\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Judges}

{\MT The Book of Judges


\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites at the first, to fight against them?

\VS{2}And the Lord said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

\VS{3}And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, and we will fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

\VS{4}And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they smote [of] them in Bezek ten thousand men.

\VS{5}And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

\VS{6}But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

\VS{7}And Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered food under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

\VS{8}And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and captured it, and they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the city they set on fire.

\VS{9}And afterward did the children of Judah go down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the lowlands.

\VS{10}And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron; [now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiryath-arba';] and they smote Sheshai, and Achiman, and Talmai.

\VS{11}And he went from there against the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir was formerly Kiryath-sepher:

\VS{12}And Caleb said, He that will smite Kiryath-sepher, and capture it, to him will I give 'Achsah my daughter for wife.

\VS{13}And 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it: and he gave him 'Achsah his daughter for wife.

\VS{14}And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask of her father a field: and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What aileth thee?

\VS{15}And she said unto him, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

\VS{16}And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is at the south of 'Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.

\VS{17}And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and devoted it. And the name of the city was called Chormah.

\VS{18}And Judah captured Gazzah with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and 'Ekron with its territory.

\VS{19}And the Lord was with Judah; and he took possession of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

\VS{20}And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of 'Anak.

\VS{21}And the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, the children of Benjamin did not drive out; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.

\VS{22}And the house of Joseph, these also, went up against Beth-el; and the Lord was with them.

\VS{23}And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el: now the name of the city formerly was Luz.

\VS{24}And the watchers saw a man coming forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee kindness.

\VS{25}And he showed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but the man and all his family they let go free.

\VS{26}And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz: this is its name unto this day.

\VS{27}Neither did Menasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Beth-shean and its towns, nor Ta'anach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Yible'am and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites succeeded to remain in this land.

\VS{28}And it came to pass, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but they did not drive them out entirely.

\VS{29}Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them at Gezer.

\VS{30}Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them, and became tributary.

\VS{31}Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of 'Akko, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Achlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Chelbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rechob;

\VS{32}And the Asherites dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

\VS{33}Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-'anath; and he dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributary unto them.

\VS{34}And the Emorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not suffer them to come down into the valley;

\VS{35}And the Emorites succeeded to remain on mount Cheres, in Ayalon, and in Sha'albim; but when the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, they became tributary.

\VS{36}And the territory of the Emorites was from the ascent of 'Akrabbim, from the Rock upward.



\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And a messenger of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, And he said, I caused you to go up out of Egypt, and I brought you unto the land which I had sworn unto your fathers; and I said, I will not break my covenant with you for ever.

\VS{2}But ye for your part shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; their altars shall ye throw down; but ye have not obeyed my voice: what is this ye have done?

\VS{3}And I also have said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be evil neighbors to you, and their gods shall become a snare unto you.

\VS{4}And it came to pass, when the messenger of the Lord spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

\VS{5}And they called the name of that place, Bochim; and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

\VS{6}And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to take possession of the land.

\VS{7}And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived many days after Joshua, who had seen all the great deeds of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.

\VS{8}Then died Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, being one hundred and ten years old.

\VS{9}And they buried him on the border of his inheritance in Timnath-cheres, in the mountain of Ephraim, on the north side of mount Ga'ash.

\VS{10}And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, who knew not the Lord, and likewise not the deeds which he had done for Israel.

\VS{11}And the children of Israel did the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and served the Be'alim:

\VS{12}And they forsook the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods, of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and they bowed themselves unto them, and incensed the Lord.

\VS{13}And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and 'Ashtaroth.

\VS{14}And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of spoilers who spoiled them, and he sold them into the hand of their enemies round about, and they were not able any longer to stand before their enemies.

\VS{15}Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

\VS{16}And the Lord raised up judges, and they delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

\VS{17}But also unto their judges they did not hearken; but they went astray after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers had walked in, to obey the commandments of the Lord; they did not so.

\VS{18}And when the Lord raised them up judges, then was the Lord with the judge, and he delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord bethought himself because of their groaning by reason of those that oppressed them and ill-treated them.

\VS{19}And it came to pass, when the judge died, that they returned, and became more corrupt than their fathers, in going after other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them: they omitted nothing from their doings, and from their stubborn way.

\VS{20}And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, For the cause that this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice:

\VS{21}So will I also for my part not drive out henceforth any man from before them out of the nations which Joshua left when he died;

\VS{22}In order to prove through them the Israelites, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

\VS{23}And thus did the Lord leave these nations, so as not to drive them out speedily; and he delivered them not into the hand of Joshua.



\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to prove by them the Israelites, namely, all those who had not experienced all the wars of Canaan;

\VS{2}Only in order that the future generations of the children of Israel might obtain knowledge, to teach them war; but only such as before had learned nothing thereof;

\VS{3}Namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Ba'al-chermon unto the entrance of Chamath.

\VS{4}And they were left to prove by them the Israelites, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

\VS{5}And the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;

\VS{6}And they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods.

\VS{7}And the children of Israel did [thus] the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Be'alim and the groves.

\VS{8}Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rish'athayim eight years.

\VS{9}And the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, namely, 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.

\VS{10}And the spirit of the Lord came over him, and he judged Israel, and went out to battle: and the Lord delivered Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rish'athayim.

\VS{11}And the land had rest forty years; and then died 'Othniel the son of Kenaz.

\VS{12}And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened 'Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done the evil in the eyes of the Lord.

\VS{13}And he gathered unto him the children of 'Ammon and 'Amalek, and they went and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

\VS{14}And the children of Israel served 'Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

\VS{15}But the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord; and the Lord raised up unto them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera a Benjamite, a man who was lamed in his right hand; and the children of Israel sent by him a present unto 'Eglon the king of Moab.

\VS{16}But Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his garments upon his right thigh.

\VS{17}And he brought the present near unto 'Eglon the king of Moab; now 'Eglon was a very fat man.

\VS{18}And it came to pass when he had made an end to offer the present, that he sent away the people who had borne the present.

\VS{19}But he himself returned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O King. And he said, Keep silence. And thereupon went out from his presence all that stood by him.

\VS{20}And Ehud came in unto him; and he was sitting in the summer upper chamber, which was for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word of God unto thee. And he arose out of his chair.

\VS{21}And Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

\VS{22}And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade; for he did not draw the sword out of his body, and it passed into the fundament.

\VS{23}And Ehud went forth into the ante-room, and shut the doors of the upper chamber after him, and locked them.

\VS{24}He was just gone out, when his servants came; and they saw, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said, Surely he covereth his feet in the summer chamber.

\VS{25}And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper chamber; wherefore they took the key and opened them: and, behold, their lord was lying dead on the floor.

\VS{26}And Ehud had escaped while they were tarrying, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se'irah.

\VS{27}And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew the cornet on the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he before them.

\VS{28}And he said unto them, Pursue after me; for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. And they went down after him, and seized on the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

\VS{29}And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.

\VS{30}And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.

\VS{31}And after him was Shamgar the son of 'Anath, who smote of the philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.



\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the children of Israel again did the evil in the eyes of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

\VS{2}And the Lord sold them into the hand of Yabin the king of Canaan, that reigned in Chazor; and the captain of his army was Sissera, who dwelt in Charosheth-hagoyim.

\VS{3}And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he oppressed the children of Israel with might twenty years.

\VS{4}And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,—she judged Israel at that time.

\VS{5}And she held her sitting under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el on the mountain of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

\VS{6}And she sent and called Barak the son of Abino'am out of Kedesh-naphtali; and she said unto him, Behold, the Lord the God of Israel hath commanded, Go and lead on toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.

\VS{7}And I will draw unto thee, to the brook Kishon, Sissera, the captain of Yabin's army, and his chariots and his multitude; and I will give him up into thy hand.

\VS{8}And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then will I go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.

\VS{9}And she said, I will indeed go with thee; nevertheless it will not be for thy honor, on the way which thou goest; for into the hand of a woman will the Lord deliver Sissera; and Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

\VS{10}And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up in his train ten thousand men; also Deborah went up with him.

\VS{11}Now Cheber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites, from the children of Chobab the father-in-law of Moses; and he had pitched his tent as far as Elon-beza'anannim, which is near Kedesh.

\VS{12}And they told Sissera that Barak the son of Abino'am was gone up to mount Tabor.

\VS{13}And Sissera called together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Charosheth-hagoyim unto the brook Kishon.

\VS{14}And Deborah said unto Barak, Up! for this is the day on which the Lord hath given Sissera into thy hand; behold, the Lord is gone out before thee: so Barak went down from mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him.

\VS{15}And the Lord confounded Sissera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sissera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on foot.

\VS{16}And Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army, unto Charosheth-hagoyim: and all the army of Sissera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not left even one.

\VS{17}But Sissera had fled away on foot to the tent of Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite; for there was peace between Yabin the king of Chazor and the house of Cheber the Kenite.

\VS{18}And Ja'el went out to meet Sissera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in unto me, fear not: and he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

\VS{19}And he said unto her, Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water; for I am thirsty: and she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him up.

\VS{20}And he said unto her, Stand at the door of the tent; and it shall be, that, when any man should come and ask of thee, and say, Is there any man here? thou shalt say, No.

\VS{21}And Ja'el the wife of Cheber took thereupon the nail of the tent, and placed a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and struck the nail into his temple, and it became fastened in the ground; but he was fast asleep and weary; so he died.

\VS{22}And, behold, Barak came in pursuit of Sissera, and Ja'el came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou art seeking: and he came to her, and behold, Sissera was lying dead, with the nail in his temple.

\VS{23}So did God humble on that day Yabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

\VS{24}And the hand of the children of Israel became constantly heavier upon Yabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Yabin the king of Canaan.



\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then sang Deborah with Barak the son of Abino'am on that day, saying,

\VS{2}When depravity had broken out in Israel, then did the people offer themselves willingly; [therefore] praise ye the Lord.

\VS{3}Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I—unto the Lord will I sing; I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

\VS{4}Lord, at thy going forth out of Seir, at thy marching along out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, also the clouds dropped water.

\VS{5}The mountains melted away because of the presence of the Lord, yonder Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

\VS{6}In the days of Shamgar the son of 'Anath, in the days of Ja'el, the highways were unoccupied, and those who travelled on roads walked through crooked by-paths.

\VS{7}Desolate were the open towns in Israel, they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, that I arose a mother in Israel.

\VS{8}They chose new gods, then was there war in the gates: was there a shield seen or a spear among forty thousand in Israel?

\VS{9}My heart [belongeth] to the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: praise ye the Lord.

\VS{10}Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk on the way, utter praise!

\VS{11}[Urged on] by the voice of those who divide [the flocks] between the watering wells, there shall they rehearse the benefits of the Lord, the benefits toward his open towns in Israel; [for] now go down [again] to the gates the people of the Lord.

\VS{12}Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, utter a song! up, Barak, and lead away thy captives, son of Abino'am.

\VS{13}Then obtained dominion a few that had escaped for the nobles among the people—the Lord gave me dominion over the mighty.

\VS{14}They whose root is out of Ephraim were against 'Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, with thy armies; out of Machir came down lawgivers, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

\VS{15}And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yea Issachar, the support of Barak; into the valley he hastened down in his train; [but] at the streams of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

\VS{16}Why didst thou sit among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the streams of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

\VS{17}Gil'ad abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan—why would he tarry in ships? Asher remained on the seashore, and abode near his bays.

\VS{18}Zebulun is a people that jeoparded its life unto death, and Naphtali—on the high places of the [battle] field.

\VS{19}There came kings, [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan, in Ta'anach by the waters of Megiddo: gain of money they took not away.

\VS{20}From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.

\VS{21}The stream of Kishon swept them away, that ancient stream, the stream of Kishon: step along, O my soul, in victorious strength.

\VS{22}Then were crushed the hoofs of the horses, through the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.

\VS{23}Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of the Lord, yea, curse ye bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the mighty.

\VS{24}Blessed above [other] women shall be Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite, above [other] women [dwelling] in the tent may she be blessed.

\VS{25}Water he asked, milk she gave [him]: in a lordly dish she brought him cream.

\VS{26}Her hand she put forth to the nail, and her right hand to the laborious workmen's hammer; and she hammered Sissera, she struck his head, and crushed and smote through his temple.

\VS{27}Between her feet he bent, he fell, he lay; between her feet he bent, he fell: where he had bent, there he fell down, bereft of life.

\VS{28}Out of the window looked and moaned the mother of Sissera, through the lattice, Why tarrieth his chariot so long in coming? why lag the wheels of his chariot?

\VS{29}The wise among her ladies answered her, she also returned a reply to herself.

\VS{30}Will they not find,—divide booty? one maiden, two maidens for every man, a booty of colored garments for Sissera, a booty of colored embroidered garments, colored, double-worked garments round the necks of the captives!

\VS{31}Thus may perish all thy enemies, O Lord; but may those that love him be as the rising of the sun in his might. And the land had rest forty years.



\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the children of Israel did the evil in the eyes of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

\VS{2}And the hand of Midian prevailed over Israel; and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the passes which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

\VS{3}And it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the 'Amalekites, and the children of the east, and they went up against them;

\VS{4}And they encamped against them, and destroyed the products of the earth, as far as Gazzah, and they left no sustenance for Israel, neither lamb, nor ox, nor ass.

\VS{5}For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and came as locusts in multitude; and both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.

\VS{6}And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

\VS{7}And it came to pass, when the children of Israel had cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

\VS{8}That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, and he said unto them, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, I led you forth out of Egypt, and brought you out of the house of slavery;

\VS{9}And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and I drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;

\VS{10}And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God: ye shall not fear the gods of the Emorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not obeyed my voice.

\VS{11}And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat down under the oak which was in 'Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi'ezrite; and Gid'on his son was beating out wheat in the wine-press, to hide it from the Midianites.

\VS{12}And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

\VS{13}And Gid'on said unto him, Pardon, my lord, if the Lord be indeed with us, why then hath all this befallen us? and where are all his wonders of which our fathers have told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt! But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

\VS{14}And the Lord turned toward him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: behold, I have sent thee.

\VS{15}And he said unto him, Pardon my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the weakest in Menasseh, and I am the youngest of my father's house.

\VS{16}And the Lord said unto him, Because I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

\VS{17}And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy eyes, then give me a sign that thou hast been speaking with me;

\VS{18}Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thy return.

\VS{19}And Gid'on went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

\VS{20}And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and the broth pour out. And he did so.

\VS{21}Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

\VS{22}And when Gid'on perceived that it was an angel of the Lord, Gid'on said, Alas, O Lord Eternal! because I have surely seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

\VS{23}And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

\VS{24}And Gid'on built there an altar unto the Lord, and called it Adonay-shalom [[the Eternal of Peace:]] unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi'ezrites.

\VS{25}And it came to pass in the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal which belongeth to thy father, and the grove that is around it shalt thou cut down.

\VS{26}And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, on the level place, and take the second bullock, and offer [it as] a burnt-sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

\VS{27}And Gid'on took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had spoken unto him; but it came to pass, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, to do it by day, that he did it by night.

\VS{28}And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was overthrown, and the grove that was around it was cut down, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar which had been built.

\VS{29}And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And they inquired and searched, and then said, Gid'on the son of Joash hath done this thing.

\VS{30}Thereupon said the men of the city unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die; because he hath overthrown the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was around it.

\VS{31}But Joash said unto all that stood around him, Will ye indeed contend for Baal? will ye assist him? he that will contend for him, shall be put to death; [wait] until morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath overthrown his altar.

\VS{32}And the people called him on that day Yerubba'al, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he hath overthrown his altar.

\VS{33}And all the Midianites and 'Amalekites and the children of the east assembled together, and went over and encamped in the valley of Yizre'el.

\VS{34}But the Spirit of the Lord endued Gid'on, and he blew the cornet: and Abi'ezer assembled and followed him.

\VS{35}And he sent messengers throughout all Menasseh, who also assembled and followed him; and he sent messengers through Asher, and through Zebulun, and through Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

\VS{36}And Gid'on said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken,

\VS{37}Behold, I set up this fleece of wool in the threshing floor: if now there be dew on the fleece alone, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken.

\VS{38}And it was so; and when he rose up early on the morrow, he squeezed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, [making] a bowl full of water.

\VS{39}And Gid'on said unto God, Let not thy anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once [more]; let me have a proof, I pray thee, but this once more with the fleece; let it, I pray, be dry upon the fleece alone, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

\VS{40}And God did so that night; and it was dry upon the fleece alone, and on all the ground there was dew.



\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Yerubba'al, who is Gid'on, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Charod; and the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

\VS{2}And the Lord said unto Gid'on, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand: lest Israel should vaunt themselves against me, saying, my own hand hath saved me.

\VS{3}Now therefore, do proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gil'ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and ten thousand remained.

\VS{4}And the Lord said unto Gid'on, The people are yet too many; let them go down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I will say unto thee, This one shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee: and of whomsoever I will say unto thee, This one shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

\VS{5}So he caused the people to go down unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gid'on, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as the dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bendeth down upon his knees to drink.

\VS{6}And the number of those that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bent down upon their knees to drink water.

\VS{7}And the Lord said unto Gid'on, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

\VS{8}And they took the provision of the people in their hand, and their cornets; and all the rest of Israel he dismissed, every man unto his tent; but those three hundred men he retained: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

\VS{9}And it came to pass, during the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.

\VS{10}And if thou fear to go down, then go thou down with Purah thy servant to the camp.

\VS{11}And thou shalt hear what they will say; and after that shall thy hands be strengthened, and thou wilt go down unto the camp. And he went down with Purah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the camp.

\VS{12}And the Midianites and the 'Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like the locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is by the seaside for multitude.

\VS{13}And when Gid'on was come, behold, a man was telling a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and, lo, a baked cake of barley bread was rolling round through the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and struck against it so that it fell, and it turned it bottom upward, and the tent thus tumbled down.

\VS{14}And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gid'on the son of Joash, a man of Israel; into whose hand God hath delivered Midian, and the whole camp.

\VS{15}And it was, when Gid'on heard the narration of the dream, and its interpretation, that he prostrated himself, and returned unto the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the camp of Midian.

\VS{16}And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put cornets in the hand of all of them, with empty pitchers, and torches in the pitchers.

\VS{17}And he said unto them, What you see me do, do ye likewise; and, behold, when I am come to the edge of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

\VS{18}When I blow the cornet, I and all that are with me, then shall ye blow the cornets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For the Lord, and for Gid'on.

\VS{19}And Gid'on, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the edge of the camp in the bcginning of the middle watch; when they had but newly set the sentinels: and they blew the cornets, and broke the pitchers that were in their hand.

\VS{20}And the three companies blew the cornets, and broke the pitchers, and seized with their left hand the torches, and with their right hand the cornets to blow; and they cried, The sword for the Lord, and for Gid'on.

\VS{21}And they remained standing every man in his place round about the camp; and all [in] the camp ran, and shouted, and fled.

\VS{22}And as the three hundred cornets sounded, the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the camp; and [those in] the camp fled as far as Beth-hashittah to Zererah, up to the border of Abelmecholah, near Tabbath.

\VS{23}And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Menasseh, and they pursued after the Midianites.

\VS{24}And Gid'on sent messengers throughout all the mountain of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim assembled themselves, and seized on the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.

\VS{25}And they captured two princes of the Midianites, 'Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew 'Oreb upon the rock 'Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued the Midianites; and the heads of 'Oreb and Zeeb they brought to Gid'on from the other side of the Jordan.



\par }\Chap{8}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the men of Ephraim said unto him, What is this thing that thou hast done unto us, not to call for us, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they quarrelled with him vehemently.

\VS{2}And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi'ezer?

\VS{3}Into your hand God delivered the princes of Midian, 'Oreb and Zeeb: and what have I been able to do in comparison with you? Then was their anger abated from him, when he had spoken this speech.

\VS{4}And Gid'on came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, and in pursuit.

\VS{5}And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, a few loaves of bread unto the people that are in my train; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebach and Zalmunna,' the kings of Midian.

\VS{6}And the princes of Succoth said, Is the sole of the foot of Zebach and Zalmunna' now already in thy hand, that we should give unto thy army bread?

\VS{7}And Gid'on said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebach and Zalmunna' into my hand, then will I thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

\VS{8}And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them in the same manner: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

\VS{9}And he said also unto the men of Penuel thus, When I return again in peace, I will break down this tower.

\VS{10}Now Zebach and Zalmunna' were in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that had been left of all the camp of the children of the east; but those who had fallen were one hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword.

\VS{11}And Gid'on went up by the way of those that dwelt in tents, to the east of Nobach and Yogbehah, and smote the camp; but the camp thought itself secure.

\VS{12}And Zebach and Zalmunna' fled; but he pursued after them, and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebach and Zalmunna', and all the camp he discomfited.

\VS{13}And Gid'on the son of Joash returned from the battle before the rising of the sun,

\VS{14}And he caught a young man of the people of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

\VS{15}And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold here are Zebach and Zalmunna', with whom ye derided me, saying, Is the sole of the foot of Zebach and Zalmunna' now already in thy hand, that we should give unto thy weary men bread?

\VS{16}And he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and chastised with them the men of Succoth.

\VS{17}And the tower of Penuel he beat down, and slew the men of the city.

\VS{18}And he said unto Zebach and Zalmunna', What kind of men were those whom ye slew at Tabor! And they answered, As thou art, so were they; one was in form like that of the children of a king.

\VS{19}And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the Lord liveth, if ye had spared them alive, I would not slay you.

\VS{20}And he said unto Yether his first-born, Rise up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet a youth.

\VS{21}Then said Zebach and Zalmunna', Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gid'on arose, and slew Zebach and Zalmunna'; and he took away the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

\VS{22}And the men of Israel said unto Gid'on, Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian.

\VS{23}And Gid'on said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.

\VS{24}And Gid'on said unto them, I would ask one request of you, that ye should give me every man the earring of his booty; for they had had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

\VS{25}And they answered, We will willingly give. And they spread out a garment, and they cast therein every man the earring of his booty.

\VS{26}And the weight of the golden earrings that he had requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescent ornaments, and ear-drops, and purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

\VS{27}And Gid'on made thereof an ephod, and set it up in his city, in 'Ophrah: and all Israel went astray after it thither; and it became a snare unto Gid'on, and to his house.

\VS{28}And Midian was humbled before the children of Israel, so that they lifted not up their head any more. And the country was quiet forty years in the days of Gid'on.

\VS{29}And Yerubba'al the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

\VS{30}And Gid'on had seventy sons begotten of his body; for he had many wives.

\VS{31}And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name, Abimelech.

\VS{32}And Gid'on the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in 'Ophrah of the Abi'ezrites.

\VS{33}And it came to pass, when Gid'on was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went astray after the Be'alim, and made themselves Ba'al-berith for a god.

\VS{34}And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side.

\VS{35}Neither showed they kindness to the house of Yerubba'al, namely, Gid'on, in accordance with all the good which he had done unto Israel.



\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Abimelech the son of Yerubba'al went to Shechem unto his mother's brothers, and spoke unto them, and unto all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

\VS{2}Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, What is better for you, either that there should rule over you seventy men, all the sons of Yerubba'al, or that there reign over you one man? and remember that I am your bone and your flesh.

\VS{3}And his mother's brothers spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words; and their heart became inclined after Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

\VS{4}And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Ba'al-berith; and Abimelech hired therewith idle and heedless persons, who followed him.

\VS{5}And he came unto his father's house at 'Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Yeruhba'al, seventy persons, upon one stone; and there was yet left Yotham the youngest son of Yerubba'al; for he had hidden himself.

\VS{6}And all the men of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled together, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was by Shechem.

\VS{7}And they told it to Yotham; and he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizzim, and he lifted up his voice, and cried; and he said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, so that God may hearken unto you.

\VS{8}The trees went once forth to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.

\VS{9}But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I give up my fatness, wherewith through me they honor God and men, and shall I go to be promoted over the trees!

\VS{10}And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, reign over us.

\VS{11}But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I give up my sweetness, and my good productiveness, and go to be promoted over the trees?

\VS{12}Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, reign over us.

\VS{13}But the vine said unto them, Should I give up my fresh wine, which rejoiceth God and men, and go to be promoted over the trees!

\VS{14}Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, reign over us.

\VS{15}And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me as king over you, then come seek protection in my shadow; and if not, then let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of the Lebanon.

\VS{16}And now, if ye have acted in truth and sincerity, when ye made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Yerubba'al and his house, and have done unto him according to the merit of his hands;

\VS{17}(In that my father fought for you, and cast his life far away, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

\VS{18}While ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

\VS{19}If ye have thus acted in truth and sincerity with Yerubba'al and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

\VS{20}But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.

\VS{21}And Yotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

\VS{22}And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years;

\VS{23}And then did God send an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem became unfaithful toward Abimelech;

\VS{24}So that the violence [done] to the seventy sons of Yerubba'al might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who had slain them; and upon the men of Shechem, who had strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.

\VS{25}And the men of Shechem set persons to lie in wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed by them on that way: and it was told unto Abimelech.

\VS{26}And there came Ga'al the son of 'Ebed with his brothers, and passed through Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

\VS{27}And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod [the grapes], and made joyful feasts, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

\VS{28}And Ga'al the son of 'Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Yerubba'al? and Zebul his superintendent? serve the men of Chamor the father of Shechem; for why indeed should we serve him?

\VS{29}And O that some one would put this people into my power! and I would remove Abimelech. And he let it be said to Abimelech, Increase thy army, and come out.

\VS{30}And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga'al the son of 'Ebed, his anger was kindled.

\VS{31}And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privately, saying, Behold, Ga'al the son of 'Ebed and his brothers are come to Shechem; and, behold, they incite the city to enmity against thee.

\VS{32}And now rise up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

\VS{33}And it shall be, in the morning, the moment the sun shineth, that thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to him as thy means may let thee.

\VS{34}And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

\VS{35}And Ga'al the son of 'Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the city-gate: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambush.

\VS{36}And when Ga'al saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou regardest the shadow of the mountains as men.

\VS{37}And Ga'al spoke again and said, See people are coming down from the highest point of the land, and one company is coming along by the way of the grove of Me'onenim.

\VS{38}Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him! is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

\VS{39}And Ga'al went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

\VS{40}And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him, and many fell slain, even as far as the entrance of the gate.

\VS{41}And Abimelech remained at Arumah: and Zebul banished Ga'al and his brothers, that they should not remain in Shechem.

\VS{42}And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and it was told to Abimelech.

\VS{43}And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; and as he saw, and, behold, that the people were coming forth out of the city, he rose up against them, and smote them.

\VS{44}And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, spread forward, and took position in the entrance of the city-gate: and the two other companies spread over all that were in the fields, and smote them.

\VS{45}And Ahimelech fought against the city all that day; and he captured the city, and the people that were therein he slew; and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

\VS{46}And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard this, they entered into the stronghold of the house of the god Berith.

\VS{47}And it was told unto Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

\VS{48}And Abimelech went thereupon up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from a tree, and bore it, and laid it on his shoulder; and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen that I have done, make haste, and do like me.

\VS{49}And all the people also cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put the same to the stronghold, and set the stronghold over them on fire: and thus died also all the people of the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

\VS{50}And Abimelech went then to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and captured it.

\VS{51}But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and the women, and all the chief persons of the city, and shut the doors behind them, and went up to the roof of the tower.

\VS{52}And Abimelech came up to the tower, and fought against it, and approached as far as the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

\VS{53}But a certain woman cast a piece of an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and crushed his skull.

\VS{54}Then called he hastily unto the young man that bore his armor, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that people may not say of me, A woman hath slain him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

\VS{55}And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

\VS{56}Thus did God compensate the evil of Abimelech, which he had done unto his father, in slaying his seventy brothers:

\VS{57}And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God bring back upon their own head; and there came upon them the curse of Yotham the son of Yerubba'al.



\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And there arose after Abimelech to deliver Israel Tola' the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountain of Ephraim.

\VS{2}And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and then died, and was buried in Shamir.

\VS{3}And after him arose Yair, the Gil'adite, and judged Israel twenty and two years;

\VS{4}And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Chavvoth-yair unto this day, which are in the land of Gil'ad.

\VS{5}And Yair died, and was buried in Kamon.

\VS{6}And the children of Israel repeated to do the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they served the Be'alim, and 'Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of 'Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook the Lord, and served not him.

\VS{7}And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of 'Ammon.

\VS{8}And they afflicted and oppressed the children of Israel that year; [and] for eighteen years all the children of Israel that were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Emorites, which is in Gil'ad.

\VS{9}And the children of 'Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sorely distressed.

\VS{10}And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Be'alim.

\VS{11}And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Behold [I delivered you] from the Egyptians, and from the Emorites, from the children of 'Ammon, and from the Philistines.

\VS{12}And when the Zidonians, and the 'Amalekites, and the Ma'onites did oppress you, and ye cried to me, I delivered you also out of their hand.

\VS{13}And yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore I will deliver you no more.

\VS{14}Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let these deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

\VS{15}And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us entirely as it seemeth good in thy eyes; only deliver us, we pray thee, this time.

\VS{16}And they put away the strange gods from their midst, and served the Lord; and his soul was grieved for the trouble of Israel.

\VS{17}And the children of 'Ammon were called together, and they encamped in Gil'ad. And the children of Israel also assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

\VS{18}And the people, the princes of Gil'ad, said one to another, Whatever man it be that will begin to fight against the children of 'Ammon, shall become the head over all the inhabitants of Gil'ad.



\par }\Chap{11}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now Yiphthach the Gil'adite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gil'ad had begotten Yiphthach.

\VS{2}And the wife of Gil'ad also bore him sons; and when the sons of the wife were grown up, they drove away Yiphthach, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in the house of our father: for the son of another woman art thou.

\VS{3}And Yiphthach fled away from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and there gathered themselves to Yiphthach idle men, and they went out with him.

\VS{4}And it came to pass after some time, that the children of 'Ammon made war against Israel.

\VS{5}And it was so, when the children of 'Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gil'ad went to fetch Yiphthach out of the land of Tob.

\VS{6}And they said unto Yiphthach, Come, and become a leader unto us, that we may fight with the children of 'Ammon.

\VS{7}And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gil'ad, Did ye not hate me, and drive me away out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now, when ye are in distress?

\VS{8}And the elders of Gil'ad said unto Yiphthach, Therefore are we now come back to thee, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of 'Ammon; and thou shalt become unto us a head, unto all the inhabitants of Gil'ad.

\VS{9}And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gil'ad, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of 'Ammon, and the Lord give them up before me, shall I remain your head?

\VS{10}And the elders of Gil'ad said unto Yiphthach, The Lord shall be a hearer between us, if we do not so according to thy word.

\VS{11}Then went Yiphthach with the elders of Gil'ad, and the people appointed him over them as head and as leader; and Yiphthach spoke all his words before the Lord in Mitzpah.

\VS{12}And Yiphthach sent messengers unto the king of the children of 'Ammon, saying, What have I to do with thee, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land?

\VS{13}And the king of the children of 'Ammon said unto the messengers of Yiphthach, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Yabbok, and unto the Jordan: and now restore these [lands] again in peace.

\VS{14}And Yiphthach again sent messengers unto the king of the children of 'Ammon;

\VS{15}And he said unto him, Thus hath said Yiphthach, Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of 'Ammon;

\VS{16}For when they came up out of Egypt, Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;

\VS{17}And Israel then sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass, I pray thee, through thy land; but the king of Edom would not hearken; and also to the king of Moab they sent; but he would not consent: and Israel remained in Kadesh.

\VS{18}Then they wandered through the wilderness, and traveled round the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came from the rising of the sun to the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon: but they came not within the border of Moab; for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab.

\VS{19}And Israel sent messengers unto Sichon the king of the Emorites, the king of Cheshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place.

\VS{20}But Sichon trusted not Israel to [let them] pass through his territory; and Sichon assembled all his people, and encamped in Yahaz, and fought against Israel.

\VS{21}and the Lord the God of Israel delivered Sichon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; and Israel took possession of all the land of the Emorites, the inhabitants of that country.

\VS{22}And they took possession of all the territory of the Emorites, from the Arnon even unto the Yabbok, and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan.

\VS{23}So now the Lord the God of Israel hath dispossessed the Emorites from before his people Israel, and shouldst thou possess it?

\VS{24}Truly! that which Kemosh thy god may give thee to possess, even that canst thou possess; but whatsoever the Lord our God hath driven out from before us, even that will we possess.

\VS{25}And now art thou then any better than Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?

\VS{26}[And] while Israel hath dwelt in Cheshbon and in its towns, and in 'Ar'or and in its towns, and in all the cities that are along the margins of the Arnon, three hundred years: why did ye not recover them within that time?

\VS{27}Whereas I myself have not sinned against thee, and thou doest me wrong to war against me: may the Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the children of Israel and the children of 'Ammon.

\VS{28}Nevertheless the king of the children of 'Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Yiphthach which he had sent to him.

\VS{29}Then came upon Yiphthach the spirit of the Lord, and he passed through Gil'ad and Menasseh, and passed through Mitzpeh of Gil'ad, and from Mitzpeh of Gil'ad he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

\VS{30}And Yiphthach made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of 'Ammon into my hand,

\VS{31}Then shall it be, that whatsoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of 'Ammon, shall belong to the Lord, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

\VS{32}So Yiphthach passed over unto the children of 'Ammon to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hand.

\VS{33}And he smote them from 'Aro'er, even till thou comest to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto Abel-keramin, with a very great defeat; and the children of 'Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel.

\VS{34}And Yiphthach came to Mizpah unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his sole child; he had beside her neither son nor daughter.

\VS{35}And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his garments, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast bent me down very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

\VS{36}And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me in accordance with what hath proceeded out of thy mouth; since the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee on thy enemies, on the children of 'Ammon.

\VS{37}And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two months, that I may descend to the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I with my companions.

\VS{38}And he aid, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

\VS{39}And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, and he fulfilled on her his vow which he had vowed; and she knew no man; and it became a custom in Israel,

\VS{40}That the daughters of Israel went from year to year to lament for the daughter of Yiphthach the Gil'adite four days in the year.



\par }\Chap{12}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the men of Ephraim were called together, and went northward, and said unto Yiphthach, Wherefore didst thou pass over to fight against the children of 'Ammon, and didst not call for us to go with thee? thy house will we burn over thee with fire.

\VS{2}And Yiphthach said unto them, I and my people were greatly engaged in strife with the children of 'Ammon; and I called you, but ye helped me not out of their hand.

\VS{3}And when I saw that ye helped me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over to the children of 'Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand; and why then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

\VS{4}Then Yiphthach gathered together all the men of Gil'ad, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gil'ad smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim: Gil'ad is in the midst, between Ephraim and Menasseh.

\VS{5}And the Gil'adites seized on the passages of the Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it came to pass, when the Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me pass over; that the men of Gil'ad said unto him, Art thou an Ephrathite? and if he said, No;

\VS{6}Then said they unto him, Do say, Shibboleth; but when he said, Sibboleth, and was not able to pronounce it correctly, they laid hold of him and slew him on the passages of the Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

\VS{7}And Yiphthach judged Israel six years; and then died Yiphthach the Gil'adite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gil'ad.

\VS{8}And after him there judged Israel Ibzan of Beth-lechem.

\VS{9}And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in for his sons from abroad: and he judged Israel seven years.

\VS{10}Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lechem.

\VS{11}And after him there judged Israel Elon the Zebulonite; and he judged Israel ten years.

\VS{12}Then died Elon the Zebulonite, and was buried in Ayalon in the country of Zebulun.

\VS{13}And after him there judged Israel 'Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite.

\VS{14}And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, that rode on seventy ass-colts; and he judged Israel eight years.

\VS{15}Then died 'Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite, and was buried in Pir'athon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountain of the 'Amalekites.



\par }\Chap{13}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

\VS{2}And there was a certain man of Zor'ah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoach; and his wife was barren, and did not bear.

\VS{3}And there appeared an angel of the Lord unto the woman, and he said unto her, Behold, thou art barren, and hast not born; but thou wilt conceive, and bear a son.

\VS{4}And now do beware, and drink neither wine nor strong drink, and eat not any thing unclean.

\VS{5}For, lo, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for a Nazarite of God shall the lad be from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

\VS{6}And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I asked him not whence he might be, and his name he did not tell me.

\VS{7}And he said unto me, Behold, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and now thou must drink neither wine nor strong drink, and not eat anything unclean; for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb until the day of his death.

\VS{8}And Manoach entreated the Lord, and said, Hear me, O Lord, let the man of God, whom thou didst send, come again unto us, and instruct us what we shall do unto the child that is to be born.

\VS{9}And God hearkened to the voice of Manoach; and the angel of God came again unto the woman, as she was sitting in the field; and Manoach her husband was not with her.

\VS{10}And the woman made haste, and ran, and informed her husband; and she said unto him, Behold, there hath appeared unto me the man, that came unto me the other day.

\VS{11}And Manoach arose, and went after his wife; and he came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman? and he said, I am.

\VS{12}And Manoach said, If now thy words come to pass, what shall be [our] proceeding with the child, and what shall be done unto him?

\VS{13}And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Of all that I have said unto the woman must she beware.

\VS{14}Of any thing that cometh of the grape-vine she may not eat, and wine or strong drink she may not drink, and any thing unclean she may not eat: all that I commanded her must she observe.

\VS{15}And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, Let us, I pray thee, detain thee, and we will make a kid ready for thee.

\VS{16}And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; but if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord; for Manoach knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

\VS{17}And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honor?

\VS{18}And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why is it that thou wilt ask after my name, seeing it is secret?

\VS{19}And Manoach took the kid and the meat-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto the Lord: and he did wondrously; and Manoach and his wife looked on.

\VS{20}And it came to pass, when the flame went up from off the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoach and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

\VS{21}And the angel of the Lord was no longer visible to Manoach and to his wife: then knew Manoach that he was an angel of the Lord.

\VS{22}And Manoach said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because a divine being have we seen.

\VS{23}But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received from our hand a burnt-offering and a meat-offering, nor would he have let us see all these things, and at this time he would not have let us hear [such a thing] as this.

\VS{24}And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

\VS{25}And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him in Machaneh-dan between Zor'ah and Eshtaol.



\par }\Chap{14}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Samson went down to Timnathah, and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines.

\VS{2}And he went up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines; and now take her to me for wife.

\VS{3}Then said unto him his father and his mother, Is there not among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, a woman, that thou art going to take a wife from the Philistines, the uncircumcised? And Samson said unto his father, This one take for me; for she pleaseth me well.

\VS{4}But his father and his mother knew not that it was from the Lord, that he sought but an occasion against the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

\VS{5}And Samson thus went down, with his father and his mother, to Timnathah; and when they were come as far as the vineyards of Timnathah, behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.

\VS{6}And the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly over him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

\VS{7}And he went down, and spoke unto the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

\VS{8}And when he returned after a time to take her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion and honey likewise.

\VS{9}And he took it out in his hands, and went on, eating as he was going, and came to his father and mother, and he gave unto them, and they did eat; but he told them not that out of the carcass of the lion he had taken the honey.

\VS{10}And his father went down unto the woman; and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

\VS{11}And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions, and they remained with him.

\VS{12}And Samson said unto them, I will now propound unto you a riddle; if ye can in anywise tell it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then will I give you thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments;

\VS{13}But if ye will not be able to tell it to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments. And they said unto him, Propound thy riddle, that we may hear it.

\VS{14}And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not solve the riddle in three days.

\VS{15}And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may solve unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye invited us to impoverish us? is it not so?

\VS{16}And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou doest but hate me, and lovest me not: that riddle hast thou propounded unto the children of my people, and me hast thou not told [the solution]. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it to my father and to my mother, and thee shall I tell it?

\VS{17}And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she had worried him: and she told [the solution of] the riddle to the children of her people.

\VS{18}Then said unto him the men of the city on the seventh day before the sun was yet gone down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

\VS{19}And the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly over him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew of them thirty men, and he took their apparel, and gave the changes of garments unto the expounders of the riddle; but his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

\VS{20}And Samson's wife was given to his companion who had been given him as his associate.



\par }\Chap{15}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass after some time, in the time of wheat-harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, Let me go in to my wife into the chamber; but her father would not suffer him to go in.

\VS{2}And her father said, I verily thought that thou didst utterly hate her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? Let her be thine, I pray thee, instead of her.

\VS{3}And Samson said to them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them evil.

\VS{4}And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put one torch between two tails in the midst;

\VS{5}And he set the torches on fire, and let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both shocks and standing corn, as also olive-yards.

\VS{6}Then said the Philistines, Who hath done this! And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Thimnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines went up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

\VS{7}And Samson said unto them, Since ye will do the like of this, I will surely be avenged on you, and after that will I cease.

\VS{8}And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and tarried in the cleft of the rock 'Etam.

\VS{9}And the Philistines went up, and encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lechi.

\VS{10}And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.

\VS{11}Thereupon went three thousand men of Judah down to the cleft of the rock 'Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? and what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

\VS{12}And they said unto him, To bind thee are we come down, to deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not assail me yourselves.

\VS{13}And they said unto him, thus, No; for we will [only] bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand; but we will in no-wise kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

\VS{14}When he was come unto Lechi, the Philistines shouted against him; but the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly over him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax threads that are burnt with fire, and his bands melted from off his hands.

\VS{15}And he found a fresh jaw-bone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote therewith a thousand men.

\VS{16}And Samson said, With a jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw-bone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men.

\VS{17}And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lechi.

\VS{18}And he became very thirsty, and he called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast granted through the hand of thy servant this great deliverance; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

\VS{19}But God clave a hollow place that was at Lechi, and there came forth water out of it; and he drank, and his spirit came again, and he revived; wherefore he called the name thereof 'En-hakkore, which is in Lechi unto this day.

\VS{20}And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.



\par }\Chap{16}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then went Samson to Gazzah, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.

\VS{2}And it was told to the Gazzites, saying, Samson is come hither: and they compassed him in, and lay in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city, and held themselves quiet all the night, saying, By the time it is light in the morning will we kill him.

\VS{3}And Samson lay till midnight; but he arose at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the city-gate, and the two door-posts, and tore them away with the bolt, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mount that is before Hebron.

\VS{4}And it came to pass after this, that he loved a woman in the valley of Shorek, whose name was Delilah.

\VS{5}And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Persuade him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail over him, that we may bind him to subdue him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

\VS{6}And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou canst be bound to subdue thee.

\VS{7}And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven moist cords which have not yet been dried, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.

\VS{8}And the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven moist cords which had not yet been dried, and she bound him with them.

\VS{9}And she had men lying in wait, sitting near her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he tore the cords, as a thread of tow is torn when it toucheth the fire; and his strength was not perceived.

\VS{10}And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; now do tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou canst be bound.

\VS{11}And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used in work, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.

\VS{12}And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers in wait were sitting in the chamber. But he tore them from off his arms like a thread.

\VS{13}And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; do tell me wherewith thou canst be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

\VS{14}And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awakened out of his sleep, and tore away the pin of the loom, with the web.

\VS{15}And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou deceived me, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

\VS{16}And it came to pass, when she worried him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul became impatient to die;

\VS{17}And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, A razor hath not passed over my head; for a Nazarite of God have I been from my mother's womb; if I were shaved, my strength would depart from me, and I should become weak, and be like all other men.

\VS{18}And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once; for he hath told me all his heart. Then came the lords of the Philistines up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.

\VS{19}And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to subdue him, and his strength departed from him.

\VS{20}And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself free. But he knew not that the Lord had departed from him.

\VS{21}And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazzah, and bound him with fetters of copper; and he had to grind in the prison-house.

\VS{22}But the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.

\VS{23}And the lords of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand Samson our enemy.

\VS{24}And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, and him who hath slain so many of us.

\VS{25}And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them; and they placed him between the pillars.

\VS{26}And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me [to go] and let me feel the pillars whereupon the house is supported, that I may lean upon them.

\VS{27}Now the house was full of men and women; and there were all the lords of the Philistines; and upon the roof were about three thousand men and women, that looked on while Samson made sport.

\VS{28}And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord Eternal, remember me, I pray thee, and do thou strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged for one of my two eyes on the Philistines.

\VS{29}And Samson threw his arms around the two middle pillars upon which the house was supported, and he leaned on them, [on] one with his right hand, and [on] the other with his left.

\VS{30}And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bent [them] with might, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life.

\VS{31}Then came down his brothers and all the house of his father, and they took him up, and carried him up, and buried him between Zor'ah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoach his father. And he had judged Israel twenty years.



\par }\Chap{17}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And there was a man of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Michayhu.

\VS{2}And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spokest of also in my ears,—behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son unto the Lord.

\VS{3}And he restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand, for my son, to make a graven and molten image; and now I will give it back unto thee.

\VS{4}Yet he gave the money back unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the silversmith, who made thereof a graven and molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.

\VS{5}And the man Micah had a house of god, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

\VS{6}In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what seemed right in his own eyes.

\VS{7}And there was a young man out of Beth-lechem-judah of the family of Judah, but he was a Levite, and sojourned there.

\VS{8}And the man departed from the city, from Beth-lechem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place]; and he came to the mountain of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he was pursuing his journey.

\VS{9}And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite from Beth-lechem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].

\VS{10}And Micah said unto him, Remain with me, and become unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver for the year, and suitable apparel, and thy victuals. And the Levite went in.

\VS{11}And the Levite consented to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

\VS{12}And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and remained in the house of Micah.

\VS{13}Then said Micah, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have obtained a Levite for priest.



\par }\Chap{18}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for there had not fallen to their share up to that day among the tribes of Israel a [sufficient] inheritance.

\VS{2}And the children of Dan sent from their family five men from among themselves, men of valor, from Zor'ah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land. And they came to the mountain of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.

\VS{3}They were just by the house of Micah, when they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?

\VS{4}And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah done unto me; and he hired me, and I became his priest.

\VS{5}And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we are going shall be prosperous.

\VS{6}And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way on which ye will go.

\VS{7}And the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people that were therein, dwelling in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one inflicted any wrong in the land, as hereditary ruler; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no concern with any man.

\VS{8}And they came unto their brethren to Zor'ah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [news bring] ye?

\VS{9}And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and you keep still! be not slothful, to go, to enter to take possession of the land.

\VS{10}When ye enter, ye will come unto a secure people, and the land is roomy; for God hath given it into your hand; a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

\VS{11}And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zor'ah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

\VS{12}And they went up, and encamped in Kiryath-ye'arim, in Judah; wherefore they called that place Machaneh-dan until this day; behold, it is behind Kiryath-ye'arim.

\VS{13}And they passed thence unto the mountain of Ephraim, and came as far as the house of Micah.

\VS{14}Then commenced the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Layish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there are in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven and molten image? and now consider what ye have to do.

\VS{15}And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, unto the house of Micah, and asked him after his welfare.

\VS{16}And the six hundred men who were of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, remained standing by the entrance of the gate.

\VS{17}And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with the weapons of war.

\VS{18}And these went into Micah's house, and took the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest said unto them, What are ye doing?

\VS{19}And they said unto him, Be still, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest: is it better that thou be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

\VS{20}And the priest's heart became glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and came into the midst of the people.

\VS{21}And they turned and went away, and placed the little ones and the cattle and the heavy things before them.

\VS{22}When they were at a distance from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were called together, and they overtook the children of Dan.

\VS{23}And they called unto the children of Dan, who turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy people?

\VS{24}And he said, My god which I made have ye taken away, and the priest, and are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

\VS{25}And the children of Dan said unto him, Cause not thy voice to be heard among us, lest men of an embittered spirit assail thee, and thou lose thy life, with the life of thy household.

\VS{26}And the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

\VS{27}And they took what Micah had made, and the priest whom he had had, and came over Layish, over a people that were quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the city they burnt with fire.

\VS{28}And there was no deliverer; because it was far from Zidon, and the people had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rechob. And they rebuilt the city, and dwelt therein.

\VS{29}And they called the name of the city, Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: nevertheless, Layish was the name of the city at first.

\VS{30}And the children of Dan erected for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Menasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the exile of the land.

\VS{31}And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.



\par }\Chap{19}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the lower edge of the mountain of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine out of Beth-lechem-judah.

\VS{2}And his concubine became faithless unto him, and she went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lechem-judah, and was there one year and four months.

\VS{3}And then her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, to bring her back; and he had his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

\VS{4}And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, detained him; and he abode with him three days: and they ate and drank, and lodged there.

\VS{5}And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart; but the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward can ye go your way.

\VS{6}And they sat down, and both of them ate together and drank; and the damsel's father said unto the man, Do consent, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.

\VS{7}Still the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he turned back and lodged there.

\VS{8}And when he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, the damsel's father said, Comfort thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry until the decline of the day: and both of them did eat.

\VS{9}And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, tarry all night, I pray you: behold, it is the resting time of day, lodge here, and let thy heart be merry; and you may get early tomorrow on your way, and go then to thy tent.

\VS{10}But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and went away, and came as far as opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and he had with him two saddled asses, and his concubine also was with him.

\VS{11}When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in unto this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

\VS{12}And his master said unto him, We will not turn into one of the cities of the stranger, that are not belonging to the children of Israel; but we will pass on as far as Gib'ah.

\VS{13}And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places; and let us lodge all night in Gib'ah, or in Ramah.

\VS{14}And they passed on and went forward; and the sun went down unto them by Gib'ah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

\VS{15}And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gib'ah; and when he went in, he sat down in the street of the city; for there was no man that brought them into his house to lodge.

\VS{16}And, behold, an old man was coming from his work out of the field at evening, and this man was from the mountain of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gib'ah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.

\VS{17}And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city: and then said the old man, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

\VS{18}And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lechem-judah toward the lower edge of the mountain of Ephraim; from there am I, and I went as far as Beth-lechem-judah; but I am going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that bringeth me into his house.

\VS{19}Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there are also bread and wine for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man who is with thy servants; there is no want of any thing.

\VS{20}And the old man said, Peace be with thee; only let all thy wants lie upon me; at least lodge not in the street.

\VS{21}So he brought him to his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and they ate and drank.

\VS{22}As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless people, beset the house round about, knocking at the door; and they said to the master of the house, the old man, thus, Bring forth the man that in come to thy house, that we may know him.

\VS{23}And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, No, my brethren, I pray you, act not wickedly; since this man is once come into my house, do not this scandalous thing.

\VS{24}Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; let me bring them out now, and humble ye them, and do to them what seemeth good in your eyes; but unto this man do not this scandalous thing.

\VS{25}But the men would not hearken to him; so the man took hold of his concubine, and brought her forth unto them into the street; and they knew her, and ill-used her all the night until the morning; and they let her go when the day began to dawn.

\VS{26}Then came the woman [home] in the early part of the morning, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, [and lay] till it was light.

\VS{27}And when her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way: behold, the woman, his concubine, was lying at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

\VS{28}And he said unto her, Rise up, and let us be going; but no one answered. Then he took her upon the ass, and the man rose up, and went unto his place.

\VS{29}And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, according to her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her about in all the territory of Israel.

\VS{30}And it happened, that whoever saw it said, There hath no such deed been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day: reflect well on it, give advice, and speak.



\par }\Chap{20}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then went out all the children of Israel, and the congregation was assembled together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba', with the land of Gil'ad, unto the Lord in Mizpah.

\VS{2}and there presented themselves the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword.

\VS{3}(And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Speak, how did this wickedness take place?

\VS{4}And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came to Gib'ah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to stay one night,

\VS{5}When the men of Gib'ah rose against me, and beset the house round about against me by night; me they intended to slay; and my concubine they humbled, so that she died.

\VS{6}And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her about throughout all the fields of the inheritance of Israel; for they had committed incest and scandal in Israel.

\VS{7}Behold, ye are all here children of Israel: furnish for yourselves here advice and counsel.

\VS{8}And all the people then arose as one man, saying, We will not go any of us to his tent, neither will we turn any of us into his house.

\VS{9}And now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gib'ah: We will go up against it by lot;

\VS{10}And we will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to procure provisions for the people; that they may do, when they come to Gib'ah of Benjamin, in accordance with all the scandalous deed that they have wrought in Israel.

\VS{11}So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, associated together as one man.

\VS{12}And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the divisions of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that hath been done among you?

\VS{13}Now therefore deliver up the men, those worthless people, who are in Gib'ah, that we may put them to death, and remove evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

\VS{14}And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gib'ah, to go out to battle with the children of Israel.

\VS{15}And at that time there were numbered of the children of Benjamin out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew the sword, beside the inhabitants of Gib'ah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

\VS{16}Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lame in the right hand: every one of these could sling a stone at a hair, and would not miss.

\VS{17}And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew the sword: all these were men of war.

\VS{18}And they arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and the children of Israel said, Who of us shall go up at first to the battle with the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah, at first.

\VS{19}And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gib'ah.

\VS{20}And the men of Israel went out to battle with Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in battle-array against them by Gib'ah.

\VS{21}And the Children of Benjamin came forth out of Gib'ah, and struck down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty and two thousand men.

\VS{22}And the people the men of Israel took courage, and set themselves again in battle-array in the place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.

\VS{23}And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I again approach to battle with the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.

\VS{24}And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin on the second day.

\VS{25}And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gib'ah on the second day, and struck down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men: all these were men that drew the sword.

\VS{26}Now all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted on that day until the evening, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord.

\VS{27}And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, (for there was the ark of the covenant of God in those days,

\VS{28}And Phinehas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, shall I yet continue to go out to battle with the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I forbear? And the Lord said, Go up; for tomorrow will I deliver him into thy hand.

\VS{29}And Israel sent men to lie in wait round about Gib'ah.

\VS{30}And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gib'ah, as at previous times.

\VS{31}And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite some of the people, and kill, as at previous times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gib'ah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

\VS{32}And the children of Benjamin said, They are defeated before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

\VS{33}And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Ba'al-thamar: and those that lay in wait of Israel rushed forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Gib'ah.

\VS{34}And there came against Gib'ah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that the evil was overtaking them.

\VS{35}And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites on that day twenty and five thousand and one hundred men: all these were those that drew the sword.

\VS{36}And the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated; for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto those that lay in wait whom they had set against Gib'ah.

\VS{37}And those in ambush hastened, and spread themselves over Gib'ah; and those that lay in wait moved along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

\VS{38}Now there was an understanding between the men of Israel and those that lay in wait, that they should make an abundance of columns of smoke rise up out of the city.

\VS{39}And when the men of Israel turned round in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are entirely defeated before us, as in the first battle:

\VS{40}Then began the cloud to arise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke; and when the Benjamites looked behind them, behold, the flames of all the city were ascending up to heaven.

\VS{41}And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed; for they saw that the evil had overtaken them.

\VS{42}Therefore they turned round before the men of Israel unto the way to the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

\VS{43}They enclosed the Benjamites round about, chased them, they overtook them in their places of rest, as far as opposite to Gib'ah toward the rising of the sun.

\VS{44}And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these were men of valor.

\VS{45}And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and they pursued hard after them as far as Gid'om, and slew of them two thousand men.

\VS{46}So that all who fell on that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword: all these were men of valor.

\VS{47}But six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and they abode on the rock Rimmon four months.

\VS{48}And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beasts, and all that was found: also all the cities that they came upon did they set on fire.



\par }\Chap{21}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, Not any of us shall give his daughter unto Benjamin for wife.

\VS{2}And the people came to Beth-el, and abode there till the evening, before God, and they lifted up their voices, and wept with a great lamentation;

\VS{3}And they said, Wherefore, O Lord, God of Israel, is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be lacking this day out of Israel one tribe?

\VS{4}And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.

\VS{5}And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? For there had been taken the great oath concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

\VS{6}And the children of Israel felt regret for Benjamin their brother, and they said, One tribe hath this day been cut down from Israel.

\VS{7}What shall we do as respecteth wives for those that remain, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will give none of our daughters unto them for wives?

\VS{8}And they said, what one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto the Lord to Mizpah? And, behold, there had not come to the camp a man from Yabesh-gil'ad to the assembly.

\VS{9}For the people were numbered, and, behold, there was not present a man of the inhabitants of Yabesh-gil'ad.

\VS{10}And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand persons of the valiant men, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Yabesh-gil'ad with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

\VS{11}And this is the thing that ye shall do, every male, and every woman that hath known [man] by lying with him, shall ye devote.

\VS{12}And they found among the inhabitants of Yabesh-gil'ad four hundred young virgins that had not known man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

\VS{13}And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin that were on the rock Rimmon, and offered them peace.

\VS{14}And Benjamin returned at that time: and they gave unto them the wives whom they had saved alive out of the women of Yabesh-gil'ad; but they found not sufficient for them in this way.

\VS{15}And the people felt regret for Benjamin; because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

\VS{16}And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for those that remain as respecteth wives; because the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?

\VS{17}And they said, Their inheritance must be secured for Benjamin, that not a tribe may be blotted out from Israel.

\VS{18}Nevertheless we ourselves are not able to give them wives of our daughters; for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

\VS{19}And they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh from year to year [at a place] which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

\VS{20}And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go ye and lie in wait in the vineyards;

\VS{21}And look out, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh go out to dance in dances: then come ye forth out of the vineyards, and snatch you every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go then to the land of Benjamin.

\VS{22}And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we will say unto them, Be favorable unto them for our sakes; because we took not for each man his wife in the war; [and] because ye yourselves did not give them unto them, that ye should at this time be guilty.

\VS{23}And the children of Benjamin did so, and took themselves wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they had stolen away; and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and rebuilt the cities, and dwelt in them.

\VS{24}And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

\VS{25}In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his own eyes.


\par }