Restored King James Version Book of Judges
Based on the Authorised Version (King James) with the words "God" and "LORD"
restored to their original words, and various words
(thee, thine, shouldest, crieth, didst, etc) and
constructions (them that, etc) modernized.
1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the
children of Israel asked YHWH, saying, Who shall go up for us against the
Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2 And YHWH said, Judah shall go
up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
3 And Judah said unto
Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the
Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot. So Simeon went with
him.
4 And Judah went up; and YHWH delivered the Canaanites and the
Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they
slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adonibezek fled; and they
pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
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 Elohim has requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it,
and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
9 And
afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites,
that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
10 And
Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of
Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of
Debir before was Kirjathsepher:
12 And Caleb said, He that smites
Kirjathsepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he
gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
14 And it came to pass, when she came
to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from
off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What will you?
15 And she said unto
him, Give me a blessing: for you have given me a south land; give me also
springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the
city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah,
which lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that
inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was
called Hormah.
18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon
with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
19 And YHWH
was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could
not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of
iron.
20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled
thence the three sons of Anak.
21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive
out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the
children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
22 And the house of Joseph,
they also went up against Bethel: and YHWH was with them.
23 And the
house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was
Luz.)
24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said
unto him, Show us, we pray you, the entrance into the city, and we will show
you mercy.
25 And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they
smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his
family.
26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city,
and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of 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.
28 And it came
to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and
did not utterly drive them out.
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the
Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the
inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became
tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor
the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of
Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33 Neither did
Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of 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.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into
the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim:
yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries.
36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to
Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
1 And an angel of YHWH came up
from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have
brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will
never break my covenant with you.
2 And you shall make no league with the
inhabitants of this land; you shall throw down their altars: but you have not
obeyed my voice: why have you done this?
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not
drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and
their elohim (``gods'') shall be a snare unto you.
4 And it came to pass, when the angel
of YHWH spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people
lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place
Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto YHWH.
6 And when Joshua had let
the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to
possess the land.
7 And the people served YHWH all the days of Joshua,
and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the
great works of YHWH, that he did for Israel.
8 And Joshua, the son of
Nun, the servant of YHWH, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
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.
10 And also all
that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another
generation after them, which knew not YHWH, nor yet the works which he had
done for Israel.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of YHWH, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook YHWH Elohim of their fathers,
which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other elohim (``gods''), of the
elohim (``gods'') of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them,
and provoked YHWH to anger.
13 And they forsook YHWH, and served
Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of YHWH was hot against Israel, and
he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold
them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any
longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand
of YHWH was against them for evil, as YHWH had said, and as YHWH
had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless YHWH raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that
spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they
went a whoring after other elohim (``gods''), and bowed themselves unto them: they turned
quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments
of YHWH; but they did not so.
18 And when YHWH raised them up
judges, then YHWH was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand
of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented YHWH because
of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and
corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other elohim (``gods'') to serve
them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor
from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of YHWH was hot against
Israel; and he said, Because that this people has transgressed my covenant
which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 I
also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which
Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether
they will keep the way of YHWH to walk therein, as their fathers did keep
it, or not.
23 Therefore YHWH left those nations, without driving them
out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
1 Now
these are the nations which YHWH left, to prove Israel by them, even as
many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the
generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the
least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3 Namely, five lords of the
Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that
dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken
unto the commandments of YHWH, which he commanded their fathers by the
hand of Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites,
Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
6 And
they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their
sons, and served their elohim (``gods'').
7 And the children of Israel did evil in the
sight of YHWH, and forgat YHWH their Elohim, and served Baalim and the
groves.
8 Therefore the anger of YHWH was hot against Israel, and he
sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the
children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
9 And when the
children of Israel cried unto YHWH, YHWH raised up a deliverer to the
children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother.
10 And the spirit of YHWH came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and YHWH delivered Chushanrishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of YHWH: and
YHWH strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had
done evil in the sight of YHWH.
13 And he gathered unto him the children
of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm
trees.
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen
years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto YHWH, YHWH
raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man
lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the
king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit
length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he
brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people
that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that
were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto you, O king: who said,
Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came
unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself
alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from Elohim unto you. And he arose out of
his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in
after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw
the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud went forth
through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked
them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that,
behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covers
his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed:
and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a
key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the
earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was
come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of
Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 And he said
unto them, Follow after me: for YHWH has delivered your enemies the
Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of
Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of
Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour;
and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand
of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31 And after him was
Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with
an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
1 And the children of Israel
again did evil in the sight of YHWH, when Ehud was dead.
2 And YHWH
sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the
captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto YHWH: for he had nine hundred
chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of
Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel
at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah
and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for
judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of
Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Has not YHWH Elohim of Israel commanded,
saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of
the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw
unto you to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his
chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.
8 And
Barak said unto her, If you will go with me, then I will go: but if you will
not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with
you: notwithstanding the journey that you take shall not be for your
honour; for YHWH shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah
arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and
Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and
Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children
of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and
pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 And they
showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots
of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles
unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is
the day in which YHWH has delivered Sisera into your hand: is not YHWH gone out before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten
thousand men after him.
15 And YHWH discomfited Sisera, and all his
chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that
Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak
pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the
Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and
there was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the
tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin
the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to
meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And
when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink; for
I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered
him.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall
be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any man
here? that you shall say, No.
21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the
tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the
nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep
and weary. So he died.
22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came
out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show you the man whom
you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the
nail was in his temples.
23 So Elohim subdued on that day Jabin the king of
Canaan before the children of Israel.
24 And the hand of the children of
Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they
had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son
of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 Praise you YHWH for the avenging of
Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
3 Hear, O you kings;
give ear, O you princes; I, even I, will sing unto YHWH; I will sing praise
to YHWH Elohim of Israel.
4 YHWH, when you went out of Seir, when you
marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens
dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5 The mountains melted from before
YHWH, even that Sinai from before YHWH Elohim of Israel.
6 In the days
of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were
unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 The inhabitants of
the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I
arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new elohim (``gods''); then was war in the gates:
was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart
is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the
people. Bless you YHWH.
10 Speak, you that ride on white asses, you that
sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
11 They that are delivered from the
noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the
righteous acts of YHWH, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of
his villages in Israel: then shall the people of YHWH go down to the
gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak,
and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam.
13 Then he made him
that remains have dominion over the nobles among the people: YHWH made
me have dominion over the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them
against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, among your people; out of Machir came
down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also
Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there
were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abode you among the sheepfolds, to
hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great
searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain
in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the
death in the high places of the field.
19 The kings came and fought, then
fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no
gain of money.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river,
the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength.
22 Then were
the horsehoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their
mighty ones.
23 Curse you Meroz, said the angel of YHWH, curse you
bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of YHWH, to the help of YHWH against the mighty.
24 Blessed above women
shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women
in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth
butter in a lordly dish.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand
to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off
his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 At her
feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he
bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a
window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming?
why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea,
she returned answer to herself,
30 Have they not sped? have they not divided
the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a
prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both
sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31 So let all your
enemies perish, O YHWH: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goes
forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
1 And the children
of Israel did evil in the sight of YHWH: and YHWH delivered them into
the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against
Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the
dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it
was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites,
and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they
encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till you come
unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without
number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was
greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel
cried unto YHWH.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel
cried unto YHWH because of the Midianites,
8 That YHWH sent a
prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus said YHWH
Elohim of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the
house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before
you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am YHWH your
Elohim; fear not the elohim (``gods'') of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but you have
not obeyed my voice.
11 And there came an angel of YHWH, 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.
12 And the angel of YHWH appeared unto him, and said unto him, YHWH
is with you, you mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my
Lord (=Adon), if YHWH 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 YHWH bring
us up from Egypt? but now YHWH has forsaken us, and delivered us into the
hands of the Midianites.
14 And YHWH looked upon him, and said, Go in
this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:
have not I sent you?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord (=Adonai), wherewith shall I
save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my
father's house.
16 And YHWH said unto him, Surely I will be with you,
and you shall smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If
now I have found grace in your sight, then show me a sign that you talk
with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray you, until I come unto you, and bring
forth my present, and set it before you. And he said, I will tarry until you
come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened
cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth
in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of Elohim said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened
cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of YHWH 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 YHWH departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived
that he was an angel of YHWH, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord (=Adonai) ELOHIM! for because I
have seen an angel of YHWH face to face.
23 And YHWH said unto him,
Peace be unto you; fear not: you shall not die.
24 Then Gideon built an
altar there unto YHWH, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is
yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that
YHWH said unto him, Take your father's young bullock, even the second
bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father
has, and cut down the grove that is by it:
26 And build an altar unto YHWH your Elohim upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the
second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which
you shall cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as
YHWH had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's
household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he
did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning,
behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was
by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they
inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out your son, that he may
die: because he has cast down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down
the grove that was by it.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him,
Will you plead for Baal? will you save him? he that will plead for him, let him
be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a elohim (``god''), let him plead for
himself, because one has cast down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he
called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he has
thrown down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the
children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the
valley of Jezreel.
34 But the spirit of YHWH came upon Gideon, and he
blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent
messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he
sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came
up to meet them.
36 And Gideon said unto Elohim, If you will save Israel by
mine hand, as you have said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the
floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth
beside, then shall I know that you will save Israel by mine hand, as you
have said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust
the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of
water.
39 And Gideon said unto Elohim, Let not your anger be hot against me,
and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray you, but this once with
the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground
let there be dew.
40 And Elohim did so that night: for it was dry upon the
fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
1 Then Jerubbaal, who is
Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched
beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north
side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 And YHWH said unto
Gideon, The people that are with you are too many for me to give the
Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying,
Mine own hand has saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of
the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart
early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two
thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And YHWH said unto Gideon,
The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try
them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto you, This shall
go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomsoever I say unto you,
This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the
people unto the water: and YHWH said unto Gideon, Every one that laps
of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself;
likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the
number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three
hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to
drink water.
7 And YHWH said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that
lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand: and let
all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 So the people took
victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel
every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of
Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 And it came to pass the same night,
that YHWH said unto him, Arise, get you down unto the host; for I have
delivered it into your hand.
10 But if you fear to go down, go you with
Phurah your servant down to the host:
11 And you shall hear what they say;
and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then
went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that
were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the
children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude;
and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for
multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a
dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of
barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote
it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his
fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the
son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand has Elohim delivered Midian,
and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the
dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into
the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for YHWH has delivered into your
hand the host of Midian.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three
companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and
lamps within the pitchers.
17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do
likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be
that, as I do, so shall you do.
18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that
are with me, then blow you the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and
say, The sword of YHWH, and of Gideon.
19 So Gideon, and the hundred men
that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the
middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the
trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 And the three
companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in
their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and
they cried, The sword of YHWH, and of Gideon.
21 And they stood every
man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and
fled.
22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and YHWH set every
man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host
fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto
Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of
Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the
Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent 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.
25 And they took
two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock
Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and
brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why have you served us thus, that
you called us not, when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they
did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in
comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than
the vintage of Abiezer?
3 Elohim has delivered into your hands the princes of
Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then
their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came
to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him,
faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I
pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint,
and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the
princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your
hand, that we should give bread unto your army?
7 And Gideon said,
Therefore when YHWH has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then
I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them likewise: and the men
of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he
spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will
break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their
hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the
hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty
thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that
dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the
host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them,
and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the
host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was
up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him:
and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even
threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and
said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna with whom you did upbraid me, saying, Are the
hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread unto
your men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of
the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom
you slew at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so were they; each one
resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren,
even the sons of my mother: as YHWH lives, if you had saved them alive, I
would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay
them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a
youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise you, and fall upon us: for as
the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna,
and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22 Then the
men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule you over us, both you, and your son, and
your son's son also: for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son
rule over you: YHWH shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I
would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of
his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a
garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the
weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven
hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment
that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their
camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city,
even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing
became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued
before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And
the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 And
Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon
had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose
name he called Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old
age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites.
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the
children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made
Baalberith their elohim (``god'').
34 And the children of Israel remembered not YHWH
their Elohim, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on
every side:
35 Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal,
namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.
1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's
brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his
mother's father, saying,
2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of
Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal,
which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over
you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 And his mother's
brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words:
and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our
brother.
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.
5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his
brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one
stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for
he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the
house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar
that was in Shechem.
7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in
the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto
them, Hearken unto me, you men of Shechem, that Elohim may hearken unto you.
8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said
unto the olive tree, Reign you over us.
9 But the olive tree said unto
them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour Elohim and man, and
go to be promoted over the trees?
10 And the trees said to the fig tree,
Come you, and reign over us.
11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I
forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come you, and reign over us.
13 And
the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers Elohim and man,
and go to be promoted over the trees?
14 Then said all the trees unto the
bramble, Come you, and reign over us.
15 And the bramble said unto the
trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in
my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars
of Lebanon.
16 Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely, in that
you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his
house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered
you out of the hand of Midian:
18 And you are risen up against my father's
house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one
stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men
of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
19 If you then have dealt truly and
sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice you in
Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 But if not, let fire come out
from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let
fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour
Abimelech.
21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt
there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22 When Abimelech had reigned
three years over Israel,
23 Then Elohim sent an evil spirit between Abimelech
and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with
Abimelech:
24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of
Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother,
which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing
of his brethren.
25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the
top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his
brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their
confidence in him.
27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their
vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of
their elohim (``god''), and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28 And Gaal the son
of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him?
is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor
the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29 And would to Elohim this
people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to
Abimelech, Increase your army, and come out.
30 And when Zebul the ruler of
the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the
son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the
city against you.
32 Now therefore up by night, you and the people that is
with you, and lie in wait in the field:
33 And it shall be, that in the
morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and set upon the
city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against
you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.
34 And
Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they
laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35 And Gaal the son of Ebed
went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech
rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
36 And when
Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the
top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, You see the shadow of the
mountains as if they were men.
37 And Gaal spoke again and said, See there
come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by
the plain of Meonenim.
38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth,
wherewith you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this
the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were
overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
41 And Abimelech
dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should
not dwell in Shechem.
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people
went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43 And he took the people,
and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked,
and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up
against them, and smote them.
44 And Abimelech, and the company that was
with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city:
and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields,
and slew them.
45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he
took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city,
and sowed it with salt.
46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem
heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the elohim (``god'') (=el) Berith.
47 And
it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered
together.
48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people
that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax 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 you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I
have done.
49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and
followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon
them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand
men and women.
50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against
Thebez, and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and
thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to
them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
52 And Abimelech came unto
the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to
burn it with fire.
53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon
Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
54 Then he called hastily unto
the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw your sword, and slay
me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him
through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was
dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 Thus Elohim rendered the
wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy
brethren:
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did Elohim render upon
their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah
the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in
Shamir.
3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty
and two years.
4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and
they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are
in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6 And the
children of Israel did evil again in the sight of YHWH, and served Baalim,
and Ashtaroth, and the elohim (``gods'') of Syria, and the elohim (``gods'') of Zidon, and the elohim (``gods'') of
Moab, and the elohim (``gods'') of the children of Ammon, and the elohim (``gods'') of the Philistines,
and forsook YHWH, and served not him.
7 And the anger of YHWH was
hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and
into the hands of the children of Ammon.
8 And that year they vexed and
oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel
that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in
Gilead.
9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also
against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that
Israel was sore distressed.
10 And the children of Israel cried unto YHWH, saying, We have sinned against you, both because we have forsaken our
Elohim, and also served Baalim.
11 And YHWH said unto the children of
Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from
the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Zidonians also, and
the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and you cried to me, and I
delivered you out of their hand.
13 Yet you have forsaken me, and served
other elohim (``gods''): wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go and cry unto the
elohim (``gods'') which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your
tribulation.
15 And the children of Israel said unto YHWH, We have
sinned: do you unto us whatsoever seems good unto you; deliver us only, we
pray you, this day.
16 And they put away the strange elohim (``gods'') from among them,
and served YHWH: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in
Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped
in Mizpeh.
18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What
man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be
head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was
a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat
Jephthah.
2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up,
and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, You shall not inherit in our
father's house; for you are the son of a strange woman.
3 Then Jephthah
fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered
vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4 And it came to pass in
process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 And
it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders
of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6 And they said
unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children
of Ammon.
7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not you hate me,
and expel me out of my father's house? and why are you come unto me now when you
are in distress?
8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we
turn again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight against the
children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9 And
Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight
against the children of Ammon, and YHWH deliver them before me, shall I be
your head?
10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, YHWH be
witness between us, if we do not so according to your words.
11 Then Jephthah
went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over
them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before YHWH in Mizpeh.
12 And
Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What
have you to do with me, that you are come against me to fight in my land?
13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of
Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt,
from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those
lands again peaceably.
14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king
of the children of Ammon:
15 And said unto him, Thus said Jephthah, Israel
took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness
unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 Then Israel sent messengers unto
the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray you, pass through your land: but the
king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the
king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18 Then
they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and
the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched
on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon
was the border of Moab.
19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the
Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray
you, through your land into my place.
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to
pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and
pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21 And YHWH Elohim of Israel
delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote
them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of
that country.
22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from
Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23 So now
YHWH Elohim of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people
Israel, and should you possess it?
24 Will not you possess that which
Chemosh your elohim (``god'') gives you to possess? So whomsoever YHWH our Elohim shall
drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25 And now are you any
thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive
against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
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 you not
recover them within that time?
27 Wherefore I have not sinned against you,
but you do me wrong to war against me: YHWH the Judge be judge this
day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28 Howbeit the
king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which
he sent him.
29 Then the spirit of YHWH came upon Jephthah, and he
passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from
Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah
vowed a vow unto YHWH, and said, If you shall without fail deliver the
children of Ammon into mine hands,
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever
comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from
the children of Ammon, shall surely be YHWH'S, and I will offer it up for
a burnt offering.
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to
fight against them; and YHWH delivered them into his hands.
33 And he
smote them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and
unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the
children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 And
Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to
meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her
he had neither son nor daughter.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her,
that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! you have brought me
very low, and you are one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth
unto YHWH, and I cannot go back.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if
you have opened your mouth unto YHWH, do to me according to that which
has proceeded out of your mouth; forasmuch as YHWH has taken vengeance
for you of your enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 And she said
unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that
I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my
fellows.
38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she
went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her
father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew
no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40 That the daughters of Israel went
yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went
northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passed you over to fight
against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? we will
burn your house upon you with fire.
2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and
my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called
you, you delivered me not out of their hands.
3 And when I saw that you
delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the
children of Ammon, and YHWH delivered them into my hand: wherefore then
are you come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
4 Then Jephthah
gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men
of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of
Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5 And the
Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so
that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the
men of Gilead said unto him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6 Then
said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could
not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the
passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and
two thousand.
7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the
Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8 And after him
Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty
daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for
his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
10 Then died Ibzan, and was
buried at Bethlehem.
11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and
he judged Israel ten years.
12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried
in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13 And after him Abdon the son of
Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14 And he had forty sons and thirty
nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight
years.
15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried
in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
1 And
the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of YHWH; and YHWH
delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 And there was
a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah;
and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 And the angel of YHWH appeared
unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, you are barren, and bear
not: but you shall conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray
you, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on
his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto Elohim from the womb: and he
shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the
woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of Elohim came unto me, and his
countenance was like the countenance of an angel of Elohim, very terrible: but I
asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said unto
me, Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor
strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite
to Elohim from the womb to the day of his death.
8 Then Manoah entreated YHWH, and said, O my Lord (=Adonai), let the man of Elohim which you did send come again
unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 And Elohim hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of Elohim came again
unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with
her.
10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said
unto him, Behold, the man has appeared unto me, that came unto me the other
day.
11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and
said unto him, Are you the man that spoke unto the woman? And he said, I
am.
12 And Manoah said, Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order
the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13 And the angel of YHWH said
unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 She may
not eat of any thing that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or
strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her
observe.
15 And Manoah said unto the angel of YHWH, I pray you, let us
detain you, until we shall have made ready a kid for you.
16 And the angel
of YHWH said unto Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your
bread: and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it unto YHWH. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of YHWH.
17 And Manoah
said unto the angel of YHWH, What is your name, that when your sayings come
to pass we may do you honour?
18 And the angel of YHWH said unto him,
Why ask you thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Manoah took a
kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto YHWH: and the
angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 For it came to
pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel
of YHWH ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked
on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
21 But the angel of YHWH
did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an
angel of YHWH.
22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die,
because we have seen Elohim.
23 But his wife said unto him, If YHWH were
pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat
offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor
would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24 And the woman
bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and YHWH
blessed him.
25 And the spirit of YHWH began to move him at times in the
camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
1 And Samson went down to Timnath,
and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he
came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in
Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to
wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman
among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you go
to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his
father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well.
4 But his father and his
mother knew not that it was of YHWH, that he sought an occasion against
the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came
to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And the spirit of YHWH came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he
would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his
father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with
the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 And after a time he returned to
take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold,
there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
9 And he
took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and
mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had
taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 So his father went down
unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to
do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty
companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put
forth a riddle unto you: if you can certainly declare it me within the seven
days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and
thirty change of garments:
13 But if you cannot declare it me, then shall you
give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him,
Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of
the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And
they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on
the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that
he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house
with fire: have you called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16 And
Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and love me
not: you have put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and have not
told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my
mother, and shall I tell it you?
17 And she wept before him the seven days,
while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told
her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of
her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day
before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger
than a lion? And he said unto them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you
had not found out my riddle.
19 And the spirit of YHWH came upon him,
and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their
spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And
his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20 But Samson's
wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
1 But it
came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson
visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the
chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
2 And her father
said, I verily thought that you had utterly hated her; therefore I gave her
to your companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray
you, instead of her.
3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more
blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
4 And Samson
went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to
tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
5 And when he had
set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the
Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with
the vineyards and olives.
6 Then the Philistines said, Who has done this?
And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken
his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and
burnt her and her father with fire.
7 And Samson said unto them, Though you
have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down
and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
9 Then the Philistines went up, and
pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10 And the men of Judah
said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we
come up, to do to him as he has done to us.
11 Then three thousand men of
Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Know you not
that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that you have done unto
us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind you, that we may
deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them,
Swear unto me, that you will not fall upon me yourselves.
13 And they spoke
unto him, saying, No; but we will bind you fast, and deliver you into their
hand: but surely we will not kill you. And they bound him with two new cords,
and brought him up from the rock.
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the
Philistines shouted against him: and the spirit of YHWH came mightily upon
him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with
fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone
of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men
therewith.
16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17 And it came to pass,
when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his
hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
18 And he was sore athirst, and
called on YHWH, and said, You have given this great deliverance into the
hand of your servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of
the uncircumcised?
19 But Elohim clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and
there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and
he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi
unto this day.
20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty
years.
1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in
unto her.
2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And
they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the
city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we
shall kill him.
3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and
took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the
top of an hill that is before Hebron.
4 And it came to pass afterward, that
he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the
lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and
see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against
him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give you every one of
us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I
pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and wherewith you might be
bound to afflict you.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with
seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as
another man.
8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven
green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now
there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said
unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a
thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not
known.
10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, you have mocked me, and
told me lies: now tell me, I pray you, wherewith you might be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were
occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 Delilah therefore
took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be
upon you, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he
brake them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson,
Hitherto you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith you
might be bound. And he said unto her, If you weave the seven locks of my
head with the web.
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him,
The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went
away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15 And she said unto him,
How canst you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have
mocked me these three times, and have not told me wherein your great strength
lies.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words,
and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her
all his heart, and said unto her, There has not come a razor upon mine head;
for I have been a Nazarite unto Elohim from my mother's womb: if I be shaven,
then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any
other man.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she
sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once,
for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up
unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon
her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven
locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from
him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he awoke out
of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake
myself. And he wist not that YHWH was departed from him.
21 But the
Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and
bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a
great sacrifice unto Dagon their elohim (``god''), and to rejoice: for they said, Our elohim (``god'')
has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
24 And when the people saw
him, they praised their elohim (``god''): for they said, Our elohim (``god'') has delivered into our
hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call
for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the
prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I
may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the
Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men
and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
28 And Samson called unto
YHWH, and said, O Lord (=Adonai) ELOHIM, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I
pray you, only this once, O Elohim, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle
pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one
with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let
me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the
house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the
dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took
him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the
buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 And he
said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken
from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in mine ears,
behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you
of YHWH, my son.
3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels
of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver
unto YHWH from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto you.
4 Yet he restored the
money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and
gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image:
and they were in the house of Micah.
5 And the man Micah had an house of
elohim (``gods''), and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who
became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every
man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 And there was a young man
out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he
sojourned there.
8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah
to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the
house of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 And Micah said unto him, Whence come
you? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to
sojourn where I may find a place.
10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me,
and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of
silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So the Levite
went in.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young
man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite;
and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then
said Micah, Now know I that YHWH will do me good, seeing I have a Levite
to my priest.
1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those
days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of
Israel.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and
to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came
to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
3 When they were
by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and
they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought you hither? and what
make you in this place? and what have you here?
4 And he said unto them,
Thus and thus deals Micah with me, and has hired me, and I am his priest.
5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of Elohim, that we may
know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said
unto them, Go in peace: before YHWH is your way wherein you go.
7 Then
the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were
therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and
secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame
in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with
any man.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say you?
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 you still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When you go, you shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for
Elohim has given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing
that is in the earth.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the
Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with
weapons of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is
behind Kirjathjearim.
13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came
unto the house of Micah.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out
the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do you know that there is
in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten
image? now therefore consider what you have to do.
15 And they turned
thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the
house of Micah, and saluted him.
16 And the six hundred men appointed with
their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering
of the gate.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and
came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim,
and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with
the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18 And these
went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do you?
19 And they said unto him, Hold your peace, lay your hand upon your mouth,
and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to
be a priest unto the house of one man, or that you be a priest unto a tribe
and a family in Israel?
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the
ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the
people.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the
cattle and the carriage before them.
22 And when they were a good way from
the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were
gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
23 And they cried unto
the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What
ails you, that you come with such a company?
24 And he said, You have
taken away my elohim (``gods'') which I made, and the priest, and you are gone away: and
what have I more? and what is this that you say unto me, What ails you?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not your voice be heard among
us, lest angry fellows run upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives
of your household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah
saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he
had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and
they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had
no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehob.
And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the
city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel:
howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 And the children of
Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of
Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of
the captivity of the land.
31 And they set them up Micah's graven image,
which he made, all the time that the house of Elohim was in Shiloh.
1 And it
came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a
certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a
concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
2 And his concubine played the whore
against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah,
and was there four whole months.
3 And her husband arose, and went after
her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant
with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house:
and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 And
his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him
three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5 And it came to
pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up
to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort your
heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
6 And they sat
down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had
said unto the man, Be content, I pray you, and tarry all night, and let your
heart be merry.
7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law
urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 And he arose early in the
morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort
your heart, I pray you. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat
both of them.
9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine,
and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him,
Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night:
behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry;
and to morrow get you early on your way, that you may go home.
10 But
the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over
against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled,
his concubine also was with him.
11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was
far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray you, and let us
turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 And his master
said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that
is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
13 And he
said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to
lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 And they passed on and went
their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which
belongs to Benjamin.
15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to
lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city:
for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16 And,
behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which
was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the
place were Benjamites.
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a
wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where go
you? and whence come you?
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 YHWH; and there is
no man that receives me to house.
19 Yet there is both straw and provender
for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your handmaid,
and for the young man which is with your servants: there is no want of any
thing.
20 And the old man said, Peace be with you; howsoever let all your
wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 So he brought him into
his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and
did eat and drink.
22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold,
the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and
beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying,
Bring forth the man that came into your house, that we may know him.
23 And
the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay,
my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come
into mine house, do not this folly.
24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden,
and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble you them, and do with
them what seems good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and
brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night
until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door
of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 And her lord
rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go
his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of
the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
28 And he said unto her,
Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an
ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
29 And when he was
come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and
divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into
all the coasts of Israel.
30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There
was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came
up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and
speak your minds.
1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the
congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba,
with the land of Gilead, unto YHWH in Mizpeh.
2 And the chief of all the
people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly
of the people of Elohim, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
3 (Now
the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to
Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and
said, I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to
lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round
about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have
they forced, that she is dead.
6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in
pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel:
for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7 Behold, you are all
children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8 And all the people
arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will
we any of us turn into his house.
9 But now this shall be the thing which we
will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
10 And we will take ten
men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a
thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people,
that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the
folly that they have wrought in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israel were
gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 And the tribes of
Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is
this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the
children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and
put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to
the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
14 But the children of
Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out
to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin
were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that
drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven
hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen
men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred
thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 And the children
of Israel arose, and went up to the house of Elohim, and asked counsel of Elohim,
and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of
Benjamin? And YHWH said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of
Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men
of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put
themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of
Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the
Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people the men
of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the
place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children
of Israel went up and wept before YHWH until even, and asked counsel of
YHWH, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of
Benjamin my brother? And YHWH said, Go up against him.)
24 And the
children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and
destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand
men; all these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel, and all
the people, went up, and came unto the house of Elohim, and wept, and sat there
before YHWH, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings before YHWH.
27 And the children of Israel inquired
of YHWH, (for the ark of the covenant of Elohim was there in those days,
28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in
those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children
of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And YHWH said, Go up; for to
morrow I will deliver them into your hand.
29 And Israel set liers in wait
round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the
children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against
Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against
the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the
people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to
the house of Elohim, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of
Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before
us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw
them from the city unto the highways.
33 And all the men of Israel rose up
out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in
wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of
Gibeah.
34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all
Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
35 And YHWH smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel
destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred
men: all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they
were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they
trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 And the
liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew
themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now
there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait,
that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite
and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they
are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
40 But when the flame
began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites
looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed:
for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their
backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle
overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the
midst of them.
43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased
them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of
valour.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of
Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and
pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So
that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men
that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
47 But six hundred men
turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock
Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children
of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of
every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all
the cities that they came to.
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in
Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to
wife.
2 And the people came to the house of Elohim, and abode there till even
before Elohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O YHWH
Elohim of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day
one tribe lacking in Israel?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the
people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all
the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto YHWH? For
they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to YHWH to
Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of
Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe
cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that
remain, seeing we have sworn by YHWH that we will not give them of our
daughters to wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of
Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to YHWH? And, behold, there came none to
the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.
9 For the people were numbered,
and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
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.
11 And this is the
thing that you shall do, You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman
that has lain by man.
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.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children
of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they
had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them
not.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that YHWH had
made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the
congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the
women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be an
inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not
destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our
daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that
gives a wife to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of
YHWH in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on
the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the
south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin,
saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the
daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come you out of the
vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go
to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their
brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable
unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the
war: for you did not give unto them at this time, that you should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to
their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and
returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his
tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his
inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did
that which was right in his own eyes.
Where this translation came from
Latest update: 31 January 1998
(C) Selwyn Russell 1998
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