Judges Chapter 20
Showing all 48 verses for Judges Chapter 20.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. "
"All the Israelites turned out and assembled as a single body, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, plus the region of Gilead across the Jordan, gathering before the LORD at Mizpeh."
The whole nation gathers as one, from Dan to Beersheba, united in outrage at what happened in Gibeah - a rare moment of Israel acting together for justice. Jesus is glad whenever people unite against real evil; he calls his followers to stand together for the vulnerable, though he also asks that our zeal for justice always be tempered by his mercy.
"And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. "
"The leaders of the whole nation showed up at this gathering of God's people, along with four hundred thousand armed foot soldiers."
Four hundred thousand armed men assemble - a staggering show of national resolve that shows how seriously Israel, for once, took an act of wickedness in its midst. Jesus welcomes a community's genuine grief and anger over sin, but he wants that resolve always aimed at protecting the innocent and restoring what is right, not merely at proving strength.
"(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? "
"(Meanwhile, the Benjamites heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpeh.) The Israelites asked, "Tell us - how did this terrible thing happen?""
Benjamin hears the assembly has gathered, and Israel asks simply, 'how was this wickedness?' - the whole nation wants the truth named plainly before anything else happens. Jesus values honesty above all in the face of sin; he wants wrongdoing spoken clearly, not hidden or minimised, because truth is always the first step towards real justice and healing.
"And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. "
"The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: "My concubine and I came to Gibeah, in Benjamin's territory, to spend the night.""
The Levite retells what happened to him and his concubine - though notably he softens his own failures, saying only that they meant to kill him and that his concubine 'is dead', leaving out his own cold response to her suffering. Jesus knows how easily we shape our own stories to look better than the truth, and he calls us instead to full honesty, even about our own failures, not just others'.
"And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead. "
""The men of Gibeah came after me, surrounded the house at night, and meant to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died.""
He accurately names the violent intent of the men of Gibeah - they meant to kill him and did violate his concubine to death. Jesus never asks us to stay silent about real evil done against us or others; naming what happened honestly is part of seeking justice rather than quietly enduring or hiding abuse.
"And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. "
""So I took her body, cut it into pieces, and sent them throughout Israel's territory - because they have done something disgraceful and shameful in Israel.""
The Levite explains why he cut her body into pieces and sent them throughout Israel - a shocking act meant to force the whole nation to reckon with 'lewdness and folly' it might otherwise have ignored. Jesus does not commend this method, but he does share the underlying conviction that sin left unspoken and unaddressed only spreads further; some evils must be brought fully into the light.
"Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel. "
""You are all Israelites. Speak up now - give your judgement and advice.""
The Levite hands the decision back to the whole community - 'give here your advice and counsel' - refusing to act alone in matters of national justice. Jesus values shared discernment over one person's unchecked judgement; even righteous anger needs the wisdom of many voices before it becomes action.
"And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. "
"All the people rose up together and said, "None of us will go home to his tent or his house.""
The people rise as one, refusing to simply go home and let the matter drop - a picture of a community that will not look away from injustice for the sake of convenience. Jesus calls his people to this same refusal to be complacent when someone has been deeply wronged, even when confronting it costs comfort and ease.
"But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; "
""Here's what we'll do to Gibeah: we'll draw lots to decide who goes up against it.""
Israel decides to act by lot against Gibeah, seeking a fair and orderly process rather than chaotic mob vengeance. Jesus values order and fairness even in the pursuit of justice; how we seek to right a wrong matters to him as much as the wrong itself, and he calls us away from chaos towards considered, righteous action.
"And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. "
""We'll take one man in ten from every tribe to gather supplies for the army, so the rest can deal with Gibeah for all the depravity they've done in Israel.""
Israel organises carefully, appointing men to supply provisions for the army - practical, disciplined preparation rather than impulsive rage. Jesus honours wisdom and order even when pursuing something urgent and painful; careful preparation is not opposed to zeal, but its necessary partner.
"So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. "
"So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one."
All Israel gathers against the city, 'knit together as one man' - a picture of genuine unity in pursuit of justice, something the nation has rarely managed throughout Judges. Jesus longs for this kind of unity among his people, not around vengeance, but around love, truth, and the protection of the vulnerable.
"And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? "
"The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout Benjamin's territory, asking: "What is this wicked thing that has happened among you?""
Israel sends messengers to Benjamin first, asking plainly what wickedness has been done, offering the tribe a chance to explain or repent before war begins. Jesus always prefers confrontation that opens a door to repentance over immediate punishment; even when justice is deserved, mercy offers the guilty one more chance to turn.
"Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: "
""Hand over the worthless men of Gibeah, so we can put them to death and clear this evil out of Israel." But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites."
Israel simply asks Benjamin to hand over the guilty men so justice can be done and evil purged - a reasonable, restrained request that Benjamin refuses to hear. Jesus grieves whenever a community protects wrongdoers rather than allowing justice to be done; loyalty to your own group must never come before truth and righteousness.
"But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. "
"Instead, the Benjamites gathered from their towns to Gibeah, ready to go to war against the rest of Israel."
Rather than surrendering the guilty men, Benjamin gathers for war against their own brothers - choosing tribal loyalty over justice, a tragic and preventable escalation. Jesus warns strongly against this instinct to defend our own at any cost; true love for people, including our own family or group, sometimes requires standing against them when they do wrong.
"And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. "
"Benjamin's forces numbered twenty-six thousand swordsmen from the towns, plus seven hundred elite fighters from Gibeah itself."
Benjamin assembles a serious fighting force, including seven hundred elite men from Gibeah itself - the very town harbouring the guilty, now defended by the whole tribe. Jesus is sobered by how quickly a whole community can be drawn into defending sin rather than confronting it; unity is only good when it serves what is right.
"Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss. "
"Among these troops were seven hundred elite left-handed soldiers, each able to sling a stone at a target the width of a single hair and never miss."
The detail about seven hundred left-handed men who could sling stones with deadly accuracy shows real skill and discipline within Benjamin's ranks - reminding us that even those in the wrong can possess genuine talent and courage. Jesus never dismisses anyone's gifts because their cause is mistaken; he calls all of us instead to direct our real abilities towards what is good and right.
"And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. "
"The Israelite forces, not counting Benjamin, numbered four hundred thousand swordsmen - all experienced fighting men."
Israel's own army numbers four hundred thousand seasoned men of war - a vast force gathered not for conquest of a foreign enemy, but tragically against their own kin. Jesus feels the weight of this moment; even a just cause pursued through civil bloodshed among brothers grieves him, and he always longs for reconciliation over battle wherever it remains possible.
"And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. "
"The Israelites went up to the house of God and asked for guidance: "Who should attack first?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go first.""
Before fighting, Israel goes to the house of God and asks for his guidance on who should go up first - seeking God's direction even in the middle of pursuing justice. Jesus wants every serious decision in our lives, even righteous ones, to begin with seeking God's guidance rather than relying purely on our own strength or certainty.
"And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. "
"The next morning the Israelites got up and camped facing Gibeah."
Israel rises and encamps against Gibeah, moving forward on the guidance they were given - obedience following inquiry. Jesus honours this pattern of seeking God's will and then acting on it faithfully, even when, as we will see, the road ahead includes real hardship and unexpected setbacks.
"And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. "
"The Israelite army went out to fight Benjamin, lining up for battle at Gibeah."
The battle begins, Israel arrayed against Benjamin at Gibeah - the tragic culmination of a chain of failures, from hospitality withheld to violence unconfronted to tribal loyalty misapplied. Jesus wants us to see how small failures of love and courage can compound into national tragedy, urging us to address wrongs early, gently, and honestly before they grow this large.
"And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. "
"The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day."
Despite seeking God's guidance, Israel suffers a devastating defeat, losing twenty-two thousand men - a shocking reminder that being in the right does not guarantee an easy victory. Jesus never promises that doing right will be simple or immediately successful; he calls us to persevere in faith and humility even when the outcome is far harder than we expected.
"And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. "
"The Israelite troops encouraged one another and lined up again for battle in the same place as the first day."
Rather than giving up after crushing losses, Israel encourages itself and regroups to fight again - a picture of resilience that refuses to let one defeat be the final word. Jesus is present in our setbacks too, strengthening us to rise again when we have been knocked down, especially when we remain committed to what is right.
"(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.) "
"(The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked, "Should we fight our brother Benjamin again?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them.")"
Before fighting again, Israel weeps before the LORD and asks once more whether to fight their brother Benjamin - notice the tender wording, 'my brother', even amid war, showing grief rather than hatred for their kin. Jesus is moved by this kind of sorrow held together with obedience; he wants our pursuit of justice to always be seasoned with genuine grief over conflict with those we still love.
"And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. "
"The Israelites approached Benjamin again on the second day."
Israel comes near to Benjamin a second time, still pursuing the fight despite the previous day's terrible cost - a picture of costly perseverance in a difficult but necessary cause. Jesus knows that doing right sometimes requires repeated, painful effort, and he stands with anyone who keeps returning to face a hard task rather than abandoning it out of fear or discouragement.
"And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. "
"Benjamin came out of Gibeah again on the second day and cut down another eighteen thousand Israelite swordsmen."
A second devastating defeat follows, eighteen thousand more Israelite lives lost - an almost unbearable cost for pursuing justice. Jesus grieves every one of these deaths; scripture does not hide how costly confronting evil can be, and he calls us to count that cost honestly rather than pretending doing right is always easy or quick.
"Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. "
"Then all the Israelites went up to the house of God, wept, and sat there before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD."
After two crushing defeats, Israel finally weeps, fasts, and offers both burnt and peace offerings before the LORD - true humility replacing earlier confidence in their own numbers and strength. Jesus welcomes this kind of humbling; he would rather we come to him broken and dependent than confident and self-reliant, because it is often only in weakness that we truly seek him.
"And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, "
"The Israelites enquired of the LORD - for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days -"
Israel enquires of the LORD again, noting that the ark of the covenant was present with them - grounding their hope not in their own strength but in God's presence among them. Jesus is the one in whom God's presence now dwells fully; wherever you are, his nearness, not your own resources, remains your true source of hope and strength.
"And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. "
"- and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, served before it in those days - saying, "Should we go out to fight our brother Benjamin again, or stop?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.""
Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, ministers before the ark, and God promises victory the next day - a turning point after two humbling defeats taught Israel to depend fully on him rather than their own numbers. Jesus teaches that victory over sin and hardship in our lives comes the same way: not from our own strength, but from humble dependence on God, who alone determines the outcome.
"And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. "
"Israel then set up an ambush all around Gibeah."
Israel sets an ambush around Gibeah, showing wisdom and strategy now paired with their renewed trust in God - faith and careful planning working together rather than either alone. Jesus welcomes both prayerful dependence and thoughtful preparation; trusting God does not mean abandoning wisdom, but combining the two faithfully.
"And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. "
"The Israelites went up against Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as they had before."
Israel returns a third time to array against Gibeah, undeterred by two previous devastating losses - true perseverance now anchored in God's explicit promise of victory rather than in mere stubbornness. Jesus commends this kind of persistence that is rooted in faith, not pride; there is a real difference between refusing to quit because God has spoken and refusing to quit out of sheer willfulness.
"And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. "
"The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began striking down Israelites as before, on the roads leading to the house of God and to Gibeah, killing about thirty men."
Benjamin comes out confidently, expecting another easy victory as in the first two battles, unaware that Israel's apparent retreat is now a deliberate trap. Jesus reminds us that confidence built on past success can blind us to danger; he calls us instead to stay humble and watchful, since circumstances and God's purposes can shift when we least expect it.
"And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways. "
"The Benjamites said, "They're being beaten again, just like before." But the Israelites said, "Let's retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.""
Israel deliberately feigns retreat to draw Benjamin away from the city's protection - a wise strategy that turns Benjamin's earlier overconfidence against them. Jesus values wisdom used well in pursuit of justice; strategy and cunning are not wrong in themselves when aimed at ending real evil, only when used to harm the innocent.
"And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. "
"All the Israelite army rose from their position and lined up at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush rushed out from their hiding places in the meadows around Gibeah."
The ambush springs from the meadows around Gibeah at just the right moment - patient, hidden preparation finally paying off after the earlier costly losses. Jesus knows the value of patient waiting for the right moment; he calls us to trust his timing even when we cannot yet see how our quiet, hidden preparation will bear fruit.
"And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them. "
"Ten thousand elite Israelite fighters came against Gibeah, and the fighting was fierce - but the Benjamites did not realise disaster was closing in on them."
Ten thousand chosen men attack while Benjamin remains unaware that disaster is closing in - 'they knew not that evil was near them', a haunting line about how blind confidence can be right up until the moment of collapse. Jesus warns us to stay spiritually alert; complacency about our own safety or righteousness can leave us blindsided, and he calls us instead to watchfulness and humility.
"And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. "
"The LORD struck down Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand, one hundred Benjamite swordsmen that day."
The text is careful to say 'the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel' - crediting God, not merely Israel's cleverness, for this decisive turn after two devastating defeats. Jesus wants us to remember, in every victory over hardship or wrongdoing in our own lives, that ultimate credit belongs to God, who alone turns the tide when we have humbled ourselves before him.
"So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. "
"So the Benjamites realised they were beaten - because the Israelite army had deliberately given ground to Benjamin, trusting in the ambush they had set near Gibeah."
Benjamin finally realises they are defeated, having trusted too long in the men lying in wait to save the day for Israel rather than recognising their own vulnerability. Jesus teaches that self-deception about our own strength or safety never lasts; sooner or later reality breaks through, and he calls us to face hard truths honestly rather than clinging to false confidence.
"And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. "
"The ambushers rushed quickly and stormed into Gibeah, then struck down the whole city with the sword."
The ambush rushes Gibeah itself and puts the city to the sword - the final judgement falling specifically on the town that sheltered the original crime and refused to surrender the guilty. Jesus reminds us that protecting wrongdoing rather than confronting it eventually brings devastating consequences upon the whole community that chose to shield it.
"Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. "
"There was a prearranged signal between the Israelite army and the ambush force: a great cloud of smoke rising from the city."
A prearranged signal, smoke rising from the city, coordinates the two parts of Israel's army - careful planning made visible at just the right moment to turn the tide of battle. Jesus values this kind of thoughtful coordination among his people; working together with clear communication and shared purpose accomplishes far more than acting alone.
"And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. "
"When the Israelite men pulled back in the fighting, Benjamin began striking down about thirty of them, thinking, "They are being defeated before us, just as before.""
Benjamin, still thinking they are winning as in the earlier battles, begins striking down more Israelites - a final moment of false confidence just before their sudden reversal of fortune. Jesus warns that the appearance of winning, whether in battle, in an argument, or in life, can be deeply deceptive; true security is only ever found in him, not in a temporary run of success.
"But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. "
"But when the column of smoke began rising from the city, the Benjamites looked back and saw the whole city going up in flames."
The smoke signal rises and the tide turns instantly - Benjamin's men look back to see their city ablaze and realise, in a single terrible moment, that everything has changed. Jesus knows how quickly circumstances can shift in life; he calls us not to build our security on temporary victories, but on him, the one thing that does not change beneath us.
"And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. "
"Then the Israelites turned back, and the Benjamites were terrified, because they realised disaster had come upon them."
The Israelite army turns back on the now-amazed Benjamites, who suddenly see the disaster closing in around them - the sudden collapse of false confidence into terror. Jesus wants us to grasp how fragile human confidence can be when it is not rooted in him; only trust anchored in God remains steady when circumstances turn.
"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. "
"So they turned and fled from the Israelites towards the wilderness, but the battle caught up with them, and the Israelites destroyed those coming out of the surrounding cities as well."
Benjamin flees towards the wilderness, but the battle overtakes them from every side - a devastating and total collapse for those who chose to defend evil rather than surrender it. Jesus offers a different way even now: while judgement here is severe and historically real, he came precisely to offer escape from judgement to anyone who will turn to him rather than run from him.
"Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. "
"They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trampled them down with ease near Gibeah, all the way to the east."
Benjamin is surrounded, chased down, and trodden underfoot - a grim, total defeat that scripture records honestly rather than glorifying. Jesus never delights in this kind of devastation; he weeps over judgement even when it is deserved, longing always for repentance rather than destruction, as he does over every sinner today.
"And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. "
"Eighteen thousand Benjamite fighters fell that day, all of them experienced soldiers."
Eighteen thousand valiant Benjamite men fall in this stage of the battle - the text calls them 'men of valour' even in defeat, refusing to strip them of dignity even as judgement falls. Jesus never denies the genuine courage or worth of someone even when their cause was wrong; he sees the whole person, and he calls us to the same fairness rather than reducing anyone to their worst decision.
"And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. "
"The survivors turned and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Along the way Israel picked off five thousand more on the roads, then pursued the rest to Gidom and killed two thousand more."
The remaining Benjamites flee towards the rock of Rimmon, pursued and struck down along the way - the human cost of this civil war continuing to mount with each verse. Jesus grieves every death recorded here, even among the guilty; he came so that judgement would not have to be the final word for anyone who turns to him in repentance.
"So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour. "
"In total, twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell that day, all experienced fighters."
Twenty-five thousand valiant men of Benjamin fall that day - a staggering, sobering total that shows just how devastating the consequences of unrepented sin and misplaced tribal loyalty finally became. Jesus wants this scale of loss to move us, not towards despair, but towards taking sin seriously and turning to him before consequences run this far.
"But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. "
"But six hundred men turned and escaped to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed there four months."
Six hundred men escape to the rock of Rimmon and survive four months there - a small remnant preserved even amid near-total destruction of the tribe. Jesus is the God of the remnant; even when judgement is severe, he always preserves a way forward, a hope that the story is not entirely finished, as later chapters of Judges will go on to show.
"And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to. "
"The Israelites then turned back against the remaining Benjamites and struck them down with the sword - people, animals, everything they found - and set fire to every city they came to."
Israel turns to destroy the rest of Benjamin's cities completely, an act of total war that closes this dark chapter without any note of triumph or celebration. Jesus never wants us to read this as a template for how to treat those we consider enemies; instead, this bleak ending points forward to him, the only one who can truly break cycles of violence and offer lasting peace instead.