\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Judges}
{\MTB The Book of
\par }{\MT Judges

\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}After
the
death
of
Joshua,
the
children
of
Israel
asked
of
the
LORD,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 1:1 }
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.}
saying, “Who
should
go
up
for
us
first
against
the
Canaanites,
to
fight
against
them?”
\par }{\PP \VS{2}The
LORD
said, “Judah
shall
go
up.
Behold,\FTNT{†}{{\FR 1:2 }
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.}
I
have
delivered
the
land
into
his
hand.”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}Judah
said
to
Simeon
his
brother, “Come
up
with
me
into
my
lot,
that
we
may
fight
against
the
Canaanites;
and
I
likewise
will
go
with
you
into
your
lot.”
So
Simeon
went
with
him.
\VS{4}Judah
went
up,
and
the
LORD
delivered
the
Canaanites
and
the
Perizzites
into
their
hand.
They
struck
ten
thousand
men
in
Bezek.
\VS{5}They
found
Adoni-Bezek
in
Bezek,
and
they
fought
against
him.
They
struck
the
Canaanites
and
the
Perizzites.
\VS{6}But
Adoni-Bezek
fled.
They
pursued
him,
caught
him,
and
cut
off
his
thumbs
and
his
big
toes.
\VS{7}Adoni-Bezek
said, “Seventy
kings,
having
their
thumbs
and
their
big
toes
cut
off, scavenged
under
my
table.
As
I
have
done,
so
God\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 1:7 }
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).}
has
done
to
me.”
They
brought
him
to
Jerusalem,
and
he
died
there.
\VS{8}The
children
of
Judah
fought
against
Jerusalem,
took
it,
struck
it
with
the
edge
of
the
sword,
and
set
the
city
on
fire.
\par }{\PP \VS{9}After
that,
the
children
of
Judah
went
down
to
fight
against
the
Canaanites
who
lived
in
the
hill
country,
and
in
the
South,
and
in
the
lowland.
\VS{10}Judah
went
against
the
Canaanites
who
lived
in
Hebron. (The
name
of
Hebron
before
that
was Kiriath Arba.)
They
struck
Sheshai,
Ahiman,
and
Talmai.
\par }{\PP \VS{11}From
there
he
went
against
the
inhabitants
of
Debir. (The
name
of
Debir
before
that
was Kiriath Sepher.)
\VS{12}Caleb
said, “I
will
give
Achsah
my
daughter
as
wife
to
the man
who
strikes Kiriath Sepher,
and
takes
it.”
\VS{13}Othniel
the
son
of
Kenaz,
Caleb’s
younger
brother,
took
it,
so
he
gave
him
Achsah
his
daughter
as
his
wife.
\par }{\PP \VS{14}When
she
came,
she got
him
to
ask
her
father
for
a
field.
She got
off
her
donkey;
and
Caleb
said
to
her, “What
would
you
like?”
\par }{\PP \VS{15}She
said
to
him, “Give
me
a
blessing;
because
you
have
set
me
in
the
land
of
the
South,
give
me
also
springs
of
water.”
Then
Caleb
gave
her
the
upper
springs
and
the
lower
springs.
\VS{16}The
children
of
the
Kenite,
Moses’ brother-in-law,
went
up
out
of
the
city
of
palm
trees
with
the
children
of
Judah
into
the
wilderness
of
Judah,
which
is
in
the
south
of
Arad;
and
they
went
and
lived
with
the
people.
\VS{17}Judah went
with
Simeon
his
brother,
and
they
struck
the
Canaanites
who
inhabited
Zephath,
and utterly
destroyed
it.
The
name
of
the
city
was
called
Hormah.
\VS{18}Also
Judah
took
Gaza
with
its
border,
and
Ashkelon
with
its
border,
and
Ekron
with
its
border.
\VS{19}The
LORD
was
with
Judah,
and
drove
out
the
inhabitants
of
the
hill
country;
for
he could
not
drive
out
the
inhabitants
of
the
valley,
because
they
had
chariots
of
iron.
\VS{20}They
gave
Hebron
to
Caleb,
as
Moses
had
said,
and
he
drove
the
three
sons
of Anak
out
of
there.
\VS{21}The
children
of
Benjamin
didn’t
drive
out
the
Jebusites
who
inhabited
Jerusalem,
but
the
Jebusites
dwell
with
the
children
of
Benjamin
in
Jerusalem
to
this
day.
\par }{\PP \VS{22}The
house
of
Joseph
also
went
up
against
Bethel,
and
the
LORD
was
with
them.
\VS{23}The
house
of
Joseph sent
to
spy
out
Bethel. (The
name
of
the
city
before
that
was
Luz.)
\VS{24}The watchers
saw
a
man
come
out
of
the
city,
and
they
said
to
him, “Please
show
us
the
entrance
into
the
city,
and
we
will
deal kindly
with
you.”
\VS{25}He
showed
them
the
entrance
into
the
city,
and
they
struck
the
city
with
the
edge
of
the
sword;
but
they
let
the
man
and
all
his
family
go.
\VS{26}The
man
went
into
the
land
of
the
Hittites,
built
a
city,
and
called
its
name
Luz,
which
is
its
name
to
this
day.
\par }{\PP \VS{27}Manasseh
didn’t
drive
out
the
inhabitants
of Beth Shean
and
its
towns,
nor
Taanach
and
its
towns,
nor
the
inhabitants
of
Dor
and
its
towns,
nor
the
inhabitants
of
Ibleam
and
its
towns,
nor
the
inhabitants
of
Megiddo
and
its
towns;
but
the
Canaanites would
dwell
in
that
land.
\VS{28}When
Israel
had
grown
strong,
they
put
the
Canaanites
to
forced labour,
and
didn’t utterly
drive
them
out.
\VS{29}Ephraim
didn’t
drive
out
the
Canaanites
who
lived
in
Gezer,
but
the
Canaanites
lived
in
Gezer amongst
them.
\VS{30}Zebulun
didn’t
drive
out
the
inhabitants
of
Kitron,
nor
the
inhabitants
of
Nahalol;
but
the
Canaanites
lived amongst
them,
and
became subject
to
forced labour.
\VS{31}Asher
didn’t
drive
out
the
inhabitants
of
Acco,
nor
the
inhabitants
of
Sidon,
nor
of
Ahlab,
nor
of
Achzib,
nor
of
Helbah,
nor
of
Aphik,
nor
of
Rehob;
\VS{32}but
the
Asherites
lived amongst
the
Canaanites,
the
inhabitants
of
the
land,
for
they
didn’t
drive
them
out.
\VS{33}Naphtali
didn’t
drive
out
the
inhabitants
of Beth Shemesh,
nor
the
inhabitants
of Beth Anath;
but
he
lived amongst
the
Canaanites,
the
inhabitants
of
the
land. Nevertheless
the
inhabitants
of Beth Shemesh
and
of Beth Anath
became subject
to
forced labour.
\VS{34}The
Amorites
forced
the
children
of
Dan
into
the
hill
country,
for
they would
not
allow
them
to
come
down
to
the
valley;
\VS{35}but
the
Amorites would
dwell
in
Mount
Heres,
in
Aijalon,
and
in
Shaalbim. Yet
the
hand
of
the
house
of
Joseph prevailed,
so
that
they
became subject
to
forced labour.
\VS{36}The
border
of
the
Amorites
was
from
the
ascent
of
Akrabbim,
from
the
rock,
and
upward.

\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
LORD’s
angel
came
up
from
Gilgal
to
Bochim.
He
said, “I
brought
you
out
of
Egypt,
and
have
brought
you
to
the
land
which
I
swore
to
give
your
fathers.
I
said, ‘I
will
never
break
my
covenant
with
you.
\VS{2}You
shall
make
no
covenant
with
the
inhabitants
of
this
land.
You
shall
break
down
their
altars.’
But
you
have
not
listened
to
my
voice.
Why
have
you
done
this?
\VS{3}Therefore
I
also
said, ‘I
will
not
drive
them
out
from
before
you;
but
they
shall
be
in
your
sides,
and
their
gods
will
be
a
snare
to
you.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}When
the
LORD’s
angel
spoke
these
words
to
all
the
children
of
Israel,
the
people
lifted
up
their
voice
and
wept.
\VS{5}They
called
the
name
of
that
place
Bochim,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 2:5 }
“Bochim” means “weepers”.}
and
they
sacrificed
there
to
the
LORD.
\VS{6}Now
when
Joshua
had
sent
the
people
away,
the
children
of
Israel
each
went
to
his
inheritance
to
possess
the
land.
\VS{7}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
of
the
LORD
that
he
had
worked
for
Israel.
\VS{8}Joshua
the
son
of
Nun,
the
servant
of
the
LORD,
died,
being
one
hundred
and
ten
years
old.
\VS{9}They
buried
him
in
the
border
of
his
inheritance
in Timnath Heres,
in
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
on
the
north
of
the
mountain
of
Gaash.
\VS{10}After
all
that
generation
were
gathered
to
their
fathers,
another
generation
arose
after
them
who
didn’t
know
the
LORD,
nor
the
work
which
he
had
done
for
Israel.
\VS{11}The
children
of
Israel
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
and
served
the
Baals.
\VS{12}They
abandoned
the
LORD,
the
God
of
their
fathers,
who
brought
them
out
of
the
land
of
Egypt,
and
followed
other
gods,
of
the
gods
of
the
peoples
who
were
around
them,
and
bowed
themselves
down
to
them;
and
they
provoked
the
LORD
to
anger.
\VS{13}They
abandoned
the
LORD,
and
served
Baal
and
the
Ashtaroth.
\VS{14}The
LORD’s
anger burnt
against
Israel,
and
he
delivered
them
into
the
hands
of raiders
who
plundered
them.
He
sold
them
into
the
hands
of
their
enemies
all
around,
so
that
they
could
no
longer
stand
before
their
enemies.
\VS{15}Wherever
they
went
out,
the
LORD’s
hand
was
against
them
for
evil,
as
the
LORD
had
spoken,
and
as
the
LORD
had
sworn
to
them;
and
they
were
very distressed.
\VS{16}The
LORD
raised
up
judges,
who
saved
them
out
of
the
hand
of
those
who
plundered
them.
\VS{17}Yet
they
didn’t
listen
to
their
judges;
for
they
prostituted
themselves
to
other
gods,
and
bowed
themselves
down
to
them.
They
quickly
turned
away
from
the
way
in
which
their
fathers
walked,
obeying
the
LORD’s
commandments.
They
didn’t
do
so.
\VS{18}When
the
LORD
raised
up
judges
for
them,
then
the
LORD
was
with
the
judge,
and
saved
them
out
of
the
hand
of
their
enemies
all
the
days
of
the
judge;
for
it grieved
the
LORD
because
of
their
groaning
by reason
of
those
who
oppressed
them
and troubled
them.
\VS{19}But
when
the
judge
was
dead,
they
turned
back,
and dealt
more
corruptly
than
their
fathers
in
following
other
gods
to
serve
them
and
to
bow
down
to
them.
They
didn’t cease
what
they
were
doing,
or
give
up
their
stubborn
ways.
\VS{20}The
LORD’s
anger burnt
against
Israel;
and
he
said, “Because
this
nation transgressed
my
covenant
which
I
commanded
their
fathers,
and
has
not
listened
to
my
voice,
\VS{21}I
also
will
no
longer
drive
out
any
of
the
nations
that
Joshua
left
when
he
died
from
before
them;
\VS{22}that
by
them
I
may
test
Israel,
to
see
if
they
will
keep
the
LORD’s
way
to
walk therein,
as
their
fathers
kept
it,
or
not.”
\VS{23}So
the
LORD
left
those
nations,
without
driving
them
out hastily.
He
didn’t
deliver
them
into
Joshua’s
hand.

\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now
these
are
the
nations
which
the
LORD
left,
to
test
Israel
by
them,
even
as many
as
had
not
known
all
the
wars
of
Canaan;
\VS{2}only
that
the
generations
of
the
children
of
Israel
might
know,
to
teach
them
war,
at least
those
who
knew
nothing
of
it
before:
\VS{3}the
five
lords
of
the
Philistines,
all
the
Canaanites,
the
Sidonians,
and
the
Hivites
who
lived
on
Mount
Lebanon,
from
Mount Baal Hermon
to
the
entrance
of
Hamath.
\VS{4}They
were
left
to
test
Israel
by
them,
to
know whether
they
would
listen
to
the
LORD’s
commandments,
which
he
commanded
their
fathers
by
Moses.
\VS{5}The
children
of
Israel
lived amongst
the
Canaanites,
the
Hittites,
the
Amorites,
the
Perizzites,
the
Hivites,
and
the
Jebusites.
\VS{6}They
took
their
daughters
to
be
their
wives,
and
gave
their own
daughters
to
their
sons
and
served
their
gods.
\VS{7}The
children
of
Israel
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
and
forgot
the
LORD
their
God,
and
served
the
Baals
and
the
Asheroth.
\VS{8}Therefore
the
LORD’s
anger burnt
against
Israel,
and
he
sold
them
into
the
hand
of Cushan Rishathaim
king
of
Mesopotamia;
and
the
children
of
Israel
served Cushan Rishathaim
eight
years.
\VS{9}When
the
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD,
the
LORD
raised
up
a saviour
to
the
children
of
Israel,
who
saved
them,
even
Othniel
the
son
of
Kenaz,
Caleb’s
younger
brother.
\VS{10}The
LORD’s
Spirit
came
on
him,
and
he
judged
Israel;
and
he
went
out
to
war,
and
the
LORD
delivered Cushan Rishathaim
king
of Mesopotamia
into
his
hand.
His
hand
prevailed
against Cushan Rishathaim.
\VS{11}The
land
had
rest
forty
years,
then
Othniel
the
son
of
Kenaz
died.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}The
children
of
Israel
again
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
and
the
LORD
strengthened
Eglon
the
king
of
Moab
against
Israel,
because
they
had
done
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight.
\VS{13}He
gathered
the
children
of
Ammon
and
Amalek
to
himself;
and
he
went
and
struck
Israel,
and
they
possessed
the
city
of
palm
trees.
\VS{14}The
children
of
Israel
served
Eglon
the
king
of
Moab
eighteen
years.
\VS{15}But
when
the
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD,
the
LORD
raised
up
a saviour
for
them:
Ehud
the
son
of
Gera,
the
Benjamite,
a
left-handed
man.
The
children
of
Israel
sent
tribute
by
him
to
Eglon
the
king
of
Moab.
\VS{16}Ehud
made himself
a
sword
which
had
two
edges,
a
cubit\FTNT{*}{{\FR 3:16 }
A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres.}
in
length;
and
he
wore
it
under
his clothing
on
his
right
thigh.
\VS{17}He
offered
the
tribute
to
Eglon
king
of
Moab. Now
Eglon
was
a
very
fat
man.
\VS{18}When
Ehud
had
finished
offering
the
tribute,
he
sent
away
the
people
who
carried
the
tribute.
\VS{19}But
he
himself
turned
back
from
the
stone
idols
that
were
by
Gilgal,
and
said, “I
have
a secret
message
for
you, O
king.”
\par }{\PP The
king
said, “Keep
silence!”
All
who
stood
by
him
left
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{20}Ehud
came
to
him;
and
he
was
sitting
by
himself
alone
in
the
cool
upper
room.
Ehud
said, “I
have
a
message
from
God
to
you.”
He
arose
out
of
his
seat.
\VS{21}Ehud
put
out
his
left
hand,
and
took
the
sword
from
his
right
thigh,
and
thrust
it
into
his
body.
\VS{22}The
handle
also
went
in
after
the
blade;
and
the
fat
closed
on
the
blade,
for
he
didn’t
draw
the
sword
out
of
his
body;
and
it
came
out
behind.
\VS{23}Then
Ehud
went
out onto
the porch,
and
shut
the
doors
of
the
upper
room
on
him,
and
locked
them.
\par }{\PP \VS{24}After
he
had
gone,
his
servants
came
and
saw
that
the
doors
of
the
upper
room
were locked.
They
said, “Surely
he
is covering
his
feet\FTNT{†}{{\FR 3:24 }
or, “relieving himself”.}
in
the
upper
room.”
\VS{25}They waited
until
they
were
ashamed;
and
behold,
he didn’t
open
the
doors
of
the
upper
room.
Therefore
they
took
the
key
and
opened
them,
and
behold,
their
lord
had
fallen
down
dead
on
the
floor.
\par }{\PP \VS{26}Ehud
escaped
while
they waited,
passed
beyond
the stone
idols,
and
escaped
to
Seirah.
\VS{27}When
he
had
come,
he
blew
a shofar
in
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim;
and
the
children
of
Israel
went
down
with
him
from
the
hill
country,
and
he
led
them.
\par }{\PP \VS{28}He
said
to
them, “Follow
me;
for
the
LORD
has
delivered
your
enemies
the
Moabites
into
your
hand.”
They
followed
him,
and
took
the fords
of
the
Jordan
against
the
Moabites,
and
didn’t
allow
any
man
to
pass
over.
\VS{29}They
struck
at
that
time
about
ten
thousand
men
of
Moab,
every
strong
man
and
every
man
of valour.
No
man
escaped.
\VS{30}So
Moab
was
subdued
that
day
under
the
hand
of
Israel.
Then
the
land
had
rest
eighty
years.
\par }{\PP \VS{31}After
him
was
Shamgar
the
son
of
Anath,
who
struck
six
hundred
men
of
the
Philistines
with
an
ox goad.
He
also
saved
Israel.

\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
children
of
Israel
again
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
when
Ehud
was
dead.
\VS{2}The
LORD
sold
them
into
the
hand
of
Jabin
king
of
Canaan,
who
reigned
in
Hazor;
the
captain
of
whose
army
was
Sisera,
who
lived
in Harosheth
of
the
Gentiles.
\VS{3}The
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD,
for
he
had
nine
hundred
chariots
of
iron;
and
he mightily
oppressed
the
children
of
Israel
for
twenty
years.
\VS{4}Now
Deborah,
a
prophetess,
the
wife
of
Lappidoth,
judged
Israel
at
that
time.
\VS{5}She
lived
under Deborah’s
palm
tree
between
Ramah
and
Bethel
in
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim;
and
the
children
of
Israel
came
up
to
her
for judgement.
\VS{6}She
sent
and
called
Barak
the
son
of
Abinoam
out
of
Kedesh
Naphtali,
and
said
to
him, “Hasn’t
the
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
commanded, ‘Go
and
lead
the
way
to
Mount
Tabor,
and
take
with
you
ten
thousand
men
of
the
children
of
Naphtali
and
of
the
children
of
Zebulun?
\VS{7}I
will
draw
to
you,
to
the
river
Kishon,
Sisera,
the
captain
of
Jabin’s
army,
with
his
chariots
and
his
multitude;
and
I
will
deliver
him
into
your
hand.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}Barak
said
to
her, “If
you
will
go
with
me,
then
I
will
go;
but
if
you
will
not
go
with
me,
I
will
not
go.”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}She
said, “I
will
surely
go
with
you.
Nevertheless,
the
journey
that
you
take
won’t
be
for
your honour;
for
the
LORD
will
sell
Sisera
into
a
woman’s
hand.”
Deborah
arose,
and
went
with
Barak
to
Kedesh.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Barak
called
Zebulun
and
Naphtali
together
to
Kedesh.
Ten
thousand
men
followed
him;
and
Deborah
went
up
with
him.
\VS{11}Now
Heber
the
Kenite
had
separated
himself
from
the
Kenites,
even
from
the
children
of
Hobab,
Moses’ brother-in-law,
and
had
pitched
his
tent
as
far
as
the
oak
in
Zaanannim,
which
is
by
Kedesh.
\VS{12}They
told
Sisera
that
Barak
the
son
of
Abinoam
had
gone
up
to
Mount
Tabor.
\VS{13}Sisera gathered
together
all
his
chariots,
even
nine
hundred
chariots
of
iron,
and
all
the
people
who
were
with
him,
from Harosheth
of
the
Gentiles,
to
the
river
Kishon.
\par }{\PP \VS{14}Deborah
said
to
Barak, “Go;
for
this
is
the
day
in
which
the
LORD
has
delivered
Sisera
into
your
hand.
Hasn’t
the
LORD
gone
out
before
you?”
So
Barak
went
down
from
Mount
Tabor,
and
ten
thousand
men
after
him.
\VS{15}The
LORD
confused
Sisera,
all
his
chariots,
and
all
his
army,
with
the
edge
of
the
sword
before
Barak.
Sisera abandoned
his
chariot
and
fled
away
on
his
feet.
\VS{16}But
Barak
pursued
the
chariots
and
the
army
to Harosheth
of
the
Gentiles;
and
all
the
army
of
Sisera
fell
by
the
edge
of
the
sword.
There
was
not
a
man
left.
\par }{\PP \VS{17}However
Sisera
fled
away
on
his
feet
to
the
tent
of
Jael
the
wife
of
Heber
the
Kenite;
for
there
was
peace
between
Jabin
the
king
of
Hazor
and
the
house
of
Heber
the
Kenite.
\VS{18}Jael
went
out
to
meet
Sisera,
and
said
to
him, “Turn
in,
my
lord,
turn
in
to
me;
don’t
be
afraid.”
He
came
in
to
her
into
the
tent,
and she
covered
him
with
a
rug.
\par }{\PP \VS{19}He
said
to
her, “Please
give
me
a
little
water
to
drink;
for
I am
thirsty.”
\par }{\PP She
opened
a container
of
milk,
and
gave
him
a
drink,
and
covered
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{20}He
said
to
her, “Stand
in
the
door
of
the
tent,
and
if
any
man
comes
and enquires
of
you,
and
says, ‘Is
there
any
man
here?’
you
shall
say, ‘No.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{21}Then
Jael,
Heber’s
wife,
took
a
tent
peg,
and
took
a hammer
in
her
hand,
and
went softly
to
him,
and struck
the
pin
into
his
temples,
and
it pierced
through
into
the
ground,
for
he
was
in
a deep sleep;
so
he fainted
and
died.
\VS{22}Behold,
as
Barak
pursued
Sisera,
Jael
came
out
to
meet
him,
and
said
to
him, “Come,
and
I
will
show
you
the
man
whom
you
seek.”
He
came
to
her;
and
behold,
Sisera
lay
dead,
and
the
tent
peg
was
in
his
temples.
\VS{23}So
God
subdued
Jabin
the
king
of
Canaan
before
the
children
of
Israel
on
that
day.
\VS{24}The
hand
of
the
children
of
Israel prevailed
more
and
more
against
Jabin
the
king
of
Canaan,
until
they
had
destroyed
Jabin
king
of
Canaan.

\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then
Deborah
and
Barak
the
son
of
Abinoam
sang
on
that
day,
saying,
\par }{\Q \VS{2}“Because
the
leaders took
the lead
in
Israel,
\par }{\QB because
the
people
offered themselves
willingly,
\par }{\Q be
blessed,
LORD!
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{3}“Hear,
you
kings!
\par }{\QB Give
ear,
you princes!
\par }{\Q I, even
I,
will
sing
to
the
LORD.
\par }{\QB I
will
sing
praise
to
the
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel.
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{4}“LORD,
when
you
went
out
of
Seir,
\par }{\QB when
you
marched
out
of
the
field
of
Edom,
\par }{\Q the
earth trembled,
the
sky
also
dropped.
\par }{\QB Yes,
the
clouds
dropped
water.
\par }{\Q \VS{5}The
mountains
quaked
at
the
LORD’s
presence,
\par }{\QB even
Sinai
at
the
presence
of
the
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel.
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{6}“In
the
days
of
Shamgar
the
son
of
Anath,
\par }{\QB in
the
days
of
Jael,
the
highways
were unoccupied.
\par }{\QB The travellers
walked
through byways.
\par }{\Q \VS{7}The rulers
ceased
in
Israel.
\par }{\QB They
ceased
until
I,
Deborah,
arose;
\par }{\QB Until
I
arose
a
mother
in
Israel.
\par }{\Q \VS{8}They
chose
new
gods.
\par }{\QB Then
war
was
in
the
gates.
\par }{\QB Was there
a
shield
or
spear
seen amongst
forty
thousand
in
Israel?
\par }{\Q \VS{9}My
heart
is towards
the governors
of
Israel,
\par }{\QB who
offered themselves
willingly amongst
the
people.
\par }{\QB Bless
the
LORD!
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{10}“Speak,
you
who
ride
on
white
donkeys,
\par }{\QB you
who
sit
on rich
carpets,
\par }{\QB and
you
who
walk
by
the
way.
\par }{\Q \VS{11}Far
from
the
noise
of archers,
in
the
places
of drawing water,
\par }{\QB there
they
will rehearse
the
LORD’s
righteous
acts,
\par }{\QB the
righteous
acts
of
his rule
in
Israel.
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q “Then
the
LORD’s
people
went
down
to
the
gates.
\par }{\QB \VS{12}‘Awake,
awake,
Deborah!
\par }{\QB Awake,
awake,
utter
a
song!
\par }{\QB Arise,
Barak,
and lead
away
your
captives,
you
son
of
Abinoam.’
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{13}“Then
a
remnant
of
the
nobles
and
the
people came down.
\par }{\QB The
LORD came down
for me against
the
mighty.
\par }{\Q \VS{14}Those
whose
root
is
in
Amalek
came
out
of
Ephraim,
\par }{\QB after
you,
Benjamin, amongst
your
peoples.
\par }{\Q Governors
come
down
out
of
Machir.
\par }{\QB Those
who handle
the marshal’s
staff
came
out
of
Zebulun.
\par }{\Q \VS{15}The
princes
of
Issachar
were
with
Deborah.
\par }{\QB As
was
Issachar,
so
was
Barak.
\par }{\QB They
rushed into
the
valley
at
his
feet.
\par }{\Q By
the watercourses
of
Reuben,
\par }{\QB there
were
great resolves
of
heart.
\par }{\Q \VS{16}Why
did
you
sit amongst
the
sheepfolds?
\par }{\QB To
hear
the whistling
for
the
flocks?
\par }{\Q At
the watercourses
of
Reuben,
\par }{\QB there
were
great
searchings
of
heart.
\par }{\Q \VS{17}Gilead
lived
beyond
the
Jordan.
\par }{\QB Why
did
Dan
remain
in
ships?
\par }{\QB Asher
sat
still
at
the
haven
of
the
sea,
\par }{\QB and
lived
by
his creeks.
\par }{\Q \VS{18}Zebulun
was
a
people
that jeopardised
their
lives
to
the
death;
\par }{\QB Naphtali also,
on
the
high
places
of
the
field.
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{19}“The
kings
came
and
fought,
\par }{\QB then
the
kings
of
Canaan
fought
at
Taanach
by
the
waters
of
Megiddo.
\par }{\QB They
took
no
plunder
of
silver.
\par }{\Q \VS{20}From
the
sky
the
stars
fought.
\par }{\QB From
their
courses,
they
fought
against
Sisera.
\par }{\Q \VS{21}The
river
Kishon
swept
them
away,
\par }{\QB that
ancient
river,
the
river
Kishon.
\par }{\QB My
soul,
march
on
with
strength.
\par }{\Q \VS{22}Then
the
horse
hoofs stamped because
of
the prancing,
\par }{\QB the prancing
of
their
strong
ones.
\par }{\Q \VS{23}‘Curse
Meroz,’
said
the
LORD’s
angel.
\par }{\QB ‘Curse bitterly
its
inhabitants,
\par }{\QB because
they
didn’t
come
to
help
the
LORD,
\par }{\QB to
help
the
LORD
against
the
mighty.’
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{24}“Jael
shall
be
blessed above
women,
\par }{\QB the
wife
of
Heber
the
Kenite;
\par }{\QB blessed
shall she
be above
women
in
the
tent.
\par }{\Q \VS{25}He
asked
for
water.
\par }{\QB She
gave
him
milk.
\par }{\QB She
brought
him
butter
in
a lordly dish.
\par }{\Q \VS{26}She
put
her
hand
to
the
tent
peg,
\par }{\QB and
her
right
hand
to
the workmen’s
hammer.
\par }{\Q With
the
hammer she
struck
Sisera.
\par }{\QB She
struck
through
his
head.
\par }{\QB Yes, she
pierced
and
struck
through
his
temples.
\par }{\Q \VS{27}At
her
feet
he
bowed,
he
fell,
he
lay.
\par }{\QB At
her
feet
he
bowed,
he
fell.
\par }{\QB Where
he
bowed,
there
he
fell
down
dead.
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{28}“Through
the
window
she
looked
out,
and
cried:
\par }{\QB Sisera’s
mother
looked
through
the
lattice.
\par }{\Q ‘Why
is
his
chariot
so
long
in
coming?
\par }{\QB Why
do
the wheels
of
his
chariots
wait?’
\par }{\Q \VS{29}Her
wise
ladies
answered
her,
\par }{\QB Yes,
she
returned
answer
to
herself,
\par }{\Q \VS{30}‘Have
they
not
found,
have
they
not
divided
the
plunder?
\par }{\QB A lady,
two ladies
to
every
man;
\par }{\Q to
Sisera
a
plunder
of
dyed garments,
\par }{\QB a
plunder
of
dyed garments
embroidered,
\par }{\QB of
dyed garments
embroidered
on both sides,
on
the
necks
of
the
plunder?’
\par }{\BB \par }{\Q \VS{31}“So
let
all
your
enemies
perish,
LORD,
\par }{\QB but
let
those
who
love
him
be
as
the
sun
when
it
rises
in
its
strength.”
\par }{\BB \par }{\PP Then
the
land
had
rest
forty
years.

\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
children
of
Israel
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
so
the
LORD
delivered
them
into
the
hand
of
Midian
seven
years.
\VS{2}The
hand
of
Midian
prevailed
against
Israel;
and
because
of
Midian
the
children
of
Israel
made
themselves
the
dens
which
are
in
the
mountains,
the
caves,
and
the
strongholds.
\VS{3}So
it
was,
when
Israel
had
sown,
that
the
Midianites,
the
Amalekites,
and
the
children
of
the
east
came
up
against
them.
\VS{4}They
encamped
against
them,
and
destroyed
the
increase
of
the
earth,
until
you
come
to
Gaza.
They
left
no
sustenance
in
Israel,
and
no
sheep,
ox,
or
donkey.
\VS{5}For
they
came
up
with
their
livestock
and
their
tents.
They
came
in
as
locusts
for
multitude. Both
they
and
their
camels
were
without
number;
and
they
came
into
the
land
to
destroy
it.
\VS{6}Israel
was
brought
very
low
because
of
Midian;
and
the
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}When
the
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD
because
of
Midian,
\VS{8}The
LORD
sent
a
prophet
to
the
children
of
Israel;
and
he
said
to
them, “The
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
says, ‘I
brought
you
up
from
Egypt,
and
brought
you
out
of
the
house
of
bondage.
\VS{9}I
delivered
you
out
of
the
hand
of
the
Egyptians
and
out
of
the
hand
of
all
who
oppressed
you,
and
drove
them
out
from
before
you,
and
gave
you
their
land.
\VS{10}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
listened
to
my
voice.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}The
LORD’s
angel
came
and
sat
under
the
oak
which
was
in
Ophrah,
that belonged
to
Joash
the
Abiezrite.
His
son
Gideon
was
beating
out
wheat
in
the
wine
press,
to hide
it
from
the
Midianites.
\VS{12}The
LORD’s
angel
appeared
to
him,
and
said
to
him, “The
LORD
is
with
you,
you
mighty
man
of valour!”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}Gideon
said
to
him, “Oh,
my
lord,
if
the
LORD
is
with
us,
why
then
has
all
this
happened
to
us?
Where
are
all
his
wondrous
works
which
our
fathers
told
us
of,
saying, ‘Didn’t
the
LORD
bring
us
up
from
Egypt?’
But
now
the
LORD
has
cast
us
off,
and
delivered
us
into
the
hand
of
Midian.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}The
LORD
looked
at
him,
and
said, “Go
in
this
your
might,
and
save
Israel
from
the
hand
of
Midian.
Haven’t
I
sent
you?”
\par }{\PP \VS{15}He
said
to
him, “O
Lord,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 6:15 }
The word translated “Lord” (mixed case) is “Adonai.”}
how
shall
I
save
Israel?
Behold,
my
family
is
the poorest
in
Manasseh,
and
I
am
the
least
in
my
father’s
house.”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}The
LORD
said
to
him, “Surely
I
will
be
with
you,
and
you
shall
strike
the
Midianites
as
one
man.”
\par }{\PP \VS{17}He
said
to
him, “If
now
I
have
found favour
in
your
sight,
then
show
me
a
sign
that
it
is
you
who
talk
with
me.
\VS{18}Please
don’t
go
away
until
I
come
to
you,
and
bring
out
my
present,
and
lay
it
before
you.”
\par }{\PP He
said, “I
will
wait
until
you
come
back.”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}Gideon
went
in
and
prepared
a
young
goat
and
unleavened
cakes
of
an efah\FTNT{†}{{\FR 6:19 }
1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel}
of
meal.
He
put
the
meat
in
a
basket
and
he
put
the
broth
in
a
pot,
and
brought
it
out
to
him
under
the
oak,
and
presented
it.
\par }{\PP \VS{20}The
angel
of
God
said
to
him, “Take
the
meat
and
the
unleavened
cakes,
and lay
them
on
this
rock,
and
pour
out
the
broth.”
\par }{\PP He
did
so.
\VS{21}Then
the
LORD’s
angel
stretched
out
the
end
of
the
staff
that
was
in
his
hand,
and
touched
the
meat
and
the
unleavened
cakes;
and
fire
went
up
out
of
the
rock
and
consumed
the
meat
and
the
unleavened
cakes.
Then
the
LORD’s
angel
departed
out
of
his
sight.
\par }{\PP \VS{22}Gideon
saw
that
he
was
the
LORD’s
angel;
and
Gideon
said, “Alas,
Lord
GOD!
Because
I
have
seen
the
LORD’s
angel
face
to
face!”
\par }{\PP \VS{23}The
LORD
said
to
him, “Peace
be
to
you!
Don’t
be
afraid.
You
shall
not
die.”
\par }{\PP \VS{24}Then
Gideon
built
an
altar
there
to
the
LORD,
and
called
it “The
LORD
is
Peace.”\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 6:24 }
or, Shalom}
To
this
day
it
is
still
in
Ophrah
of
the
Abiezrites.
\par }{\PP \VS{25}That
same
night,
the
LORD
said
to
him, “Take
your
father’s
bull,
even
the
second
bull
seven
years
old,
and throw
down
the
altar
of
Baal
that
your
father
has,
and
cut
down
the
Asherah
that
is
by
it.
\VS{26}Then
build
an
altar
to
the
LORD
your
God
on
the
top
of
this
stronghold,
in
an
orderly
way,
and
take
the
second
bull,
and
offer
a
burnt
offering
with
the
wood
of
the
Asherah
which
you
shall
cut
down.”
\par }{\PP \VS{27}Then
Gideon
took
ten
men
of
his
servants,
and
did
as
the
LORD
had
spoken
to
him.
Because
he
feared
his
father’s
household
and
the
men
of
the
city,
he
could
not
do
it
by
day,
but
he
did
it
by
night.
\par }{\PP \VS{28}When
the
men
of
the
city
arose
early
in
the
morning,
behold,
the
altar
of
Baal
was
broken
down,
and
the
Asherah
was
cut
down
that
was
by
it,
and
the
second
bull
was
offered
on
the
altar
that
was
built.
\VS{29}They
said
to
one
another, “Who
has
done
this
thing?”
\par }{\PP When
they enquired
and
asked,
they
said, “Gideon
the
son
of
Joash
has
done
this
thing.”
\par }{\PP \VS{30}Then
the
men
of
the
city
said
to
Joash, “Bring
out
your
son,
that
he
may
die,
because
he
has
broken
down
the
altar
of
Baal,
and
because
he
has
cut
down
the
Asherah
that
was
by
it.”
\VS{31}Joash
said
to
all
who
stood
against
him, “Will
you
contend
for
Baal?
Or
will
you
save
him?
He
who
will
contend
for
him, let
him
be
put
to
death
by
morning!
If
he
is
a
god, let
him
contend
for
himself,
because
someone
has
broken
down
his
altar!”
\VS{32}Therefore
on
that
day
he
named
him
Jerub-Baal,\FTNT{§}{{\FR 6:32 }
“Jerub-Baal” means “Let Baal contend”.}
saying, “Let
Baal
contend
against
him,
because
he
has
broken
down
his
altar.”
\par }{\PP \VS{33}Then
all
the
Midianites
and
the
Amalekites
and
the
children
of
the
east
assembled
themselves
together;
and
they
passed
over,
and
encamped
in
the
valley
of
Jezreel.
\VS{34}But
the
LORD’s
Spirit
came
on
Gideon,
and
he
blew
a shofar;
and
Abiezer
was gathered
together
to
follow
him.
\VS{35}He
sent
messengers
throughout
all
Manasseh,
and
they
also
were gathered
together
to
follow
him.
He
sent
messengers
to
Asher,
to
Zebulun,
and
to
Naphtali;
and
they
came
up
to
meet
them.
\par }{\PP \VS{36}Gideon
said
to
God, “If
you
will
save
Israel
by
my
hand,
as
you
have
spoken,
\VS{37}behold,
I
will
put
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’ll
know
that
you
will
save
Israel
by
my
hand,
as
you
have
spoken.”
\par }{\PP \VS{38}It
was
so;
for
he
rose
up
early
on
the
next
day,
and
pressed
the
fleece together,
and wrung
the
dew
out
of
the
fleece,
a
bowl
full
of
water.
\par }{\PP \VS{39}Gideon
said
to
God, “Don’t
let
your
anger
be
kindled
against
me,
and
I
will
speak
but
this
once.
Please
let
me
make
a trial
just
this
once
with
the
fleece.
Let
it
now
be
dry
only
on
the
fleece,
and
on
all
the
ground
let
there
be
dew.”
\par }{\PP \VS{40}God
did
so
that
night;
for
it
was
dry
on
the
fleece
only,
and
there
was
dew
on
all
the
ground.

\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then
Jerubbaal,
who
is
Gideon,
and
all
the
people
who
were
with
him,
rose
up
early
and
encamped
beside
the spring
of Harod.
Midian’s
camp
was
on
the
north
side
of
them,
by
the
hill
of
Moreh,
in
the
valley.
\VS{2}The
LORD
said
to
Gideon, “The
people
who
are
with
you
are
too
many
for
me
to
give
the
Midianites
into
their
hand,
lest
Israel
brag
against
me,
saying, ‘My own
hand
has
saved
me.’
\VS{3}Now
therefore
proclaim
in
the
ears
of
the
people,
saying, ‘Whoever
is fearful
and trembling,
let
him
return
and
depart
from
Mount
Gilead.’ ”
So
twenty-two
thousand
of
the
people
returned,
and
ten
thousand
remained.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}The
LORD
said
to
Gideon, “There
are
still
too
many
people.
Bring
them
down
to
the
water,
and
I
will
test
them
for
you
there.
It
shall
be,
that
those
whom
I
tell
you, ‘This
shall
go
with
you,’
shall
go
with
you;
and
whoever
I
tell
you, ‘This
shall
not
go
with
you,’
shall
not
go.”
\VS{5}So
he
brought
down
the
people
to
the
water;
and
the
LORD
said
to
Gideon, “Everyone
who
laps
of
the
water
with
his
tongue,
like
a
dog
laps,
you
shall
set
him
by
himself;
likewise
everyone
who bows
down
on
his
knees
to
drink.”
\VS{6}The
number
of
those
who
lapped, putting
their
hand
to
their
mouth,
was
three
hundred
men;
but
all
the
rest
of
the
people
bowed
down
on
their
knees
to
drink
water.
\VS{7}The
LORD
said
to
Gideon, “I
will
save
you
by
the
three
hundred
men
who
lapped,
and
deliver
the
Midianites
into
your
hand.
Let
all
the
other
people go,
each
to
his
own
place.”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}So
the
people
took
food
in
their
hand,
and
their shofars\FTNT{*}{{\FR 7:8 }
or, trumpets};
and
he
sent
all
the
rest
of
the
men
of
Israel
to
their
own
tents,
but
retained
the
three
hundred
men;
and
the
camp
of
Midian
was
beneath
him
in
the
valley.
\VS{9}That
same
night,
the
LORD
said
to
him, “Arise,
go
down
into
the
camp,
for
I
have
delivered
it
into
your
hand.
\VS{10}But
if
you
are
afraid
to
go
down,
go
with
Purah
your
servant
down
to
the
camp.
\VS{11}You
will
hear
what
they
say;
and
afterward
your
hands
will
be
strengthened
to
go
down
into
the
camp.”
Then
went
he
down
with
Purah
his
servant
to
the outermost
part
of
the armed
men
who
were
in
the
camp.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}The
Midianites
and
the
Amalekites
and
all
the
children
of
the
east
lay
along
in
the
valley
like
locusts
for
multitude;
and
their
camels
were
without
number,
as
the
sand which
is
on
the
seashore
for
multitude.
\par }{\PP \VS{13}When
Gideon
had
come,
behold,
there
was
a
man
telling
a
dream
to
his
fellow.
He
said, “Behold,
I dreamt
a
dream;
and
behold,
a cake
of
barley
bread tumbled
into
the
camp
of
Midian,
came
to
the
tent,
and
struck
it
so
that
it
fell,
and
turned
it
upside
down,
so
that
the
tent
lay
flat.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}His
fellow
answered, “This
is
nothing
other
than
the
sword
of
Gideon
the
son
of
Joash,
a
man
of
Israel.
God
has
delivered
Midian
into
his
hand,
with
all
the
army.”
\par }{\PP \VS{15}It
was
so,
when
Gideon
heard
the
telling
of
the
dream
and
its
interpretation,
that
he worshipped.
Then
he
returned
into
the
camp
of
Israel
and
said, “Arise,
for
the
LORD
has
delivered
the
army
of
Midian
into
your
hand!”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}He
divided
the
three
hundred
men
into
three
companies,
and
he
put
into
the
hands
of
all
of
them shofars\FTNT{†}{{\FR 7:16 }
or, trumpets}
and
empty
pitchers,
with
torches
within
the
pitchers.
\par }{\PP \VS{17}He
said
to
them, “Watch
me,
and
do
likewise.
Behold,
when
I
come
to
the outermost
part
of
the
camp,
it
shall
be
that,
as
I
do,
so
you
shall
do.
\VS{18}When
I
blow
the shofar,
I
and
all
who
are
with
me,
then
blow
the shofars\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 7:18 }
or, trumpets}
also
on
every
side
of
all
the
camp,
and shout, ‘For
the
LORD
and
for
Gideon!’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}So
Gideon
and
the
hundred
men
who
were
with
him
came
to
the outermost
part
of
the
camp
in
the
beginning
of
the
middle
watch,
when
they
had
but newly
set
the
watch.
Then
they
blew
the shofars\FTNT{§}{{\FR 7:19 }
or, trumpets}
and broke
in pieces
the
pitchers
that
were
in
their
hands.
\VS{20}The
three
companies
blew
the shofars\FTNT{*}{{\FR 7:20 }
or, trumpets},
broke
the
pitchers,
and
held
the
torches
in
their
left
hands
and
the shofars\FTNT{†}{{\FR 7:20 }
or, trumpets}
in
their
right
hands
with
which
to
blow;
and
they
shouted, “The
sword
of
the
LORD
and
of
Gideon!”
\VS{21}They
each
stood
in
his
place
around
the
camp,
and
all
the
army
ran;
and
they
shouted,
and
put
them
to
flight.
\VS{22}They
blew
the
three
hundred shofars\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 7:22 }
or, trumpets},
and
the
LORD
set
every
man’s
sword
against
his
fellow
and
against
all
the
army;
and
the
army
fled
as
far
as Beth Shittah towards
Zererah,
as
far
as
the border
of Abel Meholah,
by
Tabbath.
\VS{23}The
men
of
Israel
were gathered
together
out
of
Naphtali,
out
of
Asher,
and
out
of
all
Manasseh,
and
pursued
Midian.
\VS{24}Gideon
sent
messengers
throughout
all
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
saying, “Come
down
against
Midian
and
take
the
waters
before
them
as
far
as Beth Barah,
even
the
Jordan!”
So
all
the
men
of
Ephraim
were gathered
together
and
took
the
waters
as
far
as Beth Barah,
even
the
Jordan.
\VS{25}They
took
the
two
princes
of
Midian,
Oreb
and
Zeeb.
They
killed
Oreb
at Oreb’s
rock,
and
Zeeb
they
killed
at Zeeb’s
wine
press,
as
they
pursued
Midian.
Then
they
brought
the
heads
of
Oreb
and
Zeeb
to
Gideon
beyond
the
Jordan.

\par }\Chap{8}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
men
of
Ephraim
said
to
him, “Why
have
you
treated
us
this
way,
that
you didn’t
call
us
when
you
went
to
fight
with
Midian?”
They rebuked
him sharply.
\VS{2}He
said
to
them, “What
have
I
now
done
in comparison
with
you?
Isn’t
the
gleaning
of
the grapes
of
Ephraim
better
than
the
vintage
of
Abiezer?
\VS{3}God
has
delivered
into
your
hand
the
princes
of
Midian,
Oreb
and
Zeeb!
What
was
I
able
to
do
in comparison
with
you?”
Then
their
anger
was abated towards
him
when
he
had
said
that.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}Gideon
came
to
the
Jordan
and
passed
over,
he
and
the
three
hundred
men
who
were
with
him,
faint,
yet
pursuing.
\VS{5}He
said
to
the
men
of
Succoth, “Please
give
loaves
of
bread
to
the
people
who
follow
me;
for
they
are
faint,
and
I
am
pursuing
after
Zebah
and
Zalmunna,
the
kings
of
Midian.”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
princes
of
Succoth
said, “Are
the
hands
of
Zebah
and
Zalmunna
now
in
your
hand,
that
we
should
give
bread
to
your
army?”
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Gideon
said, “Therefore
when
the
LORD
has
delivered
Zebah
and
Zalmunna
into
my
hand,
then
I
will tear
your
flesh
with
the
thorns
of
the
wilderness
and
with
briers.”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}He
went
up
there
to
Penuel,
and
spoke
to
them
in
the
same
way;
and
the
men
of
Penuel
answered
him
as
the
men
of
Succoth
had
answered.
\VS{9}He
spoke
also
to
the
men
of
Penuel,
saying, “When
I
come
again
in
peace,
I
will
break
down
this
tower.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Now
Zebah
and
Zalmunna
were
in Karkor,
and
their
armies
with
them,
about
fifteen
thousand
men,
all
who
were
left
of
all
the
army
of
the
children
of
the
east;
for
there
fell
one
hundred
and
twenty
thousand
men
who
drew
sword.
\VS{11}Gideon
went
up
by
the
way
of
those
who
lived
in
tents
on
the
east
of
Nobah
and
Jogbehah,
and
struck
the
army;
for
the
army felt
secure.
\VS{12}Zebah
and
Zalmunna
fled
and
he
pursued
them.
He
took
the
two
kings
of
Midian,
Zebah
and
Zalmunna,
and confused
all
the
army.
\VS{13}Gideon
the
son
of
Joash
returned
from
the
battle
from
the
ascent
of Heres.
\VS{14}He
caught
a
young
man
of
the
men
of
Succoth,
and enquired
of
him;
and
he
described
for
him
the
princes
of
Succoth,
and
its
elders,
seventy-seven
men.
\VS{15}He
came
to
the
men
of
Succoth,
and
said, “See
Zebah
and
Zalmunna,
concerning
whom
you
taunted
me,
saying, ‘Are
the
hands
of
Zebah
and
Zalmunna
now
in
your
hand,
that
we
should
give
bread
to
your
men
who
are
weary?’ ”
\VS{16}He
took
the
elders
of
the
city,
and
thorns
of
the
wilderness
and
briers,
and
with
them
he
taught
the
men
of
Succoth.
\VS{17}He
broke
down
the
tower
of
Penuel,
and
killed
the
men
of
the
city.
\par }{\PP \VS{18}Then
he
said
to
Zebah
and
Zalmunna, “What
kind
of
men
were
they
whom
you
killed
at
Tabor?”
\par }{\PP They
answered, “They
were
like
you.
They
all resembled
the
children
of
a
king.”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}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.”
\par }{\PP \VS{20}He
said
to
Jether
his
firstborn, “Get
up
and
kill
them!”
But
the
youth
didn’t
draw
his
sword;
for
he
was
afraid,
because
he
was
yet
a
youth.
\par }{\PP \VS{21}Then
Zebah
and
Zalmunna
said, “You
rise
and
fall
on
us;
for
as
the
man
is,
so
is
his
strength.”
Gideon
arose,
and
killed
Zebah
and
Zalmunna,
and
took
the crescents
that
were
on
their
camels’
necks.
\par }{\PP \VS{22}Then
the
men
of
Israel
said
to
Gideon, “Rule
over
us,
both
you,
your
son,
and
your
son’s
son
also;
for
you
have
saved
us
out
of
the
hand
of
Midian.”
\par }{\PP \VS{23}Gideon
said
to
them, “I
will
not
rule
over
you,
neither
shall
my
son
rule
over
you.
The
LORD
shall
rule
over
you.”
\VS{24}Gideon
said
to
them, “I do
have
a
request:
that
you
would
each
give
me
the
earrings
of
his
plunder.” (For
they
had
golden
earrings,
because
they
were
Ishmaelites.)
\par }{\PP \VS{25}They
answered, “We
will willingly
give
them.”
They
spread
a
garment,
and
every
man
threw
the
earrings
of
his
plunder
into
it.
\VS{26}The
weight
of
the
golden
earrings
that
he
requested
was
one
thousand
and
seven
hundred
shekels\FTNT{*}{{\FR 8:26 }
A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 1700 shekels is about 17 kilograms or 37.4 pounds.}
of
gold,
in
addition
to
the crescents,
and
the
pendants,
and
the
purple
clothing
that
was
on
the
kings
of
Midian,
and
in
addition
to
the chains
that
were
about
their
camels’
necks.
\VS{27}Gideon
made
an
ephod
out
of
it,
and
put
it
in
Ophrah,
his
city.
Then
all
Israel
played
the
prostitute
with
it
there;
and
it
became
a
snare
to
Gideon
and
to
his
house.
\VS{28}So
Midian
was
subdued
before
the
children
of
Israel,
and
they
lifted
up
their
heads
no
more.
The
land
had
rest
forty
years
in
the
days
of
Gideon.
\par }{\PP \VS{29}Jerubbaal
the
son
of
Joash
went
and
lived
in
his own
house.
\VS{30}Gideon
had
seventy
sons conceived
from
his body,
for
he
had
many
wives.
\VS{31}His
concubine
who
was
in
Shechem
also
bore
him
a
son,
and
he
named
him
Abimelech.
\VS{32}Gideon
the
son
of
Joash
died
in
a
good
old
age,
and
was
buried
in
the
tomb
of
Joash
his
father,
in
Ophrah
of
the
Abiezrites.
\par }{\PP \VS{33}As soon
as
Gideon
was
dead,
the
children
of
Israel
turned
again
and
played
the
prostitute
following
the
Baals,
and
made
Baal Berith
their
god.
\VS{34}The
children
of
Israel
didn’t
remember
the
LORD
their
God,
who
had
delivered
them
out
of
the
hand
of
all
their
enemies
on
every
side;
\VS{35}neither
did
they
show
kindness
to
the
house
of
Jerubbaal,
that
is,
Gideon, according
to
all
the goodness
which
he
had
shown
to
Israel.

\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Abimelech
the
son
of
Jerubbaal
went
to
Shechem
to
his
mother’s
brothers,
and
spoke
with
them
and
with
all
the
family
of
the
house
of
his
mother’s
father,
saying,
\VS{2}“Please
speak
in
the
ears
of
all
the
men
of
Shechem, ‘Is
it
better
for
you
that
all
the
sons
of
Jerubbaal,
who
are
seventy
persons,
rule
over
you,
or
that
one
rule
over
you?’
Remember
also
that
I
am
your
bone
and
your
flesh.”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}His
mother’s
brothers
spoke
of
him
in
the
ears
of
all
the
men
of
Shechem
all
these
words.
Their
hearts
inclined
to
follow
Abimelech;
for
they
said, “He
is
our
brother.”
\VS{4}They
gave
him
seventy pieces
of
silver
out
of
the
house
of Baal Berith,
with
which
Abimelech
hired vain
and
reckless
fellows
who
followed
him.
\VS{5}He
went
to
his
father’s
house
at
Ophrah,
and
killed
his
brothers
the
sons
of
Jerubbaal,
being
seventy
persons,
on
one
stone;
but
Jotham
the
youngest
son
of
Jerubbaal
was
left,
for
he
hid
himself.
\VS{6}All
the
men
of
Shechem
assembled
themselves
together
with
all
the
house
of
Millo,
and
went
and
made
Abimelech
king
by
the
oak
of
the
pillar
that
was
in
Shechem.
\VS{7}When
they
told
it
to
Jotham,
he
went
and
stood
on
the
top
of
Mount
Gerizim
and
lifted
up
his
voice,
cried
out,
and
said
to
them, “Listen
to
me,
you
men
of
Shechem,
that
God
may
listen
to
you.
\VS{8}The
trees
set
out
to
anoint
a
king
over
themselves.
They
said
to
the
olive
tree, ‘Reign
over
us.’
\par }{\PP \VS{9}“But
the
olive
tree
said
to
them, ‘Should
I
stop producing
my oil,
with
which
they honour
God
and
man
by
me,
and
go
to
wave
back
and
forth
over
the
trees?’
\par }{\PP \VS{10}“The
trees
said
to
the
fig
tree, ‘Come
and
reign
over
us.’
\par }{\PP \VS{11}“But
the
fig
tree
said
to
them, ‘Should
I
leave
my
sweetness,
and
my
good
fruit,
and
go
to
wave
back
and
forth
over
the
trees?’
\par }{\PP \VS{12}“The
trees
said
to
the
vine, ‘Come
and
reign
over
us.’
\par }{\PP \VS{13}“The
vine
said
to
them, ‘Should
I
leave
my
new
wine,
which
cheers
God
and
man,
and
go
to
wave
back
and
forth
over
the
trees?’
\par }{\PP \VS{14}“Then
all
the
trees
said
to
the
bramble, ‘Come
and
reign
over
us.’
\par }{\PP \VS{15}“The
bramble
said
to
the
trees, ‘If
in
truth
you
anoint
me
king
over
you,
then
come
and
take
refuge
in
my
shade;
and
if
not, let
fire
come
out
of
the
bramble,
and
devour
the
cedars
of
Lebanon.’
\par }{\PP \VS{16}“Now
therefore,
if
you
have dealt
truly
and righteously,
in
that
you
have
made
Abimelech
king,
and
if
you
have dealt
well
with
Jerubbaal
and
his
house,
and
have
done
to
him
according
to
the deserving
of
his
hands
\VS{17}(for
my
father
fought
for
you, risked
his
life,
and
delivered
you
out
of
the
hand
of
Midian;
\VS{18}and
you
have
risen
up
against
my
father’s
house
today
and
have
slain
his
sons,
seventy
persons,
on
one
stone,
and
have made
Abimelech,
the
son
of
his
female
servant,
king
over
the
men
of
Shechem,
because
he
is
your
brother);
\VS{19}if
you
then
have dealt
truly
and righteously
with
Jerubbaal
and
with
his
house
today,
then
rejoice
in
Abimelech,
and
let
him
also
rejoice
in
you;
\VS{20}but
if
not, let
fire
come
out
from
Abimelech
and
devour
the
men
of
Shechem
and
the
house
of
Millo;
and let
fire
come
out
from
the
men
of
Shechem
and
from
the
house
of
Millo
and
devour
Abimelech.”
\par }{\PP \VS{21}Jotham
ran
away
and
fled,
and
went
to
Beer\FTNT{*}{{\FR 9:21 }
“Beer” is Hebrew for “well”, i.e., a village named for its well.}
and
lived
there,
for fear
of
Abimelech
his
brother.
\par }{\PP \VS{22}Abimelech
was prince
over
Israel
three
years.
\VS{23}Then
God
sent
an
evil
spirit
between
Abimelech
and
the
men
of
Shechem;
and
the
men
of
Shechem
dealt
treacherously
with
Abimelech,
\VS{24}that
the
violence
done
to
the
seventy
sons
of
Jerubbaal
might
come,
and
that
their
blood
might
be
laid
on
Abimelech
their
brother
who
killed
them,
and
on
the
men
of
Shechem
who
strengthened
his
hands
to
kill
his
brothers.
\VS{25}The
men
of
Shechem
set
an
ambush
for
him
on
the
tops
of
the
mountains,
and
they
robbed
all
who came
along
that
way
by
them;
and
Abimelech
was
told
about
it.
\par }{\PP \VS{26}Gaal
the
son
of
Ebed
came
with
his
brothers
and
went
over
to
Shechem;
and
the
men
of
Shechem
put
their
trust
in
him.
\VS{27}They
went
out
into
the
field,
harvested
their
vineyards,
trod
the grapes,
celebrated,
and
went
into
the
house
of
their
god
and
ate
and
drank,
and
cursed
Abimelech.
\VS{28}Gaal
the
son
of
Ebed
said, “Who
is
Abimelech,
and
who
is
Shechem,
that
we
should
serve
him?
Isn’t
he
the
son
of
Jerubbaal?
Isn’t
Zebul
his
officer?
Serve
the
men
of
Hamor
the
father
of
Shechem,
but
why
should
we
serve
him?
\VS{29}I
wish
that
this
people
were
under
my
hand!
Then
I
would
remove
Abimelech.”
He
said
to
Abimelech, “Increase
your
army
and
come
out!”
\par }{\PP \VS{30}When
Zebul
the
ruler
of
the
city
heard
the
words
of
Gaal
the
son
of
Ebed,
his
anger burnt.
\VS{31}He
sent
messengers
to
Abimelech craftily,
saying, “Behold,
Gaal
the
son
of
Ebed
and
his
brothers
have
come
to
Shechem;
and
behold,
they incite
the
city
against
you.
\VS{32}Now
therefore,
go
up
by
night,
you
and
the
people
who
are
with
you,
and
lie
in
wait
in
the
field.
\VS{33}It
shall
be
that
in
the
morning,
as
soon
as
the
sun
is
up,
you
shall
rise
early
and
rush
on
the
city.
Behold,
when
he
and
the
people
who
are
with
him
come
out
against
you,
then
may
you
do
to
them
as
you
shall
find
occasion.”
\par }{\PP \VS{34}Abimelech
rose
up,
and
all
the
people
who
were
with
him,
by
night,
and
they laid
wait
against
Shechem
in
four
companies.
\VS{35}Gaal
the
son
of
Ebed
went
out,
and
stood
in
the
entrance
of
the
gate
of
the
city.
Abimelech
rose
up,
and
the
people
who
were
with
him,
from
the
ambush.
\par }{\PP \VS{36}When
Gaal
saw
the
people,
he
said
to
Zebul, “Behold,
people
are
coming
down
from
the
tops
of
the
mountains.”
\par }{\PP Zebul
said
to
him, “You
see
the
shadows
of
the
mountains
as
if
they
were
men.”
\par }{\PP \VS{37}Gaal
spoke
again
and
said, “Behold,
people
are
coming
down
by
the middle
of
the
land,
and
one
company
comes
by
the
way
of
the
oak
of Meonenim.”
\par }{\PP \VS{38}Then
Zebul
said
to
him, “Now
where
is
your
mouth,
that
you
said, ‘Who
is
Abimelech,
that
we
should
serve
him?’
Isn’t
this
the
people
that
you
have despised?
Please
go
out
now
and
fight
with
them.”
\par }{\PP \VS{39}Gaal
went
out
before
the
men
of
Shechem,
and
fought
with
Abimelech.
\VS{40}Abimelech
chased
him,
and
he
fled
before
him,
and
many
fell
wounded,
even
to
the
entrance
of
the
gate.
\VS{41}Abimelech
lived
at
Arumah;
and
Zebul
drove
out
Gaal
and
his
brothers,
that they should not
dwell
in
Shechem.
\VS{42}On
the
next
day,
the
people
went
out
into
the
field;
and
they
told
Abimelech.
\VS{43}He
took
the
people
and
divided
them
into
three
companies,
and
laid
wait
in
the
field;
and
he
looked,
and
behold,
the
people
came
out
of
the
city.
So,
he
rose
up
against
them
and
struck
them.
\VS{44}Abimelech
and
the
companies
that
were
with
him
rushed forward
and
stood
in
the
entrance
of
the
gate
of
the
city;
and
the
two
companies
rushed
on
all
who
were
in
the
field
and
struck
them.
\VS{45}Abimelech
fought
against
the
city
all
that
day;
and
he
took
the
city
and
killed
the
people
in
it.
He beat
down
the
city
and
sowed
it
with
salt.
\par }{\PP \VS{46}When
all
the
men
of
the
tower
of
Shechem
heard
of
it,
they
entered
into
the stronghold
of
the
house
of Elberith.
\VS{47}Abimelech
was
told
that
all
the
men
of
the
tower
of
Shechem
were
gathered
together.
\VS{48}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 bough
from
the
trees,
and
took
it
up,
and
laid
it
on
his
shoulder.
Then
he
said
to
the
people
who
were
with
him, “What
you
have
seen
me
do,
make
haste,
and
do
as
I
have
done!”
\VS{49}All
the
people
likewise
each
cut
down
his bough,
followed
Abimelech,
and
put
them
at
the base
of
the stronghold,
and
set
the stronghold
on
fire
over
them,
so
that
all
the
people
of
the
tower
of
Shechem
died
also,
about
a
thousand
men
and
women.
\VS{50}Then
Abimelech
went
to
Thebez
and
encamped
against
Thebez,
and
took
it.
\VS{51}But
there
was
a
strong
tower
within
the
city,
and
all
the
men
and
women
of
the
city
fled
there,
and
shut
themselves
in,
and
went
up
to
the
roof
of
the
tower.
\VS{52}Abimelech
came
to
the
tower
and
fought
against
it,
and
came
near
to
the
door
of
the
tower
to
burn
it
with
fire.
\VS{53}A
certain
woman
cast
an
upper
millstone
on
Abimelech’s
head,
and
broke
his
skull.
\par }{\PP \VS{54}Then
he
called hastily
to
the
young
man,
his armour
bearer,
and
said
to
him, “Draw
your
sword
and
kill
me,
that
men
not
say
of
me, ‘A
woman
killed
him.’
His
young
man
thrust
him
through,
and
he
died.”
\par }{\PP \VS{55}When
the
men
of
Israel
saw
that
Abimelech
was
dead,
they
each departed
to
his
place.
\VS{56}Thus
God
repaid
the
wickedness
of
Abimelech,
which
he
did
to
his
father
in
killing
his
seventy
brothers;
\VS{57}and
God
repaid
all
the
wickedness
of
the
men
of
Shechem
on
their
heads;
and
the
curse
of
Jotham
the
son
of
Jerubbaal
came
on
them.

\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}After
Abimelech,
Tola
the
son
of
Puah,
the
son
of
Dodo,
a
man
of
Issachar,
arose
to
save
Israel.
He
lived
in Shamir
in
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim.
\VS{2}He
judged
Israel twenty-three
years,
and
died,
and
was
buried
in Shamir.
\par }{\PP \VS{3}After
him
Jair,
the
Gileadite,
arose.
He
judged
Israel
twenty-two
years.
\VS{4}He
had
thirty
sons
who
rode
on
thirty donkey
colts.
They
had
thirty
cities,
which
are
called Havvoth Jair
to
this
day,
which
are
in
the
land
of
Gilead.
\VS{5}Jair
died,
and was
buried
in
Kamon.
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
children
of
Israel
again
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight,
and
served
the
Baals,
the
Ashtaroth,
the
gods
of
Syria,
the
gods
of
Sidon,
the
gods
of
Moab,
the
gods
of
the
children
of
Ammon,
and
the
gods
of
the
Philistines.
They
abandoned
the
LORD,
and
didn’t
serve
him.
\VS{7}The
LORD’s
anger burnt
against
Israel,
and
he
sold
them
into
the
hand
of
the
Philistines
and
into
the
hand
of
the
children
of
Ammon.
\VS{8}They troubled
and
oppressed
the
children
of
Israel
that
year.
For
eighteen
years
they
oppressed
all
the
children
of
Israel
that
were
beyond
the
Jordan
in
the
land
of
the
Amorites,
which
is
in
Gilead.
\VS{9}The
children
of
Ammon
passed
over
the
Jordan
to
fight
also
against
Judah,
and
against
Benjamin,
and
against
the
house
of
Ephraim,
so
that
Israel
was
very distressed.
\VS{10}The
children
of
Israel
cried
to
the
LORD,
saying, “We
have
sinned
against
you,
even
because
we
have forsaken
our
God,
and
have
served
the
Baals.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}The
LORD
said
to
the
children
of
Israel, “Didn’t
I save
you
from
the
Egyptians,
and
from
the
Amorites,
from
the
children
of
Ammon,
and
from
the
Philistines?
\VS{12}The
Sidonians
also,
and
the
Amalekites,
and
the
Maonites,
oppressed
you;
and
you
cried
to
me,
and
I
saved
you
out
of
their
hand.
\VS{13}Yet
you
have forsaken
me
and
served
other
gods.
Therefore
I
will
save
you
no
more.
\VS{14}Go
and
cry
to
the
gods
which
you
have
chosen.
Let
them
save
you
in
the
time
of
your
distress!”
\par }{\PP \VS{15}The
children
of
Israel
said
to
the
LORD, “We
have
sinned!
Do
to
us
whatever
seems
good
to
you;
only
deliver
us,
please,
today.”
\VS{16}They
put
away
the
foreign
gods
from amongst
them
and
served
the
LORD;
and
his
soul
was grieved
for
the
misery
of
Israel.
\par }{\PP \VS{17}Then
the
children
of
Ammon
were
gathered
together
and
encamped
in
Gilead.
The
children
of
Israel
assembled
themselves
together
and
encamped
in
Mizpah.
\VS{18}The
people,
the
princes
of
Gilead,
said
to
one
another, “Who
is
the
man
who
will
begin
to
fight
against
the
children
of
Ammon?
He
shall
be
head
over
all
the
inhabitants
of
Gilead.”

\par }\Chap{11}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now
Jephthah
the
Gileadite
was
a
mighty
man
of valour.
He
was
the
son
of
a
prostitute.
Gilead
became
the
father
of
Jephthah.
\VS{2}Gilead’s
wife
bore
him
sons.
When
his
wife’s
sons
grew
up,
they
drove
Jephthah
out
and
said
to
him, “You
will
not
inherit
in
our
father’s
house,
for
you
are
the
son
of
another
woman.”
\VS{3}Then
Jephthah
fled
from
his
brothers
and
lived
in
the
land
of
Tob. Outlaws
joined
up
with
Jephthah,
and
they
went
out
with
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}After
a
while,
the
children
of
Ammon
made war
against
Israel.
\VS{5}When
the
children
of
Ammon
made war
against
Israel,
the
elders
of
Gilead
went
to
get
Jephthah
out
of
the
land
of
Tob.
\VS{6}They
said
to
Jephthah, “Come
and
be
our
chief,
that we
may
fight
with
the
children
of
Ammon.”
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Jephthah
said
to
the
elders
of
Gilead, “Didn’t
you
hate
me,
and
drive
me
out
of
my
father’s
house?
Why
have
you
come
to
me
now
when
you
are
in
distress?”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}The
elders
of
Gilead
said
to
Jephthah, “Therefore
we
have
turned
again
to
you
now,
that
you
may
go
with
us
and
fight
with
the
children
of
Ammon.
You
will
be
our
head
over
all
the
inhabitants
of
Gilead.”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}Jephthah
said
to
the
elders
of
Gilead, “If
you
bring
me
home
again
to
fight
with
the
children
of
Ammon,
and
the
LORD
delivers
them
before
me,
will
I
be
your
head?”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}The
elders
of
Gilead
said
to
Jephthah, “The
LORD
will
be
witness
between
us.
Surely
we
will
do
what
you
say.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}Then
Jephthah
went
with
the
elders
of
Gilead,
and
the
people
made
him
head
and
chief
over
them.
Jephthah
spoke
all
his
words
before
the
LORD
in
Mizpah.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}Jephthah
sent
messengers
to
the
king
of
the
children
of
Ammon,
saying, “What
do
you
have
to
do
with
me,
that
you
have
come
to
me
to
fight
against
my
land?”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}The
king
of
the
children
of
Ammon
answered
the
messengers
of
Jephthah, “Because
Israel
took
away
my
land
when
he
came
up
out
of
Egypt,
from
the
Arnon
even
to
the
Jabbok,
and
to
the
Jordan.
Now
therefore
restore
that
territory
again
peaceably.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}Jephthah
sent
messengers
again
to
the
king
of
the
children
of
Ammon;
\VS{15}and
he
said
to
him, “Jephthah
says:
Israel
didn’t
take
away
the
land
of
Moab,
nor
the
land
of
the
children
of
Ammon;
\VS{16}but
when
they
came
up
from
Egypt,
and
Israel
went
through
the
wilderness
to
the
Sea
of Suf,
and
came
to
Kadesh,
\VS{17}then
Israel
sent
messengers
to
the
king
of
Edom,
saying, ‘Please
let
me
pass
through
your
land;’
but
the
king
of
Edom
didn’t
listen.
In
the same
way,
he
sent
to
the
king
of
Moab,
but
he
refused;
so
Israel
stayed
in
Kadesh.
\VS{18}Then
they
went
through
the
wilderness,
and
went
around
the
land
of
Edom,
and
the
land
of
Moab,
and
came
by
the
east
side
of
the
land
of
Moab,
and
they
encamped
on
the
other
side
of
the
Arnon;
but
they
didn’t
come
within
the
border
of
Moab,
for
the
Arnon
was
the
border
of
Moab.
\VS{19}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
my
place.’
\VS{20}But
Sihon
didn’t
trust
Israel
to
pass
through
his
border;
but
Sihon
gathered
all
his
people
together,
and
encamped
in
Jahaz,
and
fought
against
Israel.
\VS{21}The
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
delivered
Sihon
and
all
his
people
into
the
hand
of
Israel,
and
they
struck
them.
So
Israel
possessed
all
the
land
of
the
Amorites,
the
inhabitants
of
that
country.
\VS{22}They
possessed
all
the
border
of
the
Amorites,
from
the
Arnon
even
to
the
Jabbok,
and
from
the
wilderness
even
to
the
Jordan.
\VS{23}So
now
the
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
has
dispossessed
the
Amorites
from
before
his
people
Israel,
and
should
you
possess
them?
\VS{24}Won’t
you
possess
that
which
Chemosh
your
god
gives
you
to
possess?
So
whoever
the
LORD
our
God
has
dispossessed
from
before
us,
them
will
we
possess.
\VS{25}Now
are
you anything
better
than
Balak
the
son
of
Zippor,
king
of
Moab? Did
he
ever
strive
against
Israel,
or did
he
ever
fight
against
them?
\VS{26}Israel
lived
in
Heshbon
and
its
towns,
and
in
Aroer
and
its
towns,
and
in
all
the
cities
that
are
along
the
side
of
the
Arnon
for
three
hundred
years!
Why
didn’t
you
recover
them
within
that
time?
\VS{27}Therefore
I
have
not
sinned
against
you,
but
you
do
me
wrong
to war
against
me.
May
The
LORD
the
Judge
be
judge
today
between
the
children
of
Israel
and
the
children
of
Ammon.”
\par }{\PP \VS{28}However,
the
king
of
the
children
of
Ammon
didn’t
listen
to
the
words
of
Jephthah
which
he
sent
him.
\VS{29}Then
the
LORD’s
Spirit
came
on
Jephthah,
and
he
passed
over
Gilead
and
Manasseh,
and
passed
over
Mizpah
of
Gilead,
and
from
Mizpah
of
Gilead
he
passed
over
to
the
children
of
Ammon.
\par }{\PP \VS{30}Jephthah
vowed
a
vow
to
the
LORD,
and
said, “If
you
will
indeed
deliver
the
children
of
Ammon
into
my
hand,
\VS{31}then
it
shall
be,
that
whatever
comes
out
of
the
doors
of
my
house
to
meet
me
when
I
return
in
peace
from
the
children
of
Ammon,
it
shall
be
the
LORD’s,
and
I
will
offer
it
up
for
a
burnt
offering.”
\par }{\PP \VS{32}So
Jephthah
passed
over
to
the
children
of
Ammon
to
fight
against
them;
and
the
LORD
delivered
them
into
his
hand.
\VS{33}He
struck
them
from
Aroer
until
you
come
to
Minnith,
even
twenty
cities,
and
to Abelcheramim,
with
a
very
great
slaughter.
So
the
children
of
Ammon
were
subdued
before
the
children
of
Israel.
\par }{\PP \VS{34}Jephthah
came
to
Mizpah
to
his
house;
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.
\VS{35}When
he
saw
her,
he
tore
his
clothes,
and
said, “Alas,
my
daughter!
You
have
brought
me
very
low,
and
you
are
one
of
those
who
trouble
me;
for
I
have
opened
my
mouth
to
the
LORD,
and
I
can’t
go
back.”
\par }{\PP \VS{36}She
said
to
him, “My
father,
you
have
opened
your
mouth
to
the
LORD;
do
to
me
according
to
that
which
has
proceeded
out
of
your
mouth,
because
the
LORD
has
taken
vengeance
for
you
on
your
enemies,
even
on
the
children
of
Ammon.”
\VS{37}Then
she
said
to
her
father, “Let
this
thing
be
done
for
me.
Leave
me
alone
two
months,
that
I
may depart
and
go
down
on
the
mountains,
and
bewail
my
virginity,
I
and
my companions.”
\par }{\PP \VS{38}He
said, “Go.”
He
sent
her
away
for
two
months;
and
she departed,
she
and
her
companions,
and
mourned
her
virginity
on
the
mountains.
\VS{39}At
the
end
of
two
months,
she
returned
to
her
father,
who
did
with
her
according
to
his
vow
which
he
had
vowed.
She
was
a virgin.
It
became
a
custom
in
Israel
\VS{40}that
the
daughters
of
Israel went
yearly
to celebrate
the
daughter
of
Jephthah
the
Gileadite
four
days
in
a
year.

\par }\Chap{12}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
men
of
Ephraim
were gathered
together,
and
passed
northward;
and
they
said
to
Jephthah, “Why
did
you
pass
over
to
fight
against
the
children
of
Ammon,
and
didn’t
call
us
to
go
with
you? We
will
burn
your
house
around
you
with
fire!”
\par }{\PP \VS{2}Jephthah
said
to
them, “I
and
my
people
were
at
great
strife
with
the
children
of
Ammon;
and
when
I
called
you,
you
didn’t
save
me
out
of
their
hand.
\VS{3}When
I
saw
that
you didn’t
save
me,
I
put
my
life
in
my
hand,
and
passed
over
against
the
children
of
Ammon,
and
the
LORD
delivered
them
into
my
hand.
Why
then
have
you
come
up
to
me
today,
to
fight
against
me?”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}Then
Jephthah
gathered
together
all
the
men
of
Gilead,
and
fought
with
Ephraim.
The
men
of
Gilead
struck
Ephraim,
because
they
said, “You
are
fugitives
of
Ephraim,
you
Gileadites,
in
the
middle
of
Ephraim,
and
in
the
middle
of
Manasseh.”
\VS{5}The
Gileadites
took
the fords
of
the
Jordan
against
the
Ephraimites.
Whenever
a
fugitive
of
Ephraim
said, “Let
me
go
over,”
the
men
of
Gilead
said
to
him, “Are
you
an
Ephraimite?”
If
he
said, “No;”
\VS{6}then
they
said
to
him, “Now
say ‘Shibboleth;’ ”
and
he
said “Sibboleth”;
for
he
couldn’t manage
to
pronounce
it
correctly,
then
they
seized
him
and
killed
him
at
the fords
of
the
Jordan.
At
that
time,
forty-two
thousand
of
Ephraim
fell.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Jephthah
judged
Israel
six
years.
Then
Jephthah
the
Gileadite
died,
and
was
buried
in
the
cities
of
Gilead.
\par }{\PP \VS{8}After
him
Ibzan
of
Bethlehem
judged
Israel.
\VS{9}He
had
thirty
sons.
He
sent
his
thirty
daughters
outside
his clan,
and
he
brought
in
thirty
daughters
from
outside
his clan
for
his
sons.
He
judged
Israel
seven
years.
\VS{10}Ibzan
died,
and was
buried
at
Bethlehem.
\par }{\PP \VS{11}After
him,
Elon
the
Zebulunite
judged
Israel;
and
he
judged
Israel
ten
years.
\VS{12}Elon
the
Zebulunite
died,
and
was
buried
in
Aijalon
in
the
land
of
Zebulun.
\par }{\PP \VS{13}After
him,
Abdon
the
son
of
Hillel
the
Pirathonite
judged
Israel.
\VS{14}He
had
forty
sons
and
thirty
sons’
sons
who
rode
on
seventy donkey
colts.
He
judged
Israel
eight
years.
\VS{15}Abdon
the
son
of
Hillel
the
Pirathonite
died,
and
was
buried
in
Pirathon
in
the
land
of
Ephraim,
in
the
hill
country
of
the
Amalekites.

\par }\Chap{13}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
children
of
Israel
again
did
that
which
was
evil
in
the
LORD’s
sight;
and
the
LORD
delivered
them
into
the
hand
of
the
Philistines
forty
years.
\par }{\PP \VS{2}There
was
a
certain
man
of
Zorah,
of
the
family
of
the
Danites,
whose
name
was
Manoah;
and
his
wife
was
barren,
and
childless.
\VS{3}The
LORD’s
angel
appeared
to
the
woman,
and
said
to
her, “See
now,
you
are
barren
and
childless;
but
you
shall
conceive
and
bear
a
son.
\VS{4}Now
therefore
please
beware
and
drink
no
wine
nor
strong
drink,
and
don’t
eat
any
unclean
thing;
\VS{5}for,
behold,
you
shall
conceive
and
give
birth
to
a
son.
No razor
shall
come
on
his
head,
for
the
child
shall
be
a
Nazirite
to
God
from
the
womb.
He
shall
begin
to
save
Israel
out
of
the
hand
of
the
Philistines.”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then
the
woman
came
and
told
her
husband,
saying, “A
man
of
God
came
to
me,
and
his
face
was
like
the
face
of
the
angel
of
God,
very
awesome.
I
didn’t
ask
him
where
he
was
from,
neither
did
he
tell
me
his
name;
\VS{7}but
he
said
to
me, ‘Behold,
you
shall
conceive
and
bear
a
son;
and
now
drink
no
wine
nor
strong
drink.
Don’t
eat
any
unclean
thing,
for
the
child
shall
be
a
Nazirite
to
God
from
the
womb
to
the
day
of
his
death.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then
Manoah
entreated
the
LORD,
and
said, “Oh,
Lord,
please
let
the
man
of
God
whom
you
sent
come
again
to
us,
and
teach
us
what
we
should
do
to
the
child
who
shall
be
born.”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}God
listened
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, wasn’t
with
her.
\VS{10}The
woman
hurried
and
ran,
and
told
her
husband,
saying
to
him, “Behold,
the
man
who
came
to
me
that
day
has
appeared
to
me.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}Manoah
arose
and
followed
his
wife,
and
came
to
the
man,
and
said
to
him, “Are
you
the
man
who
spoke
to
my
wife?”
\par }{\PP He
said, “I
am.”
\par }{\PP \VS{12}Manoah
said, “Now
let
your
words
happen.
What
shall
the
child’s
way
of
life
and mission
be?”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}The
LORD’s
angel
said
to
Manoah, “Of
all
that
I
said
to
the
woman let
her
beware.
\VS{14}She
may
not
eat
of
anything
that
comes
of
the
vine,
neither
let
her
drink
wine
or
strong
drink,
nor
eat
any
unclean
thing.
Let
her
observe
all
that
I
commanded
her.”
\par }{\PP \VS{15}Manoah
said
to
the
LORD’s
angel, “Please stay
with
us,
that
we
may
make
a
young
goat ready
for
you.”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}The
LORD’s
angel
said
to
Manoah, “Though
you
detain
me,
I
won’t
eat
your
bread.
If
you
will
prepare
a
burnt
offering,
you
must
offer
it
to
the
LORD.”
For
Manoah
didn’t
know
that
he
was
the
LORD’s
angel.
\par }{\PP \VS{17}Manoah
said
to
the
LORD’s
angel, “What
is
your
name,
that
when
your
words
happen,
we
may honour
you?”
\par }{\PP \VS{18}The
LORD’s
angel
said
to
him, “Why
do
you
ask
about
my
name, since
it
is incomprehensible\FTNT{*}{{\FR 13:18 }
or, wonderful}?”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}So
Manoah
took
the
young
goat
with
the
meal
offering,
and
offered
it
on
the
rock
to
the
LORD.
Then
the angel
did
an
amazing thing
as
Manoah
and
his
wife
watched.
\VS{20}For
when
the
flame
went
up towards
the
sky
from
off
the
altar,
the
LORD’s
angel
ascended
in
the
flame
of
the
altar.
Manoah
and
his
wife
watched;
and
they
fell
on
their
faces
to
the
ground.
\VS{21}But
the
LORD’s
angel
didn’t
appear
to
Manoah
or
to
his
wife
any
more.
Then
Manoah
knew
that
he
was
the
LORD’s
angel.
\VS{22}Manoah
said
to
his
wife, “We
shall
surely
die,
because
we
have
seen
God.”
\par }{\PP \VS{23}But
his
wife
said
to
him, “If
the
LORD
were
pleased
to
kill
us,
he wouldn’t
have
received
a
burnt
offering
and
a
meal
offering
at
our
hand,
and
he wouldn’t
have
shown
us
all
these
things,
nor
would
he
have
told
us
such
things
as
these
at
this
time.”
\VS{24}The
woman
bore
a
son
and
named
him
Samson.
The
child
grew,
and
the
LORD
blessed
him.
\VS{25}The
LORD’s
Spirit
began
to move
him
in Mahaneh
Dan,
between
Zorah
and
Eshtaol.

\par }\Chap{14}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Samson
went
down
to
Timnah,
and
saw
a
woman
in
Timnah
of
the
daughters
of
the
Philistines.
\VS{2}He
came
up,
and
told
his
father
and
his
mother,
saying, “I
have
seen
a
woman
in
Timnah
of
the
daughters
of
the
Philistines.
Now
therefore
get
her
for
me
as
my
wife.”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}Then
his
father
and
his
mother
said
to
him, “Isn’t
there
a
woman amongst
your
brothers’
daughters,
or amongst
all
my
people,
that
you
go
to
take
a
wife
of
the
uncircumcised
Philistines?”
\par }{\PP Samson
said
to
his
father, “Get
her
for
me,
for
she
pleases
me well.”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}But
his
father
and
his
mother
didn’t
know
that
it
was
of
the
LORD;
for
he
sought
an occasion against
the
Philistines.
Now
at
that
time
the
Philistines
ruled
over
Israel.
\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then
Samson
went
down
to
Timnah
with
his
father
and
his
mother,
and
came
to
the
vineyards
of
Timnah;
and
behold,
a
young
lion
roared
at
him.
\VS{6}The
LORD’s
Spirit
came mightily
on
him,
and
he
tore
him
as
he
would
have torn
a
young
goat
with
his bare
hands,
but
he
didn’t
tell
his
father
or
his
mother
what
he
had
done.
\VS{7}He
went
down
and
talked
with
the
woman,
and she
pleased
Samson well.
\VS{8}After
a
while
he
returned
to
take
her,
and
he
went
over
to
see
the
carcass
of
the
lion;
and
behold,
there
was
a
swarm
of
bees
in
the body
of
the
lion,
and
honey.
\VS{9}He
took
it
into
his
hands,
and
went
on,
eating
as
he
went.
He
came
to
his
father
and
mother
and
gave
to
them,
and
they
ate,
but
he
didn’t
tell
them
that
he
had
taken
the
honey
out
of
the
lion’s body.
\VS{10}His
father
went
down
to
the
woman;
and
Samson
made
a
feast
there,
for
the
young
men
used
to
do
so.
\VS{11}When
they
saw
him,
they
brought
thirty
companions
to
be
with
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}Samson
said
to
them, “Let
me
tell
you
a
riddle
now.
If
you
can
tell
me
the
answer within
the
seven
days
of
the
feast,
and
find
it
out,
then
I
will
give
you
thirty
linen
garments
and
thirty
changes
of
clothing;
\VS{13}but
if
you
can’t
tell
me
the
answer,
then
you
shall
give
me
thirty
linen
garments
and
thirty
changes
of
clothing.”
\par }{\PP They
said
to
him, “Tell
us
your
riddle,
that
we
may
hear
it.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}He
said
to
them,
\par }{\Q “Out
of
the
eater
came
out
food.
\par }{\QB Out
of
the
strong
came
out sweetness.”
\par }{\PP They
couldn’t
in
three
days
declare
the
riddle.
\VS{15}On
the
seventh
day,
they
said
to
Samson’s
wife, “Entice
your
husband,
that
he
may
declare
to
us
the
riddle,
lest
we
burn
you
and
your
father’s
house
with
fire.
Have
you
called
us
to
impoverish
us?
Isn’t
that
so?”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}Samson’s
wife
wept
before
him,
and
said, “You just
hate
me,
and
don’t
love
me. You’ve
told
a
riddle
to
the
children
of
my
people,
and
haven’t
told
it
to
me.”
\par }{\PP He
said
to
her, “Behold,
I
haven’t
told
my
father
or
my
mother,
so
why
should
I
tell
you?”
\par }{\PP \VS{17}She
wept
before
him
the
seven
days,
while
their
feast
lasted;
and
on
the
seventh
day,
he
told
her,
because
she
pressed
him severely;
and
she
told
the
riddle
to
the
children
of
her
people.
\VS{18}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
than
a
lion?”
\par }{\PP He
said
to
them,
\par }{\Q “If
you hadn’t ploughed
with
my
heifer,
\par }{\QB you wouldn’t
have
found
out
my
riddle.”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}The
LORD’s
Spirit
came mightily
on
him,
and
he
went
down
to
Ashkelon
and
struck
thirty
men
of
them.
He
took
their plunder,
then
gave
the
changes
of clothing
to
those
who
declared
the
riddle.
His
anger
burnt,
and
he
went
up
to
his
father’s
house.
\VS{20}But
Samson’s
wife
was given
to
his
companion,
who
had
been
his friend.

\par }\Chap{15}{\PP \VerseOne{1}But
after
a
while,
in
the
time
of
wheat
harvest,
Samson
visited
his
wife
with
a
young
goat.
He
said, “I
will
go
in
to
my
wife’s
room.”
\par }{\PP But
her
father wouldn’t
allow
him
to
go
in.
\VS{2}Her
father
said, “I
most
certainly
thought
that
you utterly
hated
her;
therefore
I
gave
her
to
your
companion.
Isn’t
her
younger
sister
more beautiful
than
she?
Please,
take
her
instead.”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}Samson
said
to
them, “This
time
I
will
be
blameless
in
the
case
of
the
Philistines
when
I
harm
them.”
\VS{4}Samson
went
and
caught
three
hundred
foxes,
and
took
torches,
and
turned
tail
to
tail,
and
put
a
torch
in
the
middle
between
every
two
tails.
\VS{5}When
he
had
set
the
torches
on
fire,
he
let
them
go into
the
standing
grain
of
the
Philistines,
and burnt
up both
the shocks
and
the
standing
grain,
and
also
the
olive
groves.
\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then
the
Philistines
said, “Who
has
done
this?”
\par }{\PP They
said, “Samson,
the
son-in-law
of
the
Timnite,
because
he
has
taken
his
wife
and
given
her
to
his
companion.”
The
Philistines
came
up,
and
burnt
her
and
her
father
with
fire.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Samson
said
to
them, “If
you
behave like
this,
surely
I
will
take
revenge on
you,
and
after
that
I
will
cease.”
\VS{8}He
struck
them
hip
and
thigh
with
a
great
slaughter;
and
he
went
down
and
lived
in
the cave
in Etam’s
rock.
\VS{9}Then
the
Philistines
went
up,
encamped
in
Judah,
and
spread themselves
in
Lehi.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}The
men
of
Judah
said, “Why
have
you
come
up
against
us?”
\par }{\PP They
said, “We
have
come
up
to
bind
Samson,
to
do
to
him
as
he
has
done
to
us.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}Then
three
thousand
men
of
Judah
went
down
to
the cave
in Etam’s
rock,
and
said
to
Samson, “Don’t
you
know
that
the
Philistines
are
rulers
over
us?
What
then
is
this
that
you
have
done
to
us?”
\par }{\PP He
said
to
them, “As
they
did
to
me,
so
I
have
done
to
them.”
\par }{\PP \VS{12}They
said
to
him, “We
have
come
down
to
bind
you,
that
we
may
deliver
you
into
the
hand
of
the
Philistines.”
\par }{\PP Samson
said
to
them, “Swear
to
me
that
you
will
not
attack
me
yourselves.”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}They
spoke
to
him,
saying, “No,
but
we
will
bind
you securely
and
deliver
you
into
their
hands;
but
surely
we
will
not
kill
you.”
They
bound
him
with
two
new
ropes,
and
brought
him
up
from
the
rock.
\par }{\PP \VS{14}When
he
came
to
Lehi,
the
Philistines
shouted
as
they
met
him.
Then
the
LORD’s
Spirit
came mightily
on
him,
and
the
ropes
that
were
on
his
arms
became
as
flax
that
was burnt
with
fire;
and
his bands
dropped
from
off
his
hands.
\VS{15}He
found
a
fresh
jawbone
of
a
donkey,
put
out
his
hand,
took
it,
and
struck
a
thousand
men
with
it.
\VS{16}Samson
said, “With
the
jawbone
of
a
donkey,
heaps
on
heaps;
with
the
jawbone
of
a
donkey
I
have
struck
a
thousand
men.”
\VS{17}When
he
had
finished
speaking,
he
threw
the
jawbone
out
of
his
hand;
and
that
place
was
called
Ramath Lehi.\FTNT{*}{{\FR 15:17 }
“Ramath” means “hill” and “Lehi” means “jawbone”.}
\par }{\PP \VS{18}He
was
very
thirsty,
and
called
on
the
LORD
and
said, “You
have
given
this
great
deliverance
by
the
hand
of
your
servant;
and
now
shall
I
die
of
thirst,
and
fall
into
the
hands
of
the
uncircumcised?”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}But
God
split
the
hollow
place
that
is
in
Lehi,
and
water
came
out
of
it.
When
he
had
drunk,
his
spirit
came
again,
and
he
revived.
Therefore
its
name
was
called En Hakkore,
which
is
in
Lehi,
to
this
day.
\VS{20}He
judged
Israel
twenty
years
in
the
days
of
the
Philistines.

\par }\Chap{16}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Samson
went
to
Gaza,
and
saw
there
a
prostitute,
and
went
in
to
her.
\VS{2}The
Gazites
were
told, “Samson
is
here!”
They
surrounded
him
and
laid
wait
for
him
all
night
in
the
gate
of
the
city,
and
were quiet
all
the
night,
saying, “Wait
until
morning
light;
then
we
will
kill
him.”
\VS{3}Samson
lay
until midnight,
then
arose
at midnight
and
took
hold
of
the
doors
of
the
gate
of
the
city,
with
the
two
posts,
and
plucked
them
up,
bar
and
all,
and
put
them
on
his
shoulders
and
carried
them
up
to
the
top
of
the
mountain
that
is
before
Hebron.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}It
came
to
pass
afterward
that
he
loved
a
woman
in
the
valley
of Sorek,
whose
name
was
Delilah.
\VS{5}The
lords
of
the
Philistines
came
up
to
her
and
said
to
her, “Entice
him,
and
see
in
which
his
great
strength lies,
and
by
what
means
we
may
prevail
against
him,
that
we
may
bind
him
to
afflict
him;
and
we
will
each
give
you eleven
hundred pieces
of
silver.”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}Delilah
said
to
Samson, “Please
tell
me
where
your
great
strength lies,
and
what
you
might
be
bound
to
afflict
you.”
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Samson
said
to
her, “If
they
bind
me
with
seven
green cords
that
were
never dried,
then
shall
I
become
weak,
and
be
as
another
man.”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then
the
lords
of
the
Philistines
brought
up
to her
seven
green cords
which
had
not
been dried,
and
she
bound
him
with
them.
\VS{9}Now
she
had
an
ambush waiting
in
the
inner
room.
She
said
to
him, “The
Philistines
are
on
you,
Samson!”
He
broke
the
cords
as
a flax
thread
is
broken
when
it touches
the
fire.
So
his
strength
was
not
known.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Delilah
said
to
Samson, “Behold,
you
have
mocked
me,
and
told
me
lies.
Now
please
tell
me
how
you might
be
bound.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}He
said
to
her, “If
they
only
bind
me
with
new
ropes
with
which
no
work
has
been
done,
then
shall
I
become
weak,
and
be
as
another
man.”
\par }{\PP \VS{12}So
Delilah
took
new
ropes
and
bound
him
with
them,
then
said
to
him, “The
Philistines
are
on
you,
Samson!”
The
ambush
was waiting
in
the
inner
room.
He
broke
them
off
his
arms
like
a
thread.
\par }{\PP \VS{13}Delilah
said
to
Samson, “Until
now,
you
have
mocked
me
and
told
me
lies.
Tell
me
with
what
you might be
bound.”
\par }{\PP He
said
to
her, “If
you
weave
the
seven
locks
of
my
head
with
the
fabric
on
the loom.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}She
fastened
it
with
the
pin,
and
said
to
him, “The
Philistines
are
on
you,
Samson!”
He
awakened
out
of
his
sleep,
and
plucked away
the
pin
of
the beam
and
the
fabric.
\par }{\PP \VS{15}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
have
not
told
me
where
your
great
strength lies.”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}When
she
pressed
him
daily
with
her
words
and
urged
him,
his
soul
was troubled
to
death.
\VS{17}He
told
her
all
his
heart
and
said
to
her, “No razor
has
ever
come
on
my
head;
for
I
have
been
a
Nazirite
to
God
from
my
mother’s
womb.
If
I
am
shaved,
then
my
strength
will
go
from
me
and
I
will
become
weak,
and
be
like
any
other
man.”
\par }{\PP \VS{18}When
Delilah
saw
that
he
had
told
her
all
his
heart,
she
sent
and
called
for
the
lords
of
the
Philistines,
saying, “Come
up
this
once,
for
he
has
told
me
all
his
heart.”
Then
the
lords
of
the
Philistines
came
up
to
her
and
brought
the
money
in
their
hand.
\VS{19}She
made
him
sleep
on
her
knees;
and
she
called
for
a
man
and
shaved
off
the
seven
locks
of
his
head;
and
she
began
to
afflict
him,
and
his
strength
went
from
him.
\VS{20}She
said, “The
Philistines
are
upon
you,
Samson!”
\par }{\PP He
awoke
out
of
his
sleep,
and
said, “I
will
go
out
as
at
other
times,
and
shake
myself
free.”
But
he
didn’t
know
that
the
LORD
had
departed
from
him.
\VS{21}The
Philistines laid
hold
on
him
and
put
out
his
eyes;
and
they
brought
him
down
to
Gaza
and
bound
him
with
fetters
of
bronze;
and
he
ground
at
the mill
in
the
prison.
\VS{22}However,
the
hair
of
his
head
began
to
grow
again after
he
was
shaved.
\par }{\PP \VS{23}The
lords
of
the
Philistines
gathered
together
to
offer
a
great
sacrifice
to
Dagon
their
god,
and
to
rejoice;
for
they
said, “Our
god
has
delivered
Samson
our
enemy
into
our
hand.”
\VS{24}When
the
people
saw
him,
they
praised
their
god;
for
they
said, “Our
god
has
delivered
our
enemy
and
the destroyer
of
our
country,
who
has
slain
many
of
us,
into
our
hand.”
\par }{\PP \VS{25}When
their
hearts
were merry,
they
said, “Call
for
Samson,
that
he
may
entertain
us.”
They
called
for
Samson
out
of
the
prison;
and
he performed
before
them.
They
set
him
between
the
pillars;
\VS{26}and
Samson
said
to
the
boy
who
held
him
by
the
hand, “Allow
me
to
feel
the
pillars
on
which
the
house
rests,
that
I
may
lean
on
them.”
\VS{27}Now
the
house
was
full
of
men
and
women;
and
all
the
lords
of
the
Philistines
were
there;
and
there
were
on
the
roof
about
three
thousand
men
and
women,
who
saw
while
Samson performed.
\VS{28}Samson
called
to
the
LORD,
and
said, “Lord
GOD,
remember
me,
please,
and
strengthen
me,
please,
only
this
once,
God,
that
I
may
be
at
once
avenged
of
the
Philistines
for
my
two
eyes.”
\VS{29}Samson
took
hold
of
the
two
middle
pillars
on
which
the
house
rested
and
leaned
on
them,
the
one
with
his
right
hand
and
the
other
with
his
left.
\VS{30}Samson
said, “Let
me
die
with
the
Philistines!”
He
bowed
himself
with
all
his
might;
and
the
house
fell
on
the
lords,
and
on
all
the
people
who
were
in
it.
So
the
dead
that
he
killed
at
his
death
were
more
than
those
who
he
killed
in
his
life.
\par }{\PP \VS{31}Then
his
brothers
and
all
the
house
of
his
father
came
down
and
took
him,
and
brought
him
up
and
buried
him
between
Zorah
and
Eshtaol
in
the
burial site
of
Manoah
his
father.
He
judged
Israel
twenty
years.

\par }\Chap{17}{\PP \VerseOne{1}There
was
a
man
of
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
whose
name
was
Micah.
\VS{2}He
said
to
his
mother, “The eleven
hundred pieces
of
silver
that
were
taken
from
you,
about
which
you
uttered
a
curse,
and
also
spoke
it
in
my
ears—behold,
the
silver
is
with
me.
I
took
it.”
\par }{\PP His
mother
said, “May
the
LORD
bless
my
son!”
\par }{\PP \VS{3}He
restored
the eleven
hundred pieces
of
silver
to
his
mother,
then
his
mother
said, “I most
certainly
dedicate
the
silver
to
the
LORD
from
my
hand
for
my
son,
to
make
a
carved
image
and
a molten
image.
Now
therefore
I
will
restore
it
to
you.”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}When
he
restored
the
money
to
his
mother,
his
mother
took
two
hundred pieces
of
silver,
and
gave
them
to
a
silversmith,
who
made
a
carved
image
and
a molten
image
out
of
it.
It
was
in
the
house
of
Micah.
\par }{\PP \VS{5}The
man
Micah
had
a
house
of
gods,
and
he
made
an
ephod,
and
teraphim,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 17:5 }
teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.}
and consecrated
one
of
his
sons,
who
became
his
priest.
\VS{6}In
those
days
there
was
no
king
in
Israel.
Everyone
did
that
which
was
right
in
his
own
eyes.
\VS{7}There
was
a
young
man
out
of
Bethlehem
Judah,
of
the
family
of
Judah,
who
was
a
Levite;
and
he
lived
there.
\VS{8}The
man
departed
out
of
the
city,
out
of
Bethlehem
Judah,
to
live
where
he
could
find
a
place,
and
he
came
to
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
to
the
house
of
Micah,
as
he travelled.
\VS{9}Micah
said
to
him, “Where
did
you
come
from?”
\par }{\PP He
said
to
him, “I
am
a
Levite
of
Bethlehem
Judah,
and
I
am
looking
for
a
place
to
live.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Micah
said
to
him, “Dwell
with
me,
and
be
to
me
a
father
and
a
priest,
and
I
will
give
you
ten pieces
of
silver per
year,
a
suit
of
clothing,
and
your food.”
So
the
Levite
went
in.
\VS{11}The
Levite
was content
to
dwell
with
the
man;
and
the
young
man
was
to
him
as
one
of
his
sons.
\VS{12}Micah consecrated
the
Levite,
and
the
young
man
became
his
priest,
and
was
in
the
house
of
Micah.
\VS{13}Then
Micah
said, “Now
I
know
that
the
LORD
will
do
good
to
me,
since
I
have
a
Levite
as
my
priest.”

\par }\Chap{18}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In
those
days
there
was
no
king
in
Israel.
In
those
days
the
tribe
of
the
Danites
sought
an
inheritance
to
dwell
in;
for
to
that
day,
their
inheritance
had
not
fallen
to
them amongst
the
tribes
of
Israel.
\VS{2}The
children
of
Dan
sent
five
men
of
their
family
from
their
whole
number,
men
of valour,
from
Zorah
and
from
Eshtaol,
to
spy
out
the
land
and
to
search
it.
They
said
to
them, “Go,
explore
the
land!”
\par }{\PP They
came
to
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
to
the
house
of
Micah,
and lodged
there.
\VS{3}When
they
were
by
the
house
of
Micah,
they knew
the
voice
of
the
young
man
the
Levite;
so
they
went
over
there
and
said
to
him, “Who
brought
you
here?
What
do
you
do
in
this
place?
What
do
you
have
here?”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}He
said
to
them, “Thus
and
thus
has
Micah dealt
with
me,
and
he
has
hired
me,
and
I
have
become
his
priest.”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}They
said
to
him, “Please
ask counsel
of
God,
that
we
may
know whether
our
way
which
we
go
shall
be
prosperous.”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
priest
said
to
them, “Go
in
peace.
Your
way
in
which
you go
is
before
the
LORD.”
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Then
the
five
men
departed
and
came
to Laish
and
saw
the
people
who
were
there,
how
they
lived
in
safety,
in
the
way
of
the
Sidonians,
quiet
and
secure;
for
there
was
no
one
in
the
land possessing
authority,
that
might
put
them
to
shame
in
anything,
and
they
were
far
from
the
Sidonians,
and
had
no
dealings
with
anyone else.
\VS{8}They
came
to
their
brothers
at
Zorah
and
Eshtaol;
and
their
brothers
asked
them, “What
do
you
say?”
\par }{\PP \VS{9}They
said, “Arise,
and let’s
go
up
against
them;
for
we
have
seen
the
land,
and
behold,
it
is
very
good.
Do
you
stand
still?
Don’t
be slothful
to
go
and
to
enter
in
to
possess
the
land.
\VS{10}When
you
go,
you
will
come
to
an
unsuspecting
people,
and
the
land
is large;
for
God
has
given
it
into
your
hand,
a
place
where
there
is
no
lack
of
anything
that
is
in
the
earth.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}The
family
of
the
Danites
set
out
from
Zorah
and
Eshtaol
with
six
hundred
men
armed
with
weapons
of
war.
\VS{12}They
went
up
and
encamped
in
Kiriath Jearim
in
Judah.
Therefore
they
call
that
place Mahaneh Dan
to
this
day.
Behold,
it
is
behind
Kiriath Jearim.
\VS{13}They
passed
from
there
to
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
and
came
to
the
house
of
Micah.
\par }{\PP \VS{14}Then
the
five
men
who
went
to
spy
out
the
country
of Laish
answered
and
said
to
their
brothers, “Do
you
know
that
there
is
in
these
houses
an
ephod,
and
teraphim,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 18:14 }
teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.}
and
a
carved
image,
and
a molten
image?
Now
therefore
consider
what
you
have
to
do.”
\VS{15}They
went
over
there
and
came
to
the
house
of
the
young
Levite
man, even
to
the
house
of
Micah,
and
asked
him
how
he
was doing.
\VS{16}The
six
hundred
men
armed
with
their
weapons
of
war,
who
were
of
the
children
of
Dan,
stood
by
the
entrance
of
the
gate.
\VS{17}The
five
men
who
went
to
spy
out
the
land
went
up,
and
came
in
there,
and
took
the
engraved image,
the
ephod,
the
teraphim,
and
the molten image;
and
the
priest
stood
by
the
entrance
of
the
gate
with
the
six
hundred
men
armed
with
weapons
of
war.
\par }{\PP \VS{18}When
these
went
into
Micah’s
house,
and
took
the engraved
image,
the
ephod,
the
teraphim,
and
the molten
image,
the
priest
said
to
them, “What
are
you
doing?”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}They
said
to
him, “Hold
your peace,
put
your
hand
on
your
mouth,
and
go
with
us.
Be
a
father
and
a
priest
to
us.
Is
it
better
for
you
to
be
priest
to
the
house
of
one
man,
or
to
be
priest
to
a
tribe
and
a
family
in
Israel?”
\par }{\PP \VS{20}The
priest’s
heart
was
glad,
and
he
took
the
ephod,
the
teraphim,
and
the engraved
image,
and
went
with
the
people.
\VS{21}So
they
turned
and departed,
and
put
the
little
ones,
the
livestock,
and
the goods
before
them.
\VS{22}When
they
were
a
good way
from
the
house
of
Micah,
the
men
who
were
in
the
houses
near
Micah’s
house gathered
together
and
overtook
the
children
of
Dan.
\VS{23}As
they
called
to
the
children
of
Dan,
they
turned
their
faces,
and
said
to
Micah, “What ails
you,
that
you
come
with such
a company?”
\par }{\PP \VS{24}He
said, “You
have
taken
away
my
gods
which
I
made,
and
the
priest,
and
have gone
away!
What
more
do
I
have?
How
can
you
ask
me, ‘What ails
you?’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{25}The
children
of
Dan
said
to
him, “Don’t
let
your
voice
be
heard amongst
us,
lest angry
fellows
fall
on
you,
and
you
lose
your
life,
with
the
lives
of
your
household.”
\par }{\PP \VS{26}The
children
of
Dan
went
their
way;
and
when
Micah
saw
that
they
were
too
strong
for
him,
he
turned
and
went
back
to
his
house.
\VS{27}They
took
that
which
Micah
had
made,
and
the
priest
whom
he
had,
and
came
to Laish,
to
a
people
quiet
and
unsuspecting,
and
struck
them
with
the
edge
of
the
sword;
then
they
burnt
the
city
with
fire.
\VS{28}There
was
no
deliverer,
because
it
was
far
from
Sidon,
and
they
had
no
dealings
with
anyone else;
and
it
was
in
the
valley
that
lies
by Beth Rehob.
They
built
the
city
and
lived
in
it.
\VS{29}They
called
the
name
of
the
city
Dan,
after
the
name
of
Dan
their
father,
who
was
born
to
Israel;
however
the
name
of
the
city used
to
be Laish.
\VS{30}The
children
of
Dan
set
up
for themselves
the engraved
image;
and
Jonathan,
the
son
of
Gershom,
the
son
of Moses,
and
his
sons
were
priests
to
the
tribe
of
the
Danites
until
the
day
of
the
captivity
of
the
land.
\VS{31}So
they
set
up
for
themselves
Micah’s engraved
image
which
he
made,
and
it
remained
all
the
time
that
God’s
house
was
in
Shiloh.

\par }\Chap{19}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In
those
days,
when
there
was
no
king
in
Israel,
there
was
a
certain
Levite
living
on
the farther
side
of
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
who
took
for
himself
a
concubine
out
of
Bethlehem
Judah.
\VS{2}His
concubine
played
the
prostitute
against
him,
and
went away
from
him
to
her
father’s
house
to
Bethlehem
Judah,
and
was
there
for
four
months.
\VS{3}Her
husband
arose
and
went
after
her
to
speak
kindly
to
her,
to
bring
her
again, having
his
servant
with
him
and
a
couple
of
donkeys.
She
brought
him
into
her
father’s
house;
and
when
the
father
of
the
young
lady
saw
him,
he
rejoiced
to
meet
him.
\VS{4}His
father-in-law,
the
young lady’s
father,
kept
him
there;
and
he
stayed
with
him
three
days.
So
they
ate
and
drank,
and
stayed
there.
\par }{\PP \VS{5}On
the
fourth
day,
they
got
up
early
in
the
morning,
and
he
rose
up
to depart.
The
young lady’s
father
said
to
his
son-in-law, “Strengthen
your
heart
with
a
morsel
of
bread,
and
afterward
you
shall
go
your way.”
\VS{6}So
they
sat
down,
ate,
and
drank,
both
of
them
together.
Then
the
young lady’s
father
said
to
the
man, “Please
be
pleased
to
stay
all night,
and
let
your
heart
be
merry.”
\VS{7}The
man
rose
up
to depart;
but
his
father-in-law
urged
him,
and
he
stayed
there
again.
\VS{8}He
arose
early
in
the
morning
on
the
fifth
day
to depart;
and
the
young lady’s
father
said, “Please strengthen
your
heart
and stay
until
the
day declines;”
and
they
both
ate.
\par }{\PP \VS{9}When
the
man
rose
up
to
depart,
he,
and
his
concubine,
and
his
servant,
his
father-in-law,
the
young lady’s
father,
said
to
him, “Behold,
now
the
day draws towards
evening,
please
stay
all night.
Behold,
the
day
is ending.
Stay
here,
that
your
heart
may
be
merry;
and
tomorrow
go
on
your
way
early,
that
you
may
go
home.”
\VS{10}But
the
man wouldn’t
stay
that night,
but
he
rose
up
and
went
near
Jebus (also called
Jerusalem).
With
him
were
a
couple
of
saddled
donkeys.
His
concubine
also
was
with
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{11}When
they
were
by
Jebus,
the
day
was
far
spent;
and
the
servant
said
to
his
master, “Please
come
and
let’s enter
into
this
city
of
the
Jebusites,
and
stay
in it.”
\par }{\PP \VS{12}His
master
said
to
him, “We
won’t enter
into
the
city
of
a
foreigner
that
is
not
of
the
children
of
Israel;
but
we
will
pass
over
to
Gibeah.”
\VS{13}He
said
to
his
servant, “Come
and let’s
draw
near
to
one
of these
places;
and we
will lodge
in
Gibeah,
or
in
Ramah.”
\VS{14}So
they
passed
on
and
went
their way;
and
the
sun
went down
on
them
near
Gibeah,
which belongs
to
Benjamin.
\VS{15}They
went
over
there,
to
go
in
to
stay
in
Gibeah.
He
went
in,
and
sat
down
in
the
street
of
the
city;
for
there
was
no
one
who
took
them
into
his
house
to
stay.
\par }{\PP \VS{16}Behold,
an
old
man
came
from
his
work
out
of
the
field
at
evening.
Now
the
man
was
from
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim,
and
he
lived
in
Gibeah;
but
the
men
of
the
place
were
Benjamites.
\VS{17}He
lifted
up
his
eyes,
and
saw
the wayfaring
man
in
the
street
of
the
city;
and
the
old
man
said, “Where
are
you
going?
Where
did
you
come
from?”
\par }{\PP \VS{18}He
said
to
him, “We
are
passing
from
Bethlehem
Judah
to
the farther side
of
the
hill
country
of
Ephraim.
I
am
from
there,
and
I
went
to
Bethlehem
Judah.
I
am
going
to
the
LORD’s
house;
and
there
is
no
one
who
has
taken
me
into
his
house.
\VS{19}Yet
there
is
both
straw
and
feed
for
our
donkeys;
and
there
is
bread
and
wine
also
for
me,
and
for
your
servant,
and
for
the
young
man
who
is
with
your
servants.
There
is
no
lack
of
anything.”
\par }{\PP \VS{20}The
old
man
said, “Peace
be
to
you!
Just
let
me supply
all
your
needs,
but
don’t sleep
in
the
street.”
\VS{21}So
he
brought
him
into
his
house,
and
gave
the
donkeys fodder.
Then
they
washed
their
feet,
and
ate
and
drank.
\VS{22}As
they
were making
their
hearts
merry,
behold,
the
men
of
the
city,
certain
wicked
fellows,
surrounded
the
house, beating
at
the
door;
and
they
spoke
to
the
master
of
the
house,
the
old
man,
saying, “Bring
out
the
man
who
came
into
your
house,
that
we
can
have sex
with
him!”
\par }{\PP \VS{23}The
man,
the
master
of
the
house,
went
out
to
them,
and
said
to
them, “No,
my
brothers,
please
don’t
act
so wickedly;
since
this
man
has
come
into
my
house,
don’t
do
this
folly.
\VS{24}Behold,
here
is
my
virgin
daughter
and
his
concubine.
I
will
bring
them
out
now. Humble
them,
and
do
with
them
what
seems
good
to
you;
but
to
this
man
don’t
do
any
such
folly.”
\par }{\PP \VS{25}But
the
men wouldn’t
listen
to
him;
so
the
man
grabbed
his
concubine,
and
brought
her
out
to
them;
and
they
had sex
with
her,
and abused
her
all
night
until
the
morning.
When
the
day began
to
dawn,
they
let
her
go.
\VS{26}Then
the
woman
came
in
the dawning
of
the
day,
and
fell
down
at
the
door
of
the
man’s
house
where
her
lord
was,
until
it
was
light.
\VS{27}Her
lord
rose
up
in
the
morning
and
opened
the
doors
of
the
house,
and
went
out
to
go
his
way;
and
behold,
the
woman
his
concubine
had
fallen
down
at
the
door
of
the
house,
with
her
hands
on
the threshold.
\par }{\PP \VS{28}He
said
to
her, “Get
up,
and let’s
get going!”
but
no
one
answered.
Then
he
took
her
up
on
the
donkey;
and
the
man
rose
up,
and
went
to
his
place.
\par }{\PP \VS{29}When
he
had
come
into
his
house,
he
took
a
knife
and
cut
up
his
concubine,
and divided
her,
limb
by
limb,
into
twelve
pieces,
and
sent
her
throughout
all
the
borders
of
Israel.
\VS{30}It
was
so,
that
all
who
saw
it
said, “Such
a deed
has
not
been
done
or
seen
from
the
day
that
the
children
of
Israel
came
up
out
of
the
land
of
Egypt
to
this
day!
Consider
it,
take
counsel,
and
speak.”

\par }\Chap{20}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then
all
the
children
of
Israel
went
out,
and
the
congregation
was
assembled
as
one
man,
from
Dan
even
to
Beersheba,
with
the
land
of
Gilead,
to
the
LORD
at
Mizpah.
\VS{2}The
chiefs
of
all
the
people, even
of
all
the
tribes
of
Israel,
presented
themselves
in
the
assembly
of
the
people
of
God,
four
hundred
thousand
footmen
who
drew
sword.
\VS{3}(Now
the
children
of
Benjamin
heard
that
the
children
of
Israel
had
gone
up
to
Mizpah.)
The
children
of
Israel
said, “Tell
us,
how did
this
wickedness
happen?”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}The
Levite,
the
husband
of
the
woman
who
was
murdered,
answered, “I
came
into
Gibeah
that belongs
to
Benjamin,
I
and
my
concubine,
to
spend
the night.
\VS{5}The
men
of
Gibeah
rose
against
me,
and
surrounded
the
house
by
night.
They
intended
to
kill
me
and
they raped
my
concubine,
and
she
is
dead.
\VS{6}I
took
my
concubine
and
cut
her
in
pieces,
and
sent
her
throughout
all
the
country
of
the
inheritance
of
Israel;
for
they
have
committed
lewdness
and
folly
in
Israel.
\VS{7}Behold,
you
children
of
Israel,
all
of
you,
give
here
your
advice
and
counsel.”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}All
the
people
arose
as
one
man,
saying, “None
of
us
will
go
to
his
tent,
neither
will
any
of
us
turn
to
his
house.
\VS{9}But
now
this
is
the
thing
which
we
will
do
to
Gibeah:
we
will go
up
against
it
by
lot;
\VS{10}and
we
will
take
ten
men
of
one
hundred
throughout
all
the
tribes
of
Israel,
and
one
hundred
of
one
thousand,
and
a
thousand
out
of
ten
thousand
to
get
food
for
the
people,
that
they
may
do,
when
they
come
to Gibeah
of
Benjamin,
according
to
all
the
folly
that
the
men
of Gibeah
have
done
in
Israel.”
\VS{11}So
all
the
men
of
Israel
were
gathered
against
the
city, knit
together
as
one
man.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}The
tribes
of
Israel
sent
men
through
all
the
tribe
of
Benjamin,
saying, “What
wickedness
is
this
that
has
happened amongst
you?
\VS{13}Now
therefore
deliver
up
the
men,
the
wicked
fellows
who
are
in
Gibeah,
that
we
may
put
them
to
death
and
put
away
evil
from
Israel.”
\par }{\PP But
Benjamin
would
not
listen
to
the
voice
of
their
brothers,
the
children
of
Israel.
\VS{14}The
children
of
Benjamin
gathered
themselves
together
out
of
the
cities
to
Gibeah,
to
go
out
to
battle
against
the
children
of
Israel.
\VS{15}The
children
of
Benjamin
were
counted
on
that
day
out
of
the
cities
twenty-six
thousand
men
who
drew
the
sword,
in addition
to
the
inhabitants
of
Gibeah,
who
were
counted
seven
hundred chosen
men.
\VS{16}Amongst
all
these
soldiers
there
were
seven
hundred chosen
men
who
were
left-handed.
Every
one
of
them
could sling
a
stone
at
a
hair
and
not
miss.
\VS{17}The
men
of
Israel,
besides
Benjamin,
were
counted
four
hundred
thousand
men
who
drew
sword.
All
these
were
men
of
war.
\par }{\PP \VS{18}The
children
of
Israel
arose,
went
up
to
Bethel,
and
asked counsel
of
God.
They
asked, “Who
shall
go
up
for
us
first
to
battle
against
the
children
of
Benjamin?”
\par }{\PP The
LORD
said, “Judah
first.”
\par }{\PP \VS{19}The
children
of
Israel
rose
up
in
the
morning
and
encamped
against
Gibeah.
\VS{20}The
men
of
Israel
went
out
to
battle
against
Benjamin;
and
the
men
of
Israel
set
the
battle
in
array
against
them
at
Gibeah.
\VS{21}The
children
of
Benjamin
came
out
of
Gibeah,
and
on
that
day
destroyed
twenty-two
thousand
of
the
Israelite
men down
to
the
ground.
\VS{22}The
people,
the
men
of
Israel,
encouraged themselves,
and
set
the
battle
again
in
array
in
the
place
where
they
set themselves
in
array
the
first
day.
\VS{23}The
children
of
Israel
went
up
and
wept
before
the
LORD
until
evening;
and
they
asked
of
the
LORD,
saying, “Shall
I
again
draw
near
to
battle
against
the
children
of
Benjamin
my
brother?”
\par }{\PP The
LORD
said, “Go
up
against
him.”
\par }{\PP \VS{24}The
children
of
Israel
came
near
against
the
children
of
Benjamin
the
second
day.
\VS{25}Benjamin
went
out
against
them
out
of
Gibeah
the
second
day,
and
destroyed
down
to
the
ground
of
the
children
of
Israel
again
eighteen
thousand
men.
All
these
drew
the
sword.
\par }{\PP \VS{26}Then
all
the
children
of
Israel
and
all
the
people
went
up,
and
came
to
Bethel,
and
wept,
and
sat
there
before
the
LORD,
and
fasted
that
day
until
evening;
then
they
offered
burnt
offerings
and
peace
offerings
before
the
LORD.
\VS{27}The
children
of
Israel
asked
the
LORD (for
the
ark
of
the
covenant
of
God
was
there
in
those
days,
\VS{28}and
Phinehas,
the
son
of
Eleazar,
the
son
of
Aaron,
stood
before
it
in
those
days),
saying, “Shall
I
yet
again
go
out
to
battle
against
the
children
of
Benjamin
my
brother,
or
shall
I
cease?”
\par }{\PP The
LORD
said, “Go
up;
for
tomorrow
I
will
deliver
him
into
your
hand.”
\par }{\PP \VS{29}Israel
set
ambushes
all
around
Gibeah.
\VS{30}The
children
of
Israel
went
up
against
the
children
of
Benjamin
on
the
third
day,
and
set themselves
in array
against
Gibeah,
as
at
other
times.
\VS{31}The
children
of
Benjamin
went
out
against
the
people,
and
were
drawn
away
from
the
city;
and
they
began
to
strike
and
kill
of
the
people
as
at
other
times,
in
the
highways,
of
which
one
goes
up
to
Bethel
and
the
other
to
Gibeah,
in
the
field,
about
thirty
men
of
Israel.
\par }{\PP \VS{32}The
children
of
Benjamin
said, “They
are
struck
down
before
us,
as
at
the
first.”
But
the
children
of
Israel
said, “Let’s
flee,
and
draw
them
away
from
the
city
to
the
highways.”
\par }{\PP \VS{33}All
the
men
of
Israel
rose
up
out
of
their
place
and
set themselves
in array
at Baal Tamar.
Then
the ambushers
of
Israel
broke
out
of
their
place, even
out
of Maareh Geba.
\VS{34}Ten
thousand
chosen
men
out
of
all
Israel
came
over
against
Gibeah,
and
the
battle
was severe;
but
they
didn’t
know
that
disaster
was
close
to
them.
\VS{35}The
LORD
struck
Benjamin
before
Israel;
and
the
children
of
Israel
destroyed
of
Benjamin
that
day
twenty-five
thousand
and
one
hundred
men.
All
these
drew
the
sword.
\VS{36}So
the
children
of
Benjamin
saw
that
they
were
struck,
for
the
men
of
Israel
yielded
to
Benjamin
because
they
trusted
the ambushers
whom
they
had
set
against
Gibeah.
\VS{37}The ambushers hurried,
and
rushed
on
Gibeah;
then
the ambushers spread
out,
and
struck
all
the
city
with
the
edge
of
the
sword.
\VS{38}Now
the
appointed
sign
between
the
men
of
Israel
and
the ambushers
was
that
they
should make
a great
cloud
of
smoke
rise
up
out
of
the
city.
\VS{39}The
men
of
Israel
turned
in
the
battle,
and
Benjamin
began
to
strike
and
kill
of
the
men
of
Israel
about
thirty
persons;
for
they
said, “Surely
they
are
struck
down
before
us,
as
in
the
first
battle.”
\VS{40}But
when
the
cloud
began
to
arise
up
out
of
the
city
in
a
pillar
of
smoke,
the Benjamites
looked
behind
them;
and
behold,
the
whole
city
went
up
in
smoke
to
the
sky.
\VS{41}The
men
of
Israel
turned,
and
the
men
of
Benjamin
were
dismayed;
for
they
saw
that
disaster
had
come
on
them.
\VS{42}Therefore
they
turned
their backs
before
the
men
of
Israel
to
the
way
of
the
wilderness,
but
the
battle followed hard
after
them;
and
those
who
came
out
of
the
cities
destroyed
them
in
the
middle
of
it.
\VS{43}They
surrounded
the Benjamites,
chased
them,
and
trod
them
down
at
their
resting
place,
as
far
as
near
Gibeah towards
the
sunrise.
\VS{44}Eighteen
thousand
men
of
Benjamin
fell;
all
these
were
men
of valour.
\VS{45}They
turned
and
fled towards
the
wilderness
to
the
rock
of
Rimmon.
They gleaned
five
thousand
men
of
them
in
the
highways,
and
followed hard
after
them
to
Gidom,
and
struck
two
thousand
men
of
them.
\VS{46}So
that
all
who
fell
that
day
of
Benjamin
were
twenty-five
thousand
men
who
drew
the
sword.
All
these
were
men
of valour.
\VS{47}But
six
hundred
men
turned
and
fled towards
the
wilderness
to
the
rock
of
Rimmon,
and
stayed
in
the
rock
of
Rimmon
four
months.
\VS{48}The
men
of
Israel
turned
again
on
the
children
of
Benjamin,
and
struck
them
with
the
edge
of
the
sword—including
the
entire
city,
the
livestock,
and
all
that
they
found.
Moreover
they
set
all
the
cities
which
they
found
on
fire.

\par }\Chap{21}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now
the
men
of
Israel
had
sworn
in
Mizpah,
saying, “None
of
us
will
give
his
daughter
to
Benjamin
as
a
wife.”
\VS{2}The
people
came
to
Bethel
and
sat
there
until
evening
before
God,
and
lifted
up
their
voices,
and
wept severely.
\VS{3}They
said, “The
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
why
has
this
happened
in
Israel,
that
there
should
be
one
tribe lacking
in
Israel
today?”
\par }{\PP \VS{4}On
the
next
day,
the
people
rose
early
and
built
an
altar
there,
and
offered
burnt
offerings
and
peace
offerings.
\VS{5}The
children
of
Israel
said, “Who
is
there amongst
all
the
tribes
of
Israel
who
didn’t
come
up
in
the
assembly
to
the
LORD?”
For
they
had
made
a
great
oath
concerning
him
who
didn’t
come
up
to
the
LORD
to
Mizpah,
saying, “He
shall
surely
be
put
to
death.”
\VS{6}The
children
of
Israel grieved
for
Benjamin
their
brother,
and
said, “There
is
one
tribe
cut
off
from
Israel
today.
\VS{7}How
shall
we
provide
wives
for those
who
remain, since
we
have
sworn
by
the
LORD
that
we
will
not
give
them
of
our
daughters
to
wives?”
\VS{8}They
said, “What
one
is
there
of
the
tribes
of
Israel
who
didn’t
come
up
to
the
LORD
to
Mizpah?”
Behold,
no
one
came
from
Jabesh
Gilead
to
the
camp
to
the
assembly.
\VS{9}For
when
the
people
were
counted,
behold,
there
were
none
of
the
inhabitants
of
Jabesh
Gilead
there.
\VS{10}The
congregation
sent
twelve
thousand
of
the most
valiant
men
there,
and
commanded
them,
saying, “Go
and
strike
the
inhabitants
of
Jabesh
Gilead
with
the
edge
of
the
sword,
with
the
women
and
the
little
ones.
\VS{11}This
is
the
thing
that
you
shall
do:
you
shall utterly
destroy
every
male,
and
every
woman
who
has lain
with
a
man.”
\VS{12}They
found amongst
the
inhabitants
of
Jabesh
Gilead
four
hundred
young
virgins
who
had
not
known
man
by
lying
with
him;
and
they
brought
them
to
the
camp
to
Shiloh,
which
is
in
the
land
of
Canaan.
\par }{\PP \VS{13}The
whole
congregation
sent
and
spoke
to
the
children
of
Benjamin
who
were
in
the
rock
of
Rimmon,
and
proclaimed
peace
to
them.
\VS{14}Benjamin
returned
at
that
time;
and
they
gave
them
the
women
whom
they
had saved
alive
of
the
women
of
Jabesh
Gilead.
There
still weren’t
enough
for
them.
\VS{15}The
people grieved
for
Benjamin,
because
the
LORD
had
made
a
breach
in
the
tribes
of
Israel.
\VS{16}Then
the
elders
of
the
congregation
said, “How
shall
we
provide
wives
for
those
who
remain,
since
the
women
are
destroyed
out
of
Benjamin?”
\VS{17}They
said, “There
must
be
an
inheritance
for those
who
are
escaped
of
Benjamin,
that
a
tribe
not
be blotted
out
from
Israel.
\VS{18}However,
we
may
not
give
them
wives
of
our
daughters,
for
the
children
of
Israel
had
sworn,
saying, ‘Cursed
is
he
who
gives
a
wife
to
Benjamin.’ ”
\VS{19}They
said, “Behold,
there
is
a
feast
of
the
LORD
from
year
to
year
in
Shiloh,
which
is
on
the
north
of
Bethel,
on
the
east
side
of
the
highway
that
goes
up
from
Bethel
to
Shechem,
and
on
the
south
of
Lebonah.”
\VS{20}They
commanded
the
children
of
Benjamin,
saying, “Go
and
lie
in
wait
in
the
vineyards,
\VS{21}and
see,
and
behold,
if
the
daughters
of
Shiloh
come
out
to
dance
in
the
dances,
then
come
out
of
the
vineyards,
and
each
man
catch
his
wife
of
the
daughters
of
Shiloh,
and
go
to
the
land
of
Benjamin.
\VS{22}It
shall
be,
when
their
fathers
or
their
brothers
come
to
complain
to
us,
that
we
will
say
to
them, ‘Grant
them
graciously
to
us,
because
we
didn’t
take
for
each
man
his
wife
in
battle,
neither
did
you
give
them
to
them;
otherwise
you
would
now
be
guilty.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{23}The
children
of
Benjamin
did
so,
and
took
wives
for
themselves
according
to
their
number,
of
those
who danced,
whom
they
carried
off.
They
went
and
returned
to
their
inheritance,
built
the
cities,
and
lived
in
them.
\VS{24}The
children
of
Israel
departed
from
there
at
that
time,
every
man
to
his
tribe
and
to
his
family,
and
they
each
went
out
from
there
to
his
own
inheritance.
\VS{25}In
those
days
there
was
no
king
in
Israel.
Everyone
did
that
which
was
right
in
his
own
eyes.
\par }