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 Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
[9] For the people were numbered, () and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants () of Jabesh-gilead there.
[10] And the congregation sent () thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded () them, saying, () Go () and smite () the inhabitants () of Jabesh-gilead 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 Jabesh-gilead 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 Jabesh-gilead: 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 Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up () from Beth-el 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.

Judges 21:11 Heb. knoweth the lying with man
Judges 21:12 Heb. young women virgins
Judges 21:13a Heb. and spake and called
Judges 21:13b Or, proclaim peace
Judges 21:19a Heb. from year to year
Judges 21:19b Or, towards the sun rising
Judges 21:19c Or, on
Judges 21:22 Or, gratify us in them

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Judges 21 (BYZ)

[1] και ανηρ ισραηλ ωμοσεν εν μασσηφα λεγων ανηρ εξ ημων ου δωσει την θυγατερα αυτου τω βενιαμιν εις γυναικα
[2] και παρεγενοντο πας ο λαος εις μασσηφα και βαιθηλ και εκαθισαν εκει εως εσπερας ενωπιον του θεου και επηραν την φωνην αυτων και εκλαυσαν κλαυθμον μεγαν
[3] και ειπαν ινα τι κυριε ο θεος ισραηλ εγενηθη αυτη εν τω ισραηλ του επισκεπηναι σημερον εν τω ισραηλ φυλην μιαν
[4] και εγενετο εν τη επαυριον και ωρθρισεν ο λαος και ωκοδομησαν εκει θυσιαστηριον και ανηνεγκαν ολοκαυτωματα σωτηριου
[5] και ειπαν οι υιοι ισραηλ τις ο μη αναβας εν τη εκκλησια εκ πασων φυλων ισραηλ προς κυριον οτι ορκος μεγας ην τω μη αναβαντι προς κυριον εις μασσηφα λεγοντες θανατω αποθανειται
[6] και παρεκληθησαν οι υιοι ισραηλ περι βενιαμιν του αδελφου αυτων και ειπαν αφηρηται σημερον φυλη μια εξ ισραηλ
[7] τι ποιησωμεν αυτοις τοις υπολειφθεισιν εις γυναικας και ημεις ωμοσαμεν εν κυριω του μη δουναι αυτοις απο των θυγατερων ημων εις γυναικας
[8] και ειπαν τις μια των φυλων ισραηλ ητις ουκ ανεβη προς κυριον εις μασσηφα και ιδου ουκ ηλθεν ανηρ εις την παρεμβολην απο ιαβις γαλααδ εις την εκκλησιαν
[9] και επεσκεπη ο λαος και ιδου ουκ εστιν εκει ανηρ απο των κατοικουντων ιαβις γαλααδ
[10] και απεστειλαν εκει η συναγωγη δωδεκα χιλιαδας ανδρων απο των υιων της δυναμεως και ενετειλαντο αυτοις λεγοντες πορευθητε και παταξατε παντας τους κατοικουντας ιαβις γαλααδ εν στοματι ρομφαιας και τας γυναικας και τον λαον
[11] και ουτος ο λογος ον ποιησετε παν αρσενικον και πασαν γυναικα γινωσκουσαν κοιτην αρσενος αναθεματιειτε
[12] και ευρον απο των κατοικουντων ιαβις γαλααδ τετρακοσιας νεανιδας παρθενους αι ουκ εγνωσαν ανδρα εις κοιτην αρσενος και ηγον αυτας εις την παρεμβολην εις σηλω η εστιν εν γη χανααν
[13] και απεστειλεν πασα η συναγωγη και ελαλησαν προς βενιαμιν τον εν τη πετρα ρεμμων και εκαλεσαν αυτους εις ειρηνην
[14] και απεστρεψεν βενιαμιν προς τους υιους ισραηλ εν τω καιρω εκεινω και εδωκαν αυτοις τας γυναικας αιτινες ησαν εκ των γυναικων ιαβις γαλααδ και ηρεσεν αυτοις ουτως
[15] και ο λαος παρεκληθη τω βενιαμιν οτι εποιησεν κυριος διακοπην εν ταις φυλαις ισραηλ
[16] και ειπαν οι πρεσβυτεροι της συναγωγης τι ποιησωμεν τοις επιλοιποις εις γυναικας οτι ηφανισται εκ του βενιαμιν γυνη
[17] και ειπαν κληρονομια διασεσωσμενη τω βενιαμιν και ου μη εξαλειφθη φυλη εξ ισραηλ
[18] και ημεις ου δυνησομεθα δουναι αυτοις γυναικας απο των θυγατερων ημων οτι ωμοσαμεν οι υιοι ισραηλ λεγοντες επικαταρατος ο διδους γυναικα τω βενιαμιν
[19] και ειπαν εορτη τω κυριω εν σηλω αφ ημερων εις ημερας η εστιν απο βορρα της βαιθηλ κατ ανατολας ηλιου εν τη οδω τη αναβαινουση εκ βαιθηλ εις σικιμα και απο νοτου του λιβανου της λεβωνα
[20] και ενετειλαντο τοις υιοις βενιαμιν λεγοντες διελθατε και ενεδρευσατε εν τοις αμπελωσιν
[21] και οψεσθε και ιδου ως αν εξελθωσιν αι θυγατερες των κατοικουντων σηλω εν σηλω χορευσαι εν χοροις και εξελευσεσθε απο των αμπελωνων και αρπασετε ανηρ εαυτω γυναικα απο των θυγατερων σηλω και απελευσεσθε εις γην βενιαμιν
[22] και εσται οταν ελθωσιν οι πατερες αυτων η οι αδελφοι αυτων κρινεσθαι προς υμας και ερουμεν προς αυτους ελεησατε αυτους οτι ουκ ελαβον ανηρ γυναικα αυτου εν τω πολεμω ου γαρ υμεις δεδωκατε αυτοις κατα τον καιρον επλημμελησατε
[23] και εποιησαν ουτως οι υιοι βενιαμιν και ελαβον γυναικας κατα τον αριθμον αυτων απο των χορευουσων ας διηρπασαν και απηλθον και απεστρεψαν επι την κληρονομιαν αυτων και ωκοδομησαν εαυτοις πολεις και κατωκησαν εν αυταις
[24] και περιεπατησαν εκειθεν οι υιοι ισραηλ εν τω καιρω εκεινω ανηρ εις την φυλην αυτου και εις την συγγενειαν αυτου και απηλθον εκειθεν ανηρ εις την κληρονομιαν αυτου
[25] εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις ουκ ην βασιλευς εν ισραηλ ανηρ εκαστος το ευθες εν οφθαλμοις αυτου εποιει

The Greek New Testament According to the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, Inc., Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Dedicated to the public domain by Guardian Press, Inc. and J. Jeffrey Dodson.