¹⁸ The people of Israel arose and went up to ^(A)Bethel and inquired of God, ^(B)“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, ^(C)“Judah shall go up first.”

²⁶ Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to ^(A)Bethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

³¹ And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, ^(A)one of which goes up to ^(B)Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel.