RISC DISC 2/RISC_DISC_2.iso/resources/etexts/bible/judges

Text File | 1995-04-07 | 102KB | 2,266 lines

 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children
of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the
Canaanites first, to fight against them?  1:2 And the LORD said, Judah
shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

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

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

1:5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him,
and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

1:6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him,
and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

1:7 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs
and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I
have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem,
and there he died.

1:8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had
taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city
on fire.

1:9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the
Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the
valley.

1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now
the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and
Ahiman, and Talmai.

1:11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the
name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher: 1:12 And Caleb said, He that
smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my
daughter to wife.

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

1:14 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to
ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb
said unto her, What wilt thou?  1:15 And she said unto him, Give me a
blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of
water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

1:16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out
of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the
wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went
and dwelt among the people.

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

1:18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the
coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

1:19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of
the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley,
because they had chariots of iron.

1:20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled
thence the three sons of Anak.

1:21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that
inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of
Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

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

1:23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of
the city before was Luz.)  1:24 And the spies saw a man come forth out
of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the
entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

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

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

1:27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and
her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and
her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the
inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell
in that land.

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

1:29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer;
but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

1:30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the
inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and
became tributaries.

1:31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the
inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor
of Aphik, nor of Rehob: 1:32 But the Asherites dwelt among the
Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them
out.

1:33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh,
nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites,
the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of
Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

1:34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain:
for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: 1:35 But
the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim:
yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries.

1:36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim,
from the rock, and upward.

2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said,
I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land
which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my
covenant with you.

2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye
shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why
have ye done this?  2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them
out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and
their gods shall be a snare unto you.

2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words
unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their
voice, and wept.

2:5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed
there unto the LORD.

2:6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went
every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

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

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

2:9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in
Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill
Gaash.

2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers:
and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the
LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and
served Baalim: 2:12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers,
which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods,
of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed
themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

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

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

2:15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against
them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto
them: and they were greatly distressed.

2:16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out
of the hand of those that spoiled them.

2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a
whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned
quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

2:18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with
the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the
days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings
by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned,
and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other
gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from
their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

2:20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said,
Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I
commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; 2:21 I
also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations
which Joshua left when he died: 2:22 That through them I may prove
Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as
their fathers did keep it, or not.

2:23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out
hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

3:1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by
them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
3:2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to
teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3:3
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount
Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

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

3:5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites,
and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 3:6 And they
took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to
their sons, and served their gods.

3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and
forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

3:8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he
sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and
the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

3:9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD
raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them,
even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

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

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

3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel,
because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

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

3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen
years.

3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD
raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man
lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto
Eglon the king of Moab.

3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit
length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

3:17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was
a very fat man.

3:18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away
the people that bare the present.

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

3:20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour,
which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from
God unto thee.

And he arose out of his seat.

3:21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 3:22 And the haft also went
in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he
could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

3:23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the
parlour upon him, and locked them.

3:24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that,
behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he
covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

3:25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened
not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened
them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

3:26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

3:27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in
the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him
from the mount, and he before them.

3:28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath
delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down
after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not
a man to pass over.

3:29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all
lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

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

3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the
Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered
Israel.

4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the
LORD, when Ehud was dead.

4:2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that
reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in
Harosheth of the Gentiles.

4:3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine
hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the
children of Israel.

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

4:5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and
Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for
judgment.

4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of
Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel
commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee
ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of
Zebulun?  4:7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera,
the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and
I will deliver him into thine hand.

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

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

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

4:11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the
father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and
pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

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

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

4:14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the
LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out
before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men
after him.

4:15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all
his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera
lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

4:16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto
Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the
edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

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

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

4:19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray 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 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it
shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is
there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

4:21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an
hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into
his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep
and weary. So he died.

4:22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him,
and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou
seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and
the nail was in his temples.

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

4:24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed
against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king
of Canaan.

5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day,
saying, 5:2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the
people willingly offered themselves.

5:3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing
unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

5:4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of
the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the
clouds also dropped water.

5:5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from
before the LORD God of Israel.

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

5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel,
until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

5:8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield
or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?  5:9 My heart is toward
the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the
people. Bless ye the LORD.

5:10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and
walk by the way.

5:11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places
of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the
LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages
in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.

5:12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak,
and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

5:13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles
among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

5:14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after
thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors,
and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

5:15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and
also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of
Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

5:16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of
the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of
heart.

5:17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships?
Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

5:18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives
unto the death in the high places of the field.

5:19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in
Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

5:20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera.

5:21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the
river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

5:22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings,
the pransings of their mighty ones.

5:23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the
inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to
the help of the LORD against the mighty.

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

5:25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter
in a lordly dish.

5:26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's
hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head,
when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

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

5:28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through
the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the
wheels of his chariots?  5:29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she
returned answer to herself, 5:30 Have they not sped? have they not
divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of
divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers
colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that
take the spoil?  5:31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let
them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And
the land had rest forty years.

6:1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and
the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of
the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in
the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up,
and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up
against them; 6:4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the
increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no
sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

6:5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came
as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were
without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6:6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the
LORD because of the Midianites, 6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto
the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God
of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of
the house of bondage; 6:9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave
them out from before you, and gave you their land; 6:10 And I said
unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which
was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son
Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the
Midianites.

6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him,
The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why
then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our
fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?
but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of
the Midianites.

6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and
thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I
sent thee?  6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I
save Israel?  behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the
least in my father's house.

6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou
shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight,
then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

6:18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring
forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry
until thou come again.

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

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

6:21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that
was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and
there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the
unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his
sight.

6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD,
Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the
LORD face to face.

6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou
shalt not die.

6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it
Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him,
Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven
years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and
cut down the grove that is by it: 6:26 And build an altar unto the
LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take
the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the
grove which thou shalt cut down.

6:27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had
said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's
household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day,
that he did it by night.

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

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

6:30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that
he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because
he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for
Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to
death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for
himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

6:32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal
plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of
the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the
valley of Jezreel.

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

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

6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand,
as thou hast said, 6:37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the
floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all
the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine
hand, as thou hast said.

6:38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of
water.

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

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

7:1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with
him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the
host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of
Moreh, in the valley.

7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are
too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel
vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying,
Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from
mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two
thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring
them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it
shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the
same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall
not go with thee, the same shall not go.

7:5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said
unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a
dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that
boweth down upon his knees to drink.

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

7:7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that
lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand:
and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

7:8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and
he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained
those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the
valley.

7:9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him,
Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine
hand.

7:10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down
to the host: 7:11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward
shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went
he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that
were in the host.

7:12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the
east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and
their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for
multitude.

7:13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a
dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a
cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a
tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay
along.

7:14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the
sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand
hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

7:15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and
the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the
host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your
hand the host of Midian.

7:16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he
put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps
within the pitchers.

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

7:18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow
ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword
of the LORD, and of Gideon.

7:19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the
outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had
but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the
pitchers that were in their hands.

7:20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the
pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in
their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the
LORD, and of Gideon.

7:21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and
all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

7:22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every
man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the
host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of
Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

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

7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying,
come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto
Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves
together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

7:25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and
they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress
of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to
Gideon on the other side Jordan.

8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us
thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the
Midianites?  And they did chide with him sharply.

8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you?
Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage
of Abiezer?  8:3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of
Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you?
Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

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

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

8:6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
8:7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and
Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns
of the wilderness and with briers.

8:8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and
the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

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

8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them,
about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the
children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand
men that drew sword.

8:11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the
east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was
secure.

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

8:13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun
was up, 8:14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and
enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and
the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

8:15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and
Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men
that are weary?  8:16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns
of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of
Succoth.

8:17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the
city.

8:18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were
they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were
they; each one resembled the children of a king.

8:19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother:
as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

8:20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the
youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

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

8:22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both
thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us
from the hand of Midian.

8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither
shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

8:24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that
ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had
golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)  8:25 And they
answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and
did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

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

8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in
Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing
became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

8:28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that
they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness
forty years in the days of Gideon.

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

8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for
he had many wives.

8:31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son,
whose name he called Abimelech.

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

8:33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the
children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and
made Baalberith their god.

8:34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who
had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every
side: 8:35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal,
namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto
Israel.

9:1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his
mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of
the house of his mother's father, saying, 9:2 Speak, I pray you, in
the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either
that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons,
reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am
your bone and your flesh.

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

9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the
house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons,
which followed him.

9:5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his
brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon
one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left; for he hid himself.

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

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

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

9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness,
wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees?  9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and
reign over us.

9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness,
and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?  9:12 Then
said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

9:13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which
cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?  9:14 Then
said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

9:15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me
king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not,
let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

9:16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye
have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and
his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his
hands; 9:17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life
far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 9:18 And ye are
risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons,
threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech,
the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he
is your brother;) 9:19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech,
and let him also rejoice in you: 9:20 But if not, let fire come out
from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo;
and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech.

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

9:22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 9:23 Then God
sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the
men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 9:24 That the
cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come,
and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them;
and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his
brethren.

9:25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of
the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech.

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

9:27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards,
and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their
god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

9:28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is
Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and
Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for
why should we serve him?  9:29 And would to God this people were under
my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech,
Increase 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 unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold,
Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold,
they fortify the city against thee.

9:32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is 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 shalt rise early, and set upon
the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come
out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find
occasion.

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

9:35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of
the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were
with him, from lying in wait.

9:36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there
come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto
him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

9:37 And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the
middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of
Meonenim.

9:38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou
saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the
people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with
them.

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

9:40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were
overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

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

9:42 And it came to pass on the 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 looked, and, behold, the people were
come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote
them.

9:44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward,
and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other
companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew
them.

9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took
the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the
city, and sowed it with salt.

9:46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they
entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.

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

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

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

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

9:51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled
all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them,
and gat them up to the top of the tower.

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

9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's
head, and all to brake his skull.

9:54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and
said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A
women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

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

9:56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto
his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 9:57 And all the evil of
the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came
the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of
Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in
mount Ephraim.

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

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

10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they
had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which
are in the land of Gilead.

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

10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the
gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of
Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and
served not him.

10:7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold
them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the
children of Ammon.

10:8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel:
eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

10:9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also
against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim;
so that Israel was sore distressed.

10:10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have
sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also
served Baalim.

10:11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver
you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines?  10:12 The Zidonians also, and the
Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and
I delivered you out of their hand.

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

10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver
you in the time of your tribulation.

10:15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned:
do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we
pray thee, this day.

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

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

10:18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What
man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he
shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was
the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

11:2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and
they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in
our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

11:3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of
Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with
him.

11:4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of
Ammon made war against Israel.

11:5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against
Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of
Tob: 11:6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that
we may fight with the children of Ammon.

11:7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me,
and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now
when ye are in distress?  11:8 And the elders of Gilead said unto
Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go
with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.

11:9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home
again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver
them before me, shall I be your head?  11:10 And the elders of Gilead
said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so
according to thy words.

11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people
made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his
words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

11:12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of
Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come
against me to fight in my land?  11:13 And the king of the children of
Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took
away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto
Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again
peaceably.

11:14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children
of Ammon: 11:15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took
not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
11:16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the
wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 11:17 Then Israel
sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee,
pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.
And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not
consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

11:18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the
land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the
land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

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

11:20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but
Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and
fought against Israel.

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

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

11:23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites
from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?  11:24
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to
possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before
us, them will we possess.

11:25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight
against them, 11:26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and
in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the
coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover
them within that time?  11:27 Wherefore I have not sinned against
thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be
judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of
Ammon.

11:28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the
words of Jephthah which he sent him.

11:29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed
over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from
Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

11:30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt
without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 11:31 Then
it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to
meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall
surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

11:32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight
against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

11:33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith,
even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very
great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the
children of Israel.

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

11:35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes,
and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou
art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the
LORD, and I cannot go back.

11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth
unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of
thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of
thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

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

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

11:39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned
unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had
vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 11:40 That
the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah
the Gileadite four days in a year.

12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went
northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to
fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with
thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

12:2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife
with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not
out of their hands.

12:3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my
hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD
delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me
this day, to fight against me?  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 Gileadites are fugitives of
Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

12:5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the
Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were
escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him,
Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 12:6 Then said they unto him,
Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to
pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages
of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and
two thousand.

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

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

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

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

12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged
Israel ten years.

12:12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the
country of Zebulun.

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

12:14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on
threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

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

13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines
forty years.

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

13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto
her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son.

13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong
drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the
child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin
to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God
came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel
of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told
he me his name: 13:7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive,
and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat
any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the
womb to the day of his death.

13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man
of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we
shall do unto the child that shall be born.

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

13:10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and
said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto
me the other day.

13:11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man,
and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And
he said, I am.

13:12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we
order the child, and how shall we do unto him?  13:13 And the angel of
the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her
beware.

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

13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us
detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

13:16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain
me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt
offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that
he was an angel of the LORD.

13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name,
that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?  13:18 And
the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my
name, seeing it is secret?  13:19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat
offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did
wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.

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

13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to
his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

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

13:23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us,
he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our
hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as
at this time have told us such things as these.

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

13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the
camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

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

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

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

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

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

14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent
him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but
he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

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

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

14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to
his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told
not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

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

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

14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto
you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the
feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty
change of garments: 14:13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall
ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said
unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

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

14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto
Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the
riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye
called us to take that we have? is it not so?  14:16 And Samson's wife
wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not:
thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast
not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my
father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?  14:17 And she wept
before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to
pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon
him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before
the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger
than a lion?  and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my
heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to
Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave
change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger
was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

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

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

15:2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly
hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger
sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless
than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.

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

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

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

15:7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I
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 top of the rock Etam.

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

15:10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And
they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath
done to us.

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

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

15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast,
and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee.
And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the
rock.

15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him:
and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that
were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his
bands loosed from off his hands.

15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand,
and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

15:16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

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

15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou
hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and
now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the
uncircumcised?  15:19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the
jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit
came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof
Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

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

16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in
unto her.

16:2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And
they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of
the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when
it is day, we shall kill him.

16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them
up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

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

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

16:6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy
great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict
thee.

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

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

16:9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the
chamber.

And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the
fire. So his strength was not known.

16:10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be
bound.

16:11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that
never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and
said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were
liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his
arms like a thread.

16:13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said
unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

16:14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when
thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and
hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words,
and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 16:17 That he
told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor
upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's
womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.

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 hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

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

16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke
out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before,
and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought
him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did
grind in the prison house.

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

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

16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they
said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the
destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

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

16:26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer
me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I
may lean upon them.

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

16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember
me, I pray 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 stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right
hand, and of the other with his left.

16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and
upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at
his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

16:31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and
took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol
in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty
years.

17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver
that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of
also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his
mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.

17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to
his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto
the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took
two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made
thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house
of Micah.

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

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

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

17:8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to
sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to
the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto
him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may
find a place.

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

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

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

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

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

18:2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the
land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land:
who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they
lodged there.

18:3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the
young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him,
Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what
hast thou here?  18:4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth
Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

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

18:6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is
your way wherein ye go.

18:7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people
that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the
Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land,
that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the
Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

18:8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say ye?  18:9 And they said, Arise, that
we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it
is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to
possess the land.

18:10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large
land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no
want of any thing that is in the earth.

18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of
Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of
war.

18:12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it
is behind Kirjathjearim.

18:13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the
house of Micah.

18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of
Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do 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 thitherward, and came to the house of the young
man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

18:16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war,
which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

18:17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came
in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering
of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons
of war.

18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image,
the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the
priest unto them, What do ye?  18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy
peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a
father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the
house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family
in Israel?  18:20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the
ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst
of the people.

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

18:22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men
that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together,
and overtook the children of Dan.

18:23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their
faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with
such a company?  18:24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I
made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and
what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?  18:25 And the
children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us,
lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the
lives of thy household.

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

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

18:28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and
they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth
by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

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

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

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

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

19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away
from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four
whole months.

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

19:4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he
abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged
there.

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

19:6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together:
for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray
thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.

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

19:8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and
the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they
tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

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

19:10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there
were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

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

19:12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into
the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will
pass over to Gibeah.

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

19:14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down
upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

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

19:16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the
field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in
Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

19:17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in
the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and
whence comest thou?  19:18 And he said unto him, We are passing from
Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and
I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD;
and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

19:19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there
is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young
man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

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

19:21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the
asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of
the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and
beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man,
saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may
know him.

19:23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and
said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly;
seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

19:24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I
will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

19:25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they 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 came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at
the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

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

19:28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none
answered.

Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him
unto his place.

19:29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid
hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

19:30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed
done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of
the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and
speak your minds.

20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the
land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

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

20:3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel
were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us,
how was this wickedness?  20:4 And the Levite, the husband of the
woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that
belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

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

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

20:7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and
counsel.

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

20:9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we
will go up by lot against it; 20:10 And we will take ten men of an
hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a
thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the
people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin,
according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

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

20:12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of
Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
20:13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which
are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from
Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of
their brethren the children of Israel.

20:14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of
the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of
Israel.

20:15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of
the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the
inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

20:16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not
miss.

20:17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four
hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

20:18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of
God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first
to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said,
Judah shall go up first.

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

20:20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and
the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at
Gibeah.

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

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

20:23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD
until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again
to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD
said, Go up against him.)  20:24 And the children of Israel came near
against the children of Benjamin the second day.

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

20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up,
and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the
LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings before the LORD.

20:27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of
the covenant of God was there in those days, 20:28 And Phinehas, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,)
saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of
Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for
to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

20:29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

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

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

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

20:33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put
themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came
forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

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

20:35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of
Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand
and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

20:36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the
men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto
the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

20:37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the
liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the
edge of the sword.

20:38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and
the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise
up out of the city.

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

20:40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a
pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the
flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

20:41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin
were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

20:42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto
the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them
which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

20:43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them,
and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the
sunrising.

20:44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were
men of valour.

20:45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of
Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men;
and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of
them.

20:46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five
thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

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

20:48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of
Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men
of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set
on fire all the cities that they came to.

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

21:2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till
even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 21:3 And
said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that
there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?  21:4 And it came
to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an
altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

21:5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the
tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD?
For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the
LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

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

21:7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have
sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to
wives?  21:8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel
that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none
to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

21:9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the
inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.

21:10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the
valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants
of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the
children.

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

21:12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four
hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male:
and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of
Canaan.

21:13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of
Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto
them.

21:14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives
which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so
they sufficed them not.

21:15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD
had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

21:16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for
wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of
Benjamin?  21:17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them
that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of
Israel.

21:18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the
children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife
to Benjamin.

21:19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh
yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east
side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the
south of Lebonah.

21:20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go
and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21:21 And see, and, behold, if the
daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of
the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of
Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

21:22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto
us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them
for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the
war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be
guilty.

21:23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives,
according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and
they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the
cities, and dwelt in them.

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

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