MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_01D08C25.8E134310" This document is a Single File Web Page, also known as a Web Archive file. If you are seeing this message, your browser or editor doesn't support Web Archive files. Please download a browser that supports Web Archive, such as Windows® Internet Explorer®. ------=_NextPart_01D08C25.8E134310 Content-Location: file:///C:/DB83A913/Judges.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
Judges
(King James Version)
Due to Copyright reasons we can only publish=
the
King James version - however over 100 version in more than 70 translations =
of
the bible may be found at:
Contents
1 Now after t=
he
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 again=
st
them?
2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. <= o:p>
3 And Judah s=
aid
unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight aga=
inst
the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon we=
nt
with him.
4 And Judah w=
ent
up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their han=
d:
and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5 And they fo=
und
Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaani=
tes
and the Perizzites.
6 But Adonibe=
zek
fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and
his great toes.
7 And Adonibe=
zek
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 requit=
ed
me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now the chi=
ldren
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 afterwa=
rd 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 wi=
fe.
14 And it came to pass, wh=
en she
came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she light=
ed
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 Sim=
eon
his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utter=
ly
destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
18 Also Judah took Gaza wi=
th the
coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast
thereof.
19 And the LORD was with J=
udah;
and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out t=
he
inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
20 And they gave Hebron un=
to
Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.
21 And the children of Ben=
jamin
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 t=
he
land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: wh=
ich
is the name thereof unto this day.
27 Neither did Manasseh dr=
ive
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 wou=
ld
dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, wh=
en
Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utt=
erly
drive them out.
29 Neither did Ephraim dri=
ve out
the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among
them.
30 Neither did Zebulun dri=
ve out
the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanit=
es
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 ou=
t.
33 Neither did Naphtali dr= ive 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. <= o:p>
34 And the Amorites forced=
the
children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come d=
own
to the valley:
35 But the Amorites would =
dwell
in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Jo=
seph
prevailed, so that they became tributaries.
36 And the coast of the Am=
orites
was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
1 And an ange=
l 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 shal=
l make
no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their alta=
rs:
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 thorn=
s 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 ca=
lled
the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6 And when Jo=
shua
had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his
inheritance to possess the land.
7 And the peo=
ple
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 o=
ld.
9 And they bu=
ried
him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephra=
im,
on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 And also all that gener=
ation
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 Isra=
el.
11 And the children of Isr=
ael
did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LO=
RD 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 LO=
RD,
and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LO=
RD 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 r=
aised
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 bo=
wed
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 raise=
d 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 becaus=
e of
their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, wh=
en 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 LO=
RD 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 vo=
ice;
21 I also will not hencefo=
rth
drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he die=
d:
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 t=
he
hand of Joshua.
1 Now these a=
re the
nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israe=
l as
had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that t=
he
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 enterin=
g in
of Hamath.
4 And they we=
re to
prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandme=
nts
of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzite=
s,
and Hivites, and Jebusites:
6 And they to=
ok
their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, =
and
served their gods.
7 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God,=
and
served Baalim and the groves.
8 Therefore t=
he
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 t=
he
children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Cale=
b's
younger brother.
10 And the Spirit of the L=
ORD
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 f=
orty
years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 And the children of Isr=
ael
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 hi=
m the
children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the =
city
of palm trees.
14 So the children of Isra=
el
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 s=
on
of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel s=
ent
a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dag=
ger
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 pres=
ent
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 a=
gain
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 fr=
om
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 bell=
y:
22 And the haft also went =
in
after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not dr=
aw
the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud went forth th=
rough
the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, h=
is
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 t=
hey
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 d=
ead
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, wh=
en he
was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the childr=
en
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 h=
and.
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 a=
t that
time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there
escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued tha=
t day
under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31 And after him was Shamg=
ar the
son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad:
and he also delivered Israel.
1 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the LOR=
D sold
them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the capt=
ain
of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the chi=
ldren
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 dwe=
lt
under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: a=
nd
the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sen=
t and
called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, H=
ath
not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabo=
r,
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 s=
aid
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 sai=
d, 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 Zebulu=
n 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, w=
hich
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 tog=
ether
all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people th=
at
were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto B=
arak,
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 h=
ost
of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled awa=
y on
his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was pe=
ace
between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to me=
et
Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And w=
hen
he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19 And he said unto her, G=
ive
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 enquir=
e 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 p=
ursued
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, Sis=
era
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 chi=
ldren
of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until =
they
had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
1 Then sang D=
eborah
and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 Praise ye t=
he
LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselv=
es.
3 Hear, O ye =
kings;
give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing pra=
ise
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 mountai=
ns
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 inhabit=
ants
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 for=
ty
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 rehea=
rse
the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabita=
nts
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 ther=
e 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 Issa=
char
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 Jor=
dan:
and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abod=
e in
his breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali we=
re a
people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the
field.
19 The kings came and foug=
ht,
then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they t=
ook
no gain of money.
20 They fought from heaven=
; the
stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swe=
pt
them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodd=
en
down strength.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. <= o:p>
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 sha=
ll
Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in t=
he
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 h=
is
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 lo=
oked
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 answere=
d her,
yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 Have they not sped? hav= e they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of div= ers 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? <= o:p>
31 So let all thine enemies
perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth fort=
h in
his might. And the land had rest forty years.
1 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them in=
to
the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the han=
d 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 w=
as,
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 en=
camped
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 ca=
me up
with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multit=
ude;
for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into t=
he
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 LO=
RD
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 deliv=
ered
you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppre=
ssed
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: b=
ut
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 Joa=
sh
the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide =
it
from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LO=
RD
appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty ma=
n of
valour.
13 And Gideon said unto hi=
m, Oh
my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and wher=
e be
all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bri=
ng
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 upo=
n 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, O=
h 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, I=
f 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 sa=
id
unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this r=
ock,
and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the L=
ORD
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 perceiv=
ed
that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for becaus=
e 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 al=
tar
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 t=
he
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 me=
n 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 d=
o 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 an=
other,
Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gide=
on
the son of Joash hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the cit=
y said
unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down t=
he
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 p=
lead
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 L=
ORD
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 u=
p to
meet them.
36 And Gideon said unto Go=
d, If
thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fl=
eece
of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry u=
pon
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 r=
ose up
early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew ou=
t of
the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto Go=
d, 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 u=
pon
the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
40 And God did so that nig=
ht:
for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
1 Then Jerubb=
aal,
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 LOR=
D 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, sayin=
g,
Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefo=
re 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 return=
ed
of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the LOR=
D said
unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, a=
nd 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 s=
ay
unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he broug=
ht
down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one th=
at
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 num=
ber 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 LOR=
D said
unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deli=
ver
the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man u=
nto
his place.
8 So the peop=
le
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 t=
he
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 wha=
t they
say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the ho=
st.
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 sa=
nd
by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was com=
e,
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 Gid=
eon
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 trum=
pet, I
and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of a=
ll
the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
19 So Gideon, and the hund=
red
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 hand=
s,
and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The s=
word
of the LORD, and of Gideon.
21 And they stood every ma=
n in
his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. =
22 And the three hundred b=
lew
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 messeng=
ers
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 princ=
es of
the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Z=
eeb
they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the hea=
ds
of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
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 wa=
s I
able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, wh=
en
he had said that.
4 And Gideon =
came
to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with hi=
m,
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, k=
ings
of Midian.
6 And the pri=
nces
of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, tha=
t we
should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon = said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, t= hen I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. <= o:p>
8 And he went=
up
thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answe=
red
him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spak=
e also
unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break do=
wn
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 t=
he 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 Zalm=
unna
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 J=
oash
returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man =
of the
men of Succoth, and enquired 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 me=
n 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 shou=
ld
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 to=
wer 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 k=
ing.
19 And he said, They were =
my
brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved t=
hem
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 fear=
ed,
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 Gid=
eon
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 a=
lso:
for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto th=
em, I
will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall =
rule
over you.
24 And Gideon said unto th=
em, 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 w=
ill
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 g=
olden
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 thithe=
r 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 threesco=
re 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 J=
oash
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 Isr=
ael
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 kin=
dness
to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness wh=
ich
he had shewed unto Israel.
1 And Abimele=
ch the
son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed w=
ith
them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, =
2 Speak, I pr=
ay
you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, eith=
er
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 mot=
her'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 ga=
ve him
threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewi=
th
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 th=
ey
told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifte=
d up
his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Sheche=
m,
that God may hearken unto you.
8 The trees w=
ent
forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tr=
ee,
Reign thou over us.
9 But the oli=
ve
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 t=
he fig
tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
11 But the fig tree said u=
nto
them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promot=
ed
over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unt=
o 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 o=
ver
the trees?
14 Then said all the trees=
unto
the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
15 And the bramble said un=
to 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 ced=
ars
of Lebanon.
16 Now therefore, if ye ha=
ve
done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye ha=
ve
dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to
the deserving of his hands;
17 (For my father fought f=
or
you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midi=
an:
18 And ye are risen up aga=
inst
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 maidservan=
t,
king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
19 If ye then have dealt t=
ruly
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 co=
me 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 dev=
our
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 reig=
ned
three years over Israel,
23 Then God sent an evil s=
pirit
between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt
treacherously with Abimelech:
24 That the cruelty done t=
o the
threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid up=
on
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 Ebe=
d came
with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put the=
ir
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 Abimele=
ch.
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed
said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is no=
t he
the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the fat=
her
of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29 And would to God this p=
eople
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 rule=
r 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 nig=
ht,
thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
33 And it shall be, that i=
n 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 She=
chem
in four companies.
35 And Gaal the son of Ebe=
d 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 p=
eople,
he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mounta=
ins.
And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they =
were
men.
37 And Gaal spake again, a=
nd
said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another com=
pany
come along by the plain of Meonenim.
38 Then said Zebul unto hi=
m,
Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we sh=
ould
serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray n=
ow,
and fight with them.
39 And Gaal went out befor=
e the
men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech chased hi=
m, 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 dw=
ell
in Shechem.
42 And it came to pass on = the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. <= o:p>
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 ag=
ainst
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 Abimele=
ch,
that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 And Abimelech gat him u=
p 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 like=
wise
cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the h=
old,
and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of She=
chem
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 b=
urn
it with fire.
53 And a certain woman cas=
t 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 armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay=
me,
that men say not of me, A women slew him. And his young man thrust him thro=
ugh,
and he died.
55 And when the men of Isr=
ael
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 seven=
ty
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.
1 And after
Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dod=
o, a
man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2 And he judg=
ed
Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3 And after h=
im
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 di=
ed,
and was buried in Camon.
6 And the chi=
ldren
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 Mo=
ab,
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 ang=
er 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 ye=
ar
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 again=
st
Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distres=
sed.
10 And the children of Isr=
ael
cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we h=
ave
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 Isr=
ael
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 s=
trange
gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the
misery of Israel.
17 Then the children of Am=
mon
were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel
assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
18 And the people and prin=
ces 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.
1 Now Jephtha=
h 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, a=
nd
said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art t=
he
son of a strange woman.
3 Then Jephth=
ah
fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gather=
ed
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 Gile=
ad
went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6 And they sa=
id
unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the childre=
n of
Ammon.
7 And Jephtha=
h said
unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my fathe=
r's
house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8 And the eld=
ers 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 Jephtha=
h 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 hea=
d?
10 And the elders of Gilea=
d 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 J=
ephthah
uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
12 And Jephthah sent messe=
ngers
unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with m=
e,
that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13 And the king of the chi=
ldren
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 messe=
ngers
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 childr=
en
of Ammon:
16 But when Israel came up=
from
Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kade=
sh;
17 Then Israel sent messen=
gers
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 un=
to
the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18 Then they went along th= rough the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and c= ame by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arno= n, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. <= o:p>
19 And Israel sent messeng=
ers
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 I=
srael
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 Isr=
ael
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 t=
hat
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 th=
ing
better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive again=
st
Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26 While Israel dwelt in H=
eshbon
and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be al=
ong
by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recov=
er
them within that time?
27 Wherefore I have not si=
nned
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 hi=
m.
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 childre=
n of
Ammon.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vo=
w 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 of=
fer
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 in=
to
his hands.
33 And he smote them from =
Aroer,
even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of t=
he
vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were sub=
dued
before the children of Israel.
34 And Jephthah came to Mi=
zpeh
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, wh=
en 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 f=
ather,
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 I=
srael
went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a
year.
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 Amm=
on,
and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee w=
ith
fire.
2 And Jephtha=
h 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 agains=
t 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 Jephth=
ah
gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the m=
en
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 s=
o,
that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that t=
he
men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6 Then said t=
hey
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 Jor=
dan:
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 h=
im
Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 And he had =
thirty
sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughte=
rs
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 a=
nd
thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Is=
rael
eight years.
15 And Abdon the son of Hi=
llel
the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in=
the
mount of the Amalekites.
1 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered t=
hem
into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 And there w=
as 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 ang=
el 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 therefo=
re
beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any
unclean thing:
5 For, lo, th=
ou
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 del=
iver
Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the wo=
man
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 Nazar=
ite
to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 Then Manoah
intreated 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 hea=
rkened
to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as s=
he
sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 And the woman made hast=
e, and
ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appear=
ed
unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11 And Manoah arose, and w=
ent
after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man th=
at
spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
12 And Manoah said, Now le=
t thy
words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto =
him?
13 And the angel of the LO=
RD
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 LO=
RD
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 Man=
oah
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 LO=
RD
said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Manoah took a kid wi=
th 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, wh=
en 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, a=
nd
fell on their faces to the ground.
21 But the angel of the LO=
RD did
no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an a=
ngel
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 so=
n, and
called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 And the Spirit of the L=
ORD
began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
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 Timnat=
h of
the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his fa=
ther
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 fat=
her
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 S=
amson
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 Spi=
rit of
the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a ki=
d,
and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother wh=
at
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, wh=
en
they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto th=
em, I
will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me wit=
hin
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 declar=
e 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 f=
ire:
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 fort=
h 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 t=
ell
it thee?
17 And she wept before him=
the
seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh da=
y,
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 n=
ot
plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 And the Spirit of the L=
ORD
came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, a=
nd
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 g=
iven
to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
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 fat=
her
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 pr=
ay
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 tai=
l,
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 compani=
on.
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 smot=
e 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. <= o:p>
10 And the men of Judah sa=
id,
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 u= nto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. <= o:p>
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: b=
ut
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 L=
ehi,
the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mighti=
ly
upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was bur=
nt
with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawb=
one of
an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therew=
ith.
16 And Samson said, With t=
he
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, wh=
en 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 t=
he
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.
1 Then went S=
amson
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 nigh=
t,
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 lor=
ds 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 lo=
rds of
the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been drie=
d,
and she bound him with them.
9 Now there w=
ere
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 to=
w is
broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And Delilah said unto S=
amson,
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, I=
f 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 b=
rake
them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto S=
amson,
Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou migh=
test
be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head =
with
the web.
14 And she fastened it wit=
h 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 moc=
ked
me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth=
.
16 And it came to pass, wh=
en 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 ma=
n.
18 And when Delilah saw th=
at he
had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philis=
tines,
saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lo=
rds
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 se=
ven
locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from
him.
20 And she said, The Phili=
stines
be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go ou=
t as
at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was
departed from him.
21 But the Philistines too=
k him,
and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fett=
ers
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, wh=
en
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 th=
e 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 t=
hee,
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. <= o:p>
31 Then his brethren and a=
ll 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.
1 And there w=
as 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 si=
lver
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 sai=
d, I
had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to m=
ake
a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto the=
e.
4 Yet he rest=
ored
the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silve=
r,
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 da=
ys
there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his =
own
eyes.
7 And there w=
as a
young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, a=
nd
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 s=
aid
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 t=
en
shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So =
the
Levite went in.
11 And the Levite was cont=
ent to
dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated t=
he
Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.=
13 Then said Micah, Now kn=
ow I
that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
1 In those da=
ys
there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sou=
ght
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 chi=
ldren
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 sa=
id
unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the
house of Micah, they lodged there.
3 When they w=
ere by
the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and th=
ey
turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what mak=
est
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 sa=
id
unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our w=
ay
which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the pri=
est
said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
7 Then the fi=
ve 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 th=
ere
was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; a=
nd
they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8 And they ca=
me
unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them,
What say ye?
9 And they sa=
id,
Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, beho=
ld,
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 co=
me
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 the=
nce 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 p=
itched
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 ima=
ge,
and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thither=
ward,
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, sto=
od
by the entering of the gate.
17 And the five men that w=
ent to
spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, a=
nd
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 weap=
ons
of war.
18 And these went into Mic=
ah'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 fa=
ther
and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one ma=
n,
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 we=
nt
in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and depa=
rted,
and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
22 And when they were a go=
od way
from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's ho=
use
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 ail=
eth
thee, that thou comest with such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have ta=
ken
away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what h=
ave
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, unt=
o 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 delive=
rer,
because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and i=
t was
in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt
therein.
29 And they called the nam=
e 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 captivit=
y of
the land.
31 And they set them up Mi=
cah's
graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shil=
oh.
1 And it came=
to
pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a cert=
ain
Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine=
out
of Bethlehemjudah.
2 And his con=
cubine
played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's hous=
e to
Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
3 And her hus=
band
arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her aga=
in,
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 fat=
her 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 th=
ine
heart be merry.
7 And when th=
e 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 sa=
id,
Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they
did eat both of them.
9 And when th=
e man
rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in la=
w,
the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward even=
ing,
I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, =
that
thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home.
10 But the man would not t=
arry
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 J=
ebus,
the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray t=
hee,
and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 And his master said unt=
o him,
We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of t=
he
children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 And he said unto his se=
rvant,
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 d=
own
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 Benjamit=
es.
17 And when he had lifted =
up his
eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man sai=
d,
Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18 And he said unto him, W=
e are
passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence a=
m 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 t=
hy
handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no wan=
t of
any thing.
20 And the old man said, P=
eace
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 d=
id
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 hou=
se,
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 daug=
hter a
maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, a=
nd
do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a
thing.
25 But the men would not h=
earken
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, a=
nd
her hands were upon the threshold.
28 And he said unto her, U=
p, and
let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, a=
nd
the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
29 And when he was come in=
to 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 coas=
ts
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 chi=
ldren
of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, t=
ake
advice, and speak your minds.
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 chi=
ef of
all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in t=
he
assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew swor=
d.
3 (Now the ch=
ildren
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 Lev=
ite,
the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gib=
eah
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, a=
nd
thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is de=
ad.
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, neit=
her
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 me=
n of
an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousan=
d,
and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that t=
hey
may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly th=
at
they have wrought in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israe=
l were
gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israe=
l sent
men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that=
is
done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver u=
s 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 Ben=
jamin
gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to ba=
ttle
against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Ben=
jamin
were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men th=
at
drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hun=
dred
chosen men.
16 Among all this people t=
here
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 Isr=
ael
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 Benjami=
n?
And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Isr=
ael
rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel w=
ent
out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in arr=
ay
to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Ben=
jamin
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 pl=
ace
where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children of Is=
rael
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 Isr=
ael
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 swor=
d.
26 Then all the children of
Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and we=
pt,
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 Isr=
ael
enquired 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 shal=
l I
cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thi=
ne
hand.
29 And Israel set liers in=
wait
round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Isr=
ael
went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselv=
es
in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Ben=
jamin
went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they be=
gan
to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of wh=
ich
one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, abo=
ut
thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Ben=
jamin
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 Isra=
el
rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and t=
he
liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the mea=
dows
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 Benj=
amin
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 Benj=
amin
saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjami=
tes,
because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibea=
h.
37 And the liers in wait h=
asted,
and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and sm=
ote
all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appoin=
ted
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 Isr=
ael
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 bega=
n to
arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behi=
nd
them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Isr=
ael
turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was c=
ome
upon them.
42 Therefore they turned t=
heir
backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the batt=
le
overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the
midst of them.
43 Thus they inclosed the
Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over
against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benja=
min
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 tur=
ned
and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimm=
on
four months.
48 And the men of Israel t=
urned
again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sw=
ord,
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.
1 Now the men=
of
Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daug=
hter
unto Benjamin to wife.
2 And the peo=
ple
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 to =
day
one tribe lacking in Israel?
4 And it came=
to
pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, a=
nd
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the chi=
ldren
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 concern=
ing
him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put =
to
death.
6 And the chi=
ldren
of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one
tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall w=
e do
for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we wi=
ll
not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 And they sa=
id,
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 peo=
ple
were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgil=
ead
there.
10 And the congregation se=
nt
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 t=
hat ye
shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath la=
in
by man.
12 And they found among the
inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no m=
an
by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, whic=
h is
in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregat=
ion
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 Isra=
el.
16 Then the elders of the
congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing t=
he
women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There mu=
st 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, Curs=
ed
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 si=
de
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 commande=
d the
children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, i=
f the
daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vi=
neyards,
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 t=
heir
fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto t=
hem,
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 Ben=
jamin
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 Isr=
ael
departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and
they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was=
no
king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Also
try:
Also
try: