Judges

11And it happened, after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who will go up for us against the Canaanite in the beginning, to fight against him?” 2And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. Behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3Then Judah said to Simeon, his brother, “Go up with me into my allotment, and let us fight against the Canaanite. And I will also go with you myself into your allotment.” So Simeon went with him. 4And Judah went up, and Yahweh gave the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand. And at Bezek they struck 10,000 men. 5And they found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek, and they fought against him. And they struck the Canaanite and the Perizzite. 6Then Adoni-Bezek fled, but they pursued after him, and they seized him, and they cut off the thumbs of his hands and his feet. 7And Adoni-Bezek said, “70 kings {with} the thumbs of their hands and their feet cut off were gathering beneath my table. According to what I have done, so God has repaid to me.” Then they brought him {to} Jerusalem, and he died there.

8And the sons of Judah fought with Jerusalem and captured it. And they struck it to the mouth of the sword, and they sent the city into fire. 9And afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight with the Canaanite living {in} the hill country and the Negev and the Shephelah. 10Then Judah went down to the Canaanite living in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron previously {was} Kiriath Arba.) And they struck Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11And he went from there against the dwellers of Debir. (Now the name of Debir previously {was} Kiriath Sepher.) 12And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I will then give to him Aksah, my daughter, for a wife.” 13And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, the {one} younger than him, captured it. So he gave to him Aksah, his daughter, for a wife. 14Now it happened, in the coming of her, that she persuaded him to request the field from her father. And she descended from upon the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What for you?” 15And she said to him, “Give to me a blessing. Since you have given me land of the Negev, you shall also give to me springs of waters.” So Caleb gave to her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16Now the sons of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up from the City of Palms with the sons of Judah {to} the wilderness of Judah that {is} in the Negev of Arad. And he went and he dwelled with the people. 17Then Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanite dwelling {in} Zephath. And they devoted it, and they called the name of the city Hormah. 18And Judah captured Gaza and the territory of it and Ashkelon and the territory of it and Ekron and the territory of it. 19Now it happened {that} Yahweh {was} with Judah and he possessed the hill country. But he did not dispossess the dwellers of the valley, for chariotry of iron {was} to them. 20But they gave Hebron to Caleb, according to what Moses had spoken, and he dispossessed from there the three sons of the Anak. 21But the Jebusite, the dweller of Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin did not dispossess. So the Jebusite has dwelled with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.

22And the house of Joseph, they too went up {to} Bethel, and Yahweh {was} with them. 23And the house of Joseph spied upon Bethel. (Now the name of the city previously {was} Luz.) 24And the observers saw a man going out from the city, and they said to him, “Show us, please, the entrance of the city, and we will do kindness with you.” 25So he showed them the entrance of the city, and they struck the city to the mouth of the sword, but the man and all of his family they sent {away}. 26Then the man went {to} the land of the Hittites and he built a city, and he called the name of it Luz. That {is} the name of it until this day.

27But Manasseh did not dispossess Beth Shan and its daughters, or Taanach and its daughters, or the dwellers of Dor and its daughters, or the dwellers of Ibleam and its daughters, or the dwellers of Megiddo and its daughters, for the Canaanite had resolved to dwell in that land. 28Now it happened that Israel became strong and he put the Canaanite to forced labor, but he did not dispossess him.

29And Ephraim did not dispossess the Canaanite, the dweller of Gezer, so the Canaanite dwelled in the midst of him in Gezer.

30Zebulun did not dispossess the dwellers of Kitron or the dwellers of Nahalol, so the Canaanite dwelled in his midst. But they became forced labor.

31Asher did not dispossess the dwellers of Akko or the dwellers of Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. 32So the Asherite dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the dweller of the land, because he did not dispossess him.

33Naphtali did not dispossess the dwellers of Beth Shemesh or the dwellers of Beth Anath. So he dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the dwellers of the land. But the dwellers of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced labor for them.

34And the Amorite, they pressed the sons of Dan {into} the hill country, for he did not allow him to go down into the valley. 35And the Amorite resolved to dwell at Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph became heavy and they became forced labor. 36Now the border of the Amorite {was} from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

21And the angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I am bringing you up from Egypt, and I have brought you to the land that I swore to your fathers. And I have said, ‘I will forever not break my covenant with you. 2And you, you shall not cut a covenant with the dwellers of this land. Their altars you shall demolish.’ But you have not heard my voice. What {is} this you have done? 3And I have also said, ‘I will not expel them from the face of you, but they will be to you in the sides, and their gods will be to you for a snare.’” 4Now it happened, as the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. 5So they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed to Yahweh there.

6And Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went, a man to his inheritance, to possess the land. 7And the people served Yahweh all of the days of Joshua and all of the days of the elders who had lengthened their days after Joshua, who had seen all of the great deed of Yahweh that he had done for Israel. 8And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, a son of 110 years. 9And they buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, to the north of Mount Gaash. 10And all of that generation was also gathered to its fathers, and another generation arose after them who did not know Yahweh and also the deed that he had done for Israel.

11Then the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and they served the Baals. 12And they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the one having brought them out from the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods from the gods of the peoples who {were} around them, and they bowed down to them. So they angered Yahweh. 13And they forsook Yahweh and they served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of plunderers, and they plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their enemies from around, and they were not able anymore to stand to the face of their enemies. 15In all that they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for calamity, just as Yahweh had spoken and just as Yahweh had sworn to them. And it narrowed to them greatly.

16Then Yahweh raised up judges, and they saved them from the hand of their plunderers. 17But even to their judges they did not listen. For they whored after other gods and they bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way that their fathers had walked, to hear the commandments of Yahweh. They did not do thus. 18For when Yahweh raised up for them judges, then Yahweh was with the judge and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all of the days of the judge. For Yahweh had compassion because of their groaning from the faces of their afflictors and their oppressors. 19But it happened, at the death of the judge, they turned and acted corruptly more than their fathers, to walk after other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not drop {any} of their deeds or {any} of their stubborn ways. 20So the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel and he said, “In that this nation has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and they have not listened to my voice, 21I also will not continue to dispossess from the face of them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22for the testing of Israel by them, whether they will be keeping the way of Yahweh, to walk in them just as their fathers kept {them}, or not.” 23So Yahweh left those nations, so as not to dispossess them quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

31Now those nations that Yahweh left for the testing of Israel by them, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan, 2only for the knowing of the generations of the sons of Israel, to teach them warfare, only who previously had not known them, 3{were} the five rulers of the Philistines, and all of the Canaanite and the Sidonian and the Hivite, the dweller of the mountain of Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4And they were for the testing of Israel by them, to know whether they would hear the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5So the sons of Israel dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 6And they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.

7So the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. And they forgot Yahweh their God and they served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim. And the sons of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a savior for the sons of Israel, and he saved them: Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, the {one} younger than him. 10And the Spirit of Yahweh was upon him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to war, and Yahweh gave Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, into his hand. So his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim. 11And the land rested 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.

12Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. So Yahweh strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, because they did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 13And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the City of Palms. 14So the sons of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, 18 years.

15Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a savior for them, Ehud, the son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man impeded in his right hand. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by his hand to Eglon, the king of Moab. 16And Ehud made a sword for himself, and two mouths {were} to it; a cubit {was} its length. And he bound it onto his right thigh beneath his clothing. 17Then he brought the tribute to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now Eglon {was} a very fat man. 18Now it happened, when he had finished bringing the tribute, that he sent away the people, the bearers of the tribute. 19But he, he turned back from the carved images that {were} at Gilgal, and he said, “A word of secrecy {is} to me for you, O king.” And he said, “Hush!” So all of the ones standing around him went out from around him. 20Then Ehud came to him. Now he was sitting in the upper room of coolness that {was} to him, alone. And Ehud said, “A word from God {is} to me for you.” And he arose from upon the throne. 21Then Ehud stretched out his left hand and took the sword from upon his right thigh, and he thrust it into his belly. 22And the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the handle, for he did not pull the sword from his belly, and excrement came out. 23Then Ehud went out {to} the porch, and he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and bolted {them}.

24And he went out, and his servants came, and they looked, and behold, the doors of the upper room {were} bolted. So they said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the chamber of coolness.” 25So they waited until they felt ashamed, but behold, he was not opening the doors of the upper room. So they took the opener and they opened {them}, and behold, their lord {was} fallen on the ground, dead.

26But Ehud escaped during their delaying, and he passed the carved images, and he fled to Seirah. 27Now it happened at his coming that he blew on the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he {was} to the face of them. 28Now he had said to them, “Follow after me, for Yahweh has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” So they went down after him and they captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29And they struck Moab at that time, about 10,000 men. Each {was} robust and each {was} a man of strength, but not one escaped. 30So Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel, and the land rested 80 years.

31After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, and he struck Philistines, 600 men, with a goad of the ox. So he also saved Israel.

41And the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh after Ehud died. 2And Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Now the commander of his army {was} Sisera, and he {was} dwelling in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, for 900 chariots of iron {were} to him, and he oppressed the sons of Israel with might 20 years.

4Now Deborah, a woman, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she {was} judging Israel at that time. 5And she {was} sitting beneath the Palm Tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for justice. 6And she sent and called for Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh Naphtali, and she said to him, “Has not Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and draw out at Mount Tabor, and you shall take with you 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun, 7and I will draw out to you, to the wadi of Kishon, Sisera, the commander of the army of Jabin, and his chariotry and his multitude, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9And she said, “Going, I will go with you, only that it will not be your honor upon the way that you are going, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10Then Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.

11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from Kain, from the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses. And he had pitched his tent near an oak tree in Zaanannim, which {is} near Kedesh.

12And they reported to Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up {to} Mount Tabor. 13So Sisera summoned all of his chariotry, 900 chariots of iron, and all of the people who {were} with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the wadi of Kishon. 14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this {is} the day when Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has not Yahweh gone out to the face of you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and 10,000 men {were} after him. 15And Yahweh panicked Sisera and all of the chariotry and all of the army, to the mouth of the sword to the face of Barak. So Sisera descended from upon the chariot and fled on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariotry and after the army unto Harosheth Haggoyim, and all of the army of Sisera fell by the mouth of the sword. Not even one remained.

17But Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for {there was} peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera and she said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Do not fear.” So he turned aside to her, into the tent, and she covered him with a blanket. 19And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and let him drink, and she covered him. 20And he said to her, “Stand {at} the entrance of the tent, and it shall be, if anyone comes and asks you and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ then you shall say ‘No one.’” 21Then Jael, the wife of Heber, took a peg of the tent, and she put the hammer in her hand, and she came to him in secret, and she drove the peg into his temple and pounded {it} into the ground, for he was sleeping deeply and was weary, and he died. 22And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael came out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he came to her, and behold, Sisera had fallen dead, and the peg {was} in his temple.

23So on that day God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, to the face of the sons of Israel. 24For going, the hand of the sons of Israel went and {became} severe against Jabin, the king of Canaan, until that they destroyed Jabin, the king of Canaan.

51So Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang on that day, saying:

2“For the loosening of long hair in Israel,

for the volunteering of the people, bless Yahweh!

3Listen, kings! Give ear, rulers! I, to Yahweh, {even} I, may I sing.

I will make music to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

4Yahweh, at your going forth from Seir,

at your marching from the field of Edom,

the earth shook, the heavens also dripped,

the dark clouds also dripped water.

5The mountains flowed from the face of Yahweh,

this {is} Sinai from the face of Yahweh,

the God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath,

in the days of Jael,

roads ceased,

and walkers of paths walked crooked roads.

7The peasantry ceased in Israel,

they ceased,

until when I, Deborah, arose,

when I arose, a mother in Israel!

8He chose new gods,

then fighting {was} {at} the gates;

was a shield seen, or a spear,

among 40,000 in Israel?

9My heart is to the commanders of Israel,

the ones volunteering themselves among the people.

Bless Yahweh!

10Riders of white donkeys, sitters on carpet,

walkers on the road, consider!

11From the voice of the singers at the watering places,

there they celebrate the righteous acts of Yahweh,

the righteous acts of his peasantry in Israel.

Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah!

Awake, awake, speak a song!

Arise, Barak,

and take captive your captivity, son of Abinoam.

13Then the remnant came down to the nobles,

the people of Yahweh came down to me against the warriors.

14From Ephraim, their root {is} in Amalek;

after you, Benjamin, with your peoples;

from Machir, commanders came down;

and from Zebulun, the ones holding the scepter of a scribe.

15And my commanders in Issachar {were} with Deborah,

and {as} Issachar, so Barak;

into a valley he was sent at his feet.

Among the divisions of Reuben,

great {were} the searchings of the heart.

16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds?

To hear the piping for the flocks?

As for the divisions of Reuben,

great {were} the searchings of the heart.

17Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,

and Dan, why did he sojourn {on} ships?

Asher remained at the coast of the seas,

and he stayed among his harbors.

18Zebulun {was} a people reproaching its soul unto death,

also Naphtali on the heights of the field.

19Kings came, they fought;

then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach,

by the waters of Megiddo.

Plunder of silver they did not take.

20From the heavens the stars fought,

from their courses they fought against Sisera.

21The wadi of Kishon swept them away,

the wadi of antiquity, the wadi of Kishon.

March on, my soul, {in} strength!

22Then the hooves of a horse beat,

from the galloping, the galloping of his mighty {ones}.

23‘Curse Meroz!’ said the angel of Yahweh.

‘Cursing, you shall curse the dwellers of it,

because they did not come to the aid of Yahweh,

to the aid of Yahweh against the warriors.’

24Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is blessed from women,

from women in the tent she is blessed.

25Water he requested, milk she gave;

in a bowl of nobles she brought curdled milk.

26They reached out, her hand to the peg

and her right hand to a hammer of workmen.

And she struck Sisera, she crushed his head,

and she shattered and pierced his temple.

27Between her feet, he bowed, he fell, he lay down.

Between her feet he bowed, he fell.

At where he bowed, there he fell, destroyed.

28Through the window she looked and wailed,

the mother of Sisera, through the lattice,

‘Why has his chariot delayed to come?

Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?’

29The wise of her princesses answered,

she also returned her answer to herself:

30‘Are they not finding, {are} they {not} dividing spoil,

a maiden, two maidens to the head of a warrior,

spoil of dyed fabrics for Sisera,

spoil of dyed fabrics {and} embroidery,

dyed fabric {and} two embroideries for the necks of the spoil?’

31So may all of your enemies perish, Yahweh!

But {may} the lovers of him {be} like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”

Then the land rested 40 years.

61And the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so Yahweh gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2So the hand of Midian prevailed over Israel. From the face of Midian, the sons of Israel made for themselves dens, which {were} in the mountains, and caves and strongholds. 3Now it happened, when Israel sowed, that Midian came up and Amalek and the sons of the east, that they came up against him. 4And they encamped among them, and they ruined the produce of the land until your coming {to} Gaza. And they did not leave sustenance in Israel or sheep or ox or donkey. 5For they and their livestock would come up, and their tents, and they would come like the abundance of the locust in multitude. And of them and of their camels there was no counting. And they came into the land to destroy it. 6And Israel was impoverished greatly from the face of Midian, so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh.

7Now it happened, when the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh on account of Midian, 8that Yahweh sent a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you out from the house of slaves. 9I rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all of your oppressors. And I drove them out from your face, and I gave to you their land. 10And I said to you, “I {am} Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorite, when you {are} dwelling in their land.” But you have not heard my voice.’”

11Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat beneath the oak that {was} in Ophrah, which {was} to Joash the Abiezrite. And Gideon, his son, {was} threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the face of Midian. 12And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh {is} with you, warrior of valor!” 13And Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, my lord, but {if} Yahweh is with us, then why has all of this happened to us? And where {are} all of his wonders that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us and given us into the palm of Midian.” 14But Yahweh turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours, and you shall save Israel from the palm of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15And he said to him, “Excuse me, my lord, by what shall I save Israel? Behold, my thousand {is} the weak {one} in Manasseh, and I {am} the young {one} in the house of my father.” 16Then Yahweh said to him, “Because I will be with you, and you will strike Midian as one man.” 17And he said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then do for me a sign that you {are} speaking with me. 18Please do not depart from this {place} until my coming to you, and I will bring out my offering and set it to your face.” And he said, “I will stay until your returning.”

19Then Gideon went and he prepared a kid of goats and, {from} an ephah of flour, unleavened bread. The meat, he put in a basket, and the broth, he put in a pot. And he brought {them} out to him at under the oak tree, and he presented {them}. 20And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and place {them} on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21Then the angel of Yahweh stretched out the end of the staff that {was} in his hand. And he touched upon the meat and upon the unleavened bread, and fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went from his eyes. 22And Gideon saw that he {was} the angel of Yahweh, and Gideon said, “Alas, my Lord Yahweh, for upon that I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!” 23But Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not fear. You will not die.” 24Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and he called it Yahweh {is} Peace. To this day it {is} still at Ophrah of the Abiezrite.

25And it happened on that night that Yahweh said to him, “Take the bullock of an ox that {is} to your father and the second bullock, seven years {old}, and you shall break down the altar of Baal that {is} to your father, and you shall cut down the Asherah that {is} beside it. 26And you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God on the head of this stronghold, in the arrangement. Then you shall take the second bull and you shall offer an offering on the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27So Gideon took ten men from his servants and he did according to what Yahweh had spoken to him. Now it happened, because he feared the house of his father and the men of the city from doing by day, that he did {by} night.

28And the men of the city arose early in the morning, and behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah that {was} beside it was cut down, and the second bullock had been offered on the built altar. 29And they said, a man to his fellow, “Who has done this thing?” And they searched and sought, and they said, “Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.” 30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he tore down the altar of Baal and because he cut down the Asherah that {was} beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him, may he die, still morning. If he {is} a god, let him contend for himself, since one has torn down his altar.” 32And one called him on that day Jerubbaal, saying, “May Baal contend against him, since he tore down his altar.”

33Now all of Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east assembled themselves together, and they crossed over and they encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34Then the Spirit of Yahweh wore Gideon, and he blew on the shofar, and he summoned Abiezer after him. 35And he sent messengers through all of Manasseh, and he summoned him also after him. And he sent messengers through Asher and through Zebulun and through Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

36Then Gideon said to God, “If you are saving Israel by my hand just as you have spoken, 37behold, I {am} putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew shall be upon the fleece alone, but on all of the ground {is} dryness, then I will know that by my hand you will save Israel just as you have spoken.” 38And it happened that he arose early on the next day and squeezed the fleece and wrung dew from the fleece, the fulness of a bowl {of} water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “May your nose not burn against me, but may I speak only this time. May I please test only this time with the fleece? Please may dryness be on the fleece alone, and on all of the ground may dew be.” 40And God did thus during that night. For dryness was on the fleece alone, and on all of the ground was dew.

71Then Jerubbaal, that {is}, Gideon, arose early, and all of the people who {were} with him, and they encamped beside the spring of Harod. Now the camp of Midian was northward from him, toward the hill of Moreh in the valley.

2And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who {are} with you {are} {too} many for my giving Midian into their hand, lest Israel glorify itself over me, saying, ‘My hand has saved me.’ 3So now please proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever {is} afraid and trembling, may he turn back and depart from Mount Gilead.’” And from the people 22,000 turned back, but 10,000 were left.

4Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “Still the people {are} {too} many. Bring them down to the water, and I will refine it for you there. And it will be, {of} whom I say to you, ‘This {one} shall go with you,’ he shall go with you, but all {of} whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5So he brought the people down to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Anyone who laps with his tongue from the water just as a dog laps, you shall set him apart, and anyone who kneels upon his knees to drink.” 6And the number of the ones lapping with their hand to their mouth was 300 men, and all of the rest of the people knelt upon their knees to drink the water. 7Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “With the 300 men, the ones lapping, I will save you, and I will give Midian into your hand. But all the people may go, a man to his place.” 8So the people took provision into their hand and their shofars, but every man of Israel he sent away, a man to his tents, but he held onto the 300 men. Now the camp of Midian was to him from below, in the valley.

9And it happened during that night that Yahweh said to him, “Arise! Go down into the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10But if you fear to go down, go down, you and Purah your servant, to the camp, 11and you shall hear what they are speaking, and afterward, your hands will be strong and you shall go down against the camp.” So he went down, he and Purah his servant, to the edge of the armed {ones} who {were} in the camp. 12Now Midian and Amalek and all of the sons of the east were lying in the valley like the locust in multitude. And to their camels there was not a number, like the sand that {is} along the edge of the sea in multitude. 13And Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a loaf of bread of barley was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it and it fell, for it overturned it upwards, and the tent fell.” 14And his comrade answered and said, “This {is} nothing except if {it is} the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the man of Israel. God has given into his hand Midian and all of the camp.”

15And it happened, when Gideon heard the recounting of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed down. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hand!” 16Then he divided the 300 men {into} three companies, and he put shofars in the hand of all of them, and empty jars, and torches inside of the jars. 17And he said to them, “You shall look at me, and thus you shall do. And behold, {as} I am arriving at the edge of the camp, then it shall be, just as I do, thus shall you do. 18And I will blow on the shofar, I and all who {are} with me, and you shall blow on the shofars, also you, around all of the camp. And you shall say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’”

19So Gideon and the 100 men who {were} with him came to the edge of the camp, {at} the start of the middle watch. Stationing, they had just stationed the guards, and they blew on the shofars and shattered the jars that {were} in their hand. 20Then the three companies blew on the shofars and broke the jars. And they held the torches in their left hand and the shofars in their right hand to blow. And they called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon.” 21And they stood, a man in his place, around the camp, and all of the camp ran and cried out and fled. 22And they blew the 300 shofars, and Yahweh set the sword of a man against his comrade and against all of the camp. And the camp fled unto Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, unto the edge of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. 23Then a man of Israel from Naphtali and from Asher and from all of Manasseh was summoned, and they pursued after Midian.

24And Gideon sent messengers through all of the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian and capture before them the waters unto Beth Barah and the Jordan.” So every man of Ephraim was summoned, and they captured the waters unto Beth Barah and the Jordan. 25And they captured the two commanders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they chased after Midian, and they brought the head of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, from across the Jordan.

81And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What {is} this thing you have done to us, not calling to us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him in strength. 2But he said to them, “What have I now done like you? {Are} not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb! So what was I able to do like you?” Then their spirit abated toward him, upon him speaking this word.

4Then Gideon came to the Jordan. Crossing over, he and the 300 men who {were} with him {were} weary, but pursuing. 5And he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who {are} at my feet, for they {are} weary, and I {am} pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6But the leaders of Succoth said, “{Is} the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that {we are} giving bread to your army?” 7So Gideon said, “Therefore, in the giving of Yahweh {of} Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and briers.” 8Then he went up from there {to} Penuel, and he spoke to them like this, but the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my returning in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna {were} in Karkor and their camps {were} with them, about 15,000, all of the {ones} remaining from all of the camp of the sons of the east, and the {ones} having fallen {were} 120,000 men drawing the sword. 11Then Gideon went up the road of the {ones} lodged in tents, from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp, and the camp was {in} security. 12Then Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued after them, and he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. And he made all of the camp tremble.

13Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a youth from the men of Succoth and he questioned him. And he wrote for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, 77 men. 15Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, {about} whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we {are} giving bread to your weary men?’” 16And took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he taught the men of Succoth with them. 17Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18Then he said to Zebah and to Zalmunna, “Where {are} the men whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “As you {are}, so they {were}. Each {was} like the form of the sons of the king.” 19And he said, “They {were} my brothers, the sons of my mother! The life of Yahweh, if you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” 20Then he said to Jether his firstborn, “Arise, kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared, for he {was} still a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Arise yourself and strike us! For like a man {is} his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the ornaments that {were} on the necks of their camels.

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son and the son of your son, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you myself, and my son will not rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” 24But Gideon said to them, “Let me request a request from you, that a man give to me an earring of his spoil.” For earrings of gold {were} to them, for they {were} Ishmaelites. 25And they said, “Giving, we will give.” And they spread out a cloak, and a man threw an earring of his spoil there. 26Now the weight of the earrings of gold that he requested {was} 1,700 gold, apart from the ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes that {were} on the kings of Midian and apart from the chains that were on the necks of their camels. 27Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, in Ophrah, and all of Israel whored after it there. And it was for a snare to Gideon and to his house. 28So Midian was subdued to the face of the sons of Israel, and they did not continue to lift their head. And the land rested forty years in the days of Gideon. 29And Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his house.

30Now to Gideon were 70 sons coming from his thigh, for many wives were to him. 31And his concubine, who {was} in Shechem, bore to him, she too, a son, and he made his name Abimelech. 32And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father at Ophrah of the Abiezerite.

33Now it happened, when Gideon died, that the sons of Israel turned and whored after the Baals. And they made for themselves Baal-Berith as a god. 34And the sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh, their God, the one having delivered them from the hand of all of their enemies from around. 35And they did not do covenant faithfulness with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according to all of the good that he did with Israel.

91Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all of the clan of the house of the father of his mother, saying, 2“Please speak in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, 70 men ruling over you, all of the sons of Jerubbaal, or one man ruling over you?’ Now remember that I {am} your bone and your flesh.” 3And the brothers of his mother spoke all of these things for him in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, and their heart turned after Abimelech, for they said, “He {is} our brother.” 4Then they gave 70 silver to him from the house of Baal-Berith, and with them Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, and they went after him. 5Then he went {to} the house of his father in Ophrah and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, 70 men upon one stone. But Jotham was left, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, for he had hidden himself. 6Then all of the lords of Shechem and all of Beth Millo gathered themselves, and they went and made Abimelech reign as king beside the oak of the pillar that {was} in Shechem.

7And they declared to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you! 8Going, the trees went to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my fatness, which, by it, they honor gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 10So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my sweetness and my good fruit, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 12So the trees said to the vine, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 13But the vine said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my new wine, cheering gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 14So all of the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 15And the thornbush said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come, shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire go forth from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ 16So now, if you have acted in truth and in integrity and made Abimelech reign, and if you have done good with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if according to the deserving of his hands you have done to him, 17that my father fought for you and threw his life in front and delivered you from the hand of Midian— 18but today you have arisen against the house of my father and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother— 19now if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you. 20But if not, may fire go forth from Abimelech, and may it consume the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo, and may fire go forth from the lords of Shechem and from Beth Millo, and may it consume Abimelech.” 21Then Jotham escaped and fled, and he went to Beer. And he dwelled there from the face of Abimelech his brother.

22And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelech and between the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal to come, and their blood to put, upon Abimelech their brother who killed them and upon the lords of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25And the lords of Shechem put ambushers against him on the tops of the hills, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road, and it was told to Abimelech.

26Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers and they went over into Shechem. And the lords of Shechem trusted in him. 27And they went out {into} the field and cut off their vineyards and trod, and they made offerings and went {into} the house of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, “Who {is} Abimelech, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? {Is he} not the son of Jerubbaal, and {is not} Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. But we, why should we serve him? 29Now who will give this people into my hand? Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”

30And Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his nose burned. 31And he sent messengers to Abimelech in deceit, saying, “Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers {are} come to Shechem, and behold, {they are} inciting the city against you. 32So now arise {at} night, you and the people who {are} with you, and hide in the field. 33And it shall happen in the morning, as the sun rises, you shall start early and you shall rush against the city. And behold, he and the people who {are} with him {will be} coming out against you, and you shall do to him according to what your hand finds.”

34So Abimelech and all of the people who {were} with him arose {at} night, and they ambushed against Shechem, {in} four companies. 35And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who {were} with him arose from the ambush. 36And Gaal saw the people and he said to Zebul, “Behold, a people {is} coming down from the tops of the hills!” But Zebul said to him, “The shadow of the hills, you {are} seeing as men.” 37And Gaal resumed to speak more and he said, “Behold, people {are} coming down from the navel of the land, and one company {is} coming along the way of the Oak of the Diviners.” 38Then Zebul said to him, “Where now {is} your mouth, {by} which you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ {Is} this not the people that you despised? Indeed, go out now and fight with it.” 39So Gaal went out to the face of the lords of Shechem, and he fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from his face. And many wounded fell, up to the entrance of the gate.

41Then Abimelech dwelt in Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem. 42And it happened on the next day that the people went out {to} the field, and they reported {this} to Abimelech. 43So he took the people and divided them into three companies and hid in the field. Then he saw and behold, the people {were} gone out from the city, and he arose against them and killed them. 44For Abimelech and the companies that {were} with him rushed out. And they stood {at} the entrance of the gate of the city, while two of the companies rushed against all who {were} in the field and killed them. 45And Abimelech fought with the city all of that day. And he captured the city, and he killed the people who {were} in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it {with} salt.

46And all of the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, and they entered into the citadel of the house of El-Berith. 47And it was reported to Abimelech that all of the lords of the tower of Shechem had assembled themselves. 48So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all of the people who {were} with him, and Abimelech took axes in his hand. And he cut a branch of the trees and lifted it and set {it} on his shoulder and said to the people who {were} with him, “What you have seen I have done, hurry, do like me.” 49So all the people also cut, a man a branch, and they went after Abimelech. And they set {them} against the citadel, and they burned the citadel upon them with fire. So all of the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez, and he captured it. 51But a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and all of the men and women and all of the lords of the city fled there. And they closed {it} behind them and went up onto the roof of the tower. 52Then Abimelech came to the tower and fought with it. And he came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53But one woman threw an upper millstone onto the head of Abimelech, and it crushed his skull. 54Then he cried hastily to the young man bearing his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man stabbed him, and he died. 55And the men of Israel saw that Abimelech had died, and they went away, a man to his place. 56So God turned back the evil of Abimelech, which he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers. 57And all of the evil of the men of Shechem, God turned back upon their head, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came upon them.

101Now after Abimelech, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. And he {was} dwelling in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2And he judged Israel 23 years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

3And after him Jair the Gileadite arose. And he judged Israel 22 years. 4And it was to him 30 sons, riding on 30 donkeys. And 30 cities {were} to them, they call them Havvoth Jair to this day, which {are} in the land of Gilead. 5Then Jair died, and he was buried in Kamon.

6Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. And they served the Baals and the Ashtoreths and the gods of Aram and the gods of Sidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the sons of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook Yahweh and did not serve him. 7Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the sons of Ammon. 8And they shattered and crushed the sons of Israel in that year. {For} 18 years, all the sons of Israel who {were} on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which {is} in Gilead. 9Then the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also with Judah and with Benjamin and with the house of Ephraim, and it narrowed to Israel greatly.

10Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, for we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11Then Yahweh said to the sons of Israel, “{Was it} not from the Egyptians and from the Amorite and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines 12and the Sidonians and Amalek and Maon, {when} they oppressed you, that you cried out to me and I saved you from their hand? 13Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will not continue to save you. 14Go and cry out to the gods upon whom you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15But the sons of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned. You do to us according to all of the good in your eyes. Only please deliver us this day.” 16And they removed the foreign gods from the midst of them, and they served Yahweh. And his soul wore out with the trouble of Israel.

17Now the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they encamped in Gilead. So the sons of Israel gathered themselves, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18Then the people, the leaders of Gilead, said, a man to his fellow, “Who {is} the man who will begin to fight with the sons of Ammon? He will be the head for all of the dwellers of Gilead.”

111Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a warrior of valor, but he {was} the son of a whoring woman. Now Gilead had begotten Jephthah. 2And the wife of Gilead bore sons to him, and the sons of the wife grew up, and they drove out Jephthah and said to him, “You will not inherit in the house of our father, for you are the son of another woman.” 3So Jephthah fled from the face of his brothers, and he dwelled in the land of Tob. And worthless men collected themselves to Jephthah, and they went out with him.

4Now it happened after some days that the sons of Ammon fought with Israel. 5And it happened, when the sons of Ammon fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6And they said to Jephthah, “Come, and you shall be a commander for us so we may fight with the sons of Ammon.” 7But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Do you not hate me, since you drove me from the house of my father? So why have you come to me now, when trouble {is} to you?” 8Then the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have now returned to you. So you shall come with us and fight with the sons of Ammon, and you shall be for us the head of all of the dwellers of Gilead.” 9Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you have brought me back to fight with the sons of Ammon and Yahweh gives them over to my face, I will be the head for you.” 10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “May Yahweh be hearing {the things} between us if not, according to your word, thus we do!” 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them as head and as commander. And Jephthah spoke all of his words to the face of Yahweh at Mizpah.

12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What to me and to you, that you have come against me to fight in my land?” 13And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took my land in his coming up from Egypt, from the Arnon and to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. So now return them in peace.” 14Then Jephthah resumed and sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, 15and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the sons of Ammon. 16But in their coming up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds, and he came to Kadesh. 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please may I pass through your land.” But the king of Edom did not listen. And he also sent to the king of Moab, but he did not consent. So Israel dwelled in Kadesh. 18Then he went through the wilderness and circled the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and he went from the rising of the sun to the land of Moab. And they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, but they did not enter within the border of Moab, for the Arnon {was} the border of Moab. 19Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorite, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, “Please, may we pass through your land to my place?” 20But Sihon did not trust Israel passing through his border. So Sihon assembled all of his people, and they encamped at Jahaz, and he fought with Israel. 21Then Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all of his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all of the land of the Amorite inhabiting that land. 22And they possessed all of the border of the Amorite, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23And now, Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorite from the face of his people Israel. So will you possess it? 24What Chemosh your god causes you to possess, will you not possess it? And all of what Yahweh our God has dispossessed from our face, we will possess it. 25And now, being better, are you being better than Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Contending, did he contend with Israel, or fighting, did he fight with them? 26In the dwelling of Israel in Heshbon and in its daughters and in Aroer and in its daughters and in all of the cities that {are} upon the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why then did you not deliver during that time? 27So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by fighting with me. Yahweh, the judge, will judge today between the sons of Israel and between the sons of Ammon.’” 28But the king of the sons of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

29Then the Spirit of Yahweh was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through {to} the sons of Ammon. 30And Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh and said, “If giving, you will give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31then it shall be, the one coming out, whoever comes out of the doors of my house to greet me in my returning in peace from the sons of Ammon, that he will be to Yahweh, and I will offer him {as} a burnt offering.” 32Then Jephthah passed through to the sons of Ammon to fight with them, and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33And he struck them from Aroer and to your coming {to} Minnith, twenty cities, and to Abel Keramim, a very great slaughter. So the sons of Ammon were subdued from the face of the sons of Israel.

34Then Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold, his daughter was coming out to greet him with timbrels and with dances. And except her alone, {there was} not to him a son or daughter apart from her. 35And it happened, as he saw her, that he tore his garments and said, “Alas, my daughter! Causing to bow, you have caused me to bow, and you are among the ones troubling me! For I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I am not able to turn back.” 36But she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh. Do to me according to what came forth from your mouth, after what Yahweh has done for you: vengeances against your enemies, against the sons of Ammon.” 37Then she said to her father, “May this thing be done for me. Refrain from me two months so I may go, and I will go down upon the hills and weep upon my virginity, I and my companions.” 38And he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away {for} two months. And she went, she and her companions, and she wept upon her virginity on the hills. 39And it happened at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did to her his vow that he had vowed. And she had not known a man. And it became a custom in Israel. 40From days to days the daughters of Israel go to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in the year.

121And a man of Ephraim was summoned, and he crossed over northward. And they said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight with the sons of Ammon but did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2And Jephthah said to them, “I was a man of strife, I and my people and the sons of Ammon, exceedingly. And I summoned you, but you did not save me from their hand. 3And I saw that you {were} not a savior, and I put my life in my palm and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. So why have you come up to me this day to fight with me?” 4And Jephthah assembled all of the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said, “You, Gilead, {are} fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, in the midst of Manasseh.” 5And Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan to Ephraim. And it happened, when the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” then the men of Gilead said to him, “{Are} you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6then they said to him, “Please say ‘Shibboleth.’” And he said “Sibboleth,” for he was not able to pronounce {it} correctly. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. And at that time 42,000 from Ephraim fell.

7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

8And after him Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. 9And 30 sons were to him. And 30 daughters he sent outside, and 30 daughters he brought in for his sons from outside. And he judged Israel seven years. 10Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. And he judged Israel ten years. 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13And after him Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judged Israel. 14And 40 sons and 30 sons of sons were to him, riding on 70 donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years. 15Then Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekite.

131Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Philistines 40 years.

2Now there was one man from Zorah, from the clan of the Danite, and his name {was} Manoah. And his wife {was} barren and had not given birth. 3And the angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, please, you {are} barren and have not given birth, but you will conceive and bear a son. 4And now, please be careful and do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}.

5For behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And a razor will not go up on his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb. And he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6And the woman came and said to her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance {was} like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him from where he {was}, and he did not declare his name to me. 7And he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And now, do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”

8And Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, “Please, my Lord, the man of God whom you sent, please let him come again to us and teach us what we should do for the boy, the one to be born.” 9And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. And she {was} abiding in the field, but Manoah her husband {was} not with her. 10And the woman hurried and ran and declared to her husband and said to him, “Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me on a day.” 11And Manoah arose and went after his wife. And he came to the man and said to him, “{Are} you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I {am}.” 12And Manoah said, “Now may your words come {to pass}. What will be the manner of the boy and his work?” 13And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to this woman, let her be careful. 14Of all that comes forth from the vine of wine, she shall not eat, and wine or beer, she shall not drink, and any unclean {thing}, she shall not eat. All that I have commanded her, she shall keep.”

15And Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please let us detain you, and we will prepare to your face a kid of goats.” 16And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your bread. But if you prepare a burnt offering, to Yahweh you shall offer it.” For Manoah did not know that he {was} the angel of Yahweh. 17Then Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What {is} your name, {that} when your words come {to pass}, then we may honor you?” 18And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask this about my name, since it {is} wonderful?” 19And Manoah took the kid of goats and the grain offering and offered {them} on a rock to Yahweh. And he was being wonderful in doing, and Manoah and his wife {were} watching. 20For it happened, in the going up of the flame from the altar toward the heavens, that the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife {were} watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21And the angel of Yahweh did not resume again to appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he {was} the angel of Yahweh. 22And Manoah said to his wife, “Dying, we shall die, for we have seen God.” 23But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh desired to kill us, he would not have taken from our hand a burnt offering and a grain offering, and he would not have shown us all these {things}, and at {this} time he would not have made us hear {things} like this.”

24And the woman bore a son, and she called his name Samson. And the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

25And the Spirit of Yahweh began to agitate him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and between Eshtaol.

141And Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. 2And he went up and declared to his father and to his mother and said, “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. And now, get her for me for a wife.” 3And his father and his mother said to him, “{Is there} not among the daughters of your brothers and among all of my people a woman, that you {are} going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she {is} right in my eyes.” 4But his father and his mother did not know that it {was} from Yahweh, for he {was} seeking an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines {were} ruling over Israel.

5And Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah. And they came to the vineyards of Timnah, and behold, a young lion of lions {was} roaring to meet him. 6Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he tore it as the tearing of a kid, and {there was} not anything in his hand. And he did not declare to his father or to his mother what he had done. 7And he went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in the eyes of Samson. 8And he returned after some days to take her, and he turned to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees was {in} the body of the lion, and honey. 9And he scraped it into his palms, and going, he walked, and eating, he walked, to his father and to his mother. And he gave to them, and they ate, but he did not declare to them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.

10And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for thus the young men would do. 11And it happened, in their seeing him, that they took 30 companions, and they were with him. 12And Samson said to them, “Please let me put a riddle to you. If declaring, you declare it to me {during} the seven days of the feast and you find {it}, then I will give to you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. 13But if you are not able to declare {it} to me, then you will give to me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle and we will hear it.” 14So he said to them,

“From the eater came forth food,

and from the strong came forth sweet.”

And they were not able to declare the riddle {for} three days.

15And it happened on the seventh day that they said to the wife of Samson, “Entice your husband that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire. Did you invite us to dispossess us? {Is it} not {so}?” 16And the wife of Samson wept on him, and she said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me! You have put a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not declared {it} to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, to my father and to my mother I have not declared {it}, so will I tell {it} to you?” 17And she wept on him {for} the seven days {during} which the feast was to them. And it happened on the seventh day that he declared {it} to her, for she had pressed him. And she declared the riddle to the sons of her people. 18And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the sun came in,

“What {is} sweeter than honey?

And what {is} stronger than a lion?”

And he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,

you would not have found my riddle.”

19And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he went down {to} Ashkelon, and he struck 30 men from them. And he took their spoils, and he gave the changes {of clothes} to the declarers of the riddle. And his nose burned, and he went up {to} the house of his father. 20And the wife of Samson became to his companion who had accompanied him.

151And it happened after some days, in the days of the harvest of wheat, that Samson visited his wife with a kid of goats. And he said, “I will go in to my wife, to the chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in. 2And her father said, “Saying, I said that hating, you hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please let her be to you instead of her.” 3And Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless regarding the Philistines when I do harm to them.” 4And Samson went and caught 300 foxes, and he took torches, and he turned tail to tail, and he put one torch between two of the tails, in the middle. 5And he kindled fire in the torches and sent {them} into the {standing} grain of the Philistines, and he burned from stack and to {standing} grain, and to grove of olive tree. 6And the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion.” And the Philistines went up and burned her and her father with fire. 7And Samson said to them, “If you have done like this, then if I avenge against you, then afterward I will stop.” 8Then he struck them leg on thigh, a great striking. And he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

9And the Philistines went up and encamped in Judah, and they spread out in Lehi. 10And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” And they said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him just as he has done to us.” 11Then 3,000 men from Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? So what is this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “Just as they did to me, so I have done to them.” 12And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, to give you into the hand of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not strike me yourselves.” 13And they spoke to him, saying, “No, but binding, we will bind you and we will give you into their hand, but putting to death, we will not put you to death.” Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

14He came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted to meet him. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and the ropes that {were} on his arms became like flax that they burn with fire, and his bonds melted from on his hands. 15And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and he stretched out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. 16And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,

a heap, two heaps,

with the jawbone of a donkey

I have struck 1,000 men.”

17And it happened in his finishing to speak, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, so he called that place Ramath Lehi. 18But he was very thirsty, so he called to Yahweh and said, “You have given this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” 19Then God split open the hollow place that {is} in Lehi, and water came out from it. And he drank and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore, he called its name En-Hakkore, which {is} in Lehi to this day. 20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines 20 years.

161Now Samson went to Gaza and he saw a woman there, a harlot, and he went in to her. 2{And it was told} to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here.” So they encircled and they lay in ambush for him all of the night at the gate of the city. And they kept themselves quiet all of the night, saying, “At the light of the morning, then we will kill him.” 3Now Samson lay down until the middle of the night, but he arose in the middle of the night, and he seized the doors of the gate of the city and the two doorposts. And he pulled them up with the bar, and he put them on his shoulders, and he brought them up to the head of the hill that is at the face of Hebron.

4Now it happened afterward that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, and her name {was} Delilah. 5And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and they said to her, “Entice him and see in what his great strength {is} and in what we shall overcome him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we ourselves will give to you, a man, 1,100 silver.” 6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please declare to me in what {is} your great strength and in what you may be bound to humble you.” 7And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will weaken and I will be like one of man.” 8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9Now the ambush {was} staying for her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines {are} upon you, Samson!” But he broke the cords just as a string of flax is broken in its touching fire. So his strength was not known.

10And Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have deceived me and spoken lies to me. Now please declare to me in what you may be bound.” 11And he said to her, “If binding, they bind me with new ropes with which work has not been done, then I will weaken and I will be like one of man.” 12So Delilah took new ropes, and she bound him with them. And she said to him, “The Philistines {are} upon you, Samson!” And the ambush {was} staying in the room. But he broke them from upon his arms like thread.

13Then Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and spoken lies to me. Declare to me in what you may be bound!” So he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the warp.” 14So she drove with the peg, and she said to him, “The Philistines {are} upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled the peg {from} the weaving and the warp.

15Then she said to him, “How do you say, ‘I love you,’ yet your heart {is} not with me? These three times you have deceived me and you have not declared to me in what {is} your great strength.” 16And it happened that she pressed him with her words all of the days and she urged him, and his soul wore out to death. 17So he declared to her all of his heart, and he said to her, “A razor has not gone up on my head, for I {have been} a Nazirite of God from the womb of my mother. If I were shaved, then my strength would turn from me, and I would weaken and I would be like all of man.”

18Then Delilah saw that he had declared to her all of his heart. So she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up one time, for he has declared to me all of his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and they brought up the silver in their hand. 19And she put him to sleep on her knees, and she called to a man, and she shaved the seven locks of his head, and she began to humble him, and his strength turned from upon him. 20And she said, “The Philistines {are} upon you, Samson!” And he woke from his sleep, and he said, “I will go out like time upon time, and I will shake myself.” But he himself did not know that Yahweh had turned from upon him. 21And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza and they bound him with bronze fetters. And he was grinding in the house of prisoners. 22But the hair of his head began to grow after it had been shaved.

23Now the lords of the Philistines gathered themselves to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and for celebration, for they said, “Our god has given into our hand Samson, our enemies.” 24And the people saw him, and they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has given into our hand our enemy and the devastator of our land, and who multiplied our slain.” 25And it happened, when their heart {was} good, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may make us laugh.” So they called for Samson from the house of prisoners, and he caused laughter to their faces. And they made him stand between the columns. 26And Samson said to the young man holding onto his hand, “Let me rest. Let me feel the columns upon which the house is set so I may support myself on them.” 27Now the house was full {of} men and women, and all of the lords of the Philistines {were} there, and on the roof {were} about 3,000 men and women, watching to laughing of Samson.

28Then Samson called to Yahweh and he said, “Lord Yahweh, please remember me, and please strengthen me only this time, O God, so I may avenge myself {with} one vengeance against the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29And Samson grasped the two columns of the center upon which the house was set, and he leaned himself against them, one on his right and one on his left. 30Then Samson said, “My soul shall die with the Philistines!” And he stretched out with his strength, and the house fell on the lords and on all of the people who {were} in it. So the ones dying whom he killed at his death were more than those he killed in his life. 31Then his brothers and all of the house of his father went down. And they lifted him and they went up and they buried him between Zorah and between Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah, his father. And he had judged Israel 20 years.

171Now there was a man from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name {was} Micah. 2And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 silver that was taken from you, and you swore, and also you spoke in my ears, behold, the silver {is} with me. I myself took it.” His mother said, “Blessed {be} my son by Yahweh!” 3And he returned the 1,100 silver to his mother, and his mother said, “Consecrating, I consecrate the silver to Yahweh, from my hand to my son to make an idol and a molded image. And now, I return it to you.” 4And he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took 200 silver and she gave it to a refiner. And he made it {into} an idol and a molded image, and it was in the house of Micah. 5And the man Micah, to him {was} a house of gods. And he made an ephod and teraphim, and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he was to him for a priest. 6In those days a king {was} not in Israel. A man did the right in his eyes. 7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem {in} Judah, from the clan of Judah. Now he was a Levite, and he was sojourning there. 8And the man went from the city, from Bethlehem {in} Judah, to sojourn in where he might find. And he entered the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to make his way. 9And Micah said to him, “From where have you come?” And he said to him, “I {am} a Levite from Bethlehem {in} Judah, and I am going to sojourn in where I may find.” 10And Micah said to him, “Stay with me and be to me for a father and for a priest, and I myself will give to you ten silver for the days, and a set of garments and your sustenance.” So the Levite went {in}. 11And the Levite was willing to stay with the man, and the young man became to him like one from his sons. 12And Micah filled the hand of the Levite, and the young man was to him for a priest, and he was in the house of Micah. 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will be good to me, because the Levite is to me for a priest.”

181In those days a king {was} not in Israel. Now in those days, the tribe of the Danite {was} seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell, for one had not fallen to it up to that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel for an inheritance. 2And the sons of Dan sent from their clan five men, men from their borders, sons of valor from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy on the land and to examine it. And they said to them, “Go, examine the land.” And they entered the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they lodged there. 3They {were} near the house of Micah, and they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite. So they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? And what {are} you doing in this {place}? And what {is} to you here?” 4And he said to them, “Like this and like this Micah has done for me: now he has hired me, and I am to him for a priest.” 5And they said to him, “Please inquire of God that we may know, will our way prosper, upon which we {are} going?” 6And the priest said to them, “Go in peace, your way upon which you are going is before Yahweh.”

7So the five men went, and they came {to} Laish. And they saw the people who {were} in the midst of it dwelling in security, according to the manner of the Sidonians, reposing and being secure. And no one possessing restraint {was} humiliating {for} a thing in the land. And they {were} far from the Sidonians, and no thing {was} to them with man. 8So they came to their brothers {in} Zorah and Eshtaol. And their brothers said to them, “What you?” 9And they said, “Arise, and let us go up against them! For we have seen the land, and behold, {it is} very good. And {are} you being silent? May you not slacken yourselves to go to enter to possess the land! 10When you go, you will come to a people being secure, and the land is broad {at} two hands. For God has given it into your hand, a place where no lack {is} there of any thing that {is} on the earth.”

11So they journeyed from there, from the clan of the Danite, from Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men girded {with} weapons of war. 12And they went up and camped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Upon this they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, {it is} beside Kiriath Jearim. 13And they passed over from there {to} the hill country of Ephraim, and they came to the house of Micah.

14Then the five men having gone to spy on the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses {are} an ephod and teraphim and an idol and a molded image? And now, consider what you shall do.” 15So they turned aside there, and they entered into the house of the young man, the Levite, at the house of Micah, and they asked of him concerning peace. 16Now the 600 men girded with weapons of war who {were} from the sons of Dan had stationed themselves at the entrance of the gate. 17And the five men having gone to spy on the land came up. They entered there. They took the idol and the ephod and the teraphim and the molded image. And the priest {was} stationing himself at the entrance of the gate with the 600 men girded {with} weapons of war. 18And these entered the house of Micah and took the idol, the ephod and the teraphim and the molded image. And the priest said to them, “What {are} you doing?” 19And they said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be to us for a father and for a priest. {Is} the good your being a priest for the house of one man or your being a priest for a tribe and for a clan in Israel?” 20And the heart of the priest was good, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the idol, and he went in the midst of the people.

21And they turned and they went. And they put the children and the livestock and the wealth to their faces. 22They themselves had gone far from the house of Micah, and the men who {were} in the houses that were near the house of Micah assembled themselves, and they overtook the sons of Dan. 23And they called to the sons of Dan, and they turned their faces and they said to Micah, “What to you, that you have assembled yourself?” 24And he said, “My gods, which I made, you took, and the priest, and you went. And what {is} still to me? So what is this, you say to me, ‘What to you’?” 25And sons of Dan said to him, “You should not make your voice heard among us, lest men bitter of soul strike you and you gather your soul and the soul of your house.” 26And the sons of Dan went on their way, for Micah perceived that they were stronger than him. And he turned and returned to his house.

27But they themselves took what Micah had made and the priest who was to him. And they came to Laish, to a people reposing and being secure. And they struck them to the mouth of the sword, and they burned the city with fire. 28And there was not a deliverer, for it was far from Sidon and no thing {was} to them with man. Now it {was} in the valley that {is} to Beth Rehob. And they built the city, and they dwelled in it. 29And they called the name of the city Dan, by the name of their father Dan, who was born to Israel. However, Laish {was} the name of the city at the first. 30And the sons of Dan raised up the idol for themselves. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danite until the day of the exile of the land. 31So they set up for themselves the idol of Micah that he had made, all of the days of the being of the house of God at Shiloh.

191Now it happened in those days, and a king {was} not in Israel, that a man, a Levite, was sojourning in the flanks of the hill country of Ephraim. He took for himself a woman, a concubine, from Bethlehem {in} Judah. 2But his concubine whored against him, and she went from with him to the house of her father, to Bethlehem {in} Judah. And she was there days, four months. 3And her husband arose and went after her to speak to her heart to cause her to return. And his young man {was} with him, and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him into the house of her father, and the father of the young woman saw him, and he was glad to meet him. 4And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, prevailed upon him, and he stayed with him three days. And they ate and they drank and they lodged there. 5And it happened on the fourth day that they got up early in the morning and he arose to go, but the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart {with} a piece of bread, and afterward you shall go.” 6So they sat down, and the two of them ate together, and they drank. Then the father of the young woman said to the man, “Please consent and lodge, and may your heart be good.” 7But the man arose to go, but his father-in-law urged him, so he stayed and lodged there. 8And he got up early in the morning on the fifth day to go, but the father of the young woman said, “Please strengthen your heart.” So they lingered until the declining of the day, and the two of them ate. 9And the man arose to go, he and his concubine and his young man. But his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Behold, please, the day has subsided toward evening. Please lodge. Behold the declining of the day. Lodge here, and may your heart be good. Then you shall get up early tomorrow to your road, and you shall go to your tent.”

10But the man was not willing to lodge, so he arose and he went. And he came to before Jebus (it {is} Jerusalem). Now with him {was} the pair of donkeys, saddled, and his concubine {was} with him. 11They {were} beside Jebus, and the day had gone down greatly. So the young man said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusite, and we shall lodge in it.” 12But his master said to him, “We shall not turn aside into a city of a foreigner, where none from the sons of Israel {are} here. But we shall cross over to Gibeah.” 13And he said to his young man, “Come, and let us approach to one of the places, and we shall lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.” 14So they crossed over and they went. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which {is} to Benjamin. 15So they turned aside there to enter to lodge in Gibeah. And they entered and they sat down in the open area of the city, but no one was receiving them into the house to lodge.

16Then behold, an old man coming from his work, from the field in the evening. And the man {was} from the hill country of Ephraim, and he {was} sojourning in Gibeah. But the men of the place {were} Benjaminite. 17And he lifted his eyes, and he saw the traveling man in the open area of the city. And the old man said, “Where are you going and from where are you coming?” 18He said to him, “We {are} crossing over from Bethlehem {in} Judah to the flanks of the hill country of Ephraim. I {am} from there, and I went to Bethlehem {in} Judah, and I {am} going {to} the house of Yahweh. But there is not a man receiving me into the house. 19But there is even straw and even fodder for our donkeys, and there is even bread and wine for me and for your maidservant and for the young man with your servants. {There is} no need of anything.” 20But the old man said, “Peace to you! Surely all of your need {is} upon me. Surely you must not lodge in the open area.” 21So he brought him into his house, and he mixed for the donkeys, and they washed their feet, and they ate and they drank.

22They were making their heart good, but behold, men of the city, men of sons of wickedness, encircled themselves {around} the house, pounding {repeatedly} on the door. And they spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him.” 23But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act wickedly! After that this man has come into my house, you must not do this outrage! 24Behold, my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out, and you may humble them and do to them the good in your eyes. But to this man do not do this thing of outrage!” 25But the men did not consent to listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them outside. And they knew her and they abused her all of the night until the morning. Then they let her go at the rising of the dawn. 26And the woman came at the turning of the morning, and she fell down at the entrance of the house of the man where her master was there, until the light.

27And her master arose in the morning, and he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. And behold, the woman, his concubine, fallen {at} the entrance of the house, and her hands {were} on the threshold. 28And he said to her, “Arise, and let us go.” But {there was} no answering, so he took her on the donkey, and the man arose and went to his place. 29And he came to his house, and he took a knife, and he seized his concubine, and he cut her to her bones, into 12 pieces, and he sent her into all of the border of Israel. 30And it happened, everyone was seeing, and he said, “Like this has not been done and has not been seen from the day of the coming up of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt up to this day. Set for yourselves upon it! Take counsel, and speak!”

201Then all of the sons of Israel came forth, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan and unto Beersheba and the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah. 2And the cornerstones of all of the people, all of the tribes of Israel, stationed themselves within the assembly of the people of God, 400,000, a man, a footsoldier drawing the sword. 3Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up {to} Mizpah. And the sons of Israel said, “Say how this evil has been done.” 4So the man, the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “To Gibeah that {is} to Benjamin I came, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5And the lords of Gibeah arose against me, and they encircled the house at night against me. Me, they intended to kill, but my concubine, they humbled, and she died. 6And I took back my concubine, and I cut her up, and I sent her into every field of the inheritance of Israel, because they have done lewdness and outrage in Israel. 7Behold, all of you sons of Israel, give to yourselves a word and advice here.”

8And all of the people arose as one man, saying, “We will not go back, a man to his tent, and we will not return, a man to his house! 9And now this {is} the thing that we should do to Gibeah, against it by lot. 10Now we will take ten men of a hundred from all of the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from a myriad, to get provision for the people, to do at their coming to Gibeah in Benjamin according to all of the outrage that it did in Israel.” 11So every man of Israel was gathered against the city as one man, associates.

12And the tribes of Israel sent men into all of the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil that has been done among you? 13And now, give over the men, the sons of wickedness, who {are} in Gibeah, that we may kill them so that we may burn up evil from Israel.” But they were not willing, Benjamin, to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14Then the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves from the cities to Gibeah, to come out to battle with the sons of Israel. 15And the sons of Benjamin mobilized themselves on that day from the cities, 26,000 men drawing the sword, besides 700 chosen men from the dwellers of Gibeah {who} mobilized themselves. 16Among all of this people {were} 700, a chosen man, impeded in his right hand, each of them slinging with a stone at a hair and he would not miss.

17And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, mobilized themselves, 400,000 men drawing the sword, each of them a man of war. 18And they arose and went up to Bethel. And the sons of Israel inquired of God, and they said, “Who should go up for us at the start to the battle with the sons of Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Judah at the start.”

19So the sons of Israel arose in the morning, and they camped near Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin. And the men of Israel arrayed themselves for battle against Gibeah. 21And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gibeah, and they destroyed down to the ground 22,000 men from Israel on that day. 22But the people, the men of Israel, strengthened themselves, and they resumed to array for battle at the place where they had arrayed there on the first day. 23For the sons of Israel had gone up and wept to the face of Yahweh until the evening. And they had inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I resume to approach to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?” And Yahweh had said, “Go up against him.”

24So the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day. 25And Benjamin came forth to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and they destroyed to the ground yet 18,000 men from the sons of Israel, all of these drawers of a sword. 26Then all of the sons of Israel went up, and all of the people, and they came {to} Bethel. And they wept, and they sat there to the face of Yahweh, and they fasted on that day until the evening, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the face of Yahweh. 27Then the sons of Israel inquired of Yahweh, for the Box of the Covenant of God {was} there in those days 28(and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, {was} standing to the face of it in those days), saying, “Shall I resume again to go out to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I stop?” And Yahweh said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.”

29So Israel set ambushers against Gibeah all around. 30And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and they arrayed against Gibeah as time upon time. 31And the sons of Benjamin came out to meet the people. They were drawn from the city, and they began to strike down {some} of the people, slain as time upon time on the roads, {of} which one went up {to} Bethel and one {to} Gibeah by the field, about 30 men of Israel. 32And the sons of Benjamin said, “They {are} being beaten to our faces as at the first.” But the sons of Israel had said, “Let us flee and let us draw him from the city to the roads.” 33Then every man of Israel arose from his place, and they arrayed at Baal Tamar. And the ambush of Israel gushed from his place, from Maareh Gibeah. 34And 10,000 men, chosen from all of Israel, came from opposite Gibeah, and the battle {was} heavy. But they did not know that harm {was} touching upon them. 35So Yahweh defeated Benjamin to the face of Israel. And the sons of Israel destroyed Benjamin on that day, 25,100 men, all of them drawing the sword.

36And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. For the men of Israel had given place to Benjamin because they were confident in the ambush that they had set against Gibeah. 37And the ambush hurried and spread out against Gibeah, and the ambush marched out and struck all of the city to the mouth of the sword. 38Now a sign was to the men of Israel with the ambush, “Make great” for them sending up a signal of smoke from the city 39when the men of Israel retreated from the battle. And Benjamin began to strike, the slain among the men of Israel {were} about 30 men. For they said, “Surely being beaten, he {is} being beaten to our faces, as {in} the first battle.” 40But the signal began to go up from the city, a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned after it, and behold, the whole of the city had gone up to the heavens. 41And a man of Israel turned, and a man of Benjamin was alarmed, for he saw that harm had touched upon him. 42So they turned to the face of the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook him, and {those} who {were} from the cities {were} destroying him in the midst of him. 43They surrounded Benjamin, they caused to pursue, {with} ease they trampled him unto before Gibeah, from the rising of the sun. 44And they fell from Benjamin, 18,000 men, all of them men of valor. 45And they turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon. And they gleaned along the pathways 5,000 men. And they pursued closely after him unto Gidom, and they struck from him 2,000 men. 46So on that day all of the fallen ones from Benjamin were 25,000 men drawing the sword, all of them men of valor. 47But 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48Then the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin, and they struck them to the mouth of the sword, from a city of entirety to cattle to everything found. Also, all of the cities found, they sent into fire.

211Now a man of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying, “A man from us shall not give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.” 2And the people came {to} Bethel, and they sat there until the evening to the face of God. And they lifted their voice and wept a great weeping. 3And they said, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, should this be in Israel, to be missing today one tribe from Israel?” 4And it happened the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5And the sons of Israel said, “Who {is it} who did not go up with the assembly from all of the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?” For a great oath had been regarding whoever did not go up to Yahweh {at} Mizpah, saying, “Dying, he shall be caused to die.” 6And the sons of Israel repented themselves toward Benjamin, his brother. And they said, “Today one tribe has been hewn from Israel. 7What shall we do for them, for the remaining ones, for a wife, since we ourselves have sworn to Yahweh not to give to them from our daughters for a wife?”

8And they said, “Who {is} the one from the tribes of Israel who did not go up to Yahweh {at} Mizpah?” And behold, a man had not come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead for the assembly. 9And the people counted themselves, and behold, a man {was} not there from the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead. 10So the congregation sent 12,000 men there from the sons of the army and they commanded them, saying, “Go, and you shall strike the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead to the mouth of the sword, even the women and the children. 11And this {is} the thing that you shall do: every male and every woman having known the lying of a male, you shall devote.” 12And they found among the dwellers of Jabesh Gilead 400 young women, a virgin who had not known a man by the lying of a male, and they brought them to the camp {at} Shiloh, which was in the land of Canaan.

13And all of the congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who {were} at the rock of Rimmon, and they called out peace to them. 14So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave to them the women who were alive from the women of Jabesh Gilead. But they did not find enough for them. 15And the people repented itself for Benjamin, for Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16So the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for the remaining ones, since a woman has been destroyed from Benjamin?” 17And they said, “A possession of the escapee of Benjamin, so a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel. 18But we ourselves are not able to give wives to them from our daughters, because the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, ‘Cursed {is} the one giving a wife to Benjamin.’” 19So they said, “Behold, a feast of Yahweh {is} at Shiloh from days to days.” (That {is} from the north to Bethel, from the rising of the sun to the road going up from Bethel {to} Shechem and from the south to Lebonah.) 20So they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards. 21And you shall look, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then you shall come out from the vineyards, and you shall catch for yourselves a man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and you shall go {to} the land of Benjamin. 22And it will happen, when their fathers or their brothers come to contend with us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant us them, for we did not take, a man his wife, in the battle. For you have not given to them at {this} time, {that} you should be guilty.’” 23And the sons of Benjamin did thus, and they carried away wives for their number from the ones dancing, whom they caught. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and they built the cities and dwelled in them. 24Then the sons of Israel disbursed themselves from there at that time, a man to his tribe and to his clan, and they went away from there, a man to his inheritance.

25In those days a king {was} not in Israel. A man did the right in his eyes.