Judges 20:18 kjva — And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shal…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first."

— Judges 20:18, King James Version with Apocrypha

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Judges 20:18 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.”

  • ASV

    “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up first. ”

  • WEB

    “The children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God; and they said, "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?" Yahweh said, "Judah [shall go up] first."”

  • NET

    “The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,“Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The LORD said,“Judah should lead.””

  • DRB

    “And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.”

  • BBE

    “And they got up and went up to Beth-el to get directions from God, and the children of Israel said, Who is to be the first to go up to the fight against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah is to go up first.”

Judges 20 — Context

15

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.

19

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21

And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

Judges 20:18 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Judges 20:18 say?
Judges 20:18 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.”
Where is Judges 20:18 in the Bible?
Judges 20:18 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, chapter 20, verse 18.
Who wrote Judges?
Judges is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel). It was written c. 1050–1000 BC.
What is the book of Judges about?
Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance that defined Israel between Joshua and Samuel. Through twelve raised-up deliverers — including Deborah, Gideon, and Samson — God repeatedly rescues a people who keep doing what is right in their own eyes.
What are the major themes of Judges?
Judges explores themes including Apostasy, Deliverance, Cycles of Sin, Need for a King, Mercy. These themes shape the meaning and context of Judges 20:18.
What translation should I read Judges 20:18 in?
Judges 20:18 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Judges 20:18?
Judges 20:18 reads (KJVA): “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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