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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Easy-to-Read Version

Judges 19:4

The woman's father led the Levite into his house. The Levite's father-in-law invited him to stay. So he stayed for three days. He ate, drank, and slept in his father-in-law's house.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Concubinage;   Father-In-Law;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Garments;   Hospitality;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sexuality, Human;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gibeah;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Bethlehem;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Concubine;   Gibeah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Wayfaring Men;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Retain;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he stayed with him for three days. They ate, drank, and spent the nights there.
Hebrew Names Version
His father-in-law, the young lady's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drink, and lodged there.
King James Version
And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
Lexham English Bible
His father-in-law, the young woman's father, urged him to stay with him three days; and they ate and drank, and they spent the night there.
English Standard Version
And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there.
New Century Version
The father-in-law, the young woman's father, asked him to stay. So he stayed for three days and ate, drank, and slept there.
New English Translation
His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there.
Amplified Bible
So his father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him; and he stayed there with him for three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there.
New American Standard Bible
His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And his father in lawe, the yong womans father reteined him: & he abode with him three dayes: so they did eate & drinke, & lodged there.
Legacy Standard Bible
En sy skoonvader, die vader van die jong vrou, het hom teruggehou, sodat hy drie dae by hom gebly het; en hulle het geëet en gedrink en die nag daar oorgebly.
Contemporary English Version
and did not want him to leave. So the man stayed three days, eating and drinking with his father-in-law.
Complete Jewish Bible
His father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there; so he remained with him three days; they ate, drank and stayed there.
Darby Translation
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.
George Lamsa Translation
And his father-in-law, the damsels father, detained him; and he stayed with him three days; so they did eat and drink and lodged there.
Good News Translation
The father insisted that he stay, and so he stayed for three days. The couple had their meals and spent the nights there.
Literal Translation
And his father-in-law, the young woman's father, detained him. And he stayed with him three days. And they ate and drank, and stayed there.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& his father in lawe, yt the damsels father kepte him, so yt he taried thre dayes wt him: thus they ate and droke, and remayned there all nighte.
American Standard Version
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
Bible in Basic English
And his father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there for three days; and they had food and drink and took their rest there.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And his father in lawe, the damosels father, retayned hym, and he abode with hym three dayes: and so they dyd eate and drinke, and lodged there.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days; so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
King James Version (1611)
And his father in law, the damosels father, reteined him, and hee abode with him three dayes: so they did eate and drinke, and lodged there.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he stayed with him for three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.
English Revised Version
And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
Berean Standard Bible
His father-in-law, the girl's father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the hosebonde of the douytir dwellide in `the hows of his wyues fadir in three daies, and eet and drank hoomli with hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And keep hold on him doth his father-in-law, father of the young woman, and he abideth with him three days, and they eat and drink, and lodge there.
Update Bible Version
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
Webster's Bible Translation
And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
World English Bible
His father-in-law, the young lady's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they ate and drink, and lodged there.
New King James Version
Now his father-in-law, the young woman's father, detained him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there.
New Living Translation
Her father urged him to stay awhile, so he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
New Life Bible
His father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there.
New Revised Standard
His father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and he stayed there.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, - and they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And embraced the man. And the son in law tarried in the house of his father in law three days, eating with him and drinking familiarly.
Revised Standard Version
And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and lodged there.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
His father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him; and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there.

Contextual Overview

1 At that time the Israelites did not have a king. There was a Levite who lived far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He had taken as a wife a slave woman. She was from the city of Bethlehem in the country of Judah. 2 But his slave woman had an argument with him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for four months. 3 Then her husband went after her. He wanted to speak kindly to her so that she would come back to him. He took with him his servant and two donkeys. The Levite came to her father's house. Her father saw the Levite and came out to greet him. The father was very happy. 4 The woman's father led the Levite into his house. The Levite's father-in-law invited him to stay. So he stayed for three days. He ate, drank, and slept in his father-in-law's house. 5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning. The Levite was getting ready to leave. But the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat something first. After you eat, you can go." 6 So the Levite and his father-in-law sat down to eat and drink together. After that the young woman's father said to the Levite, "Please stay tonight. Relax and enjoy yourself." So the two men ate together. 7 The Levite got up to leave, but his father-in-law persuaded him to stay the night again. 8 Then, on the fifth day, the Levite got up early in the morning. He was ready to leave. But the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat something first. Relax and stay until this afternoon." So they both ate together again. 9 Then the Levite, his slave woman, and his servant got up to leave. But the young woman's father said, "It is almost dark. The day is almost gone. So stay the night here and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and go on your way." 10 But the Levite did not want to stay another night. He took his two donkeys and his slave woman. He traveled as far as the city of Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:6 - concubines

Cross-References

Genesis 13:13
The Lord knew that the people of Sodom were very evil sinners.
Genesis 18:20
Then the Lord said, "I have heard many times that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are very evil.
Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels came to the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting near the city gates and saw them. He got up and went to them. He bowed to show respect and said, "Sirs, please come to my house, and I will serve you. There you can wash your feet and stay the night. Then tomorrow you can continue your journey." The angels answered, "No, we will stay the night in the city square."
Genesis 19:6
Lot went outside and closed the door behind him.
Genesis 19:20
Look, there is a very small town near here. Let me run to that town. I can run there and be safe."
Genesis 19:25
He destroyed the whole valley—all the cities, the people living in the cities, and all the plants in the valley.
Exodus 16:2
Then the whole community of Israelites began complaining again. They complained to Moses and Aaron in the desert.
Exodus 23:2
"Don't do something just because everyone else is doing it. If you see a group of people doing wrong, don't join them. You must not let them persuade you to do wrong things—you must do what is right and fair.
Proverbs 4:16
The wicked cannot sleep until they have done something evil. They will not rest until they bring someone down.
Proverbs 6:18
hearts that plan evil things to do, feet that run to do evil,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him,.... Prevailed upon him to stay some time with him:

and he abode with him three days; it seems as if he agreed to stay with him so long, and that time he stayed contentedly:

so they did eat and drink, and lodged there; the Levite and his servant were very handsomely entertained, and had everything provided for them convenient for meat, drink, and lodging.


 
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