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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Judges 21:16

Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Rashness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Elders;   Leaders;   Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shiloh ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then the Zakenim of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Binyamin?
King James Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
Lexham English Bible
So the elders of the congregation said, "What should we do for the remaining ones for wives, since the women from Benjamin have been destroyed?"
English Standard Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"
New Century Version
The elders of the Israelites said, "The women of Benjamin have been killed. Where can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are still alive?
New English Translation
The leaders of the assembly said, "How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.
Amplified Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those [men] who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"
New American Standard Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore the Elders of the Congregation said, How shall we doe for wiues to the remnant? for the women of Beniamin are destroyed.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe sê die oudstes van die vergadering: Wat kan ons doen vir die wat oorgebly het, wat vroue aanbetref? Want die vroue was uit Benjamin verdelg.
Contemporary English Version
Then their national leaders said: All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left?
Complete Jewish Bible
The leaders of the assembly asked, "What are we to do for those who still don't have wives, inasmuch as all the women of Binyamin have been killed?"
Darby Translation
And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.
Easy-to-Read Version
The elders of the Israelites said, "The women of the tribe of Benjamin have been killed. Where can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are still alive?
George Lamsa Translation
Then the elders of the people said. What shall we do for wives for those that remain, for all the Benjamite women have perished?
Good News Translation
So the leaders of the gathering said, "There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left?
Literal Translation
And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do to the remnant for wives for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Elders of the congregacio sayde: What wil we do, that the remnaunt maye haue wyues also? for the weme in Ben Iamin are destroied,
American Standard Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
Bible in Basic English
Then the responsible men of the meeting said, What are we to do about wives for the rest of them, seeing that the women of Benjamin are dead?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And then the elders of the congregation, sayd: What shall we do to the remnaunt of them, to get them wiues? seyng all the women of Beniamin are destroyed?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the elders of the congregation said: 'How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?'
King James Version (1611)
Then the Elders of the Congregation said, How shall we doe for wiues for them that remaine? seeing the women are destroyed out of Beniamin.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.
English Revised Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
Berean Standard Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the grettere men in birthe seiden, What schulen we do to the othere men, that han not take wyues? Alle the wymmen in Beniamyn felden doun,
Young's Literal Translation
And the elders of the company say, `What do we do to the remnant for wives -- for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?'
Update Bible Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those that remain, seeing the women were destroyed out of Benjamin?
Webster's Bible Translation
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
World English Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
New Living Translation
So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?
New Life Bible
Then the leaders of the people said, "What will we do for wives for those who are left? All the women of Benjamin were killed."
New Revised Standard
So the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since there are no women left in Benjamin?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So then, the elders of the assembly said, What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, - for womankind, hath been destroyed out of Benjamin?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
Revised Standard Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"
THE MESSAGE
The elders of the congregation said, "How can we get wives for the rest of the men, since all the Benjaminite women have been killed? How can we keep the inheritance alive for the Benjaminite survivors? How can we prevent an entire tribe from extinction? We certainly can't give our own daughters to them as wives." (Remember, the Israelites had taken the oath: "Cursed is anyone who provides a wife to Benjamin.")
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

Contextual Overview

16 Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?" 17 And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel. 18 However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, "Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin."' 19 Then they said, "In fact, there is a yearly feast of the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah." 20 Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go, lie in wait in the vineyards, 21 and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin. 22 Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, "Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath."' 23 And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them. 24 So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 27:38
And Esau said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me--me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
Genesis 29:11
Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
Genesis 44:34
For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?"
Judges 2:4
So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
Ruth 1:9
The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
1 Samuel 24:16
So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
1 Samuel 30:4
Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
1 Kings 3:26
Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!" But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him."
Esther 8:6
For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?"
Isaiah 49:15
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the elders of the congregation said.... This being the case, that there were not wives enough for them, they were obliged to consult again, and consider of another expedient to provide for them; and this motion came from the elders of the people, not only in years, but in office:

how shall we do for wives for them that remain: the other two hundred, who had none:

seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? and so no wives to be had there; and as for the Israelites which came to Mizpeh, who were of all the tribes of Israel, they had solemnly sworn that they would not give any of their daughters to them, and therefore it was a very difficult thing to provide wives for them.


 
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