Judges 20:23

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening. They asked the LORD,“Should we again march out to fight the Benjaminites, our brothers?” The LORD said,“Attack them!”

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Judg 20:26-27 : 26 So all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel. They wept and sat there before the LORD; they did not eat anything that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace to the LORD. 27 The Israelites asked the LORD(for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days;
  • Ps 78:34-36 : 34 When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God. 35 They remembered that God was their protector, and that God Most High was their deliverer. 36 But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.
  • Hos 5:15 : 15 Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me.
  • Josh 7:6 : 6 Joshua tore his clothes; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD until evening and threw dirt on their heads.
  • Judg 20:18 : 18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,“Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The LORD said,“Judah should lead.”

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 20:17-22
    6 verses
    86%

    17The men of Israel(not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.

    18The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,“Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The LORD said,“Judah should lead.”

    19The Israelites got up the next morning and moved against Gibeah.

    20The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they arranged their battle lines against Gibeah.

    21The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.

    22The Israelite army took heart and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before.

  • Judg 20:24-28
    5 verses
    79%

    24So the Israelites marched toward the Benjaminites the next day.

    25The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.

    26So all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel. They wept and sat there before the LORD; they did not eat anything that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace to the LORD.

    27The Israelites asked the LORD(for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days;

    28Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the LORD in those days),“Should we once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, or should we quit?” The LORD said,“Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”

  • Judg 20:12-15
    4 verses
    78%

    12The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying,“How could such a wicked thing take place?

    13Now, hand over the good-for-nothings in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers.

    14The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites.

    15That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.

  • Judg 20:30-36
    7 verses
    77%

    30The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day; they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before.

    31The Benjaminites attacked the army, leaving the city unguarded. They began to strike down their enemy just as they had done before. On the main roads(one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down about thirty Israelites.

    32Then the Benjaminites said,“They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said,“Let’s retreat and lure them away from the city into the main roads.”

    33All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah.

    34Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah– the battle was fierce. But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.

    35The LORD annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.

    36Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.The Israelites retreated before Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah.

  • Judg 21:1-2
    2 verses
    76%

    1600 Brides for 600 Brothers The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying,“Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.”

    2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.

  • Judg 20:39
    76%

    39the Israelites counterattacked. Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites; they struck down about thirty men. They said,“There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.”

  • Judg 20:3
    75%

    3The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said,“Explain how this wicked thing happened!”

  • Josh 22:12
    73%

    12When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them.

  • Judg 21:5-6
    2 verses
    73%

    5The Israelites asked,“Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the LORD?”They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the LORD at Mizpah must certainly be executed.

    6The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said,“Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!

  • Judg 1:1
    72%

    1¶ Judah Takes the Lead After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD,“Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”

  • Judg 20:8-10
    3 verses
    71%

    8All Israel rose up in unison and said,“Not one of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!

    9Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.

    10We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel(and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.”

  • Judg 21:15
    71%

    15The people regretted what had happened to Benjamin because the LORD had weakened the Israelite tribes.

  • Judg 10:17
    71%

    17An Outcast Becomes a General The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

  • Judg 10:9
    71%

    9The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Israel suffered greatly.

  • Judg 20:41-42
    2 verses
    71%

    41When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.

    42They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.

  • Deut 1:41-42
    2 verses
    70%

    41Unsuccessful Conquest of Canaan Then you responded to me and admitted,“We have sinned against the LORD. We will now go up and fight as the LORD our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country.

    42But the LORD told me:“Tell them this:‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’”

  • Num 1:36
    70%

    36From the descendants of Benjamin: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name.

  • Judg 20:1
    70%

    1Civil War Breaks Out All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the LORD at Mizpah.

  • 2 Sam 17:11
    70%

    11My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba– in number like the sand by the sea!– be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle.

  • Judg 1:22
    70%

    22Partial Success When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel, the LORD was with them.

  • Judg 21:13
    69%

    13The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.

  • 1 Sam 7:7
    69%

    7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines.

  • 2 Sam 2:25
    69%

    25The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.

  • Judg 21:20
    69%

    20So they commanded the Benjaminites,“Go hide in the vineyards,

  • 2 Sam 5:19
    69%

    19So David asked the LORD,“Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD said to David,“March up, for I will indeed hand the Philistines over to you.”