ded the army into two parts, they laid
the one half of them in ambush about the city Gibeah by night, while the
other half attacked the Benjamites, who retiring upon the assault, the
Benjamites pursued them, while the Hebrews retired by slow degrees,
as very desirous to draw them entirely from the city; and the other
followed them as they retired, till both the old men and the young
men that were left in the city, as too weak to fight, came running out
together with them, as willing to bring their enemies under. However,
when they were a great way from the city the Hebrews ran away no longer,
but turned back to fight them, and lifted up the signal they had agreed
on to those that lay in ambush, who rose up, and with a great noise fell
upon the enemy. Now, as soon as ever they perceived themselves to be
deceived, they knew not what to do; and when they were driven into a
certain hollow place which was in a valley, they were shot at by those
that encompassed them, till they were all destroyed, excepting six
hundred, which formed themselves into a close body of men, and forced
their passage through the midst of their enemies, and fled to the
neighboring mountains, and, seizing upon them, remained there; but the
rest of them, being about twenty-five thousand, were slain. Then did
the Israelites burn Gibeah, and slew the women, and the males that were
under age; and did the same also to the other cities of the Benjamites;
and, indeed, they were enraged to that degree, that they sent twelve
thousand men out of the army, and gave them orders to destroy Jabesh
Gilead, because it did not join with them in fighting against the
Benjamites. Accordingly, those that were sent slew the men of war, with
their children and wives, excepting four hundred virgins. To such a
degree had they proceeded in their anger, because they not only had the
suffering of the Levite's wife to avenge, but the slaughter of their own
soldiers.

12. However, they afterward were sorry for the calamity they had brought
upon the Benjamites, and appointed a fast on that account, although they
supposed those men had suffered justly for their offense against the
laws; so they recalled by their ambassadors those six hundred which had
escaped. These had seated themselves on a certain rock called Rimmon,
which was in the wilderness. So the ambassadors lamented not only the
disaster that had befallen the Benjamites, but themselves also, by this
destruction of their ki