Judges

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Verses

1:2	The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have givenhanded the land intoover histo handhim.”
1:3	Then Judah said to Simeon his brother Simeon, “ComeGo up with me into the territory allotted me, thatand welet’s may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him.
1:4	Judah went up, and the Lord gavehanded over to them the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
1:6	But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
1:7	And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
1:8	Then the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
1:9	Afterward, the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, and in the Negev, and in the lowland.
1:10	So Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron formerly was previously Kiriath-arba); and they struck Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
1:11	Then from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (now the name of Debir formerly was previously Kiriath-sepher).
1:12	And Caleb said, “TheWhoever one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will even give him my daughter Achsah foras a wife.”
1:13	Now Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah foras a wife.
1:14	Then it camehappened aboutthat when she came to him, that she persuadedincited him to ask her father for a field. Then later, she alighteddismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”
1:15	She said to him, “Give me a blessing,: since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water also.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
1:16	TheNow the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.
1:17	Then Judah went with Simeon his brother Simeon, and they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.
1:18	And Judah took Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.
1:19	Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had iron chariots.
1:23	The house of Joseph spiedhad men spy out Bethel (now the name of the city previously was formerly Luz).
1:24	TheAnd the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will treat you kindly.”
1:26	TheThen the man went intoto the land of the Hittites and built a city, and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.
1:27	But Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; so the Canaanites persisted in living in thatthis land.
1:28	ItAnd it came about, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor,; but they did not drive them out completely.
1:29	And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
1:31	Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob.
1:35	yet the Amorites persisted in living inon Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor.
2:2	and as for you, you shall not make noa covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done?
2:3	Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out beforefrom you; but they will become aslike thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’ ”
2:4	WhenNow when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people liftedraised up their voices and wept.
2:6	When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went, each one to his inheritance, to possesstake possession of the land.
2:8	Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten110.
2:10	All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation rose up after them who did not know the Lord, nor yeteven the work which He had done for Israel.
2:12	and they forsookabandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thusso they provoked the Lord to anger.
2:13	SoThey theyabandoned forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
2:14	TheThen the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gavehanded them intoover theto handsplunderers, ofand plunderersthey who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand beforeagainst their enemies.
2:15	Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and just as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.
2:16	Then the Lord raised up judges who deliveredsaved them from the hands of those who plundered them.
2:17	Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they playedcommitted theinfidelity harlotwith after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do the same as their fathers.
2:18	WhenAnd when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and deliveredsaved 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 oppressedtormented and afflictedoppressed them.
2:19	But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubbornobstinate ways.
2:20	So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressedviolated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice,
2:21	I alsoin turn will no longer drive out beforefrom them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,
2:23	So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not givehand them intoover theto hand of Joshua.
3:1	Now these are the nations whichthat the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan;
3:2	only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerlypreviously).
3:3	These nations are: the five lordsgovernors of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived inon Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
3:4	They were forleft testingto test Israel by them, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.
3:7	TheSo the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
3:8	Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the handshand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
3:9	WhenBut the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliverset them free, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
3:10	TheAnd the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gavehanded over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
3:11	Then the land hadwas at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
3:13	And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessedtook possession of the city of the palm trees.
3:14	TheAnd the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.
3:15	But when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the BenjamiteBenjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
3:16	Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he boundstrapped it on his right thigh under his cloak.
3:17	HeThen he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
3:18	ItAnd it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that heEhud sent away the people who had carried the tribute.
3:19	But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And hethe king said, “KeepSilence!” silence.” And all who attendedwere attending him left him.
3:20	Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arosegot up from his seat.
3:21	Then Ehud stretchedreached out with his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
3:22	The handlehilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, forbecause he did not drawpull the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out.
3:23	Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.
3:24	When he had gone outleft, histhe king’s servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “HeUndoubtedly he is only relieving himself in the cool room.”
3:25	TheySo they waited until theyit becamewould anxioushave been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. ThereforeSo they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead.
3:26	Now Ehud escaped while they were delayinghesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
3:27	ItAnd came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was inleading front of them.
3:28	HeThen he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has givenhanded your enemies the Moabites intoover yourto handsyou.” So they went down after him and seizedtook control of the fordscrossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.
3:29	They struck downand atkilled that time about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.
3:30	So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbedat rest for eighty years.
3:31	AfterNow after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck downand killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.
4:2	AndSo the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.
4:3	The sons of Israel cried out to the Lord; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.
4:5	She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel camewent up to her for judgment.
4:6	Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold,The the Lord, the God of Israel, has indeed commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun.
4:7	I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will givehand him intoover yourto handyou.’ ”
4:9	She said, “I will surelycertainly go with you; neverthelesshowever, the honorfame shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the handshand of a woman.” Then Deborah arosegot up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
4:10	Barak calledsummoned Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.
4:13	Sisera calledsummoned together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.
4:14	Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day inon which the Lord has givenhanded Sisera intoover yourto handsyou; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
4:15	TheAnd the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alightedgot down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
4:17	Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, forbecause there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
4:18	And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” AndSo he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
4:19	HeAnd he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a leather bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.
4:20	HeAnd he said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’ ”
4:21	But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.
4:22	And behold, aswhile Barak pursuedwas pursuing Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” AndSo he entered with her, and behold, Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
4:23	So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan on that day before the sons of Israel.
4:24	TheAnd the hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavierharder and heavierharder upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyedeliminated Jabin the king of Canaan.
5:2	“ThatFor the leaders ledleading in Israel, ThatFor the people volunteeredvolunteering, Bless the Lord!
5:3	Hear, Oyou kings; give earlisten, Oyou rulersdignitaries! I myself—to the Lord, I myself will sing, I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.!
5:4	Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, EvenThe the clouds also dripped water.
5:5	The mountains quakedflowed with water at the presence of the Lord, This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
5:6	“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highwaysroads were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways.
5:7	The peasantry ceasedcame to an end, they ceasedcame to an end in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
5:10	You who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, And you who travel on the road—singshout in praise!
5:11	At the sound of those who dividedistribute flockswater among the watering places, There they shallwill recount the righteous deeds of the Lord, The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.
5:12	“Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and takelead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
5:15	And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his heels; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolvesdeterminations of heart.
5:17	Gilead remained across the Jordan; And why did Dan stay inon ships? Asher sat at the seashore, And remained by its landings.
5:18	Zebulun was a people who despisedrisked their lives even to death, And Naphtali alsotoo, on the high places of the field.
5:19	“The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan fought At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo; They took no plunder in silver.
5:20	The stars fought from heaven, From their coursespaths they fought against Sisera.
5:21	The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. OMy my soul, march on with strength.!
5:22	Then the horses’ hoofs beat From the dashinggalloping, the dashinggalloping of his valiantmighty steedsstallions.
5:23	‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord, ‘Utterly curse its inhabitants;, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the warriors.’
5:25	He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
5:28	“Out of the window she looked and lamentedwailed, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, ‘Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarrydelay?’
5:30	‘Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoilspoils? A maidenconcubine, two maidensconcubines for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed workcloth, A spoil of dyed workcloth embroidered, Dyed workcloth of double embroidery on the neck of the spoilerplunderer?’
5:31	ThusMay let all Your enemies perish in this way, O Lord; But letmay those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.” And the land was undisturbedat rest for forty years.
6:1	Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gavehanded them intoover theto handsMidian offor Midian seven years.
6:3	For itwhenever was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sonspeople of the east and gomarch against them.
6:4	So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, asnor wella as no sheep, ox, or donkey.
6:5	For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts forin number, and both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastateruin it.
6:6	So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.
6:7	Now it came about, when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of Midian,
6:8	that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “ThusThis saysis what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out fromof the house of slavery.
6:9	And I deliveredrescued you from the hands of the Egyptians, and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessedI drove them beforeout from you and gave you their land,
6:10	and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live..” But you have not obeyed Me.”.’ ’ ”
6:11	Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.
6:12	TheAnd the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”
6:13	Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and givenhanded us intoover theto hand of Midian.”
6:14	TheAnd the Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength of yours and deliversave Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
6:15	HeBut he said to Him, “O Lord, how shallam I deliverto save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
6:16	ButYet the Lord said to him, “Surely I will certainly be with you, and you shallwill defeat Midian as one man.”
6:17	So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then showperform for me a sign that it is You whospeaking speak with me.
6:18	Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”
6:20	TheAnd the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so.
6:21	Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprangcame up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
6:22	When Gideon sawperceived that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “AlasOh, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”!”
6:23	TheBut the Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fearbe afraid; you shall not die.”
6:25	Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pulltear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;
6:26	and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly mannerway, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”
6:27	Then Gideon took ten men offrom his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.
6:28	When the menpeople of the city arosegot up early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal washad been torn down, and the Asherah which washad been beside it washad been cut down, and the second bull washad been offered on the altar which had been built.
6:29	TheySo they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.”
6:31	But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliversave him? Whoever will pleadcontend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, becausesince someone has torn down his altar.”!”
6:32	Therefore on that day he named himGideon Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.
6:33	Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the sonspeople of the east assembled themselvestogether; and they crossed over and camped in the valleyValley of Jezreel.
6:34	So the Spirit of the Lord camecovered uponGideon Gideonlike clothing; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
6:35	HeAnd he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
6:36	Then Gideon said to God, “If You willare delivergoing to save Israel through me, as You have spoken,
6:37	behold, I willam putputting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliversave Israel through me, as You have spoken.”
6:38	And it was so. When he arosegot up early the next morning and squeezedwrung out the fleece, he drainedwrung the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
6:39	Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me, so that I may speak onceonly one more time; please let me makeput aYou to the test onceonly one more time with the fleece,: let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.”
6:40	And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
7:1	Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rosegot up early, and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
7:2	TheAnd the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to givehand Midian intoover theirto handsthem, forotherwise Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has deliveredsaved me.’
7:3	Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and tremblingworried, letis himto return and departleave from Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000twenty-two thousand from the people returned, but 10,000ten thousand remained.
7:4	Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. ThereforeSo it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
7:5	So he brought the people down to the water. AndThen the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separateput everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, asin wellone asgroup, and everyone who kneels down to drink in another.”
7:6	Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300three hundred men; but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water.
7:7	TheAnd the Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliversave you with the 300three hundred men who lapped, and will givehand the Midianites intoover yourto handsyou; so lethave all the other people go, each man to his home.”
7:8	So the 300three hundred men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets intoin their hands. And Gideon sentdismissed all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
7:9	Now on the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have givenhanded it intoover yourto handsyou.
7:11	andso that you will hear what they say; and afterward youryou hands will behave strengthenedthe thatcourage youto may go down against the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp.
7:12	Now the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the sonspeople of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
7:13	When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flatcollapsed.”
7:14	HisAnd his friend replied, “This is nothing lessother than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has givenhanded over to him Midian and all the camp into his hand.”
7:15	When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. HeThen he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has givenhanded over to you the camp of Midian!” into your hands.”
7:16	HeAnd he divided the 300three hundred men into three companiesunits, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.
7:17	HeThen he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.
7:18	When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the entire camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’!’ ”
7:19	So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle night watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.
7:20	When the three companiesunits blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and criedshouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
7:21	EachAnd each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.
7:22	WhenAnd when they blew 300the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the wholeentire army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
7:23	TheAnd the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali, and Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
7:24	Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take control of the waters beforeahead of them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.
7:25	TheyAnd they captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.
8:1	Then the men of Ephraim said to himGideon, “What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling upon us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contendedquarreled with him vigorouslyvehemently.
8:2	But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim not better than the vintage of Abiezer?
8:3	God has givenhanded over to you the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
8:4	Then Gideon and the 300three hundred men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, wearyexhausted yet still pursuing.
8:5	HeAnd he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are wearyexhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
8:6	TheBut the leaders of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your handshand, that we should give bread to your army?”
8:7	So Gideon said, “AllFor rightthis answer, when the Lord has givenhanded over to me Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”
8:8	HeThen he went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered.
8:9	So he spokesaid also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”
8:10	Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire army of the sonspeople of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.
8:11	Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents onto the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting.
8:12	When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the wholeentire army.
8:14	And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princesleaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.
8:15	HeAnd he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerningabout whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’ ”
8:16	HeThen he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.
8:17	HeAnd he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
8:18	Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “WhatWhere kindwere ofthe men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” AndBut they said, “TheyYou and they were like youalike, each one resembling the son of a king.”
8:19	HeAnd he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
8:21	Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and fallattack on us; for as the man, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornamentsamulets which were on their camels’ necks.
8:22	Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son as well, for you have deliveredsaved us from the hand of Midian.”!”
8:24	Yet Gideon said to them, “I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoilplunder.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
8:25	TheyAnd they said, “We will surelycertainly give them to you.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threwtossed an earring there from his spoilplunder.
8:26	The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besidesapart from the crescent ornamentsamulets, and the ear pendants, and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besidesapart from the neck bandschains that were on their camels’ necks.
8:27	Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah,; andbut all Israel playedcommitted theinfidelity harlot with it there, soand that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
8:31	HisAnd his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
8:32	And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripegood old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33	Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again playedcommitted theinfidelity harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god.
8:34	ThusSo the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had deliveredsaved them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
8:35	nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accordaccordance with all the good that he had done tofor Israel.
9:1	AndNow Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the wholeentire clanfamily of the household of his mother’s father, saying,
9:2	“Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you,: thatfor seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, to rule over you, or thatfor one man to rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh.”
9:3	AndSo his mother’s relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our relative.”
9:4	TheyAnd they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellowsmen, and they followed him.
9:5	Then he went to his father’s house atin Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, forbecause he hid himself.
9:6	All the menleaders of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillarmemorial stone which was in Shechem.
9:7	Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and liftedraised his voice and called out. ThusAnd he said to them, “Listen to me, Oyou menleaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
9:8	Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’
9:9	But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leavegive up my fatness with which God and menmankind are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’
9:10	Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You, come, reign over us!’
9:11	But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leavegive up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’
9:12	Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You, come, reign over us!’
9:13	But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leavegive up my new wine, which cheers God and menmankind, and go to wave over the trees?’
9:14	FinallyThen all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You, come, reign over us!’
9:15	TheAnd the bramble said to the trees, ‘If inyou truthreally you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out fromof the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
9:16	“Now thereforethen, if you have dealtacted inwith truthhonesty and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—
9:17	for my father fought for you, and risked his life and deliveredsaved you from the hand of Midian;
9:18	but in fact you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservantfemale slave, king over the menleaders of Shechem, because he is your relative—
9:19	so if then you have dealtacted inwith truthhonesty and integrity withtoward Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoicebe injoyful about Abimelech, and letmay himhe also rejoicebe injoyful about you.
9:20	But if not, letmay fire come out fromof Abimelech and consume the menleaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and letmay fire come out fromof the menleaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.”
9:21	Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and remainedhe stayed there because of Abimelech his brother Abimelech.
9:22	Now Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
9:23	Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the menleaders of Shechem; and the menleaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
9:24	so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal mightwould come, and the responsibility for their blood mightwould be laidplaced on Abimelech their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the menleaders of Shechem, who strengthenedencouraged hishim hands to kill his brothers.
9:25	The menleaders of Shechem set up men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed alleveryone who mightwould pass by them alongon the road; and it was toldreported to Abimelech.
9:26	Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the menleaders of Shechem puttrusted their trust in him.
9:27	TheySo they went out intoto the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trodtrampled them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.
9:28	Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his lieutenantgovernor? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?
9:29	Would,If therefore,only that this people were under my authority! Then I would removedo away with Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “IncreaseEnlarge your army and come out.”!”
9:30	When Zebul the rulerleader of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.
9:31	HeSo using deception, he successfully sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are stirring up the city against you.
9:32	NowSo thereforenow, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
9:33	InThen in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rushattack upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can.”
9:34	So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arosegot byup at night, and lay in wait against Shechem, in four companiesunits.
9:35	Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood inat the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush.
9:36	When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were menpeople.”
9:37	And Gaal spoke yet again and said, “BeholdLook, people are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one companyunit comesis coming by the way of the diviners’ oak.”
9:38	Then Zebul said to him, “Where then is your boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despisedrejected? Go out now and fight with them!”
9:39	So Gaal went out beforein the sight of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.
9:40	But Abimelech chased him, and he fled beforefrom him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate.
9:41	Then Abimelech remainedstayed atin Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remainstay in Shechem.
9:42	Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was toldreported to Abimelech.
9:43	So he took his people and divided them into three companiesunits, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and saw the people coming out from the city, he aroseattacked against them and slewkilled them.
9:44	Then Abimelech and the company who was with him dashedrushed forward and stood inat the entrance of the city gate; the other two companies then dashedattacked against all who were in the field and slewkilled them.
9:45	Abimelech fought against the city all that whole day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razedtore down the city and sowed it with salt.
9:46	When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard ofabout it, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
9:47	ItAnd it was toldreported to Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
9:48	So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laidput it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you havesaw seen me do, hurry and do likewise.”
9:49	AllSo all the people also cut down, each one, his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them on top of the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the menpeople of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
9:52	So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire.
9:53	But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
9:54	Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman slewkilled him.’ ” So the young man pierced him through, and he died.
9:55	WhenNow when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departedleft tofor his home.
9:56	ThusSo God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers.
9:57	Also God also returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.
10:1	Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, aroserose up to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
10:2	He judged Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
10:3	After him, Jair the Gileadite aroserose up and judged Israel for twenty-two years.
10:4	HeAnd he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair to this day.
10:6	Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thusso they forsookabandoned the Lord and did not serve Him.
10:7	TheAnd the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.
10:8	TheyAnd they afflicted and crushedoppressed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they afflictedoppressed all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan, in Gilead in the land of the Amorites.
10:9	TheAnd the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatlyin distressedgreat difficulty.
10:10	Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsakenabandoned our God and served the Baals.”
10:11	TheAnd the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliversave you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?
10:12	AlsoAnd when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I deliveredsaved you from their hands.
10:13	Yet you haveabandoned forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliversave you.
10:14	Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliversave you in the time of your distress.”
10:15	TheThen the sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliversave us this day.”
10:16	So they putremoved away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bearno longer endure the misery of Israel no longer.
10:17	Then the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together and camped in Mizpah.
10:18	TheAnd the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
11:1	Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a harlotprostitute. And Gilead washad thefathered father of Jephthah.
11:3	So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellowsmen gathered themselvesaround about Jephthah, and they went outwherever withhe himdid.
11:4	ItNow it came about, after a while, that the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.
11:6	and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chiefleader, that we may fight against the sons of Ammon.”
11:7	ThenBut Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”
11:8	The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon, and become our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
11:9	So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you takebring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the Lord gives them up to me, will I become your head?”
11:10	TheAnd the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is witness between us; surelybe assured we will do as you have said.”
11:11	Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chiefleader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.
11:12	NowSo Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What isconflict betweendo you and meI have, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
11:13	TheAnd the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “BecauseIt is because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan; therefore,so return them peaceably now.”
11:14	But Jephthah sent messengers once again to the king of the sons of Ammon,
11:15	and they said to him, “ThusThis saysis what Jephthah, says: ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon.
11:16	For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,
11:17	then Israel 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 also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.
11:19	And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon,; and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land to our place.”
11:20	But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
11:21	TheAnd the Lord, the God of Israel, gavehanded Sihon and all his people intoover theto hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel possessedtook possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
11:23	SinceAnd now the Lord, the God of Israel, drovehas driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel,; areso should you then to possess it?
11:24	Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the Lord our God has drivendispossessed out before us, we will possess it.
11:25	Now then, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strivecontend with Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
11:26	While Israel livedwas living in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?
11:27	So I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me;. mayMay the Lord, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.’ ”
11:29	Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, soand that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.
11:30	And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed givehand over to me the sons of Ammon into my hand,
11:31	then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return insafely peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
11:32	So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord gavehanded them intoover histo handhim.
11:33	He struckinflicted them with a very great slaughterdefeat on them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
11:34	WhenBut Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. NowAnd she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter.
11:35	WhenSo when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “AlasOh, my daughter! You have brought me very lowdisaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”
11:36	So she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord; do to me just as you have said, since the Lord has avengedbrought you ofvengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.”
11:37	SheAnd she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; letallow me alone two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companionsfriends.”
11:38	Then he said, “Go.” So he sentlet her awaygo for two months; and she left with her companionsfriends, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity.
11:39	AtAnd at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her accordingwhat to the vow which he had madevowed; and she had no relations with a man. ThusAnd it became a custom in Israel,
11:40	that the daughters of Israel went yearlyannually to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in the year.
12:1	ThenNow the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you.”!”
12:2	So Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were atin greata strifemajor dispute with the sons of Ammon; whenand I calleddid call you, but you did not deliversave me from their hand.
12:3	When I saw that you wouldwere notno deliver medeliverer, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the Lord gavehanded them intoover myto handme. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”
12:4	Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitivessurvivors of Ephraim, Oyou Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.”
12:5	TheAnd the Gileadites capturedtook control of the fordscrossing places of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. And it happened whenwhenever any of the fugitivessurvivors of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” that the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”
12:6	then they would say to him, “SayJust nowsay, ‘Shibboleth.’ ” But he said, “Sibboleth,” for he couldwas not prepared to pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slewslaughtered him at the fordscrossing places of the Jordan. ThusSo there fell at that time 42,000forty-two ofthousand from Ephraim fell.
12:7	Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
12:9	He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside the family, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel for seven years.
12:11	Now Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel after him; and he judged Israel for ten years.
12:14	He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys; and he judged Israel for eight years.
13:1	Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, soand that the Lord gavehanded them intoover theto hands of the Philistines for forty years.
13:2	ThereAnd there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barreninfertile and had bornenot nogiven birth to any children.
13:3	Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barreninfertile and have bornenot nogiven children,birth; but you shallwill conceive and give birth to a son.
13:4	NowAnd thereforenow, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.
13:5	For behold, you shallwill conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shallwill begin to deliversave Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
13:6	Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. AndSo I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
13:7	But he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”
13:8	Then Manoah entreatedpleaded with the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again so that he may teach us what we are to do for the boy who is to be born.”
13:9	And God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.
13:10	So the woman hurried and ran, quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me.”!”
13:11	ThenSo Manoah arosegot up and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” And he said, “I am.”
13:12	Then Manoah said, “Now when your words comeare to passfulfilled, what shall be the boy’s modeway of life and his vocation?”
13:13	SoAnd the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “LetThe the woman shall pay attention to all that I said.
13:14	She shouldshall not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; letshe hershall observekeep all that I commanded.”
13:16	TheBut the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat 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.
13:17	And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that when your words comeare to passfulfilled, we may honor you?”
13:18	But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeingfor it is wonderful?”
13:19	So Manoah took the young goat along with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord,; and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on.
13:22	So Manoah said to his wife, “We will surelycertainly die, for we have seen God.”
13:24	ThenSo the woman gave birth to a son, and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.
13:25	And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him when he was in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
14:1	Then Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2	So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”
14:3	ThenBut his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” ButYet Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, forbecause she looksis goodright tofor me.”
14:4	However, his father and mother did not know that itthis was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. NowAnd at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
14:6	TheAnd the Spirit of the Lord camerushed upon him mightily, so that he tore himit apart as one tears apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
14:7	So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked goodpleasing to Samson.
14:9	So he scrapedtook out the honey intoon his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scrapedtook the honey out of the body of the lion.
14:10	Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson madeheld a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.
14:12	Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propoundpropose a riddle tofor you; if you willactually indeed tell itme tothe meanswer within the seven days of the feast, and findsolve it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changesoutfits of clothes.
14:13	But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changesoutfits of clothes.” And they said to him, “PropoundPropose your riddle, so that we may hear it.”
14:14	So he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” But they could not tell the answer to the riddle in three days.
14:16	So Samson’s wife wept beforein front of him and said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have propoundedproposed a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?”
14:17	However she wept before him for seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people.
14:19	Then the Spirit of the Lord camerushed upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them and took theirwhat spoilthey were wearing and gave the changesoutfits of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
15:2	Her father said, “I really thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister not more beautiful than she? Please let her be yours instead.”
15:3	Samson then said to them, “This time I shallwill behave been blameless inregarding regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.”
15:4	And Samson went and caught three hundred foxesjackals, and took torches, and turned the foxesjackals tail to tail and put one torch in the middle between two tails.
15:5	When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxesjackals into the standing grain of the Philistines, thusand burningset upfire to both the shocksbundled heaps and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and olive groves.
15:6	Then the Philistines said, “Who did this?” And theysome said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father to death with fire.
15:7	Then Samson said to them, “SinceIf this is how you act like this, I will surelycertainly take revenge on you, butand only after that will I will quitstop.”
15:8	HeSo he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter; and afterward he went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
15:10	TheSo the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” And they said, “We have come up to bind Samson in order to do to him as he did to us.”
15:11	Then 3,000three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said to them, “AsJust as they did to me, so I have done to them.”
15:12	TheyThen they said to him, “We have come down to bind you so that we may givehand you intoover theto hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not kill me.”
15:13	So they said to him, “No, but we will bind you fasttightly and give you into their hands; yetbut surely we certainly will not kill you.” Then they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
15:14	When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the Lord camerushed upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were aslike flax that ishas burned with fire, and his bondsrestraints dropped from his hands.
15:15	HeThen he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out with his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.
15:16	ThenAnd Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.”
15:18	Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the Lord and said, “You have givenhanded this great deliverancevictory byover theto hand of Your servant, and now shallam I to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
15:20	So he judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
16:1	Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlotprostitute there, and wenthad inrelations towith her.
16:2	When it was toldreported to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here,” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, “Let’s us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him.”
16:3	Now Samson lay asleep until midnight, and at midnight he arosegot up and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two postsdoorposts, and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron.
16:4	After this it came about that he lovedwas in love with a woman in the valleyValley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
16:5	TheSo lordsthe governors of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we maycan overpower him so that we may bind him to afflicthumble him. Then we will each give you eleven1,100 hundred pieces of silver.”
16:6	So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength islies, and how you maycan be bound to afflicthumble you.”
16:7	And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh cordsanimal tendons that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”
16:8	Then the lordsgovernors of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cordsanimal tendons that had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
16:9	Now she had men lyingprepared infor waitan ambush in an inner room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snappedtore the cordstendons asto pieces just like a stringthread of towflax snapsis torn apart when it touchescomes too close to fire. So his strength was not discovered.
16:10	Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have deceivedtoyed with me and told me lies; now please tell me how you may be bound.”
16:11	Then He said to her, “If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”
16:12	So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For the men werein lyingthe inambush waitwere waiting in the inner room. But he snappedtore the ropes from his arms like a thread.
16:13	Then Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceivedtoyed with me and told me lies; tell me how you may be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and fasten it with athe pin, then I will becomebe weak and be like any other man.”
16:14	So while he slept, Delilah tookwove the seven locks of his hair andwith wove them into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.
16:15	Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have deceivedtoyed with me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is.”
16:16	ItAnd it came about, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death.
16:18	When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent word and called the lordsgovernors of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all that is in his heart.” Then the lordsgovernors of the Philistines came up to her and brought up the money in their hands.
16:19	SheAnd she made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his hairhead. Then she began to afflicthumble him, and his strength left him.
16:21	Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and boundrestrained him with bronze chains, and he wasbecame a grinder in the prison.
16:23	Now the lordsgovernors of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoicecelebrate, for they said, “Our god has givenhanded Samson our enemy intoover ourto handsus.”
16:24	When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has givenhanded our enemy intoover ourto handsus, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slainkilled many of us.”
16:26	Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, so that I may lean against them.”
16:27	Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lordsgovernors of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000three thousand men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusingentertaining them.
16:28	Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once betake avengedvengeance ofon the Philistines for my two eyes.”
16:29	Then Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.
16:30	And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bentpushed withoutwards allpowerfully, his might so that the house fell on the lordsgovernors and all the people who were in it. SoAnd the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed induring his lifelifetime.
16:31	Then his brothers and all his father’s household came down, and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father Manoah. ThusSo he had judged Israel for twenty years.
17:2	HeAnd he said to his mother, “The eleven1,100 hundred pieces of silver whichthat were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and also spoke it in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.”
17:3	He then returned the eleven1,100 hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I wholly dedicateconsecrate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a gravencarved image and a moltencast metal image; so now therefore, I will return them to you.”
17:4	So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made them into a gravencarved image and a moltencast metal image, and they were in the house of Micah.
17:5	And the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household idols, and consecrated one of his sons, so that he might become his priest.
17:6	In those days there was no king in Israel; everyeveryone man did what was right in his own eyes.
17:8	Then the man departedleft from the city, from Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he mightwould find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.
17:10	Micah then said to him, “DwellStay with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suitsupply of clothesclothing, and your maintenancesustenance.” So the Levite went in.
17:13	Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, seeingbecause I have a Levite as a priest.”
18:2	So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to searchexplore it; and they said to them, “Go, searchexplore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodgedstayed overnight there.
18:4	He said to them, “ThusMicah andhas sodone hasthis Micahand donethat tofor me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest.”
18:5	TheyThen they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperoussuccessful.”
18:6	TheAnd the priest said to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the Lord’s approval.”
18:7	ThenSo the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people who were in it living in security, afterin the mannerway of the Sidonians, quiet and secureunsuspecting; for there was no oppressive ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
18:8	When they came back to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you reportsay?”
18:9	TheyAnd they said, “Arise, and let’s us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delayhesitate to go, to enter, to possesstake possession of the land.
18:10	When you enter, you will come to aan secureunsuspecting people with a spacious land; for God has givenhanded it intoover yourto handyou, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”
18:13	TheyAnd they passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
18:14	Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols, and a gravencarved image and a moltencast metal image? Now thereforethen, consider what you should do.”
18:15	TheySo they turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him ofhow hishe welfarewas doing.
18:16	TheMeanwhile, the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stoodwere bypositioned at the entrance of the gate.
18:17	Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there,; andthey took the gravencarved image, and the ephod, andthe household idols, and the moltencast metal image, while the priest stoodwas bystanding at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18:18	When these wentmen intoentered Micah’s house and took the gravencarved image, the ephod, and household idols, and the moltencast metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
18:19	TheyAnd they said to him, “Be silent, put your hand over your mouth, and comego with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”
18:20	The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, andthe household idols, and the gravencarved image, and went among the people.
18:21	Then they turned and departedleft, and put the littlechildren, ones and the livestock, and the valuables in front of them.
18:22	When they had gonedistanced somethemselves distance from theMicah’s house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled by command and overtook the sons of Dan.
18:23	TheyThen criedthey called out to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?”
18:24	HeAnd he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away,; and what more do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ”
18:25	TheThen the sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else fierce men will fallattack upon you, and you will lose your life, withand the lives of your household.”
18:27	Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secureunsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.
18:28	And there was no one to deliversave them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. AndSo they rebuilt the city and lived in it.
18:29	TheyAnd calledthey thenamed name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born into Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was previously Laish.
18:30	The sons of Dan set up for themselves the gravencarved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31	So they set up for themselves Micah’s gravencarved image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was atin Shiloh.
19:2	But his concubine playedfound thehim harlot against himrepugnant, and she wentleft awayhim fromand himwent to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and wasremained there for a period of four months.
19:3	Then her husband aroseset out and went after her to speak tenderlygently to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. SoAnd she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
19:4	His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detainedprevailed upon him;, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and lodgedstayed there.
19:5	Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; andbut the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “SustainStrengthen yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.”
19:6	So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be willingso kind as to spend the night, and let your heart be merrycheerful.”
19:7	ThenHowever, the man arosegot up to go,; but his father-in-law urged him, soand that he spent the night there again.
19:8	OnNow on the fifth day he arosegot up to go early in the morning, andbut the girl’s father said, “Please sustainstrengthen yourself, and wait until late afternoon”; so both of them ate.
19:9	When the man arosegot up to go, along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. LoBehold, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here so that your heart may be merrycheerful. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey soand that you may go home.”
19:10	But the man was notunwilling willing to spend the night, so he arosegot up and departedleft, and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him was a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him.
19:11	When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and the servant said to his master, “Please come, and let’s us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”
19:12	However, his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into thea city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; butinstead, we will go on as far as Gibeah.”
19:13	HeAnd he said to his servant, “Come, and let’s us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
19:15	They turned aside there in order to enter and lodgespend the night in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the openpublic square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
19:16	Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were BenjamitesBenjaminites.
19:17	And he liftedraised up his eyes and saw the traveler in the openpublic square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
19:18	HeAnd he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to my house, and no manone will take me into his house.
19:19	Yet there is both straw and fodderfeed for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, and your maidservantfemale slave, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”
19:20	TheThen the old man said, “Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the openpublic square.”
19:21	So he took him into his house and gavefed the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.
19:22	While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellowsmen, surrounded the house, poundingpushing one another at the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who cameentered into your house that we may have relations with him.”
19:23	Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my fellowsbrothers, please do not act so wickedly;. sinceSince this man has come into my house, do not commit this actvile of follysin.
19:24	Here is my virgin daughter and histhe man’s concubine. Please let me bring them out, thatthen yourape may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit suchthis an act of follyvile sin against this man.”
19:25	But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outoutside to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.
19:27	When her master arosegot up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold.
19:28	HeAnd he said to her, “Get up and let’s us go,” but there was no answer. Then he placedput her on the donkey; and the man aroseset out and went to his home.
19:29	When he entered his house, he took a knife and laidseized hold of his concubine, and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb,. andThen he sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
19:30	All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, takemake counsela plan, and speak up!”
20:1	Then all the sons of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, came out, and the congregation assembled as one manperson to the Lord at Mizpah.
20:2	TheAnd chiefsthe leaders of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.
20:5	But the mencitizens of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night, becausethreatening of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravishedraped my concubine so that she died.
20:6	And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance; for they have committed aan lewdoutrageous sin and disgracefulvile act in Israel.
20:7	Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your adviceresponse and counseladvice here.”
20:8	Then all the people aroserose up as one manperson, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us returngo to his househome.
20:10	And we will take 10ten men out of 100a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100a hundred out of 1a thousand,000, and 1,000a thousand out of 10,000ten thousand to supply foodprovisions for the people, so that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the disgracefulvile actssin that they have committed in Israel.”
20:11	ThusSo all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.
20:13	Now then, deliverturn upover the men, the worthless fellowsmen who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
20:14	TheInstead, the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.
20:15	From the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were numberedcounted, 26,000twenty-six thousand men who drawdrew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were numberedcounted, 700seven hundred choice men.
20:16	Out of all these people 700seven hundred choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
20:17	Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numberedcounted, 400,000four hundred thousand men who drawdrew the sword; all of these were men of war.
20:18	Now the sons of Israel aroseset out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”
20:19	So the sons of Israel arosegot up in the morning and camped against Gibeah.
20:20	The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayedlined up for battle against them at Gibeah.
20:21	Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felledstruck to the ground on that day 22,000twenty-two thousand men of Israel.
20:22	But the people, the men of Israel, encouragedshowed themselves courageous and arrayedlined up for battle again in the place where they had arrayedlined themselves up on the first day.
20:23	TheAnd the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again drawadvance near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”
20:24	ThenSo the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
20:25	And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felledstruck to the ground again 18,000eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all of these drew the sword.
20:26	Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and they wept; thusand they remained there before the Lord, and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
20:27	TheAnd the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
20:28	and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I ceasestop?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliverhand them intoover yourto handyou.”
20:30	TheAnd the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayedlined themselvesup against Gibeah as at other times.
20:31	TheWhen the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, andthey were drawnlured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways,roads (one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
20:32	TheAnd the sons of Benjamin said, “They are struckdefeated down before us, aslike at the first time.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let’s us flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the highwaysroads.”
20:33	Then all the men of Israel aroserose from their place and arrayedlined themselvesup at Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in ambush brokecharged outfrom of their place, evenfrom out of Maareh-geba.
20:35	And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who drawdrew the sword.
20:38	Now the appointedagreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.
20:39	Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “SurelyUndoubtedly they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”
20:40	But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them; and behold, the wholeentire city was going up in smoke to heaven.
20:42	Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel towardto flee in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who cameattacked outfrom of the cities destroyedwere annihilating them in the midst of them.
20:43	They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trodtrampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.
20:44	ThusSo 18,000eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant warriorsmen.
20:45	The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught 5,000five thousand of them on the highwaysroads and overtook them at Gidom, and killed 2,000two thousand of them.
20:46	So all those of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000twenty-five thousand men who drawdrew the sword; all of these were valiant warriorsmen.
20:47	But 600six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,; and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months.
21:2	So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and liftedraised up their voices and wept bitterlyprofusely.
21:3	TheyAnd they said, “Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this comehappened about in Israel, so that one tribe shouldis be missing today infrom Israel?”
21:4	ItAnd it came about the next day that the people arosegot up early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
21:5	Then the sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not comego up into the assemblyLord toin the Lordassembly?” For they had taken a greatsolemn oath concerning himanyone who did not comego up to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “He shall surelycertainly be put to death.”
21:6	And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin, and said, “OneToday one tribe is cut off from Israel! today.
21:7	What shallare we to do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters inas marriagewives?”
21:8	And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel whothat did not comego up to the Lord at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
21:9	For when the people were numberedcounted, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.
21:10	And the congregation sent 12,000twelve thousand of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, along with the women and the little oneschildren.
21:11	ThisAnd this is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every manmale, and every woman who has lainslept with a manmale.”
21:12	And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400four hundred young virgins who had not known a man by lyingsleeping with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
21:14	And the tribe of Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had keptallowed aliveto live from the women of Jabesh-gilead; yetbut they were not enough for them.
21:15	And the people were sorry for Benjamin, because the Lord had madecreated a breachgap in the tribes of Israel.
21:16	Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shallare we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women arehave destroyedbeen outeliminated offrom Benjamin?”
21:17	TheyAnd they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blottedwiped out from Israel.
21:18	But we cannot give them wives offrom our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”!”
21:19	So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highwayroad that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.”
21:21	and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall catchseize his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
21:22	ItAnd shall come about, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we shall say to them, ‘Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin a wife in battle, nor did you give them to them, elseotherwise you would now be guilty.’ ”
21:23	The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they carried awayseized. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the cities and lived in them.
21:24	TheAnd the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one ofdeparted them went out from there to his inheritance.