16 Seven hundred of these trained soldiers were left-handed. Each of these left-handed soldiers could sling a stone at a hair and not miss!
17 The Israelites, except for the Benjaminites, gathered 400,000 fighting men. These 400,000 men used swords and were trained soldiers.
18 The Israelites went up to the city of Bethel. They asked God, “Which tribe shall be first to attack the Benjaminites?”The Lord answered, “Judah shall go first.”
19 The next morning the Israelites got up. They made a camp near Gibeah.
20 Then the men of Israel went out to fight the Benjaminites. The Israelites got into battle position at Gibeah.
21 Then the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah. They killed 22,000 Israelites during the battle that day.
22-23 The Israelites went before the Lord. They cried until evening. They asked the Lord, “Shall we go to fight our relatives, the Benjaminites, again?”The Lord answered, “Go up and fight them.” The men of Israel encouraged each other. So they took the same battle positions they had taken the first day.