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Judges Judges one one. After the death of Joshua, the

people of Israel inquired of the Lord, who shall go

up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them.

The Lord said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have

given the land into his hand.

And Judah said to Simeon, his brother, come.

Up with me into the territory allotted to me, and

we may fight against the Canaanites.

And I, likewise will go with you into the territory

allotted to you. So Simeon went with him. Then Judah

went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the

Perizites into their hand, and they defeated ten thousand of

them at Beaesick. They found at an Ibazac at Beesick,

and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizites.

At an Ibiesak fled, but they pursued him and caught

him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

And Adam Ibizak said.

Seventy kings were their thumbs and their big toes cut off.

Housed to pick up scraps under my table, as I

have done so, God has repaid me.

And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured

it and struck it with the edge of the sword

and set the city on fire. And afterward the men

of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who

lived in the hill country, in the Negeb and in

the lowland. And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived

in Hebron now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath Arba,

and they defeated Sheshai and a Hymen and Talmai. From

there they went against the inhabitants of Deber. The name

of Deber was formerly Kiriath Sefr. And Caleb said, he

who attacks Kiriath Sefr and captures it, I will give

him Axa, my daughter for a wife. And off Neil,

the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, and

he gave him Axa, his daughter for a wife. When

she came to him, she urged him to ask her

father for a field, and she dismounted from her donkey,

and Caleb said to her.

What do you want?

She said to him, give me a blessing, since you

have set me in the land of the Negeb, give

me also springs.

Of water, and Caleb gave her the upper springs and

the lower springs, and the descendants of the Kenite Moses

father in law, went up with the people of Judah

from the city of Palms into the wilderness of Judah,

which lies in the Negeb near Rad, and they went

and settled with the people. And Judah went with Sime

and his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited

Zephat and devoted it to destruction. So the name of

the city was called Hormah. Judah also captured Gaza with

its territory, and Ashkalan with its territory, and Ekren with

its territory. And the Lord was with Judah, and he

took possession of the hill country, but he could not

drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had

chariots of iron. And Heaven was given to Caleb, as

Moses had said, and he drove out from it the

three sons of Anak. But the people of Benjamin did

not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So

the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem.

To this day, the House of Joseph also went up

against Bethel, and the Lord was with them, and the

House of Joseph scouted out Bethel. Now the name of

the city was formerly Luz. And the spies saw a

man coming out of the city, and they said to him.

Please show us the way into the city, and we

will deal kindly with you.

And he showed them the way into the city, and

they struck the city with the edge of the sword.

But they let the man and all his family go.

And the man went to the land of the Hittites

and built a city and called its name Luz. That

is its name to this day. Manassa did not drive

out the inhabitants of Bethshean and its villages, or Tayanak

and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages,

or the inhabitants of Iblium and its villages, or the

inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted

in dwelling in that land. When Israel grew strong, they

put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive

them out completely. And Ephraeim did not drive out the

Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in

Gezer among them. Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants

of Kitron or the inhabitants of Neelon, so the Canaanites

lived among them, but became subject to forced labor. Asher

did not drive out the inhabitants of Aco, or the

inhabitants of Sidon, or of Alab, or of Acxib, or

of Helba, or of Aphik, or of Rehab. So the

Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land,

for they did not drive them out. Naphtali did not

drive out the inhabitants of beth Shemish or the inhabitants

of beth Anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the

inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of beth Shemish

and of beth Anath became subject to forced labour for them.

The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the

hill country, for they did not allow them to come

down to the plain. The Amorites persisted in dwelling in

Mount hirees in Agelon and in Chelbin. But the hand

of the House of Joseph rested heavily on them, and

they became subject to forced labor, and the border of

the Amorites ran from the ascent of a crabm from

Sela and upward judges too. Now the Angel of the

Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and he said.

I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into

the land that I swore to give to your fathers.

I said, I will never break my covenant with you,

and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of

this land. You shall break down their altars. But you

have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?

So?

Now I say, I will not drive them out before you,

but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their

gods shall be a snare to you.

As soon as the Angel of the Lord spoke these

words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted

up their voices and wept, and they called the name

of that place Bocum, and they sacrificed there to the Lord.

When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went

each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.

And the people served the Lord all the days of

Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua,

who had seen all the great work that the Lord

had done for Israel. And Joshua, the son of Nun,

the servant of the Lord, died at the age of

one hundred ten years, and they buried him within the

boundaries of his inheritance in Timnathhirees, in the hill country

of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gayash. And all

that generation also were gathered to their fathers, and there

arose another generation after them, who did not know the

Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

And the people of Israel did what was evil in

the sight of the Lord and served the Bales. And

they abandoned the Lord, the god of their fathers, who

had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They

went after other gods from among the gods of the

peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them,

and they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the

Lord and served the Bales and the Astarah. So the

anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he

gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he

sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so

that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they

marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them

for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the

Lord had sworn to them, and they were in terrible distress.

Then the Lord raised up judges who saved them out

of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they

did not listened to their judges, for they hoard after

other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned

aside from the way in which their fathers had walked,

who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they

did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges

for them. The Lord was with the judge, and he

saved them from the hand of their enemies all the

days of the judge, for the Lord was moved to

pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and

oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back

and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods,

serving them and bowing down to them, they did not

drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. So

the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he.

Said, because this people has transgressed my covenant that I

commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I

will no longer drive out before them any of the

nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to

test Israel by them, whether they will take cared to

walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers

did or not.

So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly,

and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Judges three. Now these are the nations that the Lord

left to test Israel by them, that is all in

Israel who had not experienced all the wars and canaan

It was only in order that the generations of the

people of Israel might know war, to teach war to

those who had not known it before. These are the

nations the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites,

and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount

Lebanon from Mount baale Herman as far as Leebohemath They

were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel

would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded

their fathers by the hand of Moses. So the people

of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites,

the Perizites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and their daughters.

They took to themselves for wives and their own daughters.

They gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

And the people of Israel did what was evil in

the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their

god and served the Bales and the Astorath. Therefore, the

anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he

sold them into the hand of Kushan Rishetheem, king of Mesopotamia.

And the people of Israel served Kushan Rishatheem eight years.

But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord,

the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel,

who saved them off. Nil, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's

younger brother. The spirit of the Lord was upon him,

and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and

the Lord gave Kushan Rishathaeem, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand,

and his hand prevailed over Kushanishethaeum. So the land had

rest forty years. Then Othnil, the son of Kenas died,

and the people of Israel again did what was evil

in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon,

the King of Moab, against Israel because they had done

what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He

gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went

and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city

of Palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the

King of Moab eighteen years. Then the people of Israel

cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up

for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Ghira, the

Benjamin Knight, a left handed man. The people of Israel

sent tribute by him to Eglon, the King of Moab.

And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges

a cubit in length, and he bounded on his right

thigh under his clothes, and he presented the tribute to Eglon,

King of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent

away the people who carried the tribute, but he himself

turned back at the idols near Gilgal, and said, I

have a secret message for you.

O King.

And he commanded silens, and all his attendants went out

from his presence, and Hud came to him as he

was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and Hud said,

I have a message from God for you. And he

arose from his seat, and Hud reached with his left hand,

took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it

into his belly, and the hilt also went in after

the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for

he did not pull the sword out of his belly,

and the dung came out. Then Ehud went out into

the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber

behind him and locked them. When he had gone, the

servants came, and when they saw that the doors of

the roof chamber were locked, they thought, surely he is

relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber. And

they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still

did not open the doors of the roof chamber. They

took the key and opened them, and there lay their

lord dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed,

and he passed beyond the Idols and escaped to Sierra.

When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill

country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down

with him from the hill country, and he was their leader,

and he said to them, follow after me, for the

Lord has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand.

So they went down after him and seized the fords

of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow

anyone to pass over. And they killed at that time

about ten thousand of the Moabites, all strong, able bodied men.

Not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day

under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest

for eighty years. After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath,

who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an ox goad,

and he also saved Israel Judges four. And the people

of Israel again did what was evil in the sight

of the Lord. After Ihad died, and the Lord sold

them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who

reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera,

who lived in hiroshith Hagoyam. Then the people of Israel

cried out to the Lord for help, for he had

nine hundred chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people

of Israel cruelly for twenty years.

Now.

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel.

At that time. She used to sit under the Palm

of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country

of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to

her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barrak, the son

of Abinoam, from Keidish Naphtalai, and said.

To him, has not the Lord, the God of Israel,

commanded you go gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking

ten thousand from the people of Naphtalai and the people

of Zebulun. And I will draw out Siserah, the general

of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kaishan,

with his chariots and his troops, and I will give

him into your hand.

Barek said to her, if you will go with me,

I will go, But if you will not go with me,

I will not go. And she said, I will surely

go with you.

Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not

lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera

into the hand of a woman.

Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedish, and

Barek called out Zebulun and Naphtalai to Kedish, and ten

thousand men went up at his heels, and Deborah went

up with him. Now Heber the Kennite had separated from

the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, the father in law

of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away

as the oak in Zaeyananum, which is near Kedish. When

Cicera was told that Bhak, the son of Abinoem, had

gone up to Mount Tabor, Cicerah called out all his chariots,

nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the men who

were with him from Rosheth Hogoyam to the river Kaishan.

And Deborah said to Barak.

Up, for this is the day in which the Lord

has given Cicerah into your hand. Does not the Lord

go out before you?

So Bhak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand

men following him. And the lord routed Cicyra and all

his chariots and all his army before Bhak by the

edge of the sword. And Csra got down from his

chariot and fled away on foot, and Barak pursued the

chariots and the army to Hiroscheth Begoyam, and all the

army of Sicyrah fell by the edge of the sword.

Not a man was left. But Sisah fled away on

foot to the tent of Jail, the wife of Heber

the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabon, the king

of Hazar, and the house of Heber the Kenite. And

Jail came out to meet Cicera and said to him,

turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Do not

be afraid. So he turned aside to her into the tent,

and she covered him with a rug. And he said to.

Her, please give me a little water to drink, for

I am thirsty.

So she opened a skin of milk and gave him

a drink and covered him. And he said to her.

Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any

man comes and asks you, is anyone here, say.

No, But Jail, the wife of Heber, took a tent

peg and took a hammer in her hand. Then she

went softly to him and drove the peg into his

temple until it went down into the ground. While he

was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. And behold,

as Barek was pursuing Cisera, Jail went out to meet

him and said to him, come, and I will.

Show you the man whom you are seeking.

So he went into her tent, and there lay Sisera dead,

with a tent peg in his temple. So on that

day God subdued Jabin the King of Canaan before the

people of Israel, and the hand of the people of

Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the King of Canaan,

until they destroyed Jabin, King of Canaan. Judges five, then

saying Deborah and Barak, the son of a Binoam on

that day.

That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the

people offered themselves willingly bless the Lord.

Hero kings, give hero princes to the Lord.

I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord,

the God of Israel. Lord, when you went out from fear,

when you marched from the region of Edom. The are trembled,

and the heavens dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water. The

mountains quaked before the Lord even FINAI, before the Lord,

the God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the

days of jail, the highways were abandoned and travelers kept

to the byeways. The villagers ceased in Israel. They ceased

to be until I arose. I Deborah arose as a

mother in Israel. When new gods were chosen. Then war

was in the gates, was shield or speared to be

seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart goes out

to the commanders of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among

the people. Bless the Lord.

Tell of it, you who ride.

On white donkeys on rich carpets, and you who walk

by the way to the sound of musicians at the

watering places. There they repeat the righteous triumphs of the Lord,

the righteous triumphs of his villages in Israel. Then down

to the gates, march the people of the Lord. Awake. Awake, Deborah, awake, awake,

break out in a song, Arise, Barrick, lead away your captives,

o son of a Benowum.

Then down marched the remnant of the noble.

The people of the Lord marched down for me against

the mighty. From Ephraim their root, they marched down into

the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen from Mayke Heir,

march down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear

the lieutenant's stap The princes of this a car came

with Deborah and Isacar faithful to Barak into the valley.

They rushed at his heels.

Among the clans of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

Why did you sit still among the sheep folds to

hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben,

there were great searchings of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the

Jordan and Dan. Why did he stay with the ships?

Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying

by his landings. Zebulun is a people who risk their

lives to the death, naft to lie to on the

heights of the.

Field the King's cane.

They fought, then fought the kings of Canaan at Tayanak,

by the waters of the Giddo. They God no spoils

of silver from heaven. The stars fought from their courses.

They fought against Cicera. The torrent kai Shan swept them away,

the ancient Torrent, the torrent Kaishan, march on my soul

with might, then loud beat the horses hoofs with the

galloping galloping of his steeds. Cursed near us, as the

Angel of the Lord hers it's inhabitants thoroughly, because they

did not come to the help of the Lord.

To the help of the Lord against the Mighty.

Most blessed of women, be Jail, the wife of Hebrew,

the Kennite of tent dwelling women, most blessed.

He asked water, and she gave him milk. She brought

him kurds in a noble's bowl.

She sent her hand to the tent peg, and her

right hand to the workman's mallet.

She struck Cicera. She crushed his head. She shattered and

pierced his temple between her feet.

He sank, he fell, He lay still between her feet.

He sank, He fell where he sank.

There he fell dead.

Out of the window. She peered the mother of Cicero

wails through the lattice. Why is his chariot so long

in coming?

Why tarry the.

Hoof bits of his chariots? Her wisest princesses answer, indeed,

she answers herself. Have they not found and divided the

spoil a womb or two for every man, spoil of

dyed materials for cicera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two

pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoiled.

So may all your enemies perish, o Lord, but your

friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.

And the Lamb had rest for forty years Judges six.

The people of Israel did what was evil in the

sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into

the hand of Midian seven years, and the hand of

Midian overpowered Israel. And because of Midian, the people of

Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the

mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For whenever the

Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the

people of the East would come up against them, they

would encamp against them and devour the produce of the

land as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel,

and no sheep or ox or donkey. For they would

come up with their livestock and their tents. They would

come like locusts. In number both they and their camels

could not be counted, so that they laid waste the

land as they came in. And Israel was brought very

low because of midian and the people of Israel cried

out for help to the Lord. When the people of

Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites,

the Lord sent a pro to the people of Israel,

and he said to.

Them, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel.

I led you up from Egypt and brought you.

Out of the house of bondage.

And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians

and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and

drove them out before you, and gave.

You their land.

And I said to you, I am the Lord your God.

You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in

whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed my voice.

Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under

the terebinth at Afra, which belonged to joe Ash the Abizrite,

while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the

wine press to hide it from the Midianites. And the

Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him.

The Lord is with you, o mighty man of Valor.

And Gideon said to him, please, sir, If the Lord

is with us, why then has all this happened to us?

And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers

recounted to us, saying, did not the Lord bring us

up from Egypt?

But now the.

Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand

of Midian.

And the Lord turned to him and said.

Go in this mine of yours and save Israel from

the hand of Midian. Do not I send you?

And he said to him, please, Lord, how can I

save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Vanessa,

and I am the least in my father's house.

And the Lord said.

To him, but I will be with you, and you

shall strike the Midian knights as one man.

And he said to him.

If now I have found favor in your eyes, then

show me a sign that it is.

You who speak with me.

Please do not depart from here until I come to

you and bring out my present and send it before you.

And he said, I will stay till you return. So

Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat

and unleavened cakes from an epha of flour. The meat

he put in a basket, and the broth he put

in a pot, and brought them to him under the

terebinth and presented them. And the Angel of God said

to him.

Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them

on this rock, and pour the broth over them.

And he did so. Then the Angel of the Lord

reached out the tip of the staff that was in

his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes,

and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the

meat and the unleavened cakes, and the Angel of the

Lord vanished from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that he

was the Angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, alas.

O, Lord God, for now I have seen the Angel

of the Lord face to face.

But the Lord said to him, Peace be to you.

Do not fear, you shall not die.

Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and

called it the Lord is Peace. To this day, it

still stands at Offra, which belongs to the aby as Rites.

That night the Lord said to him.

Take your father's bull and the second bull seven years old,

and pulled down the altar of bail that your father has,

and cut down the ashira that is beside it, and

build an altar to the Lord your God on the

top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order.

Then take the second bull and offer it as a

burnt offering with the wood of the ashira that you

shall cut down.

So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did

as the Lord had told him. But because he was

too afraid of his family and the men of the

town to do it by day, he did it by night.

When the men of the town rose early in the morning, Behold,

the altar of bail was broken down, and the ashira

beside it was cut down, and the second bull was

offered on the altar that had been built. And they

said to one another, who has done this thing? And

after they had searched and inquired, they.

Said, Gideon, the son of joe Aah, just done mistake.

Then the men of the town said to Joash, bring

out your son that he may die, for he has

broken down the altar of Bail and cut down the

ashira beside it. But Joash said to all who stood

against him.

Will you contend for Bail or will you save him?

Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by mourning.

If he is a god, let him contend for himself,

because his altar has been broken down.

Therefore, on that day Gideon was called Jirabail, that is

to say.

Let Bail contend against.

Him, because he broke down his altar. Now all the

Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East

came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in

the valley of Jezreel. But the spirit of the Lord

clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the aby

Azrites were called out to follow him, and he sent

messengers throughout all Manassa, and they too were called out

to follow him. And he sent messenger to Asher, Zebulen

and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them. Then

Gideon said to God, if you will.

Save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold,

I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor.

If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it

is dry on all the ground, then I shall know

that you will save Israel by my hand, as you

have said.

And it was so. When he rose early next morning

and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough jew from the

fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said

to Godd, let not your.

Anger burn against me. Let me speak just once more. Please,

let me test just once more with the fleece. Please

let it be dry on the fleece only, and on

all the ground, let there be due.

And God did so that night, and it was dry

on the fleece only, and on all the ground there

was due. Judges seven. Then Jerebale, that is, Gideon and

all the people who were with him, rose early and

encamped beside the spring of Herod, and the camp of

Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh

in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon.

The people with you are too many for me to

give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me,

saying my own hand has saved me. Now therefore proclaim

in the ears of the people, saying, whoever is fearful

and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from

Mount Gilead.

Then twenty two thousand of the people returned, and ten

thousand remained.

And the Lord said to Gideon, the people are still

too many. Take them down to the water, and I

will test them for you there. And anyone of whom

I say to you, this one shall go with you,

shall go with you. And any one of whom I

say to you this one shall not go with you,

shall not go.

So he brought the people down to the water, and

the Lord said.

To Gideon, everyone who laps the water with his tongue

as a dog laps, you, shall set by himself. Likewise,

everyone who kneels down to drink.

And the number of those who laughed, putting their hands

to their mouths, was three hundred men. But all the

rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And

the Lord said to Gideon.

With the three hundred men who laughed, I will save

you and give them Midian knights into your hand, and

let all the others go. Every man to his home.

So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets.

And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man

to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And

the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

That same night the Lord said.

To him, Arise, go down against the camp, for I

had given it into your hand. But if you are

afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Pura,

your servant, and you shall hear what they say, and

afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against

the camp.

Then he went down with Pura, his servant, to the

outposts of the armed men who were in the camp,

and the Midian knights, and the Amalekites, and all the

people of the east lay along the valley like locusts

in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the

sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold,

a man was telling a dream to his comrade, And

he said, behold.

I dreamed a dream, And behold, a cake of barley

bread tumbled into the camp of Median, and came to

the tent and struck it so that it fell, and

turned it upside down, so that the tent laid.

Flat, and his comrade answered.

This is no other, and the sword of Gideon, the

son of Josh, a man of Israel, God has given

into his hand Midian and all the camp.

As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream

and its interpretation, he worshiped, and he returned to the

camp of Israel and said, arise, for the Lord has

given the host of Midian into your hand. And he

divided the three hundred men into three companies and put

trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty

jars with torches inside the jars. And he said to them,

look at me and do likewise. When I come to

the outskirts of the camp. Do as I do when

I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me,

then blow the trumpets also on every.

Side of all the camp, and shout for the Lord

before Gideon.

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him

came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning

of the middle watch when they had just set the watch,

and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that

were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the

trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left

hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets

to blow, and they cried out.

A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.

Every man stood in his place around the camp, and

all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When

they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord said, every

man's sword against his comrade and against all the army.

And the army fled as far as beth Shitta towards Zariah,

as far as the border of abel Nahola by Tabith.

And the men of Israel were called out from Naphalai,

and from Ashid, and from all Manassa, and they pursued

after Midian. Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country

of Ephraim, saying.

Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against

them as far as beth Beha and also the Jordan.

So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and

they captured the waters as far as beth Behah and

also the Jordan. And they captured the two princes of Midian,

Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Orb at the rock of Orb,

and Zeeb they killed at the wine press of Zeb.

Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of

Arab and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan judges ate.

Then the men of Ephraim said to him.

What is this that you have done to us? Not

to call us when you went to fight against Midian?

And they accused him fiercely, And he said to them,

what have I done now in comparison with you?

Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephrium better

than the great parvis of Abayezer. God has given into

your hands the princes of Midian, Orb and zeb What

have I been able to do in comparison with you?

Then their anger against him subsided when he said this,

and Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over. He

and the three hundred men who were with him exhausted,

yet pursuing. So he said to the men of Succith,

please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me,

for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zeba

and Zamana.

The kings of Midian and the officials of Saccith said,

are the hands of Zeba and Zilmana already in your

hand that we should give bread to your army.

So Gideon said, well, then, when the Lord has given

Zeba and Zalmana into my hand, I will fail your

flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars.

And from there he went up to Panuel and spoke

to them in the same way. And the men of

Panuel answered him as the men of Succith had answered.

And he said to the men of Penuel, when I

come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Now Zeba and Zalmana were in Kharkor with their army,

about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all

the army of the people of the east, for there

had fallen one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew

the sword. And Gideon went up by the way of

the tent dwellers east of Noba and Jagbaha and attacked

the army. For the army felt secure, and Zeba and

Zalmana fled, and he pursued them and captured the two

kings of Midian, Zeba and Zalmana, And he threw all

the army into a panic. Then Gideon, the son of Joash,

returned from the battle by the assent of Hiros, and

he captured a young man of Succth and questioned him,

and he wrote down for him the officials and elders

of Sukkith, seventy seven men. And he came to the

men of Succith and.

Said, behold Zeba and Zalmana about whom you taunted me, saying,

are the hands of Zeba and Zalmana already in your hands?

That we should give bread to your men who are exhausted.

And he took the elders of the city, and he

took thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them

taught the men of Succth a lessons. And he broke

down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of

the city. Then he said to Zeba and Zalmana, where

are the men whom you killed at Tabor. They answered,

as you are, so were they. Every one of them

resembled son of a king.

And he said, they were my brothers, the sons of

my mother, as the Lord lives.

If you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.

So he said to Jeethar, his firstborn, rise and kill them.

But the young man did not draw his sword, for

he was afraid because he was still a young man.

Then Zeba and Zalmana said.

Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is,

so is his strength.

And Gideon arose and killed Zeba and Zalmana, and he

took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of

their camels. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon,

rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also,

for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.

Gideon said to them.

I will not roll over you, and my son will

not roll over you.

The Lord will rule over you.

And Gideon said to them, let me make a request

of you. Every one of you give me the ear

from his spoil, for they had golden earrings because they

were Ishmaelites. And they answered, we will willingly give them.

And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in

it the earrings of his spoil. And the weight of

the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand, seven

hundred shekels of gold. Besides the crescent ornaments and the

pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian,

and besides the callers that were around the necks of

their camels. And Gideon made an ephod of it and

put it in his city in Offra, and all Israel

hoared after it there, and it became a snare to

Gideon and to his family. So Midian was subdued before

the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more,

and the land had rest forty years in the days

of Gideon. Juribal, the son of joe Ash, went and

lived in his own house. Now Gideon had seventy sons

his own offspring, for he had many wives, and his concubine,

who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and

he called his name a Bimelek. And Gideon, the son

of Joash died in a good old age and was

buried in the tomb of joe Ash, his father, at

Afra of the abayas Rites. As soon as Gideon died,

the people of Israel turned again and hoard after the

bales and made bail Bereth their god. And the people

of Israel did not remember the Lord, their God, who

had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies

on every side, and they did not show steadfast love

to the family of Jurbil, that is Gideon, in return

for all the good that he had done to Israel

Judges nine. Now a Bimelech, the son of Juribal, went

to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and said to them,

and to the whole clan of his mother's family, say,

in the.

Ear of all the leaders of Shechem, which is better

for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerebale

rule over you, or that one rule over you. Remember

also that I am your bone and your flesh.

And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his

behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem,

and their hearts inclined to follow a Bimelech, for they said,

he is our brother. And they gave him seventy pieces

of silver out of the house of bale Byth, with

which a Bimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows who followed him.

And he went to his father's house at Afra and

killed his brothers, the sons of Jerebale seventy men on

one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Juribale, was left,

for he hid himself and all the leaders of Shechem

came together and all beth Milo, and they went and

made a Bimelech king by the oak of the pillar

at Shechem. When it was told to Jotham, he went

and stood on top of Mount Garrizon and cried aloud

and said to them.

Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may

listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint

a king over them, and they said to the olive tree,

rain over us. But the olive trees said to them,

shall I leave my abundance by which gods and men

are honored, and go hold sway over the trees. And

the trees said to the fig tree, you come and

rain over us. But the fig tree said to them,

shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and

go hold sway over the trees. And the trees said

to the vine, you come and rain over us. But

the vine said to them, shall I leave my wine

that cheers God and men, and.

Go hold sway over the trees.

Then all the trees said to the bramble, you come

and rain over us.

And the bramble said to the trees, if in good faith.

You are anointing me king over.

You then come and take refuge in my shade.

But if not, let fire come out of the bramble

and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

Now, therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity

when you made a Bemelech king, and if you have

dealt well with Jerebel and his house and have done

to him as his deeds deserved, for my father fought

for you and risked his life and delivered you from

the hand of Midian. And you have risen up against

my father's house this day and have killed his sons

seventy men on one stone, and have made a Bemolach,

the son of his female servant, chang over the leaders

of Shechem, because he is your relative.

If you then have acted in good faith.

And integrity with Jerebale and with his house this day,

then rejoice in a Felach, and let him also rejoice

in you.

But if not, let fire come out Alak and devour

the leaders of Shechem and Death fellow, And let fire

come out from the leaders of Shechham and from.

Death Mello and devour of Demalak and Jophum ran away

and fled and went to Beer and lived there because

of a Bimelech. His brother, a Bimelek, ruled over Israel

three years. And God sent an evil spirit between a

Bimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of

Shechem dealt treacherously with a Bimelech, that the violence done

to the seventy sons of Juribale might come, and their

blood be laid on a Bimelech, their brother, who killed them,

and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands

to kill his brothers. And the leaders of Shechem put

men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they

robbed all who passed by them along that way. And

it was told to a Bimelech. And Gael, the son

of Ebod, moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the

leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. And they went

out into the field and gathered the grapes from their

vineyards and trod them and held a feat. And they

went into the house of their God and ate and

drank and reviled a Bimelech. And Gael, the son of Ebd, said.

Who is a Bimelek, and who are we of Shechem?

That we should serve him. Is he not the son

of Jereb Bale, and is not Zebel his officer serve

the men of Haymour, the father of Shechem.

Why should we serve him? What that this people were

under my hand? Then I would remove a bimelech.

I would say to a Bimelech, increase your arm and

come out.

When Zeebel, the ruler of this city, heard the words

of Gael, the son of Ebd, his anger was kindled,

and he sent messengers to a Bimelek, secretly saying, the

old Gail, the.

Son of Ebid, and his relatives have come to Shechem,

and they.

Are stirring up the city against you.

Now, therefore, go by night, you.

And the people who are with you, and set an

ambush in the field in the morning.

As soon as the sun is up, rise early and

rush up.

On the city.

And when he and the people who are with him

come out against you, you may do to them as

your hand finds to do. So A Bimelek and all

the men who were with him rose up by night

and set an ambush against Chechem in four companies, and Gail,

the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the

entrance of the gate of the city, and a Bimelech

and the people who were with him rose from the ambush.

And when Gail saw the people, he said to Zebel.

Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops.

And Zebel said to him, you mistake the shadow of

the mountains for men. Gail spoke again and said, look,

people are coming down from the center of the land,

and one company is coming from the direction of the

Diviner's oak. Then Zebel said to him, where.

Is your mouth now?

You who said who is a bimelech that we should

serve him?

Are not these the people whom you despised, Go.

Out now and fight with me. And Gail went out

at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought

with a bimelech, and a bimelech chased him, and he

fled before him, and many fell wounded up to the

entrance of the gate, and a Bimelech lived at a ruma,

and Zebel drove out Gail and his relatives so that

they could not dwell at Shechem. On the following day,

the people went out into the field, and a Bimelek

was told. He took his people and divided them into

three companies and set an ambush in the field. And

he looked and saw the people coming out of the city.

So he rose against them and killed them. A Bimelek

and the company that was with him rushed forward and

stood at the entrance of the gate of the city,

while the two companies rushed upon all who were in

the field and killed them. And a Bimelek fought against

the city all that day. He captured the city and

killed the people who were in it, and he raised

the city and sowed it with salt. When all the

leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they

entered the stronghold of the House of Elberi. A Bimelek

was told that all the leaders of the Tower of

Shechem were gathered together, and a Bimelech went up to

Mount Zalman He and all the people who were with him,

and a Bimelech took an axe in his hand and

cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up

and laid it on his shoulder, and he said to

the men who were with him.

What you have seen me, do hurry and do as

I have done.

So every one of the people cut down his bundle,

and following a bimelek put it against the stronghold, and

they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that

all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died,

about one thousand men and women. Then a bimelek went

to Thebes and encamped against Thebes and captured it. But

there was a strong tower within the city, and all

the men and women and all the leaders of the

city fled to it and shut themselves in. And they

went up to the roof of the tower. And a

Bimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and

drew near to the door of the tower to burn

it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper

millstone on a Bimelek's head and crushed his skull. Then

he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer,

and said to.

Him, draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of.

Me a woman kill him. And his young man thrust

him through, and he died. And when the men of

Israel saw that a Bimelek was dead, everyone departed to

his home. Thus God returned the evil of a bimelek

which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.

And God also made all the evil of the men

of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came

the curse of Jotho, the son of Jerebeo judges ten

after a bimelech. There arose to save Israel Tola, the

son of Pew, son of Dodo, a man of Isachar,

and he lived at Shamer, in the hill country of Ephraim,

and he judged Israel twenty three years. Then he died

and was buried at Shamer. After him arose Jayir, the Gileadite,

who judged Israel twenty two years. And he had thirty

sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty

cities called Havoth JayR to this day, which are in

the land of Gilead. And JayR died and was buried

in Kamen. The people of Israel again did what was

evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the

Bales and the Astoroth, the gods of Syria, the gods

of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites,

and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the

Lord and did not serve him. So the anger of

the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them

into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand

of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the people

of Israel that year. For eighteen years, they oppressed all

the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan, in

the land of the Amorites, which is an Gilead. And

the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah

and against Benjamin, and against the House of Ephraim, so

that Israel was severely distressed. And the people of Israel

cried out to the Lord, saying, we have sinned against you,

because we have forsaken our God and have served the Bales.

And the Lord said to the people of Israel.

Did I not save you from the Egyptians, and from

the Amorites, from the Ammonites, and from the Velaestines. The

Sidonians also, and the Analakites and the Meyonites oppressed you,

and you cried out to me, and I saved you

out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and

served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more.

Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen,

Let them save you in the time of your distress.

And the people of Israel said to the Lord.

We have sinned due to us whatever seemed good to you,

Only please deliver us this day.

So they put away the foreign gods from among them

and served the Lord. And he became impatient over the

misery of Israel. Then the Ammonites were called to arms,

and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel

came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. And the people

the leaders of Gilead said one to another.

Who is the man who will begin to fight against

the Ammonites. He shall be head over all the inhabitants of.

Gilead Judges eleven. Now, Jephtha, the Gileadite, was a mighty warrior,

but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was

the father of Jephtha, and Gilead's wife also bore him sons.

And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephtha

out and said to him.

You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house.

For you are the son of another woman. Then Jephtha

fled from his brothers and lived in the land of

tob and worthless fellows collected around Jephtha and went out

with him. After a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel.

And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders

of Gilead went to bring Jephtha from the land of

top and they said to Jephtha, come and be our leader,

that we may fight against the Ammonites. But Jephtha said

to the elders of Gilead, did you not hate me

and drive me out of my father's house.

Why have you come to me now when you are

in distress.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephtha.

That is why we have turned to you now, that

you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites

and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Jephtha said to the elders of Gilead.

If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites,

and the Lord gives them over to me, I will

be your head.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephtha.

The Lord will be witness between us if we do

not do as you say.

So Jeffa went with the elders of Gilead, and the

people made him head and leader over them, and Jephtha

spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah. Then

Jephtha sent messengers to the King of the Ammonites and said.

What do you have against me that you have come

to me to fight against my land?

And the King of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephtha.

Because Israel, on coming up from Egypt, took away my

land from the Arnon to the Jeddak and to the Jordan.

Now therefore restore it peaceably.

Jepha again sent messengers to the King of the Ammonites

and said to him.

Thus says Jephtha, Israel did not take away the land

of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. But when

they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wildlderness

to the Red Sea and came to Kidish. Israel then

sent messengers to the King of Edom, saying, please let

us pass through your land. But the King of Edom

would not listen. And they sent also to the King

of Moab, but he would not consent, so Israel remained

at Kaidish. Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went

around the land of Edom and the land of Moab,

and arrived on the east side of the land of

Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnan.

But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for

the Arnan was the boundary of Moab. Israel then sent

messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshban,

and Israel said to him, please let us pass through

your land to our country. But Sihan did not trust

Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihan gathered all

his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.

And the Lord, the God of Israel gave Sihan and

all his people into the hand of Israel, and they

defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land

of the Amorites who inhabited that country. And they took

possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the

Arnan to the Jabbek, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

So then the Lord, the God of Israel dispossessed the

Amorites from before his people Israel, and are you to

take possession of them. Will you not possess what Kimash

your God gives you to possess? And all that the Lord,

our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess.

Now.

Are you any better than Bailak, the son of zippor

king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel? Or

did he ever go to war with them? While Israel

lived in Heshbah and its villages, and in Aroa and

its villages, and in all the cities that are on

the banks of the Arnan three hundred years? Why did

you not deliver them within that time? I therefore have

not sinned against you, And you do me wrong by

making war on me. The Lord the Judge decide this

day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.

But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to

the words of Jepha that he sent to him. Then

the spirit of the Lord was upon Jephtha, and he

passed through Gilead and Nassa and passed on to Mispah

of Gilead. And from Mispah of Gilead he passed on

to the Ammonites. And Jepha made a vow to the

Lord and said.

If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then

whatever comes out from the doors of my house to

meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites

shall be the lords, and I will offer it up

for a burnt offering.

So Jephtha crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them,

and the Lord gave them into his hand, and he

struck them from a rower to the neighborhood of Minnet

twenty cities and as far as able Kiramim with a

great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people

of Israel. Then Jeffa came to his home at Mispah,

and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with

tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her,

he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as

he saw her, he tore his clothes and said.

Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and

you have become the cause of great trouble to me,

for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and

I cannot take back my vow.

And she said to him, my father, you have opened

your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to

what has gone out of your mouth, now that the

Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.

So she said to her father, let this.

Thing be done for me.

Leave me alone two months, that I may go up

and down on the mountains and weep from my virginity companions.

So he said, go. Then he sent her away for

two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and

wept for her virginity on the mountains. And at the

end of two months she returned to her father, who

did with her according to his vow that he had made.

She had never known a man, And it became a

custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went year

by year to lament the daughter of Jephtha the Gileadite.

Four days in the year Judges twelve, the men of

Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zephon

and said to Jephtha, why.

Did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and

did not call us to go with you.

We will burn your house over you with fire.

And Jephtha said to them.

I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites,

and when I called you, you did not save me

from their hand. And when I saw that you would

not save me, I took my life in my hand

and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave

them into my hand. Why then have you come up

to me this day to fight against me?

Then Jephtha gathered all the men of Gilead and fought

with Ephram. And the men of Gilead struck Ephram because

they said.

You are fugitives of Ephriam, you Gileadites. In the midst

of Ephriam and Manassah.

And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against

the Ephraemites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraam said,

let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him,

are you an Ephramite. When he said no, they said

to him, then, say Shibealeth, And he said sybilith, for

he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him

and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At

that time forty two thousand of the Ephriamites fell. Jeptha

judged Israel six years. Then Jephtha the Gileadite died and

was buried in his city in Gilead. After him, Ibsen

of Bethlehem judged Israel. He had thirty sons and thirty

daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty

daughters he brought in from outside for his sons, and

he judged Israel seven years. Then Ibsen died and was

buried at Bethlehem. After him, Elon the Zebulonkite judged Israel,

and he judged Israel ten years. Then Elon the Zebulnite

died and was buried at Agelon in the land of Zebulen.

After him, Abden, the son of Hillel the Pyrethanite judged Israel.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on

seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years. Then Abden,

the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried

at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the hill

country of the Amalekites, judges thirteen. And the people of

Israel again did what was evil in the sight of

the Lord. So the Lord gave them into the hand

of the Philistines for forty years. There was a certain

man of Zorah of the tribe of the Danites, whose

name was Manoah, and his wife was Baron and had

no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to

the woman and said to her.

Behold, you are barren and have not born children, But

you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore, be careful

and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.

For behold you shall conceive and bear a sun. No

razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall

be a Nazarite to God from the womb, and he

shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the pulstings.

Then the woman came and told her husband.

A man of God came to me, and his appearance

was like the appearance of the Angel.

Of God, very awesome.

I did not ask him where he was from, and

he did not tell me his name, but he said

to me, behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.

So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat

nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazarite to

God from the womb to the day of his death.

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, Oh Lord.

Please let the man of God whom you sent, come

again to us and teach us what we are to

do with the child who will be born.

And God live to the voice of Manoah. And the

Angel of God came again to the woman as she

sat in the field. But Manoah, her husband, was not

with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband.

Behold, the man who came to me the other day

has appeared to me.

And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came

to the man and said to.

Him, are you the man who spoke to this woman?

And he said, I am. And Manoah said.

Now, when your words come true, what is to be

the child's manner of life? And what is his mission?

And the Angel of.

The Lord said to Manoah, of all that I said

to the woman, let her be careful. She may not

eat of anything that comes from the vine. Neither let

her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing.

All that I commanded her, let her observe.

Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, please let

us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.

And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah.

If you detain me, I will not eat of your food.

But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it

to the Lord.

For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel

of the Lord. And Manoah said to the Angel of

the Lord, what is.

Your name, so that when your words come true, we

may honor you.

And the Angel of the Lord said to him, why

do you ask my name?

Seeing it is wonderful.

So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering

and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to

the one who works wonders. And Manoah and his wife

were watching. And when the flame went up toward Heaven

from the altar, the Angel of the Lord went up

in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his

wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to

the ground. The Angel of the Lord appeared no more

to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that

he was the Angel of the Lord. And Manoah said

to his wife.

We shall surely, for we have seen God.

But his wife said to him.

If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would

not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering

at our hands, or shown us all these things, or

now announced to us such things as these.

And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson.

And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him,

and the spirit of the Lord began to stir him.

In Mayhonadan between Zorah and Esteel Judges fourteen, Samson went

down to Timna, and at Timna he saw one of

the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and

told his father and mother.

I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timna.

Now get her for me as my wife.

But his father and mother said to him, is there

not a woman among the daughters of your relatives or

among all our.

People, that you must go to take a wife from

the uncircumcised Philistines.

But Samson said to his father.

Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.

His father and mother did not know that it was

from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against

the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines ruled over Israel.

Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timna,

and they came to the vineyards of Timna, and behold

a young lion came toward him roaring. Then the spirit

of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had

nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces,

as one tears a young goat. But he did not

tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Then he went down and talked with the woman, and

she was right in Samson's eyes. After some days he

returned to take her, and he turned aside to see

the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a

swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

He scraped it out into his hands and went on

eating as he went. And he came to his father

and mother and gave some to them, and they ate,

but he did not tell them that he had scraped

the honey from the carcass of the lion. His father

went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there,

for so the young men used to do. As soon

as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to

be with him, and Samson said to them.

Let me now put a riddle to you. If you

can tell me what it is within the seven days

of the feast and find it out, then I will

give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.

But if you cannot tell me what it is, then

you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes

of clothes.

And they said to him, put your riddle, that we

me hear it. And he said to them.

Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of

the strong came something sweet.

And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

On the fourth day they said to Samson's.

Wife, and ties to your husband, to tell us what

the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's

house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?

And Samson's wife wept over him and said.

You only hate me.

You do not love me.

You've put a riddle to my people.

And you have not told me what it is.

And he said to her, behold, I have not told

my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you.

She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted,

and on the seventh day he told her, because she

pressed him hard, then she told the riddle to her people.

And the men of the city said to him. On

the seventh day, before the sun went down. What is

sweeter than honey? What is stronger that a lie? And

and he said to.

Them, if you had not plowed with my heifer, you

would not have found out my riddle.

And the spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and

he went down to Ashcalon and struck down thirty men

of the town, and took their spoil, and gave the

garments to those who had told the riddle in hot anger.

He went back to his father's house, and Samson's wife

was given to his companion, who had been his best

man Judges fifteen. After some days, at the time of

wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a

young goat, and he said.

I will go into my wife in the chamber.

But her father would not allow him to go in.

And her father said, I really thought that you utterly

hated her. So I gave her to your companion.

Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she?

Please take her and stand.

And Samson said to them, this time I shall be

innocent in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.

So Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took torches,

and he turned them tail to tail, and put a

torch between each pair of tails. And when he had

set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go

into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire

to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well

as the olive orchards. Then the Philistines said, who has

done this?

And they said Samson, the son in law of the Tymnid,

because he has taken his wife and given her to

his companion.

And the Philistines came up and burned her and her

father with fire. And Samson said to them, if.

This is what you do, I swear I will be

avenged on you, and after that I will quit.

And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow.

And he went down and stayed in the cleft of

the rock of Eatom. Then the Philistines came up and

encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehigh. And

the men of Judah said, why have you come up

against us?

They said, we have come up to bind Sampson, to

do to him as he did to us.

Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the

cleft of the rock of Eatom and said to Samson,

do you not.

Know that the Philistines are rulers over us.

What then is this that you have done to a

And he said to them.

As they did to me, so have.

I done to them. And they said to him, we

have come down to bind you, that we may give

you into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said

to them.

Swear to me that you will not attack for yourselves.

They said to him, no, we.

Will only bind you and give you into their hands.

We will surely not kill you. So they bound him

with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

When he came to Lehigh, the Philistines came shouting to

meet him. Then the spirit of the Lord rushed upon him,

and the ropes that were on his arms became as

flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off

his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey,

and put out his hand and took it, and with

it he struck one thousand men. And Samson said, with a.

Jawbone of a donkey, hea on heaps, with a jawbone

of a donkey, have I struck down a thousand men?

As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away

the jawbone out of his hand, and that place was

called Ramuth Lehigh. And he was very thirsty, and he

called upon the Lord and said.

You have granted this great salvation by the hand of

your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and

fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.

And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehigh,

and water came out from it, and when he drank,

his spirit returned and he revived. Therefore the name of

it was called en Haackery. It is at Lehigh to

this day. And he judged Israel in the days of

the Philistines twenty years Judges sixteen. Samson went to Gaza,

and there he saw a prostitute, and he went into her.

The Gazites were told Samson has come here, and they

surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night.

At the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying.

Let us wait till the light of the morning, then

we will kill him.

But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose

and took hold of the doors of the gate of

the city and the two posts and pulled them up

bar and all and put them on his shoulders and

carried them to the top of the hill that is

in front of Hebron. After this he loved a woman

in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah Lah.

And the lords of the Philistines came up to her

and said to her.

Seduous him, and see way these great strength lies, and

by what means we may overpower him, that we may

bind him to humble him.

And we will each give you.

One thousand, one hundred pieces of silver.

So Delilah said to Samson.

Please tell me where your great strength lies and how

you might be bound that one could subdue you.

Samson said to her, if they bind me with seven

fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I should

become weak and be like any other man.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her

seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she

bound him with them. Now she had men lying in

ambush in an inner chamber, and she said to him.

The Philistines are upon you, Samsonson.

But he snapped the bow strings as a thread of

flax snaps when it touches the So the secret of

his strength was not known. Then Delilah said to Samson, behold.

You have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell

me how you might be bound.

And he said to her, if they bind me with

new ropes that have not been used, then I shall

become weak and be like any other man.

So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them,

and said to him.

The Philistines are upon you. Samson.

And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber.

But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

Then Delilah said to Samson, until now you have mocked

me and told me lies, tell me how you might

be bound.

And he said to her, if you weave the seven

locks of my head with the web and fasten it

tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and

be like any other man.

So, while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of

his head and wove them into the web, and she

made them tight with the pin and said to him.

The Philistines are upon you, Samson.

But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin,

the loom, and the web. And she said to him.

How can you say I love you when your heart

is not with me. You have mocked me these three times,

and you have not told me where your great strength lots.

And when she pressed him hard with her words day

after day and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.

And he told her all his heart, and said to her.

A razor has never come upon my head, for I

have been a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb.

If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me,

and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart,

she sent and called the lords of the Philistine saying,

come up again, for he has told me all his heart.

Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her

and brought the money in their hands. She made him

sleep on her knees, and she called a man and

had him shave off the seven locks of his head.

Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him, and.

She said, the Philistines are upon you, Samson.

And he awoke from his sleep and said.

I will go out as at other times and shake

myself free.

But he did not know that the lord had left him,

and the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes,

and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with

bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.

But the hair of his head began to grow again

after it had been shaved. Now the lords of the

Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice, to dig on

their God and to rejoice. And they said, our.

God has given Sathan, our enemy, into our han.

And when the people saw him, they praised their God,

for they said.

Our God has given our enemy into our hand, the

ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.

And when their hearts were merry, they said, call Samson,

that he may entertainer. So they called Samson out of

the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand

between the pillars, and Samson said to the young man

who held him by the hand.

Let me feel the pillars on which the house rifts,

that I may lead against them.

Now the house was full of men and women. All

the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the

roof there were about three thousand men and women who

looked on while Samson entertained. Then Samson called to the

lord and said.

Oh Lord God, please remember me, and please strengthen me.

Only this once, Oh God, that I might be avenged

of the Philictines, for.

My two eyes.

And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the

house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his

right hand on the one and his left hand on

the other. And Samson said.

Let me die with the Philistines.

Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house

fell upon the lords and upon all the people who

were in it. So the dead whom he killed at

his death were more than those whom he had killed

during his life. Then his brothers and all his family

came down and took him and brought him up and

buried him between Zorah and Eshte in the tomb of Manoah,

his father. He had judged Israel twenty years Judges seventeen.

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim,

whose name was my God. And he said to his mother.

The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you,

about which you uttered a curse and also spoken in

my ears, behold the silver is with me.

I took it, and his mother.

Said, blessed be my son by the Lord.

And he restored the one thousand, one hundred pieces of

silver to his mother.

And his mother said, I dedicate the silver to the

Lord from my hand for my son to make a

carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will

restore it to you.

So when he restored the money to his mother, his

mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave it

to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image

and a metal image. And it was in the house

of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine, and

he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one

of his sons, who became his priest. In those days,

there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was

right in his own eyes. Now there was a young

man of Bethlehem and Judah, of the family of Judah,

who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. And the

man departed from the town of Bethlehem and Judah to

sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed,

he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the

house of Micah. And Micah said to him, where do

you come from? And he said to him.

I am a Levite of Bethlehem and Judah, and I

am going to sojourn where I may find a place.

And Micah said to him, stay.

With me and be to me a father and a priest,

and I will give you ten pieces of silvery year

and a suit of clothes, and you're living.

And the Levite went in, and the Levite was content

to dwell with the man, and the young man became

to him like one of his sons. And Micah ordained

the Levite, and the young man became his priest and

was in the house of Micah.

Then Micah said, now I know that the Lord will

prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.

Judges eighteen. In those days there was no king in Israel.

And in those days the tribe of the people of

Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in

or until then, no inheritance among the tribes of Israel

had fallen to them. So the people of Dan sent

five able men from the whole number of their tribe

from Zora and from Estale to spy out the land

and to explore it. And they said to them, go

and explore the land and they came to the hill

country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized

the voice of the young Levite, and they turned aside

and said to him, who brought you here?

What are you doing in this place?

What is your business here? And he said to them,

this is how Micah dealt with me. He has hired me,

and I have become his priest.

And they said to him, inquire of God, please, that

we may know whether the journey on which we are

setting out will succeed.

And the priest said to them, go in peace. The

journey on which you go is under the eye of

the Lord. Then the five men departed and came to Layish,

and saw the people who were there. How they lived

in security after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting,

lacking nothing that is in the earth, and possessing wealth.

And how they were far from the Sidonians and had

no dealings with anyone. And when they came to their

brothers at Zorah and Eshtael, their brothers said to them,

what do you report?

They said, arise and let us go up against them,

for we have seen the land, and behold, it is

very good, and will you do nothing. Do not be

slow to go to enter in and possess the land.

As soon as you go you will come to an

unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given

it into your hands, a place where there is no

lack of anything that is in the earth.

So six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed

with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtael,

and went up and encamped at Kyriath Jiym in Judah.

On this account, that place is called Mahonadan to this day. Behold,

it is west of Kiriath Jim. And they passed on

from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came

to the house of Micah. Then the five men who

had gone to scout out the country of Leyish said

to their brothers, do.

You know that in these houses there are an ephod

household gods, a carved image and a metal image.

Now, therefore consider what you will do.

And they turned aside there and came to the house

of the young Levite at the home of Micah, and

asked him about his welfare. Now, the six hundred men

of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood

by the entrance of the gate, and the five men

who had gone to scout out the land went up

and entered and took the carved image, the Ephod, the

household gods, and the metal image, while the priests stood

by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred

men armed with weapons of war. And when these went

into Micah's house and took the carved image, the Ephod,

the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said

to them, what are you doing?

And they said to him, keep quiet, put your hand

on your mouth, and come with us, and be to

us a father and a priest. Is it better for

you to be priest to the house of one man

or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?

And the priest's heart was glad. He took the Ephod

and the household gods and the carved image, and went

along with the people. So they turned and departed, putting

the little ones and the livestock and the goods in

front of them. When they had gone a distance from

the home of Micah, the men who were in the

houses near Micah's house were called out and they overtook

the people of Dan, and they shouted to the people

of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah.

What is the matter with you that you come with

such a company.

And he said, you take my gods that I made

and the priest and go away.

And what have I left?

How then do you ask me what is the matter

with you? And the people of Dan said to him.

Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest

angry fellows fall upon you and you lose your life

with the lives of your household.

Then the people of Dan went their way, and when

Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he

turned and went back to his home. But the people

of Dan took what Micah had made and the priest

who belonged to him, and they came to Layish to

a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the

edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon,

and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in

the valley that belongs to beth Rehab. Then they rebuilt

the city and lived in it, and they named the

city Dan, after the name of Dan, their ancestor who

was born to Israel. But the name of the city

was Layish at the first and the people of dan

set up the carved image for themselves. And Jonathan, the

son of Gersham, son of Moses, and his sons were

priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day

of the captivity of the land. So they set up

Micah's carved image that he made as long as the

House of God was at Shiloh Judges nineteen. In those

days when there was no king in Israel, a certain

Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill

country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from

Bethlehem and Judah. And his concubine was unfaithful to him,

and she went away from him to her father's house

at Bethlehem and Judah, and was there some four months.

Then her husband arose and went after her to speak

kindly to her and bring her back. He had with

him his servant and a couple of donkeys, and she

brought him into her father's house. And when the girl's

father saw him, he came with joy to meet him

and his father in law. The girl's father made him stay,

and he remained with him three days. So they ate

and drank and spent the night there. And on the

fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he

prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his

son in.

Law, strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and

after that you may go.

So the two of them sat and ate and drank together,

and the girl's father said to the man, be pleased.

To spend the night, and let your heart be marry.

And when the man rose up to go, his father

in law pressed him till he spent the night there again.

And on the fifth day he arose early in the

morning to depart, and the girl's father said.

Strength in your heart, and wait till the day declined.

So they ate both of them, And when the man

and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart,

his father in law the girl's father said to.

Him, behold, now the day has weighing toward evening. Please

spend the night. Behold the day draws to his clothes,

latch here and let your heart be married. And tomorrow

you shall rise early.

In the morning for your journey and and go home.

But the man would not spend the night. He rose

up and departed and arrived opposite Jeebis, that is Jerusalem.

He had with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and

his concubine was with him. When they were near Jebis,

the day was nearly over, and the servant said to

his master, come now, let us turn aside to this

city of the Jebi sites and spend the night in it.

And his master said to him.

We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners

who did not belong to the people of Israel. But

we will pass on to Gibea Ya.

And he said to his young man.

Come and let us draw near to one of these places,

and spend the night at Gibea or at Raima.

So they passed on and went their way, and the

sun went down on them near Gibea, which belongs to Benjamin,

and they turned aside there to go in and spend

the night at Gibeay. And he went in and sat

down in the open square of the city, for no

one took them into his house to spend the night.

And behold, an old man was coming from his work

in the field at evening. The man was from the

hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibea.

The men of the place were Benjamin knights. And he

lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the

open square of the city. And the old man said.

Where are you going and where do you come from?

And he said to him, we are passing from Bethlehem

and Judah to the remote parts of the hill country

of Ephraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem

and Judah, and I am going to the house of

the Lord. But no one has taken me into his house.

We have straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread

and wine for me and your female servant, and the

young man with your servants.

There is no lack of anything. And the old man said.

Peace be to you.

I will care for all your wants. Only do not

spend the night in the square.

So he brought him into his house and gave the

donkeys feed, and they washed their feet and ate and

drank as they were making their hearts merry. Behold, the

men of the city, worthless fellows surrounded the house, beating

on the door, and they said to the old man,

the master of the house, bring out.

The man who came into your house, that we may

know him.

And the man, the master of the house, went out

to them and said to them.

No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Since this

man has come into my house, do not do this

vile thing. Behold, here are my virgin daughter and this concubine.

Let me bring them out. Now violate them and do

with them what seems good to you. But against this man,

do not do this outrageous thing.

But the men would not listen to him. So the

man seized his concubine and made her go out to them,

and they knew her and abused her all night until

the morning, and as the dawn began to break, they

let her go. And as morning appeared, the woman came

and fell down at the door of the man's house

where her master was, until it was light. And her

master rose up in the morning. And when he opened

the doors of the house and went out to go

on his way, behold there was his concubine lying at

the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.

He said to her, get up, let us be going,

but there was no answer. Then he put her on

the donkey, and the man rose up and went away

to his home. And when he entered his house, he

took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine, he

divided her limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent

her throughout all the territory of Israel. And all who

saw it said.

Such a thing has never happened or been seen from

the day that the people of Israel came up out

of the land.

Of Egypt until this day.

Consider it, Take counsel and speak.

Judges. Twenty Then all the people of Israel came out

from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and

the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah,

and the chiefs of all the people of all the

tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the

People of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that

drew the sword. Now the people of Benjamin heard that

the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And

the people of Israel said, tell us, how did this

evil happen? And the Levite, the husband of the woman

who was murdered, answered and said, I came to gibbea

that belongs to Benjamin I and my concubine to spend

the night, and.

The leaders of Gibbea rose against me and surrounded the

house against me.

By night.

They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine.

And she is dead.

So I took hold of.

My concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her

throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel. For

they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. Behold, you

people of Israel, all of you give your advice and

counsel here.

And all the people arose as one man, saying.

None of us will go to his tent, and none

of us will return to his house.

But now this is what we will do to Gibbia.

We will go up against it by lot, and we

will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the

tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand and

a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people,

that when they come, they may repay Gibea of Benjamin

for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.

So all the men of Israel gathered against the city,

united as one man, and the tribes of Israel sent

men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, what evil

is this.

That has taken place among you? Now, therefore give up

the men the worthless fellows in Gibea, that we may

put them to death and purge evil from Israel.

But the Benjamin knights would not listen to the voice

of their brothers, the people of Israel. Then the people

of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibea

to go out to battle against the people of Israel.

And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities

on that day twenty six thousand men who drew the sword,

besides the inhabit sins of Gibea, who mustered seven hundred

chosen men. Among all these were seven hundred chosen men

who were left handed, everyone could sling a stone at

a hair and not miss. And the men of Israel,

apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men who drew

the sword. All these were men of war. The people

of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired

of God.

Who shall go up first for us to fight against

the people of Benjamin.

And the Lord said, Judas shall go up first.

Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and

encamped against Gibea. And the men of Israel went out

to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew

up the battle line against them at Gibea. The people

of Benjamin came out of Gibea and destroyed on that

day twenty two thousand men of the Israelites. But the

people the men of Israel took courage and again formed

the battle line in the same place where they had

formed it on the first day. And the people of

Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening,

and they inquired of the Lord, shall.

We again draw nearer to fight against our brothers, the

people of Benjamin, And the Lord said.

Go up against them.

So the people of Israel came near against the people

of Benjamin the second day, and Benjamin went against them

out of Gibea the second day and destroyed eighteen thousand

men of the people of Israel. All these were men

who drew the sword. Then all the people of Israel,

the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept.

They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day

until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before

the Lord, and the people of Israel inquired of the

Lord for the ark of the Covenant of God was

there in those days. And Phineas, the son of Eliezer,

son of Erin, ministered before it in those days.

Saying, shall we go out once more to battle against

our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?

And the Lord said, go up, for tomorrow I will

give them into your hand.

So Israel sent men in ambush around Gibbea. And the

people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin

on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibea,

as at other times, and the people of Benjamin went

out against the people and were drawn away from the city,

And as at other times, they began to strike and

kill some of the people in the highways, one of

which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah,

and in the open country about thirty men of Israel,

and the people of Benjamin said, they.

Are routed before us, as at the first.

But the people of Israel said, let us flee and

draw them away from the city to the highways. And

all the men of Israel rose up out of their

place and set themselves in array at Bayl Tamar. And

the men of Israel who were in Ambush rushed out

of their place from Mayor Giba, and there came against

Gibea ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel. And

the battle was hard. But the Benjamin knights did not

know that disaster was close upon them, and the Lord

defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed

twenty five thousand, one hundred men of Benjamin that day.

All these were men who drew the sword. So the

people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men

of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they trusted the

men in Ambush, whom they had set against Gibea. Then

the men in Ambush hurried and rushed against Gibea. The

men in Ambush moved out and struck all the city

with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed signal

between the men of Israel and the men in the

main ambush was that when they made a great cloud

of smoke rise up out of the city, the men

of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun

to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, they said,

surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.

But when the signal began to rise out of the

city in a column of smoke, the Benjamin Kights looked

behind them, and behold, the all of the city went

up and smoked to heaven. Then the men of Israel turned,

and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw

that disaster was close upon them. Therefore they turned their

backs before the men of Israel in the direction of

the wilderness. But the battle overtook them, and those who

came out of the cities were destroying them in their

midst Surrounding the Benjamin Knights. They pursued them and trod

them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on

the east. Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of

them men of valor, and they turned and fled toward

the wilderness, to the rock of Wrimen. Five thousand men

of them were cut down in the highways, and they

were pursued hard to guide them, and two thousand men

of them were struck down. So all who fell that

day of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who drew

the sword, all of them men of Valor. But six

hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the

Rock of Wrimen, and remained at the Rock of Women

four months. And the men of Israel turned back against

the people of bens Benjamin and struck them with the

edge of the sword. The city men and beasts, and

all that they found, and all the towns that they

found they set on fire Judges twenty one. Now the

men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah.

No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage

to Benjamin.

And the people came to Bethel and sat there till

evening before God. And they lifted up their voices and

wept bitterly, and they said.

Oh, Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened

in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking

in Israel.

And the next day the people rose early and built

there an altar, and offered burnt off and peace offerings.

And the people of Israel said, rich of all the

tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly

to the Lord, for they had taken a great oath

concerning him. Who did not come up to the Lord

to Mizpah, saying he shall surely be put to death.

And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother,

and said.

One tribe is cut off from Israel this day, what

shall we do for wives for those who are left,

since we have sworn by the Lord that we will

not give them any of our daughters for wives.

And they said, what one is there of the tribes

of Israel that did not come up to the Lord

to Mizpah. And behold, no one had come to the

camp from jabish Gilead to the assembly. For when the

people were musters, behold, not one of the inhabitants of

Jabish Gilead was there. So the congregation sent twelve thousand

of their bravest men there and commanded them go and

strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Giliad with the end of

the sword.

Also the women and the little ones.

This is what you shall do, every male and every

woman that has lain with a male, you shall devote

to destruction. And they found among the inhabitants of Javish

Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a

man by lying with him. And they brought them to

the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin,

who were at the rock of women, and proclaimed peace

to them. And Benjamin returned at that time, and they

gave them the women whom they had saved, a live

of the women of Jabish Gilead. But they were not

enough for them. And the people had compassion on Benjamin

because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes

of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, what

shall we do.

For wives for those who are left, since the women

are destroyed out of Benjamin.

And they said, there must.

Be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a

tribe not be blotted out from Israel. Yet we cannot

give them wives from our daughters, for.

The people of Israel had sworn curse be he who

gives a wife to Benjamin.

So they said, behold, there is the yearly feast of

the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on

the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel

to Shechem, and south of Labona.

And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying.

Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards, and watch

if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance and dances.

Then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man

his wife.

From the daughters of Shiloh.

And go to the land of Benjamin.

And when their.

Fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we

will say to them, grant them graciously to us, because

we did not take for each man of them his

wife in battle. Neither did you give them to them,

else you would now be guilty.

And the people of Benjamin did so, and took their wives,

according to their number, from the dancers, whom they carried off.

Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt

the towns and lived in them. And the people of

Israel departed from there at that time, every man to

his tribe and family. And they went out from there,

every man to his inheritance. In those days, there was

no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in

his own eyes.