DP Tool Club 15/CD_ASCQ_15_070894.iso/vrac/olbible.zip/JUDGE

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                                    JUDGES



Chapter 1

1   Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of
    Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the
    Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2   And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the
    land into his hand.
3   And 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.
4   And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the
    Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand
    men.
5   And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and
    they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6   But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and
    cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7   And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and
    their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have
    done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and
    there he died.
8   Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken
    it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on
    fire.
9   And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the
    Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the
    valley.
10  And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron:  (now the
    name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and
    Ahiman, and Talmai.
11  And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir:  and the
    name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher:
12  And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him
    will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
13  And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and
    he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
14  And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask
    of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said
    unto her, What wilt thou?
15  And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a
    south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper
    springs and the nether springs.
16  And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of
    the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of
    Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among
    the people.
17  And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites
    that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the
    city was called Hormah.
18  Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the
    coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
19  And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the
    mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because
    they had chariots of iron.
20  And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled
    thence the three sons of Anak.
21  And 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.
22  And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel:  and the
    Lord was with them.
23  And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the
    city before was Luz.)
24  And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said
    unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will
    shew thee mercy.
25  And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the
    city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his
    family.
26  And 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.
27  Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her
    towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her
    towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants
    of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
28  And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the
    Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
29  Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but
    the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30  Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the
    inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became
    tributaries.
31  Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the
    inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of
    Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32  But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the
    land: for they did not drive them out.
33  Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor
    the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the
    inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and
    of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.
34  And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for
    they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
35  But 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 tributaries.
36  And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from
    the rock, and upward.

Chapter 2

1   And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and 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   And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye
    shall throw down their altars:  but ye have not obeyed my voice: why
    have ye done this?
3   Wherefore 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.
4   And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto
    all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and
    wept.
5   And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed
    there unto the Lord.
6   And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went
    every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7   And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the
    days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great
    works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.
8   And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an
    hundred and ten years old.
9   And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres,
    in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and
    there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor
    yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and
    served Baalim:
12  And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them
    out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the
    people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and
    provoked the Lord to anger.
13  And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14  And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered
    them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into
    the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any
    longer stand before their enemies.
15  Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them
    for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and
    they were greatly distressed.
16  Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of
    the hand of those that spoiled them.
17  And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went
    a-whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them:  they turned
    quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
    commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
18  And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the
    judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days
    of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by
    reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19  And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and
    corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to
    serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
    doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20  And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said,
    Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded
    their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21  I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the
    nations which Joshua left when he died:
22  That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way
    of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23  Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out
    hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Chapter 3

1   Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by
    them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2   Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to
    teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3   Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
    Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount
    Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
4   And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would
    hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their
    fathers by the hand of Moses.
5   And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and
    Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
6   And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their
    daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7   And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and
    forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
8   Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold
    them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the
    children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
9   And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised
    up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even
    Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
10  And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and
    went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of
    Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against
    Chushanrishathaim.
11  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz
    died.
12  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord:
    and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because
    they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.
13  And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went
    and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14  So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen
    years.
15  But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised
    them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man
    lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon
    the king of Moab.
16  But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length;
    and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17  And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a
    very fat man.
18  And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the
    people that bare the present.
19  But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal,
    and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep
    silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20  And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which
    he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto
    thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21  And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right
    thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22  And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon
    the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and
    the dirt came out.
23  Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the
    parlour upon him, and locked them.
24  When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that,
    behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he
    covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25  And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not
    the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them:
    and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26  And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries,
    and escaped unto Seirath.
27  And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the
    mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from
    the mount, and he before them.
28  And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered
    your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him,
    and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass
    over.
29  And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty,
    and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land
    had rest fourscore years.
31  And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the
    Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered
    Israel.

Chapter 4

1   And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord,
    when Ehud was dead.
2   And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that
    reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in
    Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3   And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine
    hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the
    children of Israel.
4   And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at
    that time.
5   And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel
    in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for
    judgment.
6   And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of
    Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel
    commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee
    ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of
    Zebulun?
7   And 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 thine hand.
8   And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but
    if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9   And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey
    that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell
    Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak
    to Kedesh.
10  And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with
    ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11  Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father
    in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his
    tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12  And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to
    mount Tabor.
13  And 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 of Kishon.
14  And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the
    Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out
    before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men
    after him.
15  And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his
    host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted
    down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16  But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto
    Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge
    of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17  Howbeit 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.
18  And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my
    lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into
    the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19  And 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.
20  Again 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.
21  Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in
    her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples,
    and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he
    died.
22  And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and
    said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And
    when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in
    his temples.
23  So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the
    children of Israel.
24  And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed
    against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of
    Canaan.

Chapter 5

1   Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2   Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people
    willingly offered themselves.
3   Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto
    the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
4   Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the
    field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds
    also dropped water.
5   The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before
    the Lord God of Israel.
6   In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the
    highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7   The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until
    that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8   They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or
    spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9   My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves
    willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.
10  Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk
    by the way.
11  They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of
    drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord,
    even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in
    Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
12  Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and
    lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13  Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among
    the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
14  Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee,
    Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out
    of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15  And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and
    also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of
    Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16  Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the
    flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of
    heart.
17  Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher
    continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18  Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto
    the death in the high places of the field.
19  The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach
    by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20  They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against
    Sisera.
21  The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river
    Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22  Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the
    prancings of their mighty ones.
23  Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the
    inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to
    the help of the Lord against the mighty.
24  Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be,
    blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25  He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a
    lordly dish.
26  She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's
    hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head,
    when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27  At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he
    fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28  The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the
    lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of
    his chariots?
29  Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30  Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a
    damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers
    colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides,
    meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31  So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him
    be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest
    forty years.

Chapter 6

1   And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the
    Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2   And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the
    Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the
    mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3   And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and
    the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against
    them;
4   And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the
    earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel,
    neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5   For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
    grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without
    number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6   And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the
    children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
7   And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord
    because of the Midianites,
8   That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said
    unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from
    Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9   And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the
    hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and
    gave you their land;
10  And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the
    Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11  And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was
    in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon
    threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The
    Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why
    then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our
    fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but
    now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the
    Midianites.
14  And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and
    thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:  have not I sent
    thee?
15  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?
    behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's
    house.
16  And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou
    shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
17  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then
    shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring
    forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry
    until thou come again.
19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an
    ephah of flour: 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.
20  And 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.
21  Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in
    his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose
    up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened
    cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.
22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon
    said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord
    face to face.
23  And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not:  thou shalt
    not die.
24  Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it
    Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25  And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take
    thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old,
    and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the
    grove that is by it:
26  And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock,
    in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt
    sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had
    said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household,
    and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it
    by night.
28  And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the
    altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it,
    and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29  And 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.
30  Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he
    may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he
    hath cut down the grove that was by it.
31  And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for
    Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to
    death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for
    himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
32  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead
    against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
33  Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the
    east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of
    Jezreel.
34  But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet;
    and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35  And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered
    after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto
    Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36  And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as
    thou hast said,
37  Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be
    on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall
    I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
    fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of
    water.
39  And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and
    I will speak but this once: let me prove, 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.
40  And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and
    there was dew on all the ground.

Chapter 7

1   Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him,
    rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of
    the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in
    the valley.
2   And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too
    many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt
    themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3   Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying,
    Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from
    mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand;
    and there remained ten thousand.
4   And the Lord 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.
5   So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord 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.
6   And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth,
    were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon
    their knees to drink water.
7   And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped
    will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand:  and let
    all the other people go every man unto his place.
8   So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he
    sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those
    three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the
    valley.
9   And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him,
    Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine
    hand.
10  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to
    the host:
11  And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be
    strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his
    servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12  And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the
    east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their
    camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13  And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream
    unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of
    barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and
    smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14  And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword
    of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God
    delivered Midian, and all the host.
15  And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the
    interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host
    of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand
    the host of Midian.
16  And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put
    a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the
    pitchers.
17  And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when
    I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall
    ye do.
18  When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye
    the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of
    the Lord, and of Gideon.
19  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the
    outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had
    but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the
    pitchers that were in their hands.
20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers,
    and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right
    hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of
    Gideon.
21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp:  and all
    the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's
    sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host:  and the host
    fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto
    Tabbath.
23  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali,
    and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the
    Midianites.
24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come
    down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto
    Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves
    together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
25  And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they
    slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of
    Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to
    Gideon on the other side Jordan.

Chapter 8

1   And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus,
    that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the
    Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2   And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is
    not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of
    Abiezer?
3   God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and
    Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger
    was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4   And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred
    men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5   And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread
    unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing
    after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6   And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna
    now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7   And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and
    Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of
    the wilderness and with briers.
8   And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the
    men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9   And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in
    peace, I will break down this tower.
10  Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them,
    about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the
    children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men
    that drew sword.
11  And 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.
12  And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the
    two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13  And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was
    up,
14  And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him:
    and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders
    thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15  And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and
    Zalmunna with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and
    Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that
    are weary?
16  And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and
    briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17  And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18  Then 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.
19  And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as
    the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20  And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them.  But the
    youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21  Then 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 away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22  Then 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 delivered us
    from the hand of Midian.
23  And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my
    son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
24  And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye
    would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden
    earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25  And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a
    garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a
    thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and
    collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside
    the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in
    Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a-whoring after it:  which thing
    became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28  Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they
    lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty
    years in the days of Gideon.
29  And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30  And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he
    had many wives.
31  And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose
    name he called Abimelech.
32  And 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.
33  And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of
    Israel turned again, and went a-whoring after Baalim, and made
    Baalberith their god.
34  And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had
    delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35  Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely,
    Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

Chapter 9

1   And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's
    brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house
    of his mother's father, saying,
2   Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is
    better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are
    threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?
    remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3   And 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.
4   And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house
    of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which
    followed him.
5   And 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:
    notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for
    he hid himself.
6   And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of
    Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar
    that was in Shechem.
7   And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in 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.
8   The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they
    said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
9   But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness,
    wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the
    trees?
10  And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
11  But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and
    my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12  Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
13  And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth
    God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
14  Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over
    us.
15  And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king
    over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let
    fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16  Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, 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;
17  (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and
    delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18  And 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 maidservant, king over the men of
    Shechem, because he is your brother;)
19  If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his
    house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice
    in you:
20  But 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.
21  And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for
    fear of Abimelech his brother.
22  When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
23  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of
    Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24  That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal
    might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which
    slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing
    of his brethren.
25  And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the
    mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it
    was told Abimelech.
26  And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to
    Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27  And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and
    trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god,
    and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28  And 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 the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we
    serve him?
29  And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove
    Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30  And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son
    of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31  And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal
    the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they
    fortify the city against thee.
32  Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and
    lie in wait in the field:
33  And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou
    shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the
    people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to
    them as thou shalt find occasion.
34  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by
    night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35  And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the
    gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with
    him, from lying in wait.
36  And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come
    people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou
    seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37  And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the
    middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of
    Meonenim.
38  Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou
    saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the
    people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with
    them.
39  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with
    Abimelech.
40  And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were
    overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
41  And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his
    brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the
    field; and they told Abimelech.
43  And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and
    laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come
    forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44  And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and
    stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other
    companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew
    them.
45  And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the
    city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and
    sowed it with salt.
46  And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered
    into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47  And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem
    were gathered together.
48  And 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, and laid it on his shoulder, and said
    unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste,
    and do as I have done.
49  And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and
    followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire
    upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about
    a thousand men and women.
50  Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took
    it.
51  But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all
    the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and
    gat them up to the top of the tower.
52  And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went
    hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53  And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's
    head, and all to brake his skull.
54  Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour-bearer, and said
    unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman
    slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55  And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed
    every man unto his place.
56  Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his
    father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57  And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their
    heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Chapter 10

1   And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah
    the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in mount
    Ephraim.
2   And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried
    in Shamir.
3   And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and
    two years.
4   And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had
    thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in
    the land of Gilead.
5   And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6   And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord,
    and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of
    Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and
    the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.
7   And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them
    into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of
    Ammon.
8   And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel:
    eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side
    Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9   Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also
    against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim;
    so that Israel was sore distressed.
10  And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have
    sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also
    served Baalim.
11  And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you
    from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon,
    and from the Philistines?
12  The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress
    you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13  Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will
    deliver you no more.
14  Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you
    in the time of your tribulation.
15  And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do
    thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray
    thee, this day.
16  And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the
    Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17  Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in
    Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and
    encamped in Mizpeh.
18  And the people and 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.

Chapter 11

1   Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the
    son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2   And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they
    thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our
    father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3   Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob:
    and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4   And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon
    made war against Israel.
5   And 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:
6   And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may
    fight with the children of Ammon.
7   And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and
    expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when
    ye are in distress?
8   And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again
    to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children
    of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9   And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again
    to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before
    me, shall I be your head?
10  And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness
    between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11  Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him
    head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before
    the Lord in Mizpeh.
12  And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon,
    saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to
    fight in my land?
13  And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of
    Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of
    Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan:  now therefore
    restore those lands again peaceably.
14  And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of
    Ammon:
15  And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land
    of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16  But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness
    unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17  Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I
    pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken
    thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he
    would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18  Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land
    of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of
    Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the
    border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19  And 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 into my place.
20  But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon
    gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought
    against Israel.
21  And the Lord 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.
22  And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even
    unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23  So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from
    before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24  Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to
    possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us,
    them will we possess.
25  And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king
    of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against
    them,
26  While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her
    towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three
    hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27  Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to
    war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the
    children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28  Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the
    words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29  Then the spirit of the Lord 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.
30  And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt
    without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31  Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my
    house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon,
    shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt
    offering.
32  So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against
    them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33  And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even
    twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great
    slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children
    of Israel.
34  And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter
    came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances:  and she was his
    only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35  And 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 the Lord, and I
    cannot go back.
36  And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto
    the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy
    mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine
    enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37  And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me
    alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and
    bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38  And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went
    with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39  And 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 no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40  That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of
    Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Chapter 12

1   And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went
    northward, and 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 thine house upon thee with fire.
2   And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with
    the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of
    their hands.
3   And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands,
    and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered
    them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to
    fight against me?
4   Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with
    Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye
    Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the
    Manassites.
5   And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites:
    and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let
    me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an
    Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6   Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth:
    for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and
    slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the
    Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
7   And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the
    Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8   And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9   And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and
    took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel
    seven years.
10  Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
11  And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel
    ten years.
12  And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the
    country of Zebulun.
13  And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14  And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and
    ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
15  And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in
    Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

Chapter 13

1   And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord;
    and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty
    years.
2   And 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.
3   And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her,
    Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive,
    and bear a son.
4   Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong
    drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5   For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come
    on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb:
    and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the
    Philistines.
6   Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came
    unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of
    God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he
    me his name:
7   But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and
    now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for
    the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his
    death.
8   Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of
    God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall
    do unto the child that shall be born.
9   And 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.
10  And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said
    unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the
    other day.
11  And 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.
12  And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order
    the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13  And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto
    the woman let her beware.
14  She may not eat of any thing 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.
15  And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us
    detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
16  And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I
    will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou
    must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of
    the Lord.
17  And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that
    when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
18  And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after
    my name, seeing it is secret?
19  So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock
    unto the Lord: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife
    looked on.
20  For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off
    the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the
    altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to
    the ground.
21  But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his
    wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.
22  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have
    seen God.
23  But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he
    would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our
    hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at
    this time have told us such things as these.
24  And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child
    grew, and the Lord blessed him.
25  And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of
    Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Chapter 14

1   And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the
    daughters of the Philistines.
2   And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have
    seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now
    therefore get her for me to wife.
3   Then 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.
4   But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that
    he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
    Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5   Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and
    came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared
    against him.
6   And the spirit of the Lord 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.
7   And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson
    well.
8   And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see
    the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and
    honey in the carcase of the lion.
9   And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his
    father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat:  but he told not
    them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a
    feast; for so used the young men to do.
11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty
    companions to be with him.
12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if
    ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and
    find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of
    garments:
13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets
    and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy
    riddle, that we may hear it.
14  And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of
    the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days
    expound the riddle.
15  And 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 take
    that we have? is it not so?
16  And 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 it thee?
17  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and
    it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay
    sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18  And 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.
19  And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to
    Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave
    change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger
    was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20  But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his
    friend.

Chapter 15

1   But it came to pass within a while after, 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.
2   And 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.
3   And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than
    the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
4   And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands,
    and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two
    tails.
5   And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the
    standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also
    the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
6   Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered,
    Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife,
    and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt
    her and her father with fire.
7   And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be
    avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
8   And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went
    down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
9   Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread
    themselves in Lehi.
10  And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us?  And they
    answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to
    us.
11  Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam,
    and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers
    over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto
    them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12  And 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.
13  And 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 cords, and brought him up from the rock.
14  And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and
    the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were
    upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands
    loosed from off his hands.
15  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and
    took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
16  And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with
    the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he
    cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place
    Ramathlehi.
18  And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast
    given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall
    I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
19  But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came
    water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he
    revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in
    Lehi unto this day.
20  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Chapter 16

1   Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto
    her.
2   And 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, In the morning, when it is
    day, we shall kill him.
3   And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the
    doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
    them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up
    to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
4   And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of
    Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5   And 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.
6   And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great
    strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
7   And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that
    were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8   Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs
    which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9   Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And
    she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake
    the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So
    his strength was not known.
10  And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told
    me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11  And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never
    were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12  Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said
    unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in
    wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a
    thread.
13  And 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.
14  And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines
    be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with
    the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15  And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine
    heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast
    not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16  And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and
    urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17  That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not
    come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite 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.
18  And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and
    called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for
    he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came
    up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19  And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and
    she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began
    to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20  And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out
    of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and
    shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
21  But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him
    down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in
    the prison house.
22  Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was
    shaven.
23  Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for 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.
24  And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said,
    Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of
    our country, which slew many of us.
25  And 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 them sport:  and they set him
    between the pillars.
26  And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me
    that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may
    lean upon them.
27  Now 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.
28  And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, 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.
29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house
    stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and
    of the other with his left.
30  And 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 which he slew at his death
    were more than they which he slew in his life.
31  Then 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
    buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Chapter 17

1   And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2   And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that
    were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in
    mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother
    said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son.
3   And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his
    mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord
    from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now
    therefore I will restore it unto thee.
4   Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two
    hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made
    thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of
    Micah.
5   And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and
    teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6   In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that
    which was right in his own eyes.
7   And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of
    Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8   And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn
    where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house
    of Micah, as he journeyed.
9   And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I
    am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a
    place.
10  And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a
    priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a
    suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
11  And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man
    was unto him as one of his sons.
12  And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his
    priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13  Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I
    have a Levite to my priest.

Chapter 18

1   In 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
    all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of
    Israel.
2   And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
    coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the
    land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land:
    who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged
    there.
3   When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young
    man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who
    brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place?  and what hast
    thou here?
4   And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath
    hired me, and I am his priest.
5   And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may
    know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6   And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your
    way wherein ye go.
7   Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that
    were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the
    Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land,
    that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the
    Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8   And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
    brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9   And they said, Arise, that we may 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 to possess the land.
10  When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land:
    for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of
    any thing that is in the earth.
11  And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah
    and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
12  And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:  wherefore
    they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind
    Kirjathjearim.
13  And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of
    Micah.
14  Then 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.
15  And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man
    the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
16  And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which
    were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17  And 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 in the entering of the gate with
    the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18  And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the
    ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto
    them, What do ye?
19  And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy
    mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better
    for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a
    priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
20  And 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.
21  So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle
    and the carriage before them.
22  And when 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.
23  And 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?
24  And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest,
    and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say
    unto me, What aileth thee?
25  And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard
    among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with
    the lives of thy household.
26  And 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.
27  And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which
    he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and
    secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the
    city with fire.
28  And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they
    had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by
    Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29  And 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.
30  And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the
    son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the
    tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31  And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the
    time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Chapter 19

1   And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel,
    that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim,
    who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
2   And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him
    unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole
    months.
3   And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her,
    and 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.
4   And 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.
5   And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the
    morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto
    his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and
    afterward go your way.
6   And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for
    the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and
    tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
7   And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him:
    therefore he lodged there again.
8   And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the
    damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried
    until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
9   And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his
    servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold,
    now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold,
    the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry;
    and tomorrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
10  But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed,
    and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him
    two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
11  And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant
    said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this
    city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12  And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the
    city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass
    over to Gibeah.
13  And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of
    these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14  And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon
    them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15  And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and
    when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was
    no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16  And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at
    even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but
    the men of the place were Benjamites.
17  And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the
    street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence
    comest thou?
18  And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the
    side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah,
    but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that
    receiveth me to house.
19  Yet 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
    which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20  And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants
    lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21  So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses:
    and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22  Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the
    city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at
    the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying,
    Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
23  And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said
    unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing
    that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
24  Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, 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 so vile a thing.
25  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took 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.
26  Then 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.
27  And 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, and her hands were upon the
    threshold.
28  And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered.
    Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him
    unto his place.
29  And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold
    on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve
    pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
30  And 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 of it, take advice, and speak your
    minds.

Chapter 20

1   Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was
    gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land
    of Gilead, unto the Lord in Mizpeh.
2   And the chief 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.
3   (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were
    gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was
    this wickedness?
4   And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and
    said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine,
    to lodge.
5   And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about
    upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have
    they forced, that she is dead.
6   And 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.
7   Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and
    counsel.
8   And 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 into his house.
9   But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go
    up by lot against it;
10  And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of
    Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten
    thousand, to fetch victual 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.
11  So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit
    together as one man.
12  And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin,
    saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13  Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are
    in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel.
    But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their
    brethren the children of Israel:
14  But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the
    cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15  And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the
    cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the
    inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16  Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded;
    every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
17  And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred
    thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18  And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God,
    and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the
    battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall
    go up first.
19  And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped
    against Gibeah.
20  And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the
    men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21  And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed
    down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand
    men.
22  And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their
    battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array
    the first day.
23  (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until
    even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to
    battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said,
    Go up against him.)
24  And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin
    the second day.
25  And 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.
26  Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and
    came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and
    fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace
    offerings before the Lord.
27  And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the
    covenant of God was there in those days,
28  And 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 the Lord said, Go
    up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
29  And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
30  And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin
    on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at
    other times.
31  And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were
    drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and
    kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the
    house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of
    Israel.
32  And 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 from the city unto the highways.
33  And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put
    themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came
    forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
34  And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all
    Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near
    them.
35  And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel
    destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an
    hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36  So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men
    of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the
    liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37  And 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.
38  Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the
    liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up
    out of the city.
39  And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, 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.
40  But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of
    smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the
    city ascended up to heaven.
41  And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were
    amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42  Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the
    way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came
    out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43  Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and
    trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44  And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men
    of valour.
45  And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of
    Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and
    pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46  So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five
    thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
47  But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock
    Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
48  And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and
    smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as
    the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the
    cities that they came to.

Chapter 21

1   Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any
    of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2   And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even
    before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3   And said, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel,
    that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?
4   And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and
    built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5   And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of
    Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? For they
    had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the Lord to
    Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6   And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother,
    and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7   How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn
    by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8   And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not
    up to Mizpeh to the Lord? And, behold, there came none to the camp from
    Jabeshgilead to the assembly.
9   For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the
    inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
10  And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the
    valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of
    Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the
    children.
11  And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy
    every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12  And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred
    young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they
    brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13  And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of
    Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14  And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which
    they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they
    sufficed them not.
15  And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the Lord had
    made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16  Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives
    for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17  And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped
    of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18  Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children
    of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to
    Benjamin.
19  Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly
    in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the
    highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of
    Lebonah.
20  Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie
    in wait in the vineyards;
21  And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in
    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.
22  And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to
    complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our
    sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye
    did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23  And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according
    to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught:  and they went
    and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt
    in them.
24  And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to
    his tribe and toe his family, and they went out from thence every man to
    his inheritance.
25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which
    was right in his own eyes.