NET Bible
"They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down."
— Judges 20:42, NET Bible
“Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.”
“Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they that came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof. ”
“Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in its midst.”
“And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet them.”
“So turning their backs on the men of Israel, they went in the direction of the waste land; but the fight overtook them; and those who came out of the town were heading them off and putting them to the sword.”
“Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.”
the 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.”
But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.
When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.
They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.
They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, and annihilated them all the way to a spot east of Geba.
Eighteen thousand Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead.
The rest turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites caught five thousand of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels all the way to Gidom and struck down two thousand more.