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