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