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The Book of Shophetim  [Judges]




     

The Book of Judges:

Chapter 1

1 It came to pass after the death of Yahushua [Joshua], the children of Yisrayah [Israel] asked of Yahwah [YHWH], saying: Who will go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?

2 Yahwah said: Yahudah [Judah] will go up. Behold, I deliver the land into his hand.

3 Yahudah said to Simeon his brother: Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites. I likewise will go with you into your lot. So Simeon went with him.

4 Yahudah went up. Yahwah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5 They found Lord-bezek in Bezek. They fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Lord-bezek fled. They pursued after him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs, and his great toes.

7 Lord-bezek said: Threescore and ten kings gathered their food under my table, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off. As I did, so Yahwah requited me. They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The children of Yahudah fought against Jerusalem, took it, smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9 Afterward the children of Yahudah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill-country, in the South, and in the lowland.

10 Yahudah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron used to be Kiriath-arba). They smote Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (now the name of Debir used to be Kiriath-sepher.)

12 Caleb said: He who smites Kiriath-sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter to wife.

13 Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14 It came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field. She alighted from off her ass. Caleb said to her: What do you want?

15 She said to him: Give me a blessing. Since you set me in the land of the South, give me springs of water also. Caleb gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.

16 The children of the Kenite, Moshe's brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Yahudah into the wilderness of Yahudah, which is in the south of Arad. They went and dwelt with the people.

17 Yahudah went with Simeon his brother. They killed the Canaanites that inhabited Zephas, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.

18 Yahudah took Gaza with the border thereof, Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof.

19 Yahwah was with Yahudah. He drove out the inhabitants of the hill-country. He could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moshe said. He drove out the three sons of Anak from there.

21 The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Yerusalem [Jerusalem] to this day.

22 The house of Yahusef [Joseph] went up against Beth-el. Yahwah was with them.

23 The house of Yahusef sent to spy out Beth-el (now the name of the city used to be Luz).

24 The watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said to him: We pray you, show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.

25 He showed them the entrance into the city. They killed the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go, and all his family.

26 The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called the name of it Luz, which is the name of it to this day.

27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns. But the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

28 It came to pass, when Yisrayah was waxed strong, they put the Canaanites to taskwork, and did not utterly drive them out.

29 Ephrayim did not drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer. But the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol. But the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became subject to taskwork.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob.

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. They did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath. But he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to taskwork.

34 The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley.

35 The Amorites would dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Yahusef prevailed so that they became subject to taskwork.

36 The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

Chapter 2

1 The malak of Yahwah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said: I made you to go up out of Egypt, and brought you to the land I swore to your fathers. I said: I will never break my covenant with you.

2 You will make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land, you will break down their altars. But you did not hearken to my voice. Why did you do this?

3 I also said: I will not drive them out from before you. But they will be as thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.

4 It came to pass, when the malak of Yahwah spoke these words to all the children of Yisrayah, the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5 They called the name of that place Bochim. They sacrificed there to Yahwah.

6 When Yahushua sent the people away, the children of Yisrayah went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.

7 The people served Yahwah all the days of Yahushua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Yahushua, who saw all the great work of Yahwah that He wrought for Yisrayah.

8 Yahushua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahwah, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephrayim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

10 Also all that generation was gathered to their fathers. After them another generation arose who did not know Yahwah, nor yet the work He wrought for Yisrayah.

11 The children of Yisrayah did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah, and served The Lord.

12 They forgot Yahwah, the Father of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed the gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down to them. They provoked Yahwah to anger.

13 They forgot Yahwah, to serve the LORD and Easter.

14 The anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers who despoiled them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so they could no longer stand before their enemies.

15 Wheresoever they went out, the hand of Yahwah was against them for evil, as Yahwah said. As Yahwah swore to them, they were sore distressed.

16 Yahwah raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those that despoiled them.

17 Yet they did not hearken to their judges. They played the harlot after the gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned aside out of the way in which their fathers walked. They did not obey the commandments of Yahwah.

18 When Yahwah raised them up judges, then Yahwah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. It repented Yahwah because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and vexed them.

19 It came to pass, when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following the gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 The anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah. He said: This nation transgressed my covenant I commanded their fathers, and do not hearken to my voice.

21 I also will no longer drive out from before them any of the nations Yahushua left when he died.

22 That by them I may prove Yisrayah, whether they will keep The Way of Yahwah to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.

23 So Yahwah left those nations, without driving them out hastily. Neither did He deliver them into the hand of Yahushua.

Chapter 3

1 Now these are the nations which Yahwah left, to prove Yisrayah by them, even as many of Yisrayah as did not know all the wars of Canaan.

2 Only that the generations of the children of Yisrayah might know, to teach them war, at the least those who knew nothing of it.

3 Namely, the five masters of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Lord-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

4 They were left, to prove Yisrayah by them, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of Yahwah, which He commanded their fathers by Moshe.

The children of Yisrayah dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

6 They took their daughters to be their wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 The children of Yisrayah did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah, forgot Yahwah their Father, and served the LORD and Easter.

8 Therefore the anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah. He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishasaim king of Mesopotamia. The children of Yisrayah served Cushan-rishasaim eight years.

9 When the children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah, Yahwah raised up a savior to the children of Yisrayah, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 The Spirit of Yahwah came upon him, and he judged Yisrayah. He went out to war, and Yahwah delivered Cushan-rishasaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan-rishasaim.

11 The land had rest forty years. Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 The children of Yisrayah again did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah. Yahwah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Yisrayah, because they did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah.

13 He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek. He went and smote Yisrayah, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.

14 The children of Yisrayah served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah, Yahwah raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benyamite, a man left-handed. The children of Yisrayah sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length. He put it under his clothing upon his right thigh.

17 He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

18 When he made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bore the tribute.

19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said: I have a secret errand to you, O king. He said: Keep silence. All that stood by him went out from him.

20 Ehud came to him. He was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said: I have a message from Yahwah to you. He arose out of his seat.

21 Ehud put forth his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

22 The haft also went in after the blade. The fat closed upon the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his body, it came out behind.

23 Ehud went forth into the porch, shut the doors of the upper room upon him, and locked them.

24 Now when he went out, his servants came. They saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. They said: Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.

25 They tarried till they were ashamed. Behold, he did not open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key, and opened them. Behold, their master was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 Ehud escaped while they tarried, passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

27 It came to pass, when he was come, he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephrayim. The children of Yisrayah went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.

28 He said to them: Follow after me. Yahwah delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. They went down after him, took the fords of the Yordan against the Moabites, and did not allow a man to pass over.

29 They smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor. There escaped not a man.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Yisrayah. The land had rest fourscore years.

31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad. He also saved Yisrayah.

Chapter 4

1 The children of Yisrayah again did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah, when Ehud was dead.

2 Yahwah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor. The captain of his host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 The children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron. Twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Yisrayah.

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoes, she judged Yisrayah at that time.

5 She dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephrayim. The children of Yisrayah came up to her for judgment.

6 She sent, called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him: Did not Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah, command, saying; Go, draw to mount Tabor. Take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun?

7 I will draw Sisera to you, to the river Kishon, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude. I deliver him into your hand.

8 Barak said to her: If you go with me, then I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.

9 She said: I will surely go with you. For that reason the journey you take will not be for your honor. Yahwah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and there went up ten thousand men at his feet. Deborah went up with him.

11 Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the brother-in-law of Moshe, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.

14 Deborah said to Barak: Up! This is the day Yahwah delivers Sisera into your hand. Is Yahwah not gone out before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 Yahwah discomfited Sisera, all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

16 Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles. All the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.

17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Ya'el the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 Ya'el went out to meet Sisera, and said to him: Turn in, my master, turn in to me. Do not fear. He turned in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

19 He said to her: Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, gave him drink, and covered him.

20 He said to her: Stand in the door of the tent, and it will be, when any man comes and inquires of you, and says; Is there any man here? You will say: No.

21 Then Ya'el Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, went softly to him, and hammered the pin into his temples. It pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep. So he swooned, and died.

22 Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Ya'el came out to meet him, and said to him: Come, I will show you the man you seek. He came to her. Behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.

23 So on that day Yahwah subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Yisrayah.

24 The hand of the children of Yisrayah prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Chapter 5

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

2 The leaders took the lead in Yisrayah.
The people offered themselves willingly.
Bless you Yahwah.
3 Hear, O you kings, give ear, O you princes.
I, even I, will sing to Yahwah.
I will sing praise to Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah.
4 Yahwah, when you went forth out of Seir,
When you marched out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,
Yea, the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains quaked at the presence of Yahwah,
Even yon Sinai at the presence of Yahwah,
The Father of Yisrayah.
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Ya'el, the highways were unoccupied,
The travellers walked through byways.
7 The rulers ceased in Yisrayah, they ceased,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
I arose a mother in Yisrayah.
8 They chose new gods,
Then war was in the gates.
Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Yisrayah?
9 My heart is toward the governors of Yisrayah,
That offered themselves willingly among the people.
Bless you Yahwah.
10 Tell of it, you that ride on white asses,
You that sit on rich carpets,
You that walk by the way.
11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,
There they will rehearse the righteous acts of Yahwah,
Even the righteous acts of His rule in Yisrayah.
Then the people of Yahwah went down to the gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, utter a song.
Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.
13 Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down,
Yahwah came down for me against the mighty.
14 Out of Ephrayim came down those whose root is in Amalek,
After you, Benyamin, among your peoples,
Out of Machir came down governors,
Out of Zebulun those who handle the marshal's staff.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah,
As was Issachar, so was Barak,
Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.
By the watercourses of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.
16 Why do you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond the Yordan.
And Dan, why did he remain in ships?
Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks.
18 Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives to the death,
And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19 The kings came, and fought,
Then fought the kings of Canaan.
In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
They took no gain of money.
20 From heaven the stars [gods] fought,
From their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away,
That ancient river, the river Kishon.
O my soul, march on with strength.
22 The horsehoofs stamped by reason of the prancings,
The prancings of their strong ones.
23 Curse you Meroz, said the malak of Yahwah.
Curse you bitterly the inhabitants thereof,
Because they did not come to the help of Yahwah,
To the help of Yahwah against the mighty.
24 Blessed above women Ya'el will be,
The wife of Heber the Kenite.
Blessed she will be above women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk.
She brought him butter in a master's dish.
26 She put her hand to the tent-pin,
Her right hand to the workmen's hammer,
With the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head.
Yea, she pierced, and struck through his temples.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay.
At her feet he bowed, he fell.
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 Through the window she looked forth, and cried,
The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice,
Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her: Yea.
She returned answer to herself,
30 Did they not find, do they not divide the spoil?
A damsel, two damsels to every man.
To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments,
A spoil of dyed garments embroidered,
Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides,
On the necks of the spoil?
31 So let all your enemies perish, O Yahwah.
But let those who love
Him be as the sun when He goes forth in his might.

The land had rest forty years.

Chapter 6

1 The children of Yisrayah did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah. Yahwah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Yisrayah. Because of Midian the children of Yisrayah made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

3 So it was, when Yisrayah had sown, the Midianites came up, the Amalekites, and the children of the east. They came up against them,

4 and they camped against them. They destroyed the increase of the earth, till you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Yisrayah, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

5 They came up with their cattle and their tents, they came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it.

6 Yisrayah was brought very low because of Midian. The children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah.

7 It came to pass, when the children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah because of Midian,

8 Yahwah sent a prophet to the children of Yisrayah. He said to them: Thus says Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah; I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

9 I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.

10 I said to you: I am Yahwah your Father. You will not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you did not hearken to my voice.

11 The malak of Yahwah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Yahuash [Joash] the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 The malak of Yahwah appeared to him, and said to him: Yahwah is with you, you mighty man of valor.

13 Gideon said to him: Oh, my master, if Yahwah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? Where are all His wondrous works our fathers told us of, saying: Did Yahwah not bring us up from Egypt? But now Yahwah cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

14 Yahwah looked upon him, and said: Go in this your might, and save Yisrayah from the hand of Midian. Do I not send you?

15 He said to Him: Oh, Yahwah, how will I save Yisrayah? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 Yahwah said to him: Surely I will be with you, and you will smite the Midianites as one man.

17 He said to Him: If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talks with me.

18 Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come to you, bring forth my present, and lay it before you. He said: I will tarry until you come again.

19 Gideon went in, made a kid ready, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. The flesh he put in a basket, he put the broth in a pot, brought it out to Him under the oak, and presented it.

20 The malak of Yahwah said to him: Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, lay them upon this rock. Pour out the broth. He did so.

21 The malak of Yahwah put forth the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. There went up fire out of the rock, it consumed the flesh, and the unleavened cakes. The malak of Yahwah departed out of his sight.

22 Gideon saw He was the malak of Yahwah. Gideon said: Alas, O Sovereign Yahwah! Forasmuch as I saw the malak of Yahwah face to face.

23 Yahwah said to him: Peace to you. Do not fear, you will not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahwah, and called it Yahwah-shalom [YHWH is peace]. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 It came to pass the same night Yahwah said to him: Take your father's bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of The LORD your father has. Cut down the Easter idol that is by it.

26 Build an altar to Yahwah your Father upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner. Take the second bull, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Easter idol you cut down.

27 Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahwah spoke to him. It came to pass, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, he did it by night.

28 The men of the city arose early in the morning. Behold, the altar of The LORD was broken down, the Easter idol was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered upon the altar that was built.

29 They said one to another: Who did this thing? When they inquired, and asked, they said: Gideon the son of Yahuash did this thing.

30 The men of the city said to Yahuash: Bring out your son, that he may die, because he broke down the altar of The LORD. And because he cut down the Easter idol that was by it.

31 Yahuash said to all that stood against him: Will you contend for The LORD? Or will you save him? He that will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning. If he is God, let him contend for himself, because one broke down his altar.

32 Therefore on that day he called him Yerub-lord, saying: Let The LORD contend against him, because he broke down his [God's] altar.

33 Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east, assembled themselves together. They passed over, and camped in the valley of Jezreel.

34 But the Spirit of Yahwah came upon Gideon. He blew a trumpet. Abiezer was gathered together after him.

35 He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh. They also were gathered together after him. He sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali. They came up to meet them.

36 Gideon said to Yahwah: If you will save Yisrayah by my hand, as you said,

37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry upon all the ground, then I will know you will save Yisrayah by my hand, as you said.

38 It was so. For he rose up early on the next day, pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

39 Gideon said to Yahwah: Do not let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial, I pray you, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and let there be dew upon all the ground.

40 Yahwah did so that night. It was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Chapter 7

1 Then Yerub-lord, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 Yahwah said to Gideon: The people that are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Yisrayah vaunt themselves against Me, saying: My own hand saved me.

3 Now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying: Whosoever is fearful, and trembling, let him return, depart from mount Gilead. There returned twenty and two thousand of the people, and there remained ten thousand.

4 Yahwah said to Gideon: The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water, I will try them for you there. It will be, that of whom I say to you: This will go with you; the same will go with you. Of whomsoever I say to you: This will not go with you; the same will not go.

5 So he brought the people down to the water. Yahwah said to Gideon: Every one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him you will set by himself. Likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.

6 The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men. But all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7 Yahwah said to Gideon: I will save you by the three hundred men that lapped, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the people go every man to his place.

8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets. He sent all the men of Yisrayah every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. The camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 It came to pass the same night, Yahwah said to him: Arise, get down into the camp. For I deliver it into your hand.

10 But if you fear to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp.

11 You will hear what they say. Afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.

12 The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude. Their camels were without number, as the sand upon the sea-shore for multitude.

13 When Gideon came, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said: Behold, I dreamed a dream. Lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, came to the tent, smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

14 His fellow answered, and said: This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Yahuash, a man of Yisrayah. Yahwah delivers Midian into his hand, and all the armies.

15 It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation, he worshipped. He returned into the camp of Yisrayah, and said: Arise! Yahwah delivers the host of Midian into your hand.

16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.

17 He said to them: Look on me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it will be that, as I do, so you will do.

18 When I blow the trumpet, I, and all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say: For Yahwah, and for Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch. They blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow. They cried: The sword of Yahwah and of Gideon.

21 They stood every man in his place round about the camp. All the host ran. They shouted, and put them to flight.

22 They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahwah set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host. The host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

23 The men of Yisrayah were gathered together out of Naphtali, out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephrayim, saying: Come down against Midian, take them before the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Yordan. So all the men of Ephrayim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Bethbarah, even the Yordan.

25 They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Yordan.

Chapter 8

1 The men of Ephrayim said to him: Why did you serve us thus, that you did not call us when you went to fight with Midian? They did chide with him sharply.

2 He said to them: What did I do now in comparison with you? Is the gleaning of the grapes of Ephrayim not better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 Yahwah delivered the princes of Midian into your hand, Oreb and Zeeb. What was I able to do in comparison with you? Their anger was abated toward him, when he said that.

4 Gideon came to the Yordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

5 He said to the men of Succoth: I pray you, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me. They are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

6 The princes of Succoth said: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your army?

7 Gideon said: Therefore when Yahwah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with briers.

8 He went up then to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner. The men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth answered.

9 He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying: When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east. For there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host. For the host was secure.

12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued after them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13 Gideon the son of Yahuash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

14 He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him. He described for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

15 He came to the men of Succoth, and said: Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you did taunt me, saying; Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men that are weary?

16 He took the elders of the city, thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna: What manner of men were those whom you killed at Tabor? They answered: As you are, so were they. Each one resembled the child of a king.

19 He said: They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahwah lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.

20 He said to Jether his first-born: Up, kill them. But the youth did not draw his sword. He feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: You rise, and fall upon us. As the man is, so is his strength. Gideon arose, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

22 Then the men of Yisrayah said to Gideon: Rule over us, both you, your son, and your son's son also. You saved us out of the hand of Midian.

23 Gideon said to them: I will not rule over you, neither will my son rule over you. Yahwah will rule over you.

24 Gideon said to them: I would make a request of you, that you give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (They had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 They answered: We will willingly give them. They spread a garment, and every man cast in the ear-rings of his spoil.

26 The weight of the golden ear-rings he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, the pendants, the purple garments that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 Gideon made an ephod, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. All Yisrayah played the harlot after it there. It became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

28 So Midian was subdued before the children of Yisrayah, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Yerub-lord [Gideon] the son of Yahuash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 Gideon had threescore and ten sons begotten of his body. For he had many wives.

31 His concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

32 Gideon the son of Yahuash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Yahuash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 It came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Yisrayah turned again, played the harlot after the Lord, and made LORD-berith their God.

34 The children of Yisrayah did not remember Yahwah their Father, who delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side.

35 Neither did they show kindness to the house of Yerub-lord, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness he showed to Yisrayah.

Chapter 9

1 Abimelech the son of Yerub-lord went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying:

2 I pray you, speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem. Which is better for you, that all the sons of Yerub-lord, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also I am your bone, and your flesh.

3 His mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words. Their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech. They said: He is our brother.

4 They gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of the LORD-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.

5 He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Yerub-lord, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Yerub-lord was left, for he hid himself.

6 All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, with all the house of Millo, went, and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar in Shechem.

7 When they told it to Jotham, he went, stood on the top of mount Gerizim, lifted up his voice, cried, and said to them: Hearken to me, you men of Shechem, that Yahwah may hearken to you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them. They said to the olive-tree: Reign over us.

9 But the olive-tree said to them: Should I leave my fatness, which by me they honor Yahwah and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

10 The trees said to the fig-tree: Come, reign over us.

11 But the fig-tree said to them: Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

12 The trees said to the vine: Come, reign over us.

13 The vine said to them: Should I leave my new wine, which cheers Yahwah and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?

14 Then all the trees said to the bramble: Come, reign over us.

15 The bramble said to the trees: If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come, take refuge in my shade. If not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

16 Now therefore, if you dealt truly and uprightly, in that you made Abimelech king, and if you dealt well with Yerub-lord and his house, and did to him according to the deserving of his hands

17 (For my father fought for you, adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian.

18 You rose up against my father's house today, killed his sons upon one stone, threescore and ten persons, and made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.),

19 if then you dealt truly and uprightly with Yerub-baal, and with his house today, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech to devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo. Let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, to devour Abimelech.

21 Jotham ran away, fled, went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

22 Abimelech was prince over Yisrayah three years.

23 Yahwah sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. The men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

24 that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Yerub-lord might come. That their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.

25 The men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them. It was told Abimelech.

26 Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem. The men of Shechem put their trust in him.

27 They went out into the field, gathered their vineyards, trod the grapes, held festival, went into the house of their God, ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

28 Gaal the son of Ebed said: Who is Abimelech. Who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Yerub-baal? And Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem. But why should we serve him?

29 Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. He said to Abimelech: Increase your army, and come out.

30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

31 He sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying: Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are come to Shechem. Behold, they constrain the city to take part against you.

32 Go up by night, you and the people with you, and lie in wait in the field.

33 It will be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you will rise early, and rush upon the city. Behold, when he and the people with him come out against you, then you may do to them as you will find occasion.

34 Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people with him. They laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

35 Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. Abimelech rose up from the ambushment, and the people with him.

36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul: Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. Zebul said to him: You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

37 Gaal spoke again, and said: See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.

38 Then Zebul said to him: Where is your mouth now, that you said; Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is this not the people you despised? Go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

39 Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. There fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.

41 Abimelech dwelt at Arumah. Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42 It came to pass the next day, the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

43 He took the people, divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field. He looked. Behold, the people came forth out of the city. He rose up against them, and smote them.

44 Abimelech, and the companies with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. The two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them.

45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city, and killed the people that were in it. He beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.

47 It was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

48 Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him. Abimelech took an axe in his hand, cut down a bough from the trees, took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. He said to the people with him: What you see me do, make haste, do as I do.

49 All the people likewise cut down every man his bough, followed Abimelech, put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against Thebez, and took it.

51 But there was a strong tower within the city. All the men and women fled there, with all those of the city, shut themselves in, and got them up to the roof of the tower.

52 Abimelech came to the tower, fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 A certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and broke his skull.

54 Then he called hastily to the young man his armorbearer, and said to him: Draw your sword, and kill me, that men not say of me; A woman killed him. His young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 When the men of Yisrayah saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

56 Thus Yahwah requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers.

57 All the wickedness of the men of Shechem did Yahwah requite upon their heads. And the curse of Jotham the son of Yerub-lord [Gideon] came upon them.

Chapter 10

1 After Abimelech there arose Tola the son of Puah to save Yisrayah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar. He dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephrayim.

2 He judged Yisrayah twenty and three years, died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 After him arose Jair, the Gileadite. He judged Yisrayah twenty and two years.

4 He had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

5 Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.

6 The children of Yisrayah again did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah. They served the LORD, Easter, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They forgot Yahwah, and did not serve Him.

7 The anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah. He sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.

8 They vexed and oppressed the children of Yisrayah that year. Eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Yisrayah that were beyond the Yordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9 The children of Ammon passed over the Yordan to fight also against Yahudah, against Benyamin, and against the house of Ephrayim, so that Yisrayah was sore distressed.

10 The children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah, saying: We sinned against you, even because we forgot our Father, and served the Lord.

11 Yahwah said to the children of Yisrayah: Did I not save you from the Egyptians, from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

12 The Sidonians also, the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you. You cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

13 Yet you forgot me, and served the gods. Therefore I will save you no more.

14 Go, cry to the gods you chose. Let them save you in the time of your distress.

15 The children of Yisrayah said to Yahwah: We sinned. Do to us whatsoever seems good to you. Only deliver us today, we pray you.

16 They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahwah. His soul was grieved for the misery of Yisrayah.

17 The children of Ammon gathered together, and camped in Gilead. The children of Yisrayah assembled themselves together, and camped in Mizpah.

18 The people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another: What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He will be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Chapter 11

1 Now Yiphtach the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot. Gilead begat Yiphtach.

2 Gilead's wife bore him sons. When his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Yiphtach, and said to him: You will not inherit in our father's house. You are the son of another woman.

3 Yiphtach fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob. Vain fellows were gathered to Yiphtach, and they went out with him.

4 It came to pass after a while, the children of Ammon made war against Yisrayah.

5 It was so, that, when the children of Ammon made war against Yisrayah, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Yiphtach out of the land of Tob.

6 They said to Yiphtach: Come, be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 Yiphtach said to the elders of Gilead: Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? Why are you come to me now when you are in distress?

8 The elders of Gilead said to Yiphtach: Therefore are we turned again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 Yiphtach said to the elders of Gilead: If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahwah deliver them before me, will I be your head?

10 The elders of Gilead said to Yiphtach: Yahwah will be witness between us. Surely will we do according to your word.

11 Yiphtach went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Yiphtach spoke all his words before Yahwah in Mizpah.

12 Yiphtach sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying: What have you to do with me, that you are come to me to fight against my land?

13 The king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Yiphtach: Because Yisrayah took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Yordan. Now restore those lands again peaceably.

14 Yiphtach sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon,

15 and he said to him: Thus says Yiphtach; Yisrayah did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.

16 When they came up from Egypt, Yisrayah went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh.

17 Then Yisrayah sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: I pray you, let me pass through your land. But the king of Edom did not hearken. In like manner he sent to the king of Moab, but he would not. Yisrayah abode in Kadesh.

18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 Yisrayah sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon. Yisrayah said to him: We pray you, let us pass through your land to my place.

20 But Sihon did not trust Yisrayah to pass through his border. Sihon gathered all his people together, camped in Jahaz, and fought against Yisrayah.

21 Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Yisrayah, and they killed them. So Yisrayah possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

23 Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Yisrayah, and should you possess them?

24 Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whomsoever Yahwah our Father dispossessed from before us, them we will possess.

25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Yisrayah, or did he ever fight against them?

26 While Yisrayah dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon (three hundred years), why did you not recover them within that time?

27 I did not sin against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. Yahwah, the Judge, is judge today between the children of Yisrayah and the children of Ammon.

28 However the king of the children of Ammon did not hearken to the words Yiphtach sent him.

29 Then the Spirit of Yahwah came upon Yiphtach. He passed over Gilead and Manasseh, passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.

30 Yiphtach vowed a vow to Yahwah, and said: If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

31 then it will be, that whatsoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it will be Yahwah's. I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

32 So Yiphtach passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them. Yahwah delivered them into his hand.

33 He smote them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Yisrayah.

34 Yiphtach came to Mizpah to his house. Behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels, and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 It came to pass, when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said: Alas, my daughter! You brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me. I have opened my mouth to Yahwah, and I cannot go back.

36 She said to him: My father, you opened your mouth to Yahwah. Do to me according to what proceeded out of your mouth, forasmuch as Yahwah took vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.

37 She said to her father: Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, that I may depart, go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

38 He said: Go. He sent her away for two months. She departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 It came to pass at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow he vowed. She did not know man.

40 It was a custom in Yisrayah that the daughters of Yisrayah went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Yiphtach the Gileadite four days in a year.

Chapter 12

1 The men of Ephrayim were gathered together, and passed northward. They said to Yiphtach: Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you with fire.

2 Yiphtach said to them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon. When I called you, you did not save me out of their hand.

3 When I saw that you did not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon. Yahwah delivered them into my hand. Why then are you come up to me today, to fight against me?

4 Then Yiphtach gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephrayim. The men of Gilead smote Ephrayim, because they said: You are fugitives of Ephrayim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephrayim, and in the midst of Manasseh.

5 The Gileadites took the fords of the Yordan against the Ephrayimites. It was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephrayim said: Let me go over. The men of Gilead said to him: Are you an Ephrayimite? If he said: Nay.

6 Then they said to him: Say now Shibboleth. He said: Sibboleth. For he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they laid hold on him, and killed him at the fords of the Yordan. There fell at that time of Ephrayim forty and two thousand.

7 Yiphtach judged Yisrayah six years. Then Yiphtach the Gileadite died, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Yisrayah.

9 He had thirty sons. Thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. He judged Yisrayah seven years.

10 Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Yisrayah. He judged Yisrayah ten years.

12 Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Yisrayah.

14 He had forty sons and thirty sons' sons, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts. He judged Yisrayah eight years.

15 Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephrayim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.

Chapter 13

1 The children of Yisrayah again did what was evil in the sight of Yahwah. Yahwah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, and did not bear.

3 The malak of Yahwah appeared to the woman, and said to her: Behold, you are barren, and not bear. But you will conceive, and bear a son.

4 Beware, I pray you, drink no wine, nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing.

5 Lo, you will conceive, and bear a son. No razor will come upon his head, for the child will be a Nazirite to Yahwah from the womb. He will begin to save Yisrayah out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying: A man of Yahwah came to me. His countenance was like the countenance of the malak of Yahwah, very terrible. I did not ask him who he was, neither did he tell me his name.

7 But he said to me: Behold, you will conceive, and bear a son. Now drink no wine, nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing. The child will be a Nazirite to Yahwah from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah asked Yahwah, and said: Oh, Yahwah, I pray you, let the man of Yahwah whom you sent come to us again, and teach us what we will do to the child that will be born.

9 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Manoah. The malak of Yahwah came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 The woman made haste, ran, told her husband, and said to him: Behold, the man appeared to me, that came to me the other day.

11 Manoah arose, went after his wife, came to the man, and said to him: Are you the man who spoke to the woman? He said: I am.

12 Manoah said: Now let your words come to pass. What will be the ordering of the child, and how will we do to him?

13 The malak of Yahwah said to Manoah: Of all I said to the woman, let her beware.

14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all I commanded her.

15 Manoah said to the malak of Yahwah: I pray you, let us detain you, that we may make a kid ready for you.

16 The malak of Yahwah said to Manoah: Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread. If you will make a burnt-offering ready, you must offer it to Yahwah. Manoah did not know he was the malak of Yahwah.

17 Manoah said to the malak of Yahwah: What is your name, that, when your words come to pass, we may do you honor?

18 The malak of Yahwah said to him: Why do you ask after my name, seeing it is incomprehensible?

19 So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock to Yahwah. The malak did wondrously as Manoah and his wife looked on.

20 It came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, the malak of Yahwah ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The malak of Yahwah did not appear to Manoah or to his wife anymore. Then Manoah knew he was the malak of Yahwah.

22 Manoah said to his wife: We will surely die, because we saw Yahwah.

23 But his wife said to him: If Yahwah were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

24 The woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. The child grew, and Yahwah blessed him.

25 The Spirit of Yahwah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Chapter 14

1 Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 He came up, told his father and his mother, and said: I saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Get her for me to wife.

3 Then his father and his mother said to him: Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? Samson said to his father: Get her for me, for she pleases me well.

4 But his father and his mother did not know it was of Yahwah. He sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Yisrayah.

5 Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Behold, a young lion roared against him.

6 The Spirit of Yahwah came mightily upon him. He tore him as he would tear a kid, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he did.

7 He went down, talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

8 After a while he returned to take her. He turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. Behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

9 He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother, gave to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them he took the honey out of the body of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman. Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

11 It came to pass, when they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Samson said to them: Let me now put forth a riddle to you. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.

13 But if you cannot declare it to me, then you will give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. They said to him: Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.

14 He said to them: Out of the eater came forth food. Out of the strong came forth sweetness. They could not declare the riddle in three days.

15 It came to pass on the seventh day, they said to Samson's wife: Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Did you call us to impoverish us? Is it not so?

16 Samson's wife wept before him, and said: You hate me, and do not love me. You put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and did not tell me. He said to her: Behold, I did not tell my father, nor my mother, and will I tell you?

17 She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted. It came to pass he told her on the seventh day, because she pressed him sore. She told the riddle to the children of her people.

18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? He said to them: If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.

19 The Spirit of Yahwah came mightily upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, smote thirty men of them, took their spoil, and gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he used to have as his friend.

Chapter 15

1 It came to pass after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a kid. He said: I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not allow him to go in.

2 Her father said: I verily thought you utterly hated her. Therefore I gave her to your companion. Is her younger sister not fairer than she? Take her, I pray you, instead of her.

3 Samson said to them: This time I will be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.

4 Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, took firebrands, tied tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the middle between every two tails.

5 When he set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up both the shocks, the standing grain, and also the oliveyards.

6 The Philistines said: Who did this? They said: Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife, and gave her to his companion. The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

7 Samson said to them: If you do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

8 He smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. He went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

9 Then the Philistines went up, camped in Yahudah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

10 The men of Yahudah said: Why are you come up against us? They said: We are come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.

11 Then three thousand men of Yahudah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson: Do you not know the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this you did to us? He said to them: As they did to me, so I did to them.

12 They said to him: We are come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. Samson said to them: Swear to me, you will not fall upon me yourselves.

13 They spoke to him, saying: No. We will bind you fast, and deliver you into their hand, but surely we will not kill you. They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. The Spirit of Yahwah came mightily upon him. The ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands.

15 He found a fresh jawbone of an ass, put forth his hand, took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

16 Samson said: With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps. With the jawbone of an ass I killed a thousand men.

17 It came to pass, when he made an end of speaking, he cast away the jawbone out of his hand. That place was called Ramath-lehi.

18 He was very thirsty, called on Yahwah, and said: You gave this great deliverance by the hand of your servant. Now I will die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.

19 But Yahwah clave the hollow place that is in Lehi, and there came out water. When he drank, his spirit came again, and he revived. So the name of it was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi, to this day.

20 He judged Yisrayah twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

Chapter 16

1 Samson went to Gaza, saw a harlot there, and went in to her.

2 It was told the Gazites, saying: Samson is come here. They surrounded him, laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying; Let be till morning light, then we will kill him.

3 Samson lay till midnight, arose at midnight, laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, plucked them up, bar and all, put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.

4 It came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 The masters of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her: Entice him. See where his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him. We will give you every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

6 Delilah said to Samson: Tell me, I pray you, where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound to afflict you.

7 Samson said to her: If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then will I become weak, and be as another man.

8 The masters of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 She had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. She said to him: The Philistines are upon you, Samson. He broke the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 Delilah said to Samson: Behold, you mock me, and tell me lies. I pray you, tell me how you might be bound.

11 He said to her: If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work was done, then I will become weak, and be as another man.

12 Delilah took new ropes, bound him, and said to him: The Philistines are upon you, Samson. The liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. He broke them off his arms like a thread.

13 Delilah said to Samson: You mock me, and tell me lies. Tell me how you might be bound. He said to her: If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 She fastened it with the pin, and said to him: The Philistines are upon you, Samson. He awaked out of his sleep, plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

15 She said to him: How can you say; I love you; when your heart is not with me? You mocked me these three times, and did not tell me where your great strength lies.

16 It came to pass, she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed to death.

17 He told her all his heart, and said to her: There has not come a razor upon my head. I am a Nazirite to Yahwah from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, my strength will go from me, I will become weak, and be like any other man.

18 When Delilah saw he told her all his heart, she sent, and called for the masters of the Philistines, saying: Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart. The masters of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.

19 She made him sleep upon her knees. She called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head. She began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 She said: The Philistines are upon you, Samson. He awoke out of his sleep, and said: I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he did not know Yahwah was departed from him.

21 The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass. And he did grind in the prison-house.

22 However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

23 The masters of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. They said: Our god delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24 When the people saw him, they praised their god. They said: Our god delivered our enemy into our hand, the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us.

25 It came to pass, when their hearts were merry, they said: Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. They called for Samson out of the prison-house. He made sport before them. They set him between the pillars.

26 Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand: Allow me that I may feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women, and all the masters of the Philistines were there. There were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, who beheld while Samson made sport.

28 Samson called to Yahwah, and said: O Father Yahwah, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O Father, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

30 Samson said: Let me die with the Philistines. He bowed himself with all his might. The house fell upon the masters, and upon all the people. So the dead he killed at his death were more than those he killed in his life.

31 Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, took him, brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. He judged Yisrayah twenty years.

Chapter 17

1 There was a man of the hill-country of Ephrayim, whose name was Micah.

2 He said to his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it. His mother said: Blessed is my son of the Lord.

3 He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. His mother said: I verily dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image, a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.

4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made a graven image, a molten image. It was in the house of Micah.

5 The man Micah had a house of idols. He made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 In those days there was no king in Yisrayah. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.

7 There was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Yahudah, who was a Levite. He sojourned there.

8 The man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place, and he came to the hill-country of Ephrayim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

9 Micah said to him: Where do you come from? He said to him: I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

10 Micah said to him: Dwell with me, be a father to me, and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver by the year, a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So the Levite went in.

11 The Levite was content to dwell with the man. The young man was to him as one of his sons.

12 Micah consecrated the Levite. The young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 Then Micah said: Now I know the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.

Chapter 18

1 In those days there was no king in Yisrayah. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in, for to that day their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Yisrayah.

2 The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it. They said to them: Go, search the land. They came to the hill-country of Ephrayim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite. They turned aside there, and said to him: Who brought you here? What do you in this place? And, what have you here?

4 He said to them: Thus and thus Micah has dealt with me. He hired me, and I am become his priest.

5 They said to him: We pray you, ask counsel of the LORD, that we may know whether our way we go will be prosperous.

6 The priest said to them: Go in peace. Before the LORD is your way wherein you go.

7 Then the five men departed, came to Laish, and saw the people that were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There was none in the land possessing authority that might put them to shame in anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.

8 They came to their brothers to Zorah, and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them: What say you?

9 They said: Arise, and let us go up against them. We saw the land. Behold, it is very good. Are you still? Do not be slothful to go, and to enter in to possess the land.

10 When you go, you will come to a people secure, and the land is large. Yahwah gives it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.

11 There set forth from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

12 They went up, and camped in Kiriath-jearim, in Yahudah, so they called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim.

13 They passed from there to the hill-country of Ephrayim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 The five men that went to spy out the country of Laish answered, and said to their brothers: Do you know there is in these houses an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do.

15 They turned aside there, came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.

16 The six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 The five men that went to spy out the land went up, came in there, took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim [idols], and the molten image. The priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

18 When these went into Micah's house to fetch the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them: What do you?

19 They said to him: Hold your peace. Lay your hand upon your mouth, go with us, and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Yisrayah?

20 The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the teraphim, the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 So they turned, departed, and put the little ones, the cattle, and the goods before them.

22 When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 They cried to the children of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Micah: What ails you, that you come with such a company?

24 He said: You took away my idols I made, and the priest, and are gone away. What have I more? How then do you say to me: What ails you?

25 The children of Dan said to him: Let your voice not be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.

26 The children of Dan went their way. When Micah saw they were too strong for him, he turned, and went back to his house.

27 They took what Micah made, the priest he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and killed them with the edge of the sword. They burned the city with fire.

28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man. It was in the valley that lies by Beth-rehob. They built the city, and dwelt there.

29 They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Yisrayah. However the name of the city was Laish at the first.

30 The children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves. Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moshe, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 So they set them up Micah's graven image which he made, all the time the house of Yahwah was in Shiloh.

Chapter 19

1 It came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Yisrayah, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephrayim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

2 His concubine played the harlot against him, went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.

3 Her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses. She brought him into her father's house. When the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4 His father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him. He abode with him three days. So they ate, drank, and lodged there.

5 It came to pass on the fourth day, they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart. The damsel's father said to his son-in-law: Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you will go your way.

6 So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. The damsel's father said to the man: I pray you, be pleased to tarry all night, and let your heart be merry.

7 The man rose up to depart. But his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

8 He arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart. The damsel's father said: Strengthen your heart, I pray you, and tarry you until the day declines. They ate, both of them.

9 The man rose up to depart, he, his concubine, and his servant. His father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him: Behold, the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night. Behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry. Tomorrow get you early on your way, that you may go home.

10 The man would not tarry that night. He rose up, departed, and came over to Jebus (the same is Yerusalem). There were with him a couple of asses saddled. His concubine also was with him.

11 When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent. The servant said to his master: Come, I pray you, let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 His master said to him: We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, who is not of the children of Yisrayah. We will pass over to Gibeah.

13 He said to his servant: Come, let us draw near to one of these places. We will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 So they passed on, and went their way. The sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

15 They turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah. He went in, and sat him down in the street of the city, for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.

16 Behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was of the hill-country of Ephrayim, and he sojourned in Gibeah. But the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city. The old man said: Where are you going? Where do you come from?

18 He said to him: We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah to the farther side of the hill-country of Ephrayim. From there I am, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah. I am now going to the house of Yahwah. There is no man that takes me into his house.

19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses. There is bread and wine also for me, for your handmaid, and for the young man that is with your servants. There is no want of anything.

20 The old man said: Peace be to you. However let all your wants lie upon me, only do not lodge in the street.

21 So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder. They washed their feet, ate, and drank.

22 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying: Bring forth the man that came into your house, that we may know him [carnally].

23 The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them: Nay, my brothers, I pray you, do not do so wickedly. Seeing this man is come into my house, do not do this folly.

24 Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine. I will bring them out now, you humble them, and do with them what seems good to you. But do not do any such folly to this man.

25 But the men would not hearken to him. So the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth to them. They raped her, and abused her all the night until the morning. When the day began to spring, they let her go.

26 The woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light.

27 Her master rose up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way. Behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.

28 He said to her: Up! Let us be going. But none answered. Then he took her up upon the ass. The man rose up, and got him to his place.

29 When he was come into his house, he took a knife, laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Yisrayah.

30 It was so that all who saw it said: There was no such deed done nor seen from the day the children of Yisrayah came up out of the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak.

Chapter 20

1 Then all the children of Yisrayah went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man to Yahwah at Mizpah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead.

2 The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Yisrayah, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of Yahwah, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard the children of Yisrayah were gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Yisrayah said: Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?

4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, and said: I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 The men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night. Me they thought to rape. They raped my concubine, and she is dead.

6 I took my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Yisrayah. They committed lewdness and folly in Yisrayah.

7 Behold, you children of Yisrayah, all of you, give here your advice, and counsel.

8 All the people arose as one man, saying: We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn to his house.

9 This is the thing we will do to Gibeah. We will go up against it by lot.

10 We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Yisrayah, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly they wrought in Yisrayah.

11 So all the men of Yisrayah were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 The tribes of Yisrayah sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying: What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you?

13 Now deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Yisrayah. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brothers the children of Yisrayah.

14 The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Yisrayah.

15 The children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed. Every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.

17 The men of Yisrayah, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword. All these were men of war.

18 The children of Yisrayah arose, went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of Yahwah. They said: Who will go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? Yahwah said: Yahudah will go up first.

19 The children of Yisrayah rose up in the morning, and camped against Gibeah.

20 The men of Yisrayah went out to battle against Benjamin. The men of Yisrayah set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

21 The children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Yisrayahites on that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 The people, the men of Yisrayah, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day.

23 The children of Yisrayah went up, and wept before Yahwah until evening. They asked of Yahwah, saying: Will I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? Yahwah said: Go up against him.

24 The children of Yisrayah came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Yisrayah again eighteen thousand men. All these drew the sword.

26 Then all the children of Yisrayah, all the people, went up, came to Beth-el, and wept. They sat there before Yahwah, and fasted that day until evening. They offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Yahwah.

27 The ark of the covenant of Yahwah was there in those days, and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days.

28 The children of Yisrayah asked of Yahwah, saying: Will I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or will I cease? Yahwah said: Go up. Tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand.

29 Yisrayah set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about.

30 The children of Yisrayah went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Yisrayah.

32 The children of Benjamin said: They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Yisrayah said: Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.

33 All the men of Yisrayah rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Lord-tamar. The liers-in-wait of Yisrayah broke forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

34 There came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Yisrayah, and the battle was sore. They did not know evil was close upon them.

35 Yahwah smote Benjamin before Yisrayah. The children of Yisrayah destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men. All these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw they were smitten. For the men of Yisrayah gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush whom they set against Gibeah.

37 The ambushers hurried, and rushed upon Gibeah. The liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and killed all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now the appointed sign between the men of Yisrayah and the liers-in-wait was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.

39 The men of Yisrayah turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Yisrayah about thirty persons. They said: Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

40 But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them. Behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

41 The men of Yisrayah turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw evil was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Yisrayah to the way of the wilderness. But the battle followed hard after them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the middle.

43 They inclosed the Benjamites round about, chased them, and trod them down at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 There fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valor.

45 They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. They gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and killed of them two thousand men.

46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword. All these were men of valor.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months.

48 The men of Yisrayah turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and killed them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, the cattle, and all they found. Moreover all the cities they found they set on fire.

Chapter 21

1 Now the men of Yisrayah swore in Mizpah, saying: There will not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin to wife.

2 The people came to Beth-el, sat there till even before Yahwah, lifted up their voices, and wept sore.

3 They said: O Yahwah, the Father of Yisrayah, why is this come to pass in Yisrayah, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Yisrayah?

4 It came to pass the next day, the people rose early, built an altar there, offered burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings.

5 The children of Yisrayah said: Who is there among all the tribes of Yisrayah that did not come up in the assembly to Yahwah? For they made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Yahwah to Mizpah, saying: He will surely be put to death.

6 The children of Yisrayah repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said: There is one tribe cut off from Yisrayah today.

7 What will we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we swore by Yahwah we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

8 They said: What one is there of the tribes of Yisrayah that did not come up to Yahwah to Mizpah? Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

9 The people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.

10 The congregation sent twelve thousand men there, of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying: Go, smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women, and the little ones.

11 This is the thing you will do. You will utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man.

12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, who did not know man by lying with him. They brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 The whole congregation sent, spoke to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

14 Benjamin returned at that time. They gave them the women they saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead. Yet it was not enough for them.

15 The people repented them for Benjamin, because Yahwah made a breach in the tribes of Yisrayah.

16 Then the elders of the congregation said: What will we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

17 They said: There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Yisrayah.

18 However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Yisrayah swore, saying: Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.

19 They said: Behold, there is a feast of Yahwah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

20 They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: Go, lie in wait in the vineyards.

21 Behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then you come out of the vineyards. Catch every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 It will be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them: Grant them graciously to us, because in battle we did not take a wife for each man of them, nor did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.

23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went, returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and dwelt in them.

24 The children of Yisrayah departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe, to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

25 In those days there was no king in Yisrayah. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.








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