Κεφάλαιο 20

Κεφάλαιο 20

ΚΑΙ ἐξῆλθον πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐξεκκλησιάσθη ἡ συναγωγὴ ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς ἀπὸ Δὰν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεὲ καὶ γῆ τοῦ Γαλαὰδ πρὸς Κύριον εἰς Μασσηφά. 2 καὶ ἐστάθησαν κατὰ πρόσωπον Κυρίου πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τετρακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν πεζῶν ἕλκοντες ρομφαίαν. 3 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ὅτι ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς Μασσηφά. καὶ ἐλθόντες εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ· λαλήσατε, ποῦ ἐγένετο ἡ πονηρία αὕτη; 4 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ Λευίτης, ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς φονευθείσης, καὶ εἶπεν· εἰς Γαβαὰ τῆς Βενιαμὶν ἦλθον ἐγὼ καὶ ἡ παλλακή μου τοῦ αὐλισθῆναι. 5 καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς Γαβαὰ καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν νυκτός· ἐμὲ ἠθέλησαν φονεῦσαι καὶ τὴν παλλακήν μου ἐταπείνωσαν καὶ ἀπέθανε. 6 καὶ ἐκράτησα τὴν παλλακήν μου καὶ ἐμέλισα αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλα ἐν παντὶ ὁρίῳ κληρονομίας υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ, ὅτι ἐποίησαν ζέμα καὶ ἀπόπτωμα ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ. 7 ἰδοὺ πάντες ὑμεῖς, υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, δότε ἑαυτοῖς λόγον καὶ βουλὴν ἐκεῖ. 8 καὶ ἀνέστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς, λέγοντες· οὐκ ἀπελευσόμεθα ἀνὴρ εἰς σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέψομεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. 9 καὶ νῦν τοῦτο τὸ ρῆμα, ὃ ποιηθήσεται τῇ Γαβαά· ἀναβησόμεθα ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν ἐν κλήρῳ, 10 πλὴν ληψόμεθα δέκα ἄνδρας τοῖς ἑκατὸν εἰς πάσας φυλὰς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἑκατὸν τοῖς χιλίοις καὶχιλίους τοῖς μυρίοις, λαβεῖν ἐπισιτισμὸν τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐλθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς Γαβαὰ Βενιαμίν, ποιῆσαι αὐτῇ κατὰ πᾶν τὸ ἀπόπτωμα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ. 11 καὶ συνήχθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς.

12 Καὶ ἀπέστειλαν αἱ φυλαὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἄνδρας ἐν πάσῃ φυλῇ Βενιαμὶν λέγοντες· τίς ἡ πονηρία αὕτη ἡ γενομένη ἐν ὑμῖν; 13 καὶ νῦν δότε τοὺς ἄνδρας υἱοὺς παρανόμων τοὺς ἐν Γαβαά, καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκκαθαριοῦμεν πονηρίαν ἀπὸ ᾿Ισραήλ. καὶ οὐκ εὐδόκησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ. 14 καὶ συνήχθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων αὐτῶν εἰς Γαβαὰ ἐξελθεῖν εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ. 15 καὶ ἐπεσκέπησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων εἴκοσι τρεῖς χιλιάδες, ἀνὴρ ἕλκων ρομφαίαν, ἐκτὸς τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν Γαβαά, οἳ ἐπεσκέπησαν ἑπτακόσιοι ἄνδρες 16 ἐκλεκτοὶ ἐκ παντὸς λαοῦ ἀμφοτεροδέξιοι· πάντες οὗτοι σφενδονῆται ἐν λίθοις πρὸς τρίχα, καὶ οὐκ ἐξαμαρτάνοντες. 17 καὶ ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπεσκέπησαν ἐκτὸς τοῦ Βενιαμίν, τετρακόσιαι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἑλκόντων ρομφαίαν· πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες παρατάξεως. 18 καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ ἀνέβησαν εἰς Βαιθὴλ καὶ ἠρώτησαν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ· τίς ἀναβήσεται ἡμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμίν; καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· ᾿Ιούδας ἐν ἀρχῇ ἀναβήσεται ἀφηγούμενος. 19 καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸ πρωΐ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Γαβαά. 20 καὶ ἐξῆλθον πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς Βενιαμὶν καὶ συνῆψαν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ Γαβαά. 21 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ἀπὸ τῆς Γαβαὰ καὶ διέφθειραν ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ δύο καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. 22 καὶ ἐνίσχυσαν ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ προσέθηκαν συνάψαι παράταξιν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ὅπου συνῆψαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πρώτῃ. 23 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ ἠρώτησαν ἐν Κυρίῳ λέγοντες· εἰ προσθῶμεν ἐγγίσαι εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμὶν ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν; καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· ἀνάβητε πρὸς αὐτούς. 24 καὶ προσῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμὶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ. 25 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαβαὰ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ καὶ διέφθειραν ἀπὸ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἔτι ὀκτωκαίδεκα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐπί τὴν γῆν· πάντες οὗτοι ἕλκοντες ρομφαίαν. 26 καὶ ἀνέβησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βαιθὴλ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν, καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐκεῖ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ ἀνήνεγκαν ὁλοκαυτώσεις καὶ τελείας ἐνώπιον Κυρίου· 27 ὅτι ἐκεῖ κιβωτὸς διαθήκης Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ, 28 καὶ Φινεὲς υἱὸς ᾿Ελεάζαρ υἱοῦ ᾿Ααρὼν παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιον αὐτῆς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις. καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν Κυρίῳ λέγοντες· εἰ προσθῶμεν ἔτι ἐξελθεῖν εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμὶν ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν ἢ ἐπίσχωμεν; καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· ἀνάβητε, ὅτι αὔριον δώσω αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν.

29 Καὶ ἔθηκαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἔνεδρα τῇ Γαβαὰ κύκλῳ. 30 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμὶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ καὶ συνῆψαν πρὸς τὴν Γαβαὰ ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ. 31 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν εἰς συνάντησιν τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐξεκενώθησαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἤρξαντο πατάσσειν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ τραυματίας ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ἥ ἐστι μία ἀναβαίνουσα εἰς Βαιθὴλ καὶ μία εἰς Γαβαὰ ἐν ἀγρῷ, ὡς τριάκοντα ἄνδρας ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ. 32 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμίν· πίπτουσιν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὡς τὸ πρῶτον. καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἶπαν· φύγωμεν καὶ ἐκκενώσωμεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὰς ὁδούς· καὶ ἐποίησαν οὕτω. 33 καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ἀνέστη ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῶν καὶ συνῆψαν ἐν Βααλθαμάρ, καὶ τό ἔνεδρον ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπήρχετο ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Μαοραγαβέ. 34 καὶ ἦλθον ἐξ ἐναντίας Γαβαὰ δέκα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἐκ παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ παράταξις βαρεῖα· καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐ ἔγνωσαν, ὅτι φθάνει ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἡ κακία. 35 καὶ ἐπάταξε Κύριος τὸν Βενιαμὶν ἐνώπιον υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ διέφθειραν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ τοῦ Βενιαμὶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε χιλιάδας καὶ ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας· πάντες οὗτοι εἷλκον ρομφαίαν. 36 καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν ὅτι ἐπλήγησαν· καὶ ἔδωκεν ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ τῷ Βενιαμὶν τόπον, ὅτι ἤλπισαν πρὸς τό ἔνεδρον, ὃ ἔθηκαν ἐπὶ τῇ Γαβαά. 37 καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς ὑποχωρῆσαι καὶ τὸ ἔνεδρον ἐκινήθη καί ἐξέτειναν ἐπὶ τὴν Γαβαά, καὶ ἐξεχύθη τὸ ἔνεδρον καὶ ἐπάταξαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν στόματι ρομφαίας. 38 καὶ σημεῖον ἦν τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ μετὰ τοῦ ἐνέδρου τῆς μάχης ἀνενέγκαι αὐτοὺς σύσσημον καπνοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως. 39 καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ὅτι προκατελάβετο τὸ ἔνεδρον τὴν Γαβαά, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει, καὶ Βενιαμὶν ἤρξατο πατάσσειν τραυματίας ἐν ἀνδράσιν ᾿Ισραὴλ ὡς τριάκοντα ἄνδρας, ὅτι εἶπαν· πάλιν πτώσει πίπτουσιν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὡς ἡ παράταξις ἡ πρώτη. 40 καὶ τὸ σύσσημον ἀνέβη ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ὡς στῦλος καπνοῦ· καὶ ἐπέβλεψε Βενιαμὶν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνέβη συντέλεια τῆς πόλεως ἕως οὐρανοῦ. 41 καὶ ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπέστρεψε, καὶ ἔσπευσαν ἄνδρες Βενιαμίν, ὅτι εἶδον ὅτι συνήντησεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ἡ πονηρία. 42 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν ἐνώπιον υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἔφυγον, καὶ ἡ παράταξις ἔφθασεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων διέφθειρον αὐτοὺς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. 43 καὶ κατέκοπτον τὸν Βενιαμὶν καὶ ἐδίωξαν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Νουὰ κατὰ πόδα αὐτοῦ ἕως ἀπέναντι Γαβαὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου. 44 καὶ ἔπεσον ἀπὸ Βενιαμὶν ὀκτωκαίδεκα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν· οἱ πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες δυνάμεως. 45 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν οἱ λοιποὶ καὶ ἔφευγον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς τὴν πέτραν τοῦ Ρεμμών, καὶ ἐκαλαμήσαντο ἐξ αὐτῶν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πεντακισχιλίους ἄνδρας· καὶ κατέβησαν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἕως Γεδᾶν καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἐξ αὐτῶν δισχιλίους ἄνδρας. 46 καὶ ἐγένοντο πάντες οἱ πεπτωκότες ἀπὸ Βενιαμὶν εἰκοσιπέντε χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἑλκόντων ρομφαίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· οἱ πάντες οὗτοι ἄνδρες δυνάμεως. 47 καὶ ἐπέβλεψαν οἱ λοιποὶ καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς τὴν πέτραν τοῦ Ρεμμών, ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες, καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐν πέτρᾳ Ρεμμὼν τέσσαρας μῆνας. 48 καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπέστρεψαν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμὶν καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ρομφαίας ἀπὸ πόλεως Μεθλὰ καὶ ἕως κτήνους καὶ ἕως παντὸς τοῦ εὑρισκομένου εἰς πάσας τὰς πόλεις· καὶ τὰς πόλεις τὰς εὑρεθείσας ἐνέπρησαν ἐν πυρί.