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The Book of Judges
Chapter 1
001:001 Now after the death of
Joshua it came to pass, that the
children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up
for
us against the
Canaanites first, to fight against them?
001:002 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I
have delivered
the land into his hand.
001:003 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up
with me into
my lot, that we may
fight against the Canaanites; and
I
likewise will go with thee into
thy lot. So Simeon went with
him.
001:004 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the
Canaanites and
the Perizzites into
their hand: and they slew of them in
Bezek
ten thousand men.
001:005 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they
fought against
him, and they
slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
001:006 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him,
and caught
him, and cut off
his thumbs and his great toes.
001:007 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings,
having their
thumbs and their
great toes cut off, gathered their meat
under
my table: as I have done, so
God hath requited me. And they
brought him
to Jerusalem, and there he died.
001:008 Now the children of Judah had fought against
Jerusalem, and
had taken it, and
smitten it with the edge of the sword,
and
set the city on fire.
001:009 And afterward the children of Judah went down to
fight against
the Canaanites, that
dwelt in the mountain, and in the
south,
and in the valley.
001:010 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt
in Hebron:
(now the name of Hebron
before was Kirjatharba:) and they
slew
Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
001:011 And from thence he went against the inhabitants
of Debir: and
the
name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher:
001:012 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher,
and taketh it,
to him will I
give Achsah my daughter to wife.
001:013 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger
brother, took
it: and he gave
him Achsah his daughter to wife.
001:014 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that
she moved him
to ask of her father
a field: and she lighted from off
her
ass; and Caleb
said unto her, What wilt thou?
001:015 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for
thou hast given
me a south land;
give me also springs of water. And Caleb
gave
her the
upper springs and the nether springs.
001:016 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in
law, went up
out of the city of
palm trees with the children of Judah
into
the wilderness of Judah,
which lieth in the south of Arad;
and
they
went and dwelt among the people.
001:017 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they
slew the
Canaanites that inhabited
Zephath, and utterly destroyed it.
And the name
of the city was called Hormah.
001:018 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and
Askelon with
the coast thereof,
and Ekron with the coast thereof.
001:019 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the
inhabitants
of the mountain; but
could not drive out the inhabitants
of
the valley,
because they had chariots of iron.
001:020 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said:
and he
expelled
thence the three sons of Anak.
001:021 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out
the Jebusites
that inhabited
Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with
the
children of
Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
001:022 And the house of Joseph, they also went up
against Bethel: and
the LORD was with them.
001:023 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel.
(Now the name
of the city before was Luz.)
001:024 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the
city, and they
said unto him, Shew
us, we pray thee, the entrance into
the
city,
and we will shew thee mercy.
001:025 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.
001:026 And the man went into the land of the Hittites,
and built a
city, and called the
name thereof Luz: which is the
name
thereof unto this day.
001:027 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of
Bethshean
and her towns, nor
Taanach and her towns, nor the
inhabitants
of Dor and her towns,
nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and
her
towns, nor the inhabitants of
Megiddo and her towns: but the
Canaanites would dwell in that land.
001:028 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that
they put the
Canaanites to
tribute, and
did not utterly drive them out.
001:029 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that
dwelt in
Gezer; but the
Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
001:030 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of
Kitron, nor
the inhabitants of
Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt
among
them, and became tributaries.
001:031 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of
Accho, nor the
inhabitants of
Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor
of
Helbah,
nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
001:032 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the
inhabitants
of the land: for
they did not drive them out.
001:033 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of
Bethshemesh,
nor the inhabitants
of Bethanath; but he dwelt among
the
Canaanites, the inhabitants of
the land: nevertheless the
inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became
tributaries
unto them.
001:034 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into
the mountain:
for they would not
suffer them
to come down to the valley:
001:035 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in
Aijalon, and in
Shaalbim: yet the
hand of the house of Joseph prevailed,
so
that they became tributaries.
001:036 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going
up to
Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
002:001 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to
Bochim, and
said, I made you to go
up out of Egypt, and have brought
you
unto the land which I sware
unto your fathers; and I said, I
will
never break my covenant with you.
002:002 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants
of this land;
ye shall throw down
their altars: but ye have not obeyed
my
voice: why have ye done this?
002:003 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out
from before
you; but they shall be
as thorns in your sides, and their
gods
shall be a snare unto you.
002:004 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD
spake these
words unto all the
children of Israel, that the people
lifted
up their voice, and wept.
002:005 And they called the name of that place Bochim:
and they
sacrificed there unto the LORD.
002:006 And when Joshua had let the people go, the
children of Israel
went every man
unto
his inheritance to possess the land.
002:007 And the people served the LORD all the days of
Joshua, and all
the days of the
elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen
all
the great works of the
LORD, that he did for Israel.
002:008 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the
LORD, died,
being
an hundred and ten years old.
002:009 And they buried him in the border of his
inheritance in
Timnathheres, in
the mount of Ephraim, on the north side
of
the hill Gaash.
002:010 And also all that generation were gathered unto
their fathers:
and there arose
another generation after them, which knew
not
the LORD, nor yet the works
which he had done for Israel.
002:011 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight
of the LORD,
and served Baalim:
002:012 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers,
which brought
them out of the land
of Egypt, and followed other gods, of
the
gods of the people that were
round about them, and bowed
themselves unto them,
and provoked the LORD to anger.
002:013 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
002:014 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel,
and he
delivered them into the
hands of spoilers that spoiled
them,
and he sold them into the
hands of their enemies round
about,
so that they could not
any longer stand before their enemies.
002:015 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD
was against
them for evil, as the
LORD had said, and as the LORD had
sworn
unto
them: and they were greatly distressed.
002:016 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which
delivered them
out of the
hand of those that spoiled them.
002:017 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges,
but they
went a whoring after
other gods, and bowed themselves
unto
them: they turned quickly out
of the way which their fathers
walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they
did
not so.
002:018 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the
LORD was
with the judge, and
delivered them out of the hand of
their
enemies all the days of the
judge: for it repented the LORD
because of their groanings by reason of them that
oppressed
them and vexed them.
002:019 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead,
that they
returned, and corrupted
themselves more than their fathers,
in
following other gods to serve
them, and to bow down unto them;
they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their
stubborn
way.
002:020 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel;
and he said,
Because that this
people hath transgressed my covenant which
I
commanded their fathers, and
have not hearkened unto my voice;
002:021 I also will not henceforth drive out any from
before them of
the nations
which Joshua left when he died:
002:022 That through them I may prove Israel, whether
they will keep
the way of the LORD
to walk therein, as their fathers did
keep
it, or not.
002:023 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without
driving them
out hastily; neither
delivered he them into the hand of
Joshua.
003:001 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to
prove Israel
by them, even as many
of Israel as had not known all the
wars
of Canaan;
003:002 Only that the generations of the children of
Israel might
know, to teach them
war, at the least such as before
knew
nothing thereof;
003:003 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all
the Canaanites,
and the Sidonians,
and the Hivites that dwelt in
mount
Lebanon, from mount
Baalhermon
unto the entering in of Hamath.
003:004 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know
whether they
would hearken unto
the commandments of the LORD, which
he
commanded their
fathers by the hand of Moses.
003:005 And the children of Israel dwelt among the
Canaanites,
Hittites, and
Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites,
and
Jebusites:
003:006 And they took their daughters to be their wives,
and gave
their daughters to
their sons, and served their gods.
003:007 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight
of the LORD,
and forgat the LORD
their God, and served Baalim and
the
groves.
003:008 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against
Israel, and he
sold them into the
hand of Chushanrishathaim king of
Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel
served
Chushanrishathaim eight years.
003:009 And when the children of Israel cried unto the
LORD, the LORD
raised up a
deliverer to the children of Israel, who
delivered
them, even Othniel the
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
003:010 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he
judged
Israel, and went out to
war: and the LORD delivered
Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and
his
hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
003:011 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel
the son of
Kenaz died.
003:012 And the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the
LORD: and the LORD
strengthened Eglon the king of Moab
against
Israel, because they had
done evil
in the sight of the LORD.
003:013 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon
and Amalek, and
went and smote
Israel, and
possessed the city of palm trees.
003:014 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king
of Moab
eighteen years.
003:015 But when the children of Israel cried unto the
LORD, the LORD
raised them up a
deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a
Benjamite,
a man lefthanded: and
by him the children of Israel sent
a
present
unto Eglon the king of Moab.
003:016 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges,
of a cubit
length; and he did gird
it under his raiment upon his
right
thigh.
003:017 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of
Moab: and Eglon
was a very fat man.
003:018 And when he had made an end to offer the present,
he sent away
the people that bare the present.
003:019 But he himself turned again from the quarries
that were by
Gilgal, and said, I
have a secret errand unto thee, O
king:
who said, Keep silence. And
all that stood by him went out
from him.
003:020 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a
summer
parlour, which he had for
himself alone. And Ehud said, I
have
a message from God unto thee.
And
he arose out of his seat.
003:021 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the
dagger from his
right thigh,
and thrust it into his belly:
003:022 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.
003:023 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut
the doors of
the
parlour upon him, and locked them.
003:024 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.
003:025 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.
003:026 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed
beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
003:027 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he
blew a trumpet
in the mountain of
Ephraim, and the children of Israel
went
down with him from
the mount, and he before them.
003:028 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the
LORD hath
delivered your enemies
the Moabites into your hand. And
they
went down after him, and took
the fords of Jordan toward Moab,
and suffered
not a man to pass over.
003:029 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten
thousand men, all
lusty, and all
men of valour;
and there escaped not a man.
003:030 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of
Israel. And the
land had rest fourscore years.
003:031 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which
slew of the
Philistines six
hundred men with an ox goad: and he
also
delivered Israel.
004:001 And the children of Israel again did evil in the
sight of the
LORD, when Ehud was dead.
004:002 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin
king of Canaan,
that reigned in
Hazor; the captain of whose host was
Sisera,
which
dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
004:003 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD:
for he had
nine hundred chariots
of iron; and twenty years he
mightily
oppressed the children of Israel.
004:004 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,
she judged
Israel at that time.
004:005 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah
between Ramah and
Bethel in mount
Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up
to
her for judgment.
004:006 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam
out of
Kedeshnaphtali, and said
unto him, Hath not the LORD God of
Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor,
and
take with thee ten thousand
men of the children of Naphtali
and of the children of Zebulun?
004:007 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon
Sisera, the
captain of Jabin's
army, with his chariots and his
multitude;
and I
will deliver him into thine hand.
004:008 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me,
then I will
go: but if thou wilt
not go with
me, then I will not go.
004:009 And she said, I will surely go with thee:
notwithstanding the
journey that
thou takest shall not be for thine honour;
for
the LORD shall sell Sisera
into the hand of a woman. And
Deborah arose,
and went with Barak to Kedesh.
004:010 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh;
and he went
up with ten thousand
men at his feet: and Deborah went up
with
him.
004:011 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children
of Hobab the
father in law of
Moses, had severed himself from the
Kenites,
and pitched his tent unto
the plain of Zaanaim, which is by
Kedesh.
004:012 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of
Abinoam was gone
up to mount Tabor.
004:013 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots,
even nine
hundred chariots of
iron, and all the people that were
with
him, from Harosheth of the
Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
004:014 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the
day in which
the LORD hath
delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not
the
LORD gone out before thee? So
Barak went down from mount
Tabor,
and ten thousand men after him.
004:015 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his
chariots, and all
his host, with
the edge of the sword before Barak; so
that
Sisera lighted down off his
chariot, and fled away on his
feet.
004:016 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after
the host, unto
Harosheth of the
Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera
fell
upon the edge of the sword;
and
there was not a man left.
004:017 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent
of Jael the
wife of Heber the
Kenite: for there was peace between
Jabin
the king of Hazor and
the house of Heber the Kenite.
004:018 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto
him, Turn in,
my lord, turn in to
me; fear not. And when he had turned
in
unto her into the tent,
she covered him with a mantle.
004:019 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a
little water to
drink; for I am
thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk,
and
gave him drink, and covered him.
004:020 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the
tent, and it
shall be, when any
man doth come and enquire of thee, and
say,
Is there any man
here? that thou shalt say, No.
004:021 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent,
and took an
hammer in her hand,
and went softly unto him, and smote
the
nail into his temples, and
fastened it into the ground: for
he
was fast
asleep and weary. So he died.
004:022 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came
out to meet
him, and said unto
him, Come, and I will shew thee the
man
whom thou seekest. And when he
came into her tent, behold,
Sisera
lay dead, and
the nail was in his temples.
004:023 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of
Canaan before the
children of Israel.
004:024 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered,
and
prevailed against Jabin the
king of Canaan, until they had
destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
005:001 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on
that day,
saying,
005:002 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel,
when the people
willingly offered themselves.
005:003 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even
I, will sing
unto the LORD; I will
sing praise
to the LORD God of Israel.
005:004 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou
marchedst out
of the field of
Edom, the earth trembled, and the
heavens
dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
005:005 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even
that Sinai
from
before the LORD God of Israel.
005:006 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the
days of Jael,
the highways were
unoccupied, and the travellers
walked
through byways.
005:007 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they
ceased in Israel,
until that I
Deborah arose, that
I arose a mother in Israel.
005:008 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates:
was there a
shield or spear
seen among forty thousand in Israel?
005:009 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that
offered
themselves willingly among
the people. Bless ye the LORD.
005:010 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit
in judgment,
and walk by the way.
005:011 They that are delivered from the noise of archers
in the
places of drawing water,
there shall they rehearse the
righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward
the
inhabitants of his villages in
Israel: then shall the people
of
the
LORD go down to the gates.
005:012 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a
song: arise,
Barak, and lead thy
captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
005:013 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion
over the nobles
among the people:
the LORD made me have dominion over
the
mighty.
005:014 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against
Amalek; after
thee, Benjamin,
among thy people; out of Machir came
down
governors, and out of Zebulun
they that handle the pen of the
writer.
005:015 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
even Issachar,
and also Barak: he
was sent on foot into the valley. For
the
divisions of Reuben
there were great thoughts of heart.
005:016 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear
the bleatings
of the flocks? For
the divisions of Reuben there were
great
searchings of heart.
005:017 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan
remain in ships?
Asher continued
on the sea
shore, and abode in his breaches.
005:018 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded
their lives
unto the death in
the high places of the field.
005:019 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings
of Canaan in
Taanach by the waters
of Megiddo;
they took no gain of money.
005:020 They fought from heaven; the stars in their
courses fought
against Sisera.
005:021 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient
river, the
river Kishon. O my
soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
005:022 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of
the pransings,
the pransings of their mighty ones.
005:023 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse
ye bitterly
the inhabitants
thereof; because they came not to the help
of
the LORD, to the help
of the LORD against the mighty.
005:024 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber
the Kenite
be, blessed shall she
be above women in the tent.
005:025 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she
brought forth
butter in a lordly dish.
005:026 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand
to the
workmen's hammer; and with
the hammer she smote Sisera, she
smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken
through
his temples.
005:027 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.
005:028 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and
cried through
the lattice, Why is
his chariot so long in coming? why
tarry
the wheels of his chariots?
005:029 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned
answer to
herself,
005:030 Have they not sped? have they not divided the
prey; to every
man a damsel or
two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours,
a
prey of divers colours of
needlework, of divers colours of
needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that
take
the spoil?
005:031 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let
them that
love him be as the sun
when he goeth forth in his might.
And
the land had rest forty years.
006:001 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight
of the LORD:
and the LORD
delivered them into the hand of Midian
seven
years.
006:002 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel:
and because
of the Midianites the
children of Israel made them the
dens
which are in the
mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
006:003 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the
Midianites came
up, and the
Amalekites, and the children of the east,
even
they came up against them;
006:004 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the
increase of
the earth, till thou
come unto Gaza, and left no
sustenance
for Israel,
neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
006:005 For they came up with their cattle and their
tents, and they
came as
grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and
their
camels were without number:
and they entered into the land to
destroy it.
006:006 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of
the Midianites;
and the children
of Israel cried unto the LORD.
006:007 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel
cried unto
the LORD because of the Midianites,
006:008 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of
Israel,
which said unto them, Thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, I
brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of
the
house of bondage;
006:009 And I delivered you out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and out
of the hand of
all that oppressed you, and drave them out
from
before
you, and gave you their land;
006:010 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear
not the gods
of the Amorites, in
whose land ye dwell: but ye have
not
obeyed my voice.
006:011 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat
under an oak
which was in Ophrah,
that pertained unto Joash the
Abiezrite:
and his son Gideon
threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide
it
from the Midianites.
006:012 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and
said unto
him, The LORD is with
thee, thou mighty man of valour.
006:013 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD
be with us,
why then is all this
befallen us? and where be all his
miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not
the
LORD bring us up from Egypt?
but now the LORD hath forsaken
us,
and delivered us
into the hands of the Midianites.
006:014 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in
this thy might,
and thou shalt
save Israel from the hand of the
Midianites:
have not I sent thee?
006:015 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall
I save
Israel? behold, my family
is poor in Manasseh, and I am the
least in my father's house.
006:016 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with
thee, and
thou shalt
smite the Midianites as one man.
006:017 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace
in thy sight,
then shew me a
sign that thou talkest with me.
006:018 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.
006:019 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and
unleavened cakes
of an ephah of
flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he
put
the broth in a pot, and
brought it out unto him under the
oak,
and presented it.
006:020 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the
flesh and the
unleavened cakes,
and lay them upon this rock, and pour
out
the broth. And he did so.
006:021 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of
the staff that
was in his hand,
and touched the flesh and the
unleavened
cakes; and there rose
up fire out of the rock, and
consumed
the flesh and the
unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the
LORD
departed out of his sight.
006:022 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of
the LORD,
Gideon said, Alas, O
LORD God! for because I have seen
an
angel
of the LORD face to face.
006:023 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee;
fear not: thou
shalt not die.
006:024 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD,
and called it
Jehovahshalom: unto
this day it is yet in Ophrah of
the
Abiezrites.
006:025 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD
said unto
him, Take thy father's
young bullock, even the second
bullock
of seven years old, and
throw down the altar of Baal that
thy
father hath, and cut down
the grove that is by it:
006:026 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.
006:027 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did
as the LORD
had said unto him: and
so it was, because he feared his
father's household, and the men of the city, that he could
not
do it by day,
that he did it by night.
006:028 And when the men of the city arose early in the
morning,
behold, the altar of Baal
was cast down, and the grove was
cut
down that was by it, and the
second bullock was offered upon
the altar that was built.
006:029 And they said one to another, Who hath done this
thing? And
when they enquired and
asked, they said, Gideon the son
of
Joash hath done this thing.
006:030 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring
out thy son,
that he may die:
because he hath cast down the altar of
Baal,
and because he hath cut down
the grove that was by it.
006:031 And Joash said unto all that stood against him,
Will ye plead
for Baal? will ye
save him? he that will plead for him,
let
him be put to death whilst it
is yet morning: if he be a god,
let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down
his
altar.
006:032 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal,
saying, Let
Baal plead against
him, because
he hath thrown down his altar.
006:033 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and
the children of
the east were
gathered together, and went over, and pitched
in
the valley of Jezreel.
006:034 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and
he blew a
trumpet;
and Abiezer was gathered after him.
006:035 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh;
who also was
gathered after him:
and he sent messengers unto Asher,
and
unto Zebulun, and unto
Naphtali; and they came up to meet
them.
006:036 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save
Israel by mine
hand, as thou hast said,
006:037 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor;
and if the
dew be on the fleece
only, and it be dry upon all the
earth
beside, then shall I know
that thou wilt save Israel by mine
hand, as thou hast said.
006:038 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.
006:039 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be
hot against
me, and I will speak
but this once: let me prove, I pray
thee,
but this once with the
fleece; let it now be dry only upon
the
fleece, and upon all
the ground let there be dew.
006:040 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon
the fleece
only, and there
was dew on all the ground.
007:001 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people
that were
with him, rose up early,
and pitched beside the well of
Harod:
so that the host of the
Midianites were on the north side
of
them, by the
hill of Moreh, in the valley.
007:002 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that
are with thee
are too many for me
to give the Midianites into their
hands,
lest Israel vaunt
themselves against me, saying, Mine own
hand
hath saved me.
007:003 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the
people,
saying, Whosoever is
fearful and afraid, let him return
and
depart early from mount
Gilead. And there returned of the
people twenty and two thousand; and there remained
ten
thousand.
007:004 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet
too many;
bring them down unto the
water, and I will try them for
thee
there: and it shall be, that
of whom I say unto thee, This
shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and
of
whomsoever I say unto thee,
This shall not go with thee, the
same shall not go.
007:005 So he brought down the people unto the water: and
the LORD
said unto Gideon, Every
one that lappeth of the water with
his
tongue, as a dog lappeth, him
shalt thou set by himself;
likewise every one that boweth
down upon his knees to drink.
007:006 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.
007:007 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three
hundred men that
lapped will I
save you, and deliver the Midianites into
thine
hand: and let all the other
people go every man unto his
place.
007:008 So the people took victuals in their hand, and
their trumpets:
and he sent all
the rest of Israel every man unto his
tent,
and retained those three
hundred men: and the host of
Midian
was beneath him in the valley.
007:009 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD
said unto
him, Arise, get thee
down unto the host; for I have
delivered
it into thine hand.
007:010 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah
thy servant
down to the host:
007:011 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward
shall thine
hands be strengthened
to go down unto the host. Then went
he
down with Phurah his servant
unto the outside of the armed men
that were in the host.
007:012 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the
children of
the east lay along in
the valley like grasshoppers for
multitude; and their camels were without number, as the
sand
by the sea side for multitude.
007:013 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man
that told a
dream unto his fellow,
and said, Behold, I dreamed a
dream,
and, lo, a cake of barley
bread tumbled into the host of
Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell,
and
overturned
it, that the tent lay along.
007:014 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing
else save
the sword of Gideon the
son of Joash, a man of Israel: for
into his hand hath God
delivered Midian, and all the host.
007:015 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of
the dream, and
the interpretation
thereof, that he worshipped, and
returned
into the host of Israel,
and said, Arise; for the LORD hath
delivered into
your hand the host of Midian.
007:016 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.
007:017 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.
007:018 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are
with me, then
blow ye the trumpets
also on every side of all the camp,
and
say, The sword
of the LORD, and of Gideon.
007:019 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with
him, came unto
the outside of the
camp in the beginning of the middle
watch;
and they had but newly set
the watch: and they blew the
trumpets, and brake the
pitchers that were in their hands.
007:020 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and
brake the
pitchers, and held the
lamps in their left hands, and the
trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they
cried,
The sword
of the LORD, and of Gideon.
007:021 And they stood every man in his place round about
the camp;
and all the
host ran, and cried, and fled.
007:022 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the
LORD set
every man's sword against
his fellow, even throughout all
the
host: and the host fled to
Bethshittah in Zererath, and to
the
border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
007:023 And the men of Israel gathered themselves
together out of
Naphtali, and out
of Asher, and out of all Manasseh,
and
pursued after the Midianites.
007:024 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount
Ephraim,
saying, come down against
the Midianites, and take before
them
the waters unto Bethbarah and
Jordan. Then all the men of
Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters
unto
Bethbarah and Jordan.
007:025 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb
and Zeeb;
and they slew Oreb upon
the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew
at
the winepress of Zeeb, and
pursued Midian, and brought the
heads of Oreb and Zeeb to
Gideon on the other side Jordan.
008:001 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast
thou served us
thus, that thou
calledst us not, when thou wentest to
fight
with the Midianites? And
they did chide with him sharply.
008:002 And he said unto them, What have I done now in
comparison of
you? Is not the
gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better
than
the vintage of Abiezer?
008:003 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of
Midian, Oreb
and Zeeb: and what
was I able to do in comparison of you?
Then
their anger was abated toward
him, when he had said that.
008:004 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he,
and the three
hundred men that
were
with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
008:005 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray
you, loaves
of bread unto the
people that follow me; for they be
faint,
and I am pursuing after
Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
008:006 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of
Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine
hand, that we should give bread
unto
thine army?
008:007 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath
delivered Zebah
and Zalmunna into
mine hand, then I will tear your flesh
with
the thorns
of the wilderness and with briers.
008:008 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto
them likewise:
and the men of
Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth
had
answered him.
008:009 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying,
When I come
again in peace,
I will break down this tower.
008:010 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their
hosts with
them, about fifteen
thousand men, all that were left of
all
the hosts of the children of
the east: for there fell an
hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword.
008:011 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt
in tents on
the east of Nobah and
Jogbehah, and smote the host; for
the
host was secure.
008:012 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued
after them, and
took the two kings
of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and
discomfited all the host.
008:013 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle
before the
sun was up,
008:014 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and
enquired of
him: and he described
unto him the princes of Succoth, and
the
elders
thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
008:015 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said,
Behold Zebah
and Zalmunna, with
whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are
the
hands of Zebah and Zalmunna
now in thine hand, that we should
give bread
unto thy men that are weary?
008:016 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of
the
wilderness and briers, and
with them he taught the men of
Succoth.
008:017 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew
the men of the
city.
008:018 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner
of men were
they whom ye slew at
Tabor? And they answered, As thou art,
so
were they; each one
resembled the children of a king.
008:019 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.
008:020 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and
slay them. But
the youth drew not
his sword: for he feared, because he
was
yet a youth.
008:021 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall
upon us: for
as the man is, so is
his strength. And Gideon arose, and
slew
Zebah and Zalmunna, and took
away the ornaments that were on
their camels' necks.
008:022 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule
thou over us,
both thou, and thy
son, and thy son's son also: for thou
hast
delivered
us from the hand of Midian.
008:023 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over
you, neither
shall my son rule
over you:
the LORD shall rule over you.
008:024 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a
request of you,
that ye would give
me every man the earrings of his prey.
(For
they had
golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
008:025 And they answered, We will willingly give them.
And they
spread a garment, and did
cast therein every man the
earrings
of his prey.
008:026 And the weight of the golden earrings that he
requested was a
thousand and seven
hundred shekels of gold; beside
ornaments,
and collars, and purple
raiment that was on the kings of
Midian, and beside the chains that were about their
camels'
necks.
008:027 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in
his city, even
in Ophrah: and all
Israel went thither a whoring after
it:
which thing became a snare
unto Gideon, and to his house.
008:028 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of
Israel, so that
they lifted up
their heads no more. And the country was
in
quietness forty
years in the days of Gideon.
008:029 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in
his own
house.
008:030 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his
body begotten:
for he had many wives.
008:031 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also
bare him a
son, whose name he called Abimelech.
008:032 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old
age, and was
buried in the
sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of
the
Abiezrites.
008:033 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead,
that the
children of Israel turned
again, and went a whoring after
Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.
008:034 And the children of Israel remembered not the
LORD their God,
who had delivered
them out of the hands of all their
enemies
on every side:
008:035 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of
Jerubbaal,
namely, Gideon,
according to all the goodness which he
had
shewed unto Israel.
009:001 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to
Shechem unto his
mother's
brethren, and communed with them, and with all
the
family of the
house of his mother's father, saying,
009:002 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of
Shechem,
Whether is better for
you, either that all the sons of
Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign
over
you, or that one reign over
you? remember also that I am your
bone and your flesh.
009:003 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the
ears of all the
men of Shechem all
these words: and their hearts inclined
to
follow Abimelech; for
they said, He is our brother.
009:004 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of
silver out of
the house of
Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain
and
light persons, which followed him.
009:005 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah,
and slew his
brethren the sons of
Jerubbaal, being threescore and
ten
persons, upon one stone:
notwithstanding yet Jotham the
youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left; for he hid himself.
009:006 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and
all the
house of Millo, and went,
and made Abimelech king, by the
plain of
the pillar that was in Shechem.
009:007 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and
stood in the top
of mount Gerizim,
and lifted up his voice, and cried, and
said
unto them, Hearken unto me,
ye men of Shechem, that God may
hearken unto you.
009:008 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king
over them; and
they said unto the
olive tree, Reign thou over us.
009:009 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave
my fatness,
wherewith by me they
honour God and man, and go to be
promoted
over the trees?
009:010 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou,
and reign over
us.
009:011 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake
my
sweetness, and my good fruit,
and go to be promoted over the
trees?
009:012 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and
reign over
us.
009:013 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my
wine, which
cheereth God and man,
and go
to be promoted over the trees?
009:014 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come
thou, and reign
over us.
009:015 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth
ye anoint me
king over you, then
come and put your trust in my shadow:
and
if not, let fire come out of
the bramble, and devour the
cedars of Lebanon.
009:016 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and
sincerely, in that ye
have made
Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well
with
Jerubbaal and his house, and
have done unto him according to
the deserving of his hands;
009:017 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his
life far,
and delivered you
out of the hand of Midian:
009:018 And ye are risen up against my father's house
this day, and
have slain his sons,
threescore and ten persons, upon
one
stone, and have made
Abimelech, the son of his
maidservant,
king over the men of
Shechem, because he is your brother;)
009:019 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and
with his house this
day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and
let
him also rejoice in you:
009:020 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and
devour the
men of Shechem, and the
house of Millo; and let fire come
out
from the men of Shechem, and
from the house of Millo, and
devour Abimelech.
009:021 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer,
and dwelt
there,
for fear of Abimelech his brother.
009:022 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
009:023 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech
and the men of
Shechem; and the
men of Shechem dealt treacherously
with
Abimelech:
009:024 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten
sons of
Jerubbaal might come, and
their blood be laid upon Abimelech
their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of
Shechem,
which aided him
in the killing of his brethren.
009:025 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him
in the top of
the mountains, and
they robbed all that came along that way
by
them: and it was told Abimelech.
009:026 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren,
and went over
to Shechem: and the
men of Shechem put their confidence
in
him.
009:027 And they went out into the fields, and gathered
their
vineyards, and trode the
grapes, and made merry, and went
into
the house of their god, and
did eat and drink, and cursed
Abimelech.
009:028 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech,
and who is
Shechem, that we should
serve him? is not he the son of
Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor
the
father of Shechem:
for why should we serve him?
009:029 And would to God this people were under my hand!
then would I
remove Abimelech. And
he said to Abimelech, Increase
thine
army, and come out.
009:030 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the
words of Gaal
the son
of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
009:031 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily,
saying, Behold,
Gaal the son of
Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and,
behold,
they fortify the city against thee.
009:032 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people
that is with
thee, and lie in wait in the field:
009:033 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.
009:034 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that
were with him,
by night, and
they laid wait against Shechem in four
companies.
009:035 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in
the entering
of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people
that were with
him, from lying in wait.
009:036 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,
Behold, there
come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said
unto him, Thou
seest the shadow of the mountains as if they
were men.
009:037 And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come
people down by
the middle of
the land, and another company come along by the
plain of
Meonenim.
009:038 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy
mouth, wherewith
thou saidst, Who
is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is
not this the
people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray
now, and fight
with them.
009:039 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and
fought with
Abimelech.
009:040 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before
him, and many
were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the
gate.
009:041 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust
out Gaal and
his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
009:042 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the
people went out
into the field;
and they told Abimelech.
009:043 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.
009:044 And Abimelech, and the company that was with
him, rushed
forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city:
and the two
other companies ran upon all the people that were
in the fields,
and slew them.
009:045 And Abimelech fought against the city all that
day; and he
took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat
down the city,
and sowed it with salt.
009:046 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem
heard that, they
entered into an
hold of the house of the god Berith.
009:047 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of
the tower of
Shechem were gathered together.
009:048 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and
all the
people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his
hand, and cut
down a bough from the trees, and took it, and
laid it on his
shoulder, and said unto the people that were
with him, What
ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I
have done.
009:049 And all the people likewise cut down every man
his bough, and
followed
Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold
on fire upon
them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem
died also, about
a thousand men and women.
009:050 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped
against Thebez,
and took it.
009:051 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.
009:052 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought
against it, and
went hard unto
the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
009:053 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone
upon
Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
009:054 Then he called hastily unto the young man his
armourbearer,
and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say
not of me, A
women slew him. And his young man thrust him
through, and he
died.
009:055 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech
was dead, they
departed every
man unto his place.
009:056 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech,
which he did
unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
009:057 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God
render upon
their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of
Jerubbaal.
010:001 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel
Tola the son
of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in
Shamir in mount
Ephraim.
010:002 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and
died, and was
buried in Shamir.
010:003 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and
judged Israel
twenty and two years.
010:004 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass
colts, and they
had thirty
cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day,
which are in the
land of Gilead.
010:005 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
010:006 And the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria,
and the gods of
Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of
the children of
Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and
forsook the
LORD, and served not him.
010:007 And the anger of the LORD was hot against
Israel, and he sold
them into the
hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of
the children of
Ammon.
010:008 And that year they vexed and oppressed the
children of Israel:
eighteen years,
all the children of Israel that were on the
other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in
Gilead.
010:009 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over
Jordan to fight
also against
Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the
house of
Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
010:010 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
saying, We
have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our
God, and also
served Baalim.
010:011 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel,
Did not I
deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from
the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines?
010:012 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the
Maonites, did
oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of
their hand.
010:013 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods:
wherefore I
will deliver you no more.
010:014 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen;
let them
deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
010:015 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD,
We have sinned:
do thou unto us
whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us
only, we pray
thee, this day.
010:016 And they put away the strange gods from among
them, and served
the LORD: and
his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
010:017 Then the children of Ammon were gathered
together, and
encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled
themselves
together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
010:018 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to
another, What
man is he that will begin to fight against the children of
Ammon? he shall
be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
011:001 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of
valour, and he
was the son of
an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
011:002 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's
sons grew up,
and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt
not inherit in
our father's house; for thou art the son of a
strange
woman.
011:003 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt
in the land of
Tob: and there
were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went
out with
him.
011:004 And it came to pass in process of time, that the
children of
Ammon made war against Israel.
011:005 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon
made war
against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah
out of the land
of Tob:
011:006 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our
captain, that we
may fight with
the children of Ammon.
011:007 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did
not ye hate
me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come
unto me now when
ye are in distress?
011:008 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,
Therefore we turn
again to thee
now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight
against the
children of Ammon, and be our head over all the
inhabitants of
Gilead.
011:009 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If
ye bring me
home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the
LORD deliver
them before me, shall I be your head?
011:010 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The
LORD be
witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
011:011 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead,
and the people
made him head
and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all
his words before
the LORD in Mizpeh.
011:012 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of
the children of
Ammon, saying,
What hast thou to do with me, that thou art
come against me
to fight in my land?
011:013 And the king of the children of Ammon answered
unto the
messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when
they came up out
of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and
unto Jordan: now
therefore restore those lands again
peaceably.
011:014 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king
of the
children of Ammon:
011:015 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel
took not away
the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
011:016 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked
through the
wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
011:017 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of
Edom, saying, Let
me, I pray thee,
pass through thy land: but the king of Edom
would not
hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto
the king of
Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode
in Kadesh.
011:018 Then they went along through the wilderness, and
compassed the
land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side
of the land of
Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon,
but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the
border of
Moab.
011:019 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of
the Amorites,
the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we
pray thee,
through thy land into my place.
011:020 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his
coast: but
Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz,
and fought
against Israel.
011:021 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and
all his people
into the hand of
Israel, and they smote them: so Israel
possessed all
the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of
that
country.
011:022 And they possessed all the coasts of the
Amorites, from Arnon
even unto
Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
011:023 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed
the Amorites
from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
011:024 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god
giveth thee
to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out
from before us,
them will we possess.
011:025 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the
son of
Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or
did he ever
fight against them,
011:026 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and
in Aroer and
her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts
of Arnon, three
hundred years? why therefore did ye not
recover them
within that time?
011:027 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but
thou doest me
wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day
between the
children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
011:028 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon
hearkened not unto
the words of
Jephthah which he sent him.
011:029 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah,
and he passed
over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead,
and from Mizpeh
of Gilead he passed over unto the children of
Ammon.
011:030 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and
said, If thou
shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine
hands,
011:031 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth
of the doors of
my house to meet
me, when I return in peace from the children
of Ammon, shall
surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up
for a burnt
offering.
011:032 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of
Ammon to fight
against them;
and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
011:033 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou
come to Minnith,
even twenty
cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with
a very great
slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were
subdued before
the children of Israel.
011:034 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and,
behold, his
daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances:
and she was his
only child; beside her he had neither son nor
daughter.
011:035 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he
rent his
clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me
very low, and
thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have
opened my mouth
unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
011:036 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast
opened thy
mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath
proceeded out of
thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken
vengeance for
thee of thine enemies, even of the children of
Ammon.
011:037 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.
011:038 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.
011:039 And it came to pass at the end of two months,
that she
returned unto her father, who did with her according to his
vow which he had
vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a
custom in
Israel,
011:040 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to
lament the
daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
012:001 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves
together, and went
northward, and
said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou
over to fight
against the children of Ammon, and didst not
call us to go
with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee
with fire.
012:002 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people
were at great
strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye
delivered me not
out of their hands.
012:003 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put
my life in my
hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the
LORD delivered
them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come
up unto me this
day, to fight against me?
012:004 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of
Gilead, and
fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim,
because they
said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim
among the
Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
012:005 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan
before the
Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which
were escaped
said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said
unto him, Art
thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
012:006 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and
he said
Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then
they took him,
and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and
there fell at
that time of the Ephraimites forty and two
thousand.
012:007 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died
Jephthah the
Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
012:008 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
012:009 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters,
whom he sent
abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons.
And he judged
Israel seven years.
012:010 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
012:011 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel;
and he judged
Israel ten years.
012:012 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in
Aijalon in the
country of
Zebulun.
012:013 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a
Pirathonite, judged
Israel.
012:014 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that
rode on
threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight
years.
012:015 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite
died, and was
buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the
Amalekites.
013:001 And the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the
LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the
Philistines
forty years.
013:002 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the
family of the
Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and
bare not.
013:003 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the
woman, and said
unto her, Behold
now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but
thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son.
013:004 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not
wine nor
strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
013:005 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son;
and no razor
shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto
God from the
womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of
the hand of the
Philistines.
013:006 Then the woman came and told her husband,
saying, A man of God
came unto me,
and his countenance was like the countenance of
an angel of God,
very terrible: but I asked him not whence he
was, neither
told he me his name:
013:007 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt
conceive, and bear a
son; and now
drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any
unclean thing:
for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from
the womb to the
day of his death.
013:008 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my
Lord, let the
man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach
us what we shall
do unto the child that shall be born.
013:009 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and
the angel of God
came again unto
the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah
her husband was
not with her.
013:010 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.
013:011 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and
came to the
man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the
woman? And he
said, I am.
013:012 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass.
How shall we
order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
013:013 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of
all that I said
unto the woman
let her beware.
013:014 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the
vine, neither
let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing:
all that I
commanded her let her observe.
013:015 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I
pray thee, let
us detain thee,
until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
013:016 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah,
Though thou detain
me, I will not
eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a
burnt offering,
thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah
knew not that he
was an angel of the LORD.
013:017 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What
is thy name,
that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
013:018 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why
askest thou thus
after my name,
seeing it is secret?
013:019 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and
offered it upon
a rock unto the
LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and
Manoah and his
wife looked on.
013:020 For it came to pass, when the flame went up
toward heaven from
off the altar,
that the angel of the LORD ascended in the
flame of the
altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and
fell on their
faces to the ground.
013:021 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to
Manoah and to
his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
013:022 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely
die, because we
have seen
God.
013:023 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.
013:024 And the woman bare a son, and called his name
Samson: and the
child grew, and
the LORD blessed him.
013:025 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at
times in the
camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
014:001 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman
in Timnath of
the daughters of the Philistines.
014:002 And he came up, and told his father and his
mother, and said,
I have seen a
woman in Timnath of the daughters of the
Philistines: now
therefore get her for me to wife.
014:003 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is
there never a
woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my
people, that
thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised
Philistines? And
Samson said unto his father, Get her for me;
for she pleaseth
me well.
014:004 But his father and his mother knew not that it
was of the
LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for
at that time the
Philistines had dominion over Israel.
014:005 Then went Samson down, and his father and his
mother, to
Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a
young lion
roared against him.
014:006 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon
him, and he rent
him as he would
have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his
hand: but he
told not his father or his mother what he had
done.
014:007 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and
she pleased
Samson well.
014:008 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.
014:009 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.
014:010 So his father went down unto the woman: and
Samson made there
a feast; for so
used the young men to do.
014:011 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that
they brought
thirty companions to be with him.
014:012 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth
a riddle unto
you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days
of the feast,
and find it out, then I will give you thirty
sheets and
thirty change of garments:
014:013 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.
014:014 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.
014:015 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that
they said unto
Samson's wife,
Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us
the riddle, lest
we burn thee and thy father's house with
fire: have ye
called us to take that we have? is it not so?
014:016 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said,
Thou dost but
hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto
the children of
my people, and hast not told it me. And he
said unto her,
Behold, I have not told it my father nor my
mother, and
shall I tell it thee?
014:017 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.
014:018 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.
014:019 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he
went down to
Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil,
and gave change
of garments unto them which expounded the
riddle. And his
anger was kindled, and he went up to his
father's
house.
014:020 But Samson's wife was given to his companion,
whom he had used
as his
friend.
015:001 But it came to pass within a while after, in the
time of wheat
harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said,
I will go in to
my wife into the chamber. But her father would
not suffer him
to go in.
015:002 And her father said, I verily thought that thou
hadst utterly
hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her
younger sister
fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead
of her.
015:003 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be
more blameless
than the
Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
015:004 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes,
and took
firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in
the midst
between two tails.
015:005 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let
them go into
the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the
shocks, and also
the standing corn, with the vineyards and
olives.
015:006 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this?
And they
answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he
had taken his
wife, and given her to his companion. And the
Philistines came
up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
015:007 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done
this, yet will
I be avenged of
you, and after that I will cease.
015:008 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great
slaughter: and he
went down and
dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
015:009 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in
Judah, and spread
themselves in
Lehi.
015:010 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up
against us? And
they answered,
To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as
he hath done to
us.
015:011 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top
of the rock
Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the
Philistines are
rulers over us? what is this that thou hast
done unto us?
And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so
have I done unto
them.
015:012 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind
thee, that we
may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson
said unto them,
Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me
yourselves.
015:013 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.
015:014 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines
shouted against
him: and the
Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and
the cords that
were upon his arms became as flax that was
burnt with fire,
and his bands loosed from off his hands.
015:015 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put
forth his hand,
and took it, and
slew a thousand men therewith.
015:016 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass,
heaps upon heaps,
with the jaw of
an ass have I slain a thousand men.
015:017 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of
speaking, that
he cast away the
jawbone out of his hand, and called that
place
Ramathlehi.
015:018 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD,
and said,
Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy
servant: and now
shall I die for thirst, and fall into the
hand of the
uncircumcised?
015:019 But God clave an hollow place that was in the
jaw, and there
came water
thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came
again, and he
revived: wherefore he called the name thereof
Enhakkore, which
is in Lehi unto this day.
015:020 And he judged Israel in the days of the
Philistines twenty
years.
016:001 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an
harlot, and went in
unto her.
016:002 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is
come hither.
And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in
the gate of the
city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In
the morning,
when it is day, we shall kill him.
016:003 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at
midnight, and took
the doors of the
gate of the city, and the two posts, and went
away with them,
bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders,
and carried them
up to the top of an hill that is before
Hebron.
016:004 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a
woman in the
valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
016:005 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto
her, and said
unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength
lieth, and by
what means we may prevail against him, that we
may bind him to
afflict him; and we will give thee every one
of us eleven
hundred pieces of silver.
016:006 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray
thee, wherein thy
great strength
lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to
afflict
thee.
016:007 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with
seven green
withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as
another man.
016:008 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to
her seven
green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with
them.
016:009 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with
her in the
chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee,
Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken
when it toucheth
the fire. So his strength was not known.
016:010 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast
mocked me, and
told me lies:
now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou
mightest be
bound.
016:011 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.
016:012 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him
therewith, and
said unto him,
The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there
were liers in
wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them
from off his
arms like a thread.
016:013 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast
mocked me,
and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.
And he said unto
her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my
head with the
web.
016:014 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto
him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his
sleep, and went
away with the pin of the beam, and with the
web.
016:015 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I
love thee, when
thine heart is
not with me? thou hast mocked me these three
times, and hast
not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
016:016 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily
with her
words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
016:017 That he told her all his heart, and said unto
her, There hath
not come a razor
upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite
unto God from my
mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my
strength will go
from me, and I shall become weak, and be like
any other
man.
016:018 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all
his heart, she
sent and called
for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come
up this once,
for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the
lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money
in their
hand.
016:019 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.
016:020 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee,
Samson. And he
awoke out of his
sleep, and said, I will go out as at other
times before,
and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD
was departed
from him.
016:021 But the Philistines took him, and put out his
eyes, and
brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass;
and he did grind
in the prison house.
016:022 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again
after he was
shaven.
016:023 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them
together for
to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to
rejoice: for
they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our
enemy into our
hand.
016:024 And when the people saw him, they praised their
god: for they
said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the
destroyer of our
country, which slew many of us.
016:025 And it came to pass, when their hearts were
merry, that they
said, Call for
Samson, that he may make us sport. And they
called for
Samson out of the prison house; and he made them
sport: and they
set him between the pillars.
016:026 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by
the hand, Suffer
me that I may
feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth,
that I may lean
upon them.
016:027 Now the house was full of men and women; and all
the lords of
the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about
three thousand
men and women, that beheld while Samson made
sport.
016:028 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O
Lord God,
remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only
this once, O
God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for
my two eyes.
016:029 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars
upon which the
house stood, and
on which it was borne up, of the one with his
right hand, and
of the other with his left.
016:030 And Samson said, Let me die with the
Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all
his might; and the house fell upon the lords,
and upon all the
people that were therein. So the dead which
he slew at his
death were more than they which he slew in his
life.
016:031 Then his brethren and all the house of his
father came down,
and took him,
and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah
and Eshtaol in
the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he
judged Israel
twenty years.
017:001 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
017:002 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred
shekels of
silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst,
and spakest of
also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with
me; I took it.
And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the
LORD, my
son.
017:003 And when he had restored the eleven hundred
shekels of silver
to his mother,
his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the
silver unto the
LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven
image and a
molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto
thee.
017:004 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and
his mother took
two hundred
shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder,
who made thereof
a graven image and a molten image: and they
were in the
house of Micah.
017:005 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made
an ephod, and
teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his
priest.
017:006 In those days there was no king in Israel, but
every man did
that which was right in his own eyes.
017:007 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah
of the family
of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
017:008 And the man departed out of the city from
Bethlehemjudah to
sojourn where he
could find a place: and he came to mount
Ephraim to the
house of Micah, as he journeyed.
017:009 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And
he said unto
him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn
where I may find
a place.
017:010 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be
unto me a
father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of
silver by the
year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals.
So the Levite
went in.
017:011 And the Levite was content to dwell with the
man; and the
young man was unto him as one of his sons.
017:012 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young
man became his
priest, and was
in the house of Micah.
017:013 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will
do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
018:001 In those days there was no king in Israel: and
in those days
the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell
in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen
unto them among
the tribes of Israel.
018:002 And the children of Dan sent of their family
five men from
their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to
spy out the
land, and to search it; and they said unto them,
Go, search the
land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to
the house of
Micah, they lodged there.
018:003 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew
the voice of
the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said
unto him, Who
brought thee hither? and what makest thou in
this place? and
what hast thou here?
018:004 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth
Micah with me,
and hath hired
me, and I am his priest.
018:005 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray
thee, of God,
that we may know whether our way which we go shall be
prosperous.
018:006 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace:
before the LORD is
your way wherein
ye go.
018:007 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish,
and saw the
people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the
manner of the
Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no
magistrate in
the land, that might put them to shame in any
thing; and they
were far from the Zidonians, and had no
business with
any man.
018:008 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and
Eshtaol: and
their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
018:009 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against
them: for we
have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye
still? be not
slothful to go, and to enter to possess the
land.
018:010 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure,
and to a large
land: for God
hath given it into your hands; a place where
there is no want
of any thing that is in the earth.
018:011 And there went from thence of the family of the
Danites, out
of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with
weapons of
war.
018:012 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim,
in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day:
behold, it is
behind Kirjathjearim.
018:013 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and
came unto the
house of Micah.
018:014 Then answered the five men that went to spy out
the country of
Laish, and said
unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is
in these houses
an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image,
and a molten
image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
018:015 And they turned thitherward, and came to the
house of the
young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and
saluted him.
018:016 And the six hundred men appointed with their
weapons of war,
which were of
the children of Dan, stood by the entering of
the gate.
018:017 And the five men that went to spy out the land
went up, and
came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and
the teraphim,
and the molten image: and the priest stood in
the entering of
the gate with the six hundred men that were
appointed with
weapons of war.
018:018 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched
the carved
image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then
said the priest
unto them, What do ye?
018:019 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay
thine hand upon
thy mouth, and
go with us, and be to us a father and a priest:
is it better for
thee to be a priest unto the house of one
man, or that
thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in
Israel?
018:020 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the
ephod, and
the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of
the people.
018:021 So they turned and departed, and put the little
ones and the
cattle and the carriage before them.
018:022 And when they were a good way from the house of
Micah, the men
that were in the
houses near to Micah's house were gathered
together, and
overtook the children of Dan.
018:023 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And
they turned their
faces, and said
unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest
with such a
company?
018:024 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?
018:025 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.
018:026 And the children of Dan went their way: and when
Micah saw
that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back
unto his
house.
018:027 And they took the things which Micah had made,
and the priest
which he had,
and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at
quiet and
secure: and they smote them with the edge of the
sword, and burnt
the city with fire.
018:028 And there was no deliverer, because it was far
from Zidon, and
they had no
business with any man; and it was in the valley
that lieth by
Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt
therein.
018:029 And they called the name of the city Dan, after
the name of
Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name
of the city was
Laish at the first.
018:030 And the children of Dan set up the graven image:
and Jonathan,
the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were
priests to the
tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of
the land.
018:031 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which
he made, all
the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
019:001 And it came to pass in those days, when there
was no king in
Israel, that
there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side
of mount
Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of
Bethlehemjudah.
019:002 And his concubine played the whore against him,
and went away
from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was
there four whole
months.
019:003 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.
019:004 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.
019:005 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they
arose early
in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's
father said unto
his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a
morsel of bread,
and afterward go your way.
019:006 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.
019:007 And when the man rose up to depart, his father
in law urged
him: therefore he lodged there again.
019:008 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.
019:009 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.
019:010 But the man would not tarry that night, but he
rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and
there were with
him two asses saddled, his concubine also was
with him.
019:011 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far
spent; and the
servant said
unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us
turn in into
this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
019:012 And his master said unto him, We will not turn
aside hither
into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of
Israel; we will
pass over to Gibeah.
019:013 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us
draw near to
one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in
Ramah.
019:014 And they passed on and went their way; and the
sun went down
upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to
Benjamin.
019:015 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to
lodge in
Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of
the city: for
there was no man that took them into his house
to lodging.
019:016 And, behold, there came an old man from his work
out of the
field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he
sojourned in
Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
019:017 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?
019:018 And he said unto him, We are passing from
Bethlehemjudah
toward the side
of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went
to
Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the
LORD; and there
is no man that receiveth me to house.
019:019 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.
019:020 And the old man said, Peace be with thee;
howsoever let all
thy wants lie
upon me; only lodge not in the street.
019:021 So he brought him into his house, and gave
provender unto the
asses: and they
washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
019:022 Now as they were making their hearts merry,
behold, the men of
the city,
certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about,
and beat at the
door, and spake to the master of the house,
the old man,
saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine
house, that we
may know him.
019:023 And the man, the master of the house, went out
unto them, and
said unto them,
Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so
wickedly; seeing
that this man is come into mine house, do not
this folly.
019:024 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his
concubine; them
I will bring out
now, and humble ye them, and do with them
what seemeth
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a
thing.
019:025 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man
took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her,
and abused her
all the night until the morning: and when the
day began to
spring, they let her go.
019:026 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.
019:027 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.
019:028 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going.
But none
answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man
rose up, and gat
him unto his place.
019:029 And when he was come into his house, he took a
knife, and laid
hold on his
concubine, and divided her, together with her
bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of
Israel.
019:030 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There
was no such
deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel
came up out of
the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of
it, take advice,
and speak your minds.
020:001 Then all the children of Israel went out, and
the congregation
was gathered
together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba,
with the land of
Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
020:002 And the chief of all the people, even of all the
tribes of
Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of
God, four
hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
020:003 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the
children of
Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of
Israel, Tell us,
how was this wickedness?
020:004 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that
was slain,
answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to
Benjamin, I and
my concubine, to lodge.
020:005 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset
the house
round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me:
and my concubine
have they forced, that she is dead.
020:006 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces,
and sent her
throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for
they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
020:007 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here
your advice
and counsel.
020:008 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.
020:009 But now this shall be the thing which we will do
to Gibeah; we
will go up by lot against it;
020:010 And we will take ten men of an hundred
throughout all the
tribes of
Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand
out of ten
thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that
they may do,
when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according
to all the folly
that they have wrought in Israel.
020:011 So all the men of Israel were gathered against
the city, knit
together as one
man.
020:012 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all
the tribe of
Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among
you?
020:013 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children
of Belial,
which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put
away evil from
Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not
hearken to the
voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
020:014 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves
together out
of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the
children of
Israel.
020:015 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at
that time out of
the cities
twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside
the inhabitants
of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred
chosen men.
020:016 Among all this people there were seven hundred
chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth,
and not
miss.
020:017 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were
numbered four
hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of
war.
020:018 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to
the house of
God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go
up first to the
battle against the children of Benjamin? And
the LORD said,
Judah shall go up first.
020:019 And the children of Israel rose up in the
morning, and
encamped against Gibeah.
020:020 And the men of Israel went out to battle against
Benjamin; and
the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against
them at
Gibeah.
020:021 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of
Gibeah, and
destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty
and two thousand
men.
020:022 And the people the men of Israel encouraged
themselves, and
set their battle
again in array in the place where they put
themselves in
array the first day.
020:023 (And the children of Israel went up and wept
before the LORD
until even, and
asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go
up again to
battle against the children of Benjamin my
brother? And the
LORD said, Go up against him.)
020:024 And the children of Israel came near against the
children of
Benjamin the second day.
020:025 And Benjamin went forth against them out of
Gibeah the second
day, and
destroyed down to the ground of the children of
Israel again
eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
020:026 Then all the children of Israel, and all the
people, went up,
and came unto
the house of God, and wept, and sat there before
the LORD, and
fasted that day until even, and offered burnt
offerings and
peace offerings before the LORD.
020:027 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD,
(for the ark
of the covenant of God was there in those days,
020:028 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of
Aaron, stood
before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to
battle against
the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I
cease? And the
LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver
them into thine
hand.
020:029 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
020:030 And the children of Israel went up against the
children of
Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against
Gibeah, as at
other times.
020:031 And the children of Benjamin went out against
the people, and
were drawn away
from the city; and they began to smite of the
people, and
kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which
one goeth up to
the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in
the field, about
thirty men of Israel.
020:032 And the children of Benjamin said, They are
smitten down
before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said,
Let us flee, and
draw them from the city unto the highways.
020:033 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their
place, and put
themselves in
array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of
Israel came
forth out of their places, even out of the meadows
of Gibeah.
020:034 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand
chosen men out of
all Israel, and
the battle was sore: but they knew not that
evil was near
them.
020:035 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and
the children of
Israel destroyed
of the Benjamites that day twenty and five
thousand and an
hundred men: all these drew the sword.
020:036 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were
smitten: for
the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they
trusted unto the
liers in wait which they had set beside
Gibeah.
020:037 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon
Gibeah; and the
liers in wait
drew themselves along, and smote all the city
with the edge of
the sword.
020:038 Now there was an appointed sign between the men
of Israel and
the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with
smoke rise up
out of the city.
020:039 And when the men of Israel retired in the
battle, Benjamin
began to smite
and kill of the men of Israel about thirty
persons: for
they said, Surely they are smitten down before
us, as in the
first battle.
020:040 But when the flame began to arise up out of the
city with a
pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and,
behold, the
flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
020:041 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men
of Benjamin
were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
020:042 Therefore they turned their backs before the men
of Israel
unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them;
and them which
came out of the cities they destroyed in the
midst of
them.
020:043 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about,
and chased
them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward
the
sunrising.
020:044 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand
men; all these
were men of
valour.
020:045 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness
unto the rock
of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five
thousand men;
and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew
two thousand men
of them.
020:046 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were
twenty and
five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of
valour.
020:047 But six hundred men turned and fled to the
wilderness unto the
rock Rimmon, and
abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
020:048 And the men of Israel turned again upon the
children of
Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well
the men of every
city, as the beast, and all that came to
hand: also they
set on fire all the cities that they came to.
021:001 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh,
saying, There shall
not any of us
give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
021:002 And the people came to the house of God, and
abode there till
even before God,
and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
021:003 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come
to pass in
Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in
Israel?
021:004 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the
people rose early,
and built there
an altar, and offered burnt offerings and
peace
offerings.
021:005 And the children of Israel said, Who is there
among all the
tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto
the LORD? For
they had made a great oath concerning him that
came not up to
the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be
put to
death.
021:006 And the children of Israel repented them for
Benjamin their
brother, and
said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this
day.
021:007 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?
021:008 And they said, What one is there of the tribes
of Israel that
came not up to
Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came
none to the camp
from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.
021:009 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there
were none of
the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
021:010 And the congregation sent thither twelve
thousand men of the
valiantest, and
commanded them, saying, Go and smite the
inhabitants of
Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with
the women and
the children.
021:011 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall
utterly
destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
021:012 And they found among the inhabitants of
Jabeshgilead four
hundred young
virgins, that had known no man by lying with any
male: and they
brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is
in the land of
Canaan.
021:013 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to
the children
of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call
peaceably unto
them.
021:014 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they
gave them wives
which they had
saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and
yet so they
sufficed them not.
021:015 And the people repented them for Benjamin,
because that the
LORD had made a
breach in the tribes of Israel.
021:016 Then the elders of the congregation said, How
shall we do for
wives for them
that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out
of Benjamin?
021:017 And they said, There must be an inheritance for
them that be
escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of
Israel.
021:018 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our
daughters: for the
children of
Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that
giveth a wife to
Benjamin.
021:019 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the
LORD in Shiloh
yearly in a
place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the
east side of the
highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem,
and on the south
of Lebonah.
021:020 Therefore they commanded the children of
Benjamin, saying, Go
and lie in wait
in the vineyards;
021:021 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh
come out to
dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch
you every man
his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to
the land of
Benjamin.
021:022 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.
021:023 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took
them wives,
according to their number, of them that danced, whom they
caught: and they
went and returned unto their inheritance, and
repaired the
cities, and dwelt in them.
021:024 And the children of Israel departed thence at
that time, every
man to his tribe
and to his family, and they went out from
thence every man
to his inheritance.
021:025 In those days there was no king in Israel: every
man did that
which was right in his own eyes.