--- title: "Book of Judges: Summary & All 21 Chapters · Bless" url: https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/ description: "The Book of Judges, a tribal history in 21 chapters. Bp. Challoner’s summary of all 21 chapters, and the full text free." --- Old Testament # The Book of Judges The Book of Judges is the seventh of the 46 books of the Old Testament: 21 chapters and 618 verses. [Start reading: Judges 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/1/) Chapters 1–21: [1](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/1/) … [21](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/21/) ## About Judges About Judges · Tribal history Judges covers the rough centuries between Joshua and the kings, when Israel was a loose federation rescued again and again by improvised leaders: Deborah, Gideon, Samson. The book is anonymous, compiled from old tribal stories into a single repeating pattern — sin, oppression, crying out, deliverance, relapse. It was written to diagnose that cycle honestly and to make later readers feel the need for something steadier. Few biblical books are as unflinching about how dark life gets when, as its refrain puts it, everyone does what is right in his own eyes. *Judges in Bless* | | | |---|---| | Testament | Old Testament — book 7 of 46, 7 of 73 in the Bible | | Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) | | Chapters | 21 | | Verses | 618, as Bless numbers them | | Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter | | Bp. Challoner | Summaries of all 21 chapters · 47 notes | | Catechism | 2 paragraphs cite it | Chapter by chapter ## All 21 chapters, *in brief.* Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text. 1. ### [Judges 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/1/) 36 verses The expedition and victory of Juda against the Chanaanites: who are tolerated in many places. 2. ### [Judges 2](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/2/) 23 verses An angel reproveth Israel. They weep for their sins. After the death of Josue, they often fall, and repenting are delivered from their afflictions, but still fall worse and worse. 3. ### [Judges 3](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/3/) 31 verses The people falling into idolatry are oppressed by their enemies; but repenting are delivered by Othoniel, Aod, and Samgar. 4. ### [Judges 4](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/4/) 24 verses Debbora and Barac deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisara, Jahal killeth Sisara. 5. ### [Judges 5](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/5/) 32 verses The canticle of Debbora and Barac after their victory. 6. ### [Judges 6](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/6/) 40 verses The people for their sins, are oppressed by the Madianites. Gedeon is called to deliver them. 7. ### [Judges 7](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/7/) 25 verses Gedeon, with three hundred men, by stratagem defeateth the Madianites. 8. ### [Judges 8](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/8/) 35 verses Gedeon appeaseth the Ephraimites. Taketh Zebee and Salmana. Destroyeth Soccoth and Phanuel. Refuseth to be king. Maketh an ephod of the gold of the prey, and dieth in a good old age. The people return to idolatry. 9. ### [Judges 9](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/9/) 57 verses Abimelech killeth his brethren. Joatham's parable. Gaal conspireth with the Sichemites against Abimelech, but is overcome. Abimelech destroyeth Sichem: but is killed at Thebes. 10. ### [Judges 10](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/10/) 18 verses Thola ruleth Israel twenty-three years; and Jair twenty-two. The people fall again into idolatry, and are afflicted again by the Philistines and Ammonites. They cry to God for help, who upon their repentance hath compassion on them. 11. ### [Judges 11](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/11/) 40 verses Jephte is made ruler of the people of Galaad: he first pleads their cause against the Ammonites; then making a vow obtains a signal victory; he performs his vow. 12. ### [Judges 12](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/12/) 15 verses The Ephraimites quarrel with Jephte: forty-two thousand of them are slain: Abeson, Ahialon, and Abdon, are judges. 13. ### [Judges 13](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/13/) 25 verses The people fall again into idolatry and are afflicted by the Philistines. An angel foretelleth the birth of Samson. 14. ### [Judges 14](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/14/) 20 verses Samson desireth a wife of the Philistines. He killeth a lion: in whose mouth he afterwards findeth honey. His marriage feast, and riddle, which is discovered by his wife. He killeth, and strippeth thirty Philistines. His wife taketh another man. 15. ### [Judges 15](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/15/) 20 verses Samson is denied his wife. He burns the corn of the Philistines, and kills many of them. 16. ### [Judges 16](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/16/) 31 verses Samson is deluded by Dalila: and falls into the hands of the Philistines. His death. 17. ### [Judges 17](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/17/) 13 verses The history of the idol of Michas, and the young Levite. 18. ### [Judges 18](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/18/) 31 verses The expedition of the men of Dan against Lais: in their way they rob Michas of his priest and his gods. 19. ### [Judges 19](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/19/) 30 verses A Levite bringing home his wife, is lodged by an old man at Gabaa in the tribe of Benjamin. His wife is there abused by wicked men, and in the morning found dead. Her husband cutteth her body in pieces, and sendeth to every tribe of Israel, requiring them to revenge the wicked fact. 20. ### [Judges 20](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/20/) 48 verses The Israelites warring against Benjamin are twice defeated; but in the third battle the Benjamites are all slain, saving six hundred men. 21. ### [Judges 21](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/21/) 24 verses The tribe of Benjamin is saved from being utterly extinct, by providing wives for the six hundred that remained. Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries Coming up ## Read at *Mass.* From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Judges is read at the principal Mass on 5 days in the US calendar. The next 6 readings: | Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation | |---|---|---|---| | [Sat, Dec 19, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/12/19/) | Saturday of the Third Week of Advent | First Reading | [Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/13/) | | [Mon, Aug 16, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/08/16/) computed | Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Judges 2:11-19](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/2/) | | [Tue, Aug 17, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/08/17/) computed | Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Judges 6:11-24a](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/6/) | | [Wed, Aug 18, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/08/18/) computed | Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Judges 9:6-15](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/9/) | | [Thu, Aug 19, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/08/19/) computed | Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [Judges 11:29-39a](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/11/) | | [Tue, Dec 19, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/12/19/) computed | Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent | First Reading | [Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a](https://blessbible.app/bible/judges/13/) | Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [Previous book The Book of Joshua](https://blessbible.app/bible/joshua/) [Next book The Book of Ruth](https://blessbible.app/bible/ruth/)