40But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky.


In Context

37 The men who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.

38 The men of Israel had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

39 and then the men of Israel would turn in the battle. The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the men of Israel (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle."

40 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky.

41 Then the men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come upon them.

42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them down there.

Judges 20:40 in Other Translations

The King James Version of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

The Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible

20:40And perceived as it were a pillar of smoke rise up from the city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that the flames ascended on high:

The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

The Darby Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

The English Revised Version of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

The Webster Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the flame began to rise from the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended to heaven.

The World English Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to the sky.

The Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

20:40and the volume hath begun to go up from the city — a pillar of smoke — and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward the heavens.

The American King James Version of the Holy Bible

20:40But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.