Judges 20

20 ¹All di people of Israel come out, di whole assembly gather come as one man, from Dan reach Beersheba, wit di land of Gilead, come stand before our Papa for Mizpah. ²Di leaders of all di people, all di tribes of Israel, take dia place for di assembly of our Papa im people—400,000 men wey dey carry sword for foot. ³Di Benjamin people hear say di Israel people don go up to Mizpah. Di Israel people say, "Tell us, how dis evil take happen?"

⁴Di Levite, di husband of di woman wey dem kill, answer say, "Me and my concubine come Gibeah for Benjamin land to sleep for night. ⁵Di men of Gibeah come after me and surround di house for night, dem wan kill me. Dem rape my concubine, and she die. ⁶So I take my concubine, cut am for pieces, and send am go every part of di inheritance of Israel, because dem do shameful and disgusting tin for Israel. ⁷Look, all of una Israel people—give una decision and una counsel here and now."

⁸All di people rise up as one, dey say, "Nobody among us go go im tent; nobody among us go return to im house. ⁹Now, na dis we go do Gibeah: we go attack am by casting lot. ¹⁰From every tribe of Israel we go take ten men out of 100, one hundred out of 1,000, 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring food for di soldiers wey dey go Gibeah of Benjamin, to pay dem back for all di disgusting tin wey dem do for Israel." ¹¹So all di men of Israel gather against di city, dem join body as one. ¹²Di tribes of Israel send men go every part of Benjamin tribe, dey ask, "Wetin be dis evil wey happen among una? ¹³Now, hand over dem worthless men wey dey Gibeah, so we fit kill dem and comot di evil from Israel." But di Benjamin people no gree hear di voice of dia brothers, di Israel people.

¹⁴Instead, di Benjamin people gather from dia towns come Gibeah, to go fight di Israel people. ¹⁵Dat day, Benjamin gather 26,000 men wey dey carry sword from dia towns, plus 700 chosen men from di people wey dey live for Gibeah. ¹⁶Among all dis soldiers, 700 chosen men dey use left hand, and each one fit sling stone hit hair and no miss. ¹⁷Di men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, gather 400,000 men wey dey carry sword, every one na warrior.

¹⁸Di Israel people set out and go up to Bethel, and dem ask our Papa say, "Who among us go go up first to fight against di Benjamin people?" And our Papa say, "Judah go go up first."

¹⁹So di Israel people wake up for morning and camp near Gibeah. ²⁰Di men of Israel come out to fight Benjamin and dem form dia battle line against dem for Gibeah. ²¹Di Benjamin people come out from Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israel people for di field dat day. ²²But di army of Israel take courage and dem form dia battle line again for di same place wey dem first stand di first day.

²³Di Israel people go up, dem cry before our Papa till evening, and dem ask, "We go fight our brothers di Benjamin people again?" And our Papa say, "Go up against dem."

²⁴So di Israel people move forward against di Benjamin people for di second day. ²⁵Benjamin come out from Gibeah against dem di second day and cut down anoda 18,000 Israel people, all of dem dey carry sword.

²⁶Den all di Israel people, di whole army, go up to Bethel and sidon dia dey cry before our Papa. Dem fast till evening dat day and dem offer burnt offerings and peace offerings before am. ²⁷Di Israel people ask our Papa. (For dat time, di ark of di Covenant of our Papa dey dia,

²⁸and Phinehas, di son of Eleazar, wey be Aaron im son, dey serve before am.) Dem ask, "We go come out again to fight our brothers di Benjamin people, abi we go stop?" Our Papa answer say, "Go up, because tomorrow I go give dem into una hand."

²⁹Den Israel put men for ambush all around Gibeah. ³⁰For di third day, di Israel people march against di Benjamin people and take dia position against Gibeah like before. ³¹Di Benjamin people come out to meet dem and dem draw dem comot from di city. Like before, dem start to dey strike di people down, dem kill about thirty men of Israel for di open country and for di roads, one wey dey go up to Bethel, di oda one to Gibeah.

³²Di Benjamin people say, "We dey scatter dem like before." But Israel don talk say, "Make we run and draw dem comot from di city go di roads."

³³All di men of Israel rise up from dia places and form up for Baal-tamar, while di Israel ambush burst out from im place for di west side of Geba. ³⁴10,000 of di best men of Israel move forward against Gibeah, and di fight hot well well; but di Benjamin people no realize say disaster dey close in on dem. ³⁵Our Papa defeat Benjamin before Israel; dat day Israel strike down 25,100 men of Benjamin, all of dem dey carry sword. ³⁶Di Benjamin people see say dem don lose. Di men of Israel give ground to Benjamin, because dem dey trust di ambush wey dem set against Gibeah. ³⁷Di ambush rush against Gibeah sharp-sharp; dem spread out and strike di whole city wit sword. ³⁸Di men of Israel don set signal wit di ambush: say big cloud of smoke go rise up from di city. ³⁹Di men of Israel go turn for di battle. Benjamin don start to dey strike dem down, dem kill about thirty, and dem think say, "For sure, dem don lose before us like di first battle." ⁴⁰But wen di column of smoke start to dey rise up from di city, di Benjamin people look back—and see! di whole city dey go up for smoke reach di sky. ⁴¹Di men of Israel turn back, and di men of Benjamin fear well well, wen dem see say disaster don reach dem. ⁴²So dem turn run before di men of Israel go di wilderness side, but di battle catch up wit dem, and di men wey come from di towns cut dem down for di middle of di fight. ⁴³Dem surround di Benjamin people, chase dem, and catch up wit dem for dia resting place for di east side of Gibeah. ⁴⁴18,000 Benjamin men fall, all of dem na strong warriors. ⁴⁵Di rest run go di wilderness side, to di rock of Rimmon, but Israel cut down 5,000 for di roads and pursue dem reach Gidom, and strike down 2,000 more. ⁴⁶So all di Benjamin people wey fall dat day na 25,000 men wey dey carry sword, all of dem na strong warriors. ⁴⁷But 600 men run go di wilderness, to di rock of Rimmon, and dem stay dia for four months. ⁴⁸Di men of Israel turn back on di Benjamin people and strike dem wit sword—di whole town, di people, di animals, everytin wey dem find. Dem also burn every town wey dey dia way.