The Book of Judges
1:1And it came to pass after the death of
Joshua, that the children of Israel asked of Jehovah, saying, Who shall go
up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them? 1:2And
Jehovah said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into
his hand. 1:3And Judah said unto Simeon his brother,
Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and
I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. 1:4And
Judah went up; and Jehovah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites
into their hand: and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 1:5And
they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they
smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 1:6But Adoni-bezek fled;
and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his
great toes. 1:7And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and
ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered
their food under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me.
And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
1:8And the children of Judah fought
against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword,
and set the city on fire. 1:9And afterward the children of Judah
went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill-country,
and in the South, and in the lowland. 1:10And Judah went against
the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron beforetime was
Kiriath-arba); and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
1:11And from thence he went against the
inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir beforetime was
Kiriath-sepher.) 1:12And Caleb said, He that smiteth
Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to
wife. 1:13And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 1:14And
it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she moved him to ask
of her father a field: and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said
unto her, What wouldest thou? 1:15And she said unto him, Give me a
blessing; for that thou hast set me in the land of the South, give me also
springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether
springs.
1:16And the children of the Kenite, Moses'
brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of
Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and
they went and dwelt with the people. 1:17And Judah went with Simeon his
brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly
destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. 1:18Also Judah took Gaza with the border
thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border
thereof. 1:19And Jehovah was with Judah; and drove
out the inhabitants of the hill-country; for he could not drive out
the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 1:20And
they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken: and he drove out thence
the three sons of Anak. 1:21And the children of Benjamin did not
drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell
with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
1:22And the house of Joseph, they also
went up against Beth-el; and Jehovah was with them. 1:23And the house of
Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el. (Now the name of the city beforetime was
Luz.) 1:24And the watchers saw a man come forth
out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the
entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee. 1:25And
he showed them the entrance into the city; and they smote the city with
the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family. 1:26And
the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called
the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof unto this day.
1:27And Manasseh did not drive out the
inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its
towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of
Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but
the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 1:28And it came to pass,
when Israel was waxed strong, that they put the Canaanites to taskwork,
and did not utterly drive them out.
1:29And Ephraim drove not out the
Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among
them.
1:30Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants
of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among
them, and became subject to taskwork.
1:31Asher drove not out the inhabitants of
Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of
Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; 1:32but the Asherites dwelt among the
Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
1:33Naphtali drove not out the inhabitants
of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the
Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of
Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to taskwork.
1:34And the Amorites forced the children
of Dan into the hill-country; for they would not suffer them to come down
to the valley; 1:35but the Amorites would dwell in mount
Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph
prevailed, so that they became subject to taskwork. 1:36And the border of the
Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
2:1And the angel of Jehovah came up from
Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have
brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I
will never break my covenant with you: 2:2and ye shall make no
covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall break down their
altars. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice: why have ye done this? 2:3Wherefore I also said, I will not drive
them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your
sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 2:4And it came to pass,
when the angel of Jehovah spake these words unto all the children of
Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 2:5And
they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto
Jehovah.
2:6Now when Joshua had sent the people
away, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to
possess the land. 2:7And the people served Jehovah all the
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who
had seen all the great work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel. 2:8And
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and
ten years old. 2:9And they buried him in the border of
his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the
north of the mountain of Gaash. 2:10And also all that generation were
gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after
them, that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for
Israel.
2:11And the children of Israel did that
which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim; 2:12and
they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of
the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples
that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and they
provoked Jehovah to anger. 2:13And they forsook Jehovah, and served
Baal and the Ashtaroth. 2:14And the anger of Jehovah was kindled
against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that
despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 2:15Whithersoever they went out, the hand
of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had spoken, and as
Jehovah had sworn unto them: and they were sore distressed.
2:16And Jehovah raised up judges, who
saved them out of the hand of those that despoiled them. 2:17And
yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the harlot after
other gods, and bowed themselves down unto them: they turned aside quickly
out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of
Jehovah; but they did not so. 2:18And when Jehovah raised them up
judges, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of
their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented Jehovah because
of their groaning by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 2:19But
it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt
more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them,
and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their doings, nor from
their stubborn way. 2:20And the anger of Jehovah was kindled
against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my
covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my
voice; 2:21I also will not henceforth drive out
any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; 2:22that by them I may prove Israel,
whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their
fathers did keep it, or not. 2:23So Jehovah left those nations, without
driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of
Joshua.
3:1Now these are the nations which Jehovah
left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not
known all the wars of Canaan; 3:2only that the generations of the
children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as
beforetime knew nothing thereof: 3:3namely, the five lords of the
Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites
that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of
Hamath. 3:4And they were left, to prove
Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments
of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. 3:5And
the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: 3:6and
they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters
to their sons and served their gods.
3:7And the children of Israel did that
which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgat Jehovah their God, and
served the Baalim and the Asheroth. 3:8Therefore the anger of Jehovah was
kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of
Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served
Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 3:9And when the children of Israel cried
unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who
saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 3:10And
the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out
to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into
his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. 3:11And
the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
3:12And the children of Israel again did
that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened
Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which
was evil in the sight of Jehovah. 3:13And he gathered unto him the children
of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the
city of palm-trees. 3:14And the children of Israel served
Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
3:15But when the children of Israel cried
unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the
Benjamite, a man left-handed. And the children of Israel sent tribute by
him unto Eglon the king of Moab. 3:16And Ehud made him a sword which had
two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his
right thigh. 3:17And he offered the tribute unto Eglon
king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man. 3:18And when he had made
an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bare the
tribute. 3:19But he himself turned back from the
quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee,
O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from
him. 3:20And Ehud came unto him; and he was
sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a
message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. 3:21And
Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and
thrust it into his body: 3:22and the haft also went in after the
blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of
his body; and it came out behind. 3:23Then Ehud went forth into the porch,
and shut the doors of the upper room upon him, and locked them.
3:24Now when he was gone out, his servants
came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked;
and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber. 3:25And
they tarried till they were ashamed; and, behold, he opened not the doors
of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them,
and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
3:26And Ehud escaped while they tarried,
and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah. 3:27And
it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the
hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him
from the hill-country, and he before them. 3:28And he said unto them,
Follow after me; for Jehovah hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into
your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan
against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over. 3:29And
they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man,
and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man. 3:30So Moab was subdued
that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
3:31And after him was Shamgar the son of
Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and
he also saved Israel.
4:1And the children of Israel again did
that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, when Ehud was dead. 4:2And
Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in
Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the
Gentiles. 4:3And the children of Israel cried unto
Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he
mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4:4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of
Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 4:5And she dwelt under the
palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of
Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 4:6And
she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and
said unto him, Hath not Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded,
saying, Go and draw unto mount Tabor, and take with thee ten
thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
4:7And I will draw unto thee, to the river
Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his
multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand. 4:8And Barak said unto
her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with
me, I will not go. 4:9And she said, I will surely go with
thee: notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine
honor; for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah
arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 4:10And Barak called
Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand
men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
4:11Now Heber the Kenite had separated
himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the
brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in
Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.
4:12And they told Sisera that Barak the
son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 4:13And Sisera gathered
together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the
people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, unto the river
Kishon. 4:14And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for
this is the day in which Jehovah hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; is
not Jehovah gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and
ten thousand men after him. 4:15And Jehovah discomfited Sisera, and
all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before
Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 4:16But
Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of
the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword;
there was not a man left.
4:17Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet
to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace
between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 4:18And
Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in
to me; fear not. And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered
him with a rug. 4:19And he said unto her, Give me, I pray
thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle
of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 4:20And he said unto her,
Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and
inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
4:21Then Jael Heber's wife took a
tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and
smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground;
for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. 4:22And, behold, as Barak
pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I
will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And he came unto her; and,
behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.
4:23So God subdued on that day Jabin the
king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 4:24And the hand of the
children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of
Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
5:1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of
Abinoam on that day, saying,
5:2For that the leaders took the lead in
Israel,
For that the people offered themselves willingly,
Bless ye Jehovah.
5:3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye
princes;
I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah;
I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.
5:4Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of
Seir,
When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,
Yea, the clouds dropped water.
5:5The mountains quaked at the presence of
Jehovah,
Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.
5:6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,
And the travellers walked through byways.
5:7The rulers ceased in Israel, they
ceased,
Until that I Deborah arose,
That I arose a mother in Israel.
5:8They chose new gods;
Then was war in the gates:
Was there a shield or spear seen
Among forty thousand in Israel?
5:9My heart is toward the governors of
Israel,
That offered themselves willingly among the people:
Bless ye Jehovah.
5:10Tell of it, ye that ride on
white asses,
Ye that sit on rich carpets,
And ye that walk by the way.
5:11Far from the noise of archers, in the
places of drawing water,
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah,
Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.
Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
5:12Awake, awake, Deborah;
Awake, awake, utter a song:
Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.
5:13Then came down a remnant of the nobles
and the people;
Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.
5:14Out of Ephraim came down they
whose root is in Amalek;
After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples;
Out of Machir came down governors,
And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.
5:15And the princes of Issachar were with
Deborah;
As was Issachar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.
By the watercourses of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
5:16Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
At the watercourses of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.
5:17Gilead abode beyond the Jordan:
And Dan, why did he remain in ships?
Asher sat still at the haven of the sea,
And abode by his creeks.
5:18Zebulun was a people that jeoparded
their lives unto the death,
And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
5:19The kings came and fought;
Then fought the kings of Canaan.
In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo:
They took no gain of money.
5:20From heaven fought the stars,
From their courses they fought against Sisera.
5:21The river Kishon swept them away,
That ancient river, the river Kishon.
O my soul, march on with strength.
5:22Then did the horsehoofs stamp
By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.
5:23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of
Jehovah.
Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof,
Because they came not to the help of Jehovah,
To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.
5:24Blessed above women shall Jael be,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
5:25He asked water, and she gave
him milk;
She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
5:26She put her hand to the tent-pin,
And her right hand to the workmen's hammer;
And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head;
Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
5:27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;
At her feet he bowed, he fell;
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
5:28Through the window she looked forth,
and cried,
The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice,
Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
5:29Her wise ladies answered her,
Yea, she returned answer to herself,
5:30Have they not found, have they not
divided the spoil?
A damsel, two damsels to every man;
To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments,
A spoil of dyed garments embroidered,
Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the
spoil?
5:31So let all thine enemies perish, O
Jehovah:
But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in
his might.
And the land had rest forty years.
6:1And the children of Israel did that
which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into
the hand of Midian seven years. 6:2And the hand of Midian prevailed
against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the
dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 6:3And
so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the
Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; 6:4and
they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till
thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor
ox, nor ass. 6:5For they came up with their cattle and
their tents; they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their
camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it. 6:6And
Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel
cried unto Jehovah.
6:7And it came to pass, when the children
of Israel cried unto Jehovah because of Midian, 6:8that Jehovah sent a
prophet unto the children of Israel: and he said unto them, Thus saith
Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you
forth out of the house of bondage; 6:9and I delivered you out of the hand of
the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove
them out from before you, and gave you their land; 6:10and I said unto you, I
am Jehovah your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.
6:11And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat
under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the
Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to
hide it from the Midianites. 6:12And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto
him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 6:13And
Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all
this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers
told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now
Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. 6:14And
Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel
from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? 6:15And he said unto him,
Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest
in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. 6:16And
Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite
the Midianites as one man. 6:17And he said unto him, If now I have
found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest
with me. 6:18Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I
come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he
said, I will tarry until thou come again.
6:19And Gideon went in, and made ready a
kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a
basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under
the oak, and presented it. 6:20And the angel of God said unto him,
Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and
pour out the broth. And he did so. 6:21Then the angel of Jehovah put forth
the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the
unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the
flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of
his sight. 6:22And Gideon saw that he was the angel
of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have
seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. 6:23And Jehovah said unto
him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 6:24Then Gideon built an altar there unto
Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah
of the Abiezrites.
6:25And it came to pass the same night,
that Jehovah said unto him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second
bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father
hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; 6:26and build an altar
unto Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly
manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the
wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down. 6:27Then Gideon took ten
men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken unto him: and it came
to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city,
so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
6:28And when the men of the city arose
early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the
Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered
upon the altar that was built. 6:29And they said one to another, Who hath
done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the
son of Joash hath done this thing. 6:30Then the men of the city said unto
Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he hath broken down the
altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it. 6:31And
Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or
will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death
whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him contend for
himself, because one hath broken down his altar. 6:32Therefore on that day
he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he
hath broken down his altar.
6:33Then all the Midianites and the
Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and
they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. 6:34But
the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer
was gathered together after him. 6:35And he sent messengers throughout all
Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent
messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came
up to meet them.
6:36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt
save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, 6:37behold, I will put a
fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only,
and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save
Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken. 6:38And it was so; for he
rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung
the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 6:39And Gideon said unto
God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this
once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let
it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be
dew. 6:40And God did so that night: for it was
dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
7:1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all
the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the
spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by
the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
7:2And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The
people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into
their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand
hath saved me. 7:3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of
the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and
depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two
thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
7:4And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The
people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try
them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This
shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say
unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 7:5So he
brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon,
Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him
shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his
knees to drink. 7:6And the number of them that lapped,
putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest
of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7:7And
Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save
you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go
every man unto his place. 7:8So the people took victuals in their
hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto
his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was
beneath him in the valley.
7:9And it came to pass the same night,
that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have
delivered it into thy hand. 7:10But if thou fear to go down, go thou
with Purah thy servant down to the camp: 7:11and thou shalt hear
what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down
into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost
part of the armed men that were in the camp. 7:12And the Midianites and
the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley
like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the
sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude. 7:13And when Gideon was
come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he
said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled
into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it
fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. 7:14And
his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of
Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered
Midian, and all the host.
7:15And it was so, when Gideon heard the
telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped;
and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath
delivered into your hand the host of Midian. 7:16And he divided the
three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all
of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 7:17And
he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come
to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye
do. 7:18When I blow the trumpet, I and all
that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the
camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.
7:19So Gideon, and the hundred men that
were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning
of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew
the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
7:20And the three companies blew the
trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left
hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they
cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon. 7:21And they stood every
man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they
shouted, and put them to flight. 7:22And they blew the
three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his
fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah
toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 7:23And
the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of
Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.
7:24And Gideon sent messengers throughout
all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and
take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all
the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as
Beth-barah, even the Jordan. 7:25And they took the two princes of
Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb
they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought
the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
8:1And the men of Ephraim said unto him,
Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest
to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him sharply. 8:2And
he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the
gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 8:3God
hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and
what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated
toward him, when he had said that.
8:4And Gideon came to the Jordan,
and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him,
faint, yet pursuing. 8:5And he said unto the men of Succoth,
Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they
are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of
Midian. 8:6And the princes of Succoth said, Are
the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread
unto thine army? 8:7And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah
hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your
flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8:8And
he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner; and the
men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 8:9And
he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace,
I will break down this tower.
8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor,
and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left
of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword. 8:11And Gideon went up by the way of them
that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host;
for the host was secure. 8:12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he
pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and
Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
8:13And Gideon the son of Joash returned
from the battle from the ascent of Heres. 8:14And he caught a young
man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him
the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men. 8:15And
he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna,
concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are
weary? 8:16And he took the elders of the city,
and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men
of Succoth. 8:17And he brake down the tower of Penuel,
and slew the men of the city.
8:18Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna,
What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As
thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. 8:19And
he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother: as Jehovah liveth,
if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 8:20And he said unto
Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his
sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 8:21Then Zebah and
Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his
strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the
crescents that were on their camels' necks.
8:22Then the men of Israel said unto
Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also;
for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian. 8:23And Gideon said unto
them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you:
Jehovah shall rule over you. 8:24And Gideon said unto them, I would
make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of
his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
8:25And they answered, We will willingly
give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the
ear-rings of his spoil. 8:26And the weight of the golden ear-rings
that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold,
besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was
on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their
camels' necks. 8:27And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and
put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel played the harlot after
it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 8:28So
Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their
heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
8:29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went
and dwelt in his own house. 8:30And Gideon had threescore and ten sons
of his body begotten; for he had many wives. 8:31And his concubine that
was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.
8:32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a
good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in
Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon
was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the harlot
after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. 8:34And the children of
Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the
hand of all their enemies on every side; 8:35neither showed they
kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all
the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.
9:1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went
to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all
the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 9:2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all
the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of
Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one
rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 9:3And
his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem
all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they
said, He is our brother. 9:4And they gave him threescore and ten
pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith
Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 9:5And
he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons
of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham
the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 9:6And
all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of
Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was
in Shechem.
9:7And when they told it to Jotham, he
went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and
cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God
may hearken unto you. 9:8The trees went forth on a time to
anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou
over us. 9:9But the olive-tree said unto them,
Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go
to wave to and fro over the trees? 9:10And the trees said to the fig-tree,
Come thou, and reign over us. 9:11But the fig-tree said unto them,
Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro
over the trees? 9:12And the trees said unto the vine, Come
thou, and reign over us. 9:13And the vine said unto them, Should I
leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro
over the trees? 9:14Then said all the trees unto the
bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 9:15And the bramble said
unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take
refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and
devour the cedars of Lebanon. 9:16Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly
and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt
well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands 9:17(for my father fought for you, and
adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 9:18and
ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his
sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech,
the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is
your brother); 9:19if ye then have dealt truly and
uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in
Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 9:20but if not, let fire
come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of
Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house
of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 9:21And Jotham ran away, and fled, and
went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
9:22And Abimelech was prince over Israel
three years. 9:23And God sent an evil spirit between
Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt
treacherously with Abimelech: 9:24that the violence done to the
threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood
might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the
men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. 9:25And
the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains,
and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told
Abimelech.
9:26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his
brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust
in him. 9:27And they went out into the field, and
gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival,
and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed
Abimelech. 9:28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is
Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son
of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father
of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 9:29And would that this
people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to
Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
9:30And when Zebul the ruler of the city
heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 9:31And
he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son
of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain
the city to take part against thee. 9:32Now therefore, up by
night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the
field: 9:33and it shall be, that in the morning,
as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city;
and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against
thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
9:34And Abimelech rose up, and all the
people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in
four companies. 9:35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and
stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and
the people that were with him, from the ambushment. 9:36And when Gaal saw the
people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of
the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the
mountains as if they were men. 9:37And Gaal spake again and said, See,
there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh
by the way of the oak of Meonenim. 9:38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now
thy mouth, that 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. 9:39And Gaal went out before the men of
Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 9:40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled
before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the
gate.
9:41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and
Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in
Shechem. 9:42And it came to pass on the morrow,
that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 9:43And
he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait
in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the
city; And he rose up against them, and smote them. 9:44And Abimelech, and the
companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of
the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in
the field, and smote them. 9:45And Abimelech fought against the city
all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein:
and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
9:46And when all the men of the tower of
Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of
Elberith. 9:47And it was told Abimelech that all the
men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 9:48And Abimelech gat him
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 the trees,
and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people
that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have
done. 9:49And all the people likewise cut down
every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the
stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men
of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
9:50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and
encamped against Thebez, and took it. 9:51But there was a strong
tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all
they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of
the tower. 9:52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and
fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it
with fire. 9:53And a certain woman cast an upper
millstone upon Abimelech's head, and brake his skull. 9:54Then he called hastily unto the young
man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that
men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through,
and he died. 9:55And when the men of Israel saw that
Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 9:56Thus God requited the wickedness of
Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren;
9:57and all the wickedness of the men of
Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of
Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
10:1And after Abimelech there arose to
save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and
he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim. 10:2And he judged Israel
twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
10:3And after him arose Jair, the
Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty and two years. 10:4And
he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty
cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land
of Gilead. 10:5And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
10:6And the children of Israel again did
that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and
the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods
of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the
Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not. 10:7And
the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the
hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon. 10:8And
they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years
oppressed they all the children of Israel that were beyond the
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 10:9And
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
sore distressed.
10:10And the children of Israel cried unto
Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have
forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim. 10:11And Jehovah said unto
the children of Israel, Did not I save you from the
Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the
Philistines? 10:12The Sidonians also, and the
Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried unto me, and I
saved you out of their hand. 10:13Yet ye have forsaken me, and served
other gods: wherefore I will save you no more. 10:14Go and cry unto the
gods which ye have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.
10:15And the children of Israel said unto
Jehovah, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto
thee; only deliver us, we pray thee, this day. 10:16And they put away the
foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved
for the misery of Israel.
10:17Then the children of Ammon were
gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel
assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. 10:18And the people, the princes of
Gilead, said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight
against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants
of Gilead.
11:1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a
mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat
Jephthah. 11:2And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and
when his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said unto him,
Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of
another woman. 11:3Then Jephthah fled from his brethren,
and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain fellows to
Jephthah, and they went out with him.
11:4And it came to pass after a while,
that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 11:5And it was so, that,
when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead
went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob; 11:6and they said unto
Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of
Ammon. 11:7And Jephthah said unto the elders of
Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? and why
are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 11:8And the elders of
Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore are we turned again to thee now, that
thou mayest go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon; and thou
shalt be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 11:9And
Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to
fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me,
shall I be your head? 11:10And the elders of Gilead said unto
Jephthah, Jehovah shall be witness between us; surely according to thy
word so will we do. 11:11Then Jephthah went with the elders of
Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah
spake all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah.
11:12And Jephthah sent messengers unto the
king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that
thou art come unto me to fight against my land? 11:13And the king of the
children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel
took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto
the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan: now therefore restore those lands
again peaceably. 11:14And Jephthah sent messengers again
unto the king of the children of Ammon; 11:15and he said unto him,
Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land
of the children of Ammon, 11:16but when they came up from Egypt, and
Israel went through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;
11:17then Israel sent messengers unto the
king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the
king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of
Moab; but he would not: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 11:18Then they went
through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of
Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on
the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab,
for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 11:19And Israel sent
messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and
Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my
place. 11:20But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass
through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and
encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 11:21And Jehovah, the God
of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and
they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the
inhabitants of that country. 11:22And they possessed all the border of
the Amorites, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness
even unto the Jordan. 11:23So now Jehovah, the God of Israel,
hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and
shouldest thou possess them? 11:24Wilt not thou possess that which
Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever Jehovah our God hath
dispossessed from before us, them will we possess. 11:25And now art thou
anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever
strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 11:26While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its
towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by
the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; wherefore did ye not recover
them within that time? 11:27I therefore have not sinned against
thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be
judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
11:28Howbeit the king of the children of
Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
11:29Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon
Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh
of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of
Ammon. 11:30And Jephthah vowed a vow unto
Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into
my hand, 11:31then it shall be, that whatsoever
cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace
from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up
for a burnt-offering. 11:32So Jephthah passed over unto the
children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah delivered them into
his hand. 11:33And he smote them from Aroer until
thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto Abelcheramim, with a
very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the
children of Israel.
11:34And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his
house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and
with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son
nor daughter. 11:35And it came to pass, when he saw her,
that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought
me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened
my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back. 11:36And she said unto
him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me
according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as
Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the
children of Ammon. 11:37And she said unto her father, Let
this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and
go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
11:38And he said, Go. And he sent her away
for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her
virginity upon the mountains. 11:39And it came to pass at the end of two
months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to
his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man. And it was a custom in
Israel, 11:40that the daughters of Israel went
yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a
year.
12:1And the men of Ephraim were gathered
together, and passed northward; and they said unto Jephthah, Wherefore
passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not
call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire. 12:2And
Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the
children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their
hand. 12:3And when I saw that ye saved me not, I
put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and
Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me
this day, to fight against me? 12:4Then Jephthah gathered together all
the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote
Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in
the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh. 12:5And
the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And
it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me
go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he
said, Nay; 12:6then said they unto him, Say now
Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it
right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the
Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.
12:7And Jephthah judged Israel six years.
Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the
cities of Gilead.
12:8And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem
judged Israel. 12:9And he had thirty sons; and thirty
daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad
for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 12:10And Ibzan died, and
was buried at Beth-lehem. 12:11And after him Elon the Zebulunite
judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. 12:12And Elon the
Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
12:13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel
the Pirathonite judged Israel. 12:14And he had forty sons and thirty
sons' sons, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged
Israel eight years. 12:15And Abdon the son of Hillel the
Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in
the hill-country of the Amalekites.
13:1And the children of Israel again did
that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them
into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
13:2And there was a certain man of Zorah,
of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was
barren, and bare not. 13:3And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto
the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest
not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 13:4Now therefore beware,
I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean
thing: 13:5for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear
a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a
Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of
the hand of the Philistines. 13:6Then the woman came and told her
husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like
the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not
whence he was, neither told he me his name: 13:7but he said unto me,
Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor
strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a
Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.
13:8Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and
said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come
again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be
born. 13:9And God hearkened to the voice of
Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the
field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 13:10And the woman made
haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man
hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 13:11And Manoah arose, and went after his
wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that
spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 13:12And Manoah said, Now
let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and
how shall we do unto him? 13:13And the angel of Jehovah said unto
Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 13:14She may not eat of anything that
cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat
any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.
13:15And Manoah said unto the angel of
Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for
thee. 13:16And the angel of Jehovah said unto
Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou
wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For
Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah. 13:17And Manoah said unto
the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass,
we may do thee honor? 13:18And the angel of Jehovah said unto
him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? 13:19So Manoah took the kid with the
meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and the
angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 13:20For it came to pass, when the flame
went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah
ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and
they fell on their faces to the ground.
13:21But the angel of Jehovah did no more
appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of
Jehovah. 13:22And Manoah said unto his wife, We
shall surely die, because we have seen God. 13:23But his wife said
unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a
burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have
showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things
as these. 13:24And the woman bare a son, and called
his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. 13:25And the Spirit of Jehovah began to
move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
14:1And Samson went down to Timnah, and
saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 14:2And
he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a
woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her
for me to wife. 14:3Then his father and his mother said
unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or
among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised
Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she
pleaseth me well. 14:4But his father and his mother knew not
that it was of Jehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines.
Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.
14:5Then went Samson down, and his father
and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and,
behold, a young lion roared against him. 14:6And the Spirit of
Jehovah came mightily upon 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. 14:7And he went down, and talked with the
woman, and she pleased Samson well. 14:8And after a while he returned to take
her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold,
there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 14:9And
he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to
his father and mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat: but he told
them not that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.
14:10And his father went down unto the
woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 14:11And it came to pass, when they saw
him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 14:12And Samson said unto them, Let me now
put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven
days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen
garments and thirty changes of raiment; 14:13but if ye cannot
declare it unto me, then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty
changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we
may hear it. 14:14And he said unto them,
Out of the eater came forth food,
And out of the strong came forth sweetness.
And they could not in three days declare the riddle. 14:15And it came to pass on the seventh
day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may
declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with
fire: have ye called us to impoverish us? is it not so? 14:16And Samson's wife wept before him,
and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a
riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he
said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and
shall I tell thee? 14:17And 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 pressed him sore; and she told the riddle to
the children of her people. 14:18And the men of the city said unto him
on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey?
and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them,
If ye had not plowed with my heifer,
Ye had not found out my riddle.
14:19And the Spirit of Jehovah came
mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of
them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of raiment unto
them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up
to his father's house. 14:20But Samson's wife was given to
his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
15:1But it came to pass after a while, in
the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he
said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not
suffer him to go in. 15:2And her father said, I verily thought
that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion:
is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead
of her. 15:3And Samson said unto them, This time
shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a
mischief. 15:4And Samson went and caught three
hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a
firebrand in the midst between every two tails. 15:5And when he had set
the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the
Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also
the oliveyards. 15:6Then the Philistines said, Who hath
done this? And they said, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because
he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the
Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. 15:7And
Samson said unto them, If ye do after this manner, surely I will be
avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 15:8And he smote them hip
and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the cleft
of the rock of Etam.
15:9Then the Philistines went up, and
encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 15:10And the men of Judah
said, Why are ye come up against us? And they said, To bind Samson are we
come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. 15:11Then three thousand
men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to
Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what
then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they
did unto me, so have I done unto them. 15:12And they said unto
him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand
of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will
not fall upon me yourselves. 15:13And they spake unto him, saying, No;
but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely
we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought
him up from the rock.
15:14When he came unto Lehi, the
Philistines shouted as they met him: and the Spirit of Jehovah came
mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax
that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands. 15:15And he found a fresh jawbone of an
ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men
therewith. 15:16And Samson said,
With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men.
15:17And it came to pass, when he had made
an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and
that place was called Ramath-lehi. 15:18And he was sore athirst, and called
on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand
of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of
the uncircumcised. 15:19But God clave the hollow place that
is in Lehi, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his
spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore the name thereof was called
En-hakkore, which is in Lehi, unto this day. 15:20And he judged Israel
in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
16:1And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there
a harlot, and went in unto her. 16:2And it was told the Gazites,
saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait
for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night,
saying, Let be till morning light, then we will kill him. 16:3And
Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar
and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top
of the mountain that is before Hebron.
16:4And it came to pass afterward, that he
loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 16:5And
the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice
him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may
prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give
thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. 16:6And
Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength
lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. 16:7And
Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were
never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. 16:8Then the lords of the Philistines
brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she
bound him with them. 16:9Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in
the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee,
Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it
toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
16:10And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold,
thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith
thou mightest be bound. 16:11And he said unto her, If they only
bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I
become weak, and be as another man. 16:12So Delilah took new ropes, and bound
him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson.
And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them
off his arms like a thread.
16:13And Delilah said unto Samson,
Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou
mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks
of my head with the web. 16:14And she fastened it with the pin, and
said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of
his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.
16:15And she said unto him, How canst thou
say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these
three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. 16:16And it came to pass, when she pressed
him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto
death. 16:17And he told her all his heart, and
said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a
Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength
will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. 16:18And 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 the
lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their
hand. 16:19And she made him sleep upon her
knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his
head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 16:20And she said, The Philistines are
upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out
as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was
departed from him. 16:21And the Philistines laid hold on him,
and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him
with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house. 16:22Howbeit the hair of his head began to
grow again after he was shaven.
16:23And the lords of the Philistines
gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god,
and to rejoice; for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy
into our hand. 16:24And 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, who hath slain many of us. 16:25And it came to pass, when their
hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us
sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made
sport before them. And they set him between the pillars: 16:26and Samson said unto the lad that
held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the
house resteth, that I may lean upon them. 16:27Now the house was
full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there;
and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that
beheld while Samson made sport.
16:28And Samson called unto Jehovah, and
said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray
thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes. 16:29And Samson took hold of the two
middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one
with his right hand, and the other with his left. 16:30And Samson said, Let
me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and
the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein.
So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in
his life. 16:31Then his brethren and all the house
of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him
between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And
he judged Israel twenty years.
17:1And there was a man of the
hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 17:2And he said unto his
mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from
thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in
mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said,
Blessed be my son of Jehovah. 17:3And he restored the eleven hundred
pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I verily
dedicate the silver unto Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven
image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. 17:4And
when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred
pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a
graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah. 17:5And
the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and
consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 17:6In those days there
was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
17:7And there was a young man out of
Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he
sojourned there. 17:8And the man departed out of the city,
out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place,
and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he
journeyed. 17:9And Micah said unto him, Whence comest
thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to
sojourn where I may find a place. 17:10And Micah said unto
him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give
thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and
thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 17:11And the Levite was
content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of
his sons. 17:12And Micah consecrated the Levite, and
the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 17:13Then said Micah, Now know I that
Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
18:1In those days there was no king in
Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an
inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day their inheritance had
not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 18:2And the children of
Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor,
from Zorah, 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
hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there. 18:3When they were by the house of Micah,
they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside
thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou
in this place? and what hast thou here? 18:4And he said unto them,
Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am
become his priest. 18:5And they said unto him, Ask counsel,
we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall
be prosperous. 18:6And the priest said unto them, Go in
peace: before Jehovah is your way wherein ye go.
18:7Then the five men departed, and came
to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in
security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there
was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put them to
shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no
dealings with any man. 18:8And they came unto their brethren to
Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
18:9And they said, Arise, and let us go up
against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and
are ye still? be not slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
18:10When ye go, ye shall come unto a
people secure, and the land is large; for God hath given it into your
hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.
18:11And there set forth from thence of
the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred
men girt with weapons of war. 18:12And they went up, and encamped in
Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan,
unto this day; behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim. 18:13And they passed
thence unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
18:14Then answered the five men that went
to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know
that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image,
and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 18:15And they turned aside thither, and
came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of
Micah, and asked him of his welfare. 18:16And the six hundred
men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood
by the entrance of the gate. 18:17And the five men that went 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 by the
entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war. 18:18And when these went into Micah's
house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the
molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye? 18:19And they said unto him, Hold thy
peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father
and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one
man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 18:20And the priest's heart was glad, and
he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the
midst of the people.
18:21So they turned and departed, and put
the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them. 18:22When they were a good way from the
house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were
gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 18:23And they cried unto the children of
Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee,
that thou comest with such a company? 18:24And he said, ye have
taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and
what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee? 18:25And the children of Dan said unto
him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon
you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 18:26And the children of Dan went their
way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and
went back unto his house.
18:27And they took that which Micah had
made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet
and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the
city with fire. 18:28And there was no deliverer, because
it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was
in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt
therein. 18:29And they called the name of the city
Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit
the name of the city was Laish at the first. 18:30And the children of
Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of
Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of
the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 18:31So they set them up Micah's graven
image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
19:1And it came to pass in those days,
when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite
sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to
him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. 19:2And his concubine
played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's
house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months. 19:3And
her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring
her again, having 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. 19:4And his father-in-law, the damsel's
father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat
and drink, and lodged there. 19:5And it came to pass on the fourth day,
that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the
damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a
morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way. 19:6So they sat down, and
did eat and drink, both of them together: and the damsel's father said
unto the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy
heart be merry. 19:7And the man rose up to depart; but his
father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again. 19:8And he arose early in
the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father said,
Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declineth;
and they did eat, both of them. 19:9And 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, I pray
you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that
thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home.
19:10But the man would not tarry that
night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same
is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his
concubine also was with him. 19:11When they were by Jebus, the day was
far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and
let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 19:12And his master said unto him, We will
not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children
of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah. 19:13And he said unto his
servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will
lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah. 19:14So they passed on and went their way;
and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to
Benjamin. 19:15And they turned aside thither, to go
in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of
the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
19:16And, behold, there came an old man
from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the
hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the
place were Benjamites. 19:17And he lifted up his eyes, and saw
the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither
goest thou? and whence comest thou? 19:18And he said unto him, We are passing
from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of
Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am
now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh
me into his house. 19:19Yet there is both straw and provender
for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy
handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no
want of anything. 19:20And the old man said, Peace be unto
thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the
street. 19:21So he brought him into his house, and
gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
19:22As they were making their hearts
merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house
round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the
house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house,
that we may know him. 19:23And the man, the master of the house,
went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, I pray you, do
not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this
folly. 19:24Behold, here is my daughter a virgin,
and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do
with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such
folly. 19:25But the men would not hearken to him:
so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them;
and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and
when the day began to spring, they let her go. 19:26Then came the woman
in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house
where her lord was, till it was light.
19:27And her lord rose up in the morning,
and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and,
behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house,
with her hands upon the threshold. 19:28And he said unto her, Up, and let us
be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the ass; and the man
rose up, and gat him unto his place. 19:29And when he was come
into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and
divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all
the borders of Israel. 19:30And it was so, that all that saw it
said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children
of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider it,
take counsel, and speak.
20:1Then all the children of Israel went
out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to
Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah. 20:2And
the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented
themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand
footmen that drew sword. 20:3(Now the children of Benjamin heard
that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of
Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass? 20:4And
the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said,
I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to
lodge. 20:5And the men of Gibeah rose against me,
and beset the house round about me by night; me they thought to have
slain, and my concubine they forced, and she is dead. 20:6And
I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all
the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness
and folly in Israel. 20:7Behold, ye children of Israel, all of
you, give here your advice and counsel.
20:8And all the people arose as one man,
saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us
turn unto his house. 20:9But now this is the thing which we
will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot; 20:10and we will take ten men of a hundred
throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a
thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they
may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly
that they have wrought in Israel. 20:11So all the men of Israel were
gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
20:12And the tribes of Israel sent men
through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is
come to pass among you? 20:13Now therefore deliver up the men, the
base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put
away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of
their brethren the children of Israel. 20:14And the children of
Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go
out to battle against the children of Israel. 20:15And the children of
Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six
thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were
numbered seven hundred chosen men. 20:16Among all this people there were
seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a
hair-breadth, and not miss.
20:17And the men of Israel, besides
Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all
these were men of war. 20:18And the children of Israel arose, and
went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go
up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah
said, Judah shall go up first.
20:19And the children of Israel rose up in
the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20:20And the men of Israel
went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle
in array against them at Gibeah. 20:21And the children of Benjamin came
forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on
that day twenty and two thousand men. 20:22And the people, the
men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in
the place where they set themselves in array the first day. 20:23And the children of Israel went up
and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying,
Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my
brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
20:24And the children of Israel came near
against the children of Benjamin the second day. 20:25And Benjamin went
forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the
ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these
drew the sword. 20:26Then all the children of Israel, and
all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there
before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even; and they offered
burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. 20:27And the children of
Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in
those days, 20:28and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the
son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go
out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I
cease? And Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy
hand.
20:29And Israel set liers-in-wait against
Gibeah round about. 20:30And the children of Israel went up
against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in
array against Gibeah, as at other times. 20:31And the children of
Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city;
and they began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times, in the
highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, in
the field, about thirty men of Israel. 20:32And the children of
Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the
children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city
unto the highways. 20:33And all the men of Israel rose up out
of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the
liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of
Maareh-geba. 20:34And there came over against Gibeah
ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but
they knew not that evil was close upon them. 20:35And Jehovah smote
Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin
that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the
sword.
20:36So the children of Benjamin saw that
they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because
they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah. 20:37And the liers-in-wait hasted, and
rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and smote
all the city with the edge of the sword. 20:38Now the appointed
sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should
make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. 20:39And the men of Israel turned in the
battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about
thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as
in the first battle. 20:40But when the cloud began to arise up
out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them;
and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 20:41And the men of Israel turned, and the
men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that evil was come upon them.
20:42Therefore they turned their backs
before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle
followed hard after them; and they that came out of the cities destroyed
them in the midst thereof. 20:43They inclosed the Benjamites round
about, and chased them, and trod them down at their
resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. 20:44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen
thousand men; all these were men of valor. 20:45And they turned and
fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of
them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them unto
Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men. 20:46So that all who fell
that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the
sword; all these were men of valor. 20:47But six hundred men
turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode
in the rock of Rimmon four months. 20:48And the men of Israel turned again
upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword,
both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found: moreover
all the cities which they found they set on fire.
21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in
Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin
to wife. 21:2And the people came to Beth-el, and
sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.
21:3And they said, O Jehovah, the God of
Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day
one tribe lacking in Israel? 21:4And it came to pass on the morrow,
that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered
burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. 21:5And the children of Israel said, Who
is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly
unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not
up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 21:6And
the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said,
There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 21:7How shall we do for
wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by Jehovah that we will
not give them of our daughters to wives?
21:8And they said, What one is there of
the tribes of Israel that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold,
there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 21:9For
when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead there. 21:10And the congregation sent thither
twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and
smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with
the women and the little ones. 21:11And this is the thing that ye shall
do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by
man. 21:12And they found among the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by
lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in
the land of Canaan.
21:13And the whole congregation sent and
spake to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and
proclaimed peace unto them. 21:14And Benjamin returned at that time;
and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of
Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. 21:15And the people
repented them for Benjamin, because that Jehovah had made a breach in the
tribes of Israel.
21:16Then the elders of the congregation
said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are
destroyed out of Benjamin? 21:17And they said, There must be an
inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not
blotted out from Israel. 21:18Howbeit we may not give them wives of
our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he
that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 21:19And they said, Behold, there is a
feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of
Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to
Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 21:20And they commanded
the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21:21and see, and, behold, if the
daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of
the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of
Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 21:22And it shall be, when
their fathers or their brethren come to complain unto us, that we will say
unto them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we took not for each man
of them his wife in battle, neither did ye give them unto them,
else would ye now be guilty. 21:23And the children of Benjamin did so,
and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom
they carried off: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and
built the cities, and dwelt in them. 21:24And the children of
Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his
family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
21:25In those days there was no king in
Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
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