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JUDGES
CHAPTER
1
1
After that Ioshua was dead, the children of
Israel
asked ye Lorde, saying, Who shall goe vp for vs against the Canaanites, to
fight first against them?
2 And the Lord said, Iudah shall goe vp: behold, I haue giuen the land into his
hande.
3 And Iudah said vnto Simeon his brother, Come vp with me into my lot, that we
may fight against the Canaanites: and I likewise will goe with thee into thy
lot: so Simeon went with him.
4 Then Iudah went vp, and the Lorde deliuered the Canaanites and the Perizzites
into their hands, and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5 And they founde Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and slewe
the Canaanites, and the Perizzites.
6 But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off
the thumbes of his hands and of his feete.
7 And Adoni-bezek said, Seuentie Kings hauing the thumbes of their hands &
of their feete cut off, gathered bread vnder my table: as I haue done, so God
hath rewarded me. so they brought him to Ierusalem, and there he died.
8 (Nowe the children of Iudah had fought against Ierusalem, and had taken it and
smitten it with the edge of the sworde, and had set the citie on fire.)
9 Afterwarde also the children of Iudah went downe to fight against the
Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountaine, and towarde the South, and in the lowe
countrey.
10 And Iudah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in
Hebron
, which
Hebron
beforetime was called Kiriath-arba: and they slewe Sheshai, and Ahiman and
Talmai.
11 And from thence hee went to the inhabitantes of Debir, and the name of Debir
in olde time was Kiriath-sepher.
12 And Caleb saide, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, euen to him
wil I giue Achsah my daughter to wife.
13 And Othniel the sonne of Kenaz Calebs yonger brother tooke it, to whome hee
gaue Achsah his daughter to wife.
14 And when shee came to him, shee mooued him to aske of her father a field, and
shee lighted off her asse, and Caleb saide vnto her, What wilt thou?
15 And shee answered him, Giue mee a blessing: for thou hast giuen me a South
countrey, giue me also springs of water: and Caleb gaue her the springs aboue
and the springs beneath.
16 And the childre of Keni Moses father in law went vp out of the citie of the
palme trees with the children of Iudah, into the wildernesse of Iudah, that
lieth in the South of Arad, & went and dwelt among the people.
17 But Iudah went with Simeon his brother, and they slewe the Canaanites that
inhabited Zephath, and vtterly destroied it, and called the name of the citie
Hormah.
18 Also Iudah tooke Azzah with the coasts thereof, and Askelon with the coasts
thereof, and Ekron with the coastes thereof.
19 And the Lord was with Iudah, and he possessed the mountaines: for he could
not driue out the inhabitantes of the valleis, because they had charrets of yron.
20 And they gaue
Hebron
vnto Caleb, as Moses had saide, and hee expelled thence the three sonnes of
Anak.
21 But the children of Beniamin did not cast out the Iebusites, that inhabited
Ierusalem: therefore the Iebusites dwell with the children of Beniamin in
Ierusalem vnto this day.
22 They also that were of the house of Ioseph, went vp to Beth-el, and the Lord
was with them,
23 And the house of Ioseph caused to viewe Beth-el (and the name of the citie
beforetime was Luz)
24 And the spies sawe a man come out of the citie, and they saide vnto him,
Shewe vs, we praie thee, the way into the citie, and we will shewe thee mercie.
25 And when hee had shewed them the waie into the citie, they smote the citie
with the edge of the sworde, but they let the man and all his housholde depart.
26 Then the man went into the lande of the Hittites, and built a citie, and
called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof vnto this daie.
27 Neither did Manasseh destroie Bethshean with her townes, nor Taanach with her
townes, nor the inhabitantes of Dor with her townes, nor the inhabitants of
Ibleam with her townes, neither the inhabitants of
Megiddo
with her townes: but the Canaanites dwelled still in that lande.
28 Neuerthelesse when
Israel
was strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, and expelled them not wholly.
29 Likewise Ephraim expelled not the Canaanites that dwelt in
Gezer
, but the Canaanites dwelt in
Gezer
among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun expell the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of
Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher cast out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of
Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob,
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitantes of the lande:
for they did not driue them out.
33 Neither did Naphtali driue out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the
inhabitants of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitants of the
lande: neuerthelesse the inhabitantes of Beth-shemesh, and of Beth-anath became
tributaries vnto them.
34 And the Amorites droue the children of Dan into the mountaine: so that they
suffered them not to come downe to the valley.
35 And the Ammonites dwelt still in
mount
Heres
in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, and when the hand of Iosephs familie preuailed,
they became tributaries:
36 And the coast of the Amorites was from Maaleh-akrabbim, euen from Selah &
vpward.
CHAPTER
2
1 And an Angel of the Lorde came vp from Gilgal to Bochim, & sayd, I made
you to go vp out of
Egypt
, and haue brought you vnto the land which I had sworne vnto your fathers, and
sayd, I wil neuer breake my couenant with you.
2 Ye also shall make no couenant with the inhabitants of this land, but shall
breake downe their altars: but ye haue not obeyed my voyce. Why haue ye done
this?
3 Wherefore, I sayd also, I wil not cast them out before you, but they shalbe as
thornes vnto your sides, & their gods shalbe your destruction.
4 And when the Angel of the Lorde spake these wordes vnto all the children of
Israel
, the people lift vp their voyce, and wept.
5 Therefore they called the name of that place, Bochim, and offered sacrifices
there vnto the Lord.
6 Now when Ioshua had sent the people away, the children of
Israel
went euery man into his inheritance, to possesse the land.
7 And the people had serued the Lord al the dayes of Ioshua, & all the dayes
of the Elders that outliued Ioshua, which had seene all the great works of the
Lord that he did for
Israel
.
8 But Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lord dyed, when he was an
hundreth and ten yeeres olde:
9 And they buryed him in the coastes of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres in
mount Ephraim, on the Northside of mount Gaash.
10 And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers, & another
generation arose after them, which neither knewe the Lord, nor yet the works,
which he had done for
Israel
.
11 Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and serued
Baalim,
12 And forsooke ye Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the
lande of Egypt, & followed other gods, euen the gods of the people that were
round about them, & bowed vnto them, and prouoked the Lord to anger.
13 So they forsooke the Lorde, and serued Baal, and Ashtaroth.
14 And the wrath of the Lorde was hote against
Israel
, & he deliuered them into the hands of spoylers, that spoyled them, and he
sold them into the handes of their enemies rounde about them, so that they could
no longer stande before their enemies.
15 Whithersoeuer they went out, the hand of the Lord was sore against them, as
ye Lord had sayd, and as the Lord had sworne vnto them: so he punished them
sore.
16 Notwithstanding, the Lorde raysed vp Iudges, which deliuered them out of the
hands of their oppressours.
17 But yet they would not obey their Iudges: for they went a whoring after other
gods, & worshipped them, & turned quickly out of the way, wherein their
fathers walked, obeying the commandements of the Lord: they did not so.
18 And when the Lorde had raysed them vp Iudges, the Lord was with the Iudge,
& deliuered them out of the hande of their enemies all the dayes of the
Iudge (for the Lord had compassio on their gronings, because of them that
oppressed them and tormented them)
19 Yet when the Iudge was dead, they returned, and did worse then their fathers,
in following other gods to serue them and worshippe them: they ceased not from
their owne inuentions, nor from their rebellious way.
20 Wherfore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sayd,
Because this people hath transgressed my couenant, which I commaded their
fathers, & hath not obeyed my voyce,
21 Therefore will I no more cast out before them any of the nations, which
Ioshua left when he dyed,
22 That through them I may proue Israel, whether they wil keepe the way of the
Lorde, to walke therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23 So the Lorde left those nations, and droue them not out immediately, neither
deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua.
CHAPTER
3
1 These nowe are the nations which the Lorde left, that he might proue Israel by
them (euen as many of Israel as had not knowen all the warres of Canaan,
2 Only to make the generations of the children of Israel to know, and to teach
them warre, which doutles their predecessors knew not)
3 Fiue princes of the Philistims, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians,
& the Hiuites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon vntill one
come to Hamath.
4 And these remayned to proue
Israel
by them, to wit, whether they would obey the commandements of the Lorde, which
he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 And the children of
Israel
dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, & the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, & the Hiuites, and the Iebusites,
6 And they tooke their daughters to bee their wiues, and gaue their daughters to
their sonnes, and serued their gods.
7 So the children of
Israel
did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, & forgate the Lorde their God, and
serued Baalim, and Asheroth.
8 Therefore the wrath of the Lorde was kindled against
Israel
, and he solde them into the hand of Chushan rishathaim King of Aram-naharaim,
and the children of
Israel
serued Chushan rishathaim eyght yeeres.
9 And when the children of
Israel
cryed vnto the Lorde, the Lord stirred vp a sauiour to ye children of
Israel
, & he saued them, euen Othniel the sonne of Kenaz, Calebs yonger brother.
10 And the spirite of the Lorde came vpon him, and he iudged
Israel
, & went out to warre: and the Lord deliuered Chushan rishathaim king of
Aram
into his hand, and his hand preuailed against Chushan rishathaim.
11 So the lande had rest fourtie yeeres, and Othniel the sonne of Kenaz dyed.
12 Then the children of
Israel
againe committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord
strengthened Eglon King of
Moab
against
Israel
, because they had committed wickednesse before the Lord.
13 And he gathered vnto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, & went and
smote
Israel
, and they possessed the citie of palme trees.
14 So the children of
Israel
serued Eglon king of
Moab
eighteene yeeres.
15 But when the children of
Israel
cried vnto the Lorde, the Lorde stirred them vp a sauiour, Ehud the sonne of
Gera
the sonne of Iemini, a man lame of his right hande: and the children of
Israel
sent a present by him vnto Eglon King of
Moab
.
16 And Ehud made him a dagger with two edges of a cubite length, and he did gird
it vnder his rayment vpon his right thigh,
17 And he presented ye gift vnto Eglon King of Moab (and Eglon was a very fat
man)
18 And when he had now presented the present, he sent away the people that bare
ye present,
19 But he turned againe from the quarris, that were by Gilgal, & said, I
haue a secret errand vnto thee, O King. Who said, Keepe silence: and all that
stoode about him, went out from him.
20 Then Ehud came vnto him. (and he sate alone in a sommer parler, which he had)
and Ehud said, I haue a message vnto thee from God. Then he arose out of his
throne,
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, & tooke the dagger from his right
thigh, and thrust it into his bellie,
22 So that the hafte went in after the blade, and the fatte closed about the
blade, so that he could not drawe the dagger out of his bellie, but the dirt
came out.
23 Then Ehud gate him out into the porch, and shut the doores of the parler vpon
him, and locked them.
24 And when he was gone out, his seruantes came: who seeing that the doores of
the parler were locked, they sayd, Surely he doeth his easement in his sommer
chamber.
25 And they taryed till they were ashamed: & seeing he opened not the doores
of the parler, they tooke the key, and opened them, & behold, their lord was
fallen dead on the earth.
26 So Ehud escaped (while they taried) & was passed the quarris, and escaped
vnto Seirah.
27 And when he came home, he blew a trumpet in
mount
Ephraim
, and the children of
Israel
went downe with him from the mountaine, and he went before them.
28 Then said he vnto them, Follow me: for the Lorde hath deliuered your enemies,
euen
Moab
into your hand. So they went downe after him, & tooke the passages of
Iorden towarde
Moab
, and suffred not a man to passe ouer.
29 And they slewe of the Moabites the same time about ten thousand men, all fed
men, & all were warriours, and there escaped not a man.
30 So
Moab
was subdued that daye, vnder the hand of
Israel
: and the land had rest fourescore yeeres.
31 And after him was Shamgar the sonne of Anath, which slewe of the Philistims
sixe hundreth men with an oxe goade, and he also deliuered
Israel
.
CHAPTER
4
1 And the children of
Israel
began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lorde when Ehud was dead.
2 And the Lord sold them into the hande of Iabin King of
Canaan
, that reigned in Hazor, whose chiefe Captaine was called Sisera, which dwelt in
Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 Then the children of
Israel
cryed vnto the Lord: (for he had nine hundreth charets of yron, and twentie
yeeres he had vexed the children of
Israel
very sore)
4 And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged
Israel
.
5 And this Deborah dwelt vnder a palme tree, betweene Ramah and Beth-el in mount
Ephraim, and the children of Israel came vp to her for iudgement.
6 Then shee sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kadesh of
Naphtali, and sayd vnto him, Hath not the Lorde God of
Israel
commanded, saying, Goe, and drawe towarde
mount
Tabor
, and take with thee ten thousande men of the children of Naphtali and of the
children of Zebulun?
7 And I wil drawe vnto thee to the riuer Kishon Sisera, the captaine of Iabins
armie with his charets, and his multitude, and wil deliuer him into thine hand.
8 And Barak sayd vnto her, If thou wilt go with me, I will go: but if thou wilt
not goe with me, I will not go.
9 Then shee answered, I will surely goe with thee, but this iourney that thou
takest, shall not be for thine honour: for the Lord shal sell Sisera into the
hand of a woman; Deborah arose & went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went vp on his feete
with ten thousand men, and Deborah went vp with him.
11 (Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in lawe
of Moses, was departed from the Kenites, and pitched his tent vntill the playne
of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh)
12 Then they shewed Sisera, that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to mout
Tabor.
13 And Sisera called for all his charets, euen nine hundreth charets of yron,
and all the people that were with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles, vnto the
riuer Kishon.
14 Then Deborah sayd vnto Barak, Vp: for this is the day that the Lord hath
deliuered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak
went downe from
mount
Tabor
, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And the Lorde destroyed Sisera and all his charets, & al his hoste with
the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted downe off his charet,
and fled away on his feete.
16 But Barak pursued after the charets, and after the hoste vnto Harosheth of
the Gentiles: and all the hoste of Sisera fel vpon the edge of the sworde: there
was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feete to the tent of Iael the wife of Heber
the Kenite: (for peace was betweene Iabin the king of Hazor, & betweene the
house of Heber the Kenite)
18 And Iael went out to meete Sisera, & sayd vnto him, Turne in, my lord,
turne in to me: feare not; when he had turned in vnto her into her tent, she
couered him with a mantell.
19 And he said vnto her, Giue me, I pray thee, a litle water to drinke: for I am
thirstie; shee opened a bottel of milke, and gaue him drinke, and couered him.
20 Againe he sayde vnto her, Stande in the doore of the tent, and when any man
doth come and enquire of thee, saying, Is any man there? thou shalt say, Nay.
21 Then Iael Hebers wife tooke a nayle of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her
hande, and went softly vnto him, & smote the nayle into his temples, and
fastened it into the grounde, (for he was fast a sleepe and weary) and so he
dyed.
22 And behold, as Barak pursued after Sisera, Iael came out to meete him, and
sayd vnto him, Come, & I wil shewe thee the man, whome thou seekest: and
when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nayle in his
temples.
23 So God brought downe Iabin the King of Canaan that day before the children of
Israel
.
24 And the hande of the children of
Israel
prospered, and preuailed against Iabin the King of Canaan, vntill they had
destroyed Iabin King of
Canaan
.
CHAPTER
5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day, saying,
2 Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of
Israel
, and for the people that offred themselues willingly.
3 Heare, ye Kings, hearken ye princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord: I will
sing praise vnto the Lord God of
Israel
.
4 Lorde, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of
Edom
, the earth trembled, and the heauens rained, the cloudes also dropped water.
5 The mountaines melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai before the Lord God
of
Israel
.
6 In the dayes of Shamgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael the hie wayes
were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked through by wayes.
7 The townes were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in
Israel
, vntill I Deborah came vp, which rose vp a mother in
Israel
.
8 They chose new gods: then was warre in the gates. Was there a shielde or
speare seene among fourtie thousand of
Israel
?
9 Mine heart is set on the gouernours of
Israel
, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 Speake ye that ride on white asses, yee that dwel by Middin, & that walke
by the way.
11 For the noyse of the archers appaised among the drawers of water: there shal
they rehearse the righteousnesse of the Lorde, his righteousnesse of his townes
in
Israel
: then did the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates.
12 Vp Deborah, vp, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and leade thy captiuitie
captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.
13 For they that remaine, haue dominio ouer the mightie of the people: the Lorde
hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong.
14 Of Ephraim their roote arose against Amalek: & after thee, Beniamin shall
fight against thy people, O Amalek: of Machir came rulers, & of Zebulun they
that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the Princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar, and also Barak:
he was set on his feete in the valley: for the diuisions of Reuben were great
thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepefolds, to heare the bleatings of the flockes?
for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
17
Gilead
abode beyonde Iorden: and why doeth Dan remayne in shippes? Asher sate on the
sea shoare, and taryed in his decayed places.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali haue ieopard their liues vnto the
death in the hie places of the field.
19 The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the
waters of
Megiddo
: they receiued no gaine of money.
20 They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against
Sisera.
21 The Riuer Kishon swepe them away, that ancient riuer the riuer Kishon. O my
soule, thou hast marched valiantly.
22 Then were the horsehooues broken with the oft beating together of their
mightie men.
23 Curse ye Meroz: (sayd the Angel of the Lorde) curse the inhabitantes thereof,
because they came not to helpe the Lorde, to helpe the Lord against the mighty.
24 Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women: blessed
shall she be aboue women dwelling in tentes.
25 He asked water, and shee gaue him milke: she brought forth butter in a lordly
dish.
26 She put her hand to the naile, & her right hand to the workemans hammer:
with the hammer smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded,
and pearsed his temples.
27 He bowed him downe at her feete, he fell downe, and lay still: at her feete
hee bowed him downe, and fell: and when he had sunke downe, he lay there dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a windowe, and cryed thorowe the lattesse,
Why is his charet so long a comming? why tary the wheeles of his charets?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. Shee answered her selfe with her owne
wordes,
30 Haue they not gotten, and they deuide the spoyle? euery man hath a mayde or
two. Sisera hath a praye of diuers coloured garmentes, a pray of sundry colours
made of needle worke: of diuers colours of needle worke on both sides, for the
chiefe of the spoyle.
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lorde: but they that loue him, shall be as
the Sunne when he riseth in his might, and the lande had rest fourtie yeres.
CHAPTER
6
1 Afterwarde the children of
Israel
committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and the Lorde gaue them into
the handes of Midian seuen yeres.
2 And the hand of Midian preuayled against
Israel
, and because of the Midianites the children of
Israel
made them dennes in the mountaines, and caues, and strong holdes.
3 When
Israel
had sowen, then came vp the Midianites, the Amalekites, & they of the East,
and came vpon them,
4 And camped by them, and destroyed the fruite of the earth, euen til thou come
vnto Azzah, and left no foode for
Israel
, neither sheepe, nor oxe, nor asse.
5 For they went vp, and their cattel, & came with their tentes as
grashoppers in multitude: so that they & their camels were without number:
and they came into the land to destroy it.
6 So was
Israel
exceedingly impouerished by the Midianites: therefore the children of
Israel
cryed vnto the Lord.
7 And when the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord because of the Midianites,
8 The Lord sent vnto the children of Israel a Prophet, who sayd vuto them, Thus
sayth the Lord God of Israel, I haue brought you vp from Egypt, and haue brought
you out of the house of bondage,
9 And I haue deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand
of all that oppressed you, and haue cast them out before you, and giuen you
their land.
10 And I sayde vnto you, I am the Lord your God: feare not the gods of the
Amorites in whose lande you dwell: but ye haue not obeyed my voyce.
11 And the Angell of the Lord came, and sate vnder the oke which was in Ophrah,
that perteined vnto Ioash the father of the Ezrites, and his sonne Gideon
threshed wheate by the winepresse, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared vnto him, and said vnto him, The Lord is
with thee, thou valiant man.
13 To whome Gideon answered, Ah my Lorde, if the Lord be with vs, why then is
all this come vpon vs? and where be all his miracles which our fathers tolde vs
of, and sayd, Did not the Lorde bring vs out of
Egypt
? but now the Lord hath forsaken vs, and deliuered vs into the hand of the
Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked vpon him, & sayd, Goe in this thy might, and thou
shalt saue
Israel
out of the handes of the Midianites: haue not I sent thee?
15 And he answered him, Ah my Lord, whereby shal I saue
Israel
? beholde, my father is poore in Manasseh, and I am the least in my fathers
house.
16 Then the Lord sayd vnto him, I wil therefore be with thee, and thou shalt
smite the Midianites, as one man.
17 And he answered him, I pray thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, then
shewe me a signe, that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, vntil I come vnto thee, and bring mine offring,
and lay it before thee; he sayde, I will tary vntill thou come againe.
19 Then Gideon went in, and made ready a kidde, and vnleauened bread of an Ephah
of floure, and put the flesh in a basket, and put the broth in a pot, and
brought it out vnto him vnder the oke, and presented it.
20 And the Angell of God saide vnto him, Take the flesh and the vnleauened
bread, and lay them vpon this stone, and powre out the broth: and he did so.
21 Then the Angell of the Lord put forth the ende of the staffe that he had in
his hand, and touched the flesh and the vnleauened bread: and there arose vp
fire out of the stone, & consumed the flesh and the vnleauened bread: so the
Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceiued that it was an Angel of the Lord, Gideon then sayde,
Alas, my Lord God: for because I haue seene an Angell of the Lord face to face,
I shall die.
23 And the Lord said vnto him, Peace be vnto thee: feare not, thou shalt not
die.
24 Then Gideon made an altar there vnto the Lord, and called it, Iehouah shalom:
vnto this day it is in Ophrah, of the father of the Ezrites.
25 And the same night the Lord sayd vnto him, Take thy fathers yong bullocke,
and an other bullocke of seuen yeeres olde, and destroy the altar of Baal that
thy father hath, and cut downe the groue that is by it,
26 And build an altar vnto the Lord thy God vpon the top of this rocke, in a
plaine place: and take the seconde bullocke, and offer a burnt offringe with the
woode of the groue, which thou shalt cut downe.
27 Then Gideon tooke tenne men of his seruants, and did as ye Lord bade him: but
because he feared to doe it by day for his fathers housholde, and the men of the
citie, he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the citie arose early in the morning, beholde, the altar
of Baal was broken, and the groue cut downe that was by it, and the seconde
bullocke offred vpon the altar that was made.
29 Therefore they saide one to another, Who hath done this thing? and when they
inquired & asked, they saide, Gideon the sonne of Ioash hath done this
thing.
30 Then the men of the citie said vnto Ioash, Bring out thy sonne, that hee may
dye: for he hath destroyed the altar of Baal, and hath also cut downe the groue
that was by it.
31 And Ioash said vnto all that stood by him, Will ye pleade Baals cause? or
will ye saue him? he that will contend for him, let him dye or the morning. If
he be God, let him pleade for himselfe against him that hath cast downe his
altar.
32 And in that day was Gideon called Ierubbaal, that is, Let Baal pleade for
himselfe because he hath broken downe his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and they of ye East, were gathered
together, aud went and pitched in the
valley
of
Izreel
.
34 But the Spirit of the Lorde came vpon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and
Abiezer was ioyned with him.
35 And he sent messengers thorowout al Manasseh, which also was ioyned with him,
and he sent messengers vnto Asher, and to Zebulun and to Naphtali, and they came
vp to meete them.
36 Then Gideon said vnto God, If thou wilt saue Israel by mine hand, as thou
hast sayd,
37 Beholde, I wil put a fleece of wooll in the threshing place: if the dewe come
on the fleece onely, and it be drie vpon all the earth, then shall I be sure,
that thou wilt saue Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And so it was: for he rose vp earely on the morow, and thrust the fleece
together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, and filled a bowle of water.
39 Againe, Gideon sayde vnto God, Be not angry with me, that I may speake once
more: let me prooue once againe, I pray thee, with the fleece: let it now be
drie onely vpon the fleece, and let dewe be vpon all the ground.
40 And God did so that same night: for it was drie vpon the fleece onely, and
there was dewe on all the ground.
CHAPTER
7
1 Then Ierubbaal (who is Gideon) rose vp early, and all the people that were
with him, and pitched beside the well of Harod, so that the hoste of the
Midianites was on the Northside of them in the valley by the hill of Moreh.
2 And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people that are with thee, are too many for
me to giue the Midianites into their hands, lest
Israel
make their vaunt against me, and say, Mine hand hath saued mee.
3 Now therefore proclaime in the audience of the people, and say, Who so is
timerous or fearefull, let him returne, and depart earely from
mount
Gilead
; there returned of the people which were at
mount
Gilead
, two and twentie thousand: so ten thousand remayned.
4 And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people are yet too many: bring them downe
vnto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and of whome I say vnto
thee, This man shal goe with thee, the same shal go with thee: and of whomsoeuer
I say vnto thee, This man shal not goe with thee, the same shal not go.
5 So he brought downe the people vnto the water; the Lord sayd vnto Gideon, As
many as lap the water with their tongues, as a dog lappeth, them put by
themselues, and euery one that shal bow downe his knees to drinke, put apart.
6 And the nomber of them that lapped by putting their handes to their mouthes,
were three hundreth men: but all the remnant of the people kneeled downe vpo
their knees to drinke water.
7 Then the Lorde sayde vnto Gideon, By these three hundreth men that lapped,
will I saue you, and deliuer the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the
other people go euery man vnto his place.
8 So the people tooke vitailes with them, & their trumpets: and he sent all
the rest of
Israel
, euery man vnto his tent, and reteined the three hundreth men: and the hoste of
Midian was beneath him in a valley.
9 And the same night the Lord sayde vnto him, Arise, get thee downe vnto the
hoste: for I haue deliuered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou feare to go downe, then go thou, and Phurah thy seruant downe to
the hoste,
11 And thou shalt hearken what they say, and so shal thine handes be strong to
go downe vnto the hoste. Then went he downe and Phurah his seruant vnto the
outside of the souldiers that were in the hoste.
12 And the Midianites, and the Amalekites and all they of the East, lay in the
valley like grashoppers in multitude, and their camels were without nomber, as
the sande which is by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, beholde, a man tolde a dreame vnto his neighbour,
and said, Behold, I dreamed a dreame, & lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled
from aboue into the hoste of Midian, & came vnto a tent, and smote it that
it fell, and ouerturned it, that the tent fell downe.
14 And his fellow answered, and sayde, This is nothing els saue the sworde of
Gideon the sonne of Ioash a man of
Israel
: for into his hande hath God deliuered Midian and all the hoste.
15 When Gideon heard the dreame tolde, and the interpretation of the same, he
worshipped, and returned vnto the hoste of
Israel
, & said, Vp: for the Lord hath deliuered into your hande the hoste of
Midian.
16 And hee deuided the three hundreth men into three bandes, and gaue euery man
a trumpet in his hande with emptie pitchers, and lampes within the pitchers.
17 And he sayd vnto them, Looke on me, and do likewise, when I come to the side
of the hoste: euen as I do, so do you.
18 When I blowe with a trumpet and all that are with me, blowe ye with trumpets
also on euery side of the hoste, and say, For the Lorde, and for Gideon.
19 So Gideon and the hundreth men that were with him, came vnto the outside of
the hoste, in the beginning of the middle watche, and they raised vp the
watchmen, and they blew with their trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in
their handes.
20 And the three companies blew with trumpets and brake the pitchers, and helde
the lampes in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right. Handes to blowe
withall: and they cryed, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.
21 And they stoode, euery man in his place round about the hoste: and all the
hoste ranne, and cryed, and fled.
22 And the three hundreth blewe with trumpets, and the Lord set euery mans
sworde vpon his neighbour, & vpon all the hoste: so the hoste fled to Beth-hashittah
in Zererah, & to the border of Abel-meholah, vnto Tabbath.
23 Then the men of
Israel
being gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all
Manasseh, pursued after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers vnto all
mount
Ephraim
, saying, Come downe against the Midianites, and take before them the waters
vnto Beth-barah, and Iorden. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and
tooke the waters vnto Beth-barah, and Iorden.
25 And they tooke two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb
vpon the rocke Oreb, and slewe Zeeb at the winepresse of Zeeb, and pursued the
Midianites, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyonde Iorden.
CHAPTER
8
1 Then the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus that thou
calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode
with him sharply.
2 To whom he said, What haue I now done in comparison of you? is not the
gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, then the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath deliuered into your handes the princes of Midian, Oreb & Zeeb:
and what was I able to do in comparison of you? & when he had thus spoken,
then their spirits abated toward him.
4 And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that
were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, morsels of bread vnto
the people that followe me (for they be wearie ) that I may follow after Zebah,
& Zalmunna Kings of Midia.
6 And the princes of Succoth sayde, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna nowe in
thine hads, that we should giue bread vnto thine army?
7 Gideon then sayde, Therefore when the Lorde hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna
into mine hand, I will teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with
breers.
8 And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise, and the men of
Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth answered.
9 And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will
breake downe this towre.
10 Now Zebah & Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hostes with them, about
fifteene thousande, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East:
for there was slaine an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drew swordes.
11 And Gideon went through them that dwelt in Tabernacles on the East side of
Nobah and Iogbehah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was carelesse.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, hee followed after them, and tooke the two
kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the hoste.
13 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel, the sunne being yet hie,
14 And tooke a seruant of the me of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote
to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, euen seuentie and seuen
men.
15 And he came vnto the men of Succoth, & sayd, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna,
by whome ye vpbrayded me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah & Zalmunna already
in thine hands, that we should giue bread vnto thy weary men?
16 Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes &
breers, & did teare the men of Succoth with them.
17 Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.
18 Then saide he vnto Zebah & Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye
slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like
the children of a King.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lorde
liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.
20 Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, & slay them: but the
boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.
21 Then Zebah & Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, & fall vpon vs: for as the man
is, sou his stregth; Gideon arose and slew Zebah & Zalmunna, and tooke away
the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.
22 Then the men of
Israel
sayd vnto Gideon, Reigne thou ouer vs, both thou, & thy sonne, and thy
sonnes sonne: for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon sayde vnto them, I will not reigne ouer you, neither shal my
childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord shal reigne ouer you.
24 Againe Gideon sayd vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would
giue mee euery man the earings of his pray (for they had golden earings because
they were Ismaelites)
25 And they answered, Wee will giue them; they spred a garment, and did cast
therein euery man the earings of his pray.
26 And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousande and
seuen hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers and iewels, and purple rayment
that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the cheynes that were about their
camels neckes.
27 And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, & put it in Ophrah his citie: and all
Israel
went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his
house.
28 Thus was Midian brought lowe before the children of
Israel
, so that they lift vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnes
fourtie yeeres in the dayes of Gideon.
29 Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went, and dwelt in his owne house.
30 And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a sonne also, whose name he
called Abimelech.
32 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash dyed in a good age, & was buried in the
sepulchre of Ioash his father in Ophrah, of the father of ye Ezrites.
33 But when Gideon was dead, the children of
Israel
turned away and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.
34 And the children of
Israel
remembred not the Lord their God, which had deliuered the out of the hands of
all their enemies on euery side.
35 Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal, or Gideon, according to
al the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto
Israel
.
CHAPTER
9
1 Then Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Shechem vnto his mothers
brethren, & communed with them, and with all the familie, and house of his
mothers father, saying,
2 Say, I pray you, in the audience of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better
for you, that all the sonnes of Ierubbaal, which are seuentie persons, reigne
ouer you, either that one reigne ouer you? Remember also, that I am your bone,
and your flesh.
3 Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of all the men of
Shechem, all these wordes: and their hearts were moued to followe Abimelech: for
sayd they, He is our brother.
4 And they gaue him seuentie pieces of siluer out of the house of Baal-berith,
wherewith Abimelech hired vayne and light fellowes which followed him.
5 And he went vnto his fathers house at Ophrah, & slew his brethren, the
sonnes of Ierubbaal, about seuentie persons vpon one stone: yet Iotham the
yongest sonne of Ierubbaal was left: for he hid himselfe.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Millo, and
came & made Abimelech King in the playne, where the stone was erected in
Shechem.
7 And when they told it to Iotham, he went and stoode in the top of mount
Gerizim, & lift vp his voyce, and cryed, & sayd vnto them, Hearken vnto
mee, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken vnto you.
8 The trees went foorth to anoynt a King ouer them, and sayde vnto the oliue
tree, Reigne thou ouer vs.
9 But the oliue tree said vnto them, Should I leaue my fatnes, wherewith by me
they honour God & man, & go to aduance me aboue ye trees?
10 Then the trees sayde to the fig tree, Come thou, and be King ouer vs.
11 But the fig tree answered them, Should I forsake my sweetenesse, and my good
fruite, and goe to aduance me aboue the trees?
12 Then sayd the trees vnto the Vine, Come thou, and be king ouer vs.
13 But the Vine sayde vnto them, Should I leaue my wine, whereby I cheare God
and man, and goe to aduance me aboue the trees?
14 Then said all the trees vnto the bramble, Come thou, and reigne ouer vs.
15 And the bramble said vnto the trees, If ye will in deede anoynt me King ouer
you, come, and put your trust vnder my shadowe: and if not, the fire shall come
out of the bramble, and consume the Cedars of Lebanon.
16 Now therefore, if ye doe truely and vncorruptly to make Abimelech King, and
if ye haue delt well with Ierubbaal and with his house, and haue done vnto him
according to the deseruing of his handes,
17 (For my father fought for you, and aduentured his life, and deliuered you out
of the handes of Midian.
18 And yee are risen vp against my fathers house this day, and haue slayne his
children, about seuentie persons vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the
sonne of his mayde seruant, King ouer the men of Shechem, because hee is your
brother)
19 If ye then haue delt truely and purely with Ierubbaal, and with his house
this day, then reioyce with you.
20 But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech, and consume the men of
Shechem and the house of Millo: also let a fire come foorth from the men of
Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.
21 And Iotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for feare of
Abimelech his brother.
22 So Abimelech reigned three yeere ouer
Israel
.
23 But God sent an euil spirit betweene Abimelech, and the men of Shechem: and
the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech,
24 That the crueltie toward the seuentie sonnes of Ierubbaal and their blood
might come & be laide vpon Abimelech their brother, which had slayne them,
and vpon the men of Shechem, which had ayded him to kill his brethren.
25 So the men of Shechem set men in wayte for him in the toppes of the
mountaines: who robbed all that passed that way by them: and it was tolde
Abimelech.
26 Then Gaal the sonne of Ebed came with his brethren, and they went to Shechem:
and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 Therefore they went out into the field, & gathered in their grapes and
troade them, and made mery, & went into the house of their gods, and did
eate and drinke, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal the sonne of Ebed sayde, Who is Abimelech? and who is Shechem, that
wee should serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierubbaal? and Zebul is his
officer? Serue rather the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we
serue him?
29 Now would God this people were vnder mine hand: then would I put away
Abimelech; he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30 And when Zebul the ruler of the citie heard the wordes of Gaal the sonne of
Ebed, his wrath was kindled.
31 Therefore he sent messengers vnto Abimelech priuily, saying, Beholde, Gaal
the sonne of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem, and beholde, they
fortifie the citie against thee.
32 Now therefore arise by night, thou & the people that is with thee, and
lye in wayte in the fielde.
33 And rise early in the morning as soone as the sunne is vp, and assault the
citie: and when he and the people that is with him, shall come out against thee,
doe to him what thou canst.
34 So Abimelech rose vp, and all the people that were with him by night: and
they lay in wayte against Shechem in foure bandes.
35 Then Gaal the sonne of Ebed went out & stood in the entring of the gate
of the citie: and Abimelech rose vp, and the folke that were with him, from
lying in waite.
36 And when Gaal sawe the people, he said to Zebul, Beholde, there come people
downe from the tops of the mountaines: and Zebul said vnto him, The shadowe of
the mountaines seeme men vnto thee.
37 And Gaal spake againe, and said, See, there come folke downe by the middle of
the land, and another bande commeth by the way of the plaine of Meonenim.
38 Then sayd Zebul vnto him, Where is now thy mouth, that said, Who is
Abimelech, that we should serue him? Is not this the people that thou hast
despised? Go out now, I pray thee, and fight with them.
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 But Abimelech pursued him, and he fledde before him, and many were
ouerthrowen and wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: & Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren
that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42 And on the morowe, the people went out into the fielde: which was tolde
Abimelech.
43 And he tooke the people, and deuided them into three bandes, and layde wayte
in the fieldes, and looked, and beholde, the people were come out of the citie,
& he rose vp against them, and smote them.
44 And Abimelech, and the bandes that were with him, russhed forwarde, and
stoode in the entring of the gate of the citie: and the two other bandes ran
vpon all the people that were in the fielde and slewe them.
45 And when Abimelech had fought against the citie all that day, he tooke the
citie, and slewe the people that was therein, and destroyed the citie and sowed
salt in it.
46 And when all the men of the towre of Shechem heard it, they entred into an
holde of the house of the god Berith.
47 And it was tolde Abimelech, that all the men of the towre of Shechem were
gathered together.
48 And Abimelech gate him vp to mounte Zalmon, hee and all the people that were
with him: and Abimelech tooke axes with him, and cut downe boughes of trees, and
tooke them, and bare them on his shoulder, and sayde vnto the folke that were
with him, What ye haue seene me doe, make haste, and doe like me.
49 Then all the people also cut downe euery man his bough, and followed
Abimelech, & put them to the holde, and set the holde on fire with them: so
all the men of the towre of Shechem dyed also, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then went Abimelech to Tebez, and besieged Tebez, and tooke it.
51 But there was a strong towre within the citie, and thither fledde all the men
and women, and all the chiefe of the citie, and shut it to them, and went vp to
the toppe of the towre.
52 And Abimelech came vnto the towre and fought against it, and went hard vnto
the doore of the towre to set it on fire.
53 But a certaine woman cast a piece of a milstone vpon Abimelechs head, and
brake his braine pan.
54 Then Abimelech called hastily his page that bare his harneis, and sayde vnto
him, Drawe thy sworde and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slewe him;
his page thrust him thorowe, and he dyed.
55 And when the men of
Israel
sawe that Abimelech was dead, they departed euery man vnto his owne place.
56 Thus God rendred the wickednes of Abimelech, which he did vnto his father, in
slaying his seuentie brethren.
57 Also all the wickednes of the men of Shechem did God bring vpon their heads.
So vpon them came the curse of Iotham the sonne of Ierubbaal.
CHAPTER
10
1 After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola, the sonne of Puah, the
sone of Dodo, a man of Issachar, which dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2 And he iudged
Israel
three and twentie yeere and dyed, and was buried in Shamir.
3 And after him arose Iair a Gileadite, and iudged
Israel
two and twenty yeere.
4 And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie assecolts, and they had thirtie
cities, which are called Hauoth-Iair vnto this day, and are in the
land
of
Gilead
.
5 And Iair dyed, and was buried in Kamon.
6 And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the
Lord, and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of
Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods
of the Philistims, and forsooke the Lord and serued not him.
7 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he solde them
into the hands of the Philistims, and into the handes of the children of Ammon:
8 Who from that yere vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteene yeres,
euen all the children of Israel that were beyond Iorden, in the land of the
Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9 Moreouer, the children of Ammon went ouer Iorden to fight against Iudah, and
against Beniamin, and against the house of Ephraim: so that
Israel
was sore tormented.
10 Then the children of
Israel
cryed vnto the Lorde, saying, We haue sinned against thee, euen because we haue
forsaken our owne God, and haue serued Baalim.
11 And the Lord sayd vnto the children of
Israel
, Did not I deliuer you from the Egyptians & from the Amorites, from the
children of Ammon and from the Philistims?
12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppresse you,
and ye cryed to me and I saued you out of their hands.
13 Yet ye haue forsaken me, and serued other gods: wherefore I will deliuer you
no more.
14 Goe, and cry vnto the gods which ye haue chosen: let them saue you in the
time of your tribulation.
15 And the children of
Israel
sayde vnto the Lorde, We haue sinned: doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee:
onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day.
16 Then they put away the strange gods from among them and serued the Lorde: and
his soule was grieued for the miserie of
Israel
.
17 Then the children of Ammon gathered themselues together, and pitched in
Gilead: and the children of
Israel
assembled themselues, and pitched in Mizpeh.
18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Whosoeuer will
beginne the battell against the children of Ammon, the same shal be head ouer
all the inhabitants of
Gilead
.
CHAPTER
11
1 Then
Gilead
begate Iphtah, and Iphtah the Gileadite was a valiant man, but the sonne of an
harlot.
2 And Gileads wife bare him sonnes, and when the womans children were come to
age, they thrust out Iphtah, and sayd vnto him, Thou shalt not inherite in our
fathers house: for thou art the sonne of a strange woman.
3 Then Iphtah fledde from his brethren, and dwelt in the
land
of
Tob
: and there gathered idle fellowes to Iphtah, & went out with him.
4 And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with
Israel
.
5 And when the children of Ammon fought with
Israel
, the Elders of Gilead went to fet Iphtah out of the
land
of
Tob
.
6 And they saide vnto Iphtah, Come and be our captaine, that we may fight with
the children of Ammon.
7 Iphtah then answered the Elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expell me
out of my fathers house? how then come you vnto me now in time of your
tribulation?
8 Then the Elders of Gilead saide vnto Iphtah, Therefore we turne againe to thee
now, that thou mayest goe with vs, and fight against the children of Ammon, and
bee our head ouer all the inhabitants of
Gilead
.
9 And Iphtah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight
against the children of Ammon, if the Lord giue them before me, shall I be your
head?
10 And the Elders of Gilead saide to Iphtah, The Lorde be witnesse betweene vs,
if we doe not according to thy wordes.
11 Then Iphtah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and
captaine ouer them: and Iphtah rehearsed all his wordes before the Lorde in
Mizpeh.
12 Then Iphtah sent messengers vnto the king of the children of Ammon, saying,
What hast thou to doe with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my
lande?
13 And the King of the children of Ammon answered vnto the messengers of Iphtah,
Because Israel tooke my lande, when they came vp from
Egypt
, fro Arnon vnto Iabbok, & vnto Iorden: now therefore restore those lands
quietly.
14 Yet Iphtah sent messengers againe vnto the King of the children of Ammon,
15 And said vnto him, Thus saith
Iphtah
,
Israel
tooke not the lande of
Moab
, nor the lande of the children of Ammon.
16 But when
Israel
came vp from
Egypt
, and walked through the wildernesse vnto the
redde
Sea
, then they came to Kadesh.
17 And Israel sent messengers vnto the king of
Edom
, saying, Let me, I pray thee, goe thorowe thy lande: but the King of Edom
woulde not consent: and also they sent vnto the King of Moab, but he would not:
therefore
Israel
abode in Kadesh.
18 Then they went through the wildernesse, and compassed the lande of
Edom
, and the lande of
Moab
, and came by the Eastside of the lande of
Moab
, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, and came not within the coast of
Moab
: for Arnon was the border of
Moab
.
19 Also
Israel
sent messengers vnto Sihon, King of the Amorites, the King of Heshbon, and
Israel
said vnto him, Let vs passe, we pray thee, by thy lande vnto our place.
20 But Sihon consented not to
Israel
, that he shoulde goe through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people
together, and pitched in Iahaz, and fought with
Israel
.
21 And the Lorde God of
Israel
gaue Sihon and all his folke into the handes of
Israel
, & they smote them: so
Israel
possessed all the lande of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that countrey:
22 And they possessed all the coast of the Amorites, from Arnon vnto Iabbok, and
from the wildernesse euen vnto Iorden.
23 Nowe therefore the Lorde God of
Israel
hath cast out the Amorites before his people
Israel
, and shouldest thou possesse it?
24 Wouldest not thou possesse that which Chemosh thy god giueth thee to possesse?
So whomesoeuer the Lorde our God driueth out before vs, them will we possesse.
25 And art thou nowe farre better then Balak the sonne of Zippor King of
Moab
? did he not striue with
Israel
and fight against them,
26 When
Israel
dwelt in Heshbon and in her townes, and in Aroer and in her townes, and in all
the cities that are by the coastes of Arnon, three hundreth yeeres? why did ye
not then recouer them in that space?
27 Wherefore, I haue not offended thee: but thou doest me wrong to warre against
me. The Lord the Iudge be iudge this day betweene the children of
Israel
, and the children of Ammon.
28 Howbeit the King of the children of Ammon hearkened not vnto the wordes of
Iphtah, which he had sent him.
29 Then the Spirite of the Lorde came vpon Iphtah, and he passed ouer to Gilead
and to Manasseh, and came to Mizpeh in Gilead, and from Mizpeh in
Gilead
he went vnto the children of Ammon.
30 And Iphtah vowed a vowe vnto the Lorde, and said, If thou shalt deliuer the
children of Ammon into mine handes,
31 Then that thing that commeth out of the doores of mine house to meete me,
when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon, shall be the Lordes, and I
will offer it for a burnt offering.
32 And so Iphtah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the
Lord deliuered them into his handes.
33 And he smote them from Aroer euen till thou come to Minnith, twentie cities,
and so foorth to Abel of the vineyardes, with an exceeding great slaughter. Thus
the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of
Israel
.
34 Nowe when Iphtah came to Mizpeh vnto his house, beholde, his daughter came
out to meete him with timbrels and daunces, which was his onely childe: he had
none other sonne, nor daughter.
35 And when hee sawe her, hee rent his clothes, and saide, Alas my daughter,
thou hast brought me lowe, and art of them that trouble me: for I haue opened my
mouth vnto the Lord, and can not goe backe.
36 And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the
Lorde, doe with me as thou hast promised, seeing that the Lorde hath auenged
thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon.
37 Also she saide vnto her father, Doe thus much for me: suffer me two moneths,
that I may goe to the mountaines, and bewaile my virginitie, I and my fellowes.
38 And he sayde, Goe: and he sent her away two moneths: so she went with her
companions, and lamented her virginitie vpon the moutaines.
39 And after the ende of two moneths, she turned againe vnto her father, who did
with her according to his vowe which he had vowed, and she had knowen no man; it
was a custome in Israel:
40 The daughters of Israel went yere by yere to lament the daughter of Iphtah
the Gileadite, foure dayes in a yeere.
CHAPTER
12
1 And the me of Ephraim gathered themselues together, and went Northwarde, and
saide vnto Iphtah, Wherefore wentest thou to fight against the children of Ammon,
and diddest not call vs to goe with thee? we will therefore burne thine house
vpon thee with fire.
2 And Iphtah said vnto them, I and my people were at great strife with the
children of Ammon, and when I called you, ye deliuered me not out of their
handes.
3 So when I sawe that ye deliuered me not, I put my life in mine hands, and went
vpon the children of Ammon: so the Lord deliuered them into mine handes.
Wherefore then are ye come vpon me nowe to fight against me?
4 Then Iphtah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the
men of
Gilead
smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are runnagates of Ephraim among
the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5 Also the Gileadites tooke the passages of Iorden before the Ephraimites, and
when the Ephraimites that were escaped, saide, Let me passe, then the men of
Gilead
said vnto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay,
6 Then said they vnto him, Say nowe Shibboleth: and he said, Sibboleth: for he
could not so pronounce: then they tooke him, and slewe him at the passages of
Iorden: & there fel at that time of the Ephraimites two & fourtie
thousand.
7 And Iphtah iudged
Israel
sixe yeere: then dyed Iphtah the Gileadite, and was buryed in one of the cities
of
Gilead
.
8 After him Ibzan of Beth-lehem iudged Israel,
9 Who had thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters, which he sent out, & tooke
in thirtie daughters from abroade for his sonnes; he iudged Israel seuen yeere.
10 Then Ibzan died, and was buryed at
Bethlehem
.
11 And after him iudged Israel Elon, a Zebulonite, and he iudged
Israel
tenne yeere.
12 Then Elon the Zebulonite dyed, and was buryed in Aijalon in the countrey of
Zebulun.
13 And after him Abdon the sonne of Hillel the Pirathonite iudged
Israel
.
14 And he had fourty sonnes and thirtie nephewes that rode on seuentie
assecoltes: and he iudged
Israel
eight yeeres.
15 Then dyed Abdon the sonne of Hillel the Pirathonite, & was buryed in
Pirathon, in ye lande of Ephraim, in the Mount of the Amalekites.
CHAPTER
13
1 Bvt the children of
Israel
continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and the Lorde
deliuerd them into the handes of the Philistims fourtie yeere.
2 Then there was a man in Zorah of the familie of the Danites, named Manoah,
whose wife was baren, and bare not.
3 And the Angel of the Lorde appeared vnto the woman, and said vnto her, Beholde
nowe, thou art baren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceiue, and beare a
sonne.
4 And nowe therefore beware that thou drinke no wine, nor strong drinke, neither
eate any vncleane thing.
5 For loe, thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne, and no rasor shall come on his
head: for the childe shall be a Nazarite vnto God from his birth: and he shall
begin to saue
Israel
out of the handes of the Philistims.
6 Then the wife came, and tolde her husband, saying, A man of God came vnto me,
and the facion of him was like the facion of the Angel of God exceeding feareful,
but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name,
7 But he saide vnto me, Beholde, thou shalt conceiue, and beare a sonne, and
nowe thou shalt drinke no wine, nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane
thing: for the childe shalbe a Nazarite to God from his birth to the day of his
death.
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lorde and saide, I pray thee, my Lorde, Let the man
of God, whome thou sentest, come againe nowe vnto vs, and teach vs what we shall
doe vnto the child when he is borne.
9 And God heard the voyce of Manoah, and the Angel of God came againe vnto the
wife, as she sate in the fielde, but Manoah her husbande was not with her.
10 And the wife made haste and ranne, and shewed her husbande and sayde vnto
him, Behold, the man hath appeared vnto me, that came vnto me to day.
11 And Manoah arose & went after his wife, and came to the man, and saide
vnto him, Art thou the man that spakest vnto the woman? and he said, Yea.
12 Then Manoah sayde, Nowe let thy saying come to passe: but howe shall we order
the childe and doe vnto him?
13 And the Angell of the Lorde saide vnto Manoah, The woman must beware of all
that I said vnto her.
14 She may eate of nothing that commeth of the vinetree: she shal not drinke
wine nor strong drinke, nor eate any vncleane thing: let her obserue all that I
haue commanded her.
15 Manoah then said vnto the Angell of the Lorde, I pray thee, let vs reteine
thee, vntill we haue made readie a kid for thee.
16 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Manoah, Though thou make me abide, I will
not eate of thy bread, and if thou wilt make a burnt offring, offer it vnto the
Lorde: for Manoah knewe not that it was an Angel of the Lorde.
17 Againe Manoah said vnto the Angell of the Lorde, What is thy name, that when
thy saying is come to passe, we may honour thee?
18 And the Angell of the Lorde saide vnto him, Why askest thou thus after my
name, which is secret?
19 Then Manoah tooke a kid with a meate offering, and offered it vpon a stone
vnto the Lorde: and the Angell did wonderously, whiles Manoah and his wife
looked on.
20 For when the flame came vp toward heauen from the altar, the Angel of the
Lorde ascended vp in the flame of the altar, and Manoah and his wife behelde it,
and fell on their faces vnto the grounde.
21 (So the Angel of the Lorde did no more appeare vnto Manoah and his wife.)
Then Manoah knewe that it was an Angel of the Lord.
22 And Manoah said vnto his wife, We shal surely dye, because we haue seene God.
23 But his wife saide vnto him, If the Lorde woulde kill vs, he woulde not haue
receiued a burnt offring, and a meate offring of our hands, neither would he
haue shewed vs all these things, nor would now haue tolde vs any such.
24 And the wife bare a sonne, and called his name Samson: and the childe grewe,
and the Lorde blessed him.
25 And the Spirite of the Lorde beganne to strengthen him in the host of Dan,
betweene Zorah, and Eshtaol.
CHAPTER
14
1 Nowe Samson went downe to Timnath, and saw a woma in Timnath of the daughters
of the Philistims,
2 And he came vp and told his father and his mother and saide, I haue seene a
woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistims: now therfore giue me her to
wife.
3 Then his father and his mother sayde vnto him, Is there neuer a wife among the
daughters of thy brethren, and among all my people, that thou must go to take a
wife of the vncircumcised Philistims? And Samson sayd vnto his father, Giue mee
her, for she pleaseth me wel.
4 But his father and his mother knewe not that it came of the Lorde, that he
should seeke an occasion against the Philistims: for at that time the Philistims
reigned ouer
Israel
.
5 Then went Samson and his father and his mother downe to Timnath, and came to
ye vineyardes at Timnath: and beholde, a young
Lyon
roared vpon him.
6 And the Spirit of the Lorde came vpon him, and he tare him, as one should haue
rent a kid, and had nothing in his hand, neither told he his father nor his
mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, & talked with the woman which was beautifull in the eyes
of Samson.
8 And within a fewe dayes, when he returned to receiue her, he went aside to see
the karkeis of the Lion: and behold, there was a swarme of bees, and hony in the
body of the
Lyon
.
9 And he tooke therof in his handes, and went eating, and came to his father and
to his mother, and gaue vnto them, and they did eate: but hee told not them,
that he had taken the hony out of the body of the
lyon
.
10 So his father went down vnto the woman, and Samson made there a feast: for so
vsed the yong men to doe.
11 And when they sawe him, they brought thirtie companions to be with him.
12 Then Samson sayd vnto them, I will nowe put forth a riddle vnto you: and if
you can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, I will
giue you thirty sheetes, and thirtie change of garments.
13 But if you cannot declare it mee, then shall yee giue mee thirty sheetes and
thirtie change of garments; they answered him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may
heare it.
14 And he sayd vnto them, Out of the eater came meate, and out of the strong
came sweetenesse: and they could not in three dayes expound the riddle.
15 And when the seuenth day was come, they said vnto Samsons wife, Entise thine
husband, that he may declare vs the riddle, lest wee burne thee and thy fathers
house with fire. Haue ye called vs, to possesse vs? is it not so?
16 And Samsons wife wept before him, and savd, Surely thou hatest mee and louest
mee not: for thou hast put forth a riddle vnto the children of my people, and
hast not told it mee; hee sayd vnto her, Beholde, I haue not told it my father,
nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 Then Samsons wife wept before him seuen dayes, while their feast lasted: and
when the seuenth day came he tolde her, because she was importunate vpon him: so
she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of ye citie sayde vnto him the seuenth day before the Sunne went
downe, What is sweeter then honie? and what is stronger then a
lyon
? Then sayd hee vnto them, If yee had not plowed with my heiffer, yee had not
found out my riddle.
19 And the Spirite of the Lorde came vpon him, and he went downe to
Ashkelon
, and slew thirtie men of them and spoyled them, and gaue chaunge of garments
vnto them, which expounded the riddle: and his wrath was kindled, and he went vp
to his fathers house.
20 Then Samsons wife was giuen to his companion, whom he had vsed as his friend.
CHAPTER
15
1 Bvt within a while after, in the time of wheate haruest, Samson visited his
wife with a kid, saying, I wil go in to my wife into the chamber: but her father
would not suffer him to goe in.
2 And her father sayde, I thought that thou hadst hated her: therefore gaue I
her to thy companion. Is not her yonger sister fayrer then shee? take her, I
pray thee, in stead of the other.
3 Then Samson saide vnto them, Nowe am I more blamelesse then the Philistims:
therefore will I doe them displeasure.
4 And Samson went out, and tooke three hundreth foxes, and tooke firebrands, and
turned them taile to taile, and put a firebrand in ye middes betweene two tailes.
5 And when he had set the brandes on fire, he sent them out into the standing
corne of the Philistims, and burnt vp both the rickes and the standing corne
with the vineyardes and oliues.
6 Then the Philistims sayde, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson the
sonne in law of the Timnite, because hee had taken his wife, and giuen her to
his companion. Then the Philistims came vp and burnt her and her father with
fire.
7 And Samson saide vnto them, Though yee haue done this, yet wil I be auenged of
you, and then I wil cease.
8 So hee smote them hippe and thigh with a mightie plague: then hee went and
dwelt in the top of the rocke Etam.
9 Then the Philistims came vp, and pitched in Iudah, and were spred abroad in
Lehi.
10 And the men of Iudah sayde, Why are yee come vp vnto vs? And they answered,
To binde Samson are we come vp, and to do to him as hee hath done to vs.
11 Then three thousande men of Iudah went to the top of the rocke Etam, and
sayde to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistims are rulers ouer vs?
Wherefore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? And he answered them, As they did
vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.
12 Againe they sayd vnto him, Wee are come to binde thee, and to deliuer thee
into the hande of the Philistims; Samson sayde vnto them, Sweare vnto me, that
yee will not fall vpon me your selues.
13 And they answered him, saying, No, but we will bynde thee and deliuer thee
vnto their hande, but we will not kill thee; they bound him with two newe cordes,
& brought him from the rocke.
14 When hee came to Lehi, the Philistims shouted against him, and the Spirite of
the Lord came vpon him, and the cordes that were vpon his armes, became as flaxe
that was burnt with fire: for the bandes loosed from his handes.
15 And he found a new iawebone of an asse, and put forth his hand, and caught
it, and slewe a thousand men therewith.
16 Then Samson sayd, With the iaw of an asse are heapes vpon heapes: with the
iawe of an asse haue I slaine a thousand men.
17 And when he had left speaking, hee cast away the iawebone out of his hande,
and called that place, Ramath-Lehi.
18 And he was sore a thirst, and called on the Lorde, and sayde, Thou hast giuen
this great deliuerance into the hand of thy seruaunt: and nowe shall I dye for
thirst, and fall into the handes of the vncircumcised?
19 Then God brake the cheeke tooth, that was in the iawe, and water came
thereout: and when he had drunke, his Spirit came againe, and he was reuiued:
wherefore the name therof is called, Enhakkore, which is in Lehi vnto this day.
20 And hee iudged
Israel
in the dayes of the Philistims twentie yeeres.
CHAPTER
16
1 Then went Samson to Azzah, & sawe there an harlot, and went in vnto her.
2 And it was tolde to the Azzahites, Samson is come hither. And they went about,
and laied wayte for him all night in the gate of the citie, & were quiet all
the nyght, saying, Abide till the morning earely, and we shall kill him.
3 And Samson slept till midnight, and arose at midnight, and tooke the doores of
the gates of the citie, and the two postes and lift them away with the barres,
and put them vpon his shoulders, and caried them vp to the top of the mountaine
that is before Hebron.
4 And after this hee loued a woman by the riuer of Sorek, whose name was
Delilah:
5 Vnto whome came the princes of the Philistims, and said vnto her, Entise him,
and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what meane we may ouercome him,
that we may binde him, and punish him, and euery one of vs shall giue thee
eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer.
6 And Delilah saide to Samson, Tell mee, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength
lieth, and wherewith thou mightest bee bound, to doe thee hurt.
7 Samson then answered vnto her, If they binde mee with seuen greene cordes,
that were neuer dryed, then shall I bee weake, and be as an other man.
8 And the princes of the Philistims brought her seuen greene cordes that were
not dry, and she bound him therewith.
9 (And she had men lying in wayte with her in the chamber) Then she said vnto
him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson; hee brake the cordes, as a threede of
towe is broken, when it feeleth fire: so his strength was not knowen.
10 After Delilah saide vnto Samson, See, thou hast mocked mee and tolde mee
lies. I pray thee nowe, tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11 Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were
occupied, then shal I be weake, and be as an other man.
12 Delilah therefore tooke newe ropes, and bounde him therewith, and saide vnto
him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson: (and men lay in wayte in the chamber)
and hee brake them from his armes, as a threede.
13 Afterward Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast beguiled mee, and tolde
me lies: tell me how thou mightest be bounde. And he sayde vnto her, If thou
plattedst seuen lockes of mine head with the threedes of the woufe.
14 And she fastened it with a pinne, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon
thee, Samson; he awoke out of his sleepe, and went away with the pinne of the
webbe and the woufe.
15 Againe shee sayde vnto him, Howe canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine
heart is not with me? thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not tolde
me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And because shee was importunate vpon him with her wordes continually, and
vexed him, his soule was pained vnto the death.
17 Therefore he tolde her all his heart, and said vnto her, There neuer came
rasor vpon mine head: for I am a Nazarite vnto God from my mothers wombe:
therefore if I bee shauen, my strength will goe from me, and I shalbe weake, and
be like all other men.
18 And when Delilah sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent, and
called for the Princes of ye Philistims, saying, Come vp once againe: for he
hath shewed mee all his heart. Then the Princes of the Philistims came vp vnto
her, and brought the money in their handes.
19 And she made him sleepe vpon her knees, and she called a man, and made him to
shaue off the seuen lockes of his head, and shee began to vexe him, and his
strength was gone from him.
20 Then she said, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson; hee awoke out of his
sleepe, and thought, I will go out now as at other times, and shake my selfe,
but he knewe not that the Lorde was departed from him.
21 Therefore the Philistims tooke him, and put out his eyes, and brought him
downe to Azzah, and bounde him with fetters: and hee did grinde in the prison
house.
22 And the heare of his head began to growe againe after that it was shauen.
23 Then the Princes of the Philistims gathered them together for to offer a
great sacrifice vnto Dagon their god, and to reioyce: for they said, Our god
hath deliuered Samson our enemie into our handes.
24 Also when the people saw him, they praysed their god: for they sayde, Our god
hath deliuered into our hands our enemie and destroyer of our countrey, which
hath slayne many of vs.
25 And when their heartes were mery, they said, Call Samson, that he may make vs
pastime. So they called Samson out of the prison house, and he was a laughing
stocke vnto them, and they set him betweene the pillars.
26 Then Samson saide vnto the seruant that led him by the hande, Lead me, that I
may touch the pillars that the house standeth vpon, and that I may leane to
them.
27 (Nowe the house was full of men and women, and there were all the princes of
the Philistims: also vpon the roofe were about three thousande men and women
that behelde while Samson played)
28 Then Samson called vnto the Lorde, and sayde, O Lord God, I pray thee, thinke
vpon me: O God, I beseech thee, strengthen me at this time onely, that I may be
at once auenged of the Philistims for my two eyes.
29 And Samson layd hold on the two middle pillars whereupon the house stood, and
on which it was borne vp: on the one with his right hand, and on the other with
his left.
30 Then Samson saide, Let me lose my life with the Philistims: and he bowed him
with all his might, and the house fell vpon the princes, & vpon all the
people that were therein. so the dead which he slewe at his death were mo then
they which he had slaine in his life.
31 Then his brethren, and all the house of his father came downe and tooke him,
and brought him vp and buryed him betweene Zorah & Eshtaol, in the sepulchre
of Manoah his father: nowe he had iudged
Israel
twenty yeeres.
CHAPTER
17
1 There was a man of
mount
Ephraim
, whose name was Michah,
2 And he saide vnto his mother, The eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer that were
taken from thee, for the which thou cursedst, and spakedst it, euen in mine
hearing, beholde, the siluer is with me, I tooke it. Then his mother saide,
Blessed be my sonne of the Lorde.
3 And when he had restored the eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer to his mother,
his mother sayd, I had dedicate the siluer to the Lord of mine hand for my sonne,
to make a grauen and molten image. Now therfore I will giue it thee again.
4 And when he had restored the money vnto his mother, his mother tooke two
hundreth shekels of siluer, and gaue them to the founder, which made thereof a
grauen and molten image, and it was in the house of Michah.
5 And this man Michah had an house of gods, & made an Ephod, and Teraphim,
& cosecrated one of his sonnes, who was his Priest.
6 In those dayes there was no King in
Israel
, but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes.
7 There was also a yong man out of Bethlehem Iudah, of the familie of Iudah: who
was a Leuite, and soiourned there.
8 And the man departed out of the citie, euen out of Beth-lehem Iudah, to dwell
where he coulde finde a place: and as he iourneyed, he came to mount Ephraim to
the house of Michah
9 And Michah saide vnto him, Whence comest thou? And the Leuite answered him, I
come from Beth-lehem Iudah, and goe to dwell where I may finde a place.
10 Then Michah said vnto him, Dwell with me, and be vnto me a father and a
Priest, and I will giue thee ten shekels of siluer by yeere, and a sute of
apparell, and thy meate and drinke. So the Leuite went in.
11 And the Leuite was content to dwel with the man, and the yong man was vnto
him as one of his owne sonnes.
12 And Michah consecrated the Leuite, and the yong man was his Priest, and was
in the house of Michah.
13 Then said Michah, Nowe I know that the Lord will be good vnto me, seeing I
haue a Leuite to my Priest.
CHAPTER
18
1 In those dayes there was no King in Israel, and at the same time the tribe of
Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for vnto that time all their
inheritance had not fallen vnto them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Therefore the children of Dan sent of their familie, fiue men out of their
coastes, euen men expert in warre, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, to viewe the lande
and search it out, and saide vnto them, Goe, and search out the lande. Then they
came to
mount
Ephraim
to the house of Michah and lodged there.
3 When they were in the house of Michah, they knewe the voyce of the yong man
the Leuite: and being turned in thither, they saide vnto him, Who brought thee
hither? Or what makest thou in this place? And what hast thou to doe here?
4 And he answered them, Thus and thus dealeth Michah with me, and hath hired me,
and I am his Priest.
5 Againe they said vnto him, Aske counsell nowe of God, that we may knowe
whether the way which we goe, shalbe prosperous.
6 And the Priest sayde vnto them, Goe in peace: for the Lorde guideth your way
which ye goe.
7 Then the fiue men departed and came to Laish, and sawe the people that were
therein, which dwelt carelesse, after the maner of the Zidonians, quiet and
sure, because no man made any trouble in the lande, or vsurped any dominion:
also they were farre from the Zidonians, and had no businesse with other men.
8 So they came againe vnto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren saide vnto them, What haue ye done?
9 And they answered, Arise, that we may goe vp against them: for we haue seene
the lande, & surely it is very good, and doe ye sit stil? Be not slouthfull
to goe and enter to possesse the lande:
10 (If ye will goe, ye shall come vnto a carelesse people, and the countrey is
large) for God hath giuen it into your hande. It is a place which doeth lacke
nothing that is in the worlde.
11 Then there departed thence of the familie of the Danites, from Zorah and from
Eshtaol, sixe hundreth men appointed with instruments of warre.
12 And they went vp, and pitched in Kiriath-iearim in Iudah: wherefore they
called that place, Mahaneh-Dan vnto this day: and it is behinde Kiriath-iearim.
13 And they went thence vnto
mount
Ephraim
, and came to the house of Michah.
14 Then answered the fiue men, that went to spie out the countrey of Laish,
& said vnto their brethren, Knowe ye not, that there is in these houses an
Ephod, and Teraphim, and a grauen & a molten image? Nowe therefore consider
what ye haue to doe.
15 And they turned thitherward & came to the house of the yong man the
Leuite, euen vnto the house of Michah, and saluted him peaceably.
16 And the six hundreth men appointed with their weapons of warre, which were of
the children of Dan, stoode by the entring of the gate.
17 Then the fiue men that went to spie out the land, went in thither, and tooke
the grauen image and the Ephod, and the Teraphim, and the molten image: and the
Priest stoode in the entring of the gate with the sixe hundreth men, that were
appointed with weapons of warre,
18 And the other went into Michahs house and fet the grauen image, the Ephod,
and the Teraphim, and the molten image. Then saide the Priest vnto them, What
doe ye?
19 And they answered him, Holde thy peace: lay thine hande vpon thy mouth, and
come with vs to be our father and Priest. Whether is it better that thou
shouldest be a Priest vnto ye house of one man, or that thou shouldest be a
Priest vnto a tribe and to a familie in
Israel
?
20 And the Priestes heart was glad, and hee tooke the Ephod and the Teraphim,
and the grauen image, and went among the people.
21 And they turned and departed, and put the children, and the cattell, and the
substance before them.
22 When they were farre off from the house of Michah, the men that were in the
houses neere to Michahs house, gathered together, and pursued after the children
of Dan,
23 And cryed vnto the children of Dan: who turned their faces, and said vnto
Michah, What ayleth thee, that thou makest an outcrie?
24 And hee saide, Yee haue taken away my gods, which I made, and the Priest, and
go your wayes: and what haue I more? Howe then say ye vnto me, what ayleth thee?
25 And the children of Dan sayde vnto him, Let not thy voyce be heard among vs,
least angrie fellowes runne vpon thee, and thou lose thy life with the liues of
thine housholde.
26 So the children of Dan went their wayes: and when Michah saw that they were
too strong for him, hee turned, and went backe vnto his house.
27 And they tooke the things which Michah had made, and the Priest which he had,
and came vnto Laish, vnto a quiet people and without mistrust, and smote them
with the edge of the sworde, and burnt the citie with fire:
28 And there was none to helpe, because Laish was farre from Zidon, and they had
no businesse with other men: also it was in the valley that lyeth by Beth-rehob.
After, they built the citie, and dwelt therein,
29 And called the name of the citie Dan, after the name of Dan their father
which was borne vnto
Israel
: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the beginning.
30 Then the children of Dan set them vp the grauen image: and Ionathan the sonne
of Gershom, the sonne of Manasseh and his sonnes were the Priestes in the tribe
of the Danites vntil the day of the captiuitie of the lande.
31 So they set them vp the grauen image, which Michah had made, all the while
the house of God was in
Shiloh
.
CHAPTER
19
1 Also in those dayes, when there was no king in Israel, a certaine Leuite dwelt
on the side of mount Ephraim, and tooke to wife a concubine out of Beth-lehem
Iudah,
2 And his concubine played ye whore there, and went away from him vnto her
fathers house to Beth-lehem Iudah, and there continued the space of foure
moneths.
3 And her husband arose and went after her, to speake friendly vnto her, and to
bring her againe: he had also his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and
she brought him vnto her fathers house, and when the yong womans father sawe
him, he reioyced of his coming.
4 And his father in lawe, the yong womans father reteined him: & he abode
with him three dayes: so they did eate & drinke, & lodged there.
5 And when the fourth day came, they arose earely in the morning, and he
prepared to depart: then the yong womans father said vnto his sonne in lawe,
Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and then go your way.
6 So they sate downe, and did eate & drinke both of them together; the yong
womans father said vnto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tary all night,
and let thine heart be mery.
7 And when the man rose vp to depart, his father in lawe was earnest: therefore
he returned, and lodged there.
8 And he arose vp earely the fifth day to depart, and the yong womans father
saide, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee: and they taryed vntill after midday,
and they both did eate.
9 Afterwarde when the man arose to depart with his concubine and his seruant,
his father in lawe, the yong womans father said vnto him, Beholde nowe, the day
draweth towarde euen: I pray you, tary all night: beholde, the sunne goeth to
rest: lodge here, that thine heart may be merie, and to morowe get you earely
vpon your way, and goe to thy tent.
10 But the man would not tarry, but arose & departed, and came ouer against
Iebus, (which is Ierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine were with
him.
11 When they were neere to Iebus, the day was sore spent, and the seruant said
vnto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let vs turne into this citie of the
Iebusites, and lodge all night there.
12 And his master answered him, We will not turne into the citie of strangers
that are not of the children of
Israel
, but we will goe forth to Gibeah.
13 And he said vnto his seruant, Come, and let vs drawe neere to one of these
places, that wee may lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.
14 So they went forward vpon their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them neere
to Gibeah, which is in Beniamin.
15 Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibeah: and when he came, he
sate him downe in a streete of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them
into his house to lodging.
16 And beholde, there came an old man from his work out of the field at euen,
& the man was of mount Ephraim, but dwelt in Gibeah: and the men of the
place were the children of Iemini.
17 And when he had lift vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfairing man in the streetes of
the citie: then this olde man sayde, Whither goest thou, and whence camest thou?
18 And hee answered him, Wee came from Beth-lehem Iudah, vnto the side of Mout
Ephraim: from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem Iudah, and go now to the
house of the Lord: and no man receiueth mee to house,
19 Although we haue straw and prouader for our asses, and also bread and wine
for me & thine handmayde, and for the boy that is with thy seruant: we lacke
nothing.
20 And the olde man sayde, Peace bee with thee: as for all that thou lackest,
shalt thou finde with me: onely abide not in the streete al night.
21 So he brought him into his house, & gaue fodder vnto the asses: and they
washed their feete, and did eate and drinke.
22 And as they were making their hearts merie, beholde, the men of the citie,
wicked men beset the house round about, and smote at the doore, and spake to
this olde man the master of the house saying, Bring forth the man that came into
thine house that we may knowe him.
23 And this man the master of ye house went out vnto the, & said vnto them,
Nay my brethre, do not so wickedly, I pray you: seeing that this man is come
into mine house, do not this villenie.
24 Behold, here is my daughter, a virgine, and his concubine: them wil I bring
out nowe, and humble them, and doe with them what seemeth you good: but to this
man doe not this villenie.
25 But the men woulde not hearken to him: therefore ye man tooke his concubine,
& brought her out vnto them: and they knewe her and abused her all the night
vnto the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her goe.
26 So the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell downe at the doore of
the mans house where her Lord was, till the light day.
27 And her lorde arose in the morning, and opened the doores of the house, and
went out to goe his way, and beholde, the woman his concubine was dead at the
doore of the house and her handes lay vpon the thresholde.
28 And hee said vnto her, Vp and let vs goe: but shee answered not. Then he
tooke her vp vpon the asse, and the man rose vp, and went vnto his place.
29 And whe he was come to his house, he took a knife, and laid hand on his
concubine, and deuided her in pieces with her bones into twelue parts, and sent
her through all quarters of
Israel
.
30 And all that saw it, said, There was no such thing done or seene since the
time that the children of
Israel
came vp from the lande of
Egypt
vnto this day: consider the matter, consult and giue sentence.
CHAPTER
20
1 Then all the children of
Israel
went out, and the Congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan to
Beersheba
, with the
land
of
Gilead
, vnto the Lord in Mizpeh.
2 And the chiefe of all the people, and all the tribes of
Israel
assembled in the Congregation of the people of God foure hundreth thousand
footemen that drewe sword.
3 (Now the children of Beniamin heard that the children of
Israel
were gone vp to Mizpeh) Then the children of
Israel
saide, Howe is this wickednesse committed?
4 And the same Leuite, the womans husband that was slaine, answered and saide, I
came vnto Gibeah that is in Beniamin with my concubine to lodge,
5 And the men of Gibeah arose against me, and beset the house round about vpon
mee by night, thinking to haue slaine me, and haue forced my concubine that she
is dead.
6 Then I tooke my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all
the countrey of the inheritance of
Israel
: for they haue committed abomination and villenie in
Israel
.
7 Behold, ye are al children of
Israel
: giue your aduise, and counsell herein.
8 Then all the people arose as one man, saying, There shal not a man of vs goe
to his tent, neither any turne into his house.
9 But now this is that thing which we will do to Gibeah: we wil goe vp by lot
against it,
10 And we wil take ten men of the hundreth throughout al the tribes of Israel,
& an hundreth of the thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand to bring
vitaile for the people that they may do (when they come to Gibeah of Beniamin)
according to all the villeny, that it hath done in Israel.
11 So all the men of
Israel
were gathered against the citie, knit together, as one man.
12 And the tribes of
Israel
sent men through al the tribe of Beniamin, saying, What wickednesse is this
that is committed among you?
13 Nowe therefore deliuer vs those wicked men which are in Gibeah, that we may
put them to death, and put away euill from
Israel
: but the children of Beniamin would not obey the voyce of their brethren the
children of
Israel
.
14 But ye children of Beniamin gathered them selues together out of the cities
vnto Gibeah, to come out and fight against the children of
Israel
.
15 And ye children of Beniamin were nombred at that time out of the cities sixe
and twenty thousand men that drewe sworde, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah,
which were nombred seuen hundreth chosen men.
16 Of all this people were seuen hundreth chosen men, being left handed: all
these could sling stones at an heare breadth, and not faile.
17 Also the men of
Israel
, beside Beniamin, were nombred foure hundreth thousande men that drew sword,
euen all men of warre.
18 And the children of
Israel
arose, and went vp to the house of God, and asked of God, saying, Which of vs
shal goe vp first to fight against the children of Beniamin? And the Lord said,
Iudah shalbe first.
19 Then the children of
Israel
arose vp earely and camped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of
Israel
went out to battell against Beniamin, & the men of
Israel
put themselues in aray to fight against the beside Gibeah.
21 And the children of Beniamin came out of Gibeah, & slewe downe to the
ground of the Israelites that day two and twentie thousand men.
22 And the people, the men of
Israel
plucked vp their hearts, and set their battel againe in aray in the place where
they put them in aray the first day.
23 (For the children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the
euening, and had asked of the Lorde, saying, Shall I goe againe to battel
against the children of Beniamin my brethren? and the Lord said, Go vp against
them)
24 Then the children of Israel came neere against the children of Beniamin the
second day.
25 Also the second day Beniamin came forth to meete them out of Gibeah, and
slewe downe to the grounde of the children of
Israel
againe eighteene thousand men: all they could handle the sword.
26 Then al the children of
Israel
went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God, and wept and sate
there before the Lord & fasted that day vnto the euening, and offred burnt
offrings and peace offrings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Israel asked the Lorde (for there was the Arke of the
couenat of God in those dayes,
28 And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stoode before it at
that time) saying, Shall I yet goe anie more to battel against the children of
Beniamin my brethren, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go vp: for to morowe
I will deliuer them into your hand.
29 And
Israel
set men to lie in waite round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of
Israel
went vp against the children of Beniamin the third day, and put theselues in
aray against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 Then the children of Beniamin comming out against the people, were drawen
from the citie: and they began to smite of ye people and kill as at other times,
euen by the wayes in the fielde (whereof one goeth vp to the house of God, and
the other to Gibeah) vpon a thirtie men of Israel.
32 (For the children of Beniamin sayd, They are fallen before vs, as at the
first. But the children of Israel saide, Let vs flee and plucke them away from
the citie vnto the hie wayes)
33 And all the men of Israel rose vp out of their place, and put themselues in
aray at Baal-tamar: and the men that lay in wayte of the Israelites came forth
of their place, euen out of the medowes of Gibeah,
34 And they came ouer against Gibeah, ten thousande chosen men of all Israel,
and the battell was sore: for they knewe not that the euill was neere them.
35 And the Lord smote Beniamin before
Israel
, and the children of
Israel
destroyed of the Beniamites the same day fiue and twenty thousand and an
hundreth men: all they could handle the sword.
36 So the children of Beniamin sawe that they were striken downe: for the men of
Israel
gaue place to the Beniamites, because they trusted to the men that lay in waite,
which they had laide beside Gibeah.
37 And they that lay in wait hasted, and brake forth toward Gibeah, & the
ambushment drewe themselues along, and smote all the citie with the edge of the
sword.
38 Also the men of Israel had appoynted a certaine time with the ambushmentes,
that they should make a great flame and smoke rise vp out of the citie.
39 And when the men of
Israel
retired in the battel, Beniamin began to smite and kill of the men of
Israel
about thirtie persons: for they said, Surely they are striken downe before vs,
as in the first battell.
40 But when the flame bega to arise out of the citie, as a pillar of smoke, the
Beniamites looked backe, and behold, the flame of the citie began to ascend vp
to heauen.
41 Then the men of
Israel
turned againe, & the men of Beniamin were astonied: for they saw that euill
was neere vnto them.
42 Therefore they fled before the men of
Israel
vnto the way of the wildernesse, but the battell ouertooke them: also they
which came out of the cities, slew them among them.
43 Thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at ease, and
ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibeah on the Eastside.
44 And there were slaine of Beniamin eyghteene thousad men, which were all men
of warre.
45 And they turned and fled to the wildernes vnto the rocke of Rimmon: and the
Israelites glayned of them by the way fiue thousand men, and pursued after them
vnto Gidom, and slewe two thousand men of them,
46 So that all that were slayne that day of Beniamin, were fiue and twentie
thousand men that drewe sword, which were all men of warre:
47 But sixe hundreth men turned and fled to the wildernesse vnto the rocke of
Rimmon, and abode in the rocke of Rimmon foure moneths.
48 Then the men of Israel returned vnto the children of Beniamin, and smote them
with the edge of the sword from the men of the citie vnto the beasts, and all
that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they coulde come
by.
CHAPTER
21
1 Moreouer, the men of
Israel
sware in Mizpeh, saying, None of vs shall giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites
to wyfe.
2 And the people came vnto ye house of God and abode there till euen before God,
and lift vp their voyces, and wept with great lamentation,
3 And sayde, O Lorde God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that
this day one tribe of Israel should want?
4 And on the morow the people rose vp & made there an altar, and offred
burnt offrings and peace offrings.
5 Then the children of
Israel
said, Who is he among all the tribes of
Israel
, that came not vp with the Congregation vnto the Lorde? For they had made a
great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, Let
him die the death.
6 And the children of
Israel
were sory for Beniamin their brother, & said, There is one tribe cut off
from
Israel
this day.
7 How shal we do for wiues to them that remaine, seeing we haue sworne by the
Lorde, that we will not giue them of our daughters to wiues?
8 Also they saide, Is there any of the tribes of
Israel
that came not vp to Mizpeh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Iabesh
Gilead vnto the hoste and to the Congregation.
9 For when the people were vewed; beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabesh
Gilead were there.
10 Therefore the Congregation sent thither twelue thousande men of the most
valiant, and commaunded them, saying, Goe, and smite the inhabitants of Iabesh
Gilead with the edge of the sword, both women, and children.
11 And this is it that ye shall do: ye shall vtterly destroye all the males and
all the women that haue lien by men.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead foure hundreth maides,
virgins that had knowne no man by lying with any male: and they brought them
vnto the hoste to Shiloh, which is in the
land
of
Canaan
.
13 Then the whole Congregation sent and spake with the children of Beniamin that
were in the rocke of Rimmon, and called peaceably vnto them:
14 And Beniamin came againe at that time, and they gaue them wiues which they
had saued aliue of the women of Iabesh Gilead: but they had not so ynough for
them.
15 And the people were sorie for Beniamin, because the Lord had made a breach in
the tribes of
Israel
.
16 Therefore the Elders of the Congregation said, How shall we doe for wiues to
the remnant? for the women of Beniamin are destroyed.
17 And they saide, there must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of
Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of
Israel
.
18 Howbeit we may not giue them wiues of our daughters: for the childre of
Israel
had sworne, saying, Cursed be he that giueth a wise to Beniamin.
19 Therefore they said, Beholde, there is a feast of the Lord euery yere in
Shiloh
in a place, which is on the Northside of Beth-el, and on the Eastside of the
way that goeth vp from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the South of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commaunded the children of Beniamin, saying, Goe, and lye in
waite in the vineyardes.
21 And when ye see that the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances,
then come ye out of the vineyards, and catche you euery man a wife of the
daughters of Shiloh, and goe into the
land
of
Beniamin
.
22 And when their fathers or their brethren come vnto vs to complaine, we wil
say vnto them, Haue pitie on them for our sakes, because we reserued not to eche
man his wife in the warre, and because ye haue not giuen vnto them hitherto, ye
haue sinned.
23 And the children of Beniamin did so, and tooke wiues of them that danced
according to their nomber: which they tooke, and went away, and returned to
their inheritance, and repaired the cities and dwelt in them.
24 So the children of
Israel
departed thence at that time, euery man to his tribe, and to his familie, and
went out from thence euery man to his inheritance.
25 In those dayes there was no King in Israel, but euery man did that which was
good in his eyes.
|
