20 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 Yahweh at Mizpah. 20 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. 20 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?" 20 ⁴ And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 20 ⁵ And the men of Gibeah 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. 20 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. 20 ⁷ Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."

20 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. 20 ⁹ But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 20 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 Gibeah of Benjamin, for all the wanton crime which they have committed in Israel." 20 ¹¹ So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

20 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? 20 ¹³ Now therefore give up the men, the base fellows in Gibeah, 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. 20 ¹⁴ And the Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 20 ¹⁵ And the Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered seven hundred picked men. 20 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.

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