The Book of
JUDGES
Author
The author of Judges is unknown. The Talmud ascribes the Book of Judges to Samuel. He may have written portions of the book for it is recorded that he was a writer (1 Sam. 10:25). The inspired author carefully selected oral and written sources to provide a history of Israel with theological import.
Date
The Book of Judges covers the period between Joshua’s death and the rise of the monarchy. The actual date of composition is unknown. Internal evidence, however, indicates that it was written during the early part of the monarchy following Saul’s coronation but prior to David’s conquest of Jerusalem, about 1050 to 1000 B.C. This date is supported by two facts: 1) The words “In those days there was no king in Israel” (17:6) were penned from a period when Israel did have a king. 2) The declaration that “the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day” (1:21) points to a time before David conquered the city (2 Sam. 5:6, 7).
Background
The Book of Judges covers a chaotic period in Israel’s history from about 1380 to 1050 B.C. Under the leadership of Joshua, Israel had generally conquered and occupied the land of Canaan, but large areas remained yet to be possessed by the individual tribes. Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord continually and “there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25). By deliberately serving foreign gods, the people of Israel broke their covenant with the Lord. As a result, the Lord delivered them into the hands of various oppressors. Each time the people cried out to the Lord, He faithfully raised up a judge to bring deliverance to His people. These judges whom the Lord chose and anointed with His Spirit were military and civil leaders. The Book of Judges not only looks back to the conquest of Canaan led by Joshua and records the conditions in Canaan during the period of the judges but it also anticipates the establishment of the monarchy in Israel.
Purpose
The purpose of the Book of Judges is threefold: 1) historical, 2) theological, and 3) spiritual. Historically, the book describes the events that transpired during a specific period in Israel’s history and provides a link between the conquest of Canaan and the monarchy. Theologically, the book underscores the principle established in the Law that obedience to the Law brings peace and life, and disobedience brings oppression and death. Moreover, the book points to the need for a centralized hereditary monarchy in Israel. Israel’s disobedience of the Lord’s kingship throughout the time of the inspired leadership of the judges resulted in apostasy and anarchy, which consequently demonstrated the need for a permanent, centralized, hereditary monarchy through which the Lord would continue to exert His kingship over the nation of Israel. Spiritually, the book serves to show the faithfulness of the Lord to His covenant. Whenever His people repented and turned from their evil ways, the Lord always forgave them and raised up Spirit-empowered leaders to deliver them from their oppressors.
Content
The Book of Judges is divided into three main sections: 1) a prologue (1:1—3:6); 2) a main body (3:7—16:31); and 3) an epilogue (17:1—21:25). The first part of the prologue (1:1—2:5) establishes the historical scene for the narratives that follow. It describes Israel’s incomplete conquest of the Promised Land (1:1–36) and the Lord’s rebuke for her unfaithfulness to His covenant (2:1–5). The second part of the prologue (2:6—3:6) provides an overview of the main body of the book. It portrays Israel’s rebellious ways during the first centuries in the Promised Land and shows how the Lord dealt with her in that period, a time characterized by a recurring cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance.
The main body of the book (3:7—16:31) illustrates this recurring pattern within Israel’s early history. The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord (apostasy); the Lord delivered them into the hands of enemies (oppression); the people of Israel cried out to the Lord (repentance); and in response to their cry, the Lord raised up deliverers whom He empowered with His Spirit (deliverance). Six individuals—Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson—whose role as deliverers is related in some detail are classified as the “major” judges. Six others who are only briefly mentioned—Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon—are referred to as the “minor” judges. The thirteenth individual, Abimelech, is supplemental to the story of Gideon.
Two stories are appended to the Book of Judges (17:1—21:25) in the form of an epilogue. The purpose of these appendices is not to establish an end to the period of the judges but to depict the religious and moral corruption that existed during this period. The first story illustrates the corruption in Israel’s religion. Micah established in Ephraim a paganized form of worship of the Lord, which was adopted by the Danites when they abandoned their appointed inheritance and migrated into northern Israel. The second story in the epilogue illustrates Israel’s moral corruption by relating the unfortunate experience of a Levite at Gibeah in Benjamin and the ensuing Benjamite War. Apparently, the purpose of this concluding section of the book is to illustrate the consequences of Israel’s apostasy and anarchy when “there was no king in Israel.”
Personal Application
The Book of Judges illustrates the disastrous consequences of breaking fellowship with God through idolatrous worship. Sin separates from God. The Lord requires commitment from His people. When we commit sin, the Lord in His love chastises us until we come to full repentance. When we cry out to Him, the Lord faithfully responds to us. He forgives us, brings deliverance to us, and restores fellowship with us.
The Lord is our Judge—our Deliverer. He is able to do impossible things. Just as He appointed deliverers and empowered them with His Spirit to do exploits, He is able to endue us with His Holy Spirit and to use us to bring deliverance to those who are bound in sin and despair. He responds to the cry of a penitent heart. The Lord is faithful and His love is constant.
Christ Revealed
The Book of Judges graphically portrays the character of the Lord in His dealings with the children of Israel. In righteousness, the Lord punished them for their sin; but, in His love and mercy, He delivered them in response to their penitent cry. Though the judges are called the deliverers or saviors of the people, God ultimately is their Savior. “God is the Judge” (Ps. 75:7). He is “a just God and a Savior” (Is. 45:21).
Humankind’s need of a divine deliverer or savior is emphasized in the Book of Judges. Throughout history, God’s people have sinned. God as the Lord of history has always delivered His people from oppression when they repented and turned their hearts toward Him. In the fullness of time, God in His love sent forth His Son Jesus Christ as our Deliverer, our Savior, to redeem us from the bondage of sin and death. Our Lord is a righteous Judge (2 Tim. 4:8) who will one day “judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31).
The Holy Spirit at Work
The activity of the Spirit of the Lord in the Book of Judges is clearly portrayed in the charismatic leadership of the period. The following heroic deeds of Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson are attributed to the Spirit of the Lord:
1 . The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel (3:10) and enabled him to deliver the Israelites from the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia.
2 . Through the personal presence of the Spirit of the Lord, Gideon (6:34) delivered God’s people from the oppression of the Midianites. Literally, the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon. The Spirit empowered this divinely appointed leader and acted through him to accomplish the Lord’s saving act on behalf of His people.
3 . The Spirit of the Lord equipped Jephthah (11:29) with leadership skills in his military pursuit against the Ammonites. Jephthah’s victory over the Ammonites was the Lord’s act of deliverance on behalf of Israel.
4 . The Spirit of the Lord empowered Samson to perform extraordinary deeds. He began to stir Samson (13:25). The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him on several occasions. He tore a lion apart with his bare hands (14:6). At one time he killed thirty Philistines (14:19) and at another time he freed himself from ropes that bound his hands and killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (15:14, 15).
The same Holy Spirit who enabled these deliverers to do exploits and fulfill the Lord’s plans and purposes is at work today. He desires to move upon His people so that they too can do impossible things. The Lord wants to bring deliverance to His people, and He is looking for consecrated men and women whom He can empower with His Holy Spirit.
Outline of Judges
I. Prologue: Conditions in Canaan after the death of Joshua 1:1—3:6
A. Continuing conquests by Israelite tribes 1:1–26
B. Incomplete conquests of the land 1:27–36
C. Covenant of the Lord broken 2:1–5
D. Introduction to the period of the judges 2:6—3:6
II. History of oppressions and deliverances during the period of the judges 3:7—16:31
A. Mesopotamian oppression and deliverance by Othniel 3:7–11
B. Moabite oppression and deliverance by Ehud 3:12–30
C. Philistine oppression and deliverance by Shamgar 3:31
D. Canaanite oppression and deliverance by Deborah and Barak 4:1—5:31
E. Midianite oppression and deliverance by Gideon 6:1—8:35
F. Brief reign of Abimelech 9:1–57
G. Tola’s judgeship 10:1, 2
H. Jair’s judgeship 10:3–5
I. Ammonite oppression anddeliverance by Jephthah 10:6—12:7
J. Ibzan’s judgeship 12:8–10
K. Elon’s judgeship 12:11, 12
L. Abdon’s judgeship 12:13–15
M. Philistine oppression and the exploits of Samson 13:1—16:31
III. Epilogue: Conditions illustrating the period of the judges 17:1—21:25
A. Apostasy: The idolatry of Micah and the migration of the Danites 17:1—18:31
B. Immorality: The atrocity at Gibeah and the Benjamite War 19:1—21:25
The Continuing Conquest of Canaan
1
1 NOW after the adeath of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel basked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the cCanaanites to fight against them?”
2 And the LORD said, a“Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”
3 So Judah said to aSimeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and bI will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.
4 Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at aBezek.
5 And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; aas I have done, so God has repaid me.” Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now athe children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
9 aAnd afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the 1South, and in the lowland.
10 Then Judah 1went against the Canaanites who dwelt in aHebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly bKirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 aFrom there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)
12 aThen Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.”
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, aCaleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.
14 aNow it happened, when she came to him, that 1she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”
15 So she said to him, a“Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
16 aNow the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, *went up bfrom the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near cArad; dand they went and dwelt among the people.
17 aAnd Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called bHormah.
18 Also Judah took aGaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.
19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had achariots of iron.
20 aAnd they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he 1expelled from there the bthree sons of Anak.
21 aBut the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 And the 1house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, aand the LORD was with them.
23 So the 1house of Joseph asent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly bLuz.)
24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and awe will show you *mercy.”
25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
Incomplete Conquest of the Land
27 aHowever, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or bTaanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of cDor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites 1under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.
29 aNor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Nor did aZebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and 1were put under tribute.
31 aNor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
32 So the Asherites adwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
33 aNor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;
35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, ain Aijalon, and in 1Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they 2were put under tribute.
36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was afrom the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
Israel’s Disobedience
2
1 Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: a“I led you up from Egypt and bbrought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and cI said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
2 ‘And ayou shall make no 1covenant with the inhabitants of this land; byou shall tear down their altars.’ cBut you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?
3 “Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be athorns1 in your side, and btheir gods shall 2be a csnare to you.’ ”
4 So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these *words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 Then they called the name of that place 1Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
6 And when aJoshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to *possess the land.
Death of Joshua
7 aSo the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.
8 Now aJoshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.
9 aAnd they buried him within the border of his inheritance at bTimnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
10 When all that generation had 1been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who adid not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11 Then the children of Israel did aevil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;
12 and they aforsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed bother gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they cbowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to *anger.
13 They forsook the LORD aand served 1Baal and the 2Ashtoreths.
14 aAnd the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He bdelivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and cHe sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they dcould no longer stand before their enemies.
15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had asworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless, athe LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they aplayed the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the *commandments of the LORD; they did not do so.
18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, athe LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; bfor the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.
19 And it came to pass, awhen the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to *serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
20 Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has atransgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,
21 “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua aleft when he died,
22 “so athat through them I may btest Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
The Nations Remaining in the Land
3
1 Now these are athe nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not 1known any of the wars in Canaan
2 (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be *taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),
3 namely, afive lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.
4 And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to 1know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 aThus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6 And athey took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.
Othniel
7 So the children of Israel did aevil in the sight of the LORD. They bforgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and 1Asherahs.
8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He asold them into the hand of bCushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.
9 When the children of Israel acried out to the LORD, the LORD braised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: cOthniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
10 aThe Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his *hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Ehud
12 aAnd the children of Israel again did *evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened bEglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and aAmalek, went and 1defeated Israel, and took possession of bthe City of Palms.
14 So the children of Israel aserved Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel acried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a bleft-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16 Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh.
17 So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)
18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.
19 But he himself turned back afrom the 1stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.
20 So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat.
21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
22 Even the 1hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out.
23 Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
24 When he had gone out, 1Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably aattending2 to his needs in the cool chamber.”
25 So they waited till they were aembarrassed,* and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.
26 But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the 1stone images and escaped to Seirah.
27 And it happened, when he arrived, that ahe blew the trumpet in the bmountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and 1he led them.
28 Then he said to them, “Follow me, for athe LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the bfords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.
29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And athe land had rest for eighty years.
Shamgar
31 After him was aShamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines bwith an ox goad; cand he also delivered dIsrael.
Deborah
4
1 When Ehud was dead, athe children of Israel again did bevil in the sight of the LORD.
2 So the LORD asold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in bHazor. The commander of his army was cSisera, who dwelt in dHarosheth Hagoyim.
3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred achariots of iron, and for twenty years bhe had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
5 aAnd she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for *judgment.
6 Then she sent and called for aBarak the son of Abinoam from bKedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and 1deploy troops at Mount cTabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun;
7 ‘and against you aI will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the bRiver Kishon; and I will 1deliver him into your hand’?”
8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”
9 So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will asell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called aZebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men bunder1 his command, and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber athe Kenite, of the children of bHobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, cwhich is beside Kedesh.
12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, 1“Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. aHas not the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
15 And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was aleft.
17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of aJael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a 1blanket.
19 Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened aa jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him.
20 And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’ ”
21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, atook a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.
23 So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel.
24 And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
The Song of Deborah
5
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam asang on that day, saying:
2 “When1 leaders alead in Israel,
bWhen the people 2willingly offer themselves,
Bless the LORD!
3 “Hear,a O kings! Give ear, O princes!
I, even bI, will sing to the LORD;
I will *sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4 “LORD, awhen You went out from Seir,
When You marched from bthe field of Edom,
The earth trembled and the heavens *poured,
The clouds also poured water;
5 aThe mountains 1gushed before the LORD,
bThis Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
6 “In the days of aShamgar, son of Anath,
In the days of bJael,
cThe highways were deserted,
And the travelers walked along the byways.
7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose anew gods;
Then there was war in the gates;
Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel
Who offered themselves willingly with the people.
Bless the LORD!
10 “Speak, you who ride on white adonkeys,
Who sit in judges’ attire,
And who walk along the road.
11 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD,
The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;
Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates.
12 “Awake,a awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,
O son of Abinoam!
13 “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;
The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in aAmalek.
After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,
From Machir rulers came down,
And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.
15 And 1the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As Issachar, so was Barak
Sent into the valley 2under his command;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.
17 aGilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
And why did Dan remain 1on ships?
bAsher continued at the seashore,
And stayed by his inlets.
18 aZebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “The kings came and fought,
Then the kings of Canaan fought
In aTaanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
They took no spoils of silver.
20 They fought from the *heavens;
The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
21 aThe torrent of Kishon swept them away,
That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
O my soul, *march on in strength!
22 Then the horses’ hooves pounded,
The galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the 1angel of the LORD,
‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly,
Because they did not come to the help of the LORD,
To the help of the LORD against the mighty.’
24 “Most blessed among women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
aBlessed is she among women in tents.
25 He asked for water, she gave milk;
She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg,
Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head,
She split and struck through his temple.
27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;
At her feet he sank, he fell;
Where he sank, there he fell adead.
28 “The mother of Sisera looked through the window,
And cried out through the lattice,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest 1ladies answered her,
Yes, she 2answered herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil:
To every *man a girl or two;
For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments,
Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed,
Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’
31 “Thus let all Your enemies aperish, O LORD!
But let those who love Him be blike the csun
When it comes out in full dstrength.”
So the land had rest for forty years.
Midianites Oppress Israel
6
1 Then the children of Israel did aevil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of bMidian for seven years,
2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, athe caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.
3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the apeople of the East would come up against them.
4 Then they would encamp against them and adestroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor bdonkey.
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were 1without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it.
6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel acried out to the LORD.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of the Midianites,
8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the ahouse of 1bondage;
9 ‘and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and adrove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 ‘Also I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; ado not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My bvoice.’ ”
Gideon
11 Now the *Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash athe Abiezrite, while his son bGideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the aAngel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is bwith you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to Him, “O 1my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And awhere are all His miracles bwhich our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has cforsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, a“Go in this might of yours, and you shall *save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. bHave I not sent you?”
15 So he said to Him, “O 1my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed amy clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And the LORD said to him, a“Surely I will be with you, and you shall 1defeat the Midianites as one man.”
17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found *favor in Your sight, then ashow me a *sign that it is You who talk with me.
18 a“Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
19 aSo Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them.
20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and alay them on this rock, and bpour out the broth.” And he did so.
21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and afire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 Now Gideon aperceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! bFor I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
23 Then the LORD said to him, a“Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
24 So Gideon built an *altar there to the LORD, and called it 1The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still ain Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and atear down the altar of bBaal that your father has, and ccut down the 1wooden image that is beside it;
26 “and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this 1rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.
Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built.
29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.”
31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you 1plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”
32 Therefore on that day he called him aJerubbaal,1 saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.”
33 Then all athe Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in bthe Valley of Jezreel.
34 But athe Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he bblew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to aAsher, bZebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
The Sign of the Fleece
36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—
37 a“look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, a“Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”
40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
Gideon’s Valiant Three Hundred
7
1 Then aJerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel aclaim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 “Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, a‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will *test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”
5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.”
6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.
7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, a“By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his 1place.”
8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 It happened on the same anight that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
10 “But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant,
11 “and you shall ahear what they say; and afterward 1your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp.
12 Now the Midianites and Amalekites, aall the people of the East, were lying in the valley bas numerous as locusts; and their camels were 1without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
13 And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a *dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”
14 Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand aGod has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”
15 And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
17 And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do:
18 “When I *blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!’ ”
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”
21 And aevery man stood in his place all around the camp; band the whole army ran and cried out and fled.
22 When the three hundred ablew the trumpets, bthe LORD set cevery man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to 1Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of dAbel Meholah, by Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered together from aNaphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites.
24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the amountains of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.” Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and bseized the watering places as far as cBeth Barah and the Jordan.
25 And they captured atwo princes of the Midianites, bOreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the cother side of the Jordan.
Gideon Subdues the Midianites
8
1 Now athe men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the 1gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than 2the vintage of aAbiezer?
3 a“God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their banger toward him subsided when he said that.
4 When Gideon came ato the Jordan, he and bthe three hundred men who were with him *crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.
5 Then he said to the men of aSuccoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 And the leaders of Succoth said, a“Are1 the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that bwe should give bread to your army?”
7 So Gideon said, “For this cause, when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, athen I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!”
8 Then he went up from there ato Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I acome back in peace, bI will tear down this tower!”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of aall the army of the people of the East; for bone hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.
11 Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of aNobah and Jogbehah; and he 1attacked the army while the camp felt bsecure.
12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he atook the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres.
14 And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.
15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you aridiculed me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ”
16 aAnd he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he 1taught the men of Succoth.
17 aThen he tore down the tower of bPenuel and killed the men of the city.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at aTabor?” So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
19 Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and akilled Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, a“Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have bdelivered us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; athe LORD shall rule over you.”
24 Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to 1make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, abecause they were Ishmaelites.
25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.
26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he *requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.
27 Then Gideon amade it into an *ephod and set it up in his city, bOphrah. And all Israel cplayed the harlot with it there. It became da snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. aAnd the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
Death of Gideon
29 Then aJerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 Gideon had aseventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives.
31 aAnd his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 Now Gideon the son of Joash died aat a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, bin Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 So it was, aas soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again bplayed the harlot with the Baals, cand made Baal-Berith their god.
34 Thus the children of Israel adid not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
35 anor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
Abimelech’s Conspiracy
9
1 Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to ahis mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
2 “Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all aseventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bbone.”
3 And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our abrother.”
4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of aBaal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired bworthless and reckless men; and they followed him.
5 Then he went to his father’s house aat Ophrah and bkilled his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.
The Parable of the Trees
7 Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of aMount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them:
“Listen to me, you men of Shechem,
That God may listen to you!
8 “Thea trees once went forth to anoint a king over them.
And they said to the olive tree,
b‘Reign over us!’
9 But the olive tree said to them,
‘Should I cease giving my oil,
aWith which they honor God and men,
And go to sway over trees?’
10 “Then the trees said to the fig tree,
‘You come and reign over us!’
11 But the fig tree said to them,
‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit,
And go to sway over trees?’
12 “Then the trees said to the vine,
‘You come and reign over us!’
13 But the vine said to them,
‘Should I cease my new wine,
aWhich cheers both God and men,
And go to sway over trees?’
14 “Then all the trees said to the bramble,
‘You come and reign over us!’
15 And the bramble said to the trees,
‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you,
Then come and take *shelter in my ashade;
But if not, blet fire come out of the bramble
And devour the bcedars of Lebanon!’
16 “Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him aas1 he deserves—
17 “for my afather fought for you, risked his life, and bdelivered you out of the hand of Midian;
18 a“but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his bfemale servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—
19 “if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then arejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20 “But if not, alet fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”
21 And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to aBeer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Downfall of Abimelech
22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,
23 aGod sent a bspirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem cdealt treacherously with Abimelech,
24 athat the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their bblood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.
25 And the men of Shechem set 1men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and 1made merry. And they went into athe house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, a“Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of bHamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?
29 a“If only this people were under my 1authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So 2he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”
30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused.
31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you.
32 “Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and 1lie in wait in the field.
33 “And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them 1as you find opportunity.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and 1lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
35 When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait.
36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”
37 So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the 1Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”
38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you asaid, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”
39 So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate.
41 Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul 1drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.
42 And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.
43 So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and 1attacked them.
44 Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them.
45 So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; ahe took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he bdemolished the city and *sowed it with salt.
46 Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the 1stronghold of the temple aof the god Berith.
47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 Then Abimelech went up to Mount aZalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”
49 So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the 1stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he 1encamped against Thebez and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.
52 So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 But a certain woman adropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
54 Then ahe called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his 1place.
56 aThus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came athe curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Tola
10
1 After Abimelech there aarose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim.
2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir.
Jair
3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 Now he had thirty sons who arode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, bwhich are called 1“Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.
Israel Oppressed Again
6 Then athe children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and bserved the Baals and the Ashtoreths, cthe gods of Syria, the gods of dSidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.
7 So the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He asold them into the hands of the bPhilistines and into the hands of the people of cAmmon.
8 From that year they 1harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the aland of the Amorites, in Gilead.
9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.
10 aAnd the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have bsinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!”
11 So the LORD said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you afrom the Egyptians and bfrom the Amorites and cfrom the people of Ammon and dfrom the Philistines?
12 “Also athe Sidonians band Amalekites and 1Maonites coppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.
13 a“Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
14 “Go and acry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”
15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned! aDo to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.”
16 aSo they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And bHis soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.
17 Then the people of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled together and encamped in aMizpah.
18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shall abe head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Jephthah
11
1 Now aJephthah the Gileadite was ba mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.
2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have ano inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of aTob; and bworthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
4 It came to pass after a time that the apeople of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”
7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, a“Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in 1distress?”
8 aAnd the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have bturned1 again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be cour head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, a“The LORD will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him ahead and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words bbefore the LORD in Mizpah.
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, a“What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, a“Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from bthe Arnon as far as cthe Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”
14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,
15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: a‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon;
16 ‘for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and acame to Kadesh.
17 ‘Then aIsrael sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” bBut the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the cking of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel dremained in Kadesh.
18 ‘And they awent along through the wilderness and bbypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 ‘Then aIsrael sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please blet us pass through your land into our place.”
20 a‘But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21 ‘And the LORD God of Israel adelivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they bdefeated1 them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country.
22 ‘They took possession of aall the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 ‘And now the LORD God of Israel has 1dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it?
24 ‘Will you not possess whatever aChemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever bthe LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.
25 ‘And now, are you any better than aBalak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them?
26 ‘While Israel dwelt in aHeshbon and its villages, in bAroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?
27 ‘Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, athe Judge, brender judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ”
28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
Jephthah’s Vow and Victory
29 Then athe Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah amade a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,
31 “then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, ashall surely be the LORD’s, band I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33 And he 1defeated them from Aroer as far as aMinnith—twenty cities—and to 2Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Jephthah’s Daughter
34 When Jephthah came to his house at aMizpah, there was bhis daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his *only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he atore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I bhave 1given my word to the LORD, and cI cannot 2go back on it.”
36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, ado to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because bthe LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”
37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and 1bewail my virginity, my 2friends and I.”
38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.
39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he acarried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She 1knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel
40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to 1lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim
12
1 Then athe men of Ephraim 1gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”
2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.
3 “So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I atook my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”
4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites aare fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.”
5 The Gileadites seized the afords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”
6 then they would say to him, “Then say, a‘Shibboleth’!”1 And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not 2pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.
7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in among the cities of Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.
10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years.
12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13 After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who arode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years.
15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, ain the mountains of the Amalekites.
The Birth of Samson
13
1 Again the children of Israel adid evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them binto the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Now there was a certain man from aZorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.
3 And the aAngel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 “Now therefore, please be careful anot to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5 “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no arazor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be ba Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall cbegin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, a“A Man of God came to me, and His bcountenance1 was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I cdid not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.
7 “And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”
8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”
9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”
11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.”
12 Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?”
13 So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
14 “She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, anor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “Please alet us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.”
16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”
