Judges
1:1 Now
after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the
LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against
them?
1:2 And
the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
1:3 And
Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight
against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot. So Simeon
went with him.
1:4 And
Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their
hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
1:5
And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against
him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
1:6
But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught
him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
1:7
And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their
thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their food under my table: as I
have done, so God has requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there
he died.
1:8 Now
the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten
it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
1:9
And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against
the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
1:10 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.
1:11 And
from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before
was Kirjathsepher:
1:12
And Caleb said, He that strikes Kirjathsepher, and takes
it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
1:13
And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took
it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
1:14
And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved
him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb
said unto her, What will you?
1:15
And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for you have
given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper
springs and the nether springs.
1:16
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 lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
1:17 And
Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited
Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
1:18 Also
Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and
Ekron with the coast thereof.
1:19
And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants
of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because
they had chariots of iron.
1:20
And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled
thence the three sons of Anak.
1:21
And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites
that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin
in Jerusalem unto this day.
1:22
And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel:
and the LORD was with them.
1:23
And the house of Joseph sent to search out Bethel. (Now
the name of the city before was Luz.)
1:24
And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and
they said unto him, Show us, we pray you, the entrance into the city, and we will
show you mercy.
1:25 And
when he showed them the entrance into the city, they stroke the city with the
edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
1:26
And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built
a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
1:27 Neither
did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach
and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of
Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites
would dwell in that land.
1:28
And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put
the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
1:29
Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt
in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
1:30
Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron,
nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became
tributaries.
1:31 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:
1:32
But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants
of the land: for they did not drive them out.
1:33
Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh,
nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants
of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became
tributaries unto them.
1:34
And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain:
for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
1:35
But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon,
and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries.
1:36 And
the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and
upward.
2:1 And
an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go
up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers;
and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2:2
And all of you shall make no league with the inhabitants
of this land; all of you shall throw down their altars: but all of you have not
obeyed my voice: why have all of you done this?
2:3
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before
you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare
unto you.
2:4 And
it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the children
of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
2:5
And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they
sacrificed there unto the LORD.
2:6
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel
went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
2:7
And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and
all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works
of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
2:8
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died,
being an hundred and ten years old.
2:9
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in
Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
2:10 And
also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another
generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had
done for Israel.
2:11 And
the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
2:12 And
they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land
of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about
them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
2:13 And
they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
2:14
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he
delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them
into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer
stand before their enemies.
2:15
Anywhere 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.
2:16
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
2:17
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they
went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly
out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the
LORD; but they did not so.
2:18
And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was
with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days
of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of
them that oppressed them and vexed them.
2:19
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they
returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other
gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
doings, nor from their stubborn way.
2:20
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he
said, Because that this people has transgressed my covenant which I commanded
their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
2:21
I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them
of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
2:22
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.
2:23 Therefore
the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered
he them into the hand of Joshua.
3:1
Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove
Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
3:2 Only
that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war,
at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3:3
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites,
and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon
unto the entering in of Hamath.
3:4
And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they
would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers
by the hand of Moses.
3:5
And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites,
and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
3:6
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave
their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
3:7
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the
LORD, and forgotten about the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
3:8 Therefore
the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of
Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim
eight years.
3:9 And
when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer
to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz,
Caleb's younger brother.
3:10
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
3:11 And
the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
3:12
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of
the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because
they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
3:13
And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek,
and went and stroke Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
3:14
So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab
eighteen years.
3:15 But
when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer,
Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of
Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
3:16
But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit
length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
3:17
And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and
Eglon was a very fat man.
3:18
And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent
away the people that bare the present.
3:19
But he himself turned again from the quarries that were
by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto you, O king: who said, Keep silence.
And all that stood by him went out from him.
3:20
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
you. And he arose out of his seat.
3:21
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from
his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
3:22
And the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat
closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly;
and the dirt came out.
3:23
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors
of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
3:24
When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw
that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covers
his feet in his summer chamber.
3:25
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he
opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them:
and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
3:26
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
3:27
And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet
in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from
the mount, and he before them.
3:28
And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD has
delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him,
and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
3:29 And
they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men
of valour; and there escaped not a man.
3:30
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And
the land had rest fourscore years.
3:31
And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of
the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
4:1 And
the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was
dead.
4:2 And
the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor;
the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
4:3 And
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of
iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4:4
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged
Israel at that time.
4:5
And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah
and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
4:6 And
she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto
him, Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount
Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the
children of Zebulun?
4:7
And I will draw unto you to the river Kishon Sisera, the
captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver
him into yours hand.
4:8
And Barak said unto her, If you will go with me, then I
will go: but if you will not go with me, then I will not go.
4:9
And she said, I will surely go with you: notwithstanding
the journey that you take shall not be for yours honour; for the LORD shall sell
Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
4:10 And
Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand
men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
4:11
Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab
the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched
his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
4:12
And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was
gone up to mount Tabor.
4:13
And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine
hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth
of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
4:14
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in
which the LORD has delivered Sisera into yours hand: is not the LORD gone out
before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
4:15 And
the LORD humiliated 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.
4:16
But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host,
unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge
of the sword; and there was not a man left.
4:17
Nevertheless Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of
Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king
of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
4:18
And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn
in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into
the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
4:19
And he said unto her, Give me, I pray you, a little water
to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink,
and covered him.
4:20 Again
he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man
does come and enquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? that you shall say,
No.
4:21 Then
Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and
went softly unto him, and stroke the nail into his temples, and fastened it into
the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
4:22
And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet
him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek. And when
he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
4:23 So
God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
4:24 And
the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the
king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
5:1
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day,
saying,
5:2 Praise
all of you the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered
themselves.
5:3 Hear,
O all of you kings; give ear, O all of you princes; I, even I, will sing unto
the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
5:4
LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of
the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also
dropped water.
5:5 The
mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God
of Israel.
5:6 In
the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,
and the travellers walked through byways.
5:7
The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel,
until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
5:8
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there
a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
5:9
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered
themselves willingly among the people. Bless all of you the LORD.
5:10
Speak, all of you that ride on white asses, all of you that
sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
5:11
They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the
places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD,
even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then
shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
5:12
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise,
Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam.
5:13
Then he made him that remains have dominion over the nobles
among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
5:14
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek;
after you, Benjamin, among your people; out of Machir came down governors, and
out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
5:15
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar,
and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben
there were great thoughts of heart.
5:16
Why abode you among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings
of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
5:17 Gilead
abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea
shore, and abode in his breaches.
5:18
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeopardized their
lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
5:19
The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan
in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
5:20
They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera.
5:21 The
river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul,
you have trodden down strength.
5:22
Then were the horse-hoofs broken by the means of the prancings,
the prancings of their mighty ones.
5:23
Curse all of you Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse
all of you bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help
of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
5:24
Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite
be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
5:25
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth
butter in a lordly dish.
5:26
She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the
workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she stroke Sisera, she stroke off his head,
when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
5:27
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.
5:28
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through
the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his
chariots?
5:29 Her
wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
5:30
Have they not succeeded? have they not divided the prey;
to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers
colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for
the necks of them that take the spoil?
5:31
So let all yours enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that
love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest
forty years.
6:1 And
the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered
them into the hand of Midian seven years.
6:2
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because
of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains,
and caves, and strong holds.
6:3
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites
came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against
them;
6:4 And
they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till you
come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor
ass.
6:5 For
they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers
for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered
into the land to destroy it.
6:6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites;
and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
6:7
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto
the LORD because of the Midianites,
6:8
That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel,
which said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from
Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
6:9
And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and
out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you,
and gave you their land;
6:10
And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the
gods of the Amorites, in whose land all of you dwell: but all of you have not
obeyed my voice.
6:11 And
there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress,
to hide it from the Midianites.
6:12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto
him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour.
6:13
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with
us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our
fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the
LORD has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
6:14 And
the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save
Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent you?
6:15
And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save
Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's
house.
6:16 And
the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites
as one man.
6:17 And
he said unto him, If now I have found grace in your sight, then show me a sign
that you talk with me.
6:18
Depart not behind, I pray you, until I come unto you, and
bring forth my present, and set it before you. And he said, I will tarry until
you come again.
6:19 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.
6:20
And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the
unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he
did so.
6:21 Then
the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and
touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the
rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD
departed out of his sight.
6:22
And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD,
Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face
to face.
6:23 And
the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto you; fear not: you shall not die.
6:24 Then
Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this
day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto
him, Take your father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years
old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the grove
that is by it:
6:26 And
build an altar unto the LORD your 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 you shall cut down.
6:27
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the
LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household,
and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
6:28 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.
6:29
And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And
when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this
thing.
6:30 Then
the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die: because
he has cast down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the grove that
was by it.
6:31 And
Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will all of you plead for Baal? will
all of you save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst
it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one has
cast down his altar.
6:32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let
Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar.
6:33
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.
6:34 But
the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was
gathered after him.
6:35
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also
was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and
unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
6:36
And Gideon said unto God, If you will save Israel by mine
hand, as you have said,
6:37
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if
the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall
I know that you will save Israel by mine hand, as you have said.
6:38
And it was so: for he rose up early on the next day, and
thrust the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of
water.
6:39 And
Gideon said unto God, Let not yours anger be hot against me, and I will speak
but this once: let me prove, I pray you, but this once with the fleece; let it
now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
6:40 And
God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew
on all the ground.
7:1
Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were
with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host
of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the
valley.
7:2 And
the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to
give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me,
saying, Mine own hand has saved me.
7:3
Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people,
saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from
mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there
remained ten thousand.
7:4
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many;
bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall
be, that of whom I say unto you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with
you; and of whomsoever I say unto you, This shall not go with you, the same shall
not go.
7:5 So
he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every
one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by
himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.
7:6
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to
their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down
upon their knees to drink water.
7:7
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men
that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into yours hand: and let
all the other people go every man unto his place.
7:8
So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets:
and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those
three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
7:9 And it
came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get you down
unto the host; for I have delivered it into yours hand.
7:10
But if you fear to go down, go you with Phurah your servant
down to the host:
7:11
And you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall yours
hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah
his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
7:12
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children
of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their
camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
7:13 And
when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow,
and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into
the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and stroke it that it fell, and overturned
it, that the tent lay along.
7:14
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 has God
delivered Midian, and all the host.
7:15
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream,
and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host
of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD has delivered into your hand the host
of Midian.
7:16 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.
7:17 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 all of you do.
7:18 When
I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow all of you the trumpets
also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
7:19 So
Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp
in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and
they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
7:20 And
the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps
in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow likewise: and
they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
7:21
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp;
and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
7:22
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set
every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host
fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
7:23 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.
7:24
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim,
saying, come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto
Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together,
and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
7:25
And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb;
and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of
Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on
the other side Jordan.
8:1
And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why have you served
us thus, that you called us not, when you went to fight with the Midianites? And
they did chide with him sharply.
8:2
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?
8:3 God
has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was
I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was decreased toward him,
when he had said that.
8:4
And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the
three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
8:5
And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves
of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing
after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
8:6
And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna now in yours hand, that we should give bread unto yours army?
8:7 And Gideon
said, Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand,
then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8:8 And
he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel
answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
8:9
And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I
come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
8:10
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.
8:11 And
Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and
Jogbehah, and stroke the host; for the host was secure.
8:12
And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them,
and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and humiliated all the host.
8:13 And
Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
8:14
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.
8:15
And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah
and Zalmunna, with whom all of you did reproach me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna now in yours hand, that we should give bread unto your men that are
weary?
8:16 And
he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with
them he taught the men of Succoth.
8:17
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of
the city.
8:18 Then
said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom all of you
slew at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so were they; each one resembled
the children of a king.
8:19
And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my
mother: as the LORD lives, if all of you had saved them alive, I would not slay
you.
8:20 And
he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his
sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
8:21
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise you, and fall upon us:
for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna,
and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
8:22
Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule you over us,
both you, and your son, and your son's son also: for you have delivered us from
the hand of Midian.
8:23
And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither
shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
8:24
And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you,
that all of you would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had
golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
8:25
And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they
spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
8:26 And
the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred
shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on
the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
8:27 And
Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all
Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon,
and to his house.
8:28
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.
8:29
And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own
house.
8:30 And
Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
8:31 And
his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called
Abimelech.
8:32 And
Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of
Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33
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.
8:34 And
the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them
out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
8:35
Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal,
namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.
9:1 And
Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and
communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father,
saying,
9:2 Speak,
I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you,
either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign
over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your
flesh.
9:3 And
his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these
words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our
brother.
9:4 And
they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith,
wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
9:5 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.
9:6
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.
9:7
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the
top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them,
Hearken unto me, all of you men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
9:8 The trees
went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive
tree, Reign you over us.
9:9
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness,
wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
9:10 And
the trees said to the fig tree, Come you, and reign over us.
9:11
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness,
and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
9:12
Then said the trees unto the vine, Come you, and reign over
us.
9:13 And
the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and
go to be promoted over the trees?
9:14
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come you, and
reign over us.
9:15 And
the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth all of you anoint me king over you,
then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the
bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
9:16
Now therefore, if all of you have done truly and sincerely,
in that all of you have made Abimelech king, and if all of you have dealt well
with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving
of his hands;
9:17 (For
my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of
the hand of Midian:
9:18
And all of you are risen up against my father's house this
day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and
have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem,
because he is your brother;)
9:19
If all of you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal
and with his house this day, then rejoice all of you in Abimelech, and let him
also rejoice in you:
9:20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour
the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men
of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
9:21
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt
there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
9:22
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
9:23 Then
God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men
of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
9:24
That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of
Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which
slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his
brethren.
9:25 And
the men of Shechem set hidden attackers 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.
9:26 And
Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the
men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
9:27
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards,
and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and
did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
9:28
And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who
is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul
his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve
him?
9:29 And
would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And
he said to Abimelech, Increase yours army, and come out.
9:30
And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of
Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
9:31
And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privately, saying,
Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold,
they fortify the city against you.
9:32
Now therefore up by night, you and the people that is with
you, and lie in wait in the field:
9:33
And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun
is up, you shall rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the
people that is with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall
find occasion.
9:34 And
Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid
wait against Shechem in four companies.
9:35
And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering
of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with
him, from lying in wait.
9:36
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold,
there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him,
You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
9:37
And Gaal spoke again, and said, See there come people down
by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
9:38 Then
said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, Who is Abimelech,
that we should serve him? is not this the people that you have despised? go out,
I pray now, and fight with them.
9:39
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought
with Abimelech.
9:40 And
Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded,
even unto the entering of the gate.
9:41
And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal
and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
9:42
And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went
out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
9:43
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 stroke them.
9:44
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.
9:45 And
Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew
the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
9:46 And
when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold
of the house of the god Berith.
9:47
And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower
of Shechem were gathered together.
9:48
And Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the
people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down
a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto
the people that were with him, What all of you have seen me do, make haste, and
do as I have done.
9:49
And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough,
and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon
them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand
men and women.
9:50 Then
went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
9:51
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
got them up to the top of the tower.
9:52
And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it,
and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
9:53
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's
head, and all to brake his skull.
9:54
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour bearer,
and said unto him, Draw your sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women
slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
9:55
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead,
they departed every man unto his place.
9:56
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he
did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
9:57
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.
10:1 And
after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of
Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
10:2
And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and
was buried in Shamir.
10:3
And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel
twenty and two years.
10:4
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.
10:5
And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
10:6
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of
the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods
of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the
gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
10:7
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he
sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children
of Ammon.
10:8 And
that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all
the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites,
which is in Gilead.
10:9
Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight
also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so
that Israel was sore distressed.
10:10
And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying,
We have sinned against you, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served
Baalim.
10:11 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?
10:12 The
Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and all
of you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
10:13
Yet all of you have forsaken me, and served other gods:
wherefore I will deliver you no more.
10:14
Go and cry unto the gods which all of you have chosen; let
them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
10:15
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned:
do you unto us whatsoever seems good unto you; deliver us only, we pray you, this
day.
10:16 And
they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul
was grieved for the misery of Israel.
10:17
Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped
in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped
in Mizpeh.
10:18 And
the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will
begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants
of Gilead.
11:1 Now
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot:
and Gilead brings forth Jephthah.
11:2
And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew
up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, You shall not inherit in
our father's house; for you are the son of a strange woman.
11:3
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land
of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
11:4 And
it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against
Israel.
11:5 And
it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders
of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
11:6
And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that
we may fight with the children of Ammon.
11:7
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not all
of you hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are all of you
come unto me now when all of you are in distress?
11:8
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we
return to you now, that you may go with us, and fight against the children of
Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:9
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If all of you
bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver
them before me, shall I be your head?
11:10
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be
witness between us, if we do not so according to your words.
11:11
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people
made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before
the LORD in Mizpeh.
11:12
And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children
of Ammon, saying, What have you to do with me, that you are come against me to
fight in my land?
11:13
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the
messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out
of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore
those lands again peaceably.
11:14
And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the
children of Ammon:
11:15
And said unto him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel took not away
the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
11:16
But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the
wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
11:17
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying,
Let me, I pray you, pass through your land: but the king of Edom would not hearken
thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not
consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
11:18
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed
the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land
of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border
of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
11:19
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites,
the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray you, through
your land into my place.
11:20
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast:
but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against
Israel.
11:21 And
the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel,
and they stroke them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants
of that country.
11:22
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from
Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
11:23
So now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites
from before his people Israel, and should you possess it?
11:24
Will not you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you
to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them
will we possess.
11:25
And now are you any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against
them,
11:26 While
Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all
the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore
did all of you not recover them within that time?
11:27
Wherefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong
to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of
Israel and the children of Ammon.
11:28
Nevertheless the king of the children of Ammon hearkened
not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
11:29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed
over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of
Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
11:30
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If you
shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
11:31
Then it shall be, that whatsoever comes out of the doors
of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall
surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
11:32
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight
against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
11:33
And he stroke them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith,
even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter.
Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
11:34 And
Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to
meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her
he had neither son nor daughter.
11:35
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes,
and said, Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you are one of
them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go
back.
11:36 And
she said unto him, My father, if you have opened your mouth unto the LORD, do
to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth; forasmuch as the
LORD has taken vengeance for you of yours enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
11:37 And
she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months,
that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and mourn for my virginity, I and
my fellows.
11:38 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.
11:39
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,
11:40
That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter
of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
12:1
And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and
went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passed you over to fight against
the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? we will burn yours
house upon you with fire.
12:2
And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great
strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, all of you delivered
me not out of their hands.
12:3
And when I saw that all of you delivered me not, I put my
life in my hands, and passed opposite to the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered
them into my hand: wherefore then are all of you come up unto me this day, to
fight against me?
12:4
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and
fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead stroke Ephraim, because they said,
All of you Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among
the Manassites.
12:5 And
the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was
so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that
the men of Gilead said unto him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
12:6 Then
said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not
frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages
of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
12:7 And
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried
in one of the cities of Gilead.
12:8
And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
12:9 And
he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty
daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
12:10 Then
died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
12:11
And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he
judged Israel ten years.
12:12
And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon
in the country of Zebulun.
12:13
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged
Israel.
12:14 And
he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts:
and he judged Israel eight years.
12:15
And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was
buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
13:1 And
the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered
them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
13:2
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the
Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
13:3 And
the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now,
you are barren, and bear not: but you shall conceive, and bear a son.
13:4 Now
therefore beware, I pray you, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not
any unclean thing:
13:5
For, lo, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor
shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb:
and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
13:6 Then
the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his
countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I
asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
13:7
But he said unto me, Behold, you shall conceive, and bear
a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing:
for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
13:8 Then
Manoah implored the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which you did
send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall
be born.
13:9 And
God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the
woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
13:10 And
the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold,
the man has appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
13:11
And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the
man, and said unto him, Are you the man that spoke unto the woman? And he said,
I am.
13:12 And
Manoah said, Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and
how shall we do unto him?
13:13
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that
I said unto the woman let her beware.
13:14
She may not eat of any thing that comes of the vine, neither
let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded
her let her observe.
13:15
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray you,
let us detain you, until we shall have made ready a kid for you.
13:16
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though you detain
me, I will not eat of your bread: and if you will offer a burnt offering, you
must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
13:17 And
Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is your name, that when your sayings
come to pass we may do you honour?
13:18
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why ask you thus
after my name, seeing it is secret?
13:19
So Manoah took a kid with a food offering, and offered it
upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife
looked on.
13:20 For
it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that
the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife
looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
13:21
But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and
to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
13:22
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because
we have seen God.
13:23
But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to
kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a food offering at our
hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this
time have told us such things as these.
13:24
And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and
the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
13:25
And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in
the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
14:1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath
of the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and
said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now
therefore get her for me to wife.
14:3
Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there not
a woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you
go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father,
Get her for me; for she pleases me well.
14:4
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the
LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
Philistines had dominion over Israel.
14:5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to
Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared
against him.
14:6 And
the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have
rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his
mother what he had done.
14:7
And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased
Samson well.
14:8 And
after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of
the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the
lion.
14:9 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 carcass of the lion.
14:10
So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made
there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
14:11
And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought
thirty companions to be with him.
14:12
And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle
unto you: if all of you can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the
feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of
garments:
14:13 But
if all of you cannot declare it me, then shall all of you give me thirty sheets
and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth your riddle,
that we may hear it.
14:14
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food,
and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound
the riddle.
14:15 And
it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice
your husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn you and your
father's house with fire: have all of you called us to take that we have? is it
not so?
14:16 And
Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and love me not:
you have put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and have not told
it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother,
and shall I tell it you?
14:17
And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast
lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she
lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
14:18 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 all of you had not plowed with my heifer, all of you had not found out
my riddle.
14:19 And
the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty
men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which
expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's
house.
14:20 But
Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
15:1 But
it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson
visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber.
But her father would not suffer him to go in.
15:2
And her father said, I verily thought that you had utterly
hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion: is not her younger sister fairer
than she? take her, I pray you, instead of her.
15:3
And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless
than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
15:4
And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took
firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between
two tails.
15:5 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.
15:6
Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered,
Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given
her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father
with fire.
15:7 And
Samson said unto them, Though all of you have done this, yet will I be avenged
of you, and after that I will cease.
15:8
And he stroke them hip and thigh with a great slaughter:
and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
15:9
Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and
spread themselves in Lehi.
15:10
And the men of Judah said, Why are all of you come up against
us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he has done
to us.
15:11 Then
three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson,
Know you not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that you have
done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto
them.
15:12 And
they said unto him, We are come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into
the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that all
of you will not fall upon me yourselves.
15:13
And they spoke unto him, saying, No; but we will bind you
fast, and deliver you into their hand: but surely we will not kill you. And they
bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
15:14
And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against
him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were
upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from
off his hands.
15:15 And
he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew
a thousand men therewith.
15:16
And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon
heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
15:17
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking,
that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
15:18 And
he was sore thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, You have given this great
deliverance into the hand of your servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and
fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
15:19
But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there
came water from it; 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.
15:20 And
he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
16:1
Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went
in unto her.
16:2 And
it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson has come here. And they compassed him
in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all
the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
16:3 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.
16:4 And
it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose
name was Delilah.
16:5
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said
unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means
we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give
you every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
16:6
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein
your great strength lies, and wherewith you might be bound to afflict you.
16:7 And
Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never
dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:8
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven
green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
16:9
Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the
chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he brake
the withes, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength
was not known.
16:10 And
Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now tell
me, I pray you, wherewith you might be bound.
16:11
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes
that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:12 Delilah
therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines
be upon you, Samson. And there were hidden attackers in wait abiding in the chamber.
And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
16:13
And Delilah said unto Samson, Until now you have mocked
me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith you might be bound. And he said unto her,
If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.
16:14
And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away
with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
16:15
And she said unto him, How can you say, I love you, when
yours heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not
told me wherein your great strength lies.
16:16
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her
words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
16:17
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There
has not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from
my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.
16:18
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart,
she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once,
for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up
unto her, and brought money in their hand.
16:19
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for
a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began
to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
16:20
And she said, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he
awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and
shake myself. And he knows not that the LORD was departed from him.
16:21
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and
brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind
in the prison house.
16:22
Nevertheless the hair of his head began to grow again after
he was shaven.
16:23 Then
the lords of the Philistines gathered them together in order to offer a great
sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god has delivered
Samson our enemy into our hand.
16:24
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for
they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of
our country, which slew many of us.
16:25
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that
they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson
out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the
pillars.
16:26 And
Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel
the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them.
16:27
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.
16:28
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember
me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O God, that I may
be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
16:29
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.
16:30
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.
16:31
Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down,
and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in
the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
17:1 And
there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
17:2
And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels
of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also
in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed
be you of the LORD, my son.
17:3
And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver
to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD
from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore
I will restore it unto you.
17:4
Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother
took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof
a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
17:5 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.
17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man
did that which was right in his own eyes.
17:7
And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family
of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
17:8
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.
17:9
And Micah said unto him, Whence come you? And he said unto
him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
17:10 And
Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and
I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and
your victuals. So the Levite went in.
17:11
And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the
young man was unto him as one of his sons.
17:12
And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became
his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
17:13
Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
18:1
In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those
days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
18:2 And
the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour,
from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they
said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the
house of Micah, they lodged there.
18:3
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice
of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who
brought you here? and what make you in this place? and what have you here?
18:4 And
he said unto them, Thus and thus deals Micah with me, and has hired me, and I
am his priest.
18:5 And
they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether
our way which we go shall be prosperous.
18:6
And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD
is your way wherein all of you go.
18:7
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the
people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians,
quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them
to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business
with any man.
18:8 And
they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto
them, What say all of you?
18:9
And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for
we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are all of you still?
be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
18:10
When all of you go, all of you shall come unto a people
secure, and to a large land: for God has given it into your hands; a place where
there is no lack of any thing that is in the earth.
18:11
And there went from thence of the family of the Danites,
out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
18:12 And
they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that
place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.
18:13
And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto
the house of Micah.
18:14
Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country
of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do all of you know that there is in these
houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore
consider what all of you have to do.
18:15
And they turned in that direction, and came to the house
of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
18:16 And
the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children
of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
18:17
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up,
and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim,
and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the
six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18:18
And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved
image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest
unto them, What do all of you?
18:19
And they said unto him, Hold your peace, lay yours hand
upon your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better
for you to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that you be a priest unto
a tribe and a family in Israel?
18:20
And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod,
and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
18:21 So
they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage
before them.
18:22 And
when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses
near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And
they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto
Micah, What disturbs you, that you come with such a company?
18:24
And he said, All of you have taken away my gods which I
made, and the priest, and all of you are gone away: and what have I more? and
what is this that all of you say unto me, What disturbs you?
18:25
And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not your voice
be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon you, and you lose your life, with
the lives of your household.
18:26
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.
18:27 And
they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came
unto Laish, unto a people that were resting and secure: and they stroke them with
the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
18:28
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon,
and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehob.
And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
18:29
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name
of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: nevertheless the name of the city
was Laish at the first.
18:30
And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan,
the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe
of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31
And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made,
all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
19:1
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king
in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim,
who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
19:2
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went
away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole
months.
19:3 And
her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring
her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought
him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced
to meet him.
19:4 And
his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three
days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
19:5
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 yours heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your
way.
19:6 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 you, and tarry all night, and let yours
heart be merry.
19:7 And
when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged
there again.
19:8 And
he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father
said, Comfort yours heart, I pray you. And they tarried until afternoon, and they
did eat both of them.
19:9
And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine,
and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold,
now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day
grows to an end, lodge here, that yours heart may be merry; and tomorrow get you
early on your way, that you may go home.
19:10
But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with
him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
19:11
And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and
the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn in into this
city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
19:12
And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside here
into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass
over to Gibeah.
19:13 And
he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to
lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
19:14
And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went
down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
19:15
And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in
Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there
was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
19:16
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of
the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah:
but the men of the place were Benjamites.
19:17
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a travelling
man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where go you? and whence
come you?
19:18 And
he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount
Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to
the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receives me to house.
19:19 Yet
there is both straw and animal food for our asses; and there is bread and wine
also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man which is with your servants:
there is no lack of any thing.
19:20
And the old man said, Peace be with you; howsoever let all
your wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
19:21
So he brought him into his house, and gave animal food unto
the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
19:22
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 spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring
forth the man that came into yours house, that we may know him.
19:23
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 has come into mine house, do not this folly.
19:24
Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine;
them I will bring out now, and humble all of you them, and do with them what seems
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
19:25
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they had sexual contact with her,
and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring,
they let her go.
19:26
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.
19:27 And
her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out
to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door
of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
19:28
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none
answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and got him
unto his place.
19:29 And
when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine,
and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into
all the coasts of Israel.
19:30
And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such
deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the
land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.
20:1 Then
all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together
as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD
in Mizpeh.
20:2 And
the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves
in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew
sword.
20:3 (Now
the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.)
Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
20:4
And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain,
answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine,
to lodge.
20:5 And
the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by
night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she
is dead.
20:6 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.
20:7 Behold,
all of you are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
20:8 And
all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent,
neither will we any of us turn into his house.
20:9
But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah;
we will go up by lot against it;
20:10
And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the
tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand,
to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of
Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
20:11 So
all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
20:12 And
the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What
wickedness is this that is done among you?
20:13
Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial,
which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel.
But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren
the children of Israel.
20:14
But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together
out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
20:15 And
the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and
six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were
numbered seven hundred chosen men.
20:16
Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
20:17 And
the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that
drew sword: all these were men of war.
20:18
And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house
of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the
battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up
first.
20:19 And
the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20:20 And
the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put
themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
20:21
And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and
destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand
men.
20:22 And
the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again
in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
20:23 (And
the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked
counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children
of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
20:24
And the children of Israel came near against the children
of Benjamin the second day.
20:25
And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second
day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen
thousand men; all these drew the sword.
20:26
Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went
up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and
fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before
the LORD.
20:27 And
the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God
was there in those days,
20:28
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood
before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the
children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; in
order to morrow I will deliver them into yours hand.
20:29
And Israel set hidden attackers in wait round about Gibeah.
20:30 And
the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day,
and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
20:31
And the children of Benjamin went out against the people,
and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike of the people, and
kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to the house of
God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
20:32 And
the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first.
But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto
the highways.
20:33 And
all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array
at Baaltamar: and the hidden attackers in wait of Israel came forth out of their
places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
20:34
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.
20:35 And
the LORD stroke Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of
the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these
drew the sword.
20:36 So
the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave
place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the hidden attackers in wait
which they had set beside Gibeah.
20:37
And the hidden attackers in wait hasted, and rushed upon
Gibeah; and the hidden attackers in wait drew themselves along, and stroke all
the city with the edge of the sword.
20:38
Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel
and the hidden attackers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke
rise up out of the city.
20:39
And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin
began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said,
Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
20:40
But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with
a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of
the city ascended up to heaven.
20:41
And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin
were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
20:42
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel
unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came
out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
20:43
Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased
them, and trode them down with ease opposite to Gibeah toward the sunrising.
20:44 And
there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
20:45 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.
20:46
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.
20:47 But
six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode
in the rock Rimmon four months.
20:48
And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of
Benjamin, and stroke them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every
city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities
that they came to.
21:1
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There
shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
21:2
And the people came to the house of God, and abode there
till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
21:3
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?
21:4
And it came to pass on the next day, that the people rose
early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
21:5 And
the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that
came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath
concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely
be put to death.
21:6 And
the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There
is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
21:7
How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we
have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
21:8 And
they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh
to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the
assembly.
21:9 For
the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead
there.
21:10 And
the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiant, and commanded
them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the
sword, with the women and the children.
21:11
And this is the thing that all of you shall do, All of you
shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man.
21:12 And
they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that
had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to
Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
21:13
And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children
of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
21:14 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.
21:15 And
the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach
in the tribes of Israel.
21:16
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do
for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
21:17 And
they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin,
that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
21:18
Nevertheless we may not give them wives of our daughters:
for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife
to Benjamin.
21:19 Then
they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which
is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from
Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
21:20
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying,
Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21:21
And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out
to dance in dances, then come all of you out of the vineyards, and catch you every
man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
21:22 And
it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that
we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved
not to each man his wife in the war: for all of you did not give unto them at
this time, that all of you should be guilty.
21:23
And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives,
according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went
and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
21:24 And
the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and
to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
21:25 In
those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.