Shoftim | Judges

The Levite man, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “I arrived with my concubine at Gibeah of Benjamin, to spend the night.
20:4
The inhabitants of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house against me at night. They proposed to kill me, and they tormented my concubine so that she died.
:5
I took hold of my concubine and cut her apart and sent her [body] throughout all the territory of the heritage of Israel, for they had done an indecent and disgusting thing in Israel.
:6
All the people arose as one man, saying, “No man will go to his tent and no man will turn away to his house!
:8
Then all the people of Israel gathered together at the city, as one man, as comrades.
:11
The tribes of Israel then sent men through all the clans of Benjamin, saying, “What is this outrage that occurred among you?
:12
Now turn over the lawless men who are in Gibeah, and we will put them to death and eliminate the evil from Israel.” But the children of Benjamin refused to heed the voice of their brothers, the Children of Israel.
:13
They got up and went to Beth-el and inquired of God. The Children of Israel said, “Who among us should advance first to [wage] war against the children of Benjamin? Hashem answered, “Judah should be first.”
:18
The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and on that day they destroyed twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground.
:21
The Children of Israel went up and cried before Hashem until evening. They inquired of Hashem, saying, “Should I once again approach for war against the children of Benjamin, my brother?” Hashem said, “Go up against him.”
:23
All the Children of Israel and all the people went up and came to Beth-el; they cried and remained there before Hashem, and they fasted on that day until evening; they brought up elevation-offerings and peace-offering before Hashem.
:26
The Children of Israel then inquired of Hashem (the Ark of the Covenant of God was there in those days,
:27
and Phinehas son of Elazar son of Aaron ministered before it in those days), saying, “Should I go out again to [make] war against the children of Benjamin my brother, or should I withdraw?” Hashem said, “Go up, for tomorrow I shall deliver them into your hand.”
:28
They arrived opposite Gibeah, ten thousand choice men of all Israel, and the battle was intense. [The Benjamites] did not realize that evil was befalling them.
:34
Hashem then struck Benjamin before Israel, and the Children of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand and one hundred men from Benjamin on that day, sword wielders all of them.
:35
The men of Israel went back to the children of Benjamin and struck them down by the edge of the sword, from the populated cities to animals to everything else that was found. Also all the cities that they discovered, they set on fire.
:48

Daily Holy Bible Reading

1 And all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, to the Lord, to Mizpah.
2 And there presented themselves the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, in the assembly of the people of God, (which consisted of) four hundred thousand footmen that drew the sword.
3 And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, “Speak, how has this wickedness come about?”
4 And the Levite man, the husband of the murdered woman answered and said, “I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine to lodge.
5 And the residents of Gibeah arose against me, and surrounded the house upon me at night. Me they intended to kill, and my concubine they afflicted, (following which) she died.
6 So I grabbed my concubine and dissected her and sent her throughout the territory of the inheritance of Israel; for they committed lewdness and disgrace in Israel.
7 Behold, you are all children of Israel, give yourselves a decision and advice here.”
8 And all the people arose as one man saying, “No man will go to his tent and no man will turn to his house.
9 And now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah; (we will go up) against it by lot.
10 And we will take ten men of a hundred, from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to take provisions for the people, that they may do when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the disgrace that was done in Israel.”
11 And all the men of Israel were gathered concerning the city, as one man in unison.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout all the tribes of Benjamin saying, “What wickedness is this that has come about among you?
13 Therefore now deliver the wicked men that are in Gibeah and we will put them to death, and we will remove (the perpetrators of) evil from Israel.” But the children of Benjamin did not want to obey their brothers, the children of Israel.
14 And the children of Benjamin were gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin numbered on that day, out of the cities twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Of all these people there were seven hundred chosen men (with a) shriveled right hand. All these could sling a stone at a hair-breadth and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel numbered, excluding Benjamin, four hundred thousand men that drew the sword, all these were men of war.
18 And they arose and went up to Beth-el, and asked of God, whereupon the children of Israel said, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah first.”
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and they encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin. And the men of Israel arrayed battle against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and they destroyed of the Israelites on that day twenty-two thousand men, (down) to the ground.
22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set again in array the battle in the place where they set themselves in array on the first day.
23 And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord until the evening, and they asked of the Lord saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him,”
24 And the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day.
25 And Benjamin went out towards them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroyed of the children of Israel another eighteen thousand men (down) to the ground; all these were swordsmen.
26 And all the children of Israel went up, and all the people, and they came to Beth-el and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted on that day until the evening. And they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Israel asked of the Lord, for there was the ark of the covenant of God in those days.
28 And Phinehas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days (while they were) saying, “Shall I again go out to battle with the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
29 And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah around.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at the previous times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out towards the people, until they were drawn away from the city; and they began to kill of the people (causing) casualties as previously, along the highways, of which one goes up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, (killing) in the field thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, “they are beaten before us, as at first,” but (in actuality,) the children of Israel (had) said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar. And the liers-in-wait of Israel drew forth out of their place, out of Maareh-geba.
34 And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men of all Israel, but the battle was heavy, because they did not know that misfortune was approaching them.
35 And the Lord beat Benjamin before Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin on that day twenty-five thousand and one hundred men; all of these were swordsmen.
36 And the children of Benjamin saw that they were beaten, and the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the liers-in-wait that they had set against Gibeah.
37 And the liers-in-wait hastened, and scattered upon Gibeah. And the liers-in-wait blew, and smote the entire city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed time between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait, that they should make a great pillar of smoke rise from the city.
39 Now as the men of Israel turned in battle, Benjamin began to kill, (causing) casualties of the men of Israel (amounting to) thirty men, for they said, “Surely they are beaten before us, as in the previous battle.”
40 And the pillar began to rise from the city, a column of smoke, and the Benjamites turned behind themselves, and behold, there arose (the smoke of) the entire city towards heaven.
41 And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin panicked, for they saw that misfortune was approaching them.
42 And they turned from before the men of Israel towards the way of the wilderness, but the (soldiers of) the war caught up with them; and (those) of the cities destroyed them within it.
43 They encircled the Benjamites, they called a pursuit upon them, (near their) resting places they overtook them, as far as against Gibeah, along (its) east.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men, all these (were) men of valor.
45 And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; then they pursued after them until Gidom, and killed of them two thousand men.
46 Now it was all that fell of Benjamin (were) twenty-five thousand swordsmen on that day; all these (were) men of valor.
47 And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, six hundred men; and they abode in the rock of Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned upon the children of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword, (destroying) from the city even the cattle, even all that was found. Also, all the cities which they found they set on fire.

Exposé | Moral

Ask Hashem Not According To What You Want

Rather, ask what He wants for you to do or decide for His Name’s sake.

Learn in this chapter why Israel was defeated by Benjamin twice, before Hashem intervened to let them win.

*Repentance, you must not miss out.