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Sunday, August 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Judges 20:6

It was a terrible thing for Israelites to do! So I cut up her body and sent pieces everywhere in Israel.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Mizpah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gibeah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;   Lewd;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout Israel’s territory, because they have committed a wicked outrage in Israel.
Hebrew Names Version
I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Yisra'el; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Yisra'el.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
Then I grabbed my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent her throughout all the territory of Israel's inheritance; for they committed a shameful and disgraceful thing in Israel.
English Standard Version
So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.
New Century Version
I took her and cut her into parts and sent one part to each area of Israel because the people of Benjamin did this wicked and terrible thing in Israel.
New English Translation
I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces throughout the territory occupied by Israel, because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity in Israel.
Amplified Bible
"So I took my concubine and cut her [corpse] in pieces and sent her [body parts] throughout the land of the inheritance of Israel; for the men of Gibeah have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
New American Standard Bible
"And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance; for they have committed an outrageous sin and vile act in Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel: for they haue committed abomination and villenie in Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe het ek my byvrou gegryp en haar in stukke verdeel en haar rondgestuur in die hele gebied van die erfdeel van Israel, omdat hulle 'n gruwel en 'n skanddaad in Israel begaan het.
Complete Jewish Bible
I took my concubine's body, cut it into pieces and sent them throughout all the territories belonging to Isra'el ; because they committed a shockingly obscene and degrading crime in Isra'el.
Darby Translation
Then I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and villany in Israel.
Easy-to-Read Version
So I took her and cut her into pieces. Then I sent one piece to each of the tribes of Israel. I sent the 12 pieces to the lands we have received. I did that because the people of Benjamin have done this terrible thing in Israel.
George Lamsa Translation
And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent them throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they had committed sin and wickedness in Israel.
Good News Translation
I took her body, cut it in pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These people have committed an evil and immoral act among us.
Literal Translation
And I took hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her into all the land of the inheritance of Israel. For they have done evil and folly in Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
then toke I my cocubyne, and cut her in peces, and sent the peces in to euery countre of the inheritaunce of Israel: for they haue done an abhominacion and folye in Israel.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
So I took her, cutting her into parts which I sent through all the country of the heritage of Israel: for they have done an act of shame in Israel.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I toke my concubine, & cut her in peeces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritaunce of Israel: For they haue committed abhomination and villanie in Israel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 wantonness in Israel.
King James Version (1611)
And I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritance of Israel: for they haue committed lewdnesse and folly in Israel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I laid hold of my concubine, and divided her in pieces, and sent the parts into every coast of the inheritance of the children of Israel; for they have wrought lewdness and abomination in Israel.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y took, and Y kittide hir in to gobetis, and Y sente partis in to alle the termes of youre possessioun; for so greet felonye and so greuouse synne was neuere doon in Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
and I lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel;
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
So I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel.
New Living Translation
So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime.
New Life Bible
I took my woman and cut her into pieces. I sent her out through all the land that was given to Israel. For they have done a sinful act of shame in Israel.
New Revised Standard
Then I took my concubine and cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the whole extent of Israel's territory; for they have committed a vile outrage in Israel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I laid hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, - because they had wrought lewdness and impiety, in Israel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the parts into all the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.
Revised Standard Version
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 abomination and wantonness in Israel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance; for they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

Contextual Overview

1The Israelites called a meeting of the nation. And since they were God's people, the meeting was held at the place of worship in Mizpah. Men who could serve as soldiers came from everywhere in Israel—from Dan in the north, Beersheba in the south, and Gilead east of the Jordan River. Four hundred thousand of them came to Mizpah, and they each felt the same about what those men from the tribe of Benjamin had done. News about the meeting at Mizpah reached the tribe of Benjamin. As soon as the leaders of the tribes of Israel took their places, the Israelites said, "How could such a horrible thing happen?" 4 The husband of the murdered woman answered: My wife and I went into the town of Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 Later that night, the men of Gibeah surrounded the house. They wanted to kill me, but instead they raped and killed my wife. 6 It was a terrible thing for Israelites to do! So I cut up her body and sent pieces everywhere in Israel. 7 You are the people of Israel, and you must decide today what to do about the men of Gibeah. 8 The whole army was in agreement, and they said, "None of us will go home. 9We'll send one tenth of the men from each tribe to get food for the army. And we'll ask God who should attack Gibeah, because those men deserve to be punished for committing such a horrible crime in Israel." 11 Everyone agreed that Gibeah had to be punished.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cut her: Judges 19:29

folly in Israel: Judges 20:10, Judges 19:23, Genesis 34:7, Joshua 7:15, 2 Samuel 13:12, 2 Samuel 13:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 22:21 - she hath wrought Ezekiel 22:9 - they commit

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."
Genesis 20:6
God spoke to Abimelech in another dream and said: I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sleeping with Sarah and doing anything wrong.
Genesis 20:7
Her husband is a prophet. Let her go back to him, and his prayers will save you from death. But if you don't return her, you and all your people will die.
Genesis 26:11
Then Abimelech warned his people that anyone who even touched Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.
Genesis 31:7
and that he keeps cheating me by changing my wages time after time. But God has protected me.
Genesis 35:5
While Jacob and his family were traveling through Canaan, God terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.
Genesis 39:9
No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this."
Exodus 34:24
I will force the nations out of your land and enlarge your borders. Then no one will try to take your property when you come to worship me these three times each year.
1 Samuel 25:26
but please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The Lord has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living Lord and by your life.
1 Samuel 25:34
If you hadn't come to meet me so quickly, every man and boy in Nabal's family and in his servants' families would have been killed by morning. I swear by the living Lord God of Israel who protected you that this is the truth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces,.... Lest it should be thought that these barbarous creatures, after they had used her in such a manner that occasioned her death, that they had committed this fact also; the Levite takes it to himself, and owns that he did that:

and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; to alarm them, and excite their attention to what had passed, and to raise their indignation against it:

for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel; being guilty of adultery and murder, and would have committed the unnatural crime, if they could have had an opportunity of doing it.


 
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