Judges · Chapter 20

[ edit] And þe ſones of Yrael wenten out, and to gidre gedreden as o man, fro Dan vnto Berſabee, and fro þe loond of Galaad to þe hows of Maſpha; and alle þe corneres of puplis, and alle þe lynages of Yrael camen to gidre into þe chirche of þe puple of God, foure hundryd þowſandis of foot men fiȝters. And it was not vnknowun to þe ſones of Beniamyn, þat þe ſones of Yrael hadden ſtied vp into Maſpha. And a Leuyte, þe houſboond of þe ſlayn womman, aſkid, what maner wyſe ſo myche hidows gilt were doon, he anſwerde, I cam into Gabaa of Beniamyn wiþ my wijf, and þidre I turnede.

And loo! þe men of þat cytee enuyrounden at nyȝt þe hows, in þe which Y dwelte, willynge to ſlee me, and my wijf traueylynge wiþ vntrowable woodnes of luſt, and þerfor ſhe is deed. Þe which taken Y hewȝ into gobetis, and I ſente partis into alle þe teermys of ȝoure poſſeſſioun; for neuer ſo myche felony and ſo myche treſpas worþi to be punyſſhid is doon in Irael. Ȝe ben nyȝ to alle þe ſones of Yrael; demeþ, what ȝe owen to doon. And ſtondynge al þe puple as wiþ word of o man anſwerd, We ſhulen not goon aȝen into oure tabernaclis, ne eny man ſhal goo into his hows; but þis aȝens Gabaa in comoun we ſhulen doo.

Ten men ben choſun of an hundrid, of alle þe lynagis of Yrael, and an hundrid of a þowſand, and a þouſand of ten þowſandis, þat þei beren to þe ooſt metis, and we fiȝtynge mowen aȝens Gabaa of Beniamyn ȝeelden to hym for þe hidows gilt, þat he deſerueþ. And al Yrael cam to gidre to þe citee, as o man, in þe ſame þouȝt and wiþ o counſeil. And þei ſenten meſſageris to al þe linage of Beniamyn, þe whiche ſhulden ſeye, Whi ſo myche felonye is foundun in ȝou? Takiþ þe men of Gabaa, þat þis treſpaſſe han doo, þat þei dyen, and yuel be doo awey fro Yrael.

Þe whiche wolden not here þe mawndement of þe ſones of Yrael, her briþeren, but of alle þe cytees, þat weren of her lot, camen togidre in Gabaa, þat to hem þei myȝten bere helpe, and aȝens al þe puple of Yrael fiȝten. And þere ben founden fyue and twenti þowſandis of Beniamyn, of men drawynge out ſwerd, biſide þe dwellers of Gabaa, þat weren ſeuen hundryd mooſt myȝti men, ſo wiþ þe lift as wiþ þe riȝt fiȝtynge, and ſo wiþ ſlyngis ſtones at certeyn þrowynge, þat an heer forſoþe þei myȝten ſmyte, and in to noon oþer partie þe ſtrook of þe ſtoon ſhulde be born a weye.

Forſoþe of þe men of Yrael, wiþ outen þe ſones of Beniamyn, ben foundun foure hundrid þowſandis of men drawynge out þe ſwerd and redi to þe fiȝt. Þe whiche ryſynge camen into þe hows of God, þat is in Silo; and þei counſeylden hym, and ſeiden, Who ſhal be in oure ooſt prince of þe ſtrijf aȝens Beniamyn? To whom þe Lord anſwerde, Judas be he ȝoure duyk. And anoon þe ſones of Yrael ryſynge eerly ſetten tentis aȝens Gabaa. And þens goynge forþ to þe fiȝt aȝens Beniamyn, þei bigunnen to fiȝt aȝens þe cytee. And þe ſones of Beniamyn goon out fro Gabaa, ſlowen of þe ſones of Irael þat day two and twenti þowſandis of men.

And eft þe ſones of Yrael and in ſtrengþ and in noumbre truſtynge, in þe ſame place in which raþer þei ſtryuen, þei dreſſeden þe ſheltroun; ſo neuerþelater þat before þei ſtieden, and wepten before þe Lord vnto þe nyȝt, and counſeilden hym, and ſeiden, Shal I more goon forþ to fiȝten aȝens þe ſones of Beniamyn, my breþeren, or nay? To whom he anſwerde, Stieþ vp to hem, and goþ into þe ſtrijf. And whanne þe ſones of Yrael þe toþer day aȝens Beniamyn to þe batayl weren goon, þe ſones of Beniamyn breken out fro þe ȝatis of Gabaa, and aȝen comynge to hem, ſo mych ſlauȝter þei mich wexen wood in hem, þat eiȝt and twenti þouſandis of men drawynge out ſwerdis þei þrewen doun.

For what þing alle þe ſones of Yrael camen into þe hows of God, and ſittynge þei wepten before þe Lord, and þei faſtiden þat day vnto euen; and þei offreden to him brent ſacrifices and peſible ſleyn ſacrificis, and vpon her ſtaat þei aſkiden. Þat tyme was þere þe arke of þe boond of pees of God in Sylo; and Phynees, þe ſone of Eliazar, ſone of Aaron, was prouoſt of þe hows. Þanne þei counſeilden þe Lord, and ſeiden, Shulen we more goon out to þe fiȝt aȝens þe ſones of Beniamyn oure breþeren, oþir reſten? To whom ſeiþ þe Lord, Stieþ vp, forſoþe to morwe I ſhal taak hem into ȝoure hoondis.

And þe ſones of Yrael putten buſſhementis bi þe enuyroun of þe cytee of Gabaa; and þe þridde ſiþe as oons and twyes aȝens Beniamyn þe ooſt brouȝte forþ. But and þe ſones of Beniamyn hardili breken out of þe cytee, and þe aduerſaryes fleynge lenger þei purſueden, ſo þat þei woundiden of hem, as þe firſt day and þe ſecounde, and ſlowen bi two paþis þe turninge backis; of þe whiche oon beer into Beþel, and þe toþir into Gabaa. And þei þrewen doun aboute þretti men; forſoþe þei wenden in þe wont maner to ſleen hem; þe whiche feynynge fliȝt at þe bigynnynge, wenten in counſeil for to drawe hem a wey fro þe cytee, and as fleynge to bryngen to þe forſeide paþis.

And ſo alle þe ſones of Yrael ryſynge fro her ſeetis tiȝten ſhiltron in þe place þat is clepid Baalþamar. Forſoþe þe buſſhementis, þat about þe cytee weren, litil melome hem ſeluen bigunnen to opne, and fro þe weſt parti of þe citee to goon forþ. But and oþere ten þouſandis of men of Yrael dwellers of þe cytee terreden to ſtryues; and þe bateil is agreggid aȝens þe ſones of Beniamyn, and þei vndurſtoden not, þat on alle ſidis to hem ſtood yn deeþ. And þe Lord ſmoot hem in þe ſiȝt of þe ſones of Yrael, and þei ſlowen of hem in þat day fyue and twenti þowſandis and an hundrid men, alle fiȝters and drawinge out ſwerd.

Forſoþe þe ſones of Beniamyn, whanne þei hadden ſeen hem ſelf to be þe neþermore, þei bigunne to flee. Þe which þing biholdynge þe ſones of Yrael, ȝeuen to hem place to flee, þat þei miȝten come to þe maad redi buſſhementis, þe whiche biſyde þe cytee þei ſetten. Þe whiche whanne hadden ryſe ſodeynly fro þe hidilis, and Beniamyn ȝaf backis to þe ſleers, þei wenten into þe cytee, and ſmyten it in mouþ of ſwerd. Forſoþe þe ſones of Yrael hadden ȝeuen a tokne to hem þat weren ſett in buſſhementis, þat after þat þei hadden take þe cytee, fier þei ſhulden teend, and þe ſmook ſtiynge vp into heiȝt, þei ſhulden ſhewe þe cytee takun.

Þe which þing whanne þe ſones of Yrael put in þat ſtrijf ſhulden biholde; forſoþe þe ſones of Beniamyn wenden hem to fleen, and more biſily folweden, ſleyn of þe ooſt of hem þretti men; and þei ſeen as a piler of ſmook fro þe citee to ſtien vp; forſoþe Beniamyn biholdynge bihynde, whanne he ſawȝ þe cytee takun, and þe flawmis to be born into heiȝt, þe whiche beforehond feyneden fliȝt, turnede þe face ſtrongly wiþſtoden. Þe which þing whanne þe ſones of Beniamyn hadden ſeen, þei ben turned in fliȝt, and to þe weye of deſeert þei bigunne to goon; forſoþe þider hem aduerſaryes purſuynge, but and þes, þat ſetten þe toun on fier, aȝen comynge to hem.

And ſo it is doon, þat on eiþer parti þei ben ſlayn of enemyes, ne þere was eny reſte of men dyynge; and þei fellen, and ben þrowen down at þe eeſt cooſt of þe cytee of Gabaa. Forſoþe þere weren, þat in þe ſame place ben ſlayn, eiȝteen þouſandis of men, al mooſt ſtronge fiȝters. Þe which þing whanne hadden ſeen þat leften of Beniamyn, þei flowen into wildirnes, and wenten to þe ſtoon, whos name is Remmon. Forſoþe in þat fliȝt opynli hidir and þider rennynge and into dyuerſe placis goynge þei ſlowen fyue þowſandis of men; and whanne ferþer þei wenten, þei purſueden hem, and ſlewen alſo oþere two þowſandis.

And ſo is doo, þat alle þat fellen of Beniamyn in dyuerſe placis, weren fyue and twenti þowſandis, fiȝters at batayls mooſt redy. And ſo þere laften of al þe noumbre of Beniamyn, þat myȝten ſcape, and fleen into wilderneſſe, ſixe hundred men; and þei ſetten in þe ſtoon of Remmon foure moneþis. Forſoþe þe ſones of Yrael goon out, ſmyten wiþ ſwerd al þe relif of þe cyte, fro man vnto beeſt; and alle þe citees and lytil touns of Beniamyn deuowrynge flawm waaſtide.