GetPassageurn:cts:pbc:bible.parallel.eng.darby:7urn:cts:pbc:bible.parallel.eng.darby:7And it came to pass after the death of Joshua that the children of Israel asked Jehovah , saying , Which of us shall go up against the Canaanites first , to fight against them ? And Jehovah said , Judah shall go up : behold , I have delivered the land into his hand . And Judah said to Simeon his brother , Come up with me into my lot , and let us fight against the Canaanites , and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot ; and Simeon went with him . And Judah went up ; and Jehovah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand , and they smote them in Bezek , ten thousand men . And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek , and fought against him , and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites . And Adoni-Bezek fled , and they pursued after him , and caught him , and cut off his thumbs and his great toes . And Adoni-Bezek said , Seventy kings , with their thumbs and their great toes cut off , gleaned under my table : as I have done , so God has requited me . And they brought him to Jerusalem , and there he died . And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem , and took it , and smote it with the edge of the sword , and set the city on fire . And afterwards the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites , that dwelt in the hill-country , and in the south , and in the lowland . And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron -- the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-Arba ; and they slew Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai . And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir ; now the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher . And Caleb said , He that smites Kirjath-sepher and takes it , to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife . And Othniel the son of Kenaz , Caleb's younger brother , took it ; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife . And it came to pass as she came , that she urged him to ask of her father the field ; and she sprang down from the ass . And Caleb said to her , What wouldest thou ? And she said to him , Give me a blessing ; for thou hast given me a southern land ; give me also springs of water . And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs . And the children of the Kenite , Moses' father-in-law , had gone 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 dwelt with the people . And Judah went with Simeon his brother , and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath , and utterly destroyed it ; and they called the name of the city Hormah . And Judah took Gazah and its border , and Ashkelon and its border , and Ekron and its border . And Jehovah was with Judah ; and he took possession of the hill-country , for he did not dispossess the inhabitants of the valley , because they had chariots of iron . And they gave to Caleb Hebron , as Moses had said ; and he dispossessed from thence the three sons of Anak . And the children of Benjamin did not dispossess the Jebusites , the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day . And the house of Joseph , they also went up against Bethel ; and Jehovah was with them . And the house of Joseph sent to search out Bethel ; now the name of the city before was Luz . And the guards saw a man come forth out of the city , and said unto him , Shew us , we pray thee , how [ we ] may enter into the city , and we will shew thee kindness . And he shewed them how to enter into the city . And they smote the city with the edge of the sword ; but they let go the man and all his family . And the man went into the land of the Hittites , and built a city , and called its name Luz , which is its name to this day . And Manasseh did not dispossess Beth-shean and its dependent villages , nor Taanach and its dependent villages , nor the inhabitants of Dor and its dependent villages , nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its dependent villages , nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its dependent villages ; and the Canaanites would dwell in that land . And it came to pass when Israel became strong , that they made the Canaanites tributary ; but they did not utterly dispossess them . And Ephraim did not dispossess the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer ; but the Canaanites dwelt among them in Gezer . Zebulun did not dispossess the inhabitants of Kitron , nor the inhabitants of Nahalol ; but the Canaanites dwelt among them , and became tributaries . Asher did not dispossess the inhabitants of Accho , nor the inhabitants of Zidon , nor Ahlab , nor Achzib , nor Helbah , nor Aphik , nor Rehob ; and the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites , the inhabitants of the land ; for they did not dispossess them . Naphtali did not dispossess the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh , nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath ; and he dwelt among the Canaanites , the inhabitants of the land , but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries to them . And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country , for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley . And the Amorites would dwell on mount Heres , in Ajalon and in Shaalbim ; but the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed , and they became tributaries . And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim , from the rock , and upwards . And the Angel of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim , and said , I made you to go up out of Egypt , and have brought you to the land which I swore unto your fathers ; and I said , I will never break my covenant with you ; and as for you , ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land ; ye shall throw down their altars : but ye have not hearkened unto my voice . Why have ye done this ? Wherefore I also said , I will not drive them out from before you ; but they shall be [ scourges ] in your sides , and their gods shall be a snare unto you . And it came to pass , when the Angel of Jehovah spoke these words to all the children of Israel , that the people lifted up their voice and wept . And they called the name of that place Bochim ; and they sacrificed there to Jehovah . And Joshua dismissed the people , and the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land . And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua , and all the days of the elders whose days were prolonged after Joshua , who had seen all the great works of Jehovah , which he had done for Israel . And Joshua the son of Nun , the servant of Jehovah , died , a hundred and ten years old . And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-Heres , in mount Ephraim , on the north side of the mountain of Gaash . And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers ; and there arose another generation after them , which knew not Jehovah , nor yet the works which he had done for Israel . And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah , and served the Baals . And they forsook Jehovah the God of their fathers , who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt , and followed other gods of the gods of the peoples that were round about them , and bowed themselves to them , and provoked Jehovah to anger . And they forsook Jehovah , and served Baal and the Ashtoreths . And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel , and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them , and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about ; and they could not any longer stand before their enemies . Whithersoever they went out the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil , as Jehovah had said , and as Jehovah had sworn unto them ; and they were greatly distressed . And Jehovah raised up judges , and they saved them out of the hand of those that spoiled them . But they did not even hearken to their judges , for they went a whoring after other gods , and bowed themselves to them ; they turned quickly out of the way that their fathers had walked in , obeying the commandments of Jehovah ; they did not so . And when Jehovah raised them up judges , then Jehovah was with the judge , and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge ; for it repented Jehovah because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and crushed them . And it came to pass when the judge died , that they turned back and corrupted themselves more than their fathers , in following other gods to serve them , and to bow down to them : they ceased not from their own doings , nor from their stubborn way . And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel ; and he said , Because this nation hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers , and hath not hearkened unto my voice , I also will not henceforth dispossess from before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died ; that through them I may prove Israel , whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein , as their fathers did keep [ it ] , or not . Therefore Jehovah left those nations , without dispossessing them hastily , neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua . And these are the nations that Jehovah left , to prove Israel by them , all that had not known all the wars of Canaan ; only that the generations of the children of Israel might know war by learning it , at the least those who before had known nothing thereof : five lord ships of the Philistines , and all the Canaanites , and the Sidonians , and the Hivites that dwell on mount Lebanon ; from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering into Hamath . And they were to prove Israel by them , to know whether they would obey the commandments of Jehovah , which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses . And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites : Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites ; and they took their daughters as wives , and gave their daughters to their sons , and served their gods . And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah , and forgot Jehovah their God , and served the Baals and the Asherahs . And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel , and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia ; and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years . And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah ; and Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel , who saved them , Othniel the son of Kenaz , Caleb's younger brother . And the Spirit of Jehovah was upon him , and he judged Israel ; and he went out to war , and Jehovah gave Chushan-rishathaim king of Syria into his hand ; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim . And the land had rest forty years ; and Othniel the son of Kenaz died . And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah ; and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel , because they did evil in the sight of Jehovah . And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel , and they took possession of the city of palm-trees . And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years . And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah , and Jehovah raised them up a saviour , Ehud the son of Gera , the Benjaminite , a man left-handed . And by him the children of Israel sent a gift to Eglon king of Moab . And Ehud made him a sword having two edges , it was of a cubit length ; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right hip . And he brought the gift to Eglon king of Moab ; now Eglon was a very fat man . And it came to pass when he had ended offering the gift , he sent away the people that had borne the gift . But he turned from the graven images that were by Gilgal , and said , I have a secret word unto thee , O king . And he said , Be silent ! And all that stood by him went out from him . And Ehud came to him ; now he was sitting in the cool upper-chamber , which was for him alone . And Ehud said , I have a word from God unto thee . And he arose from the seat . Then Ehud put forth his left hand , and took the sword from his right hip , and thrust it into his belly ; and the haft also went in after the blade , and the fat closed upon the blade ; for he did not draw the sword out of his belly , and it came out between the legs . And Ehud went out into the portico , and shut the doors of the upper-chamber upon him , and bolted them . And when he was gone out , the servants of the [ king ] came and saw , and behold , the doors of the upper-chamber were bolted . And they said , Surely he is covering his feet in the summer chamber . And they waited till they were ashamed ; and behold , he opened not the doors of the upper-chamber , and they took the key , and opened [ them ] , and behold , their lord lay dead on the earth . And Ehud had escaped while they lingered , and passed beyond the graven images , and escaped to Seirah . And it came to pass when he was come , that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim , and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill-country , and he before them . And he said to them , Follow after me , for Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand . And they went down after him , and took the fords of the Jordan toward Moab , and suffered no one to pass over . And they slew the Moabites at that time , about ten thousand men , all fat , and all men of valour , and not a man escaped . And Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel . And the land had rest eighty years . And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath ; and he smote the Philistines , six hundred men , with an ox-goad . And he also delivered Israel . And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah ; now Ehud was dead . And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan , who reigned in Hazor ; and the captain of his army was Sisera , who dwelt in Harosheth-Goim . And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah ; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron , and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel twenty years . And Deborah , a prophetess , the wife of Lapidoth , judged Israel at that time . And she dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim ; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment . And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-Naphtali , and said to him , Hath not Jehovah the God of Israel commanded ? Go and draw towards mount Tabor , and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun , and I will draw unto thee , to the torrent Kishon , Sisera , the captain of Jabin's army , and his chariots and his multitude , and I will give him into thy hand . And Barak said to her , If thou goest with me , then I will go , but if thou goest not with me , I will not go . And she said , I will by all means go with thee , only that it will not be to thine honour upon the way which thou goest , for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman . And Deborah arose , and went with Barak to Kedesh . And Barak called together Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh ; and there went up at his feet ten thousand men ; and Deborah went up with him . ( Now Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites , from the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses , and had pitched his tent as far as the oak of Zaannaim , which is by Kedesh . ) And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to mount Tabor . Then Sisera gathered together all his chariots , nine hundred chariots of iron , and all the people that were with him , from Harosheth-Goim to the torrent Kishon . And Deborah said to Barak , Up ; for this is the day in which Jehovah hath given Sisera into thy hand ! Is not Jehovah gone out before thee ? And Barak went down from mount Tabor , and ten thousand men after him . And Jehovah discomfited Sisera , and all the chariots , and all the army , with the edge of the sword before Barak ; and Sisera got down from [ his ] chariot , and fled on foot . And Barak pursued after the chariots , and after the army , to Harosheth-Goim ; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword ; not one was left . And Sisera fled on foot 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 . And Jael went out to meet Sisera , and said to him , Turn in , my lord , turn in to me ; fear not . And he turned in to her , into the tent , and she covered him with the quilt . And he said to her , Give me , I pray thee , a little water to drink , for I am thirsty . And she opened the flask of milk , and gave him drink , and covered him . And he said to her , Stand in the door of the tent , and it shall be if any one come and inquire of thee , and say , Is there any man here ? that thou shalt say , No . And Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin , and took the hammer in her hand , and went softly to him , and smote the pin into his temples , and it penetrated into the ground ; for he had fallen into a deep sleep and was faint ; and he died . And behold , as Barak pursued Sisera , Jael went out to meet him , and said to him , Come , and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest . And he went into her [ tent ] , and behold , Sisera lay dead , and the pin was in his temples . So God subdued on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the children of Israel . And the hand of the children of Israel ever advanced , and prevailed against Jabin king of Canaan , until they had cut off Jabin king of Canaan . Then sang Deborah and Barak , the son of Abinoam , on that day , saying , For that leaders led in Israel , For that the people willingly offered themselves , Bless Jehovah ! Hear , ye kings ; give ear , ye princes , I , [ even ] I , will sing to Jehovah ; I will hymn to Jehovah the God of Israel . Jehovah , when thou wentest forth from Seir , When thou marchedst out of the fields of Edom , The earth trembled , and the heavens dropped , Yea , the clouds dropped water . The mountains quaked before the face of Jehovah , That Sinai , from before Jehovah the God of Israel . In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath , in the days of Jael , The roads were unused , and the travellers on highways went by crooked paths . The villages ceased in Israel , Ceased until that I Deborah arose , That I arose a mother in Israel . They chose new gods ; then was war in the gates : Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel ? My heart is toward the governors of Israel , who offered themselves willingly among the people . Bless Jehovah ! Ye that ride on white she-asses , ye that sit on carpets , and ye that walk by the way , consider . Because of the voice of those who divide [ the spoil ] in the midst of the places of drawing water ; There they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah , His righteous acts toward his villages in Israel . Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates . Awake , awake , Deborah ! awake , awake , utter a song ! Arise , Barak , and lead captive thy captives , thou son of Abinoam ! Then come down , thou , the remnant of nobles , [ as his ] people ; Jehovah ! come down with me in the midst of the mighty ones . Out of Ephraim [ came ] those whose root was in Amalek ; After thee was Benjamin among thy peoples . Out of Machir came down governors , And out of Zebulun they that handled the staff of the ruler . And the princes in Issachar were with Deborah ; And Issachar , like Barak ; They were sent into the valley at his feet . In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart ! Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds , To hear the bleating of the flocks ? In the divisions of Reuben there were great deliberations of heart ! Gilead abode beyond Jordan ; And Dan , why did he remain in ships ? Asher sat on the sea-shore , And abode in his creeks . Zebulun is a people [ that ] jeoparded their lives unto death , Naphtali also , on the high places of the field . Kings came , -- they fought ; Then fought the kings of Canaan ; At Taanach , by the waters of Megiddo ; They took no spoil of silver . From heaven was the fight ; The stars from their courses fought with Sisera . The torrent of Kishon swept them away , That ancient torrent , the torrent Kishon . My soul , thou hast trodden down strength ! Then did the horse-hoofs clatter with the coursings , The coursings of their steeds . Curse Meroz , saith the Angel of Jehovah ; Curse , curse the inhabitants thereof ; For they came not to the help of Jehovah , To the help of Jehovah among the mighty . Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be , Blessed above women in the tent ! He asked water , she gave milk ; In the nobles' bowl she brought forth cream . She put her hand to the tent-pin , And her right hand to the workmen's hammer ; And she smote Sisera , she struck through his head , Shattered and pierced through his temples . Between her feet he bowed , he fell , he lay down : Between her feet he bowed , he fell ; Where he bowed , there he fell , overcome . Them other of Sisera looketh out at the window , And crieth through the lattice , Why is his chariot so long in coming ? Why tarry the trampings of his chariots ? The wise amongst her ladies answer [ her ] , Yea , she returneth answer to herself , Have they not found , divided the booty , A damsel , two damsels , to each ? A booty of dyed stuffs for Sisera , A booty of dyed stuffs of embroidery , Dyed stuff of double embroidery for the neck of a spoiler ? So let all thine enemies perish , Jehovah ! But let them that love him be as the rising of the sun in its might . And the land had rest forty years . And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah ; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years . And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel . Because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains , and the caves , and the strongholds . And it came to pass when Israel sowed , that Midian came up , and Amalek , and the children of the east , and came up against them . And they encamped against them , and destroyed the produce of the land , until thou come to Gazah , and they left no sustenance in Israel , neither sheep , nor ox , nor ass . For they came up with their cattle and their tents , and they came as locusts for multitude ; both they and their camels were without number ; and they entered into the land to destroy it . And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian . And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah . And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried to Jehovah because of Midian , that Jehovah sent a prophet to the children of Israel , who said to them , Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel : I brought you up from Egypt , and brought you forth out of the house of bondage ; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians , and out of the hand of all that oppressed you , and drove them out from before you , and gave you their land , and I said to you , I am Jehovah your God ; fear not the gods of the Amorites , in whose land ye dwell . But ye have not hearkened to my voice . And an angel of Jehovah came and sat under the terebinth that was in Ophrah , that [ belonged ] to Joash the Abi-ezrite . And his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress , to secure [ it ] from the Midianites . And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him , and said to him , Jehovah is with thee , thou mighty man of valour . And Gideon said to him , Ah my Lord , if Jehovah be with us , why then is all this befallen us ? and where are all his miracles that our fathers told us of , saying , Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt ? And now Jehovah hath cast us off , and given us into the hand of Midian . And Jehovah looked upon him , and said , Go in this thy might , and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of Midian . Have not I sent thee ? And he said to him , Ah Lord , wherewith shall I save Israel ? behold , my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh , and I am the least in my father's house . And Jehovah said to him , I will certainly be with thee ; and thou shalt smite Midian as one man . And he said to him , If now I have found favour in thine eyes , shew me a sign that it is thou who talkest with me . Depart not hence , I pray thee , until I come unto thee , and bring forth my present , and set it before thee . And he said , I will tarry until thou come again . And Gideon went in , and made ready a kid of the goats , and an ephah of flour in unleavened cakes : the flesh he put in a basket , and he put the broth in a pot , and brought it out to him under the terebinth , and presented it . And the Angel of God said to him , Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes , and lay them upon this rock , and pour out the broth . And he did so . And the Angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand , and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes ; and there rose up fire out of the rock , and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes . And the Angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight . And Gideon perceived that he was an angel of Jehovah ; and Gideon said , Alas , Lord Jehovah ! for because I have seen an angel of Jehovah face to face . . . And Jehovah said to him , Peace be unto thee : fear not ; thou shalt not die . And Gideon built there an altar to Jehovah , and called it Jehovah-shalom . To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites . And it came to pass the same night , that Jehovah said to him , Take the young bullock , which thy father hath , even the second bullock of seven years old , and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath , and cut down the Asherah that is by it ; and build an altar to Jehovah thy God upon the top of this strong place in the ordered manner , and take the second bullock , and offer up a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah that thou shalt cut down . And Gideon took ten men of his servants , and did as Jehovah had said to him . And it came to pass , because he feared his father's house , and the men of the city , if he did it by day , that he did it by night . And 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 bullock was offered up upon the altar that was built . And they said one to another , Who has done this thing ? And when they inquired and asked , they said , Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing . And the men of the city said to Joash , Bring out thy 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 . And Joash said to all that stood near him , Will * ye * contend for Baal ? or will * ye * save him ? he that contends for him , let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning . If he be a god , let him plead for himself , because they have broken down his altar . And on that day they called him Jerubbaal , saying , Let Baal plead with him , because he has broken down his altar . And all Midian and Amalek and the children of the east were gathered together , and went over , and encamped in the valley of Jezreel . And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon , and he blew the trumpet , and the Abi-ezrites were gathered after him . And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh , and they also were gathered after him ; and he sent messengers to Asher , and to Zebulun , and to Naphtali ; and they came up to meet them . And Gideon said to God , If thou wilt save Israel by my hand , as thou hast said , behold , I put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor ; if dew shall be on the fleece only , and it be dry upon all the ground , then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand , as thou hast said . And it was so . And when he rose up early on the morrow , he pressed the fleece together , and wrung dew out of the fleece , a bowl-full of water . And Gideon said to God , Let not thine anger be hot against me , and I will speak but this once ! Let me prove , I pray thee , but this once with the fleece ; let it , I pray thee , be dry upon the fleece only , and upon all the ground let there be dew . And God did so that night , and it was dry upon the fleece only , but on all the ground there was dew . And Jerubbaal , who is Gideon , arose early , and all the people that were with him , and they encamped beside the spring Harod ; and he had the camp of Midian on the north by the hill of Moreh in the valley . And Jehovah said to Gideon , The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midian into their hand , lest Israel vaunt themselves against me , saying , Mine own hand hath saved me . And now proclaim in the ears of the people , saying , Whoever is timid and afraid , let him go back and turn from mount Gilead . And there went back of the people twenty-two thousand ; and there remained ten thousand . And Jehovah said to Gideon , Still the people are many ; bring them down to the water , and I will try them for thee there , and it shall be , that of whom I shall say unto thee , This shall go with thee , the same shall go with thee ; and of whomsoever I shall say unto thee , This shall not go with thee , the same shall not go . And he brought down the people to the water ; and Jehovah said to Gideon , Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue , as a dog lappeth , him shalt thou set by himself ; likewise every one that boweth down on his knees to drink . And the number of them that lapped , with their hand to their mouth , were three hundred men ; and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water . And Jehovah said to Gideon , By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you , and give Midian into thy hand ; and let all the people go every man to his place . And they took the victuals of the people in their hand , and their trumpets ; and all the men of Israel he sent away , every man to his tent , but retained the three hundred men . Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley . And it came to pass in that night , that Jehovah said to him , Arise , go down to the camp ; for I have given it into thy hand . And if thou fear to go down , go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the camp ; and thou shalt hear what they say ; and afterwards shall thy hand be strengthened , and thou shalt go down unto the camp . And he went down with Phurah his servant to the outside of the armed men that were in the camp . And Midian and Amalek and all the children of the east lay along in the valley as locusts for multitude ; and their camels were without number , as the sand upon the sea-shore for multitude . And Gideon came , and behold , a man was telling a dream to his fellow ; and he said , Behold , I dreamed a dream , and lo , a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the camp of Midian , and came to the tent , and smote it that it fell , and overturned it ; and the tent lay along . And his fellow answered and said , This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash , the man of Israel : God hath given into his hand Midian and all the host . And it came to pass when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation , that he worshipped . And he returned into the camp of Israel , and said , Arise ; for Jehovah hath given into your hand the camp of Midian . And he divided the three hundred men into three companies , and he put a trumpet in every man's hand , and empty pitchers , and torches within the pitchers . And he said to them , Look on me , and do likewise ; behold , when I come to the extremity of the camp , it shall be that , as I do , so shall ye do . And when I blow with a trumpet , I and all that are with me , ye also shall blow the trumpets around the whole camp , and shall say , For Jehovah and for Gideon ! And Gideon , and the hundred men that were with him , came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch ; and they had but newly set the watch ; and they blew the trumpets , and broke the pitchers that were in their hands . And the three companies blew the trumpets , and broke in pieces the pitchers , and held the torches in their left hand , and the trumpets in their right hand for blowing , and cried , The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon ! And they stood every man in his place round about the camp ; and all the host ran , and cried out , and fled . And the three hundred blew the trumpets , and Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow , even throughout the camp . And the host fled to Beth-shittah towards Zererah , to the border of Abel-meholah , by Tabbath . And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali , and out of Asher , and out of all Manasseh , and pursued after Midian . And Gideon sent messengers throughout mount Ephraim , saying , Come down against Midian , and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah , and the Jordan . And all the men of Ephraim were called together , and took the waters unto Beth-barah , and the Jordan . And they took two princes of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb ; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb , and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb ; and they pursued Midian , and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan . And the men of Ephraim said to him , What is this thing thou hast done to us , that thou calledst us not , when thou wentest to fight with Midian ? And they disputed with him sharply . And he said to them , What have I done now in comparison with you ? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer ? Into your hands hath God delivered the princes of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb ; and what was I able to do in comparison with you ? Then their spirit was appeased toward him , when he said that word . And Gideon came to the Jordan , [ and ] passed over , he and the three hundred men that were with him , faint , yet pursuing . And he said to the men of Succoth , Give , I pray you , loaves of bread to the people that follow me , for they are faint ; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna , kings of Midian . And the chief men of Succoth said , Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand , that we should give bread to thine army ? And Gideon said , Therefore when Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand , I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briars . And he went up thence to Penuel , and spoke to them in like manner . And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered . And he spoke also to the men of Penuel , saying , When I come again in peace , I will break down this tower . Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor , and their camp with them , about fifteen thousand [ men ] , all that were left of the whole camp of the children of the east ; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword . And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah , and smote the camp ; for the camp was at its ease . And Zebah and Zalmunna fled , and he pursued after them , and he took the two kings of Midian , Zebah and Zalmunna , and discomfited all the camp . And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle , from the ascent of Heres . And he caught a youth of the men of Succoth , and inquired of him ; and he wrote down for him the chief men of Succoth , and the elders thereof , seventy-seven men . And he came to the men of Succoth , and said , Behold Zebah and Zalmunna , with whom ye did upbraid me , saying , Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand , that we should give bread to thy men that are weary ? And he took the elders of the city , and thorns of the wilderness and briars , and with them he taught the men of Succoth . And he broke down the tower of Penuel , and slew the men of the city . Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna , What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor ? And they answered , As thou art , so were they ; each one resembled the sons of a king . And he said , They were my brethren , the sons of my mother . [ As ] Jehovah liveth , if ye had saved them alive , I would not slay you . And he said to Jether his firstborn , Arise , slay them ! But the youth drew not his sword ; for he feared , because he was yet a youth . Then Zebah and Zalmunna said , Rise thou , and fall on us ; for as is the man , so is his strength . And Gideon arose , and slew Zebah and Zalmunna ; and he took the moons that were on their camels' necks . And the men of Israel said to Gideon , Rule over us , both thou , and thy son , and thy son's son also ; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian . And Gideon said to them , I will not rule over you , neither shall my son rule over you : Jehovah will rule over you . And Gideon said to them , I would desire a request of you : give me every man the earrings of his booty ; for they had golden earrings , because they were Ishmaelites . And they said , We will willingly give [ them ] . And they spread a garment , and cast therein every man the earrings of his booty . And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred [ shekels ] of gold ; besides the moons , and eardrops , and the purple garments that were on the kings of Midian , and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks . And Gideon made an ephod of them , and put it in his city , in Ophrah . And all Israel went thither a whoring after it ; and it became a snare to Gideon , and to his house . And Midian was subdued before the children of Israel , and they lifted up their heads no more . And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon . And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house . Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins , for he had many wives . And his concubine that was in Shechem , she also bore him a son , and he gave him the name of Abimelech . And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age , and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father , in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites . And it came to pass when Gideon was dead , that the children of Israel turned again , and went a whoring after the Baals , and set up Baal-Berith as their god . And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God , who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side . And they shewed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal-Gideon , according to all the good that he had done to Israel . And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brethren , and spoke to them , and to all the family of the house of his mother's father , saying , Speak , I pray you , in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem , Which is better for you , that seventy persons , all sons of Jerubbaal , rule over you , or that one man rule over you ? And remember that I am your bone and your flesh . And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem all these words . And their heart inclined after Abimelech ; for they said , He is our brother . And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith , and Abimelech hired with them vain and wanton men , and they followed him . And he came to his father's house , to Ophrah , and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal , seventy persons upon one stone ; but there remained Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal ; for he had hid himself . And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together , and all the house of Millo , and went and made Abimelech king , by the memorial-oak that is in Shechem . And they told it to Jotham , and he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim , and lifted up his voice , and cried , and said to them , Hearken to me , ye citizens of Shechem , that God may hearken to you . The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them ; and they said to the olive-tree , Reign over us . And the olive-tree said to them , Should I leave my fatness , wherewith by me they honour God and man , and go to wave over the trees ? And the trees said to the fig-tree , Come thou , reign over us . But the fig-tree said to them , Should I leave my sweetness , and my good fruit , and go to wave over the trees ? Then said the trees to the vine , Come thou , reign over us . And the vine said to them , Should I leave my new wine , which cheers God and man , and go to wave over the trees ? Then said all the trees to the thorn-bush , Come thou , reign over us . And the thorn-bush said to the trees , If in truth ye anoint me king over you , come , put confidence in my shadow ; but if not , fire shall come out of the thorn-bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon . Now therefore , if ye have dealt truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king , and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house , and if ye have done to him according to the deserving of his hands ; -- for my father fought for you , and endangered his life , and delivered you out of the hand of Midian ; but ye are risen up against my father's house this day , and have slain his sons , seventy men , upon one stone , and have made Abimelech , the son of his handmaid , king over the citizens of Shechem , because he is your brother ; -- if ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day , rejoice ye in Abimelech , and let him also rejoice in you ; but if not , let fire come out from Abimelech , and devour the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo ; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and from the house of Millo , and devour Abimelech . And Jotham ran away , and fled , and went to Beer , and dwelt there , because of Abimelech his brother . And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years . And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem ; and the citizens of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech , that the violence [ done ] to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come , and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother , who slew them , and upon the citizens of Shechem , who had strengthened his hands to slay his brethren . And the citizens of Shechem set liers in wait for him on the tops of the mountains , and they robbed all that came along that way by them . And it was told Abimelech . And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren , and went over to Shechem ; and the citizens of Shechem put confidence in him . And they went out into the fields , and gathered their vineyards , and trode [ the grapes ] , and made rejoicings , and went into the house of their god , and ate and drank , and cursed Abimelech . And Gaal the son of Ebed said , Who is Abimelech , and who is Shechem , that we should serve him ? is he not the son of Jerubbaal ? and Zebul his overseer ? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem ! and why should * we * serve him ? Oh ! would that this people were under my hand ! then would I remove Abimelech . And he said to Abimelech , Increase thine army , and come out . And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed , and his anger was kindled ; and he sent messengers to Abimelech craftily , saying , Behold , Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem , and behold , they shut up the city against thee ; and now , rise up by night , thou and the people that are with thee , and lie in ambush in the fields . And it shall be in the morning when the sun is up , thou shalt rise early , and fall upon the city ; and behold , he and the people that is with him shall come out against thee , and thou shalt do with him as thou shalt find occasion . And Abimelech rose up , and all the people that were with him , by night , and they lay in ambush against Shechem in four companies . And Gaal the son of Ebed went out , and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city . Then Abimelech rose up , and the people that were with him , out of the ambush . And Gaal saw the people , and said to Zebul , Behold , people are coming down from the tops of the mountains . And Zebul said to him , Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men . And Gaal spoke again , and said , Behold , people are coming down from the high part of the land , and one company is coming along by the way of the Magician's oak . Then said Zebul to him , Where is now thy mouth , thou that saidst , Who is Abimelech , that we should serve him ? is not this the people that thou hast despised ? go out now , I pray , and fight against them . And Gaal went out before the citizens of Shechem , and fought against Abimelech . And Abimelech pursued him , and he fled before him , and there fell many wounded , as far as the entrance of the gate . And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah . And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren , that they might not dwell in Shechem . And it came to pass on the morrow , that the people went out into the field ; and they told Abimelech . And he took the people , and divided them into three companies , and lay in ambush in the field . And he looked , and behold , the people came forth out of the city ; and he rose up against them and smote them . And Abimelech , and the companies that were with him , rushed forward , and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city ; and two of the companies ran upon all that were in the fields , and slew them . And Abimelech fought against the city all that day ; and he took the city , and slew the people that were in it , and broke down the city , and sowed it with salt . And all the men of the tower of Shechem heard [ that ] , and they entered into the stronghold of the house of the god Berith . And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered together . Then Abimelech went up to mount Zalmon , he and all the people that were with him ; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand , and cut down a bough from the trees , and took it up and laid it on his shoulder , and said to the people that was with him , What ye have seen me do , make haste , do as I have done . And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough , and they followed Abimelech , and put [ them ] to the hold , and burned the hold with fire upon them . And all the men of the tower of Shechem died also , about a thousand men and women . And Abimelech went to Thebez , and encamped against Thebez , and took it . But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city , and thither fled all the men and women , all the citizens of the city ; and they shut it behind them , and went up to the roof of the tower . And Abimelech came to the tower , and fought against it , and he drew near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire ; and a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill on Abimelech's head , and crushed his skull . Then he called hastily to the young man that carried his armour , and said to him , Draw thy sword , and slay me , that they say not of me , A woman killed him . And his young man thrust him through , and he died . And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead , they went every man to his place . And God rendered back the wickedness of Abimelech , which he did to his father in slaying his seventy brethren . And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render back upon their heads ; and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal . And after Abimelech , there rose up to save Israel Tola the son of Puah , the son of Dodo , a man of Issachar ; and he dwelt in Shamir on mount Ephraim . And he judged Israel twenty-three years ; and he died , and was buried in Shamir . And after him rose up Jair , a Gileadite ; and he judged Israel twenty-two years . And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty ass colts ; and they had thirty cities , which are called the villages of Jair to this day , which are in the land of Gilead . And Jair died , and was buried in Kamon . And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah , and served the Baals , and the Ashtoreths , and the gods of Syria , and the gods of Zidon , and the gods of Moab , and the gods of the children of Ammon , and the gods of the Philistines ; and they forsook Jehovah , and served him not . And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel , and he sold him into the hand of the Philistines , and into the hand of the children of Ammon . And they oppressed and crushed the children of Israel in that year ; eighteen years [ they oppressed ] all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites , which is in Gilead . And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah , and against Benjamin , and against the house of Ephraim ; and Israel was greatly distressed . And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah , saying , We have sinned against thee , both because we have forsaken our God , and also served the Baals . And Jehovah said to the children of Israel , Did I not [ save you ] from the Egyptians , and from the Amorites , from the children of Ammon , and from the Philistines ? The Zidonians also , and Amalek and Maon oppressed you , and ye cried to me , and I saved you out of their hand . But ye have forsaken me , and served other gods ; therefore I will save you no more . Go and cry to the gods that ye have chosen : let them save you in the time of your trouble . And the children of Israel said to Jehovah , We have sinned . Do thou unto us according to all that is good in thy sight ; only deliver us , we pray thee , this day . And they put away the strange gods from among them , and served Jehovah ; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel . And the children of Ammon were called together and encamped in Gilead ; and the children of Israel gathered together and encamped in Mizpeh . And the people , the chief men of Gilead , said one to another , Who is the man that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon ? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead . Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour , and he was the son of a harlot ; and Gilead had begotten Jephthah . And Gilead's wife bore him sons ; and when his wife's sons were grown , they expelled Jephthah , and said to him , Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house ; for thou art the son of another woman . Then Jephthah fled from his brethren , and dwelt in the land of Tob . And vain men were gathered to Jephthah , and they made expeditions with him . And it came to pass after some time , that the children of Ammon fought with Israel . And when the children of Ammon made war against Israel , the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob . And they said to Jephthah , Come , and be our captain , that we may fight against the children of Ammon . And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead , Did not ye hate me , and expel me out of my father's house ? and why are ye come to me now when ye are in trouble ? And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah , Therefore we have returned to thee now , that thou mayest go with us , and fight against the children of Ammon , and be head over all of us the inhabitants of Gilead . And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead , If ye take me back to fight against the children of Ammon , and Jehovah give them up before me , shall I be your head ? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah , Jehovah be witness between us , if we do not so according to thy words ! Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead , and the people made him head and captain over them ; and Jephthah uttered all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah . And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon , saying , What hast thou to do with me , that thou art come against me to fight against my land ? And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah , Because Israel took away my land , when they came up out of Egypt , from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok and unto the Jordan ; and now restore it peaceably . And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon , and said to him , Thus saith Jephthah : Israel took not away the land of Moab , nor the land of the children of Ammon . But when they came up from Egypt , then Israel walked through the wilderness as far as the Red sea , and came to Kadesh . And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom , saying , Let me , I pray thee , pass through thy land ; but the king of Edom would not hearken . And they also sent to the king of Moab ; and he would not . And Israel abode in Kadesh . And they walked through the wilderness , and went round the land of Edom and the land of Moab , and came by the east of the land of Moab , and encamped beyond the Arnon , but came not within the border of Moab , for the Arnon is the border of Moab . And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites , the king of Heshbon , and Israel said to him , Let us pass , we pray thee , through thy land unto my place . But Sihon trusted not Israel , to let him pass through his border , and Sihon gathered all his people , and they encamped in Jahzah ; and he fought with Israel . And Jehovah the God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel , and they smote them ; and Israel took possession of the whole land of the Amorites , who dwelt in that country . And they possessed all the borders of the Amorites , from the Arnon unto the Jabbok , and from the wilderness unto the Jordan . And now Jehovah the God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel , and shouldest thou take possession of it ? Dost not thou possess what Chemosh thy god puts thee in possession of ? and whatever Jehovah our God has dispossessed before us , that will we possess . And now art thou indeed better than Balak the son of Zippor , king of Moab ? did he ever strive with Israel ? did he ever fight against them ? While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its dependent villages , and in Aroer and its dependent villages , and in all the cities that are along the banks of the Arnon , three hundred years -- why did ye not recover [ them ] within that time ? So I have not sinned against thee , but it is thou who doest me wrong in making war against me . Jehovah , the Judge , be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon ! But the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not to the words of Jephthah that he had sent him . Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah , and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh , and passed to Mizpeh of Gilead , and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon . And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah , and said , If thou wilt without fail give the children of Ammon into my hand , then shall that which cometh forth from the door of my house to meet me , when I return in peace from the children of Ammon , be Jehovah's , and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering . And Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them ; and Jehovah gave them into his hand . And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith , twenty cities , even unto Abel-Cheramim , with a very great slaughter ; and the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel . And Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house , and behold , his daughter came out to meet him with tambours and with dances ; and she was an only child : besides her he had neither son nor daughter . And it came to pass , when he saw her , that he rent his garments , and said , Alas , my daughter ! thou hast brought me very low , and thou art one of them that trouble me ; for I have opened my mouth to Jehovah , and I cannot go back . And she said to him , My father , if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah , do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth ; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies , upon the children of Ammon . And she said to her father , Let this thing be done for me : leave me alone two months , that I may go and descend to the mountains , and bewail my virginity , I and my companions . And he said , Go . And he sent her away for two months . And she went with her companions , and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains . And it came to pass at the end of two months , that she returned to her father , and he performed on her the vow that he had vowed ; and she had known no man . And it became a fixed custom in Israel , that from year to year the daughters of Israel go to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year . And the men of Ephraim were called together , and passed over northwards , and said to Jephthah , Why didst thou pass over to fight against the children of Ammon , and didst not call us to go with thee ? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire . And Jephthah said to them , I was at great strife , I and my people , with the children of Ammon ; and I called you , but ye saved me not out of their hand . And when I saw that ye would not save me , I put my life in my hand , and passed over against the children of Ammon , and Jehovah gave them into my hand . Why then are ye come up to me this day , to fight against me ? And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead , and fought with Ephraim ; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim , because they said , Ye , Gilead , ye are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim , [ and ] in the midst of Manasseh . And Gilead took the fords of the Jordan before Ephraim ; and it came to pass that when the fugitives of Ephraim said , Let me go over , the men of Gilead said to him , Art thou an Ephraimite ? and he said , No . Then they said to him , Say now Shibboleth ! and he said , Sibboleth , and did not manage to pronounce [ it ] rightly . Then they took him , and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan . And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand . And Jephthah judged Israel six years . And Jephthah the Gileadite died , and was buried in [ one of ] the cities of Gilead . And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel . And he had thirty sons ; and thirty daughters he sent out of the house , and thirty daughters he took in from abroad for his sons . And he judged Israel seven years . And Ibzan died , and was buried at Bethlehem . And after him Elon , the Zebulonite , judged Israel ; and he judged Israel ten years . And Elon the Zebulonite died , and was buried in Ajalon in the land of Zebulun . And after him Abdon the son of Hillel , the Pirathonite , judged Israel . And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons , who rode on seventy ass colts . And he judged Israel eight years . And 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 . And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah ; and Jehovah gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years . And there was a certain man of Zoreah , of the family of the Danites , and his name was Manoah . And his wife was barren and did not bear . And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to the woman , and said to her , Behold now , thou art barren and bearest not ; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son . And now beware , I pray thee , and drink not wine nor strong drink , and eat nothing unclean . For lo , thou shalt conceive , and bear a son , and no razor shall come on his head ; for the boy shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb ; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines . And the woman came and told her husband , saying , A man of God came to me , and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God , very terrible ; but I did not ask him whence he was , neither did he tell me his name . And he said to me , Behold , thou shalt conceive and bear a son ; and now drink not wine nor strong drink , and eat not anything unclean ; for the boy shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb to the day of his death . Then Manoah prayed to Jehovah , and said , Ah Lord ! let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us , I pray thee , and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born . And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah ; and the Angel of God came again to the woman whilst she sat in the field ; but Manoah her husband was not with her . Then the woman hasted and ran , and informed her husband , and said to him , Behold , the man has appeared to me , that came to me that day . And Manoah rose up and went after his wife , and came to the man , and said to him , Art thou the man that didst speak to the woman ? And he said , I am . And Manoah said , When thy words then come to pass , what shall be the child's manner and his doing ? And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah , Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware : she shall not eat of anything that cometh of the vine , neither shall she drink wine or strong drink , nor eat anything unclean : all that I commanded her shall she observe . And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah , I pray thee , let us detain thee , and we will make ready a kid of the goats for thee . And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah , Though thou shouldest detain me , I will not eat of thy bread ; and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering , thou shalt offer it up to Jehovah . For Manoah knew not that he was the Angel of Jehovah . And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah , What is thy name , that when thy word cometh to pass we may do thee honour ? And the Angel of Jehovah said to him , How is it that thou askest after my name , seeing it is wonderful ? Then Manoah took the kid and the oblation , and offered it up to Jehovah upon the rock . And he did wondrously , and Manoah and his wife looked on . And it came to pass , as the flame went up from off the altar towards the heavens , that the Angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar ; and Manoah and his wife looked on , and fell on their faces to the ground . And the Angel of Jehovah appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife . Then Manoah knew that it was the Angel of Jehovah . And Manoah said to his wife , We shall surely die , because we have seen God . But his wife said to him , If Jehovah were pleased to kill us , he would not have received a burnt-offering and an oblation at our hands , neither would he have shewed us all these things , nor would he at this time have told us [ such things ] as these . And the woman bore a son , and called his name Samson . And the child grew , and Jehovah blessed him . And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at Mahaneh-Dan , between Zoreah and Eshtaol . And Samson went down to Timnathah , and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines . And he went up , and told his father and his mother , and said , I have seen a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines ; and now take her for me as wife . And his father and his mother said to him , Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren , and among all my people , that thou goest to take a wife of the Philistines , the uncircumcised ? And Samson said to his father , Take her for me , for she pleases me well . And his father and his mother did not know that it was of Jehovah , that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines . Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel . And Samson went down , and his father and his mother , to Timnathah ; and they came to the vineyards of Timnathah . And behold , a young lion roared against him ; and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him , and he rent it as one rends a kid , and nothing was in his hand . And he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done . And he went down and talked with the woman ; and she pleased Samson well . And he returned after a time to take her , and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion ; and behold , [ there was ] a swarm of bees in the carcase of the lion , and honey ; and he took it out in his hands , and went on , and ate as he went . And he came to his father and to his mother , and gave them , and they ate ; but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion . And his father went down to the woman , and Samson made there a feast ; for so used the young men to do . And it came to pass when they saw him , that they brought thirty companions , and they were with him . And Samson said to them , Let me now propound a riddle to you ; if ye clearly explain it to me within the seven days of the feast , and find [ it ] out , then I will give you thirty shirts , and thirty changes of garments . But if ye cannot explain [ it ] to me , then shall ye give me thirty shirts , and thirty changes of garments . And they said to him , Propound thy riddle , that we may hear it . And he said to them , Out of the eater came forth food , And out of the strong came forth sweetness . And they could not in three days explain the riddle . And it came to pass on the seventh day , that they said to Samson's wife , Persuade thy husband , that he may explain to us the riddle , lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire . Have ye invited us to impoverish us , -- is it not [ so ] ? And Samson's wife wept before him , and said , Thou dost but hate me , and lovest me not . Thou hast propounded the riddle to the children of my people , and hast not explained it to me . And he said to her , Behold , I have not explained it to my father nor my mother , and shall I explain it to thee ? And she wept before him the seven days , while they had the feast . And it came to pass on the seventh day , that he explained it to her , for she pressed him . And she explained the riddle to the children of her people . And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down , What is sweeter than honey , And what stronger than a lion ? And he said to them , If ye had not ploughed with my heifer , Ye had not found out my riddle . And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him , and he went down to Ashkelon , and slew of them thirty men , and took their spoil , and gave the changes of garments unto them that explained the riddle . And his anger was kindled , and he went up to his father's house . And Samson's wife was [ given ] to his companion , whom he had made his friend . And it came to pass after a time , in the days of the wheat-harvest , that Samson visited his wife with a kid of the goats . And he said , I will go in to my wife into the chamber ; but her father would not suffer him to go in . And her father said , I verily thought that thou didst utterly hate her ; therefore I gave her to thy companion . Is not her younger sister fairer than she ? Let her , I pray thee , be thine instead of her . And Samson said to them , This time I am blameless toward the Philistines , though I do them harm . And Samson went and caught three hundred jackals , and took torches , and turned tail to tail , and put a torch in the midst between the two tails . And he set the torches on fire , and let [ them ] run into the standing corn of the Philistines , and burnt up both the shocks , and also the standing corn , and the olive gardens . And the Philistines said , Who has done this ? And they answered , Samson , the son-in-law of the Timnite , because he took his wife and gave her to his companion . And the Philistines came up , and burned her and her father with fire . And Samson said to them , If ye act thus , for a certainty I will avenge myself on you , and then I will cease . And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter . And he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the cliff Etam . And the Philistines went up , and encamped in Judah , and spread themselves in Lehi . And the men of Judah said , Why are ye come up against us ? And they said , To bind Samson are we come up , to do to him as he has done to us . Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the cliff Etam , and said to Samson , Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us ? And what is this that thou hast done to us ? And he said to them , As they did to me , so have I done to them . And they said to him , We are come down to bind thee , that we may give thee into the hand of the Philistines . And Samson said to them , Swear to me that ye will not fall on me yourselves . And they spoke to him , saying , No ; but we will bind thee fast , and deliver thee into their hand ; but we certainly shall not put thee to death . And they bound him with two new cords , and brought him up from the cliff . When he came to Lehi , the Philistines shouted against him . And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him , and the cords that were on his arms became as threads of flax that are burned with fire , and his bands loosed from off his hands . And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass , and put forth his hand and took it , and slew with it a thousand men . And Samson said , With the jawbone of an ass , a heap , two heaps , With the jawbone of an ass have I slain a thousand men . And it came to pass when he had ended speaking , that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand , and called that place Ramath-Lehi . And he was very thirsty , and called on Jehovah , and said , Thou hast given by the hand of thy servant this great deliverance , and now shall I die for thirst , and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised ? And God clave the hallow rock which was in Lehi , and water came out of it . And he drank , and his spirit came again , and he revived . Therefore its name was called En-hakkore , which is in Lehi to this day . And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years . And Samson went to Gazah , and saw there a harlot , and went in to her . [ And it was told ] the Gazathites , saying , Samson is come hither . And they surrounded [ him ] , and laid wait for him all night at the gate of the city , and were quiet all the night , saying , In the morning light we will kill him . And Samson lay till midnight ; and he arose at midnight , and seized the doors of the gate of the city , and the two posts , and tore them up with the bar , and put [ them ] upon his shoulders , and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron . And it came to pass afterwards that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek , whose name was Delilah . And the lords of the Philistines came up to her , and said to her , Persuade him , and see in what his great strength is , and with what we may prevail against him , that we may bind him to overpower him ; and we will each give thee eleven hundred silver-pieces . Then Delilah said to Samson , Tell me , I pray thee , in what is thy great strength , and with what thou mightest be bound to overpower thee . And Samson said to her , If they should bind me with seven fresh cords which have not been dried , then should I be weak , and be as another man . Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords which had not been dried , and she bound him with them . Now she had liers in wait abiding in the chamber ; and she said to him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson ! And he broke the cords , as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire ; and his strength was not known . And Delilah said to Samson , Behold , thou hast mocked me and told me lies . Now tell me , I pray thee , with what thou mightest be bound . And he said to her , If they should bind me fast with new ropes , with which no work has been done , then should I be weak , and be as another man . And Delilah took new ropes , and bound him with them , and said to him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson ! Now there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber . And he broke them from off his arms like a thread . And Delilah said to Samson , Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies . Tell me with what thou mightest be bound . And he said to her , If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web . And she fastened it with the pin , and said to him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson ! And he awoke out of his sleep , and tore out the pin of the beam , and the web . Then she said to him , How canst thou say , I love thee , when thy heart is not with me ? these three times hast thou mocked me , and hast not told me in what is thy great strength . And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him , that his soul was vexed unto death ; and he told her all his heart , and said to her , There has not come a razor upon my head ; for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother's womb ; if I should be shaven , then my strength would go from me , and I should be weak , and be like all mankind . And Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart , and she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines , saying , Come up this time , for he has told me all his heart . And the lords of the Philistines came up to her , and brought the money in their hand . And she made him sleep upon her knees , and called a man , and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head ; and she began to overpower him , and his strength went from him . And she said , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson ! And he awoke out of his sleep , and thought , I will go out as at other times before , and disengage myself . And he knew not that Jehovah had departed from him . And the Philistines seized him , and put out his eyes , and brought him down to Gazah , and bound him with fetters of bronze ; and he had to grind in the prison-house . But the hair of his head began to grow after he was shaved . Then the lords of the Philistines gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god , and to rejoice ; for they said , Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands . And when the people saw him , they praised their god ; for they said , Our god has given into our hands our enemy , and the destroyer of our country , even him who multiplied our slain . And it came to pass when their hearts were merry , that they said , Call for Samson , that he may make us sport . And they called for Samson out of the prison-house , and he played before them ; and they set him between the pillars . And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand , Let loose of me , and suffer me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands , that I may lean upon them . Now the house was full of men and women ; and all the lords of the Philistines were there ; and upon the roof there were about three thousand men and women , who looked on while Samson made sport . And Samson called to Jehovah , and said , Lord Jehovah , remember me , I pray thee , and strengthen me , I pray thee , only this once , O God , that I may take one vengeance upon the Philistines for my two eyes . And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood ( and he supported himself upon them ) , the one with his right hand and the other with his left . And Samson said , Let me die with the Philistines ! And he bowed himself with might ; and the house fell on the lords , and on all the people that were therein . So the dead that he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life . And his brethren came down , and all the house of his father , and took him , and brought him up , and buried him between Zoreah and Eshtaol in the sepulchre of Manoah his father . And he had judged Israel twenty years . And there was a man of mount Ephraim , whose name was Micah . And he said to his mother , The eleven hundred silver-pieces that were taken from thee , and about which thou didst curse and speak of in mine ears , behold , the silver is with me ; I took it . And his mother said , Blessed be my son of Jehovah ! And he restored the eleven hundred silver-pieces to his mother ; and his mother said , I had dedicated the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son , to make a graven image and a molten image ; and now I will restore it to thee . Now he restored the silver to his mother ; and his mother took two hundred silver-pieces and gave them to the founder , and he made of them a graven image and a molten image ; and they were in the house of Micah . And the man Micah had a house of gods , and made an ephod and teraphim , and consecrated one of his sons , who became his priest . In those days there was no king in Israel ; every man did what was right in his own eyes . And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah , who was a Levite , and he sojourned there . And the man departed from the city , from Bethlehem-Judah , to sojourn where he might find [ a place ] . And as he journeyed , he came to mount Ephraim , to the house of Micah . And Micah said to him , Whence comest thou ? And he said to him , I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah , and I go to sojourn where I may find [ a place ] . And Micah said to him , Dwell with me , and be to me a father and a priest , and I will give thee yearly ten silver-pieces , and a suit of garments , and thy victuals . And the Levite went in . And the Levite was content to dwell with the man ; and the young man was to him as one of his sons . And Micah consecrated the Levite ; and the young man became his priest , and was in the house of Micah . Then said Micah , Now I know that Jehovah will do me good , because I have the Levite for priest . In those days there was no king in Israel , and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in ; for to that day [ their lot ] had not fallen to them for inheritance among the tribes of Israel . And the children of Dan sent of their family five men of their whole number , men of valour , from Zoreah and from Eshtaol , to spy out the land , and to examine it ; and they said to them , Go , examine the land . And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim , to the house of Micah , and lodged there . When they were by the house of Micah , they knew the voice of the young man , the Levite ; and they turned in thither , and said to him , Who brought thee hither ? and what doest thou in this [ place ] ? and what hast thou here ? And he said to them , Thus and thus has Micah done to me ; and he has hired me , and I am his priest . And they said to him , Inquire , we pray thee , of God , that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous . And the priest said to them , Go in peace : before Jehovah is your way on which ye go . And the five men departed , and came to Laish ; and they saw the people that were therein , dwelling securely , after the manner of the Zidonians , quiet and secure ; and no one was in the land who possessed authority , that might put [ them ] to shame in anything ; and they were far from the Zidonians , and had nothing to do with [ any ] man . -- And they came to their brethren at Zoreah and Eshtaol . And their brethren said to them , What [ say ] ye ? And they said , Arise , and let us go up against them ; for we have seen the land , and behold , it is very good ; and ye are still ! Be not slothful to go , to enter to take possession of the land . When ye go in , ye shall come to a people secure , and the land is spacious in every direction ; for God has given it into your hands ; [ it is ] a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth . And there went from thence of the family of the Danites , out of Zoreah and out of Eshtaol , six hundred men girded with weapons of war . And they went up and encamped in Kirjath-jearim , in Judah ; therefore they call that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day : behold , it is behind Kirjath-jearim . And they passed thence to mount Ephraim , and came to the house of Micah . Then the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Laish spoke and said to their brethren , Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod , and teraphim , and a graven image , and a molten image ? And now ye know what to do . And they turned thither , and came to the house of the young man the Levite , the house of Micah , and inquired after his welfare . And the six hundred men of the children of Dan , girded with their weapons of war , stood at the entrance of the gate . And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up , entered in thither , [ and ] took the graven image , and the ephod , and the teraphim , and the molten image ; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war . And these came into Micah's house , and took the carved image , the ephod , and the teraphim , and the molten image . And the priest said to them , What do ye ? And they said to him , Hold thy peace , lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and go with us , and be to us a father and a priest . Is it better for thee to be a priest for the house of one man , or to be priest for a tribe and a family in Israel ? Then the priest's heart was glad , and he took the ephod , and the teraphim , and the graven image , and went in the midst of the people . And they turned and departed , and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them . They were already far from the house of Micah , when the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together , and overtook the children of Dan . And they cried to the children of Dan . And they turned their faces , and said to Micah , What aileth thee , that thou comest with such a company ? And he said , Ye have taken away my gods which I made , and the priest , and ye are gone away ; and what have I more ? and what is this that ye say to me , What aileth thee ? And the children of Dan said to him , Let not thy voice be heard among us , lest men of exasperated spirit run upon you , and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household . And the children of Dan went their way ; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him , and he turned and went back to his house . And they took that which Micah had made , and the priest that he had had , and came upon Laish , upon a people quiet and secure ; and they smote them with the edge of the sword , and burned the city with fire . And there was no deliverer , for it was far from Zidon , and they had nothing to do with [ any ] man ; and it [ lay ] in the valley that is by Beth-rehob . And they built the city and dwelt therein . And they called the name of the city Dan , after the name of Dan their father , who was born to Israel ; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first . And the children of Dan set up the graven image ; and Jehonathan , the son of Gershom , the son of Moses ; he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land . And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image , which he had made , all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh . And it came to pass in those days , when there was no king in Israel , that a certain Levite , sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim , took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah . And his concubine played the whore against him , and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-Judah , and was there some time , -- four months . And her husband rose up and went after her , to speak kindly to her , to bring her again ; and his servant was with him , and a couple of asses . And she brought him into her father's house ; and when the father of the damsel saw him he rejoiced to meet him . And his father-in-law , the damsel's father , retained him , and he abode with him three days ; and they ate and drank , and lodged there . And it came to pass on the fourth day , that they arose early in the morning , and he rose up to depart ; and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law , Refresh thy heart with a morsel of bread , and afterwards ye may go your way . And they sat down , and ate and drank , both of them together . And the damsel's father said to the man , Be content , I pray thee , and pass the night , and let thy heart be glad . And the man rose up to depart , but his father-in-law urged him , and he lodged there again . And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart ; but the damsel's father said , Refresh thy heart , I pray thee . And they lingered until the afternoon , and they did eat both of them . And the man rose up to depart , he , and his concubine , and his servant ; and his father-in-law , the damsel's father , said to him , Behold now , the day draws toward evening -- I pray you stay all night ; behold , the day is declining , lodge here , and let thy heart be merry ; and to-morrow get you early on your way , that thou mayest go to thy tent . But the man would not tarry the night ; and he rose up and departed , and came opposite to Jebus , that is , Jerusalem ; and there were with him two asses saddled , and his concubine was with him . They were near Jebus , and the day was far spent ; and the servant said to his master , Come , I pray thee , and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites , and lodge in it . But his master said to him , We will not turn aside into the city of a stranger , which is not of the children of Israel , but we will pass on to Gibeah . And he said to his servant , Come and let us draw near to one of these places , and lodge in Gibeah , or in Ramah . And they passed on and went their way ; and the sun went down upon them [ when they were ] by Gibeah , which belongs to Benjamin . And they turned aside thither , to go in , to lodge in Gibeah . And he went in , and sat down in the open place of the city ; and there was no one that received him into his house to pass the night . And behold , there came an old man from his work out of the field at even ; and the man was of mount Ephraim , and he sojourned in Gibeah ; but the men of the place were Benjaminites . And he lifted up his eyes , and saw the wayfaring man in the open place of the city ; and the old man said , Whither goest thou ? and whence comest thou ? And he said to him , We are travelling from Bethlehem-Judah towards the further side of mount Ephraim ; from thence am I ; and I went to Bethlehem-Judah , and I have to do with the house of Jehovah ; and there is no man that receives me into his house . And we have both straw and provender for our asses ; and I have bread and wine also for me , and for thy handmaid , and for the young man with thy servants : there is no lack of anything . Then the old man said , Peace be with thee ; only let all thy wants lie on me ; but lodge not in the street . And he brought him into his house , and gave the asses provender ; and they washed their feet , and ate and drank . They were making their hearts merry , when behold , the men of the city , sons of Belial , surrounded the house , beating at the door ; and they spoke to the master of the house , the old man , saying , Bring forth the man that came into thy house , that we may know him . And the man , the master of the house , went out to them , and said to them , No , my brethren , I pray you , do not wickedly ; seeing that this man is come into my house , do not this villany . Behold , my daughter , who is a virgin , and his concubine ; let me bring them out , and humble ye them , and do to them as is good in your sight ; but to this man do not so vile a thing . But the men would not hearken to him ; and the man took his concubine , and brought her forth to them ; and they knew her , and abused her all the night until the morning ; and let her go when the morning-dawn arose . And the woman came at the dawning of the day , and fell down at the entrance of the man's house where her lord was , till it was light . And her lord rose up in the morning , and opened the door of the house , and went out to go his way , and behold , there lay the woman his concubine at the entrance of the house , and her hands were upon the threshold . And he said to her , Up , and let us go ; but no one answered . And he took her upon the ass ; and the man rose up , and went to his place . And when he was come into his house , he took the knife , and laid hold on his concubine , and divided her , according to her bones , into twelve pieces , and sent her into all the borders of Israel . And it came to pass that every one that saw it said , There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day . Think it over , advise , and speak . And all the children of Israel went forth , and the assembly gathered together as one man , from Dan to Beer-sheba , and the land of Gilead , unto Jehovah at Mizpah . And the heads of all the people , of all the tribes of Israel , presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God , four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword . And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah . And the children of Israel said , Tell [ us ] , how was this wickedness ? Then the Levite , the husband of the woman that was murdered , answered and said , I came to Gibeah that [ belongs ] to Benjamin , I and my concubine , to lodge . And the citizens of Gibeah rose against me , and surrounded the house because of me , by night ; they thought to slay me , and my concubine have they humbled so that she died . Then I took my concubine , and cut her in pieces , and sent her throughout the country of the inheritance of Israel ; for they have committed lewdness and villany in Israel . Behold , all ye , children of Israel , deliberate and give here [ your ] counsel . And all the people rose up as one man , saying , We will not any one go to his tent , neither will we any one turn into his house . But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah : [ we go ] by lot against it ; and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel , and a hundred of a thousand , and a thousand of ten thousand , to fetch victuals for the people , that they may do , when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin , according to all the villany that they have wrought in Israel . And all the men of Israel were gathered against the city , knit together as one man . And the tribes of Israel sent men to all the families of Benjamin , saying , What wickedness is this that has been done among you ? And now give up the men , the sons of Belial , who are in Gibeah , that we may put them to death , and put away evil from Israel . But [ the children of ] Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel . And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities of Gibeah , to go out to battle against the children of Israel . And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities , twenty-six thousand men that drew sword , besides the inhabitants of Gibeah , who were numbered seven hundred chosen men . Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed ; all these slang stones at a hair [ breadth ] , and missed not . And the men of Israel , besides Benjamin , were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword : all these were men of war . And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel , and inquired of God , and said , Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin ? And Jehovah said , Judah first . And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah . And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin ; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah . And the children of Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah , and destroyed to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty-two thousand men . And the people , the men of Israel , took courage , and set the battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day . And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even , and inquired of Jehovah , saying , Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother ? And Jehovah said , Go up against him . And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day . And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day , and again destroyed to the ground of the children of Israel eighteen thousand men : all these drew the sword . Then all the children of Israel , and all the people , went up and came to Bethel , and wept , and abode there before Jehovah , and fasted that day until even , and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah . And the children of Israel inquired of Jehovah ( and the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days , and Phinehas , the son of Eleazar , the son of Aaron , stood before it in those days ) , saying , Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother , or shall I cease ? And Jehovah said , Go up ; for to-morrow I will give them into thy hand . And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah , round about . And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day , and put themselves in array against Gibeah , as at the other times . And the children of Benjamin went out against the people , and were drawn away from the city , and began to smite of the people , slaying as at the former times , in the highways , of which one leads to Bethel and the other to Gibeah in the field , about thirty men of Israel . And the children of Benjamin said , They are smitten down before us , as at the first . And the children of Israel said , Let us flee , that we may draw them from the city to the highways . And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place , and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar ; and the ambush of Israel rushed forth out of their place , out of the meadows of Geba . And there came from opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel , and the battle was severe ; but they knew not that disaster was coming upon them . And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel ; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjaminites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men : all these drew the sword . And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten . -- And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin , because they trusted to the ambush that they had set against Gibeah . And the ambush hasted , and fell upon Gibeah ; and the ambush drew along , and smote the whole city with the edge of the sword . Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush , that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of the city . And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle , Benjamin began to smite , slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men ; for they said , Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle . And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke , Benjamin looked behind , and behold , the whole city ascended [ in smoke ] to the heavens . Then the men of Israel turned back , and the men of Benjamin were amazed , for they saw that disaster was come upon them . And they turned before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness ; but the battle overtook them ; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in their midst . They encompassed the Benjaminites , chased them , trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising . And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men : all these , men of valour . And they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon , and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men ; and pursued hard after them to Gidom , and slew two thousand men of them . So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword : all these , men of valour . And six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon , and abode at the cliff of Rimmon four months . And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin , and smote them with the edge of the sword , as well the men of [ every ] city as the cattle , and all that was found ; even all the cities that were found did they set on fire . Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah , saying , There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife . And the people came to Bethel , and abode there till even before God , and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly , and said , Jehovah , God of Israel , why is it come to pass in Israel , that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel ? And it came to pass on the morrow , that the people rose early , and built there an altar , and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings . And the children of Israel said , Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation to Jehovah ? For they had [ made ] a great oath concerning him that came not up to Jehovah to Mizpah , saying , He shall certainly be put to death . And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother , and said , To-day is one tribe extirpated from Israel . What shall we do for wives for them that remain ? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives . And they said , What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpah to Jehovah ? And behold , there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead , to the congregation ; for the people were numbered , and behold , there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead there . And the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them , saying , Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword , and the women and the children . And this is the thing which ye shall do : ye shall utterly destroy every male , and every woman that hath lain with man . And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women that were virgins , who had known no man by lying with any male , and they brought them to the camp , to Shiloh , which is in the land of Canaan . And the whole assembly sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon , and to proclaim peace to them . And Benjamin came again at that time ; and they gave them the wives whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead ; but even so they found not enough for them . And the people repented them for Benjamin , because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel . And the elders of the assembly said , What shall we do for wives for them that remain ? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin . And they said , There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped , that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel . But we cannot give them wives of our daughters , for the children of Israel have sworn , saying , Cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjaminites ! And they said , Behold , there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh , which is on the north side of Bethel , toward the sun-rising of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem , and on the south of Lebonah . And they commanded the sons of Benjamin , saying , Go and lie in wait in the vineyards ; and see , and behold , if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances , then come out of the vineyards , and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh , and go to the land of Benjamin . And it shall be , when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us , that we will say to them , Gratify us with them , because we did not take each man his wife in the war ; for ye did not give them to them , that ye should now be guilty . And the children of Benjamin did so , and took wives , according to their number , of them that danced , whom they caught ; and they went and returned to their inheritance , and built the cities , and dwelt in them . And the children of Israel departed thence at that time , every man to his tribe and to his family , and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance . In those days there was no king in Israel ; every man did what was right in his own eyes .