ACV - Judges

Chapter 1

1:1  And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?

1:2  And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

1:3  And Judah said to Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites, and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

1:4  And Judah went up, and Jehovah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

1:5  And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

1:6  But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

1:7  And Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

1:8  And the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

1:9  And afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill-country, and in the South, and in the lowland.

1:10  And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

1:11  And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher.)

1:12  And Caleb said, He who smites Kiriath-sepher, and takes it, I will give to him Achsah my daughter to wife.

1:13  And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it, and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

1:14  And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field. And she alighted from off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What would thou?

1:15  And she said to him, Give me a blessing, since thou have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

1:16  And the sons of the Kenite, Moses' brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the sons of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad, and they went and dwelt with the people.

1:17  And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

1:18  Also Judah took Gaza with the border of it, and Ashkelon with the border of it, and Ekron with the border of it.

1:19  And Jehovah was with Judah, and drove out those of the hill-country. But they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron.

1:20  And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had spoken, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.

1:21  And the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

1:22  And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel, and Jehovah was with them.

1:23  And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.)

1:24  And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said to him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee.

1:25  And he showed them the entrance into the city. And they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go and all his family.

1:26  And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name of it Luz, which is the name of it to this day.

1:27  And Manasseh did not drive out those of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

1:28  And it came to pass, when Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to task work, and did not utterly drive them out.

1:29  And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

1:30  Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became subject to task work.

1:31  Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob,

1:32  but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

1:33  Naphtali did not 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 subject to task work.

1:34  And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill-country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley,

1:35  but the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to task work.

1:36  And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

Chapter 2

2:1  And the agent of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I made you go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers. And I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

2:2  And ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. Ye shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened to my voice. Why have ye done this?

2:3  Therefore 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 to you.

2:4  And it came to pass, when the agent of Jehovah spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

2:5  And they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Jehovah.

2:6  Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the sons of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.

2:7  And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel.

2:8  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

2:9  And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

2:10  And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them that did not know Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel.

2:11  And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim.

2:12  And they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down to them. And they provoked Jehovah to anger.

2:13  And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

2:14  And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them. And he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

2:15  Wherever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had spoken, and as Jehovah had sworn to them. And they were exceedingly distressed.

2:16  And Jehovah raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them.

2:17  And yet they did not hearken to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah. They did not do so.

2:18  And when Jehovah raised up judges for them, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For Jehovah regretted because of their groaning because of those who oppressed them and vexed them.

2:19  But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way.

2:20  And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this nation has transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not hearkened to my voice,

2:21  I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died,

2:22  that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.

2:23  So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out quickly. Neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

Chapter 3

3:1  Now these are the nations which Jehovah left to prove Israel by them, (even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan,

3:2  only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least to such as formerly knew nothing of that):

3:3  namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

3:4  And they were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

3:5  And the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

3:6  And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

3:7  And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.

3:8  Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, And the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

3:9  And when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a savior to the sons of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

3:10  And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.

3:11  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

3:12  And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.

3:13  And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

3:14  And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

3:15  But when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up for them a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

3:16  And Ehud made for himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length. And he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

3:17  And he offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

3:18  And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the men who bore the tribute.

3:19  But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all who stood by him went out from him.

3:20  And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to thee. And he arose out of his seat.

3:21  And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

3:22  And the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his body, and it came out behind.

3:23  Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room upon him, and locked them.

3:24  Now when he was gone out, his servants came, and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. And they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.

3:25  And they delayed till they were ashamed, and, behold, he did not open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key, and opened, and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

3:26  And Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

3:27  And it came to pass, when he came, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim. And the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.

3:28  And he said to them, Follow after me, for Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow a man to pass over.

3:29  And they smote about ten thousand men of Moab at that time, every robust man, and every man of valor, and there escaped not a man.

3:30  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.

3:31  And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox-goad, and he also saved Israel.

Chapter 4

4:1  And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, when Ehud was dead.

4:2  And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor, the captain of whose army was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

4:3  And the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he mightily oppressed the sons of Israel twenty years.

4:4  Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

4:5  And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.

4:6  And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, Has not Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded, saying, Go and approach to mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun?

4:7  And I will draw Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, to thee, to the river Kishon, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into thy hand.

4:8  And Barak said to her, If thou will go with me, then I will go, but if thou will not go with me, I will not go.

4:9  And she said, I will surely go with thee. Notwithstanding, the journey that thou take shall not be for thine honor, for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

4:10  And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. And there went up ten thousand men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.

4:11  Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the sons of Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

4:12  And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

4:13  And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.

4:14  And Deborah said to Barak, Up, for this is the day in which Jehovah has delivered Sisera into thy hand. Has not Jehovah gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

4:15  And Jehovah discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. And Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

4:16  But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army, to Harosheth of the Gentiles. And all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.

4:17  However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

4:18  And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And he turned in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

4:19  And he said to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

4:20  And he said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man comes and inquires of thee, and says, Is there any man here? that thou shall say, No.

4:21  Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep, so he fainted and died.

4:22  And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seek. And he came to her, and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.

4:23  So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.

4:24  And the hand of the sons of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Chapter 5

5:1  Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

5:2  That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless ye Jehovah.

5:3  Hear, O ye kings. Give ear, O ye rulers. I, even I, will sing to Jehovah. I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

5:4  Jehovah, when thou went forth out of Seir, when thou marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.

5:5  The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

5:6  In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.

5:7  The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that I, Deborah, arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

5:8  They chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

5:9  My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye Jehovah.

5:10  Tell, ye who ride on white donkeys, ye who sit on rich carpets, and ye who walk by the way.

5:11  Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they shall rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.

5:12  Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song. Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

5:13  Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.

5:14  Out of Ephraim, those whose root is in Amalek, after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples, out of Machir, came down governors, and out of Zebulun those who handle the marshal's staff.

5:15  And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, as was Issachar, so was Barak, into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.

5:16  Why did thou sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

5:17  Gilead abode beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks.

5:18  Zebulun was a people who jeopardized their lives to the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

5:19  The kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no gain of money.

5:20  From heaven the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

5:21  The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

5:22  Then the horse hoofs stamped by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

5:23  Curse ye Meroz, said the agent of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants of it, because they did not come to the help of Jehovah, to the help of Jehovah against the mighty.

5:24  Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

5:25  He asked water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

5:26  She put her hand to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer. And with the hammer she smote Sisera; she struck through his head. Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

5:27  At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

5:28  Through the window she looked forth, and cried-the mother of Sisera through the lattice-Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots delay?

5:29  Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

5:30  Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man, to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

5:31  So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, but let those who love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

Chapter 6

6:1  And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

6:2  And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

6:3  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, they came up against them.

6:4  And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

6:5  For they came up with their cattle and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it.

6:6  And Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah.

6:7  And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of Midian,

6:8  that Jehovah sent a prophet to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

6:9  And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.

6:10  And I said to you, I am Jehovah your God. Ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not hearkened to my voice.

6:11  And the agent of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite. And his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

6:12  And the agent of Jehovah appeared to him, and said to him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

6:13  And Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, then why has all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

6:14  And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent thee?

6:15  And he said to him, Oh, Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

6:16  And Jehovah said to him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shall smite the Midianites as one man.

6:17  And he said to him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou who talk with me.

6:18  Depart not from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

6:19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the flesh in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

6:20  And the agent of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

6:21  Then the agent of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the agent of Jehovah departed out of his sight.

6:22  And Gideon saw that he was the agent of Jehovah. And Gideon said, Alas, O lord Jehovah! Inasmuch as I have seen the agent of Jehovah face to face.

6:23  And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to thee. Fear not; thou shall not die.

6:24  Then Gideon built an altar there to Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

6:25  And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.

6:26  And build an altar to Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shall cut down.

6:27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

6:28  And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

6:29  And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.

6:30  Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.

6:31  And Joash said to all who stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is morning. If he be a god, let him contend for himself because he has broken down his altar.

6:32  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar.

6:33  Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves together. And they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

6:34  But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after him.

6:35  And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

6:36  And Gideon said to God, If thou will save Israel by my hand, as thou have spoken,

6:37  behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor. If there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then I shall know that thou will save Israel by my hand as thou have spoken.

6:38  And it was so, for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

6:39  And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

6:40  And God did so that night, for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Chapter 7

7:1  Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

7:2  And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people who are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.

7:3  Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and there remained ten thousand.

7:4  And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to thee, This man shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee, and of whomever I say to thee, This man shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

7:5  So he brought down the people to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him thou shall set by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink.

7:6  And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7:7  And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand. And let all the people go every man to his place.

7:8  So the people took provision in their hand, and their trumpets. And he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

7:9  And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Arise, get thee down into the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand.

7:10  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp.

7:11  And thou shall hear what they say, and afterward thy hands shall be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.

7:12  And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.

7:13  And when Gideon came, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. And he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream. And, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.

7:14  And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the army.

7:15  And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation of it, that he worshiped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for Jehovah has delivered the army of Midian into your hand.

7:16  And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.

7:17  And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise, and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so ye shall do.

7:18  When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.

7:19  So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch when they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.

7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow. And they cried out, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.

7:21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp. And all the army ran, and they shouted, and put them to flight.

7:22  And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

7:23  And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

7:24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.

7:25  And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

Chapter 8

8:1  And the men of Ephraim said to him, Why have thou done thus to us, that thou did not call us when thou went to fight with Midian? And they chided with him sharply.

8:2  And he said to them, What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

8:3  God has delivered into your hand the rulers of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

8:4  And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

8:5  And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

8:6  And the rulers of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we should give bread to thine army?

8:7  And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8:8  And he went up from there to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

8:9  And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

8:10  Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east, for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew a sword.

8:11  And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the army, for the army was confident.

8:12  And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them. And he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the army.

8:13  And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

8:14  And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him. And he described for him the rulers of Succoth, and the elders of it, seventy-seven men.

8:15  And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye taunted me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men who are weary?

8:16  And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

8:17  And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

8:18  Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye killed at Tabor? And they answered, As thou are, so were they. Each one resembled the sons of a king.

8:19  And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if ye had saved them alive, I would not kill you.

8:20  And he said to Jether his firstborn, Up, and kill them. But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared because he was yet a youth.

8:21  Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

8:22  Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also, for thou have saved us out of the hand of Midian.

8:23  And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. Jehovah shall rule over you.

8:24  And Gideon said to them, I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his spoil. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

8:25  And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and cast in it every man the earrings of his spoil.

8:26  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

8:27  And Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

8:28  So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

8:29  And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

8:30  And Gideon had seventy sons begotten from his body, for he had many wives.

8:31  And his concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

8:32  And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

8:33  And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

8:34  And the sons of Israel did not remember Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side,

8:35  neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

Chapter 9

9:1  And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

9:2  Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy men, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

9:3  And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words. And their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.

9:4  And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and unstable fellows who followed him.

9:5  And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy men, upon one stone, but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

9:6  And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

9:7  And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried out, and said to them, Hearken to me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken to you.

9:8  The trees went forth a time to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

9:9  But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

9:10  And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

9:11  But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

9:12  And the trees said to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

9:13  And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

9:14  Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

9:15  And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

9:16  Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deed of his hands

9:17  (for my father fought for you, and ventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian,

9:18  and ye have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem because he is your brother),

9:19  if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

9:20  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

9:21  And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

9:22  And Abimelech was ruler over Israel three years.

9:23  And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

9:24  that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

9:25  And the men of Shechem set ambushes for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them, and it was told Abimelech.

9:26  And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.

9:27  And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

9:28  And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?

9:29  And would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

9:30  And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

9:31  And he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and, behold, they are fortifying the city against thee.

9:32  Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people who are with thee, and lie in wait in the field.

9:33  And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shall rise early, and rush upon the city, and, behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against thee, then thou may do to them as thou shall find occasion.

9:34  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

9:35  And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambushment.

9:36  And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there comes a people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, Thou see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

9:37  And Gaal spoke again and said, See, there comes a people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.

9:38  Then Zebul said to him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou have despised? Go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

9:39  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

9:40  And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.

9:41  And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

9:42  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

9:43  And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field. And he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city. And he rose up against them, and smote them.

9:44  And Abimelech, and the companies who were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field, and smote them.

9:45  And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city, and killed the people that were in it, and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

9:46  And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El-berith.

9:47  And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

9:48  And Abimelech got up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people who were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

9:49  And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

9:50  Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

9:51  But there was a strong tower inside the city. And all the men and women fled, and all those of the city, and shut themselves in, and got up to the roof of the tower.

9:52  And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

9:53  And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and broke his skull.

9:54  Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

9:55  And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

9:56  Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers.

9:57  And God requited all the wickedness of the men of Shechem upon their heads. And the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

Chapter 10

10:1  And after Abimelech there arose Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, to save Israel, and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim.

10:2  And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

10:3  And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

10:4  And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

10:5  And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.

10:6  And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook Jehovah, and did not serve him.

10:7  And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon.

10:8  And they vexed and oppressed the sons of Israel that year. Eighteen years they oppressed all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

10:9  And the sons of Ammon passed over the Jordan to also fight against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was exceedingly distressed.

10:10  And the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim.

10:11  And Jehovah said to the sons of Israel, Did not I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

10:12  The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you. And ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

10:13  Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more.

10:14  Go and cry to the gods which ye have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress.

10:15  And the sons of Israel said to Jehovah, We have sinned. Do thou to us whatever seems good to thee, only deliver us, we pray thee, this day.

10:16  And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah. And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

10:17  Then the sons of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

10:18  And the people, the rulers of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Chapter 11

11:1  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot, and Gilead begot Jephthah.

11:2  And Gilead's wife bore sons to him. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said to him, Thou shall not inherit in our father's house, for thou are the son of another woman.

11:3  Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob. And vain fellows were gathered to Jephthah, and they went out with him.

11:4  And it came to pass after a while, that the sons of Ammon made war against Israel.

11:5  And it was so, that, when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

11:6  And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the sons of Ammon.

11:7  And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did ye not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? And why have ye come to me now when ye are in distress?

11:8  And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, For that reason we turned again to thee now, that thou may go with us, and fight with the sons of Ammon. And thou shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

11:9  And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah delivers them before me, shall I be your head?

11:10  And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Jehovah shall be witness between us. Surely according to thy word so will we do.

11:11  Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah.

11:12  And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, What have thou to do with me, that thou have come to me to fight against my land?

11:13  And the king of the sons of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

11:14  And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon.

11:15  And he said to him, Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon,

11:16  but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,

11:17  then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land, but the king of Edom did not hearken. And in like manner he sent to the king of Moab, but he would not. And Israel abode in Kadesh.

11:18  Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab. And they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, but they did not come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

11:19  And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon. And Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land to my place.

11:20  But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

11:21  And Jehovah, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

11:22  And they possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

11:23  So now Jehovah, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should thou possess them?

11:24  Will thou not possess that which Chemosh thy god gives thee to possess? So whomever Jehovah our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

11:25  And now are thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?

11:26  While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did ye not recover them within that time?

11:27  I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou do me wrong to war against me. Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.

11:28  However the king of the sons of Ammon did not hearken to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

11:29  Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the sons of Ammon.

11:30  And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah, and said, If thou will indeed deliver the sons of Ammon into my hand,

11:31  then it shall be, that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

11:32  So Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah delivered them into his hand.

11:33  And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.

11:34  And Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. And she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

11:35  And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! Thou have brought me very low, and thou are one of those who trouble me, for I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I cannot go back.

11:36  And she said to him, My father, thou have opened thy mouth to Jehovah. Do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth, inasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the sons of Ammon.

11:37  And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

11:38  And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months. And she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

11:39  And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

11:40  that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Chapter 12

12:1  And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward. And they said to Jephthah, Why did thou pass over to fight against the sons of Ammon, and did not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire.

12:2  And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon, and when I called you, ye did not save me out of their hand.

12:3  And when I saw that ye did not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed opposite the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up to me this day, to fight against me?

12:4  Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh.

12:5  And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Are thou an Ephraimite? If he said, No,

12:6  then they said to him, Say now Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth, for he could not frame to pronounce it right, then they laid hold on him, and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.

12:7  And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

12:8  And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

12:9  And he had thirty sons. And he sent abroad thirty daughters, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

12:10  And Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

12:11  And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years.

12:12  And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

12:13  And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

12:14  And he had forty sons and thirty sons' sons who rode on seventy donkey colts, and he judged Israel eight years.

12:15  And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.

Chapter 13

13:1  And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

13:2  And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren, and did not bear.

13:3  And the agent of Jehovah appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, thou are barren, and do not bear, but thou shall conceive, and bear a son.

13:4  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing,

13:5  for, lo, thou shall conceive, and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

13:6  Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the agent of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him from where he was, neither did he tell me his name,

13:7  but he said to me, Behold, thou shall conceive, and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

13:8  Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou sent come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child that shall be born.

13:9  And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the agent of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.

13:10  And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, who came to me the other day.

13:11  And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Are thou the man who spoke to the woman? And he said, I am.

13:12  And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. What shall be the ordering of the child, and what shall we do to him?

13:13  And the agent of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

13:14  She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.

13:15  And Manoah said to the agent of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.

13:16  And the agent of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread, and if thou will make ready a burnt offering, thou must offer it to Jehovah. For Manoah did not know that he was the agent of Jehovah.

13:17  And Manoah said to the agent of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor?

13:18  And the agent of Jehovah said to him, Why do thou ask after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

13:19  So Manoah took the kid with the meal offering, and offered it upon the rock to Jehovah. And the agent did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on,

13:20  for it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the agent of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

13:21  But the agent of Jehovah appeared no more to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the agent of Jehovah.

13:22  And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

13:23  But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

13:24  And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.

13:25  And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Chapter 14

14:1  And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me to wife.

14:3  Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brothers, or among all my people, that thou go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she pleases me well.

14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah, for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

14:5  Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And, behold, a young lion roared against him.

14:6  And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he tore him apart as he would have torn a kid, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

14:7  And he went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

14:8  And after a while he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

14:9  And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.

14:10  And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

14:11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

14:12  And Samson said to them, Let me now put forth a riddle to you. If ye can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment,

14:13  but if ye cannot declare it to me, then ye shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said to him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14:14  And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle.

14:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye called us to impoverish us? Is it not so?

14:16  And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou do but hate me, and not love me. Thou have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it to my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee?

14:17  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her because she pressed him greatly. And she told the riddle to the sons of her people.

14:18  And the men of the city said to 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 to them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye would not have found out my riddle.

14:19  And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of raiment to those who declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

14:20  But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Chapter 15

15:1  But it came to pass after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid. And he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber, but her father would not allow him to go in.

15:2  And her father said, I truly thought that thou had utterly hated her, therefore I gave her to thy companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

15:3  And Samson said to them, This time I shall be blameless in regard of the Philistines when I do them a mischief.

15:4  And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between every two tails.

15:5  And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the oliveyards.

15:6  Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they said, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

15:7  And Samson said to them, If ye do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

15:8  And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. And he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

15:9  Then the Philistines went up, and encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

15:10  And the men of Judah said, Why have ye come up against us? And they said, We come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.

15:11  Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Know thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that thou have done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.

15:12  And they said to him, We have come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

15:13  And they spoke to him, saying, No, but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand, but truly we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

15:14  When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands.

15:15  And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men with it.

15:16  And Samson said, With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have smitten a thousand men.

15:17  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.

15:18  And he was very thirsty, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou have given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant, and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

15:19  But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out there. And when he had drunk his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

15:20  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Chapter 16

16:1  And Samson went to Gaza, and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.

16:2  And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson has come here. And they encompassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, Not till morning light, then we will kill him.

16:3  And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.

16:4  And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

16:5  And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Entice him, and see in what his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him. And we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

16:6  And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, in what thy great strength lies, and with what thou might be bound to afflict thee.

16:7  And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then I shall become weak, and be as another man.

16:8  Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

16:9  Now she had an ambush abiding in the inner chamber. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

16:10  And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, thou have mocked me, and told me lies. Now tell me, I pray thee, with what thou might be bound.

16:11  And he said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then I shall become weak, and be as another man.

16:12  So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him with it, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the ambushment was abiding in the inner chamber. And he broke them off his arms like a thread.

16:13  And Delilah said to Samson, Until now thou have mocked me, and told me lies. Tell me with what thou might be bound. And he said to her, If thou weave the seven locks of my head with the web.

16:14  And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

16:15  And she said to him, How can thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? Thou have mocked me these three times, and have not told me with what thy great strength lies.

16:16  And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed to death.

16:17  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, There has not come a razor upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

16:18  And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.

16:19  And she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head. And she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

16:20  And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free, but he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him.

16:21  And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass, and he did grinding in the prison-house.

16:22  However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

16:23  And the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

16:24  And when the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country who has slain many of us.

16:25  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport to us. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house, and he made sport before them. And they set him between the pillars.

16:26  And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me that I may feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean upon them.

16:27  Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, who beheld while Samson made sport.

16:28  And Samson called to Jehovah, and said, O lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

16:30  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 in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those that he killed in his life.

16:31  Then his brothers 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.

Chapter 17

17:1  And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

17:2  And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son from Jehovah.

17:3  And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, I verily dedicate the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to thee.

17:4  And when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it a graven image and a molten image. And it was in the house of Micah.

17:5  And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

17:6  In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

17:7  And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

17:8  And the man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place. And he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

17:9  And Micah said to him, From where come thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

17:10  And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy food. So the Levite went in.

17:11  And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

17:12  And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

17:13  Then Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.

Chapter 18

18:1  In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for them an inheritance to dwell in, for to that day their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.

18:2  And the sons of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it. And they said to them, Go, search the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

18:3  When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite. And they turned aside there, and said to him, Who brought thee here? And what are thou doing in this place? And what have thou here?

18:4  And he said to them, Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest.

18:5  And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

18:6  And the priest said to them, Go in peace. Your way is before Jehovah in which ye go.

18:7  Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were in it, how they dwelt in security, according to the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure, for there was none in the land possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything. And they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.

18:8  And they came to their brothers to Zorah and Eshtaol. And their brothers said to them, What say ye?

18:9  And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good, and are ye idle? Be not slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.

18:10  When ye go, ye shall come to a people secure. And the land is large, for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

18:11  And there set forth from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

18:12  And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan, to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

18:13  And they passed from there to the hill-country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

18:14  Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish, answered and said to their brothers, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye have to do.

18:15  And they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

18:16  And the six hundred men girded with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

18:17  And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

18:18  And when these went into Micah's house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, What do ye?

18:19  And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

18:20  And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

18:21  So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.

18:22  When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the sons of Dan.

18:23  And they cried out to the sons of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What troubles thee that thou come with such a company?

18:24  And he said, ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what have I more? And how do ye then say to me, What troubles thee?

18:25  And the sons of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

18:26  And the sons of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

18:27  And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and they burnt the city with fire.

18:28  And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man, and it was in the valley that lies by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt in it.

18:29  And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel. However the name of the city was Laish at first.

18:30  And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

18:31  So they set up for them Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Chapter 19

19:1  And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

19:2  And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.

19:3  And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

19:4  And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days. So they ate and drank, and lodged there.

19:5  And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. And the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way.

19:6  So they sat down, and ate and drank, both of them together. And the damsel's father said to the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.

19:7  And the man rose up to depart, but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

19:8  And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart. And the damsel's father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declines. And they ate, both of them.

19:9  And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night. Behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here that thy heart may be merry, and tomorrow get early on your way that thou may go home.

19:10  But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came opposite Jebus (the same is Jerusalem). And there were with him a couple of saddled donkeys. His concubine was also with him.

19:11  When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

19:12  And his master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner that is not of the sons of Israel, but we will pass over to Gibeah.

19:13  And he said to his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

19:14  So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

19:15  And they turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in, and sat down in the street of the city, for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.

19:16  And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.

19:17  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city. And the old man said, Where do thou go? And from where do thou come?

19:18  And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehem-judah to the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem-judah. And I am now going to the house of Jehovah, and there is no man that takes me into his house.

19:19  Yet there is both straw and provender for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man who is with thy servants. There is no want of anything.

19:20  And the old man said, Peace be to thee. However let all thy wants lie upon me, only do not lodge in the street.

19:21  So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

19:22  As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door. And they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man who came into thy house, that we may know him.

19:23  And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brothers, I pray you, do not so wickedly, seeing that this man has come into my house. Do not this folly.

19:24  Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine. I will bring them out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not any such folly.

19:25  But the men would not hearken to him. So the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth to them. And they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning, and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

19:26  Then the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

19:27  And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way, and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

19:28  And he said to her, Up, and let us be going, but there was no answering. Then he took her up upon the donkey, and the man rose up, and got to his place.

19:29  And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.

19:30  And it was so, that all who saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak.

Chapter 20

20:1  Then all the sons of Israel went out. And the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Jehovah at Mizpah.

20:2  And the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew a sword.

20:3  (Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?

20:4  And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

20:5  And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night. They thought to have me slain, and they forced my concubine, and she is dead.

20:6  And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

20:7  Behold, ye sons of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.

20:8  And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn to his house.

20:9  But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it by lot,

20:10  and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provision for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

20:11  So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

20:12  And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has come to pass among you?

20:13  Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brothers the sons of Israel.

20:14  And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.

20:15  And the sons of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew a sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

20:16  Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed. Every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.

20:17  And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew a sword. All these were men of war.

20:18  And the sons of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. And they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the sons of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.

20:19  And the sons of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20:20  And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin. And the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

20:21  And the sons of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty-two thousand men.

20:22  And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day.

20:23  And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until evening. And they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the sons of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.

20:24  And the sons of Israel came near against the sons of Benjamin the second day.

20:25  And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the sons of Israel again eighteen thousand men. All these drew the sword.

20:26  Then all the sons of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until evening, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah.

20:27  And the sons of Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

20:28  and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver him into thy hand.

20:29  And Israel set an ambushment against Gibeah round about.

20:30  And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

20:31  And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to smite and kill of the people as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field about thirty men of Israel.

20:32  And the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.

20:33  And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the ambushment of Israel broke forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

20:34  And there came opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe, but they knew not that evil was close upon them.

20:35  And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand and a hundred men. All these drew the sword.

20:36  So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin because they trusted to the ambushment whom they had set against Gibeah.

20:37  And the ambushment hastened, and rushed upon Gibeah. And the ambushment drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

20:38  Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushment was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.

20:39  And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons, for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us as in the first battle.

20:40  But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

20:41  And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that evil had come upon them.

20:42  Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness. But the battle followed hard after them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of it.

20:43  They enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trod them down at their resting-place, as far as opposite Gibeah toward the sunrise.

20:44  And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valor.

20:45  And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. And they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men.

20:46  So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valor.

20:47  But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months.

20:48  And the men of Israel turned again upon the sons of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found. Moreover they set on fire all the cities which they found.

Chapter 21

21:1  Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin to wife.

21:2  And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept bitterly.

21:3  And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

21:4  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.

21:5  And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up in the assembly to Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

21:6  And the sons of Israel regretted for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

21:7  What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

21:8  And they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

21:9  For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.

21:10  And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

21:11  And this is the thing that ye shall do: Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man.

21:12  And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

21:13  And the whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

21:14  And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead. And even so they were not sufficient for them.

21:15  And the people regretted for Benjamin, because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

21:16  Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

21:17  And they said, There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.

21:18  However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.

21:19  And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

21:20  And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

21:21  and watch. And, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch for you every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

21:22  And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Grant them graciously to us, because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did ye give them to them, else ye would now be guilty.

21:23  And the sons of Benjamin did so, and took for them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.

21:24  And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.