Read the actual text of Judge chapters 20

11 against 1

The leaders of Israel demanded the city of Gibeon turn over the murderers.
The tribe of Benjamin would not, and gathered an army of 26,700 men.

The rest of Israel gathered an army of 400,000.

The second day:
Benjamin cut down 18,000.

The third day:
The Israelite's set an ambush. The battle started the same way it had the first 2 days, but the Israelites retreated and drew the army away from Gibeon. An ambush and Gibeon was burned. The Benjamite army saw the smoke and were terrified. The Israelites turned and killed 25,000 skilled soldiers. Six hundred fled to the desert.
The city and everything in it was destroyed.
 

Read actual Bible text of Chapter 21

Israel weeps because Benjamin was cut off!

They had made a vow not to give any of their daughters in marriage to a Benjamite.
They found out that one city had not taken this vow...Jabesh Gilead.
The took an army and destroyed Jabesh Gilead...all except 400 virgins. These women were offered as wives to the 600 who had escaped into the desert.
It was not enough, so they made a plan where the remaining survivors would kidnap wives from the town of Shiloh during a festival. This way the people of Shiloh did not break their vow of not giving their daughters in marriage to a Benjamite.

The last verse in the book of Judges!
"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."
(Judges 21:25)

Two more Judges (Eli and Samuel) are found in the book of I Samuel.
They will be included in our study of I Samuel.

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