1Now after the death of Josh′-u-a it came to pass, that the children of Is′-ra-el a asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Ca′-naan-ites first, to fight against them?
2 And the Lord said, b Ju′-dah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
3 And Ju′-dah said unto Sim′-e-on his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Ca′-naan-ites; and c I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Sim′-e-on went with him.
4 ¶ And Ju′-dah went up; and the Lord delivered the Ca′-naan-ites and the Per-iz′-zites into their hand: and they slew of them in d Be′-zek ten thousand men.
5 And they found Ad′-on-i–be′-zek in Be′-zek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Ca′-naan-ites and the Per-iz′-zites.
6 But Ad′-on-i–be′-zek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7 And Ad′-on-i–be′-zek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: e as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Je-ru′-sa-lem, and there he died.
8 ¶ Now f the children of Ju′-dah had fought against Je-ru′-sa-lem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
9 ¶ g And afterward the children of Ju′-dah went down to fight against the Ca′-naan-ites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
10 And Ju′-dah went against the Ca′-naan-ites that dwelt in He′-bron: (now the name of He′-bron before was h Kir′-jath–ar′-ba:) and they slew She′-shai, and A-hi′-man, and Tal′-mai.
11 ¶ i And from thence he went against the inhabitants of De′-bir: and the name of De′-bir before was Kir′-jath–se′-pher:
12 j And Ca′-leb said, He that smiteth Kir′-jath–se′-pher, and taketh it, to him will I give Ach′-sah my daughter to wife.
13 And Oth′-ni-el the son of Ke′-naz, k Ca′-leb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Ach′-sah his daughter to wife.
14 l 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 Ca′-leb said unto her, What wilt thou?
15 And she said unto him, m Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Ca′-leb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
16 ¶ n And the children of the Ke′-nite, Mo′-ses' father in law, went up out o of the city of palm trees with the children of Ju′-dah into the wilderness of Ju′-dah, which lieth in the south of a Ar′-ad; b and they went and dwelt among the people.
17 c And Ju′-dah went with Sim′-e-on his brother, and they slew the Ca′-naan-ites that inhabited Ze′-phath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called d Hor′-mah.
18 Also Ju′-dah took e Ga′-za with the coast thereof, and As′-ke-lon with the coast thereof, and Ek′-ron with the coast thereof.
19 And f the Lord was with Ju′-dah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had g chariots of iron.
20 ¶ h And they gave He′-bron unto Ca′-leb, as Mo′-ses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of A′-nak.
21 ¶ i And the children of Ben′-ja-min did not drive out the Jeb′-u-sites that inhabited Je-ru′-sa-lem; but the Jeb′-u-sites dwell with the children of Ben′-ja-min in Je-ru′-sa-lem unto this day.
22 ¶ And the house of Jo′-seph, they also went up against Beth′–el: j and the Lord was with them.
23 And the house of Jo′-seph k sent to descry Beth′–el. (Now the name of the city before was l Luz.)
24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and m we will shew thee mercy.
25 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
26 And the man went into the land of the Hit′-tites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
27 ¶ n Neither did Ma-nas′-seh drive out the inhabitants of Beth–she′-an and her towns, nor Ta′-a-nach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ib′-le-am and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Me-gid′-do and her towns: but the Ca′-naan-ites would dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Is′-ra-el was strong, that they put the Ca′-naan-ites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
29 ¶ o Neither did E′-phra-im drive out the Ca′-naan-ites that dwelt in Ge′-zer; but the Ca′-naan-ites dwelt in Ge′-zer among them.
30 ¶ Neither did Ze-bu′-lun drive out the inhabitants of Kit′-ron, nor the p inhabitants of Na′-ha-lol; but the Ca′-naan-ites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31 ¶ q Neither did Ash′-er drive out the inhabitants of Ac′-cho, nor the inhabitants of Zi′-don, nor of Ah′-lab, nor of Ach′-zib, nor of Hel′-bah, nor of A′-phik, nor of Re′-hob:
32 But the Ash′-er-ites r dwelt among the Ca′-naan-ites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33 ¶ s Neither did Naph′-ta-li drive out the inhabitants of Beth–she′-mesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth′–a-nath; but he t dwelt among the Ca′-naan-ites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth–she′-mesh and of Beth′–a-nath a became tributaries unto them.
34 ¶ And the Am′-o-rites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
35 But the Am′-o-rites would dwell in mount He′-res b in Ai′-ja-lon, and in Sha-al′-bim: yet the hand of the house of Jo′-seph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.
36 And the coast of the Am′-o-rites was c from the going up to Ak-rab′-bim, from the rock, and upward.
2 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gil′-gal d to Bo′-chim, and said, I made you to go up out of E′-gypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and e I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 ¶ And f ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; g ye shall throw down their altars: h but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be i as thorns in your sides, and j their gods shall be a k snare unto you.
4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Is′-ra-el, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bo′-chim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.
6 ¶ And when l Josh′-u-a had let the people go, the children of Is′-ra-el went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7 m And the people served the Lord all the days of Josh′-u-a, and all the days of the elders that outlived Josh′-u-a, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Is′-ra-el.
8 And n Josh′-u-a the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 o And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in p Tim′-nath–he′-res, in the mount of E′-phra-im, on the north side of the hill Ga′-ash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which q knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Is′-ra-el.
11 ¶ And the children of Is′-ra-el did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Ba′-a-lim:
12 And they r forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of E′-gypt, and followed s other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and t bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, u and served Ba′-al and Ash′-ta-roth.
14 ¶ v And the anger of the Lord was hot against Is′-ra-el, and he w delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and x he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they y could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and z as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 ¶ Nevertheless aa the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they ab went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then a the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: b for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, c when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 ¶ d And the anger of the Lord was hot against Is′-ra-el; and he said, Because that this people hath e transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 f I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Josh′-u-a left when he died:
22 g That through them I may h prove Is′-ra-el, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Josh′-u-a.
3Now these are i the nations which the Lord left, to prove Is′-ra-el by them, even as many of Is′-ra-el as had not known all the wars of Ca′-naan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Is′-ra-el might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3 Namely, j five lords of the Phil′-is-tines, and all the Ca′-naan-ites, and the Si-do′-ni-ans, and the Hi′-vites that dwelt in mount Leb′-a-non, from mount Ba′-al–her′-mon unto the entering in of Ha′-math.
4 k And they were to prove Is′-ra-el by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Mo′-ses.
5 ¶ l And the children of Is′-ra-el dwelt among the Ca′-naan-ites, Hit′-tites, and Am′-o-rites, and Per-iz′-zites, and Hi′-vites, and Jeb′-u-sites:
6 And m they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 n And the children of Is′-ra-el did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, o and served Ba′-a-lim and p the groves.
8 ¶ Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Is′-ra-el, and he q sold them into the hand of r Chu′-shan–rish-a-tha′-im king of Mes-o-po-ta′-mi-a: and the children of Is′-ra-el served Chu′-shan–rish-a-tha′-im eight years.
9 And when the children of Is′-ra-el s cried unto the Lord, the Lord t raised up a deliverer to the children of Is′-ra-el, who delivered them, even u Oth′-ni-el the son of Ke′-naz, Ca′-leb's younger brother.
10 And v the Spir′-it of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Is′-ra-el, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chu′-shan–rish-a-tha′-im king of Mes-o-po-ta′-mi-a into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chu′-shan–rish-a-tha′-im.
11 And the land had rest forty years. And Oth′-ni-el the son of Ke′-naz died.
12 ¶ a And the children of Is′-ra-el did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened b Eg′-lon the king of Mo′-ab against Is′-ra-el, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Am′-mon and c Am′-a-lek, and went and smote Is′-ra-el, and possessed d the city of palm trees.
14 So the children of Is′-ra-el e served Eg′-lon the king of Mo′-ab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Is′-ra-el f cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, E′-hud the son of Ge′-ra, a Ben′-ja-mite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Is′-ra-el sent a present unto Eg′-lon the king of Mo′-ab.
16 But E′-hud 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 Eg′-lon king of Mo′-ab: and Eg′-lon 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 g from the quarries that were by Gil′-gal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And E′-hud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And E′-hud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And E′-hud 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 E′-hud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And E′-hud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se-i′-rath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that a he blew a trumpet in the b mountain of E′-phra-im, and the children of Is′-ra-el went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for c the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Mo′-ab-ites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took d the fords of Jor′-dan toward Mo′-ab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Mo′-ab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Mo′-ab was subdued that day under the hand of Is′-ra-el. And e the land had rest fourscore years.
31 ¶ And after him was f Sham′-gar the son of A′-nath, which slew of the Phil′-is-tines six hundred men g with an ox goad: h and he also delivered i Is′-ra-el.
4And j the children of Is′-ra-el again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when E′-hud was dead.
2 And the Lord k sold them into the hand of Ja′-bin king of Ca′-naan, that reigned in l Ha′-zor; the captain of whose host was m Sis′-e-ra, which dwelt in n Ha-ro′-sheth of the Gen′-tiles.
3 And the children of Is′-ra-el cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred o chariots of iron; and twenty years p he mightily oppressed the children of Is′-ra-el.
4 ¶ And Deb′-o-rah, a prophetess, the wife of Lap′-i-doth, she judged Is′-ra-el at that time.
5 q And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deb′-o-rah between Ra′-mah and Beth′–el in mount E′-phra-im: and the children of Is′-ra-el came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called a Bar′-ak the son of A-bin′-o-am out b of Ke′-desh–naph′-ta-li, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Is′-ra-el commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Ta′-bor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naph′-ta-li and of the children of Ze-bu′-lun?
7 And c I will draw unto thee to the d river Ki′-shon Sis′-e-ra, the captain of Ja′-bin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Bar′-ak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall e sell Sis′-e-ra into the hand of a woman. And Deb′-o-rah arose, and went with Bar′-ak to Ke′-desh.
10 ¶ And Bar′-ak called f Ze-bu′-lun and Naph′-ta-li to Ke′-desh; and he went up with ten thousand men g at his feet: and Deb′-o-rah went up with him.
11 Now He′-ber h the Ke′-nite, which was of the children of i Ho′-bab the father in law of Mo′-ses, had severed himself from the Ke′-nites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Za-a-na′-im, j which is by Ke′-desh.
12 And they shewed Sis′-e-ra that Bar′-ak the son of A-bin′-o-am was gone up to mount Ta′-bor.
13 And Sis′-e-ra gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Ha-ro′-sheth of the Gen′-tiles unto the river of Ki′-shon.
14 And Deb′-o-rah said unto Bar′-ak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sis′-e-ra into thine hand: k is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Bar′-ak went down from mount Ta′-bor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And l the Lord discomfited Sis′-e-ra, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Bar′-ak; so that Sis′-e-ra lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But Bar′-ak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Ha-ro′-sheth of the Gen′-tiles: and all the host of Sis′-e-ra fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sis′-e-ra fled away on his feet to the tent of Ja′-el the wife of He′-ber the Ke′-nite: for there was peace between Ja′-bin the king of Ha′-zor and the house of He′-ber the Ke′-nite.
18 ¶ And Ja′-el went out to meet Sis′-e-ra, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened m a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
21 Then Ja′-el He′-ber's wife a 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 Bar′-ak pursued Sis′-e-ra, Ja′-el came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sis′-e-ra lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23 So b God subdued on that day Ja′-bin the king of Ca′-naan before the children of Is′-ra-el.
24 And the hand of the children of Is′-ra-el prospered, and prevailed against Ja′-bin the king of Ca′-naan, until they had destroyed Ja′-bin king of Ca′-naan.
5 Then c sang Deb′-o-rah and Bar′-ak the son of A-bin′-o-am on that day, saying,
2 Praise ye the Lord for the d avenging of Is′-ra-el, e when the people willingly offered themselves.
3 f Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Is′-ra-el.
4 Lord, g when thou wentest out of Se′-ir, when thou marchedst out of the field of E′-dom, h the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5 i The mountains melted from before the Lord, even j that Si′-nai from before the Lord God of Is′-ra-el.
6 In the days of k Sham′-gar the son of A′-nath, in the days of l Ja′-el, m the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Is′-ra-el, until that I Deb′-o-rah arose, that I arose n a mother in Is′-ra-el.
8 They o chose new gods; then was war in the gates: p was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Is′-ra-el?
9 My heart is toward the governors of Is′-ra-el, that q offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.
10 r Speak, ye s that ride on white asses, t ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the u righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Is′-ra-el: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
12 v Awake, awake, Deb′-o-rah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Bar′-ak, and w lead thy captivity captive, thou son of A-bin′-o-am.
13 Then he made him that remaineth x have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
14 y Out of E′-phra-im was there a root of them z against Am′-a-lek; after thee, Ben′-ja-min, among thy people; out of a Ma′-chir came down governors, and out of Ze-bu′-lun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Is′-sa-char were with Deb′-o-rah; even Is′-sa-char, and also b Bar′-ak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reu′-ben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou c among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reu′-ben there were great searchings of heart.
17 d Gil′-e-ad abode beyond Jor′-dan: and why did Dan remain in ships? e Ash′-er continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18 f Ze-bu′-lun and Naph′-ta-li 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 Ca′-naan in Ta′-a-nach by the waters of Me-gid′-do; g they took no gain of money.
20 h They fought from heaven; i the stars in their courses fought against Sis′-e-ra.
21 j The river of Ki′-shon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Ki′-shon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
23 Curse ye Me′-roz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; k because they came not to the help l of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
24 Blessed above women shall m Ja′-el the wife of He′-ber the Ke′-nite be, n blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 o He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 p She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sis′-e-ra, 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 Sis′-e-ra 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 a Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sis′-e-ra 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 b So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be c as the sun d when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
6And e the children of Is′-ra-el did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand f of Mid′-i-an seven years.
2 And the hand of Mid′-i-an prevailed against Is′-ra-el: and because of the Mid′-i-an-ites the children of Is′-ra-el made them g the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Is′-ra-el had sown, that the Mid′-i-an-ites came up, and h the A-mal′-ek-ites, i and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and j destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Ga′-za, and left no sustenance for Is′-ra-el, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came k as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Is′-ra-el was greatly impoverished because of the Mid′-i-an-ites; and the children of Is′-ra-el l cried unto the Lord.
7 ¶ And it came to pass, when the children of Is′-ra-el cried unto the Lord because of the Mid′-i-an-ites,
8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Is′-ra-el, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Is′-ra-el, I brought you up from E′-gypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the E-gyp′-tians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and m drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; n fear not the gods of the Am′-o-rites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11 ¶ And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Oph′-rah, that pertained unto Jo′-ash o the A′-bi-ez′-rite: and his son p Gid′-e-on threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Mid′-i-an-ites.
12 And the q angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is r with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gid′-e-on said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and a where be all his miracles b which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from E′-gypt? but now the Lord hath c forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Mid′-i-an-ites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, d Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Is′-ra-el from the hand of the Mid′-i-an-ites: e have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Is′-ra-el? behold, f my family is poor in Ma-nas′-seh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, g Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Mid′-i-an-ites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then h shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 i Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 ¶ j And Gid′-e-on went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an e′-phah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and k lay them upon this rock, and l pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and m there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gid′-e-on n perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gid′-e-on said, Alas, O Lord God! o for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
23 And the Lord said unto him, p Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then Gid′-e-on built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Je-ho′-vah–sha′-lom: unto this day it is yet q in Oph′-rah of the A′-bi-ez′-rites.
25 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Ba′-al that thy father hath, and r cut down the grove that is by it:
26 And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27 Then Gid′-e-on took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 ¶ And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Ba′-al was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gid′-e-on the son of Jo′-ash hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Jo′-ash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Ba′-al, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
31 And Jo′-ash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Ba′-al? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him a Jer-ub–ba′-al, saying, Let Ba′-al plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
33 ¶ Then all b the Mid′-i-an-ites and the A-mal′-ek-ites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in c the valley of Jez′-reel.
34 But d the Spir′-it of the Lord came upon Gid′-e-on, and he e blew a trumpet; and A-bi-e′-zer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Ma-nas′-seh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Ash′-er, and unto Ze-bu′-lun, and unto Naph′-ta-li; and they came up to meet them.
36 ¶ And Gid′-e-on said unto God, If thou wilt save Is′-ra-el by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 f Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Is′-ra-el by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gid′-e-on said unto God, g Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
7Then a Jer-ub–ba′-al, who is Gid′-e-on, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Har′-od: so that the host of the Mid′-i-an-ites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Mo′-reh, in the valley.
2 And the Lord said unto Gid′-e-on, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Mid′-i-an-ites into their hands, lest Is′-ra-el b vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, c Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gil′-e-ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the Lord said unto Gid′-e-on, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gid′-e-on, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the Lord said unto Gid′-e-on, d By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Mid′-i-an-ites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Is′-ra-el every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Mid′-i-an was beneath him in the valley.
9 ¶ And it came to pass the same e night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phu′-rah thy servant down to the host:
11 And thou shalt f hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phu′-rah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 And the Mid′-i-an-ites and the A-mal′-ek-ites and g 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 Gid′-e-on 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 Mid′-i-an, 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 Gid′-e-on the son of Jo′-ash, a man of Is′-ra-el: for into his hand hath God delivered Mid′-i-an, and all the host.
15 ¶ And it was so, when Gid′-e-on heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Is′-ra-el, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Mid′-i-an.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid′-e-on.
19 ¶ So Gid′-e-on, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid′-e-on.
21 And they a stood every man in his place round about the camp: b and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22 And the three hundred c blew the trumpets, and d the Lord set e every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shit′-tah in Zer′-e-rath, and to the border of A′-bel–me-ho′-lah, unto Tab′-bath.
23 And the men of Is′-ra-el gathered themselves together out of Naph′-ta-li, and out of Ash′-er, and out of all Ma-nas′-seh, and pursued after the Mid′-i-an-ites.
24 ¶ And Gid′-e-on sent messengers throughout all f mount E′-phra-im, saying, Come down against the Mid′-i-an-ites, and take before them the waters unto Beth–bar′-ah and Jor′-dan. Then all the men of E′-phra-im gathered themselves together, and g took the waters unto h Beth–bar′-ah and Jor′-dan.
25 And they took i two princes of the Mid′-i-an-ites, O′-reb and Ze′-eb; and they slew O′-reb upon a the rock O′-reb, and Ze′-eb they slew at the winepress of Ze′-eb, and pursued Mid′-i-an, and brought the heads of O′-reb and Ze′-eb to Gid′-e-on on the b other side Jor′-dan.
8And c the men of E′-phra-im said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Mid′-i-an-ites? 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 E′-phra-im better than the vintage of A-bi-e′-zer?
3 d God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Mid′-i-an, O′-reb and Ze′-eb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their e anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 ¶ And Gid′-e-on came to Jor′-dan, 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 f Suc′-coth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na, kings of Mid′-i-an.
6 ¶ And the princes of Suc′-coth said, g Are the hands of Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na now in thine hand, that h we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gid′-e-on said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na into mine hand, i then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 ¶ And he went up thence j to Pen-u′-el, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Pen-u′-el answered him as the men of Suc′-coth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Pen-u′-el, saying, When I k come again in peace, l I will break down this tower.
10 ¶ Now Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na were in Kar′-kor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of m all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 ¶ And Gid′-e-on went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of n No′-bah and Jog′-be-hah, and smote the host: for the host was o secure.
12 And when Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na fled, he pursued after them, and p took the two kings of Mid′-i-an, Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na, and discomfited all the host.
13 ¶ And Gid′-e-on the son of Jo′-ash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Suc′-coth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Suc′-coth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Suc′-coth, and said, Behold Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na, with whom ye did a upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 b And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Suc′-coth.
17 c And he beat down the tower of d Pen-u′-el, and slew the men of the city.
18 ¶ Then said he unto Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na. What manner of men were they whom ye slew at e Ta′-bor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Je′-ther his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 Then Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gid′-e-on arose, and f slew Ze′-bah and Zal-mun′-na, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22 ¶ Then the men of Is′-ra-el said unto Gid′-e-on, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Mid′-i-an.
23 And Gid′-e-on said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: g the Lord shall rule over you.
24 ¶ And Gid′-e-on said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, h because they were Ish′-ma-el-ites.)
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 she′-kels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Mid′-i-an, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27 And Gid′-e-on i made an e′-phod thereof, and put it in his city, even j in Oph′-rah: and all Is′-ra-el k went thither a whoring after it: which thing became l a snare unto Gid′-e-on, and to his house.
28 ¶ Thus was Mid′-i-an subdued before the children of Is′-ra-el, so that they lifted up their heads no more. m And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gid′-e-on.
29 ¶ And Jer-ub–ba′-al the son of Jo′-ash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gid′-e-on had n threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 o And his concubine that was in She′-chem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called A-bim′-e-lech.
32 ¶ And Gid′-e-on the son of Jo′-ash died a in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Jo′-ash his father, b in Oph′-rah of the A′-bi-ez′-rites.
33 And it came to pass, c as soon as Gid′-e-on was dead, that the children of Is′-ra-el turned again, and d went a whoring after Ba′-a-lim, e and made Ba′-al–be′-rith their god.
34 And the children of Is′-ra-el f remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 g Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jer-ub–ba′-al, namely, Gid′-e-on, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Is′-ra-el.
9And A-bim′-e-lech the son of Jer-ub–ba′-al went to She′-chem unto h 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 She′-chem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jer-ub–ba′-al, which are i threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am j your bone and your flesh.
3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of She′-chem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow A-bim′-e-lech; for they said, He is our k brother.
4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of l Ba′-al–be′-rith, wherewith A-bim′-e-lech hired m vain and light persons, which followed him.
5 And he went unto his father's house n at Oph′-rah, and o slew his brethren the sons of Jer-ub–ba′-al, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jo′-tham the youngest son of Jer-ub–ba′-al was left; for he hid himself.
6 And all the men of She′-chem gathered together, and all the house of Mil′-lo, and went, and made A-bim′-e-lech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in She′-chem.
7 ¶ And when they told it to Jo′-tham, he went and stood in the top of p mount Ger-iz′-im, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of She′-chem, that God may hearken unto you.
8 q The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, r Reign thou over us.
9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, s wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, a which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my b shadow: and if not, c let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the d cedars of Leb′-a-non.
16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made A-bim′-e-lech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jer-ub–ba′-al and his house, and have done unto him e 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 Mid′-i-an:
18 f And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made A-bim′-e-lech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of She′-chem, because he is your brother;)
19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jer-ub–ba′-al and with his house this day, then g rejoice ye in A-bim′-e-lech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 But if not, h let fire come out from A-bim′-e-lech, and devour the men of She′-chem, and the house of Mil′-lo; and let fire come out from the men of She′-chem, and from the house of Mil′-lo, and devour A-bim′-e-lech.
21 And Jo′-tham ran away, and fled, and went to i Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of A-bim′-e-lech his brother.
22 ¶ When A-bim′-e-lech had reigned three years over Is′-ra-el,
23 Then j God sent an evil spirit between A-bim′-e-lech and the men of She′-chem; and the men of She′-chem k dealt treacherously with A-bim′-e-lech:
24 l That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jer-ub–ba′-al might come, and their blood be laid upon A-bim′-e-lech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of She′-chem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25 And the men of She′-chem 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 A-bim′-e-lech.
26 And Ga′-al the son of E′-bed came with his brethren, and went over to She′-chem: and the men of She′-chem 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 m the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed A-bim′-e-lech.
28 And Ga′-al the son of E′-bed said, n Who is A-bim′-e-lech, and who is She′-chem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jer-ub–ba′-al? and Ze′-bul his officer? serve the men of o Ha′-mor the father of She′-chem: for why should we serve him?
29 And p would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove A-bim′-e-lech. And he said to A-bim′-e-lech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30 ¶ And when Ze′-bul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga′-al the son of E′-bed, his anger was kindled.
31 And he sent messengers unto A-bim′-e-lech privily, saying, Behold, Ga′-al the son of E′-bed and his brethren be come to She′-chem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
33 And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
34 ¶ And A-bim′-e-lech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against She′-chem in four companies.
35 And Ga′-al the son of E′-bed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and A-bim′-e-lech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
36 And when Ga′-al saw the people, he said to Ze′-bul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Ze′-bul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37 And Ga′-al spake again, and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Me-o-ne′-nim.
38 Then said Ze′-bul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou a saidst, Who is A-bim′-e-lech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
39 And Ga′-al went out before the men of She′-chem, and fought with A-bim′-e-lech.
40 And A-bim′-e-lech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
41 And A-bim′-e-lech dwelt at A-ru′-mah: and Ze′-bul thrust out Ga′-al and his brethren, that they should not dwell in She′-chem.
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told A-bim′-e-lech.
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 A-bim′-e-lech, 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 A-bim′-e-lech fought against the city all that day; and b he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and c beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 ¶ And when all the men of the tower of She′-chem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house d of the god Be′-rith.
47 And it was told A-bim′-e-lech, that all the men of the tower of She′-chem were gathered together.
48 And A-bim′-e-lech gat him up to mount e Zal′-mon, he and all the people that were with him; and A-bim′-e-lech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed A-bim′-e-lech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of She′-chem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50 ¶ Then went A-bim′-e-lech to The′-bez, and encamped against The′-bez, 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 A-bim′-e-lech 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 a cast a piece of a millstone upon A-bim′-e-lech's head, and all to brake his skull.
54 Then b he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Is′-ra-el saw that A-bim′-e-lech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56 ¶ c Thus God rendered the wickedness of A-bim′-e-lech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57 And all the evil of the men of She′-chem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came d the curse of Jo′-tham the son of Jer-ub–ba′-al.
10 And after A-bim′-e-lech there e arose to defend Is′-ra-el To′-la the son of Pu′-ah, the son of Do′-do, a man of Is′-sa-char; and he dwelt in Sha′-mir in mount E′-phra-im.
2 And he judged Is′-ra-el twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Sha′-mir.
3 ¶ And after him arose Ja′-ir, a Gil′-e-ad-ite, and judged Is′-ra-el twenty and two years.
4 And he had thirty sons that f rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, g which are called Ha′-voth–ja′-ir unto this day, which are in the land of Gil′-e-ad.
5 And Ja′-ir died, and was buried in Ca′-mon.
6 ¶ And h the children of Is′-ra-el did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and i served Ba′-a-lim, and Ash′-ta-roth, and j the gods of Syr′-i-a, and the gods of k Zi′-don, and the gods of Mo′-ab, and the gods of the children of Am′-mon, and the gods of the Phil′-is-tines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.
7 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Is′-ra-el, and he l sold them into the hands of the Phil′-is-tines, and into the hands of the children of Am′-mon.
8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Is′-ra-el: eighteen years, all the children of Is′-ra-el that were on the other side Jor′-dan in the land of the Am′-o-rites, which is in Gil′-e-ad.
9 Moreover the children of Am′-mon passed over Jor′-dan to fight also against Ju′-dah, and against Ben′-ja-min, and against the house of E′-phra-im; so that Is′-ra-el was sore distressed.
10 ¶ m And the children of Is′-ra-el cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Ba′-a-lim.
11 And the Lord said unto the children of Is′-ra-el, Did not I deliver you n from the E-gyp′-tians, and o from the Am′-o-rites, p from the children of Am′-mon, q and from the Phil′-is-tines?
12 r The Zi-do′-ni-ans also, s and the A-mal′-ek-ites, and the Ma′-on-ites, t did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13 a Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go and b cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15 ¶ And the children of Is′-ra-el said unto the Lord, We have sinned: c do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16 d And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and e his soul was grieved for the misery of Is′-ra-el.
17 Then the children of Am′-mon were gathered together, and encamped in Gil′-e-ad. And the children of Is′-ra-el assembled themselves together, and encamped in f Miz′-peh.
18 And the people and princes of Gil′-e-ad said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Am′-mon? he shall g be head over all the inhabitants of Gil′-e-ad.
11 Now h Jeph′-thah the Gil′-e-ad-ite was i a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gil′-e-ad begat Jeph′-thah.
2 And Gil′-e-ad's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jeph′-thah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3 Then Jeph′-thah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered j vain men to Jeph′-thah, and went out with him.
4 ¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Am′-mon made war against Is′-ra-el.
5 And it was so, that when the children of Am′-mon made war against Is′-ra-el, the elders of Gil′-e-ad went to fetch Jeph′-thah out of the land of Tob:
6 And they said unto Jeph′-thah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Am′-mon.
7 And Jeph′-thah said unto the elders of Gil′-e-ad, k Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8 l And the elders of Gil′-e-ad said unto Jeph′-thah, Therefore we m turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Am′-mon, and be n our head over all the inhabitants of Gil′-e-ad.
9 And Jeph′-thah said unto the elders of Gil′-e-ad, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Am′-mon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10 And the elders of Gil′-e-ad said unto Jeph′-thah, o The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11 Then Jeph′-thah went with the elders of Gil′-e-ad, and the people made him p head and captain over them: and Jeph′-thah uttered all his words q before the Lord in Miz′-peh.
12 ¶ And Jeph′-thah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Am′-mon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13 And the king of the children of Am′-mon answered unto the messengers of Jeph′-thah, a Because Is′-ra-el took away my land, when they came up out of E′-gypt, from Ar′-non even unto b Jab′-bok, and unto Jor′-dan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14 And Jeph′-thah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Am′-mon:
15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jeph′-thah, c Is′-ra-el took not away the land of Mo′-ab, nor the land of the children of Am′-mon:
16 But when Is′-ra-el came up from E′-gypt, and d walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and e came to Ka′-desh;
17 Then f Is′-ra-el sent messengers unto the king of E′-dom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: g but the king of E′-dom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Mo′-ab: but he would not consent: and Is′-ra-el h abode in Ka-desh.
18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and i compassed the land of E′-dom, and the land of Mo′-ab, and j came by the east side of the land of Mo′-ab, k and pitched on the other side of Ar′-non, but came not within the border of Mo′-ab: for Ar′-non was the border of Mo′-ab.
19 And l Is′-ra-el sent messengers unto Si′-hon king of the Am′-o-rites, the king of Hesh′-bon; and Is′-ra-el said unto him, m Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20 a But Si′-hon trusted not Is′-ra-el to pass through his coast: but Si′-hon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Ja′-haz, and fought against Is′-ra-el.
21 And the Lord God of Is′-ra-el delivered Si′-hon and all his people into the hand of Is′-ra-el, and they b smote them: so Is′-ra-el possessed all the land of the Am′-o-rites, the inhabitants of that country.
22 And they possessed c all the coasts of the Am′-o-rites, from Ar′-non even unto Jab′-bok, and from the wilderness even unto Jor′-dan.
23 So now the Lord God of Is′-ra-el hath dispossessed the Am′-o-rites from before his people Is′-ra-el, and shouldest thou possess it?
24 Wilt not thou possess that which d Che′-mosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever e the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25 And now art thou any thing better than f Ba′-lak the son of Zip′-por, king of Mo′-ab? did he ever strive against Is′-ra-el, or did he ever fight against them,
26 While Is′-ra-el dwelt in g Hesh′-bon and her towns, and in h A-ro′-er and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Ar′-non, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord i the Judge j be judge this day between the children of Is′-ra-el and the children of Am′-mon.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Am′-mon hearkened not unto the words of Jeph′-thah which he sent him.
29 ¶ Then k the Spir′-it of the Lord came upon Jeph′-thah, and he passed over Gil′-e-ad, and Ma-nas′-seh, and passed over Miz′-peh of Gil′-e-ad, and from Miz′-peh of Gil′-e-ad he passed over unto the children of Am′-mon.
30 And Jeph′-thah l vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Am′-mon into mine hands,
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Am′-mon, m shall surely be the Lord's, n and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32 ¶ So Jeph′-thah passed over unto the children of Am′-mon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 And he smote them from A-ro′-er, even till thou come to o Min′-nith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Am′-mon were subdued before the children of Is′-ra-el.
34 ¶ And Jeph′-thah came to p Miz′-peh unto his house, and, behold, q 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 r rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I s have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and t I cannot go back.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, u do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as a the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Am′-mon.
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 b did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Is′-ra-el,
40 That the daughters of Is′-ra-el went yearly to lament the daughter of Jeph′-thah the Gil′-e-ad-ite four days in a year.
12 And c the men of E′-phra-im gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jeph′-thah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Am′-mon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
2 And Jeph′-thah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Am′-mon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I d put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Am′-mon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
4 Then Jeph′-thah gathered together all the men of Gil′-e-ad, and fought with E′-phra-im: and the men of Gil′-e-ad smote E′-phra-im, because they said, Ye Gil′-e-ad-ites e are fugitives of E′-phra-im among the E′-phra-im-ites, and among the Ma-nas′-sites.
5 And the Gil′-e-ad-ites took the f passages of Jor′-dan before the E′-phra-im-ites: and it was so, that when those E′-phra-im-ites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gil′-e-ad said unto him, Art thou an E′-phra-im-ite? If he said, Nay;
6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shib′-bo-leth: and he said Sib′-bo-leth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jor′-dan: and there fell at that time of the E′-phra-im-ites forty and two thousand.
7 ¶ And Jeph′-thah judged Is′-ra-el six years. Then died Jeph′-thah the Gil′-e-ad-ite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gil′-e-ad.
8 ¶ And after him Ib′-zan of Beth′–le-hem judged Is′-ra-el.
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 Is′-ra-el seven years.
10 Then died Ib′-zan, and was buried at Beth′–le-hem.
11 ¶ And after him E′-lon, a Ze-bu′-lon-ite, judged Is′-ra-el; and he judged Is′-ra-el ten years.
12 And E′-lon the Ze-bu′-lon-ite died, and was buried in Ai′-ja-lon in the country of Ze-bu′-lun.
13 ¶ And after him Ab′-don the son of Hil′-lel, a Pir′-a-thon-ite, judged Is′-ra-el.
14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that a rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Is′-ra-el eight years.
15 And Ab′-don the son of Hil′-lel the Pir′-a-thon-ite died, and was buried in Pir′-a-thon in the land of E′-phra-im, b in the mount of the A-mal′-ek-ites.
13And the children of Is′-ra-el c did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them d into the hand of the Phil′-is-tines forty years.
2 ¶ And there was a certain man of e Zor′-ah, of the family of the Dan′-ites, whose name was Ma-no′-ah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 And the f angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and g drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no h rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be i a Naz′-a-rite unto God from the womb: and he shall j begin to deliver Is′-ra-el out of the hand of the Phil′-is-tines.
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, k A man of God came unto me, and his l countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I m asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Naz′-a-rite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 ¶ Then Ma-no′-ah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 And God hearkened to the voice of Ma-no′-ah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Ma-no′-ah her husband was not with her.
10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11 And Ma-no′-ah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
12 And Ma-no′-ah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13 And the angel of the Lord said unto Ma-no′-ah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, a neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
15 ¶ And Ma-no′-ah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, b let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
16 And the angel of the Lord said unto Ma-no′-ah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Ma-no′-ah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.
17 And Ma-no′-ah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
18 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, c Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Ma-no′-ah took a kid with a meat offering, d and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wondrously; and Ma-no′-ah and his wife looked on.
20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Ma-no′-ah and his wife looked on it, and e fell on their faces to the ground.
21 But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Ma-no′-ah and to his wife. f Then Ma-no′-ah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.
22 And Ma-no′-ah said unto his wife, g We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23 But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24 ¶ And the woman bare a son, and called his name h Sam′-son: and i the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.
25 j And the Spir′-it of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan k between Zor′-ah and Esh′-ta-ol.
14 And Sam′-son went down l to Tim′-nath, and m saw a woman in Tim′-nath of the daughters of the Phil′-is-tines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Tim′-nath of the daughters of the Phil′-is-tines: now therefore n 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 o thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the p uncircumcised Phil′-is-tines? And Sam′-son said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was q of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Phil′-is-tines: for at that time r the Phil′-is-tines had dominion over Is′-ra-el.
5 ¶ Then went Sam′-son down, and his father and his mother, to Tim′-nath, and came to the vineyards of Tim′-nath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And a the Spir′-it of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Sam′-son 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 Sam′-son 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 Sam′-son said unto them, I will now b put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me c within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty d change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Sam′-son's wife, e Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, f lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16 And Sam′-son's wife wept before him, and said, g Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 ¶ And a the Spir′-it of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ash′-ke-lon, 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 Sam′-son's wife b was given to his companion, whom he had used as c his friend.
15 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Sam′-son visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly d hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
3 ¶ And Sam′-son said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Phil′-is-tines, though I do them a displeasure.
4 And Sam′-son 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 Phil′-is-tines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
6 ¶ Then the Phil′-is-tines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Sam′-son, the son in law of the Tim′-nite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. e And the Phil′-is-tines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
7 ¶ And Sam′-son said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock E′-tam.
9 ¶ Then the Phil′-is-tines went up, and pitched in Ju′-dah, and spread themselves f in Le′-hi.
10 And the men of Ju′-dah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Sam′-son are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
11 Then three thousand men of Ju′-dah went to the top of the rock E′-tam, and said to Sam′-son, Knowest thou not that the Phil′-is-tines are g rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Phil′-is-tines. And Sam′-son said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
14 ¶ And when he came unto Le′-hi, the Phil′-is-tines shouted against him: and h the Spir′-it of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and a slew a thousand men therewith.
16 And Sam′-son 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 Ra′-math–le′-hi.
18 ¶ And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, b Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, c his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof En–hak′-ko-re, which is in Le′-hi unto this day.
20 And he judged Is′-ra-el d in the days of the Phil′-is-tines twenty years.
16 Then went Sam′-son to Ga′-za, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
2 And it was told the Ga′-zites, saying, Sam′-son is come hither. And they e 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 Sam′-son 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 He′-bron.
4 ¶ And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of So′-rek, whose name was De-li′-lah.
5 And the lords of the Phil′-is-tines came up unto her, and said unto her, a Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6 ¶ And De-li′-lah said to Sam′-son, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
7 And Sam′-son 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 Phil′-is-tines 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 Phil′-is-tines be upon thee, Sam′-son. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And De-li′-lah said unto Sam′-son, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 De-li′-lah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Phil′-is-tines be upon thee, Sam′-son. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And De-li′-lah said unto Sam′-son, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Phil′-is-tines be upon thee, Sam′-son. 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, b How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he c told her all his heart, and said unto her, d There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Naz′-a-rite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 And when De-li′-lah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Phil′-is-tines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Phil′-is-tines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 a 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 Phil′-is-tines be upon thee, Sam′-son. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord b was departed from him.
21 ¶ But the Phil′-is-tines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Ga′-za, 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 Phil′-is-tines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Da′-gon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Sam′-son our enemy into our hand.
24 And when the people saw him, they c praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were d merry, that they said, Call for Sam′-son, that he may make us sport. And they called for Sam′-son out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
26 ¶ And Sam′-son said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Phil′-is-tines were there; and there were upon the e roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Sam′-son made sport.
28 And Sam′-son called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, f remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Phil′-is-tines for my two eyes.
29 And Sam′-son 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 Sam′-son said, Let me die with the Phil′-is-tines. 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 g buried him between Zor′-ah and Esh′-ta-ol in the buryingplace of Ma-no′-ah his father. And he judged Is′-ra-el twenty years.
17 And there was a man of mount E′-phra-im, whose name was Mi′-cah.
2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred she′-kels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, a Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son.
3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred she′-kels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son, to b make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother c took two hundred she′-kels 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 Mi′-cah.
5 And the man Mi′-cah had an house of gods, and made an d e′-phod, and e ter′-aph-im, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 f In those days there was no king in Is′-ra-el, g but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 ¶ And there was a young man out of h Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah of the family of Ju′-dah, who was a Le′-vite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount E′-phra-im to the house of Mi′-cah, as he journeyed.
9 And Mi′-cah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Le′-vite of Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 And Mi′-cah said unto him, Dwell with me, i and be unto me a j father and a priest, and I will give thee ten she′-kels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Le′-vite went in.
11 And the Le′-vite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Mi′-cah k consecrated the Le′-vite; and the young man l became his priest, and was in the house of Mi′-cah.
13 Then said Mi′-cah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Le′-vite to my priest.
18 In m those days there was no king in Is′-ra-el: and in those days n the tribe of the Dan′-ites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Is′-ra-el.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from a Zor′-ah, and from Esh′-ta-ol, b to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount E′-phra-im, to the c house of Mi′-cah, they lodged there.
3 When they were by the house of Mi′-cah, they knew the voice of the young man the Le′-vite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Mi′-cah with me, and hath d hired me, and I am his priest.
5 And they said unto him, e Ask counsel, we pray thee, f of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said unto them, g Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.
7 ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to h La′-ish, and saw the people that were therein, i how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zi-do′-ni-ans, 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 Zi-do′-ni-ans, and had no business with any man.
8 And they came unto their brethren to j Zor′-ah and Esh′-ta-ol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 And they said, k Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye l still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people m secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; n 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 Dan′-ites, out of Zor′-ah and out of Esh′-ta-ol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in o Kir′-jath–je′-a-rim, in Ju′-dah: wherefore they called that place p Ma′-ha-neh–dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kir′-jath–je′-a-rim.
13 And they passed thence unto mount E′-phra-im, and came unto q the house of Mi′-cah.
14 ¶ r Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of La′-ish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that s there is in these houses an e′-phod, and ter′-aph-im, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Le′-vite, even unto the house of Mi′-cah, and saluted him.
16 And the t 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 u the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took a the graven image, and the e′-phod, and the ter′-aph-im, 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 Mi′-cah's house, and fetched the carved image, the e′-phod, and the ter′-aph-im, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, b lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, c and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Is′-ra-el?
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the e′-phod, and the ter′-aph-im, 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 Mi′-cah, the men that were in the houses near to Mi′-cah'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 Mi′-cah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Mi′-cah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Mi′-cah had made, and the priest which he had, and d came unto La′-ish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: e 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 f far from Zi′-don, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth g by Beth–re′-hob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 And h they called the name of the city i Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Is′-ra-el: howbeit the name of the city was La′-ish at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jon′-a-than, the son of Ger′-shom, the son of Ma-nas′-seh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan j until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set them up Mi′-cah's graven image, which he made, k all the time that the house of God was in Shi′-loh.
19 And it came to pass in those days, l when there was no king in Is′-ra-el, that there was a certain Le′-vite sojourning on the side of mount E′-phra-im, who took to him a concubine out of a Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah.
2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah, 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, b Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against c Je′-bus, which is Je-ru′-sa-lem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
11 And when they were by Je′-bus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city d of the Jeb′-u-sites, 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 Is′-ra-el; we will pass over e to Gib′-e-ah.
13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gib′-e-ah, or in f Ra′-mah.
14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gib′-e-ah, which belongeth to Ben′-ja-min.
15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gib′-e-ah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that g took them into his house to lodging.
16 ¶ And, behold, there came an old man from h his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount E′-phra-im; and he sojourned in Gib′-e-ah: but the men of the place were Ben′-ja-mites.
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah toward the side of mount E′-phra-im; from thence am I: and I went to Beth′–le-hem–ju′-dah, but I am now going to a the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20 And the old man said, b Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; c only lodge not in the street.
21 d So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: e and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 ¶ Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, fthe men of the city, certain g sons of Be′-li-al, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, h Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
23 And i 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, j do not this folly.
24 k Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and l humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they m 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 n 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 o divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Is′-ra-el.
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 Is′-ra-el came up out of the land of E′-gypt unto this day: consider of it, p take advice, and speak your minds.
20 Then a all the children of Is′-ra-el went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, b from Dan even to Beer–she′-ba, with the land of Gil′-e-ad, unto the Lord c in Miz′-peh.
2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Is′-ra-el, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen d that drew sword.
3 (Now the children of Ben′-ja-min heard that the children of Is′-ra-el were gone up to Miz′-peh.) Then said the children of Is′-ra-el, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
4 And the Le′-vite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, e I came into Gib′-e-ah that belongeth to Ben′-ja-min, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5 f And the men of Gib′-e-ah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: g and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
6 And h I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Is′-ra-el: for they i have committed lewdness and folly in Is′-ra-el.
7 Behold, ye are all children of Is′-ra-el; j 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 Gib′-e-ah; we will go up by lot against it;
10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Is′-ra-el, 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 Gib′-e-ah of Ben′-ja-min, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Is′-ra-el.
11 So all the men of Is′-ra-el were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 ¶ k And the tribes of Is′-ra-el sent men through all the tribe of Ben′-ja-min, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver us the men, l the children of Be′-li-al, which are in Gib′-e-ah, that we may put them to death, and m put away evil from Is′-ra-el. But the children of Ben′-ja-min would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Is′-ra-el:
14 But the children of Ben′-ja-min gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gib′-e-ah, to go out to battle against the children of Is′-ra-el.
15 And the children of Ben′-ja-min were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gib′-e-ah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men n lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.
17 And the men of Is′-ra-el, beside Ben′-ja-min, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 ¶ And the children of Is′-ra-el arose, and a went up to the house of God, and b asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Ben′-ja-min? And the Lord said, Ju′-dah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Is′-ra-el rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gib′-e-ah.
20 And the men of Is′-ra-el went out to battle against Ben′-ja-min; and the men of Is′-ra-el put themselves in array to fight against them at Gib′-e-ah.
21 And c the children of Ben′-ja-min came forth out of Gib′-e-ah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Is′-ra-el-ites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people the men of Is′-ra-el encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (d And the children of Is′-ra-el went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Ben′-ja-min my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)
24 And the children of Is′-ra-el came near against the children of Ben′-ja-min the second day.
25 And e Ben′-ja-min went forth against them out of Gib′-e-ah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Is′-ra-el again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 ¶ Then all the children of Is′-ra-el, and all the people, f went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Is′-ra-el inquired of the Lord, (for g the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 h And Phin′-e-has, the son of El-e-a′-zar, the son of Aar′-on, i stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Ben′-ja-min my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
29 And Is′-ra-el j set liers in wait round about Gib′-e-ah.
30 And the children of Is′-ra-el went up against the children of Ben′-ja-min on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gib′-e-ah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Ben′-ja-min went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gib′-e-ah in the field, about thirty men of Is′-ra-el.
32 And the children of Ben′-ja-min said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Is′-ra-el said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
33 And all the men of Is′-ra-el rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Ba′-al–ta′-mar: and the liers in wait of Is′-ra-el came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gib′-e-ah.
34 And there came against Gib′-e-ah ten thousand chosen men out of all Is′-ra-el, and the battle was sore: k but they knew not that evil was near them.
35 And the Lord smote Ben′-ja-min before Is′-ra-el: and the children of Is′-ra-el destroyed of the Ben′-ja-mites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Ben′-ja-min saw that they were smitten: a for the men of Is′-ra-el gave place to the Ben′-ja-mites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gib′-e-ah.
37 b And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gib′-e-ah; 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 Is′-ra-el 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 Is′-ra-el retired in the battle, Ben′-ja-min began to smite and kill of the men of Is′-ra-el 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 Ben′-ja-mites c looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Is′-ra-el turned again, the men of Ben′-ja-min were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Is′-ra-el unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 Thus they inclosed the Ben′-ja-mites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gib′-e-ah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Ben′-ja-min eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of d Rim′-mon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gi′-dom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Ben′-ja-min were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
47 e But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rim′-mon, and abode in the rock Rim′-mon four months.
48 And the men of Is′-ra-el turned again upon the children of Ben′-ja-min, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.
21 Now f the men of Is′-ra-el had sworn in Miz′-peh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Ben′-ja-min to wife.
2 And the people came g to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O Lord God of Is′-ra-el, why is this come to pass in Is′-ra-el, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Is′-ra-el?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and h built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the children of Is′-ra-el said, Who is there among all the tribes of Is′-ra-el that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? i For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Miz′-peh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of Is′-ra-el repented them for Ben′-ja-min their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Is′-ra-el this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 ¶ And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Is′-ra-el that came not up to Miz′-peh to the Lord? And, behold, there came none to the camp from a Ja′-besh–gil′-e-ad to the assembly.
9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Ja′-besh–gil′-e-ad there.
10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, b Go and smite the inhabitants of Ja′-besh–gil′-e-ad with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, c Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Ja′-besh–gil′-e-ad four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to d Shi′-loh, which is in the land of Ca′-naan.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Ben′-ja-min e that were in the rock Rim′-mon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 And Ben′-ja-min came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Ja′-besh–gil′-e-ad: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 And the people f repented them for Ben′-ja-min, because that the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Is′-ra-el.
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 Ben′-ja-min?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Ben′-ja-min, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Is′-ra-el.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: g for the children of Is′-ra-el have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Ben′-ja-min.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shi′-loh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth′–el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth′–el to She′-chem, and on the south of Le-bo′-nah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Ben′-ja-min, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shi′-loh come out h to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shi′-loh, and go to the land of Ben′-ja-min.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Ben′-ja-min 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 a repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Is′-ra-el 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 b In those days there was no king in Is′-ra-el: c every man did that which was right in his own eyes.