Death of Abimelech. JUDGES. The Israelites oppressed. 46 And when all the men of the tower again in the sight of the LORD, and served of Shechem heard that, they entered into Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of an hold of the house of the god Berith. Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the 47 And it was told Abimelech, that all gods of Moab, and the gods of the children the men of the tower of Shechem were of Ammon, and the gods of the Philisgathered together. tines, and forsook the LORD, and served 48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount not him. Zalmon, he and all the people that were 7 And the anger of the LORD was hot with him; and Abimelech took an ax in against Israel, and he sold them into the his hand, and cut down a bough from the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoul- of the children of Ammon. der, and said unto the people that were with 8 And that year they vexed and oppresshim, What ye have seen me do, make haste, ed the children of Israel eighteen years, and do as I have done. all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the 9 Moreover, the children of Ammon hold on fire upon them: so that all the passed over Jordan, to fight also against men of the tower of Shechem died also, Judah, and against Benjamin, and against about a thousand men and women. the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was 50 Then went Abimelech to The-sore distressed. bez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned 51 But there was a strong tower within against thee, both because we have forthe city, and thither fled all the men and saken our God, and also served Baalim. women, and all they of the city, and shut 11 And the LORD said unto the children it to them, and gat them up to the top of of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the the tower. Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, the children of Ammon, and from the Phiand fought against it, and went hard unto listines? the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to break his skull. 12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. 54 Then he called hastily unto the 13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served young man his armour-bearer, and said other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, more. that men say not of me, A woman slew 14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye him. And his young man thrust him have chosen; let them deliver you in the through, and he died. time of your tribulation. 55 And when the men of Israel saw 15 And the children of Israel said that Abimelech was dead, they departed unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou every man unto his place. unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto 56 Thus God rendered the wickedness thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, day. in slaying his seventy brethren: 16 And they put away the strange gods 57 And all the evil of the men of She- from among them, and served the LORD: chem did God render upon their heads: and his soul was grieved for the misery of and upon them came the curse of Jotham Israel. the son of Jerubbaal. CHAP. X. 17 ¶ Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in GiND after Abimelech there arose to de- lead. And the children of Israel assem A Vender Abroathe there a Puah, the bled themselves together, and encamped in son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he Mizpeh. dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. 18 And the people and princes of Gi2 And he judged Israel twenty and three lead said one to another, What man is he years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. that will begin to fight against the children 3 ¶ And after him arose Jair, a Gilead- of Ammon? he shall be head over all the ite, and judged Israel twenty and two inhabitants of Gilead. years.. CHAP. XI. 4 And he had thirty sons that rode on OW thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a NOW cities, mighty man of valour, and he was which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, the son of an harlot and Gilead begat which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died, and was buried in Ca mon. Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out 6 ¶ And the children of Israel did evil Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt Jephthah is chosen captain. His rash vow. CHAP. XI. not inherit in our father's house; for thou 18 Then they went along through the art the son of a strange woman. wilderness, and compassed the land of 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there the east side of the land of Moab, and pitchwere gathered vain men to Jephthah, and ed on the other side of Arnon, but came went out with him. not within the border of Moab: for Arnon 4. And it came to pass in process of was the border of Moab. time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of 5 And it was so, that when the children Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us of Ammon made war against Israel, the pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah my place. out of the land of Tob: 20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass 6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, through his coast: but Sihon gathered all and be our captain, that we may fight with his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, the children of Ammon. and fought against Israel." 7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of 21 And the LORD God of Israel deliverGilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me ed Sihon and all his people into the hand out of my father's house? and why are ye of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel come unto me now when ye are in dis- possessed all the land of the Amorites, the tress? inhabitants of that country. 8 And the elders of Gilead said unto 22 And they possessed all the coasts of Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabnow, that thou mayest go with us, and fight bok, and from the wilderness even unto against the children of Ammon, and be Jordan. our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath 9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of dispossessed the Amorites from before his Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight people Israel, and shouldest thou possess against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? it? 24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? 10 And the elders of Gilead said unto So whomsoever the LORD our God shall Jephthah, The LORD be witness between drive out from before us, them will we posus, if we do not so according to thy words. sess. Mizpeh. 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders 25 And now art thou any thing better of Gilead, and the people made him head than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moand captain over them and Jephthah ab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did uttered all his words before the LORD in he ever fight against them, 26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and 12¶ And Jephthah sent messengers her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and unto the king of the children of Ammon, in all the cities that be along by the coasts saying, what hast thou to do with me, that of Arnon, three hundred years? why therethou art come against me to fight in my fore did ye not recover them within that land? time? 13 And the king of the children of Am- 27 Wherefore I have not sinned against mon answered unto the messengers of thee, but thou doest me wrong to war Jephthah, Because Israel took away my against me: the LORD the Judge be judge land, when they came up out of Egypt, this day between the children of Israel and from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto the children of Ammon. Jordan: now therefore restore those lands 28 Howbeit, the king of the children of again peaceably. Ammon hearkened not unto the words of 14 And Jephthah sent messengers again Jephthah which he sent him. unto the king of the children of Ammon: 29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came 15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jeph-upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, thah, Israel took not away the land of and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Moab, nor the land of the children of Am- Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. mon: 16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh ; 30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine 17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the hands, king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray 31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever thee, pass through thy land: but the king cometh forth of the doors of my house to of Edom would not hearken thereto. And meet me, when I return in peace from the in like manner they sent unto the king of children of Ammon, shall surely be the Moab; but he would not consent. And LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burntIsrael abode in Kadesh. offering. The Ephraimites slain. JUDGES. Manoah's wife sees an angel. 32 ¶ So Jephthah passed over unto the im, because they said, Ye Gileadites are children of Ammon to fight against them: fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimand the LORD delivered them into his ites, and among the Manassites. 5 And the Gileadites took the passages hands. 33 And he smote them from Aroer even of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it till thou come to Minnith, even twenty ci- was so, that when those Ephraimites which ties, and unto the plain of the vineyards, were escaped, said, Let me go over; that with a very great slaughter. Thus the the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou children of Ammon were subdued before an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; the children of Israel. 6 Then said they unto him, Say now 34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he unto his house, and behold, his daughter could not frame to pronounce it right. Then came out to meet him with timbrels and they took him and slew him at the paswith dances: and she was his only child; sages of Jordan. And there fell at that time beside her he had neither son nor daugh- of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. ter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw 7¶ And Jephthah judged Israel six years: her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was my daughter! thou hast brought me very buried in one of the cities of Gilead. low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. 36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Am-| mon. 8 ¶ And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel. 9 And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons: and he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lehem. 11 ¶ And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Ajalon in the country of Zebulun. 37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. 13 ¶ And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. 38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. 39 And it came to pass at the end of two 15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pimonths, that she returned unto her father, rathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon who did with her according to his vow in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the which he had vowed: and she knew no Amalekites. man. And it was a custom in Israel, 40 That the daughters of Israel went CHAP. XIII. yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah AND the children of Israel did evil the Gileadite four days in a year. CHAP. XII. ND of Ephraim again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. of Zo A themselves together, and we gather tra2, "And there was a certain man, whose ward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore name was Manoah; and his wife was barpassedst thou over to fight against the chil- ren, and bare not. dren of Ammon, and didst not call us to go 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared with thee? we will burn thine house upon unto the woman, and said unto her, Bethee with fire. hold, now, thou art barren, and bearest 2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a my people were at great strife with the son. children of Ammon; and when I called 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. and drink not wine, nor strong drink, and 3 And when I saw that ye delivered me eat not any unclean thing: not, I put my life in my hands, and passed 5 For lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear over against the children of Ammon, and a son; and no razor shall come on his head : the LORD delivered them into my hand: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God wherefore then are ye come up unto me from the womb: and he shall begin to delithis day, to fight against me? ver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 Then Jephthah gathered together all 6 ¶ Then the woman came and told her the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephra- husband, saying, A man of God came unto im and the men of Gilead smote Ephra- me, and his countenance was like the coun Manoah's sacrifice. CHAP. XIV. Samson is born: kills a lion. tenance of an angel of God, very terrible :| 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We but I asked him not whence he was, neither shall surely die, because we have seen God. told he me his name: 23 But his wife said unto him, If the 7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now have received a burnt-offering and a meatdrink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat offering at our hands, neither would he any unclean thing: for the child shall be a have shewed us all these things, nor would Nazarite to God from the womb to the day as at this time have told us such things as of his death. these. 8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, 24 And the woman bare a son, and and said, O my Lord, let the man of God called his name Samson. And the child which thou didst send come again unto us, grew, and the LORD blessed him. and teach us what we shall do unto the 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began child that shall be born. to move him at times in the camp of Dan, 9 And God hearkened to the voice of between Zorah and Eshtaol. Manoah; and the angel of God came again CHAP. XIV. Samson went down to Timnath, unto the woman as she sat in the field: but AND saw a woman in Timnath of the Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 And the woman made haste, and ran, daughters of the Philistines. and shewed her husband, and said unto 2 And he came up, and told his father him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto and his mother, and said, I have seen a me, that came unto me the other day. woman in Timnath of the daughters of the 11 And Manoah arose, and went after Philistines: now therefore get her for me his wife, and came to the man, and said un- to wife. to him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among 12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words the daughters of thy brethren, or among come to pass. How shall we order the all my people, that thou goest to take a child, and how shall we do unto him? wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware. 1 4 But his father and his mother knew 14 She may not eat of any thing that not that it was of the LORD, that he sought cometh of the vine, neither let her drink an occasion against the Philistines: for at wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean that time the Philistines had dominion over thing: all that I commanded her let her Israel. observe. 5 Then went Samson down, and his 15 And Manoah said unto the angel father and his mother, to Timnath, and of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, came to the vineyards of Timnath and until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. behold, a young lion roared against him. 16 And the angel of the LORD said unto 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will mightily upon him, and he rent him as he not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer would have rent a kid, and he had nothing a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the in his hand: but he told not his father or LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was his mother what he had done. an angel of the LORD. 17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour? 18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? 7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. : 8 ¶ And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion and behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. 9 And he took thereof in his hands, and 19 So Manoah took a kid, with a meat- went on eating, and came to his father and offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the mother, and he gave them, and they did LORD; and the angel did wonderously, and eat: but he told not them that he had taken Manoah and his wife looked on. the honey out of the carcass of the lion. 20 For it came to pass, when the flame 10 So his father went down unto the went up toward heaven from off the altar, woman: and Samson made there a feast; that the angel of the LORD ascended in the for so used the young men to do. flame of the altar, and Manoah and his wife 11 And it came to pass, when they saw looked on it, and fell on their faces to the him, that they brought thirty companions ground. to be with him. 21 But the angel of the LORD did no 12 ¶ And Samson said unto them, I will more appear to Manoah and to his wife. now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can Then Manoah knew that he was an angel certainly declare it me within the seven of the LORD. days of the feast, and find it out, then I Samson's riddle. JUDGES. He burns the Philistines' corn. will give you thirty sheets and thirty of the Philistines, and burnt up both the change of garments : shocks, and also the standing corn, with 13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then the vineyards and olives. shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty 6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath change of garments. And they said unto done this? And they answered, Samson, him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. it. 14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 7 ¶ And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged 15 And it came to pass on the seventh of you, and after that I will cease. day, that they said to Samson's wife, En- 8 And he smote them hip and thigh with tice thy husband, that he may declare unto a great slaughter. And he went down and us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. father's house with fire: have ye called us. 9 Then the Philistines went up, and to take that we have? is it not so? pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in 16 And Samson's wife wept before him Lehi. and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest 10 And the men of Judah said, Why me not thou hast put forth a riddle unto are ye come up against us? And they anthe children of my people, and hast not swered, To bind Samson are we come up, told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, to do to him as he hath done to us. I have not told it my father nor my mother, 11 Then three thousand men of Judah and shall I tell it thee? went to the top of the rock Etam, and said 17 And she wept before him the seven to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Phidays, while their feast lasted: and it came listines are rulers over us? what is this to pass on the seventh day, that he told that thou hast done unto us? And he said her, because she lay sore upon him: and unto them, As they did unto me, so have I she told the riddle to the children of her done unto them. people. 12 And they said unto him, We are 18 Ard,the men of the city said unto him come down to bind thee, that we may deon the seventh day before the sun went liver thee into the hand of the Philistines. down, What is sweeter than honey? and And Samson said unto them, Swear unto what is stronger than a lion? And he said me, that ye will not fall upon me yourunto them, If ye had not ploughed with selves. my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. 13 And they spake unto him, saying, 19 And the Spirit of the LORD came No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, thee into their hand: but surely we will not and slew thirty men of them, and took their kill thee. And they bound him with two spoil, and gave change of garments unto new cords, and brought him up from the them which expounded the riddle. And rock. his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. UT it came to pass within a while af ter, in the time of wheat-harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 14 ¶ And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jaw-bone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16 And Samson said, With the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi. 18 And he was sore athirst, and called 3¶ And Samson said concerning them, on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given Now shall I be more blameless than the this great deliverance into the hand of thy Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. servant: and now shall I die for thirst, 4 And Samson went and caught three and fall into the hand of the uncircumhundred foxes, and took fire-brands, and cised? turned tail to tail, and put a fire-brand in the midst between two tails. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn 19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he |