Online Bible

Book of Judges, Chapter 21

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Judges 21 NWT - New World TranslationJudges 21 NWT - New World Translation

Chapter 21 of Judges—New World Translation (NWT)

  1. ¶ Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizʹpah,1 saying: “Not a man of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”2
  2. Consequently the people came to Bethʹel3 and kept sitting there before the [true] God4 until the evening and continued to raise their voice and indulge in a great deal of weeping.5
  3. And they would say: “Why, O Jehovah the God of Israel, has this occurred in Israel, for one tribe to be missing today from Israel?”6
  4. And it came about the next day that the people proceeded to get up early and to build an altar there and to offer up burnt offerings7 and communion offerings.8
  5. ¶ Then the sons of Israel said: “Who is there out of all the tribes of Israel that has not come up in the congregation[a] to Jehovah, for there is a great oath9 that has taken place respecting the one that has not come up to Jehovah at Mizʹpah, saying, ‘Let him be put to death without fail.’”10
  6. And the sons of Israel began to feel regret over Benjamin their brother. So they said: “Today one tribe has been chopped off from Israel.
  7. What shall we do to those who are left over as to wives, now that we ourselves have sworn11 by Jehovah not to give them any of our daughters as wives?”12
  8. ¶ And they went on to say: “Which one out of the tribes of Israel is it that has not come up to Jehovah at Mizʹpah?”13 And, look! no one had come into the camp from Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad14 to the congregation.
  9. When the people were counted, well, look! there was not a man there from the inhabitants of Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad.
  10. Hence the assembly proceeded to send twelve thousand of the most valiant men[b] there and to command them, saying: “Go, and YOU must strike the inhabitants of Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad with the edge of the sword, even the women[c] and the little ones.15
  11. And this is the thing that YOU should do: Every male and every woman that has experienced lying with a male YOU should devote to destruction.”16
  12. However, they found out of the inhabitants of Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad17 four hundred girls, virgins,18 that had not had intercourse with a man by lying with a male. So they brought them to the camp at Shiʹloh,19 which is in the land of Caʹnaan.
  13. ¶ And all the assembly now sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin that were on the crag of Rimʹmon20 and offered them peace.
  14. Accordingly Benjamin came back at that time. Then they gave them the women that they had preserved alive from the women of Jaʹbesh-gilʹe·ad;21 but they did not find enough for them.22
  15. And the people felt regret over Benjamin23 because Jehovah had made a rupture between the tribes of Israel.
  16. Consequently the older men of the assembly said: “What shall we do to the men that are left over as to wives, for womankind has been annihilated out of Benjamin?”
  17. Then they said: “There should be a possession for those who have escaped of Benjamin,24 that a tribe might not be wiped out of Israel.
  18. As for us, we are not allowed to give them wives from our daughters, because the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is the one that gives a wife to Benjamin.’”25
  19. ¶ Finally they said: “Look! There is a festival of Jehovah from year to year in Shiʹloh,26 which is to the north of Bethʹel, toward the east of the highway that goes up from Bethʹel to Sheʹchem27 and toward the south of Le·boʹnah.”
  20. So they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying: “Go, and YOU must lie in wait in the vineyards.
  21. And YOU must look, and, there now, when the daughters of Shiʹloh come on out to dance28 in circle dances, YOU must also come out from the vineyards and carry off for yourselves by force each one his wife from the daughters of Shiʹloh, and YOU must go to the land of Benjamin.
  22. And it must occur that should their fathers or their brothers come to conduct a legal case against us,[d] we[e] also shall certainly say to them, ‘Do us a favor for their sakes, because we have not taken for each one his wife by war,29 for it was not YOU that did the giving to them at a time when YOU[f] would become guilty.’”30
  23. ¶ Accordingly the sons of Benjamin did just that way, and they proceeded to carry off wives for their number31 from the women dancing32 around, whom they snatched away; after which they went off and returned to their inheritance and built the cities33 and took up dwelling in them.
  24. ¶ And the sons of Israel began to disperse from there at that time, each one to his own tribe and his own family; and they went their way out from there, each one to his own inheritance.34
  25. ¶ In those days there was no king in Israel.35 What was right in his own eyes was what each one was accustomed to do.36

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ “Congregation.” Gr., ek·kle·siʹai.
  2. ^ Lit., “twelve thousand men out of the sons of valor.”
  3. ^ Or, “wives.”
  4. ^ “Us,” MSy; LXXVg, “you.”
  5. ^ “We,” MLXXSyVg. Possibly, “you.”
  6. ^ Possibly, “did the giving to them, because you yourselves,” by a slight correction of M. Compare 13:23, where the Heb. expression, “at a time when,” is rendered “as now.”

REFERENCES

  1. ^ Jg 20:1; 1Sa 7:5; 1Ki 15:22; Je 40:6
  2. ^ Jg 21:18
  3. ^ Jg 20:18, 26
  4. ^ Jg 20:2; Ps 83:18
  5. ^ 1Sa 30:4; Ec 3:4
  6. ^ De 28:63; Jg 21:6
  7. ^ Ex 10:25; Le 1:3
  8. ^ Le 3:1; 19:5; Jg 20:26; 2Sa 24:25
  9. ^ Jg 21:7
  10. ^ Jg 5:23; 21:10
  11. ^ Le 5:4; 19:12; Ps 15:4; Mt 5:33
  12. ^ Jg 21:1, 18
  13. ^ Jg 20:1
  14. ^ 1Sa 11:1; 31:11; 2Sa 21:12; 1Ch 10:11
  15. ^ Jg 21:5
  16. ^ Nu 31:17
  17. ^ Jg 21:8
  18. ^ Ge 24:16; Es 2:3
  19. ^ Jos 18:1; Jg 18:31; 1Sa 1:3
  20. ^ Jg 20:47
  21. ^ Jg 21:8
  22. ^ Jg 20:47; 21:12
  23. ^ Jg 21:6
  24. ^ Jg 20:47
  25. ^ Le 19:12; Jg 21:1; Ps 15:4; Mt 5:33
  26. ^ Jos 18:1; Jg 21:12
  27. ^ Ge 33:18; Jg 9:6, 45; 1Ki 12:1
  28. ^ Ex 15:20; Jg 11:34; 1Sa 18:6; Ps 149:3; 150:4
  29. ^ Jg 21:12, 14
  30. ^ Jg 21:1, 18
  31. ^ Jg 20:47; 21:12
  32. ^ Jg 21:21
  33. ^ Jg 20:48
  34. ^ Jos 14:2; Jg 2:6; 20:8
  35. ^ Jg 8:23; 17:6; 18:1; 19:1
  36. ^ De 12:8; 16:18; Jg 17:6; 1Sa 9:17; Pr 3:5

Read Judges Chapter 21 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  2. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  3. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  4. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  5. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  6. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  7. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

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