Judges

After Israel entered into Promised Land and Joshua died,

• Israel did evil in sight of Lord and served Baalim and the Groves
• Israel forsook the Lord and their covenant and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
• God delivered them into hands of spoilers and sold them into hands of their enemies round about so they could no longer stand before their enemies
• after they would cry from oppression

Then God raised up Judges to deliver them out of their hands

• They would not listen to the judges but went whoring after the canaanite gods.
• The Lord was with the judges he raised up to deliver them out of hands of their enemies but every time they died, Israel reverted back and did worse than before.  Forsaking the covenant they made with God
• This angered God and therefore he left the canaanites there and no longer drove them out.
  • five lords of the Philistines,
  • and all the Canaanites,
  • and the Sidonians,
  • and the Hivites that dwelled in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon to the entering in of Hamath. 
• the children of Israel dwelled among
  • the Canaanites,
  • the Hittites,
  • and Amorites,
  • and Perizzites,
  • and Hivites,
  • and Jebusites: 
• And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

1st :  Othniel = “lion (force) of God”

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• After God sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim (“double-wicked Cushan”) king of Mesopotamia:
  • and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim 8 years.
• God raised up Othniel to deliver them
  • And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war:
  • and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand;
  • and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 
  • and they had peace for 40 years

Judges 8 : Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1And the men of Ephraim said to him,

Why have you served us thus, that you called us not, when you went to fight with the Midianites?

And they did chide with him sharply.

 2And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison of you?

Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

 3God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb:

and what was I able to do in comparison of you?

Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he,

and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them

And he said to the men of Succoth,

Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me;

for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 

And the princes of Succoth said,

Are the hands of Zebah (“deprived of protection”, sacrifice) and Zalmunna (“”deprived of protection”, shade has been denied) now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?

And Gideon said,

Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand,

then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 

And he went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them likewise:

and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 

And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying,

When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Penuel or Peniel = “facing God”

פְּנוּאֵל Pᵉnûwʼêl, pen-oo-ale’; or (more properly,) פְּנִיאֵל Pᵉnîyʼêl; 9 in 8 

• from H6437 and H410;
• face of God;
• Penuel or Peniel, a place East of Jordan;
• also (as Penuel) the name of two Israelites:—Peniel, Penuel.
• son of Hur, father of Gedor, and a descendant of Judah
• a Benjamite, son of Shashak, brother of Iphedeiah of the family of Saul
• Genesis 32:30-31 KJV – 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:[H6439] for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel[H6439] the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

Tower מִגְדָּל migdâl, mig-dawl’; also (in plural) feminine מִגְדָּלָה migdâlâh; 50 in 50

• a tower (from its size or height);
• by analogy, a rostrum;
• figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers:
• —castle, flower, tower.
• elevated stage, pulpit
• from H1431;

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor( “foundation”, soft-level ground), and their hosts with them, about 15,000 men,

all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east:

for there fell an 120,000 men that drew sword. 

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelled in tents on the east of Nobah (“barking”) and Jogbehah, ( “lofty”)

and smote the host; for the host was secure. 

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian,

Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 

And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him:

and he described to him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even the 77 men.

And he came to the men of Succoth, and said,

Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you did upbraid me, saying,

Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men that are weary? 

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

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna,

What manner of men were they whom you slew at Tabor?

And they answered,

As you are, so were they;

each one resembled the children of a king. 

And he said,

They were my brothers, even the sons of my mother:

as the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive,

I would not slay you. 

And he said to Jether(“abundance”, cord, residue, something hanging over, redundant) his firstborn,

Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword:

for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said,

Rise you, and fall on us:

for as the man is, so is his strength.

And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna,

and took away the ornaments (שַׂהֲרֹן sahărôn  moon, crescent) that were on their camels’ necks. 

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon,

Rule you over us, both you, and your son, and your son’s son also:

for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian. 

And Gideon said to them,

I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you:

the LORD shall rule over you. 

And Gideon said to them,

I would desire a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of his prey.

(For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 

And they answered,

We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 

And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a 1,700 shekels of gold;

beside ornaments, and collars (a pendant for the ears), and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian,

and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah:

ד ʼêphôwd, ay-fode’; rarely אֵפֹד ʼêphôd; probably of foreign derivation a girdle; 49 in 39

• specifically the ephod or highpriest’s shoulder-piece;
• also generally, an image:—ephod.
• priestly garment, shoulder-cape or mantle, outer garment
• worn by the high priest – more costly, woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and linen threads provided with shoulder-pieces and a breast piece of like material, ornamented with gems and gold 

and all Israel went thither a whoring after it:

which thing became a snare to Gideon, and to his house. 

 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more.

And the country was in quietness 40 years in the days of Gideon.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelled in his own house. 

And Gideon had 70 sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again,

and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 

Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed to Israel.

Judges 9 : Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are 70 persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.3And his mother’s brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4And they gave him 70 pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. 5And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being 70 persons, on one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo (“mound”), and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain [H436] of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 

Those who stood on Gerezim to Bless were the sons of Rachel and Leah

Jotham was son of Gideon who was from tribe of Manassah who actually cursed on Gerezim

      Those who stood on Ebal to Curse were the sons of their handmaids

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us. 

But the olive tree said to them,

Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the trees said to the fig tree,

Come you, and reign over us. 

But the fig tree said to them,

Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said the trees to the vine,

Come you, and reign over us. 

And the vine said to them,

Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 

Then said all the trees to the bramble,

Come you, and reign over us. 

And the bramble said to the trees,

If in truth you anoint me king over you,

then come and put your trust in my shadow:

and if not,

let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

[h329] bramble, thorn, buckthorn  אָטָד ʼâṭâd, aw-tawd’;  6 in 5

• from an unused root probably meaning to pierce or make fast;
• a thorn-tree (especially the buckthorn):—Atad, bramble, thorn.
• the threshing Atad, meaning thorn, also called Abelmizraim and afterwards called Bethhogla was located on the west of Jordan between the Jordan and Jericho
• where they mourned Jacob after his death
• (only other use)

Psalm 58 : God Judges the Earth

1Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men? 2Yes, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. 4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear; 5Which will not listen to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. 6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. 7Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. 8As a snail which melts, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9Before your pots can feel the thorns [h329], he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. 10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11So that a man shall say, Truly there is a reward for the righteous: truly he is a God that judges in the earth.

Now therefore,

if you have done truly and sincerely,

in that you have made Abimelech king,

and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands;

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

And you are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, 70 persons, on one stone,

and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) 

If you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day,

then rejoice you in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech,

and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo;

and let fire come out from the men of Shechem,

and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 

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

When Abimelech had reigned 3 years over Israel, 

Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem;

and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 

That the cruelty done to the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come,

and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, which slew them;

and on the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brothers. 

And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains,

and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

And Gaal (“loathing”) the son of Ebed (“servant”) came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem:

and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 

And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards,

and stepped the grapes, and made merry,

and went into the house of their god,

and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 

And Gaal the son of Ebed said,

Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him?

is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul(“exalted” dwelling, habitation) his officer?

serve the men of Hamor (“he-ass”) the father of Shechem:

for why should we serve him? 

And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech.

And he said to Abimelech, Increase your army, and come out.

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

And he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying,

Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers be come to Shechem;

and, behold, they fortify the city against you. 

Now therefore up by night, you and the people that is with you, and lie in wait in the field: 

And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and set on the city:

and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against you,

then may you do to them as you shall find occasion. 

34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in 4 companies. 

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city:

and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,

Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains.

And Zebul said to him,

You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 

And Gaal spoke again, and said,

See there come people down by the middle of the land,

and another company come along by the plain [H436] of Meonenim.

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“The Oak of Meonenim” :: “The oak of the magicians”

• Meonenim   [H6049]    עָנַן ʻânan, aw-nan’; a primitive root;  11 in 11
  • to cover; used only as a denominative from H6051,
  • to cloud over;
  • figuratively,
    • to act covertly,
    • i.e. practise magic:
  • —× bring, enchanter, Meonemin,
  • observe(-r of) times,
  • soothsayer, sorcerer.
  • hidden arts 

Then said Zebul to him,

Where is now your mouth, with which you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?

is not this the people that you have despised?

go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

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

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even to the entering of the gate.

And Abimelech dwelled at Arumah: (“I shall be exalted”)

and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 

And he took the people, and divided them into 3 companies, and laid wait in the field,

and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. 

And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city:

and the 2 other companies ran on all the people that were in the fields, and slew them. 

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day;

and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that,

they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. (“lord of the covenant”) 

And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

And Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon,

Zalmon = “shady” צַלְמוֹן Tsalmôwn, tsal-mone’; a wooded hill in Samaria near Shechem

• shady; Tsalmon, the name of a place in Palestine and of an Israelite:—Zalmon.

Psalm 68 ; Let God’s Enemies Be Scattered!

13Though you have lien among the pots, yet shall you be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. 14When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon. 15The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. 16Why leap you, you high hills? this is the hill which God desires to dwell in; yes, the LORD will dwell in it for ever. 17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. 18You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive: you have received gifts for men; yes, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. 19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. 20He that is our God is the God of salvation; and to GOD the Lord belong the issues from death. 21But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goes on still in his trespasses. 22The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: 23That your foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies, and the tongue of your dogs in the same. 24They have seen your goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. 25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with tambourines. 26Bless you God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

from H6754;  צֶלֶם tselem, tseh’-lem; 17 in 17

• from an unused root meaning to shade;
• a phantom,
• i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance;
• hence, a representative figure, especially an idol:—image, vain shew.
• 1 Samuel 6:5, 11 KJV – 5 Wherefore ye shall make images[H6754] of your emerods, and images[H6754] of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. … 11 And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images[H6754] of their emerods.
  2 Kings 11:18 KJV – 18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images[H6754] brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
  Psalm 73:20 KJV – 20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.[H6754]
  Ezekiel 7:20 KJV – 20 As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images[H6754] of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
  Ezekiel 16:17 KJV – 17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images[H6754] of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
  Ezekiel 23:14 KJV – 14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images[H6754] of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,
  Amos 5:26 KJV – 26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images,[H6754] the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

he and all the people that were with him;

and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees,

and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people that were with him,

What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 

And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech,

and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire on them;

so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a 1,000 men and women. 

Then went Abimelech to Thebez (Tebets = “conspicuous”, brightness), and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 

But there was a strong tower within the city,

and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and got them up to the top of the tower. 

And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it,

and went hard to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 

And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone on Abimelech’s head, and all to broke his skull. 

Millstone  רֶכֶב rekeb, reh’-keb; from H7392;

• a vehicle; by implication, a team;
• by extension, cavalry;
• by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper millstone:
• —chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the margin), wagon.
• Isaiah 21:9 KJV – 9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot[H7393] of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
  Jeremiah 17:25 KJV – 25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots[H7393] and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.
  Jeremiah 51:21 KJV – 21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot[H7393] and his rider;
  Ezekiel 26:7 KJV – 7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots,[H7393] and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
  Daniel 11:40 KJV – 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots,[H7393] and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
• Zechariah 9:10 KJV – 10 And I will cut off the chariot[H7393] from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Skull  גֻּלְגֹּלֶת gulgôleth, gul-go’-leth; 13 in 12

• a skull (as round);
• by implication, a head (in enumeration of persons):
• —head, every man, poll, skull.
• by reduplication from H1556;
• גָּלַל gâlal, gaw-lal’; a primitive root; 18 in 18
  • to roll (literally or figuratively):
  • —commit, remove, roll (away, down, together), run down, seek occasion, trust, wallow.  

Genesis 29:10 KJV – 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled[H1556] the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
Joshua 5:9 KJV – 9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away[H1556] the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
Joshua 10:18 KJV – 18 And Joshua said, Roll[H1556] great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
1 Samuel 14:33 KJV – 33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll[H1556] a great stone unto me this day.
Proverbs 16:3 KJV – 3 Commit[H1556] thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Proverbs 26:27 KJV – 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth[H1556] a stone, it will return upon him.
Isaiah 34:4 KJV – 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together[H1556] as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Jeremiah 51:25 KJV – 25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down[H1556] from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
Amos 5:24 KJV – 24 But let judgment run down[H1556] as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him,

Draw your sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him.

And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

Jotham’s Curse Fulfilled

56Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his 70 brothers: 57And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. 

Judges 1

War against Remaining Canaanites

1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? 2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. 3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek 10,000 men.
5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7 And Adonibezek said, 70 kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their meat] under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

Jerusalem and Hebron Captured

8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 14 And it came to pass, when she came [to him], that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off [her] ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? 15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. 16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which [lieth] in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof. 19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. 21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD [was] with them. 23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before [was] Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. 25 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family. 26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which [is] the name thereof unto this day.

Places Not Conquered

27 Neither did Manasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. 29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. 31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them. 34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries. 36 And the coast of the Amorites [was] from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

Judges 2

Israel Rebuked at Bochim

1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal( “a wheel, rolling”) to Bochim(“weeping”), and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

The Death of Joshua

5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. 6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun (“fish” or “posterity”, (30/30)), the servant of the LORD, died, [being] an 110 years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash ( “quaking”, “shaking”, “earthquake”.

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth(“star”). 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

Judges Raised Up

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so. 18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that] they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. 20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; 21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: 22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not. 23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Judges 3

Nations Left to Test Israel

1 Now these [are] the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3 [Namely], 5 lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites , and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Othniel

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim 8 years.

9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 11 And the land had rest 40 years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud Delivers the Israelites

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab 18 years. 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon [was] a very fat man. 18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of [his] seat. 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. 24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened [them]: and, behold, their lord [was] fallen down dead on the earth. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about 10,000 men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest 80 years.

Shamgar

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines 600 men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

Judges 4

Deborah and Barak

1And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelled in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3And the children of Israel cried to the LORD: for he had 900 chariots of iron; and 20 years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5And she dwelled under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said to him, Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with you 10000 men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7And I will draw to you to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand. 8And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go: but if you will not go with me, then I will not go. 9And she said, I will surely go with you: notwithstanding the journey that you take shall not be for your honor; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent to the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

12And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 900 chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river of Kishon. 14And Deborah said to Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand: is not the LORD gone out before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and 10,000 men after him. 15And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell on the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

Jael Kills Sisera

17However, Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20Again he said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? that you shall say, No. 21Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Judges 5

The Song of Deborah and Barak

(Deuteronomy 32:1-47)

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

2For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.

3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

4Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.

5The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.

7The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

8They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among 40,000 in Israel?

9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.

10Tell of it , ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that walk by the way.

11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

13Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.

14Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal’s staff.

15And 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.

16Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

17Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.

18Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

20From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.

24Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25He asked water, and’she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head; Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; At her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28Through 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?

29Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned answer to herself,

30Have they not found, have they not divided 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?

31So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

Judges 6

Midian Oppresses Israel

1And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian 7 years.2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; 4and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5For 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. 6And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah.

7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah because of Midian, 8that Jehovah sent a prophet unto the children of Israel: and he said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10and I said unto you, I am Jehovah your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.

The Call of Gideon

11And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 13And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. 14And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? 15And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16And Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

Gideon’s Offering Consumed with Fire

17And he said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. 18Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 20And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight. 22And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. 23And Jehovah said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Gideon Destroys Baal’s Altar

24Then Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Take thy father’s bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; 26and build an altar unto Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down. 27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken unto him: and 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, that he did it by night.

28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. 30Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it.31And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar. 32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he hath broken down his altar.

Gideon’s Army

33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. 34But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him. 35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

The Signs of the Fleece

36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken. 38And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Judges 7

Gideon’s Army of Three Hundred

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

2And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people 22,000; and there remained 10,000.

4And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the 300 men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place. 8So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

Gideon’s Dream

9And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp: 11and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp. 12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude. 13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. 14And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.

Gideon Defeats Midian

15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. 16And he divided the 300 men into 3 companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.18When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.

19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. 20And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon. 21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight. 22And they blew the 300 trumpets, and Jehovah set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. 25And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

Judges 8

Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him sharply. 2And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the 300 men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. 6And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about 15,000 men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a 120,000 men that drew sword. 11And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure. 12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

13And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres. 14And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 77 men. 15And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17And he brake down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. 19And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother: as Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

22Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian. 23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you.24And Gideon said unto them, I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil. 26And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a 1,700’shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels necks.27And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel played the harlot after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Forty Years of Peace

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

29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30And Gideon had 70 sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives. 31And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

Gideon’s Death

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

33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. 34And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.

Judges 9

Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are 70 persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.3And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

7And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. 9But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 10And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 12And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

16Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands; 17(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother); 19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Gaal Conspires with the Shechemites

22And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. 23And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 24that the violence done to the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. 25And 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: and it was told Abimelech.

26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes , and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 29And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

30And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee. 32Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.

Abimelech Sows the City with Salt

34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment. 36And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 37And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh by the way of the oak of Meonenim. 38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them. 39And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate. 41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; And he rose up against them, and smote them. 44And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the 2 companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them. 45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. 47And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a 1000 men and women.

A Millstone Dropped on Abimelech

50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower. 52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull. 54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

Jotham’s Curse Fulfilled

56Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; 57and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Sword

• חֶרֶב chereb, kheh’-reb; from H2717-2719; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement:—axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.
• which occurs 413 times in 372 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the KJV
• [Gen 3:24 KJV] 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword[H2719] which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  [Gen 27:40 KJV] 40 And by thy sword[H2719] shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Judges 10

 Tola Leads Israel

1And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim. 2And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair Leads Israel

3And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty and two years. 4And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.

Philistine and Ammonite Oppression

6And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not. 7And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon. 8And they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year:  18 years oppressed they all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

10And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim. 11And Jehovah said unto the children of Israel, Did not I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 12The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried unto me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will save you no more. 14Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress. 15And the children of Israel said unto Jehovah, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; only deliver us, we pray thee, this day. 16And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

17Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. 18And 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 shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Judges 11

 Jephthah Delivers Israel

1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. 2And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of another woman. 3Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him.

4And it came to pass after a while, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 5And it was so, that, when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob; 6and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. 7And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 8And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore are we turned again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon; and thou shalt be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 9And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I be your head? 10And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Jehovah shall be witness between us; surely according to thy word so will we do. 11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spake all his words before Jehovah in Mizpah.

12And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land? 13And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 14And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon; 15and he said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon, 16but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh; 17then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 18Then 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 encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place. 20But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21And Jehovah, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22And they possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan. 23So now Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess them? 24Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from before us, them will we possess. 25And now art thou anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 26While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, 300 years; wherefore did ye not recover them within that time? 27I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. 28Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

29Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. 30And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, 31then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering. 32So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah delivered them into his hand. 33And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back. 36And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon. 37And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions. 38And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 39And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man. And it was a custom in Israel, 40that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Judges 12

 Jephthah Defeats Ephraim

1And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire. 2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand. 3And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? 4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh. 5And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 6then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim 42,000.

7And Jephthah judged Israel 6 years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

8And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel. 9And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel 7 years. 10And Ibzan died, and was buried at Beth-lehem.

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

13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14And he had 40 sons and 30 sons’sons, that rode on 70 ass colts: and he judged Israel 8 years. 15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.

Judges 13

 The Birth of Samson

1And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: 7but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.

8Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 11And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and how’shall we do unto him? 13And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.

15And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee. 16And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah. 17And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor? 18And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? 19So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21But the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah. 22And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23But his wife said unto him, If Jehovah 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.

24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. 25And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 14

 Samson’s Marriage

1And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well. 4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. 7And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

Samson’s Riddle

8And 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. 9And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

10So his father went down to the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you: if you can certainly declare it me within the 7 days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you 30 sheets and 30 change of garments: 13But if you cannot declare it me, then shall you give me 30 sheets and 30 change of garments. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.

14And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in 3 days expound the riddle.

15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson’s wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire: have you called us to take that we have? is it not so? 16And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and love me not: you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and have not told it me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it you? 17And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore on him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

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

19And the Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew 30 men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments to them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house. 20But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Judges 15

 Samson Denied his Wife

1But it came to pass within a while after, 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. 2And her father said, I truly thought that you had utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray you, instead of her.

Samson Defeats the Philistines

3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 4And Samson went and caught 300 foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the middle between 2 tails. 5And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. 6Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered, Samson, 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. 7And Samson said to them, Though you have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 8And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelled in the top of the rock Etam.

9Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 10And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he has done to us. 11Then 3000 men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Know you not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that you have done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them. 12And they said to him, We are come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me, that you will not fall on me yourselves. 13And they spoke to him, saying, No; but we will bind you fast, and deliver you into their hand: but surely we will not kill you. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

14And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and the cords that were on his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps on heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a 1000 men.

17And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi. 18And he was sore thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? 19But God split an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water out of there; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: why he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. 20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Judges 16

 Samson Escapes Gaza

1Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in to her. 2And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come here. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

4And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give you every one of us 1100 pieces of silver. 6And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you. 7And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green thongs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her 7 green thongs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said to him, The Philistines be on you, Samson. And he broke the thongs, as a thread of wick is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

10And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray you, with which you might be bound.11And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 12Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, The Philistines be on you, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

13And Delilah said to Samson, Till now you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me with which you might be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web. 14And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines be on you, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

Delilah Discovers the Secret

15And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me wherein your great strength lies. 16And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed to death; 17That he told her all his heart, and said to her, There has not come a razor on my head; for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought money in their hand. 19And she made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20And she said, The Philistines be on you, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he knew not that the LORD was departed from him. 21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 22However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Samson’s Vengeance and Death

23Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. 26And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean on them. 27Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about 3000 men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28And Samson called to the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my 2 eyes. 29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial plot of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Judges 17

 Micah’s Idolatry

1And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2And he said to his mother, The 1100 shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you of the LORD, my son. 3And when he had restored the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you. 4Yet he restored the money to his mother; and his mother took 200 shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9And Micah said to him, From where come you? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you 10 shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So the Levite went in. 11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

Judges 18

 The Danites Settle in Laish

1In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day all their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel. 2And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought you here? and what make you in this place? and what have you here? 4And he said to them, Thus and thus deals Micah with me, and has hired me, and I am his priest. 5And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein you go.

7Then the 5 men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelled careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 8And they came to their brothers to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brothers said to them, What say you? 9And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are you still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10When you go, you shall come to a people secure, and to a large land: for God has given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.

11And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, 600 men appointed with weapons of war.12And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: why they called that place Mahanehdan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. 13And they passed there to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

Danites Take Micah’s Idols

14Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said to their brothers, Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what you have to do. 15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and saluted him. 16And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17And the 5 men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the 600 men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest to them, What do you?19And they said to him, Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel? 20And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the middle of the people.

21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 22And 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. 23And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What ails you, that you come with such a company? 24And he said, You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that you say to me, What ails you? 25And the children of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household. 26And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came to Laish, to a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelled therein.29And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: however, the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Judges 19

 The Levite and his Concubine

1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah. 2And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there 4 whole months. 3And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly to her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he stayed with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. 5And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said to his son in law, Comfort your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way. 6And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said to the man, Be content, I pray you, and tarry all night, and let your heart be merry. 7And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel’s father said, Comfort your heart, I pray you. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 9And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said to him, Behold, now 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; and to morrow get you early on your way, that you may go home.

10But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. 11And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray you, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12And his master said to him, We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. 13And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. 14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them when they were by Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

16And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Where go you? and from where come you? 18And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from there am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receives me to house. 19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man which is with your servants: there is no want of any thing. 20And the old man said, Peace be with you; howsoever let all your wants lie on me; only lodge not in the street. 21So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

Gibeah’s Crime

22Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and 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.23And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brothers, no, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly. 24Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble you them, and do with them what seems good to you: but to this man do not so vile a thing. 25But the men would not listen to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.

27And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. 28And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up on an ass, and the man rose up, and got him to his place. 29And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 30And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

Judges 20

 The Decree of the Assembly

1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to the LORD in Mizpeh. 2And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 footmen that drew sword. 3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about on me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.6And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7Behold, you are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8And 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 into his house. 9But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 10And we will take 10 men of an 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an 100 of a 1000, and a 1000 out of 10,000, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have worked in Israel. 11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers the children of Israel. 14But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities 26,000 men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered 700 chosen men. 16Among all this people there were 700 chosen men left handed; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered 400,000 men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

Civil War against Benjamin

(2 Samuel 2:12-32; 2 Chronicles 13:4-19; Matthew 13:33-33; Luke 13:20-21)

18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day 22000 men. 22And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

Defeat of the Benjamites

24And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again 18000 men; all these drew the sword.26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into your hand.

29And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. 30And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about 30 men of Israel. 32And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city to the highways. 33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34And there came against Gibeah 10000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 35And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25100 men: all these drew the sword.

36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted to the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. 37And the liers in wait hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. 38Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. 39And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about 30 persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. 40But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. 41And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come on them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the middle of them. 43Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and stepped them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sun rise. 44And there fell of Benjamin 18000 men; all these were men of valor. 45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways 5000 men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew 2000 men of them. 46So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were 25000 men that drew the sword; all these were men of valor. 47But 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon, and stayed in the rock Rimmon 4 months. 48And the men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

Judges 21

Mourning the Tribe of Benjamin

1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin to wife. 2And the people came to the house of God, and stayed there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation to the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

Provision for Benjamin’s Survival

8And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly. 9For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there. 10And the congregation sent thither 12000 men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. 11And this is the thing that you shall do, You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that has lain by man. 12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead 400 young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably to them.14And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. 15And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? 17And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.18However, we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife to Benjamin.

19Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come you out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, Be favorable to them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for you did not give to them at this time, that you should be guilty. 23And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned to their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelled in them. 24And the children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Oak אָ֫יִל – a ram, terebinth, rams’ skins dyed red, mighty man, oak

Diviners- anan, witchcraft, soothsaying

Benjamin- son of the right hand

Anak עֲנָק– long-necked (tall) men, early giant people

• SheShay שֵׁשַׁי- an israelite with a foreign wife
• Achiman  אֲחִימַן – brother
• Talmai תַּלְמָי – plowman

Amorites – Mountain dwellers

Kenites – metal and copper workers

Descendants of Esau (who was red and hairy/sold his birthright) – twin

• Amelikites
• Edomites

Descendants of Lot (born from incest with daughters)

• Ammonites
• Moabites

David – dod (Department of Defense)

dodo- sun god worshipped in babylon by israelites

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