Kechasi Givoning baʼzi bir odamlari uyni oʻrab olishdi. Ular meni oʻldirmoqchi boʻlib, mening oʻrnimga xotinimni shu qadar zoʻrlashdiki, bechora jon berdi. 6 Aql bovar qilmaydigan bu razolat Isroilda sodir boʻldi! Shuning uchun men xotinimning jasadini boʻlak–boʻlak qilib, boʻlaklarni Isroil boʻylab joʻnatdim. 7 Endi esa birodarlarim, hammalaringiz shu haqda mulohaza qilib, biron–bir maslahat beringlar.
8 Yigʻinda ishtirok etganlar turib bir ovozdan:
— Birontamiz ham oʻz chodirimizga yoki uyimizga qaytib ketmaymiz, — dedi. 9 — Biz bunday qilamiz: Givoga qarshi jang qilishdan oldin, shaharga kim hujum qilishi kerakligini Xudodan soʻrab, qurʼa tashlaymiz . 10 Isroil xalqining oʻndan bir qismi jangchilarni oziq–ovqat bilan taʼminlab turadi. Qolganlar esa Benyamin yeridagi Givo aholisini Isroilda qilgan sharmandaligi uchun jazolaydi.
11 Shunday qilib, butun Isroil xalqi bir yoqadan bosh chiqarib, shaharga hujum qilish uchun toʻplandi.
12 Isroil qabilalari Benyamin qabilasi boʻylab odamlarni yuborib dedilar: “Ey xaloyiq, orangizdagi ayrim odamlar dahshatli bir jinoyatga qoʻl urdi. 13 Givodagi yaramaslarni hoziroq bu yerga chiqaringlar, biz ularni oʻldirib, Isroil xalqi orasidan yovuzlikni yoʻq qilamiz.” Ammo Benyamin qabilasi Isroil xalqining gaplariga quloq solmadi. 14 Ular shaharlaridan chiqib, Isroil xalqiga qarshi jang qilish uchun Givoga bordilar. 15 Oʻsha kuni Givo shahridan boʻlgan yetti yuzta saralangan jangchidan tashqari Benyamin qabilasining boshqa shaharlaridan kelgan qurollangan sipohlarning soni yigirma olti ming edi. 16 Bularning orasida yetti yuz nafar chapaqay askar bor edi. Ularning hammasi mohir mergan edi. Ularga bir tola sochni nishon qilib qoʻygan taqdirda ham palaxmondan tosh otib, moʻljalga bexato tekkizishardi. 17 Isroil xalqi esa Benyamin qabilasidan ajralgan holda 400.000 qurollangan mohir jangchini toʻpladi.
Benyamin qabilasiga qarshi jang
18 Isroil lashkari Baytil shahridagi sajdagohga chiqib: “Oramizdan kim birinchi boʻlib Benyamin qabilasiga hujum qilishi kerak?” — deya Xudoga iltijo qildi.
“Yahudo qabilasi hujum qilsin”, — deb javob berdi Egamiz.
19 Keyingi kuni ertalab Isroil lashkari borib, Givo shahrining yaqinida qarorgoh qurdi. 20 Soʻng ular Benyamin jangchilariga hujum qilish uchun Givo shahrining roʻparasida saf tortishdi. 21 Benyamin jangchilari Givodan chiqib, Isroil lashkari bilan jang qilishdi. Oʻsha kuni yigirma ikki ming Isroil sipohi halok boʻldi. 22-23 Isroil lashkari Egamizning huzuriga borib, kechgacha faryod qildi. Ular Egamizdan: “Benyamin qarindoshimizga qarshi yana jang qilaylikmi?” — deb soʻrashdi. “Ularga hujum qilinglar”, — deb javob berdi Egamiz. Isroil lashkari koʻtarinki ruhda ilgarigiday avvalgi joyda saf tortdi.
24 Ular ikkinchi kuni ham Benyamin jangchilariga qarshi jang qilishdi. 25 Oʻsha kuni Benyamin jangchilari Givodan chiqib, yana oʻn sakkiz ming mohir Isroil sipohini oʻldirishdi. 26 Shunda Isroil lashkari Baytilga qaytib, yigʻi–sigʻi qildi. Ular oʻsha kuni kechgacha Egamizning huzurida oʻtirib roʻza tutishdi. Egamiz huzurida kuydiriladigan qurbonliklar va tinchlik qurbonliklarini keltirishdi.
27-28 Xudoning Ahd sandigʻi oʻsha yerda — Baytilda turgan edi, Elazar oʻgʻli Finxaz esa Ahd sandigʻi yonida oʻz xizmatini ado etardi. Finxaz Horunning nabirasi edi.
Isroil lashkari Egamizdan: “Qarindoshimiz Benyamin qabilasiga qarshi jang qilaylikmi, yoʻqmi?” — deb soʻradi.
“Jang qilinglar, — deb javob berdi ularga Egamiz. — Ertaga Men ularni sizlarning qoʻlingizga beraman.” 29 Isroil lashkari Givoning tevarak–atrofidagi pistirmalarga odamlarni oʻtirgʻizib qoʻydi. 30 Oʻzlari esa uchinchi marta Benyamin jangchilariga qarshi jang qilish uchun Givo roʻparasida oldingiday saf tortishdi. 31 Benyamin jangchilari urushga chiqishdi. Isroil lashkari ilgarigidek chekina boshladi. Benyamin jangchilari Isroil lashkarini taʼqib qilib, shahardan uzoqlashib qolishdi. Ular Baytil va Givoga ketadigan katta yoʻllarda va ochiq maydonlarda oʻttiztacha Isroil sipohini oʻldirishdi. 32 Benyamin jangchilari: “Bular oldingiday tumtaraqay boʻlishyapti”, deb oʻylashgan edi. Aslida esa Isroil lashkari ularni shahardan uzoqlashtirish niyatida shunday qilayotgan edi.
33 Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi jang maydonini orqaga — Baal–Tamar shahri tomon tortdi. Shunda birdaniga Gebo tekisligidagi pistirmada yotgan sipohlar chiqishdi. 34 Isroil lashkarining oʻn ming saralangan jangchisi Givoga hujum qildi va u yerda qattiq jang boshlandi. Benyamin jangchilari bunday falokat yuz berishini kutishmagan edi.
35 Egamiz ularni Isroil lashkari oldida magʻlub qildi. Oʻsha kuni Isroil lashkari qurollangan 25.100 Benyamin jangchisini oʻldirdi. 36 Shunda Benyamin jangchilari magʻlubiyatga uchraganlarini tushunishdi.
Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi Benyamin jangchilari oldida chekingan edi. Shu orqali ular Givo atrofidagi pistirmalarda oʻtirgan Isroil sipohlariga shaharga hujum qilish uchun qulay vaziyat yaratib bergan edilar. 37 Pistirmadagi sipohlar Givo tomon otildilar. Ular shahardagi bor odamni qirib tashladilar. 38 Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi bilan pistirmadagi sipohlar oʻzaro shunday kelishib olgandilar: shahardan quyuq tutun chiqishi bilanoq, 39 Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi orqaga qaytib jang qilishi kerak edi.
Shu orada Benyamin jangchilari oʻttiztacha Isroil sipohini oʻldirgan edilar. Shu sababdan ular: “Isroil lashkari ilgarigiday chekinishi aniq”, deb oʻylagan edilar. 40 Biroq ortga qaraganlarida shahardan quyuq tutun bulut boʻlib koʻtarilganini va butun shahar yongʻin ostida qolganini koʻrdilar. 41 Shunda Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi ortiga qaytdi. Benyamin jangchilari esa magʻlubiyatga uchraganlarini anglab, sarosimaga tushdilar. 42 Ular Isroil lashkaridan qochmoqchi boʻlib, sahro tomon yugurdilar, ammo qirgʻindan qochib qutula olmadilar. Chunki shahardan chiqib kelayotgan sipohlar bilan Isroil lashkarining asosiy qismi ularni ikki tomondan siqib kelayotgan edi. 43 Isroil lashkari Benyamin jangchilarini qurshovga olib, Givoning sharq tomonigacha ularni toʻxtamay taʼqib qilib, oʻldirdi. 44 Benyamin qabilasining oʻn sakkiz ming bahodir jangchisi halok boʻldi. 45 Boshqalari esa sahrodagi Rimmon qoyasiga qarab qochishdi. Isroil lashkari ulardan besh mingtasini katta yoʻllarda qirib tashladi, qolganlarini esa Gidoʻmgacha taʼqib qilib, yana ikki mingtasini oʻldirdi. 46 Oʻsha kuni Benyamin qabilasidan jami yigirma besh ming qurollangan dovyurak jangchi halok boʻldi. 47 Ammo olti yuzta sipoh sahrodagi Rimmon qoyasiga qochishga muvaffaq boʻldi. Ular toʻrt oy mobaynida u yerda yashab yurdilar. 48 Isroil lashkari Benyamin shaharlariga qaytib, u yerda qolgan–qutgan odamlarni, mollarni, barcha jonzotni qirib tashladi, atrofdagi shaharlarga oʻt qoʻydi.
