God Tells Israelites to Massacre Each Other – Judges – The Brick Bible

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All the Israelites assembled at Mizpah and said, 'Explain how this wicked crime was committed.'

1 of 16 Judges 20:1, 3

The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, 'The men of Gibeah surrounded the house where I was staying, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine to death. I cut her up and sent her throughout the land of Israel.'

2 of 16 Judges 20:4–6

'Now, all of you Israelites, discuss this and decide what to do!'

3 of 16 Judges 20:7

The people all spoke as one and said, 'This is what we will do to Gibeah: we will attack, punishing them for this disgraceful act committed in Israel.'

4 of 16 Judges 20:8–10

The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, 'Hand over the worthless men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge this evil from Israel.'

5 of 16 Judges 20:12–13

But the Benjaminites would not listen to their Israelite brothers, and they mustered at Gibeah to fight the Israelites. There were 26,000 swordsmen.

6 of 16 Judges 20:13–15

The Israelites, not including Benjamin, mustered 400,000 swordsmen. They went up to Bethel and asked God, 'Who should be the first to attack the Benjaminites?'

7 of 16 Judges 20:17–18

And Yahweh said, 'Judah should go first.'

8 of 16 Judges 20:18

The next morning the Israelites went out to fight the Benjaminites, but that day the Benjaminites killed 22,000 Israelites.

9 of 16 Judges 20:19–21

The second day the Benjaminites killed another 18,000 Israelites.

10 of 16 Judges 20:24–25

Then the Israelites went to Bethel and asked Yahweh, 'Should we attack our brothers the Benjaminites again, or should we stop?'

11 of 16 Judges 20:26–28

Yahweh said, 'Attack! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.'

12 of 16 Judges 20:28

The next day the Israelites attacked the Benjaminites, and the Israelites killed 25,100 Benjaminite swordsmen, and the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated.

13 of 16 Judges 20:30, 35–36

Six hundred survivors fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon where they stayed for four months.

14 of 16 Judges 20:47

The Israelites put all the Benjaminite towns to the sword, including all the people, livestock, and everything they could find.

15 of 16 Judges 20:48

And they set fire to every town they came across.

16 of 16 Judges 20:48

Remorse, Then Another Massacre

Remorse, Then Another Massacre