Judges 21 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Judges 21 (WEBP)

[1] Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
[2] The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
[3] They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
[4] On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
[5] The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
[6] The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.
[7] How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
[8] They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
[9] For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there.
[10] The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
[11] This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.”
[12] They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
[13] The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.
[14] Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them.
[15] The people grieved for Benjamin, because Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
[16] Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
[17] They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
[18] However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ”
[19] They said, “Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
[20] They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
[21] and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
[22] It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’ ”
[23] The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
[24] The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
[25] In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Judges 21 (KJVS)

[1] Now the men of Israel had sworn () in Mizpeh , saying (), There shall not any of us give () his daughter unto Benjamin to wife .
[2] And the people came () to the house of God () , and abode () there till even before God , and lifted up () their voices , and wept () sore ;
[3] And said (), O LORD God of Israel , why is this come to pass in Israel , that there should be to day one tribe lacking () in Israel ?
[4] And it came to pass on the morrow , that the people rose early (), and built () there an altar , and offered () burnt offerings and peace offerings .
[5] And the children of Israel said (), Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came () not up with the congregation unto the LORD ? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up () to the LORD to Mizpeh , saying (), He shall surely () be put to death ().
[6] And the children of Israel repented () them for Benjamin their brother , and said (), There is one tribe cut off () from Israel this day .
[7] How shall we do () for wives for them that remain (), seeing we have sworn () by the LORD that we will not give () them of our daughters to wives ?
[8] And they said (), What one [is there] of the tribes of Israel that came not up () to Mizpeh to the LORD ? And, behold, there came () none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly .
[9] For the people were numbered (), and, behold, [there were] none of the inhabitants () of Jabeshgilead there.
[10] And the congregation sent () thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest , and commanded () them, saying (), Go () and smite () the inhabitants () of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword , with the women and the children .
[11] And this [is] the thing that ye shall do (), Ye shall utterly destroy () every male , and every woman that hath lain by man ().
[12] And they found () among the inhabitants () of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins , that had known () no man by lying with any male : and they brought () them unto the camp to Shiloh , which [is] in the land of Canaan .
[13] And the whole congregation sent () [some] to speak () to the children of Benjamin that [were] in the rock Rimmon , and to call () peaceably unto them.
[14] And Benjamin came again () at that time ; and they gave () them wives which they had saved alive () of the women of Jabeshgilead : and yet so they sufficed () them not.
[15] And the people repented () them for Benjamin , because that the LORD had made () a breach in the tribes of Israel .
[16] Then the elders of the congregation said (), How shall we do () for wives for them that remain (), seeing the women are destroyed () out of Benjamin ?
[17] And they said (), [There must be] an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin , that a tribe be not destroyed () out of Israel .
[18] Howbeit we may () not give () them wives of our daughters : for the children of Israel have sworn (), saying (), Cursed () [be] he that giveth () a wife to Benjamin .
[19] Then they said (), Behold, [there is] a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly [in a place] which [is] on the north side of Bethel , on the east side of the highway that goeth up () from Bethel to Shechem , and on the south of Lebonah .
[20] Therefore they commanded () the children of Benjamin , saying (), Go () and lie in wait () in the vineyards ;
[21] And see (), and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out () to dance () in dances , then come ye out () of the vineyards , and catch () you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh , and go () to the land of Benjamin .
[22] And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come () unto us to complain (), that we will say () unto them, Be favourable () unto them for our sakes: because we reserved () not to each man his wife in the war : for ye did not give () unto them at this time , [that] ye should be guilty ().
[23] And the children of Benjamin did so (), and took () [them] wives , according to their number , of them that danced (), whom they caught (): and they went () and returned () unto their inheritance , and repaired () the cities , and dwelt () in them.
[24] And the children of Israel departed () thence at that time , every man to his tribe and to his family , and they went out () from thence every man to his inheritance .
[25] In those days [there was] no king in Israel : every man did () [that which was] right in his own eyes .

Young’s Literal Translation

Judges 21 (YLT)

[1] And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, ‘None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.’
[2] And the people come in to Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice, and weep-a great weeping,
[3] and say, ‘Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath this been in Israel-to be lacking to-day, from Israel, one tribe?’
[4] And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that the people rise early, and build there an altar, and cause to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
[5] And the sons of Israel say, ‘Who is he that hath not come up in the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel unto Jehovah?’ for the great oath hath been concerning him who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, ‘He is surely put to death.’
[6] And the sons of Israel repent concerning Benjamin their brother, and say, ‘There hath been to-day cut off one tribe from Israel,
[7] what do we do for them-for those who are left-for wives, and we-we have sworn by Jehovah not to give to them of our daughters for wives?’
[8] And they say, ‘Who is that one out of the tribes of Israel who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh?’ and lo, none hath come in unto the camp from Jabesh-Gilead-unto the assembly.
[9] And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.
[10] And the company send there twelve thousand men of the sons of valour, and command them, saying, ‘Go-and ye have smitten the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead by the mouth of the sword, even the women and the infants.
[11] And this is the thing which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye devote.’
[12] And they find out of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who have not known man by the lying of a male, and they bring them in unto the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
[13] And all the company send, and speak, unto the sons of Benjamin who are in the rock Rimmon, and proclaim to them peace;
[14] and Benjamin turneth back at that time, and they give to them the women whom they have kept alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead, and they have not found for all of them so.
[15] And the people repented concerning Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
[16] And the elders of the company say, ‘What do we do to the remnant for wives-for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?’
[17] And they say, ‘A possession of an escaped party is to Benjamin, and a tribe is not blotted out from Israel;
[18] and we-we are not able to give to them wives out of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed is he who is giving a wife to Benjamin.’
[19] And they say, ‘Lo, a festival of Jehovah is in Shiloh, from time to time, which is on the north of Beth-El, at the rising of the sun, by the highway which is going up from Beth-El to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.’
[20] And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, ‘Go-and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,
[21] and have seen, and lo, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances-then ye have gone out from the vineyards, and caught for you each his wife out of the daughters of Shiloh, and gone to the land of Benjamin;
[22] and it hath been, when their fathers or their brethren come in to plead unto us, that we have said unto them, Favour us by them, for we have not taken to each his wife in battle, for ye-ye have not given to them at this time that ye are guilty.’
[23] And the sons of Benjamin do so, and take women according to their number, out of the dancers whom they have taken violently away; and they go, and turn back unto their inheritance, and build the cities, and dwell in them.
[24] And the sons of Israel go up and down thence at that time, each to his tribe, and to his family; and they go out thence each to his inheritance.
[25] In those days there is no king in Israel; each doth that which is right in his own eyes.