Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places.” New Living Translation Come on, let’s try to get as far as Gibeah or Ramah, and we’ll spend the night in one of those towns.” English Standard Version And he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah.” Berean Standard Bible He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” King James Bible And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. New King James Version So he said to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.” New American Standard Bible And he said to his servant, “Come, and let’s approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” NASB 1995 He said to his servant, “Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” NASB 1977 And he said to his servant, “Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” Legacy Standard Bible Then he said to his young man, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” Amplified Bible And he said to his servant, “Come and let us approach one of these places: and we will spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.” Christian Standard Bible “Come on,” he said, “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Come on,” he said, “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” American Standard Version And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah. Contemporary English Version or maybe we can even reach Ramah before dark." English Revised Version And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah. GOD'S WORD® Translation He told his servant, "Let's go someplace else. We'll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah." International Standard Version He also told his servant, "Come on, let's go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." NET Bible He said to his servant, "Come on, we will go into one of the other towns and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." New Heart English Bible He said to his servant, "Come and let us try to reach one of those places and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." Webster's Bible Translation And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleHe continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” World English Bible He said to his servant, “Come and let’s draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he says to his young man, “Come, and we draw near to one of the places, and have lodged in Gibeah, or in Ramah.” Young's Literal Translation And he saith to his young man, 'Come, and we draw near to one of the places, and have lodged in Gibeah, or in Ramah.' Smith's Literal Translation And he will say to his boy, Go, and we will come near to one of the places and lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least in the city of Rama. Catholic Public Domain Version And when I will have arrived there, we will lodge in that place, or at least in the city of Ramah.” New American Bible Come,” he said to his servant, “let us make for some other place and spend the night in either Gibeah or Ramah.” New Revised Standard Version Then he said to his servant, “Come, let us try to reach one of these places, and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he said to his servant, Come, let us draw near to one of these places to lodge the night in Gibeah, or in Ramtha. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And his Master said to him, “Come, we will come to another of the regions and we will spend the night in Gabah or in Ramtha” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he said unto his servant: 'Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And he said to his young man, Come, and let us draw nigh to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gabaa or in Rama. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Levite and His Concubine…12But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” 13He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.… Cross References Genesis 19:1-3 Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown, / and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” / But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Joshua 9:3-15 But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, / acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. / They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy. ... Judges 20:4-5 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. / And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died. 1 Samuel 9:9-10 (Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.) / “Good,” said Saul to his servant. “Come, let us go.” So they set out for the city where the man of God was. 1 Samuel 28:7-8 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied. / So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.” 2 Samuel 12:1-4 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. / The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, / but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. ... 2 Kings 4:8-10 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat. / Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. / Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.” 2 Kings 6:19-20 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria. / When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria. Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins. Matthew 10:11-14 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on. / As you enter the home, greet its occupants. / If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you. ... Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ... Luke 9:52-56 He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. / But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem. / When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” ... Luke 10:10-12 But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, / ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ / I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Luke 10:33-34 But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. / He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Treasury of Scripture And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. Gibeah Joshua 18:25,26,28 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, … 1 Samuel 10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. Isaiah 10:29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Jump to Previous Added Approach Draw Lodge Night Places Ramah Reach Servant Spend Stopping Try YoungJump to Next Added Approach Draw Lodge Night Places Ramah Reach Servant Spend Stopping Try YoungJudges 19 1. A Levite goes to Bethlehem to fetch home his concubine16. An old man entertains him at Gibeah 22. The Gibeonites abuse his concubine to death 29. He divides her into twelve pieces, and sends them to the twelve tribes He continued, This phrase indicates ongoing dialogue, suggesting a narrative progression. The speaker is the Levite, who is traveling with his concubine and servant. This continuation implies a decision-making process, highlighting the urgency and necessity of finding shelter before nightfall. “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” Persons / Places / Events 1. The LeviteA central figure in this account, the Levite is traveling with his concubine and servant. His decisions and actions are pivotal to the unfolding events. 2. The Concubine The Levite's concubine, whose tragic fate becomes a catalyst for the subsequent events in Israel. 3. The Servant Accompanies the Levite and the concubine on their journey, offering practical suggestions during their travel. 4. Gibeah A town in the territory of Benjamin, where the Levite and his party decide to spend the night. It becomes the setting for the horrific events that follow. 5. Ramah Another town mentioned as a potential place to stay, located near Gibeah, but ultimately not chosen by the travelers. Teaching Points The Importance of DiscernmentThe Levite's decision to stay in Gibeah rather than Ramah underscores the need for discernment in our choices. We must seek God's guidance in our daily decisions to avoid potential pitfalls. Hospitality and Community The lack of hospitality in Gibeah serves as a reminder of the biblical call to love and care for strangers. As Christians, we are called to be welcoming and compassionate. Consequences of Moral Decay The events in Gibeah illustrate the dangers of a society that turns away from God's laws. We must strive to uphold righteousness and justice in our communities. The Ripple Effect of Sin The account shows how individual sin can lead to widespread consequences. It is crucial to address sin at its root to prevent further harm. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Judges 19:13?2. How does Judges 19:13 highlight the importance of choosing safe travel destinations? 3. What lessons can we learn about hospitality from Judges 19:13? 4. How does Judges 19:13 connect with Jesus' teachings on loving our neighbor? 5. In what ways can we ensure our decisions align with God's will today? 6. How can we apply the caution in Judges 19:13 to our daily lives? 7. Why does Judges 19:13 emphasize the importance of reaching Gibeah or Ramah before nightfall? 8. How does Judges 19:13 reflect the cultural and historical context of ancient Israelite travel? 9. What theological implications arise from the Levite's decision in Judges 19:13? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Judges 19? 11. Judges 19--How do we reconcile this brutal event with the portrayal of divine justice and compassion found in other parts of the Bible? 12. What is the significance of Ramah in the Bible? 13. What is Gibeah's significance in the Bible? 14. What happened to the Levite's concubine in Gibeah? What Does Judges 19:13 Mean He continued– The Levite is pressing forward despite his servant’s earlier plea to stop at Jebus (Jerusalem). • Persistence in leadership: like Paul urging believers to “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14). • A sober lesson: determination is admirable, yet when separated from prayerful discernment it can steer a family into danger, as Proverbs 14:12 warns that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” • The narrator is already hinting that Israel’s moral compass is skewed (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The Levite’s continued push embodies the period’s flawed self-reliance. Come – A simple, urgent invitation. • Calls to action run through Scripture: Jesus says, “Come, follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and wisdom cries, “Come, eat of my bread” (Proverbs 9:5). • Yet not every “come” is God-directed; here it foreshadows peril. Discernment is essential (1 John 4:1). let us try to reach one of these towns – The Levite calculates a reachable, seemingly safer destination before darkness falls. • Planning is biblical (Luke 14:28-30), but plans must bow to God’s leading (James 4:13-15). • The phrase “one of these towns” shows he is content with any Benjamite city, reflecting Israel’s tribal fragmentation; covenant bonds have loosened (Deuteronomy 33:5). • The Levite never asks the Lord; contrast with David who “inquired of the LORD” before each campaign (2 Samuel 5:19). to spend the night – Motive: simple hospitality and rest. • Scripture esteems hospitality (Genesis 18:1-8; Hebrews 13:2). • Irony: the place chosen should provide safe lodging, yet Judges 19 will prove the opposite. Sin twists even good desires. • Spiritual picture: without God’s presence, the night can devour. Psalm 91:1 reminds us real refuge is “in the shelter of the Most High.” in Gibeah or Ramah – Two Benjamite towns only a few miles apart. • Gibeah: Saul’s future hometown (1 Samuel 10:26), later synonymous with moral collapse (Hosea 9:9). • Ramah: a town associated with Samuel (1 Samuel 7:17). Both stood within Israel, under covenant law, theoretically safer than pagan Jebus. • Lesson: Proximity to covenant community does not guarantee righteousness. Jesus warned that tares grow among wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). • The Levite’s preference for an Israelite town shows right instinct, yet the tragedy that follows illustrates that external labels cannot replace true godliness (2 Timothy 3:5). summary Judges 19:13 captures a leader’s determined but prayer-less decision. Each phrase unveils both admirable intentions—persistence, planning, seeking fellowship—and the lurking danger of relying on human judgment during a spiritually dark era. The verse reminds us that real safety lies not merely in being among God’s people in name but in actively seeking His direction and living under His lordship. (13) Or in Ramah.--This town, now el-Ram, is only two miles beyond Gibeah. The two places are often mentioned together (Hosea 5:8). The Levite is naturally anxious to push on homewards as fast as he can. Perhaps he knew that Gibeah did not bear a good character, and that it would be better to get as far as Ramah if possible. In countries where there are no public inns, each town and village gets a character of its own from the reports of travellers.Verse 13. - Ramah (ha-Ramah, the height). Now er-Ram, less than an hour's journey from Gibeah, both being about equi-distant from Jerusalem.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew He continued,וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Come, לְךָ֥ (lə·ḵā) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk let us try to reach וְנִקְרְבָ֖ה (wə·niq·rə·ḇāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Strong's 7126: To come near, approach one בְּאַחַ֣ד (bə·’a·ḥaḏ) Preposition-b | Number - masculine singular construct Strong's 259: United, one, first of these towns הַמְּקֹמ֑וֹת (ham·mə·qō·mō·wṯ) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition to spend the night וְלַ֥נּוּ (wə·lan·nū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate in Gibeah בַגִּבְעָ֖ה (ḇag·giḇ·‘āh) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 1390: Gibeah -- 'hill', three cities in Palestine or א֥וֹ (’ōw) Conjunction Strong's 176: Desire, if Ramah.” בָרָמָֽה׃ (ḇā·rā·māh) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 7414: Ramah -- 'height', the name of several places in Israel Links Judges 19:13 NIVJudges 19:13 NLT Judges 19:13 ESV Judges 19:13 NASB Judges 19:13 KJV Judges 19:13 BibleApps.com Judges 19:13 Biblia Paralela Judges 19:13 Chinese Bible Judges 19:13 French Bible Judges 19:13 Catholic Bible OT History: Judges 19:13 He said to his servant Come (Jd Judg. 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