Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, December 21st, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Century Version

Judges 19:3

Then her husband went to ask her to come back to him, taking with him his servant and two donkeys. When the Levite came to her father's house, she invited him to come in, and her father was happy to see him.

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;   Slave, Slavery;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Concubine;   Gibeah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Wayfaring Men;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ass;   Pentateuch, the Samaritan;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hospitality;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then her husband got up and followed her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
Hebrew Names Version
Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
King James Version
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Lexham English Bible
So her husband set out, and he went after her to speak tenderly to her, to bring her back. He took with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him to her father's house, and the father of the young woman saw him and was glad to meet him.
English Standard Version
Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house. And when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him.
New English Translation
her husband came after her, hoping he could convince her to return. He brought with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father's house and the girl's father saw him, he greeted him warmly.
Amplified Bible
Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly and tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the girl saw him, he was happy to meet him.
New American Standard Bible
Then her husband set out and went after her to speak gently to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And her husband arose and went after her, to speake friendly vnto her, and to bring her againe: he had also his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him vnto her fathers house, and when the yong womans father sawe him, he reioyced of his comming.
Legacy Standard Bible
Daarop maak haar man klaar en gaan haar agterna om na haar hart te spreek en haar terug te bring; sy dienaar was by hom met 'n paar esels. En toe sy hom in die huis van haar vader bring en die vader van die jong vrou hom sien, was hy bly om hom te ontmoet.
Contemporary English Version
her husband decided to try and talk her into coming back. So he went to Bethlehem, taking along a servant and two donkeys. He talked with his wife, and she invited him into her family's home. Her father was glad to see him
Complete Jewish Bible
Then her husband went after her to persuade her to return; he had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father's house; and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
Darby Translation
And her husband rose up and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again; and his servant was with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him he rejoiced to meet him.
Easy-to-Read Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
And her husband arose and went after her to speak lovingly to her and to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a couple of asses; and she brought him into her fathers house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Good News Translation
Then the man decided to go after her and try to persuade her to return to him. He took his servant and two donkeys with him. The woman showed the Levite into the house, and when her father saw him, he gave him a hearty greeting.
Literal Translation
And her husband rose up and went after her, to speak to her heart, to bring her back. And his young man was with him, and a team of asses. And she brought him into her father's house. And the young woman's father saw him and rejoiced to meethim.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And hir hußbade gat him vp, & wente after her, to speake fredly wt her, & to fetch her againe, & had a seruaunt & a couple of asses wt him. And she led him in to hir fathers house. But whan the damsels father sawe him, he was glad, & receaued him:
American Standard Version
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Bible in Basic English
Then her husband got up and went after her, with the purpose of talking kindly to her, and taking her back with him; he had with him his young man and two asses: and she took him into her father's house, and her father, when he saw him, came forward to him with joy.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And her husbande arose, and went after her, to speake frendly vnto her, and to bryng her agayne, hauyng his lad with him, and a couple of asses: And she brought hym vnto her fathers house, & when the father of the damosell sawe hym, he reioyced of his commyng.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her back, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses; and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
King James Version (1611)
And her husband arose, and went after her to speake friendly vnto her, and to bring her againe, hauing his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and shee brought him into her fathers house, and when the father of the damsell saw him, he reioyced to meet him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And her husband rose up, and went after her to speak kindly to her, to recover her to himself; and he had his young man with him, and a pair of asses; and she brought him into the house of her father; and the father of the damsel saw him, and was well pleased to meet him.
English Revised Version
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Berean Standard Bible
her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And hir hosebonde suede hir, and wolde be recounselid to hir, and speke faire, and lede hir ayen with him; and he hadde in cumpany a child, and tweyne assis. And sche resseyuede hym, and brouyte him in to `the hows of hir fadir; and whanne hise wyues fadir hadde herd this, and `hadde seyn hym, he ran gladli to hym, and kisside the man.
Young's Literal Translation
And her husband riseth and goeth after her, to speak unto her heart, to bring her back, and his young man [is] with him, and a couple of asses; and she bringeth him into the house of her father, and the father of the young woman seeth him, and rejoiceth to meet him.
Update Bible Version
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his attendant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, [and] to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
World English Bible
Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young lady saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
New King James Version
Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.
New Living Translation
her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father's house, her father saw him and welcomed him.
New Life Bible
Then her husband got up and went after her. He was gentle in speaking to her, asking her to return with him. He brought his servant and two donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father's house. When her father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
New Revised Standard
Then her husband set out after her, to speak tenderly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. When he reached her father's house, the girl's father saw him and came with joy to meet him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses, - and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And her husband followed her, willing to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her back with him, having with him a servant and two asses: and she received him, and brought him into her father’s house. And when his father in law had heard this, and had seen him, he met him with joy,
Revised Standard Version
Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of asses. And he came to her father's house; and when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.

Contextual Overview

1 At that time Israel did not have a king. There was a Levite who lived in the faraway mountains of Ephraim. He had taken a slave woman from the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah to live with him, 2 but she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah and stayed there for four months. 3 Then her husband went to ask her to come back to him, taking with him his servant and two donkeys. When the Levite came to her father's house, she invited him to come in, and her father was happy to see him. 4 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. 5 On the fourth day they got up early in the morning. The Levite was getting ready to leave, but the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself by eating something. Then go." 6 So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. After that, the father said to him, "Please stay tonight. Relax and enjoy yourself." 7 When the man got up to go, his father-in-law asked him to stay. So he stayed again that night. 8 On the fifth day the man got up early in the morning to leave. The woman's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait until this afternoon." So the two men ate together. 9 When the Levite, his slave woman, and his servant got up to leave, the father-in-law, the young woman's father, said, "It's almost night. The day is almost gone. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and go home." 10 But the Levite did not want to stay another night. So he took his two saddled donkeys and his slave woman and traveled toward the city of Jebus (also called Jerusalem).

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

went: Judges 15:1

speak: Genesis 50:21, Leviticus 19:17, Leviticus 20:10, Hosea 2:14, Matthew 1:19, John 8:4, John 8:5, John 8:11, Galatians 6:1

friendly unto her: Heb. to her heart, Genesis 34:3

to bring: Jeremiah 3:1

his servant: Numbers 22:22

Reciprocal: Judges 19:26 - her lord was Ruth 2:13 - friendly 1 Corinthians 7:11 - or

Cross-References

Genesis 19:6
Lot went outside to them, closing the door behind him.
Genesis 19:8
Look! I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. I will give them to you, and you may do anything you want with them. But please don't do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them."
Genesis 19:28
He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the Jordan Valley and saw smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
Genesis 19:29
God destroyed the cities in the valley, but he remembered what Abraham had asked. So God saved Lot's life, but he destroyed the city where Lot had lived.
Genesis 21:8
Isaac grew, and when he became old enough to eat food, Abraham gave a great feast.
Exodus 12:15
For this feast you must eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day, you are to remove all the yeast from your houses. No one should eat any yeast for the full seven days of the feast, or that person will be cut off from Israel.
Exodus 12:39
The Israelites used the dough they had brought out of Egypt to bake loaves of bread without yeast. The dough had no yeast in it, because they had been rushed out of Egypt and had no time to get food ready for their trip.
Judges 6:19
So Gideon went in and cooked a young goat, and with twenty quarts of flour, made bread without yeast. Then he put the meat into a basket and the broth into a pot. He brought them out and gave them to the angel under the oak tree.
1 Samuel 28:24
At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she quickly killed. She took some flour and mixed dough with her hands. Then she baked some bread without yeast.
2 Kings 4:8
One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha passed by, he stopped there to eat.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And her husband arose,.... From the place where he lived:

and went after her; to Bethlehemjudah, where her father lived:

to speak comfortably to her "or to her heart" l; having heard perhaps that she repented of her sin, or if it was only upon a quarrel between them, his anger might cool and subside, and therefore sought for a reconciliation; and which was the more commendable in him, as he did not put her away, but she departed from him: and

to bring her again; to his own city, and to his own house and bed, as before:

having his servant with him, and a couple of asses; one of them for her to ride upon, and the other to carry provisions on:

and she brought him into her father's house; it seems she met with him before he came thither, in the fields, or in the street; and by this it appears that she was glad to see him, and received him in a loving manner, and introduced him into her father's house, so that things looked well, and promised success:

and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him; having a good opinion of him, and perhaps understood, even by his daughter's story, that she was most in fault, and therefore was well pleased to see him come after her; though he ought before this time to have sent her home, or sought for a reconciliation of her to her husband.

l על לבה "ad cor", Pagninus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 19:3. He rejoiced to meet him. — He hoped to be able completely to reconcile his daughter and her husband.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile