Liber Iudicum, 20

1. Egressi sunt itaque omnes fi lii Israel et pariter congrega ti, quasi vir unus, de Dan usque Bersabee et terra Galaad ad Dominum in Maspha.

1. Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah.

2. Omnisque populi anguli et cunctae tribus Israel in ecclesiam populi Dei convenerunt: quadringenta milia peditum pugnatorum.

2. And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword.

3. Nec latuit filios Beniamin, quod ascendissent filii Israel in Maspha. Interrogatusque Levita maritus mulieris interfectae quo modo tantum scelus perpetratum esset,

3. (Now the Benjaminites heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, "Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?"

4. respondit: “Veni in Gabaa Beniamin cum uxore mea illucque diverti.

4. And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gib'e-ah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

5. Et ecce homines civitatis illius circumdederunt nocte domum, in qua manebam, volentes me occidere et uxorem meam incredibili libidinis furore vexantes; denique mortua est.

5. And the men of Gib'e-ah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night; they meant to kill me, and they ravished my concubine, and she is dead.

6. Quam arreptam in frusta concidi misique partes in omnes terminos possessionis Israel, quia fecerunt nefas et piaculum in Israel.

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 abomination and wantonness in Israel.

7. Adestis omnes, filii Israel: decernite quid facere debeatis”.

7. Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."

8. Stansque omnis populus quasi unius hominis sermone respondit: “Non recedemus in tabernacula nostra, nec suam quisquam intrabit domum,

8. And all the people arose as one man, saying, "We will not any of us go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house.

9. sed hoc contra Gabaa in commune faciemus secundum sortem:

9. But now this is what we will do to Gib'e-ah: we will go up against it by lot,

10. decem viri eligantur e centum ex omnibus tribubus Israel et centum de mille et mille de decem milibus, ut comportent exercitui cibaria illis, qui venerunt, ut reddant Gabaa Beniamin pro scelere, quod meretur”.

10. and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may requite Gib'e-ah of Benjamin, for all the wanton crime which they have committed in Israel."

11. Convenitque universus Israel ad civitatem quasi unus homo, eadem mente unoque consilio,

11. So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

12. et miserunt nuntios ad omnem tribum Beniamin, qui dicerent: “Quale nefas in vobis repertum est!

12. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that has taken place among you?

13. Tradite homines filios Belial in Gabaa, qui hoc flagitium perpetrarunt, ut moriantur, et auferatur malum de Israel”. Qui noluerunt fratrum suorum filiorum Israel audire mandatum,

13. Now therefore give up the men, the base fellows in Gib'e-ah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the people of Israel.

14. sed ex cunctis urbibus, quae suae sortis erant, convenerunt in Gabaa, ut illis ferrent auxilium et contra universum Israel populum dimicarent.

14. And the Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gib'e-ah, to go out to battle against the people of Israel.

15. Recensitique sunt in die illa viginti sex milia de civitatibus Beniamin educentium gladium, praeter habitatores Gabaa, qui septingenti erant viri fortissimi.

15. And the Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gib'e-ah, who mustered seven hundred picked men.

16. In universo hoc populo erant septingenti viri electi, qui sinistra pro dextra utebantur et sic fundis lapides ad certum iaciebant, ut capillum quoque possent percutere, et nequaquam in alteram partem ictus lapidis deferretur.

16. Among all these were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss.

17. Virorum quoque Israel, absque filiis Beniamin, recensita sunt quadringenta milia educentium gladios et paratorum ad pugnam.

17. And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

18. Qui surgentes venerunt in Bethel consulueruntque Deum atque dixerunt: “Quis erit in exercitu nostro princeps certaminis contra filios Beniamin?”. Quibus respondit Dominus: “Iuda ascendet primus”.

18. The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."

19. Statimque filii Israel surgentes mane castrametati sunt contra Gabaa;

19. Then the people of Israel rose in the morning, and encamped against Gib'e-ah.

20. et inde procedentes ad pugnam contra Beniamin, contra urbem aciem direxerunt.

20. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gib'e-ah.

21. Egressique filii Beniamin de Gabaa occiderunt de filiis Israel die illo viginti duo milia viros.

21. The Benjaminites came out of Gib'e-ah, and felled to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.

22. Rursum filii Israel confortati in eodem loco, in quo prius certaverant, aciem direxerunt,

22. But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.

23. ita tamen ut prius ascenderent et flerent coram Domino usque ad noctem consulerentque eum et dicerent: “Debeo ultra procedere ad dimicandum contra filios Beniamin fratres meos, an non?”. Quibus ille respondit: “Ascendite ad eos”.

23. And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."

24. Cumque filii Israel altero die contra filios Beniamin ad proelium processissent,

24. So the people of Israel came near against the Benjaminites the second day.

25. eruperunt filii Beniamin de Gabaa et occurrentes eis iterum decem et octo milia virorum educentium gladium prostraverunt.

25. And Benjamin went against them out of Gib'e-ah the second day, and felled to the ground eighteen thousand men of the people of Israel; all these were men who drew the sword.

26. Quam ob rem omnes filii Israel, universus populus, venerunt in Bethel et sedentes flebant coram Domino ieiunaveruntque die illo usque ad vesperam et obtulerunt ei holocausta et pacificas victimas

26. Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept; they sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27. et super statu suo interrogaverunt. Eo tempore ibi erat arca foederis Dei,

27. And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28. et Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron stabat coram eo. Consuluerunt igitur Dominum atque dixerunt: “Exire ultra debemus ad pugnam contra filios Beniamin fratres nostros, an quiescere?”. Quibus ait Dominus: “Ascendite, cras enim tradam eos in manus vestras”.

28. and Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, "Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites, or shall we cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will give them into your hand."

29. Posueruntque filii Israel insidias per circuitum urbis Gabaa

29. So Israel set men in ambush round about Gib'e-ah.

30. et tertia vice sicut semel et bis contra Beniamin et Gabaa exercitum produxerunt.

30. And the people of Israel went up against the Benjaminites on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gib'e-ah, as at other times.

31. Sed et filii Beniamin eruperunt in occursum populi et abstracti de civitate coeperunt caedere ex eis sicut primo et secundo die, per duas semitas terga vertentes, quarum una ferebat in Bethel, altera in Gabaa, atque prosternere in campo triginta circiter viros.

31. And the Benjaminites went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and as at other times they began to smite and kill some of the people, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gib'e-ah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel.

32. Putaverunt enim solito eos more percussos cedere; qui fugam simulaverunt, ut abstraherent eos de civitate et quasi fugientes ad supradictas semitas perducerent.

32. And the Benjaminites said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." But the men of Israel said, "Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."

33. Omnes itaque viri Israel surgentes de sedibus suis tetenderunt aciem in loco, qui vocatur Baalthamar. Insidiae quoque eruperunt de loco suo, de regione in occidente Gabaa.

33. And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Ba'al-ta'mar; and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place west of Geba.

34. Venerunt ergo adversus Gabaa decem milia virorum electorum de universo Israel. Ingravatumque est bellum contra filios Beniamin, et non intellexerunt quod ex omni parte illis instaret interitus.

34. And there came against Gib'e-ah ten thousand picked men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them.

35. Percussitque eos Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israel, et interfecerunt ex eis in illo die viginti quinque milia et centum viros, omnes bellatores et educentes gladium.

35. And the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel; and the men of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin that day; all these were men who drew the sword.

36. Filii autem Beniamin, cum se inferiores esse vidissent, coeperunt fugere. Quod cernentes filii Israel, dederunt eis ad fugiendum locum, quia confidebant in insidiis, quas iuxta urbem posuerant.

36. So the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted to the men in ambush whom they had set against Gib'e-ah.

37. Qui cum repente de latibulis surrexissent, irruerunt super Gabaa et ingressi celeriter percusserunt totam civitatem in ore gladii.

37. And the men in ambush made haste and rushed upon Gib'e-ah; the men in ambush moved out and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38. Signum autem dederant filii Israel his, quos in insidiis collocaverant, ut ignem accenderent et, ascendente in altum fumo, captam urbem demonstrarent.

38. Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city

39. Verterant ergo terga filii Israel in ipso certamine positi, et filii Beniamin putantes quod percussissent eos sicut in priore pugna, coeperant de exercitu eorum caedere triginta fere viros.

39. the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill about thirty men of Israel; they said, "Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle."

40. Cum autem columna fumi de civitate conscendere coepisset, et Beniamin quoque retro aspiciens cerneret de civitate flammas in sublime ferri,

40. But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

41. cumque vir Israel versa facie aggrederetur, vir Beniamin conturbatus est, quia vidit se apprehensum a malo.

41. Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them.

42. Et ad viam deserti ire coeperunt, illuc quoque eos adversariis persequentibus. Sed et hi, qui urbem succenderant, occurrerunt eis,

42. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

43. atque ita factum est ut ex utraque parte ab hostibus caederentur, nec erat eis ulla requies. Prostrati sunt usque ad orientalem plagam urbis Gabaa.

43. Cutting down the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gib'e-ah on the east.

44. Fuerunt autem, qui interfecti sunt de Beniamin, decem et octo milia virorum omnes robustissimi pugnatores.

44. Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.

45. Qui remanserant, fugerunt in solitudinem et pergebant ad petram, cuius vocabulum est Remmon. Quasi racemos colligentes occiderunt in viis quinque milia viros. Et cum instantius eos persequerentur usque Gadaam, interfecerunt etiam alios duo milia.

45. And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways, and they were pursued hard to Gidom, and two thousand men of them were slain.

46. Et sic factum est ut omnes, qui ceciderant de Beniamin in die illa, essent viginti quinque milia pugnatores ad bella promptissimi.

46. So all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword, all of them men of valor.

47. Remanserunt itaque, qui evadere potuerant et fugere in solitudinem, sescenti viri; sederuntque in petra Remmon mensibus quattuor.

47. But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and abode at the rock of Rimmon four months.

48. Regressi autem filii Israel ex civitatibus a viris usque ad iumenta, usque ad omne, quod inveniri poterat, gladio percusserunt, cunctasque urbes et viculos Beniamin vorax flamma consumpsit.

48. And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjaminites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns which they found they set on fire.