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ISA-11:9 ...for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD,

as the waters cover the sea.

Copyright (c) 1985-2007

11 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 .

12 And the LORD said Judah shall go up behold I have delivered

the land into his hand .

13 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 .

14 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 .

15 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek and they fought against

him and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites .

16 But Adonibezek fled and they pursued after him and caught

him and cut off his thumbs and his great toes .

17 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 .

18 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 .

19 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 .

110 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 .

111 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir

and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher .

112 And Caleb said He that smiteth Kirjathsepher and taketh it

to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife .

113 And Othniel the son of Kenaz Caleb's younger brother took

it and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife .

114 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 .

115 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 .

116 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 .

117 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 .

118 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof and Askelon

with the coast thereof and Ekron with the coast thereof .

119 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 .

120 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb as Moses said and he

expelled thence the three sons of Anak .

121 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 .

122 And the house of Joseph they also went up against Bethel

and the LORD was with them .

123 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel Now the name

of the city before was Luz .

124 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city and

they said unto him Show us we pray thee the entrance into the

city and we will show thee mercy .

125 And when he showed them the entrance into the city they

smote the city with the edge of the sword but they let go the

man and all his family .

126 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 .

127 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

thCanaanites would dwell in that land .

128 And it came to pass when Israel was strong that they put

the Canaanites to tribute and did not utterly drive them out .

129 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in

Gezer but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them .

130 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron

nor the inhabitants of Nahalol but the Canaanites dwelt among

them and became tributaries .

131 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 .

132 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites the

inhabitants of the land for they did not drive them out .

133 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

untthem .

134 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the

mountain for they would not suffer them to come down to the

valley .

135 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 .

136 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to

Akrabbim from the rock and upward .

* 21 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 .

22 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 .

23 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 .

24 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 .

25 And they called the name of that place Bochim and they

sacrificed there unto the LORD .

26 And when Joshua had let the people go the children of

Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land

27 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 .

28 And Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the LORD died

being an hundred and ten years old .

29 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 .

210 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 .

211 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the

LORD and served Baalim .

212 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 .

213 And they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth .

214 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 .

215 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 .

216 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges which delivered

them out of the hand of those that spoiled them .

217 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 .

218 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

theand vexed them .

219 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 .

220 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 .

221 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them

of the nations which Joshua left when he died .

222 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 .

223 Therefore the LORD left those nations without driving them

out hastily neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua .

* 31 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 .

32 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might

know to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing

thereof .

33 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 .

34 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 .

35 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites

Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites .

36 And they took their daughters to be their wives and gave

their daughters to their sons and served their gods .

37 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 .

38 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 .

39 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 .

310 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 .

311 And the land had rest forty years And Othniel the son of

Kenaz died .

312 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 .

313 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek

and went and smote Israel and possessed the city of palm trees .

314 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab

eighteen years .

315 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 .

316 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

317 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab and

Eglon was a very fat man .

318 And when he had made an end to offer the present he sent

away the people that bare the present .

319 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 .

320 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 .

321 And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from

his right thigh and thrust it into his belly .

322 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 .

323 Then Ehud went forth through the porch and shut the doors

of the parlour upon him and locked them .

324 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 .

325 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 .

326 And Ehud escaped while they tarried and passed beyond the

quarries and escaped unto Seirath .

327 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 .

328 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 .

329 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 .

330 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel And

the land had rest fourscore years .

331 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 .

* 41 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of

the LORD when Ehud was dead .

42 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 .

43 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 .

44 And Deborah a prophetess the wife of Lapidoth she judged

Israel at that time .

45 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 .

46 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

thchildren of Zebulun .

47 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 .

48 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 .

49 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 .

410 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 .

411 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 .

412 And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was

gone up to mount Tabor .

413 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 .

414 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 .

415 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 .

416 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 .

417 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 .

418 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 .

419 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 .

420 Again he said unto her Stand in the door of the tent and

it shall be when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say

Is there any man here that thou shalt say No .

421 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 .

422 And behold as Barak pursued Sisera Jael came out to meet

him and said unto him Come and I will show thee the man whom

thou seekest And when he came into her tent behold Sisera lay

dead and the nail was in his temples .

423 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before

the children of Israel .

424 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 .

* 51 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day

saying .

52 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel when the

people willingly offered themselves .

53 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 .

54 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 .

55 The mountains melted from before the LORD even that Sinai

from before the LORD God of Israel .

56 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath in the days of Jael

the highways were unoccupied and the travellers walked through

byways .

57 The inhabitants of the villages ceased they ceased in

Israel until that I Deborah arose that I arose a mother in

Israel .

58 They chose new gods then was war in the gates was there a

shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel .

59 My heart is toward the governors of Israel that offered

themselves willingly among the people Bless ye the LORD .

510 Speak ye that ride on white asses ye that sit in judgment

and walk by the way .

511 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 LORgo

down to the gates .

512 Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song arise Barak

and lead thy captivity captive thou son of Abinoam .

513 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the

nobles among the people the LORD made me have dominion over the

mighty .

514 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 .

515 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 .

516 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds to hear the

bleatings of the flocks For the divisions of Reuben there were

great searchings of heart .

517 Gilead abode beyond Jordan and why did Dan remain in ships

Asher continued on the sea shore and abode in his breaches .

518 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their

lives unto the death in the high places of the field .

519 The kings came and fought then fought the kings of Canaan

in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo they took no gain of money .

520 They fought from heaven the stars in their courses fought

against Sisera .

521 The river of Kishon swept them away that ancient river the

river Kishon O my soul thou hast trodden down strength

522 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the

prancings the prancings of their mighty ones .

523 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 .

524 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the

Kenite be blessed shall she be above women in the tent .

525 He asked water and she gave him milk she brought forth

butter in a lordly dish .

526 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 .

527 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 .

528 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 .

529 Her wise ladies answered her yea she returned answer to

herself .

530 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 .

531 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 .

* 61 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 .

62 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 .

63 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 .

64 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 .

65 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 .

66 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the

Midianites and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD .

67 And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto

the LORD because of the Midianites .

68 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 .

69 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 .

610 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 .

611 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 .

612 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him and said unto

him The LORD is with thee thou mighty man of valour

613 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 .

614 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 .

615 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 .

616 And the LORD said unto him Surely I will be with thee and

thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man .

617 And he said unto him If now I have found grace in thy

sight then show me a sign that thou talkest with me .

618 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 .

619 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 .

620 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 .

621 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 .

622 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 .

623 And the LORD said unto him Peace be unto thee fear not

thou shalt not die .

624 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD and called

it Jehovahshalom unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the

Abiezrites .

625 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 .

626 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 .

627 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 .

628 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 .

629 And they said one to another Who hath done this thing And

when they inquired and asked they said Gideon the son of Joash

hath done this thing .

630 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 .

631 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 .

632 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal saying Let

Baal plead against him because he hath thrown down his altar .

633 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 .

634 But the spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon and he blew a

trumpet and Abiezer was gathered after him .

635 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 .

636 And Gideon said unto God If thou wilt save Israel by mine

hand as thou hast said .

637 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 .

638 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 .

639 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 .

640 And God did so that night for it was dry upon the fleece

only and there was dew on all the ground .

* 71 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 .

72 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 .

73 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 .

74 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 .

75 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 .

76 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 .

77 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 .

78 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 .

79 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 .

710 But if thou fear to go down go thou with Phurah thy

servant down to the host .

711 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 .

712 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 .

713 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 .

714 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 .

715 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 .

716 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 .

717 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 .

718 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 .

719 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 .

720 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 .

721 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp

and all the host ran and cried and fled .

722 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 .

723 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 .

724 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 .

725 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 .

* 81 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 .

82 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 .

83 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 .

84 And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over he and the three

hundred men that were with him faint yet pursuing them .

85 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 .

86 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 .

87 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 .

88 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 .

89 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel saying When I come

again in peace I will break down this tower .

810 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 .

811 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 .

812 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 .

813 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before

the sun was up .

814 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth and inquired

of him and he described unto him the princes of Succoth and the

elders thereof even threescore and seventeen men .

815 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 .

816 And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the

wilderness and briers and with them he taught the men of Succoth

817 And he beat down the tower of Penuel and slew the men of

the city .

818 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 .

819 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 .

820 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 .

821 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 .

822 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 .

823 And Gideon said unto them I will not rule over you neither

shall my son rule over you the LORD shall rule over you .

824 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 .

825 And they answered We will willingly give them And they

spread a garment and did cast therein every man the earrings of

his prey .

826 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 .

827 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 .

828 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 .

829 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own

house .

830 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body

begotten for he had many wives .

831 And his concubine that was in Shechem she also bare him a

son whose name he called Abimelech .

832 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 .

833 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 .

834 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 .

835 Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal

namely Gideon according to all the goodness which he had showed

unto Israel .

* 91 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 .

92 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 .

93 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 .

94 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 .

95 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 .

96 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 .

97 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 .

98 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them

and they said unto the olive tree Reign thou over us .

99 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 .

910 And the trees said to the fig tree Come thou and reign

over us .

911 But the fig tree said unto them Should I forsake my

sweetness and my good fruit and go to be promoted over the trees

912 Then said the trees unto the vine Come thou and reign over

us .

913 And the vine said unto them Should I leave my wine which

cheereth God and man and go to be promoted over the trees .

914 Then said all the trees unto the bramble Come thou and

reign over us .

915 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 .

916 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 .

917 For my father fought for you and adventured his life far

and delivered you out of the hand of Midian .

918 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 .

919 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 .

920 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 .

921 And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and dwelt

there for fear of Abimelech his brother .

922 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel .

923 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men

of Shechem and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with

Abimelech .

924 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 .

925 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 .

926 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 .

927 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 .

928 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 .

929 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 .

930 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of

Gaal the son of Ebed his anger was kindled .

931 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 .

932 Now therefore up by night thou and the people that is with

thee and lie in wait in the field .

933 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 .

934 And Abimelech rose up and all the people that were with

him by night and they laid wait against Shechem in four

companies .

935 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 .

936 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 .

937 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 .

938 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 .

939 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem and fought

with Abimelech .

940 And Abimelech chased him and he fled before him and many

were overthrown and wounded even unto the entering of the gate .

941 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah and Zebul thrust out Gaal

and his brethren that they should not dwell in Shechem .

942 And it came to pass on the morrow that the people went out

into the field and they told Abimelech .

943 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 .

944 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 .

945 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 .

946 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that

they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith .

947 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of

Shechem were gathered together .

948 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon he and all the

people that were with him and Abimelech took an ax in his hand

and cut down a bough from the trees and took it and laid it on

his shoulder and said unto the people that were with him What ye

have seen me do make haste and do as I have done .

949 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 .

950 Then went Abimelech to Thebez and encamped against Thebez

and took it .

951 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 .

952 And Abimelech came unto the tower and fought against it

and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire .

953 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon

Abimelech's head and all to brake his skull .

954 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 woman slew him And his young man thrust him through and he

died .

955 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead

they departed every man unto his place .

956 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech which he did

unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren .

957 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 .

* 101 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 .

102 And he judged Israel twenty and three years and died and

was buried in Shamir .

103 And after him arose Jair a Gileadite and judged Israel

twenty and two years .

104 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 .

105 And Jair died and was buried in Camon .

106 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 .

107 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 .

108 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 .

109 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 .

1010 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 .

1011 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 .

1012 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 .

1013 Yet ye have forsaken me and served other gods wherefore I

will deliver you no more .

1014 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen let them

deliver you in the time of your tribulation .

1015 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 .

1016 And they put away the strange gods from among them and

served the LORD and his soul was grieved for the misery of

Israel .

1017 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and

encamped in Gilead And the children of Israel assembled

themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh .

1018 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 .

* 111 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour and

he was the son of an harlot and Gilead begat Jephthah .

112 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 .

113 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 .

114 And it came to pass in process of time that the children

of Ammon made war against Israel .

115 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 .

116 And they said unto Jephthah Come and be our captain that

we may fight with the children of Ammon .

117 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 .

118 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 .

119 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 .

1110 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah The LORD be

witness between us if we do not so according to thy words .

1111 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 .

1112 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 .

1113 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 .

1114 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the

children of Ammon .

1115 And said unto him Thus saith Jephthah Israel took not

away the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon .

1116 But when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the

wilderness unto the Red sea and came to Kadesh .

1117 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

1118 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 .

1119 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 .

1120 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 .

1121 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 .

1122 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites from

Arnon even unto Jabbok and from the wilderness even unto Jordan .

1123 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the

Amorites from before his people Israel and shouldest thou

possess it .

1124 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 .

1125 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 .

1126 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 .

1127 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 .

1128 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not

unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him .

1129 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 .

1130 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said If thou

shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands

1131 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 .

1132 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to

fight against them and the LORD delivered them into his hands .

1133 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 .

1134 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 .

1135 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 .

1136 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 .

1137 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 .

1138 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 .

1139 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 .

1140 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the

daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year .

* 121 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 .

122 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 .

123 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 .

124 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 .

125 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 .

126 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 .

127 And Jephthah judged Israel six years Then died Jephthah

the Gileadite and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead .

128 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel .

129 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 .

1210 Then died Ibzan and was buried at Bethlehem .

1211 And after him Elon a Zebulonite judged Israel and he

judged Israel ten years .

1212 And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in

the country of Zebulun .

1213 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel a Pirathonite

judged Israel .

1214 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews that rode on

threescore and ten ass colts and he judged Israel eight years .

1215 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 .

* 131 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 .

132 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 .

133 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 .

134 Now therefore beware I pray thee and drink not wine nor

strong drink and eat not any unclean thing .

135 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 .

136 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 .

137 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 .

138 Then Manoah entreated 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 .

139 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 .

1310 And the woman made haste and ran and showed her husband

and said unto him Behold the man hath appeared unto me that came

unto me the other day .

1311 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 .

1312 And Manoah said Now let thy words come to pass How shall

we order the child and how shall we do unto him .

1313 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah Of all that I

said unto the woman let her beware .

1314 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 .

1315 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

1316 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 .

1317 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 .

1318 And the angel of the LORD said unto him Why askest thou

thus after my name seeing it is secret .

1319 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 .

1320 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 .

1321 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 .

1322 And Manoah said unto his wife We shall surely die because

we have seen God .

1323 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 showed us all these

things nor would as at this time have told us such things as

these .

1324 And the woman bare a son and called his name Samson and

the child grew and the LORD blessed him .

1325 And the spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in

the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol .

* 141 And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in

Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines .

142 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 .

143 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 .

144 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 .

145 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 .

146 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 .

147 And he went down and talked with the woman and she pleased

Samson well .

148 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 .

149 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 .

1410 So his father went down unto the woman and Samson made

there a feast for so used the young men to do .

1411 And it came to pass when they saw him that they brought

thirty companions to be with him .

1412 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 .

1413 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 .

1414 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 .

1415 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 .

1416 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 .

1417 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 .

1418 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 .

1419 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 .

1420 But Samson's wife was given to his companion whom he had

used as his friend .

* 151 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 .

152 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 .

153 And Samson said concerning them Now shall I be more

blameless than the Philistines though I do them a displeasure .

154 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 .

155 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 .

156 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 .

157 And Samson said unto them Though ye have done this yet

will I be avenged of you and after that I will cease .

158 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter and

he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam .

159 Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah and

spread themselves in Lehi .

1510 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 .

1511 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 .

1512 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 .

1513 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 .

1514 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 .

1515 And he found a new jawbone of an ass and put forth his

hand and took it and slew a thousand men therewith .

1516 And Samson said With the jawbone of an ass heaps upon

heaps with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men .

1517 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 .

1518 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 .

1519 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 .

1520 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines

twenty years .

* 161 Then went Samson to Gaza and saw there an harlot and went

in unto her .

162 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 .

163 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 .

164 And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the

valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah .

165 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 .

166 And Delilah said to Samson Tell me I pray thee wherein thy

great strength lieth and wherewith thou mightest be bound to

afflict thee .

167 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 .

168 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven

green withs which had not been dried and she bound him with them

169 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 .

1610 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 .

1611 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 .

1612 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 .

1613 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 .

1614 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 .

1615 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 .

1616 And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her

words and urged him so that his soul was vexed unto death .

1617 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 .

1618 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 showed me all his heart Then the lords

of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their

hand .

1619 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

1620 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 .

1621 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 .

1622 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he

was shaven .

1623 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 .

1624 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 .

1625 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 .

1626 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 .

1627 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

1628 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 .

1629 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 .

1630 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 .

1631 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 .

* 171 And there was a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Micah

172 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 .

173 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 .

174 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 .

175 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 .

176 In those days there was no king in Israel but every man

did that which was right in his own eyes .

177 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the

family of Judah who was a Levite and he sojourned there .

178 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 .

179 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 .

1710 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 .

1711 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man and the

young man was unto him as one of his sons .

1712 And Micah consecrated the Levite and the young man became

his priest and was in the house of Micah .

1713 Then said Micah Now know I that the LORD will do me good

seeing I have a Levite to my priest .

* 181 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 .

182 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 .

183 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 .

184 And he said unto them Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me

and hath hired me and I am his priest .

185 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

186 And the priest said unto them Go in peace before the LORD

is your way wherein ye go .

187 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 .

188 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol and

their brethren said unto them What say ye .

189 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 .

1810 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 .

1811 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 .

1812 And they went up and pitched in Kirjathjearim in Judah

wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day behold

it is behind Kirjathjearim .

1813 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim and came unto

the house of Micah .

1814 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 .

1815 And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the

young man the Levite even unto the house of Micah and saluted

him .

1816 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 .

1817 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 .

1818 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 .

1819 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 .

1820 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 .

1821 So they turned and departed and put the little ones and

the cattle and the carriage before them .

1822 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 .

1823 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 .

1824 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 .

1825 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 .

1826 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 .

1827 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 .

1828 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 .

1829 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 .

1830 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 .

1831 And they set them up Micah's graven image which he made

all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh .

* 191 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 .

192 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 .

193 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 .

194 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 .

195 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 .

196 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 .

197 And when the man rose up to depart his father in law urged

him therefore he lodged there again .

198 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 .

199 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 .

1910 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 .

1911 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 .

1912 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 .

1913 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 .

1914 And they passed on and went their way and the sun went

down upon them when they were by Gibeah which belongeth to

Benjamin .

1915 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 .

1916 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 .

1917 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 .

1918 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 .

1919 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 .

1920 And the old man said Peace be with thee howsoever let all

thy wants lie upon me only lodge not in the street .

1921 So he brought him into his house and gave provender unto

the asses and they washed their feet and did eat and drink .

1922 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 .

1923 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 .

1924 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 .

1925 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 .

1926 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 .

1927 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 .

1928 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 .

1929 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 .

1930 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 .

* 201 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 .

202 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 .

203 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 .

204 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 .

205 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 .

206 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 .

207 Behold ye are all children of Israel give here your advice

and counsel .

208 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 .

209 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah

we will go up by lot against it .

2010 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 .

2011 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city

knit together as one man .

2012 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe

of Benjamin saying What wickedness is this that is done among

you .

2013 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 .

2014 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together

out of the cities unto Gibeah to go out to battle against the

children of Israel .

2015 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 .

2016 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men

lefthanded every one could sling stones at an hair breadth and

not miss .

2017 And the men of Israel beside Benjamin were numbered four

hundred thousand men that drew sword all these were men of war .

2018 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 .

2019 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and

encamped against Gibeah .

2020 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 .

2021 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 .

2022 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 .

2023 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 .

2024 And the children of Israel came near against the children

of Benjamin the second day .

2025 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 .

2026 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 .

2027 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD for the

ark of the covenant of God was there in those days .

2028 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 .

2029 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah .

2030 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 .

2031 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 .

2032 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 .

2033 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 .

2034 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 .

2035 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 .

2036 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 .

2037 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 .

2038 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 .

2039 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 .

2040 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 .

2041 And when the men of Israel turned again the men of

Benjamin were amazed for they saw that evil was come upon them .

2042 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 .

2043 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about and chased

them and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward

the sunrising .

2044 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men all

these were men of valour .

2045 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 .

2046 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 .

2047 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness

unto the rock Rimmon and abode in the rock Rimmon four months .

2048 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 .

* 211 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh saying There

shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife .

212 And the people came to the house of God and abode there

till even before God and lifted up their voices and wept sore .

213 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 .

214 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 .

215 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 .

216 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin

their brother and said There is one tribe cut off from Israel

this day .

217 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 .

218 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 .

219 For the people were numbered and behold there were none of

the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there .

2110 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 .

2111 And this is the thing that ye shall do Ye shall utterly

destroy every male and every woman that hath lain by man .

2112 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 .

2113 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 .

2114 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 .

2115 And the people repented them for Benjamin because that

the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel .

2116 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 .

2117 And they said There must be an inheritance for them that

be escaped of Benjamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of

Israel .

2118 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 .

2119 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 .

2120 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin saying

Go and lie in wait in the vineyards .

2121 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 .

2122 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 .

2123 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 .

2124 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 .

2125 In those days there was no king in Israel every man did

that which was right in his own eyes .