JUDGES.

I. Now, after the decease of Joshua,the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us as our leader against the Chananites, to conduct the war against them?

2 And the Lord said, Juda shall go up. Behold I have delivered

3 the land into his hand. Whereupon Juda said to his brother Symeon, Come up with me in my lot, and let us array ourselves against the Chananites, and I will go up with thee in

4 thy lot. So Symeon went up with him. And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered into their hands the Chananites, and the Pherezites, and they smote them in Bezek, to the num-

5 ber of ten thousand men. When they came up with Adoni-" bezek, in Bezek, they drew up in array against him, and

' 6 smote the Chananites and the Pherezites. And Adonibezek

fled, and they pursued him, and took him, and cut off his

7 thumbs and his great toes. Whereupon Adonibezek said,

Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, have been under my table, gathering up the offals thereof; therefore as I have done, so hath God requited me : And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 (Now the children of Juda had fought against Jerusalem, and taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and

9 burned the city with fire ; And, after that, the children of Juda had gone down to wage war with the Chananites, who

10 inhabited the hilly country, and the south, and the plain. And when Juda went against the Chananites who dwelt in Chebron, (the name of which city formerly was Kariath-arbok-sepher,) Chebron came out against them ; and they smote Sessi, and Achiman, and Tholmi, descendants of Enak, and they went

11 up thence against the inhabitants of Dabir, (now the name of

12 Dabir formerly was Kariath-sepher [city of letters]) and Cha- leb said, whoever will smite the city of letters, and take it, I

13 will give him my daughter Ascha for a wife ; whereupon Go- thoniel, the younger son of Kenez, Chaleb's brother, took it,

14 and Chaleb gave him his daughter Ascha for a wife, and when she was going home to him, Gothoniel persuaded her to ask a field of her father: so she murmured, and with a loud voice said, as she was riding, Thou hast sent me away to the land of the south. And Chaleb said to her, What is the matter with

15 thee? And Ascha said to him, Give me, I beseech thee, a blessing. Since thou hast sent me away to the land of the south, thou shouldst therefore give me a portion of water. Thereupon Chaleb gave her according to her desire, a portion

16 of high lands, and a portion of low grounds. Now the children of Jothor, the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up from the city of palm trees, with the children of Juda, into the wilderness, which is in the south of Juda, at the steep of Arad, and dwelt with this tribe.)

17 Then Juda went with his brother Symeon, and smote the Chananites who dwelt in Sepheth, and utterly destroyed them,

18 and called the name of that city Anathema. Though Juda did not take possession of Gaza, nor the borders thereof, nor of Ascalon nor its borders, nor of Akkaron, nor its borders, nor

lp of Azotus, nor the grounds about it; yet the Lord was with him, and he took possession of the mountain, for they were not enabled to drive out the inhabitants of the vale, because

^

2O Rechab dissuaded them. Now when Chebron was given to Chaleb, as Moses had said, he had from thence taken possession of the three cities of the children of Enak. . .

521 Neither did the children of Benjamin dispossess the Jebu- sites, who dwelt at Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have continued to dwell at Jerusalem, with the children of Benjamin, to this day.

22 With regard to the children of Joseph, they went up to

23 Baithel, and the Lord was with them; and they encamped near, and kept a watch upon Baithel. (Now the name of that

24 city formerly was Louza.) And they who kept watch, looked, and behold a man came out of the city ; and they took him, and said to him, Shew us the way into the city, and we will

25 shew thee mercy. So he shewed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword: but

26 they suffered the man and his family to depart. And the man went to the land of Chettin, and built there a city, and called its name Louza, and this continueth to be it? name to this day.

27 But Manasses did not take Baithsan, [which is now called Scy- thopolis] nor its towns; nor the lands about it; nor Thanek, nor any of its towns; nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor any of its towns; nor the inhabitantsrof Balak, nor any of the habitations about it, nor its towns; nor the inhabitants of Magedo, nor any of the habitations around it, nor its towns; nor the inhabitants of Jeb- laam, nor any of its surrounding habitations, nor its towns;

28 So the Chananites took the opportunity to settle in that land ; but when Israel grew strong, they subjected the Chananites to

29 tribute, but did not utterly root them out. Neither did Ephra- im drive out the Chananites who dwelt in Gazer. So the Chananites dwelt among them in Gazer, and became tributaries.

30 Neither did Zabulon drive out the inhabitants of Kedron, nor the inhabitants of Domana; so the Chananites continued to dwell among them and became tributary to them.

31 Neither did Aser drive out the inhabitants of Akcho; but it became tributary to them; nor the inhabitants of Dor; nor the inhabitants of Sidon; nor the inhabitants of Dalaph; nor the Aschazites; nor the Chebdaites; nof the Naites; nor the Ereo-

32 ites. So Aser dwelt in the midst of the Chananites who inhabited that land, because he could not drive them out.

*

33 Neither did Nephthaleim drive out the inhabitants of Baith-

samys, nor the inhabitants of Baithanach. So Nephthaleim dwelt in the midst of the Chananites who inhabited that land. And the inhabitants of Baithsamys, and Baitheneth became tributary to them.

34 As for the children of Dan, the Amorites harassed them on the mountains, for they did not suffer them to go down into

35 the vale. And the Amorites began to settle on the shelly mountains, on that frequented by bears, and on that frequented by foxes, namely on Myrsinoni, and on Thalabin. But the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy on the Amorites, and they

36 became tributary to them. Now the border of the Amorites ^ reached from the steep of Akrabin, from that rock and upwards.

II. So there went up a messenger of the Lord from Galgal to Wailing, namely to Baithel, to the house of Israel, and said to them, Thus saith the Lord, I caused you to come up out of Egypt, and brought you into this land which I solemnly promised your fathers, and I said I will never break my covenant

2 with you; therefore you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land, nor worship their gods; but you shall break to pieces their graven images, and demolish their al-

3 tars. But you have not hearkened to my voice. Because you , have done these things, therefore I have said, I will not drive

them out from before you; but they shall be curbs for you ;

4 and their gods shall be to you a stumbling block. And when the messenger of the Lord had spoken these words to all the

5 children of Israel, the people wept aloud. So they called the name of that place, Wailing, and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

6 Now when Joshua had dismissed the people, and every

7 man had gone to his inheritance to take possession of the land, though the people servtd the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who had lived long with Joshua, and who knew all the great works which the Lord had done

8 for Israel; yet when Joshua son of Nave, the servant of the

9 Lord, died, at the age of a hundred and ten years, and they had buried him in the border of his inheritance at Thamnathares, on mount Ephraim, on the north side of mount Gaas; and all that generation was gathered to their fathers, and another

10 generation arose after them, who knew not the Lord, nor the

11 works which he had done for Israel, the children of Israel did

12 evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baalims. They forsook the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and went after other gods, after some of the gods of the nations around, and worshipped them,

13 and provoked the Lord to wrath. So when theyforsook him,

14 and served Baal, and the Astartees, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers, who spoiled them, and sold them into the hands of

15 their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken, and

16 as the Lord had solemnly denounced to them. But when he had afflicted them grievously, the Lord raised up Judges, and the Lord saved them out of the hands of those who spoiled

17 them. When they indeed hearkened not to the judges, because they went a whoring after other gods, and worshipped them, and turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers had walked—did not act in obedience to the commands of the

18 Lord; still because the Lord raised up judges for them, there- fore the Lord was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, because the Lord was mollified by their groaning, by reason of them who

19 oppressed them andafflictedthem. Butwhenthe judgedied, and they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, by going after other gods to serve them, and worship them, and would not quit their devices, nor their perverse ways, then was

20 the anger of the Lord kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this nation have forsaken my covenant, which I gave in charge

21 to their fathers, and have not hearkened to my voice, there- fore I will not henceforth drive out ffom before them a man of those nations which Joshua son of Nave left in the land.' '

22 He indeed had spared them, that by them he might prove Israel whether they would, or would not, keep the ways of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers had kept them: and having determined to spare those nations so as not to root them out speedily, the Lord did not deliver them into the hands of Joshua. III. Now these are the nations which the Lord spared to

2 prove Israel; with an intent moreover, in regard to all those who would be unacquainted with the wars of Chanaan, to instruct in the art of war, not only the present, but the succeed-

3 ing generations of the children of Israel, who knew not these things—namely the five Satrapies of the Philistines, and all the Chananites, and the Sidonians, and the Evites who inha-

4 bitcd Lib'anus from mount Aermon to Laboemath. But while he was by them proving Israel, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of the Lord, which he had given

5 in charge to their fathers by the hand of Moses, the children of Israel dwelt among the Chananites, and the Chettites, and the Amorites, and the Pherezites, and the Evites, and the Jebu-

6 sites, and they took their daughters to be their wives; and gave

7 their daughters to their sonsfand served their gods. Thus the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baalims and the bowers. And

8 the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Cousarsathaim, king of Syrian Meso-

9 potamia, and the children of Israel- served him eight years. But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, he raised up a saviour for them, and delivered them, namely Gothoniel the youngest son

10 of Kenez, Chalcb's brother. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war against Chou- sarsathaim, and the Lord delivered Chousarsathaim, king of

11 Syrian Mesopotamia, into his hands; and his hand prevailed against Chousarsathaim, and the land had rest. Forty years.

12 But when Gothoniel son of Kenez died, the children of Israel proceeded to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon,kingof Moab, against Israel, because they

13 did evil in the sight of the Lord; and he gathered to him all the Ammonites, and the Amalekites, and came and smote Is-

14 rael, and took possession of the city of palm trees; and the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, namely Aod son of Gera, the Jeminite, a man who

16 could use both hands alike. When the children of Israel sent presents by him to Eglon king of Moab, Aod made for himself a two edged dagger, a span long, and girded it under his military robe, on his right thigh, and went and presented the

18 gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very polite man. So when Aod had made an end of presenting the gifts, and had sent away the men who carried the presents, he him-

- self returned from the sculptures which are back of Galgal.

19 And Aod said, I have a private message to thee, O king.

20 Whereupon Eglon said to him, Be silent. And when he had sent away from him all his attendants, Aod went in to him. Now he was sitting alone in his summer parlour, up stairs. And Aod said, I have a message of God to thee, O king. Upon

21 which Eglon arose from his seat, near him. And as he was rising, Aod stretched forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and plunged it into his belly, and thrust

22 the haft in also after the blade, and the fat closed upon the

23 blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly. Then Aod went out by the stairs into the porch. He went out beyond the guards, having shut behind him the doors of the parlour,

24 and bolted them. And when he was gone, Eglon's servants came, but finding the doors of the parlour bolted, they said,

25 Perhaps he is uncovering his feet in the summer parlour. And when they had waited till they were ashamed, and behold the parlour door is not opened, they took the key and opened it,

26 and behold their lord was fallen—dead upon the floor! But Aod escaped while they were in confusion, and none attended to him; and having passed the sculptures he got safe to Setei-

27 rotha. And when Aod came to the land of Israel, he sounded a horn on mount Ephraim : and the children of Israel went

28 down with him from the mountain, and he before them. And he said to them, Follow me down, for the Lord God hath delivered our enemies—Moab into our hands. So they followed him down, and took possession of the fords of the Jordan before

29 Moab, and suffered not a man to pass. And they slew of Moab that day about ten thousand men, their whole strength, even

30 every man of valour. Not a man escaped. So Moab was humbled that day, under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest.

31 Eighty years. Now Aod judged them till he died. And after him arose Samegar, son of Dinach, who had slain of the Philistines s^x hundred men with an ox goad, and who also saved Israel.

Vol. i. Sf

IV. But the children of Israel proceeded again to do evil in

2 the sight of the Lord, when Aod was dead, and the Lord delivered Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Chanaan, who reigned in Asor. Now the captain general of his army was Si-

3 sara, and he dwelt at Arisoth of the nations. And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he oppressed Israel grievously, twenty years.

4 Now Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged

5 Israel at that time, and had taken her seat under the palm grove of Debbora, between Rama and Baithel, on mount Ephraim; and

6 the children of Israel went up to her for judgment. And Debbora sent for Barak, son of Abineem, of Kades-Nephthaleim, and said to him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded thee? Go therefore to mount Thabor, and take widi thee ten thousand men of the children of Nephthaleim, and of the chil-

7 dren of Zabulon, and I will bring out to thee, to the brook Kison, Sisara the captain general of Jabin's army, with his cha-

8 riots, andhismultitude, anddeliver him into thy hands. Whereupon Barak said to her, If thou wilt go with me I will go; but if thou wilt not go, I will not go: for I do not know the day

9 when the Lord would prosper the angel with me. And she said I will certainly go with thee; but know, that in the journey which thou takest, the honour of the victory will not be thine; for the Lord will deliver Sisara into the hands of a woman. So

10 Debbora arose, and went with Barak, of Kades. And Barak called out Zabulon and Nephthaleim from Kades, and there went up after him ten thousand men, and Debbora went up

11 with him. Now Chaber, the Kinite, had removed from Kaina, from among the children of Jobab, Moses' father in law, and had pitched his tent in the oak grove which is near Kades.

12 And when Sisara was told that Barak, son of Abineem, was

13 gone up to mount Thabor, he called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all his people with him, from Ari-

14 soth of the nations to the brook Kison. And Debbora said to Barak, Arise, for this is the day, on which the Lord hath delivered Sisara into thy hand; for the Lord will march before

15 thee. So Barak went down from mount Thabor with ten thousand men after him; And the Lord discomfited Sisara, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the. edge of the sword, be-

16 fore Barak. And Sisara alighted from his chariot and fled on foot. And Barak pursued the chariots, and the army, to Ari- soth of the nations. And the whole army of Sisara fell by the edge of the sword. There was not even a man left.

17 Now Sisara had fled, on foot, to the tent of Jael, the wife of Chaber the Kinite; for there was peace between Jabin king

18 of Asor, and the house of Chaber the Kinite. And Jael went out to meet Sisara, and said to him, Turn in my lord'; turn in to me. Be not afraid. So he turned in to her—into the tent;

19 and she covered him with a mantle. And Sisara said to her Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. Whereupon she opened the milk vessel, and gave him drink,

20 and then covered him. And Sisara said to her, Stand, I pray thee, at the door of the tent, and if any man come to thee and ask thee, saying, Is there a man here? thou shalt say, There is

21 not. Then Jael, the wife of Chaber, took the pin of the tent, and a mallet in her hand, and Avent in softly to him, and drove the pin into his temple, and it went through into the ground.

22 And he fainted away, and was involved in darkness. And when he was dead, behold Barak came in pursuit of Sisara. And Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. So he went in with her, and behold Sisara lay dead with the pin in his temples.

23 So God, on that day, subdued Jabin king of Chanaan before the children of Israel, and the hand of the Israelites prospered, and prevailed against Jabin king of Chanaan, until they utterly destroyed him.

V. Then sung Debbora, and Barak son of Abineem, on that day, saying,

Revelation was revealed in Israel
When the people offered thank offerings;
Praise ye the Lord.

3 Hear, O kings! and give ear, O princes!
I will sing to lam, to the Lord lam;

I will sing to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 O Lord! in thy march out of Seir,

When thou didst remove from the fields of Edom;
The earth trembled, and heaven distilled dew;
The clouds also distilled water.

5 The mountains shook at the presence of the Lord Eloi, That Sina, at the presence of the Lord God of Israel.

6 In the days of Samegar son of Anath—in the days of

Jael;

They forsook the high ways, and travelled in bye paths—
They travelled in crooked winding roads.

7 The mighty men of Israel were faint hearted;
They were faint hearted till Debbora arose—
Until there arose a mother in Israel.

8 They had chosen new gods;

Then was war made upon the cities of chiefs, if a buckler

was seen,
Or a spear among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart was fixed on what were enjoined Israel.
Ye among the people who offer thank offerings,
Praise ye the Lord.

10 Ye who have mounted your asses at noon day, Ye who sit in the seat of judgment,

Ye who travel the high ways to the publick assemblies,

11 Make proclamation on the road, on account of the voice

of them

Who shout amidst the drawers of water.
There let them rehearse gracious deliverances.
Increase, O Lord, gracious deliverances in Israel.
Then went the people of the Lord down to their cities.

12 Awake, awake, Debbora! Awake, awake, utter a

song.

Arise, Barak! And lead thy captivity captive, son of Abi- neem!

13 Then went down a remnant to the mighty—

The Lord's people went down to him with my valiant men.

14 Ephraim rooted out them in Amelek;
After thee was Benjamin with thy people;
With me went down the scouting Machirites,

And from Zabulon, they who array with the marshal's staff.

15 The leaders in Issachar also were with Debbora and Barak. Thns was Barak in the vales.

He had sent a courier to the factions of Reuben.
The bold hearted are just setting out.

16 Why did they tarry among their sheepfolds ? Was it to hear the bleating of their flocks?

For the divisions of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

17 Why abode Galaad beyond the Jordan where he dwelt? 'And why doth Dan sojourn in ships?

Aser seated himself on the sea shore,

And chuseth to dwell in his extreme borders.

18 The people of Zabulon jeoparded their lives to death; And Nephthaleim came to the high places of the field.

19 Kings had drawn themselves up in array. Then fought the kings of Chanaan at Thanach— At the waters of Mageddo;

They had not received the gift of silver.

20 The stars from heaven were drawn up in array— From their orbits they fought against Sisara.

21 The torrent of Kison swept them away—
The ancient torrent—the torrent Kison.
My mighty soul shall trample them down.

22 When the feet of the horse were entangled,
With precipitate speed, they who were able, fled.

23 Curse Meroz, said the messenger of the Lord,
Curse ye it bitterly.

Cursed be every one who dwelleth therein,
Because they came not to the help of the Lord—
To the help of the Lord among the mighty.

24 Blessed among women be Jael the wife of Chaber the

Kinite:
Above women in tents may she be blessed.

25 He asked for water; she gave him milk;
From her churning vessel she brought him whey.

26 She stretched forth her left hand to the tent pin;
And her right hand to the workman's mallet.
And with the mallet she smote Sisara.

She drove the pin into his head and smote him;
She drove the pin quite through his temples.

27 At her feet he had thrown himself down—
He prostrated himself, and fell asleep at her feet.
Throwing himself down, he had prostrated himself.

As he lay there he fell and finished his course.

28 . Through a window the mother of Sisara looked

earnestly;

Out of that of an archer she cried,
Why is his chariot so long a coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?

29 Her wise ladies answered her—

Nay she returned an answer to herself,

30 Shall they not find him dividing spoil ?

Will he shew compassion to the hecid of a man?

Sisara shall have spoils of richest dyes—

Spoils of richest dyes of needle work.

Rich dyes of embroidery are the spoils for his neck!

31 So perish all thine enemies, O Lord, But let them who love thee be like

The going forth of the Sun in his might.

32 So the land had rest. Forty years.

VI. Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Madiam seven years. And the hand of Madiam prevailed against Israel, so that because of Madiam, the Israelites made for themselves those dens which are in the mountains, and those caves

3 and strong holds in cliffs. And when the Israelites had sown, Madiam and Amelek came up, and the children of the east Came up with them, and encamped against them, and destroy-

4 ed their fruits, all the way to Gaza. In all the land of Israel they did not leave sustenance for life, nor among the herds

5 a bull or a jack ass. For they came up with cattle. And their tents were pitched like locusts for multitude: and they and their camels were innumerable. And they came into the land

6 of Israel, and wasted it; so that Israel was greatly impover-

7 ished by the Madianites. And when the children of Israel

8 cried to the Lord because of Madiam, the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, and he said to them, Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel. It was I who brought you up from

9 the land of Egypt. I brought you out of a house of your bondage, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all those who are afflicting you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you this their land, and said

10 to you, I the Lord am your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But you have not hearkened to my voice.

11 Then there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under the fir tree, which is at Ephratha, in the land of father Joas, the Esdrite. Now Gideon, his son, was beating out corn in the wine

12 press, widi an intent to flee from before Madiam. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, The Lord

13 is with thee—the Mighty Lord of Hosts. Whereupon Gideon said to him, With me, my lord! But if the Lord is with us, why have these evils befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works, of which our fathers have told us, saying, Hath not the Lord brought us up out of Egypt? But he hath now

14 cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Madiam. Then the angel of the Lord turned towards him and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shall save Israel out of the hand of Ma-

15 diam. Behold I have sent thee. Upon which Gideon said to him, Me, my lord! How can I save Israel? Behold my thousand is weak in Manasses; and I am the least in my father's

16 house. And the angel of the Lord said to him, The Lord will be with thee, and thou shalt smite Madiam like one man.

17 Whereupon Gideon said to him, If I have found favour in thy sight, and thou wilt now do for me all that thou hast said to me, go not away, I beseech thee, from this place till I come to

18 thee, and bring out the sacrifice, and set it before thee. And

19 he said, I will assuredly tarry till thou return. Thereupon Gideon went, and prepared a kid of the goats, and unleavened cakes of an epha of barley meal; and having put the flesh in a basket, and the soup in a pot, he brought them out to him un-

20 der "the fir tree, and set them before him. Then the angel of God said to him, Take the flesh, and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on that rock, and pour out the soup close by.

21 And when he had done so, the angel of the Lord stretched out the point of the staff in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and fire came up out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished out of his sight.

32 When Gideon saw that it was an angel of the Lord, he said, Alas! alas ! O Lord, mv lord ! For have I seen the an23 gel of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said to him, Peace

24 be to thee. Fear not. Thou shalt not die. Upon which Gideon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it, Peace of the Lard. To this day it is still at Ephratha, which belonged to fa-

25 ther Esdri. And on that same night the Lord said to him, Take the young bull—the bull belonging to thy father, the second bull of seven years old, and having demolished the altar of Baal which is for thy father, and destroyed the arbour near it, thou

26 shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God, on the top of Maozi, in the parade; and thou shalt take the second bull, and offer whole burnt offerings on the wood of the arbour which thou

27 hast demolished. So Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had spoken to him. But as he was afraid of doing it by day, because of his father's house, and the men of

28 the city, he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, and lo! the altar of Baal was pulled down, and the arbour near it destroyed, and they saw the second bull

29 which he had offered on the altar which he had built, they said one to another, Who hath done this ? And when they had made diligent inquiry, and found, and knew that Gideon son of Joas had done the deed, the men of the city said to Joas,

30 Bring out thy son, and let him be put to death, because he hath pulled down the altar of Baal, and because he hath destroyed

31 the arbour which was beside it. Whereupon Gideon son of Joas said to all the men who had risen up against him, Do you now plead for Baal, and will you save him? Whoever shall plead for Baal, let him be put to death this morning. If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because somebody hath pulled down

32 his altar. So this gave him on that day the name of Jerobaal, as he said, Let Baal plead for himself, because this altar of his is pulled down.

33 Now all Madiam, and Amalek, and the children of the east, had assembled together and encamped in tlie valley of Jesrael.

34 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he sounded

35 a horn, and called out Abiezer after him. He also sent messengers to all Manasses, and through Aser, and through Za-

36 bulon, and through Nephthaleim. And when they came up to

37 meet him, Gideon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, behold I lay this fleece of wool on

the threshing floor; If there be dew on this fleece only, and all the ground be dry, then I shall know that thou wilt save Israel

38 by my hand as thou hast spoken. This was accordingly done. And when he arose early the next morning he pressed the fleece, and wringed out the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of

39 water. Then Gideon said to God, Let not, I beseech thee, thy anger be kindled against me: let me, I pray thee, make one trial more with the fleece; and let it be dry on the fleece only,

40 and on all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

VII. Then Jerobaal (the same is Gideon) arose early in the

, morning, and all the people with him, and they encamped by

the well Arad. Now the camp of Madiam was to the north of

2 him, at the foot of Gabaathamorai, in the valley. And the Lord said to Gideon, The people with thee are too numerous for me to deliver Madiam into their hands. Perhaps they may boast

3 against me saying, My own hand hath saved me. Now therefore speak in the hearing of the people, and say, If any man is fearful, or timorous, let him depart from mount Galaad. So there returned of the people twenty two thousand : and ten

4 thousand were left. And the Lord said to Gideon, The people are still too numerous: bring them to the water, and I will purge them there for thee. And it shall be that of whomsoever I say, This man shall go with thee; he shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I say, This man shall not go with thee—he shall

5 not go with thee. So he took the people to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, Whosoever shall lap of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him thou shalt set apart; likewise every one who shall bow down on his knees to drink.

6 And it came to pass that the number of them who lapped, by putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men ; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to

7 drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, By these three hundred men who have lapped I will save you, and deliver Madiam into thy hands. Let all those people therefore go, every

8 man to his home. So they took the people's provisions at their hands, and their trumpets ; and having dismissed all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, he retained the three hundred.

Vol. i. 3 c

9 Now the Camp of Madiam was below him in the vale. And that night the Lord said to him, Arise, and go down through

10 the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand. But if thou art afraid to go down; go thou, and thy servant Phara, to the

11 edge of the camp, and hear what they will say, and afterwards thy hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp. So he and his servant Phara went down to a company of fifty, who

12 were in the camp. Now Madiam, and Amalek, and all the children of the east lay along in the valley, like grasshoppers, for multitude, and their camels were innumerable. They were

13 like the sand on the sea shore for multitude. And when Gideon drew near, behold there was a man telling his comrade a dream. And he said, Behold I have had a dream. I thought I saw a cake of barley bread rolling about in the camp of Madiam, and it came to this tent, and smote it, and it

14 fell. It indeed overturned it, and the tent fell. And his comrade answered, and said, Is not this the sword of Gideon, son of Joas the Israelite? God hath delivered into his hand

15 Madiam and all this camp. And when Gideon heard the dream, and the interpretation of it, he worshipped the Lord, and returned to the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for the Lord hath

16 delivered into our hand the camp of Madiam. Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put a trumpet in every man's hand, and empty pitchers with lamps

17 in the pitchers, and said to them, Attend to me and do as I do. And whatever I do when I come to the edge of the camp,

18 see that you do the same. When I sound the horn, I and all with me; sound ye your horns, all around the camp, and say,

19 For the Lord and for Gideon. So Gideon, and the three hundred men who were with him, came to the border of die camp, at the beginning of the middle watch, and having alarmed the guards, they sounded the horns, and shook the pitchers which

20 were in their hands. And when the three companies had sounded the horns, they broke the pitchers, and held the flambeaus in their left hands, and their trumpets in their right, and shouted, A sword for the Lord and for Gideon, and stood

21 every man in his place around the camp. And while the whole camp was running, and making signals, and fleeing, they sounded the three hundred horns; and the Lord set every

22 man's sword against his fellow throughout the whole camp. And when the host had fled as far as Bethseed, Tagaratha-

23 Abelmeoula near Tubath, the men of Israel assembled from Nephthaleim, and from Aser, and from all Manasses,andpursu-

24 edMadiam. And Gideon sent messengers through all Ephraim, saying, Haste do\vn to meet Madiam, and take possession of

25 the waters, even to Baithera, and the Jordan. Upon which the men of Ephraim assembled, and, before the Madianites came up, got possession of the waters, even to Baithera, and the Jordan, and they took the princes of Madiam, Oreb and Zeb, and they slew Oreb at Sour Oreb, and Zeb they slew at Jakeph Zeph. And having pursued Madiam, they brought the heads of Oreb

VIII. and Zeb to Gideon, from the border of the Jordan. And the man Ephraim said to Gideon, What is this that thou hast done to us in not calling upon us when thou wentest out to

2 fight Madiam? And they ^spoke sharply to him. But he said

3 to them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abie- zer ? The Lord hath delivered into your hand the princes of Madiam, Oreb and Zeb. Now what have I been enabled to do in comparison of you? And upon his saying this, their an-

4 ger against him abated. And when Gideon came to the Jordan, and crossed it, he and the three hundred men who were

5 with him, hungry, but still pursuing, he said to the men of Sokchoth, Give, I pray you, bread to feed the people who follow me, for they are fainty, and behold I am pursuing Zebee

6 and Salmana, the kings of Madiam. And the chiefs of Sokchoth said, Is the hand of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand,

7 that we should give thy army bread? Thereupon Gideon said. For this, when the Lord hath delivered Zebee and Salmana into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wil-

8 derness, even with those of Barkenim. And he went up thence to Phanuel, and spoke to them in like manner; and the men of Phanuel answered him as the men of Sokchotl" !,ad done.

9 Whereupon Gideon said to the men of Phanuel, When I re- 10 turn in peace, I will demolish that tower. Now Zebee and Salmana were at Karkar, and their army with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the whole host of the foreign tribes, they who had fallen being a hundred and twenty

11 thousand men who drew the sword. So Gideon went up by . the way of them who dwell in tents, eastward of Nabai and

Jegebal, and smote the camp, though the camp thought them-

12 selvessecure.AndZebeeandSalmanafled,andhepursuedthem, and took the two kings of Madiam, Zebee and Salmana, and dis-

13 comfitedthe whole host. And when Gideon, son of Joas, returned

14 from the engagement, back from the engagement at Ares; he caught a young man of the men of Sokchoth, and inquired of him, and he wrote down for him the names of the chiefs of Sokchoth,

15 and of their elders, seventy seven men. And when Gideon came to the chiefs of Sokchoth, he said, Behold Zebee and Salmana, with whom you upbraided me, saying, Is the hand of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread

16 to the men with thee who are fainty ? Then he took the elders of the city, and scourged them with the thorns of the wilderness, even widi those of Bark'enim. And when he had scourg-

17 ed the men of that city, in the midst of them, he demolished

18 the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of that city. Then he said to Zebee and Salmana, What sort of men were they whom ye slew at Thabor ? And they said, As thou art so were they.

19 They resembled the children of,a king. Whereupon Gideon said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord liveth, if you had saved them alive, I would not have

20 killed you. Then he said to Jether his first born, Arise and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he was afraid,

21 for he was yet very young. Whereupon Zebee and Salmana said, Arise thou thyself, and fall upon us, for thou hast the strength of a man. So Gideon arose, and stew Zebee and Salmana, and took the ornaments which were on the necks of

22 their camels. Then Israel said to Gideon, My lord, rule over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son, because thou

23 hast saved us out of the hand of Madiam. But Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you. Nor shall my son rule over

24 you. The Lord will rule over you. Then Gideon said to them. I have a favour to ask of you. Give me every man die earrings of his spoils; for the enemy wore gold ear-rings, be-

25 cause they were Ismaelites. And they said, We will give them cheerfully. So he spread his mantle, and they threw thereon,

26 every man, the ear-rings of his spoils; and the weight of the gold ear-rings, which he had requested, was a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, exclusive of the necklaces, and bracelets, and the garments, and purple robes, which were on the kings of Madiam, and exclusive of the chains which were

27 about the neck of their camels. And of this Gideon made an ephod, and set it up in his city in Ephratha; and all Israel went there a whoring after it, and it became a stumbling block to Gideon, and his house.

28 Thus Madiam was subdued before die children of Israel, so that they never any more raised their head. And the land

29 had rest forty years during the days of Gideon. And Jerobaal son of Joas, went and dwelt at his house.

30 Now Gideon had seventy sons who proceeded from his

31 loins, for he had many wives. He had moreover a concubine, in Sychem, and she also bore him a son, and called his name

32 Abimelech. And Gideon son of Joas died in his city, and was buried in the tomb of his father Joas, in Ephratha Abiesdri.

33 And when Gideon was dead the children of Israel turned, and went a whoring after the Baalims, and made for themselves a

34 covenant with Baal, that he should be their god. The children of Israel neither remembered the Lord God who had delivered them out of the hands of all those who afflicted them round about; nor did they deal kindly with the house of Jerobaal, namely Gideon, according to all the good which he had done for Israel.

IX. For when Abimelech, son of Jerobaal, went to Sychem, to his mother's brethren, and spoke to them, and to all the relations of the house of his mother's father, saying, Speak I pray you in the hearing of all the men of Sychem, Which is best for you—that seventy men, even all the sons of Jerobaal, should rule over you—or that one man should rule over you ? Re-

3 member also that I am your bone and your flesh, his mother's brethren spoke all these words for him in the hearing of the men of Sychem, and their heart inclined to follow Abimelech;

4 for they said, He is our brother. So they gave him seventy weight of silver, out of the house of Baal-berith; and Abimelech hired for himself vain profligate men, who followed him;

5 and he went to his father's house at Ephratha, and slew his brothers, the sons of Jerobaal, seventy men, on one stone. Jo- tham indeed, the youngest son of Jerobaal was left, for he had

6 hid himself. Then all the Sychemites, and all the house of Bethmaalo, assembled and went and proclaimed Abimelech king, near the oak grove, which was invented for the assem-

? bling at Sychem. When the news of this was told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin, and raising his voice, he wept, and said to them, Hear me, ye Sychemites, that

8 God may hear you. The trees went forth to anoint a king over

9 them, and they said to the olive, Reign thou over us. But the olive said to them, Shall I leave my fatness with which men

10 honour God, and go to wave over the trees? Then the trees

11 said to the fig tree, Come thou and reign over us. But the fig tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness, and good fruit,

12 and go to wave over the trees? Then the trees said to the vine,

13 Come and reign over us. But the vine said to them, Shall I leave my wine, which cheereth gods and men, and go to wave

14 over the trees? Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come

15 thou and reign over us. Upon which the bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me to reign over you, come and stand in my shade; if not, let a fire go out from me, and con-

16 sume the cedars of Lebanon. Now therefore if you have acted with truth and uprightness in making Abimelech king; and ii" you have dealt righteously with Jerobaal, arid his house, or

17 done to him according to the deserving of his hand—As my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered

18 you out of the hand of Madiam, and you have risen up against my father's house, and have slain his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his concubine, king over the

19 men of Sychem, because he is your brother—if therefore you have this day acted with truth, and uprightness, in regard to Jerobaal, and his house, may you have joy in Abimelech, and

20 he have joy in you: but if not; may a fire come out from Abimelech, and consume the Sychemites, and the house of Bethmaalo; and may a fire come out from the Sychemites, and the

21 house of Bethmaalo, and consume Abimelech. Then Jotham. fled, and left his country, and went to Baier, and dwelt there for fear of his brother Abimelech.

22 Now when Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the Sychemites, and the Sychemites dealt treacherously with the house ofAbi-

24 melech, that he might bring the injustice done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and lay their blood, on the head of their brother Abimelech, who slew them, and on the Sychemites be-

25 cause they strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. And the Sychemites set men in ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along by them that

26 way: and king Abimelech had information of this. But when Gaal son of Jobel came with his brethren, and joined the Sychemites, the men of Sychem put confidence in him, and went out into the fields, and gathered their vintage, and trod

27 out their grapes, and uttered the usual shouts of joy, and carried offerings to the house of their god, and ate and drank,

28 and cursed Abimelech. And Gaal son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech? And who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him ? Is not this son of Jerobaal and Zebul his overseer—his slave, with all the men of Emmor, the property of

29 father Sychem? Why then should we serve him? O that this people were under my hand! I would depose Abimelech, and

30 say to him, Increase thy army, and come out. When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, son of Jobel, he

31 was fired with indignation, and sent messengers secretly to Abimelech, saying, Behold Gaal, son of Jobel, with his brethren, are come to Sychem, and lo! they have set the city

32 against thee. Now therefore arise by night, thou, and the peo-

33 pie with thee, and lie in wait in the fields; so that in the morning, soon as the sun is up, thou mayst rise betimes, and approach the city, and behold when he and the people with him go out, and meet thee, thou shalt do to him as the occasion

34 may direct. Accordingly Abimelech arose by night, and all the people with him, and lay in wait against Sychem, in four

35 companies. And Gaal son of Jobel went out and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech, and the people

36 with him, arose from the ambush. And when Gaal son of Jobel saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold there are people coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains like men.

37 And Gaal spoke again, and said, Behold there are people coming down, westward, from the middle ground, and there is ano-

38 ther company coming by the way of Klon-maonenim. Then Zebul said to him, WThere is now thy mouth with which thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom thou didst despise? Go out now, I pray

39 thee, and fight them. Whereupon Gaal went out before the

40 men of Sychem, and drew up in array against Abimelech, and Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him, and there

41 fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. Then Abimelech went to Aremo, and Zebul expelled Gaal and his bre-

42 thren, that they should not dwell in Sychem. And the next morning the people went out to the fields. When this was told

43 Abimelech, he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. And when he had taken a view, and behold the people came out of the city, he

44 rose upon them, and smote them; and Abimelech, and the officers who were with him, rushed forward and took post at the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two other companies

45 fell upon all in the fields, and smote them. And Abimelech fought against the city the whole day, and having taken the city, he slew the people in it, and demolished the city, and

46 sowed it with salt. Now when all the men of the tower of Sy-

47 chem heard this, they repaired to the fort Baithel-berith. And when it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Sychem were assembled together, he went up to mount Sel-

48 mon, with all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut a bough of a tree, and took it and put it on his shoulder, and said to the people who were

49 with him, Haste and do as I—what you have seeivme do. So they cut every man a bough, and went after Abimelech, and piled them up against the fort, and set the fort on fire about them, so that all the men of the tower of Sychem died, about

50 a thousand men and women. Then Abimelech went from

51 Baithel-berith, and encamped against Thebes, and took it. But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and all the men and the women of the city fled thither, and shut the gate

52 after thetn, and went up to the top of the tower. And Abimelech came to the tower, and when they opposed him, Abime-

53 lech went near to the gate of the tower to set it on fire, and a woman threw a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head,

54 and fractured his scull; whereupon he cried hastily to the young man who carried his armour, and said to him, Draw my sword,

55 and kill me, that they may not say, A woman killed him. So his servant run him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went every man

56 to his place. Thus God turned upon Abimelech the wickedness which he had committed against his father, in killing his

57 seventy brothers. God also turned upon the head of the men of Sychem all their wickedness, and upon them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerobaal.

X. And after Abimelech, there arose to defend Israel, Thola son of Phuah, the son of his father's brother, a man of Issachar,

2 and he dwelt at Samir on mount Ephraim. And when he had judged Israel twenty three years, he died, and was buried at

3 Samir. And after him arose Jairthe Galaadite, and he judged

4 Israel twenty two years. Now he had thirty two sons, who rode on thirty two ass-colts, and they had thirty two cities, which are called, The folds ofJair, to this day, in the land of Galaad.

5 And Jair died, and was buried at Ramnon. And the children

6 of Israel proceeded again to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals, and the Astartes, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord,

7 and did not serve him. Whereupon the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the

8 hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon, and they afflicted, and oppressed the children of Israel, at that time eighteen years, even all the children of Israel who were on the border of the Jordan, in the land of the Amo-

9 rites, in Galaad. Moreover the children of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Juda, and Benjamin, and against Ephraim, so that the Israelites were grievously oppressed.

10 And when the children of Israel cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken God,

11 and served Baals, the Lord said to the Israelites, Did I not deliver you out of Egypt, and from the Amorites and the Ammonites, and the Philistines, and the Sidonians, and Amalek, and

12 Madiam, who afflicted you ? When you cried to me, I saved

13 you out of their hands. But you have forsaken me, and served

14 other gods, therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen for yourselves, and let them

Vol. i. 3 H

15 deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said to the Lord, We have sinned. Do thou thyself to us, whatever seemeth good in thine eyes, but deliver us this

16 time. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord alone. Whereupon his heart relented at the distress of Israel.

17 Now the children of Ammon had gone up, and encamped

18 in Galaad; and the children of Israel assembled and encamped at the watch tower. And the people, the chiefs of Galaad, said to one another, Whoever will undertake to fight the children of Ammon, he shall be ruler over all the .inhabitants of Galaad.

XL Now Jephthae, the Galaadite, was at the head of an 'army. He was the son of a harlot, who bore Jephthae to Galaad.

2 Galaad's wife also bore him sons ; and when the wife's sons grew up, they thrust out Jephthae, and said to him, Thou slialt have no inheritance in the house of our father; for-thou art .the

3 son of a concubine. Upon which Jephthae fled from the face of his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob. And there were gathered to Jephthae men of desperate fortunes, who went out

4 with him. Now when the children of Ammon came out in

5 array to fight against Israel, the elders of Galaad went to bring Jephthae from the land of Tob, and they said to him, Come and

7 be our leader that we may fight the Ammonites; whereupon Jephthae said to the elders of Galaad, Have you not hated me, and driven me from my father's house, and sent me away from you "? Why then are you come to me now when you are in dis-

8 tress ? And the elders of Galaad said to him, It is for this very reason, that we have now come to thee. Therefore thou must come with us, and fight the children of Ammon, and thou shalt

9 be our chief over all the inhabitants of Galaad. Then Jephthae said to the elders of Galaad, If you take me back to fight the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them up before me,

10 I shall be your chief? And the elders of Galaad said to him, Let the Lord be witness between us, if we do not according

11 to this thy word. Thereupon Jephthae went with the elders of Galaad, and the people made him head and leader over them.

12 And when Jephthae had repeated all these his terms before the Lord, at Massepha, he sent messengers to the king of the Amr . '

.monites, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art

13 co'me up against me to fight in my land? And the king of the

Ammonites said to Jephthae's messengers—Because Israel

took my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon

to Jabok, and to-the Jordan. Now therefore restore me those

1'4 lands, peaceably, and I will depart. Thereupon Jephthae again

sent messengers to'the king of the Ammonites, and said to

15 him, Thus saith Jephthae, Israel did not take the land of Moab,

16 nor the land of the children of Ammon. For when they came out of Egypt, Israel marched through the wilderness to the sea

17 of Siph, and came to Kades; and Israel sent messengers to the king of Edpm, saying, Let me, I pray thee, march through

18 thy land; but the king of Edom did not consent. They sent also to the king of Moab; but the king of Moab did not con-

sent. So after halting at Kades, Israel marched through the wilderness, and went round the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came eastward of Moab, and encamped on the bank of the Arnonr but did not enter the borders of Moab;

19 for Arhon was'the boundary of Moab. Then Israel sent messengers to Seon, king of the Amorites—the king of Esebon,

20 and said to him, Let us we pray thee pass through thy land to our place; but Seon would not trust Israel to pass through along his border, but assembled all his people, and encamped

21 at Jasa, and came to an engagement with Israel. And the Lord God of Israel delivered into the hands of Israel, Seon and all

22 his people, and they smote him. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited the country from.

23 Arnon to Jabok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. Now therefore hath the Lord God of Israel removed the Amorites

24 from before his people, and art thou to possess them? If thy god Chamos were to put thee in possession of any places, wouldst thou not possess them ? And shall not we succeed all those whom the Lord our God hath removed from before us?

25 Besides, art thou in any respect better than Balak, son of Sep-

26 phor, king of Moab ? Did he ever contend with Israel, or go to war with them about this, all the while they lived in Esebon, and the borders thereof, and in the land of Aroer, and the borders thereof, and in all the cities along the Jordan, for three hundred years ? Why didst thou not in all this time recover

27 them. Now therefore I call God to witness, that I have not sinned against thee, and that thou dealest wrongfully in going to war with me. Let the Lord, who is Judge, judge this day

28 between Israel and the Ammonites. And when the kingof the Ammonites hearkened not to the message which Jephthae

29 sent him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthae, and he marched through Galaad, and Manasses, and passed the watch tower of Galaad, into the border of the children of Am- mon.

30 And Jephthae vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, it shall be, that

31 whosoever cometh from the door of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall be for the Lord. Him will I dedicate as a whole burnt offering.

32 And when Jephthae passed on to come to battle with the children of Ammon, the Lord delivered them into his hand, and

33 he smote them from Aroerall the way to Arnon, through the number of twenty cities, and even to Ebelcharmin, with a pro-

34 digious slaughter. And when the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel, and Jephthae came to Massepha, to his house, behold his daughter came out to meet

35 him, with timbrels and choirs. Now she was his only child. Besides her, he had neither son nor daughter. And when he saw her he rent his clothes, and said, Alas! alas! my daughter ! Thou hast indeed troubled me ; and thou thyself mayst be in trouble with me, for I have opened my mouth to the

36 Lord against thee, and I cannot go back. Upon which she said to him, Hast thou, my father, opened thy mouth to the Lord? Do to me according to what hath proceeded out of thy mouth, since the Lord hath executed vengeance for thee on

37 thine enemies—on the children of Ammon. Then she said to her father, Grant me; my father, I pray thee, this favour. Let me alone two months, and I will go up and down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity—I call God to witness, with only

38 my female attendants. And he said, Go. So he sent her away two months, and she went with her female attendants, and bewailed

39 her virgin state on the mountains. And at the end of two months she returned to her father and he performed with her his vow,

40 which he had vowed; so she knew not a man. And it was a

custom in Israel, from year to year, for the daughters of Israel to go and bewail the daughter of Jephthae, the Galaadite, four days in the year.

XII. Now the Ephraimites assembled, and went northward, and said to Jephthae, Why didst thou go to fight the Ammonites, and not call on us to go with thee? We will burn

thy house over thee with fire. And Jephthae said to them, Wrhen I and my people, and the children of Ammon, were at hard conflict, I called on you; but you did not save me out of

3 their hands. So wheivl saw that thou wast not a deliverer, I put my life in my hand, and went against the Ammonites, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then are you

4 come up this day to fight against me ? Then Jephthae re-assembled all the men of Galaad, and came to an engagement with Ephraim. And the men of Galaad smote Ephraim. Be- cause they of Ephraim who were saved, said, You Galaadites

5 belong partly to Ephraim, and partly to Manasses, therefore the Galaadites seized the passages of the Jordan before Ephraim; and when those of Ephraim who escaped, said, Let

6 us cross over ; the men of Galaad said to them, Art thou an Ephraimite ? And when any said, No, then they said to him, say Stachys- And if he did not pronounce it distinctly, they took him, and slew him at the passages of the Jordan. So there fell of Ephraim, at that time, forty two thousand men.

7 And Jephthae judged Israel six years. Then Jephthae the

8 Galaadite died, and was buried in his own city, Galaad. And

9 after him, Abaissan of Bethlehem, judged Israel. And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters. His daughters he sent abroad, and he brought from abroad thirty daughters for his sons, and

10 he judged Israel seven years. And Abaissan died, and was

11 buried in Bethlehem. And after him Ailom, the Zabulonite,

12 judged Israel ten years. And Ailom the Zabulonite died, and was

13 buried in Ailom, in the land of Zabulon. And after him Abdon,

14 son of Ellel, the Pharathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons, and thirty grand sons, who rode on seventy colts; and

15 he judged Israel eight years. Then Abdon, son of Ellel the Pharathonite, die,d, and was buried at Pharathon, in the land of Ephraim, on mount Amelek.

XIII. And the children of Israel again proceeded to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the

2 hand of the Philistines, forty years. Now there was a man of Saraa, a community of the Danites, whose name was Munoc,

3 and his wife was barren, and never had a child. And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said taher, Behold,

4 thou art barren and hast never had a child. But thou shak . concei.ve a son. Now therefore be careful not to drink wine, nor .any fermented liquor, nor eat any thing which is unclean.

5 For behold thou art with child,1 and shalt bear a son; and on his head a razor shall not come; for the child shall be a Na- zaf ite to God .from the womb. And he shall begin to save Is-

6 rael out of the hand of the Philistines. And the woman went, and told her husband, saying, There came to me a man of God, and his visage was like that .of an angel of God, very awful, so that I did not ask him whence he was, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, Behold thou art with

' 7 child, and shalt bear a son. Now therefore thou must not drink wine nor any fermented liquor, nor eat anything unclean; for the child shall be consecrated to God, from the womb to

8 the day of his death. Whereupon Manoe prayed to the Lord, and said, O Lord Adonaie ! grant me that the man of God, whom thou didst send, may come to us again, and instruct us

9 what we shall do to the child which is to be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoe, and the angel of God came again to the woman. Now she was sitting in the field, and

10 Manoe her husband was not with her. So the woman hasted, and ran and told her husband, and said to him, The man hath

11 appeared to me, who came to me before. Upon which Manoe arose, and went with his wife, and when he came to the man, he said to him, Art thou the man who spoke to my wife? And

12 the angel said, I am. Then Manoe said, Now the thing will come to pass. How is the child to be educated, and what

13 is he to do ? And the angel of the Lord said to Manoe, He must abstain from all the things which I mentioned to this

14 woman. He must eat nothing which proceedeth from the vine, nor drink nine, nor any fermented liquor, nor eat any thing

15 which is unclean. He must observe all that I have commanded her. Then Manoe said to the angel of the Lord, Let us de-

16 tain thee here till we set before thee a kid of the goats. And

the angel of fhe Lord said to Manoe, Though thou detain mt: I cannot eat of thy victuals; but if thou wouldst offer a whole

17 burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. Because Manoe did not

18 know that he was an angel of the Lord, therefore Manoe said to him, What is thy name, that when thy word cometh to pass we 'may honour thee ? And the angel of the Lord said to Ma-

19 noe, Why askest thou my name? It is indeed Wonderful. Then Manoe took the kid of the goats, with the sacrifice of

. flour, and carried them up upon the rock for the Lord. Ahd

he went apajt to offer the sacrifice, while Manoe and his wife

2Q were looking on. And when the flame ascended above the altar,

up towards heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame.

21 When Manoe and his wife saw this, they fell flat with their

22 face to the ground. And as the angel of the Lord no more appeared to Manoe and his wife, Manoe then knew that he was an angel of the Lord; whereupon he said to his wife, We shall

23 surely die, for we have seen God. But his wife said to him, Had it been the will of the Lord to cause us to die, he would not have received at our hand a whole burnt offering, and a sacrifice; norwould he have shewed us all these things; nor would he, as on this occasion, have caused us to hear these things.

24 So the woman bore a son, and called his name Sampson;

25 and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him; and the. Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him, at the camp of Dan, between Saraa and Estliaol.

XIV. And Sampson went down to Thamnatha, and saw at

2 Thamnatha a woman of the daughters of the Philistines, and he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I havfe seen a woman at Thamnatha, of the daughters of the Philis-

.3 tines. Now therefore get her for me for a wife. And his father and his mother said to him, Are there not daughters of thy brethren, or a woman among my whole tribe, that thou shouldst go to take a wife from among the uncircumcised Philistines ? But Sampson said to his father, Get this woman for me; for she is

.4 right in my eyes. His father and his mother did not know that it was of the Lord, that he was seeking to take vengeance on

5 the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Then Sampson went down, with his father and his mother to Thamnatha, and when he came to the vineyard

6 of Thamnatha, behold, a young roaring lion met him; and the Spirit of the Lord Came upon him, and he crushed him as one would a kid; though he had nothing in his hands. But he did

7 not tell his father or his mother what he had done. So they went down, and spoke to the woman, and the matter was sett-

8 led to Sampson's satisfaction. And when he returned, the year after, to take his wife, he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees, and honey in

9 the lion's mouth. So he took out some of the combs in his hand, and went on eating; and when he came to his father and his mother, he gave them, and they ate thereof. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion's

10 mouth. And when his father went down to the woman, Sampson made an entertainment there seven days; for so young men

11 usually do. Now when they saw him, they made choice of

12 thirty men to be with him. And Sampson said to them, I will propound to you a riddle; if you explain it during the seven days of the entertainment, or find out the meaning of it, I will give you thirty Sindons, and thirty suits of apparel:

13 but if you cannot tell me, you shall give me thirty Sindons and thirty changes of apparel. And they said, Propound thy

14 riddle that we may hear it. Then he said to them, What eatable came from the eater; and, from the fierce, what that is sweet?

15 And when in the course of three days they could not explain the riddle, they on the fourth day said to Sampson's wife, Ask we pray thee thy husband, and get him to explain the riddle to

16 thee, lest we burn thee and thy-father's house with fire. Have you invited us to do us an injury? So Sampson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and hast not loved me; for thou hast not told me the riddle which thou hast propounded to the children of my people. And Sampson said to her, If I have not told it to my father and my mother, should

17 I tell thee? But as she continued to weep before him, during the seven'days, while the feast lasted, he at lengdi on the seventh dpytold her, because she importuned him; and she told

18 the children of her people. So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the sun was set, What is sweeter than honey, and what fiercer than a lion ? Upon which Sampson said to them, If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you

19 would not have known my riddle. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and slew of them thirty men, and took their garments, and gave the suits to them who had expounded the riddle. And Sampson was

20 filled with wrath, and went up to his father's house, and Sampson's wife was married to one of those friends of his, with whom he had contracted friendship.

XV. The next year, however, in the days of the wheat harvest, Sampson visited his wife with a kid of the goats, and said, Let me go in, to my wife, into the chamber; but her father would

2 not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I thought that thou didst utterly hate her, therefore I gave her to one of thy friends.

3 But is not her younger sister better than she ? Let this one, I pray thee, be thine, instead of her. Thereupon Sampson said to them, Now, at least for once, I must be justified by the

4 Philistines in doing them an injury. Then Sampson went and caught three hundred foxes, and he took torches ; and when he had turned tail to tail, he put a torch between every two

5 tails, and tied them, and set fire to the torches, and let them go through the standing corn of the Philistines. And they burned both what was on the threshing floors, and the standing corn,

6 and also the vineyards, and the olive trees. Whereupon the Philistines said, Who hath done this ? And when they' were told that it was Sampson, the son in law of Thamni, because he had taken his wife, and given her to one of his friends, the Philistines went up and burned her, and her father's house,

7 with fire. And Sampson said to them, As you haye served her,

8 so I will take vengeance on you, and then I will be at rest. So he smote them in combat with a great slaughter, and went

9 down and dwelt in a hollow of the rock Etam. Then the Philistines went up, and encamped in Juda, and spread them-

10 selves through Lechi. And the chief of Juda said, Why arc you come up against us ? And the Philistines said, We are come up to bind Sampson, and to do to him as he hath done

11 to us. Upon this three thousand men of Juda went down to the hollow of the rock Etam, and said to Sampson, Dost thou not know that the Philistines have dominion over us ? Why then hast thou done this to us ? And Sampson said, As they

12 did to me, so have I done to them. Then they srtid to him,

VOL. I. " I

We are come down to bind thee, and deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Sampson said to them, Swear

13 to me. Perhaps you yourselves will fall upon me. And they said to him, No; we will only bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hands; but we will not put thee to death. So they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

14 And when they came to Jaw bone, the Philistines shouted, and ran to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him; and the cords which were on his arms became like tow, which is burned with fire ; and the bands dropped from his hands, and he found the jaw bone of an ass lying there: so he stretched forth his hand, and took it up, and with it smote a thousand

16 men. And Sampson said, With the jaw of an ass I have utterly routed them; for with the jaw of an ass I have slain a thousand

17 men. And when he had done speaking, he threw the jaw out of

18 his hand, and called that place, Slaughter of the jaw. And being very thirsty he wept before the Lord and said, Thou hast vouchsafed this great deliverance to the hand of thy servant; but now I must die of thirst, and fall into the hands of the un-

19 circumcised. Whereupon God caused that pool at Jaw to break forth, and water flowed out of it, and he drank, and his spirit returned, and he revived. For this cause the name of that fountain which is at Jaw is now called, The fountain of the invoked. /

20 Now when he had judged Israel in the days of the Philis- XVI. tines twenty years, Sampson went to Gaza, and saw there

2 a woman—a harlot, and went in to her. And when the Gazites were told that Sampson was come there, they surrounded him, and lay in wait for him the whole night, at the gate of the city.

. They indeed kept quiet all the night, saying, When the dawn

3 appeareth we shall kill him. But when Sampson had lain till midnight, he arose in the middle of the night, and took the doors of the city gate with the two posts, and luted-> them up with the bar, and laid them on his shoulders, and went up to the top of the mountain which looketh towards Chebron, and deposited them there. ...

4. ' And after this he loved a woman at'Alsorach, whose name

5 was Dalida; and the chiefs of the Philistines went up to -her,

and said to her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and how we may prevail over him, and bind him so a& to humble him; and we will give thee, every one of us eleven

6 hundred pieces of silver. Upon this Dalida said to Sampson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and with

7 what thou couldst be bound so as to be humbled. And Sampson said to her, Were they to bind me with seven thongs, \vet, but not rotten, I should lose my strength, and be as other men.

8 So the chiefs of the Philistines brought her seven thongs, wet,

9 but not rotten, and she bound him with them. Now she had men lying in wait in her chamber. Then she said to him, The Philistines are upon thec, Sampson. Upon which he broke the thongs, as one would break a thread of tow, when it is touched

10 with fire. So his strength was not known. Then Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast deceived me and told me lies.

11 Now therefore tell me with what thou canst be bound. And he said to her, Were they to bind me with new ropes which have never been used, I should lose my strength, and be like

12 other men. So Dalida took new ropes, and bound him with them, and the men in ambush came out of the chamber and she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Sampson ! Where*

13 upon he broke them from his arms like a thread. Then Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast deceived me and told me lies. Tell me, I pray thee, with what thou canst be Ixmnd. And he said to her, If thou wert to weave these seven locks of my head with the woof, and fasten them into the wall with

14 that pin, I should be as weak as other men. So when he went to sleep, Dalida took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the woof, and fastened them with the pin to the wall, and said, The Philistines are upon thee Sampson! Whereupon he roused from his sleep, and pulled the pin of the web

J15 out of the wall. Then Dalida said to Sampson, How canst thou say, I love thec, when thy heart is not with me ? These three times thou hast deceived me, and hast not told me \vhere-

16 in thy great strength lieth. And as she continued to afflict him daily with her speeches, and press him, and tired him even to death, he at length told her all his heart, and said to her; There hath never come a razor on my head, because I am consecrat-

17 ed to God from my mother's womb. If therefore I were shaven, my strength would depart from me, and I would become

18 Weak, and be like all other men. When Dalida saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent for the chiefs of the Philistines, and said, Come up this once more, for he hath told" me all his heart. So the chiefs of the Philistines went up to her,

19 and carried the money in their hands. And when Dalida had lulled Sampson to sleep on her knees, she sent for a man, and he shaved off the seven locks of his head, and began to hum-

20 ble him; for his strength was gone from him. And when Dalida said, The Philistines are upon thee Sampson ! He awoke from his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times heretofore, and rouse myself. He indeed did not know that the Lord

21 had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him and put out his eyes, and carried him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass, and he was kept grinding in the prison house.

22 Now when the hairs of his head began to grow as when he was shaven, the chiefs of the Philistines assembled to offer a

23 great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to rejoice. And they said; God hath delivered Sampson, our great enemy into our

24 hand. And when the people saw him, they sung praises to their god, saying, Our god hath delivered our enemy into our hands—him who wasted our land, and multiplied the number

25 of our slain. Now when their heart was elated with joy, they said, Call Sampson from the prison, and let him make sport for us; so they called Sampson from the prison, and he made sport for them; and when they had beaten him with rods, they

26 set him between the pillars. Then Sampson said to the young man who had hold of his hand, Let go, that I may feel the pil-

27 lars on which the house resteth, and lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women; and all the chiefs of the Philistines were there ; and on the top of the house there were about three thousand men and women looking at Samp-

28 son's sports. Then Sampson wept before the Lord, and said, O Adonaie, Lord, remember me, I beseech thee, and strengthen me yet this once more, O my God, that I may take ven-

29 geance on the Philistines for my two eyes. Then Sampson took hold of the two pillars, on which the house rested, and by which it was supported. And having taken hold of one

30 with his right hand, and of the other with his left, he said, Let me die with the Philistines, and strained with all his might, and the house fell upon the chiefs and on all the people in it. So that those whom Sampson slew at his death were more

31 than those whom he had slain during his life. And his brethren, and the house of his father, went down, and took him, and came up and buried him between Saraaand Esthaol in the tomb of his father Manoe. Now he had judged Israel twenty years. The idolatry of the house of Micah and of the Damtes.

XVII. . There was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah; and he said to his mother, With regard to the eleven hundred pieces of silver which thou hadst taken for thyself, and for which thou didst lay me under a curse, and speak in my hearing, behold the money is in my possession. I took it.

3 And his mother said, Blessed of the Lord is my son. And when he gave his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, I indeed had dedicated this money to the Lord, out of my hand, for my son to make a graven and a

4 molten image. Now therefore I will give it to thee. So when he gave his mother the money, she took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silver smith, and of it he made a graven and a molten image, and it was in the house of Mi-

5 cah. So the house of Micah was to him the house of a god. And he made an ephod and theraphin, and consecrated one of

6 his sons, and he became his priest. Now in those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in

7 his own eyes. And there was a young man of Bethlehem, a community of Juda, but he was a Levite and sojourner there.

8 And this man went from Bethlehem, the city of Juda, to sojourn wherever he could find a place, and came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, with a view to proceed on in

9 his journey. And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou?and he in reply, said, I am a Levite of Bethlehem Juda, and I am

10 going to sojourn wherever I can find a place. Whereupon Micah said to him, Abide with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver a year, and a

11 suit of clothes, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in and began his abode with the man; and he treated the youth as

12 one of his sons. And when Micah had consecrated the Levite, and he became his priest, and was in Micah's house, Micah said, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, because I have got a Levite for a priest.

XVIII. In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan was seeking to take possession of a lot of inheritance for themselves; for even till that day they had not got possession of the inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel.

2 So the children of Dan sent from their communities five men of valour, from Saraa, and from Esthaol, to view the land and examine it thoroughly, and said to them, Go and examine the land thoroughly. And they went to mount Ephraim, to the

3 house of Micah. And when they lodged there, at the house of Micah, they perceived the voice of the young Levite, and turned aside there and said to him, Who brought thee here? and

4 what art thou doing at this place ? what business hast thou here? And he said to them, Thus and thus hath Micah done to me,

5 and hired me, and I am become his priest. Then they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether

. the journey in which we are engaged will be prosperous. And the

6 priest said to them, Go in peace. This journey of yours which

7 you are going is before the Lord. So the five men proceeded on and came to Laisa, and saw the people there dwelling securely. Their manner of living was tranquil like that of the Sidonians. There was none to reprove—none in the land to put them to shame for any thing. Possessing wealth they were spending it luxuriously; and they were at a great distance from

8 the Sidonians, and had no intercourse with any man. So the five men came to their brethren at Saraa, and Esthaol, and said

9 to them, Why sit ye here"? Moreover they said, Arise and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold it is very good, but still you continue quiet. Yon should not

10 delay any longer to go and take possession of that land. And when you go, you will come upon a people living in security, though it is a large country; for God hath delivered it into your hands. It is a place where there is no want of any thing on

11 earth. Then there went up thence, of the communities of Dan, from Saraa and Esthaol, six hundred men well equipt

12 with all necessaries of war. And in going up they encamped at Kariathiarim in Juda, for which cause that place is called The Camp of Dan to this day. Behold it is behind Ka-

13 riathiarim. And from that place they passed through mount

14 Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. And the five

men who had gone to spy the land of Laisa, addressing their brethren, said, You know that at this house there is an. ephod, and a theraphin, and a graven and a molten image;

15 now consider therefore what you are to do. Upon this they turned aside, and went to the house of the young Levite, to the

16 house of Micah, and saluted him. While the six hundred Da- nites, who were equipt with implements of war, stood at the gate of the city, the five men, who had gone to spy the land,

18 went up and entered the house of Micah, while the priest was standing there, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and

19 the theraphin, and the molten image. And when the priest said to them, What are you doing"? they said to him, Hold thy peace. Put thy hand on thy mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be the priest of the house of one man, than to be the priest of a tribe, and of the house of a community of Israel? And the priest's heart

20 was delighted. So he took the ephod, and the theraphin, and the graven, and the molten image, and went into the midst of

21 the people. And they turned and went away, and sent the chil-

22 dren, and the cattle, and the heavy baggage before them. And when they were at a considerable distance from the house of Micah, behold Micah and the men, the families adjacent to Micah's house, uttered the shout of war and overtook the Dan-

23 ites. Upon which the sons of Dan turned about and said to Micah, What is the matter with thee that thou hast raised the

24 shout of war? And Micah said, Because you have taken my graven image, which I made, and the priest; and have gone away. What more could have happened to me? Why then do

25 you say to me, Why dost thou shout? And the sons of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us. Should warm spirited men come to an engagement with us they will endan-

26 ger thy life, and the life of thy household. Then the sons of Dan proceeded on in their march. And when Micah saw that

27 they were too strong for him, he returned to his house. So the sons of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who was with him, and went to Laisa, to a people living at ease, and in a state of security, and smote them with the edge of the

28 sword, and burned the city with fire. There was none to deliver them, for they were far from the Sidonians, and had no intercourse with any man. It is situate in the valley of the house of

29 Raab. And they rebuilt the city,and dwelt therein,and called the name of the city Dan after the name of their father Dan who was born to Israel. Now the name of that city formerly was

30 Oulamais. And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, and Jonathan, a Gersonite, son of Manasses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites, even to

31 the day of the capture of the Ark. They indeed set up for themselves the graven image which Micah made, all the time the house of God was at Selom.

The war with the tribe of Benjamin.

XIX. In those days when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, and

2 he took him a concubine from Bethlehem Juda, and she went

3 away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem Juda. And when she had been there four months, her husband arose and went after her, with an intent to speak affectionately to her, and bring her back to him. And he had a young man with him, and a couple of asses. And when she introduced him to her father's house, and the young woman's father saw him, he

4 was rejoiced to meet him. And his father in law, the young woman's father, detained him, and he abode with him thret

5 days, and they eat, and drank, and lodged there. And on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and he got up to depart, the father of the young woman said to his son in law, Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread, and after that

6 you shall go. So they two sat down, and eat and drank together, and the father of the young woman said to the man, Come I pray thee, stay all night and let thy heart be merry.

7 And when the man arose to depart, his father in law pressed

8 him; so he sat down, and staid there that night. And he arose early in the morning of the fifth day with a view to depart; but the father of the young woman said, Comfort thy heart, I

9 pray thee; and then travel on till the close of the day. And when they two had eaten, and the man arose to depart, with his concubine and his servant, his father in law—the young woman's father said to him, Behold the day is spent till near afternoon, lodge here to night, and let thy heart be merry, and set out on your journey early in the morning, and'thou wilt reach 10 thy home. But the man would not consent to stay all night, but arose and departed, and came over against Jebus that is Jell rusalem. Now he had with him a couple of asses, saddled, for himself and his concubine. And when they came to Jebus the day was far spent, so the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in to this city of the Jebusites, and

12 lodge there; But his master said, We will not turn aside to a strange city, in which there is none of the children of Israel, but

13 go on to Gabaa. Then he said to his servant, Come let us draw near to one of those places, that we may lodge either in Gabaa,

14 or in Rama. So they passed on, and proceeded in their journey, and the sun set upon them when they were near Gabaa,

15 which is- in Benjamin. Whereupon they turned aside thither, to go and lodge in Gabaa, and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city; but there was not a man who invited them

16 to lodge at his house. And behold there came an old man from his work, out of the field, late in the evening. Now the man was from mount Ephraim, and sojourned at Gabaa, but the

17 men of the place were Benjaminites. And when he raised his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, the old man said, Whither art thou going, and whence comest

18 thou? And he said to him, We are on our way from Bethlehem of Juda to the side of mount Ephraim. I am of that place. I went to Bethlehem Juda, and am on my way home, but there

19 is not a man who inviteth me to his house. I have indeed straw and provender for our asses, and bread and wine for myself and the handmaid, and the young man with thy servants.

20 There is no want of any thing. Thereupon the old man said, Peace be to thee. But let all thy wants be upon me. But thou must not lodge in the street. So he took him to his house, and provided a place for the asses. And when they had washed

22 their feet, they ate and drank. But while they were cheering their hearts, behold the men of the city—sons of transgressors, surrounded the house, and knocked at the door, and spake to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came to thy house that we may know him.

23 Upon this the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, Do not, my brethren; do not, I pray you, the man an injury after his entering my house. You must not commit sijch

Vol. i. 3 K

24 folly. Behold here is my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine; I will bring them out, and you may humble them and do to them what seemeth good in your eyes, but to the man you

25 must not do such an act of folly. But the men would not hearken to him. Then the man took his concubine, and brought her out to them, and they knew her, and abused her the whole night till the morning. And soon as the day began to dawn

26 they let her go. And the woman went at the dawn of day and threw herself down at the door of the house where her husband

27 was, until it should be light. And when her husband arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out with a design to proceed on in his journey, behold the woman, his concubine, was lying at the doors of the house with her

28 hands on the threshold. And he said to her, Arise and let us depart. But she made no answer; for she was dead. So he took her up, upon the ass, and went to his place, and took a knife,

29 and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her into twelve

30 pieces, and sent them through all the borders of Israel. Whereupon every one who saw them said, There never was such a thing done or seen from the day the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day. Appoint for yourselves a counsel over

XX. her and speak. So all the children of Israel set out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan to Bersabee, and from the land of Galaad, before the Lord at Massepha.

2 And when all the tribes of Israel were drawn up before the Lord in the congregation of the people of God, there were four

3 hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword. Now the children of Benjamin heard that the Israelites were gone up to Massepha. Then the children of Israel who had come together

4 said, Speak. Where was this wickedness done. Whereupon the man, the Levite, the husband of the woman who was slain, answered and said, I came to Gabaa of Benjamin, I and my

5 concubine, to lodge. And the men of Gabaa rose upon me, and beset me and the house by night. Me they would have

6 killed, and my concubine they forced so that she died. Upon which I took my concubine, and divided her in pieces and sent

7 them through all the borders of the inheritance of the children of Israel. Since they have occasioned a ferment and destruction in Israel, behold you are all Israelites; Advise and consult here for 8 yourselves. Then all the people arose as one man, and said, We

9 will not, any of us go to his habitation, nor shall any of us return to his house; and this is what shall be done to Gabaa; we will go up

10 against it by lot. But let us take ten men for the hundreds through all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for the thousands and a thousand for the ten thousands to collect provisions, and bring them to Gabaa of Benjamin, that we may do to it accordingto'the

11 abominable act which it hath committed in Israel. And when

12 all Israel was united against that city, as one man, the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, say ing, What

13 wickedness is this which is done among you? Now therefore deliver up those men, those sons of transgressors in Gabaa, that, we may put them to death, and purge away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to their brethren

14 the children of Israel. Nay the children of Benjamin assembled from their cities to Gabaa, to go out to battle against the children

15 of Israel. And the children of Benjamin, who came from their cities, were at that time reviewed, twenty three thousand men who drew the sword, exclusive of the inhabitants of Gabaa,

16 who were also reviewed. Out of all the people seven hundred were selected, who used both hands alike. All these were men who could sling stones to a hair breadth, and not

17 miss. Now the men of Israel had been reviewed, exclusive of Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, who drew the sword.

18 All these were men of array. And they arose, and went up to Baithel, and inquired of God. And the children of Israel said, Who shall go up as our commander in chief to battle against the children of Benjamin ? And the Lord said Juda shall go up as

19 commander in chief. And all the children of Israel arose in the

20 morning, and encamped against Gabaa; and all Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and drew up for them before

21 Gabaa. And the children of Benjamin sallied from Gabaa, and destroyed of Israel that day on the field of battle twenty two

22 thousand men. But the men of Israel took courage, and proceeded again to set the battle in array in the same place where they

23 had drawn up the first day. The sons of Israel had indeed gone up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and inquired of the Lord saying, Shall we again proceed to draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren ? And the 24 Lord said, Go up against them. So the children of Israel ad-

25 vanced against the children of Benjamin the second day. And the children of Benjamin came out from Gabaa to meet them on the second day, and destroyed of Israel again on the field of battle, eighteen thousand men. All these were men who

26 drew the sword. Upon this all the children of Israel, even the whole people went up and came to Baithel, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted the whole day till evening, and offered whole burnt offerings and sacrifices before the

27 Lord. For in those days the ark of the covenant of the Lord their God was there, and Phineas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron,

28 stood before it in those days. And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord saying, Shall we proceed again to go out to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren"? And the Lord

29 said, Go up. To-morrow I will deliver them into your hands. Then the children of Israel set men in ambush all around Ga-

30 baa. And the children of Israel went up against the children ' of Benjamin, the third day, and drew up in array before Gabaa

31 as they had done once and again. And the children of Benjamin sallied out to meet the people, and were drawn clean out of the city, and began to smite some of the people dead, as in the first and second engagement in the high ways, which lead up, one to Baithel, and the other to Gabaa, through the fields,

32 about thirty men of Israel. And the children of Benjamin said, They fall before us, as heretofore. Now the sons of Israel had said, Let us flee, and draw them clean out of the city into the

33 high ways. And when they had done so, and every man arose from his place, then they drew up in array at Baal-thamar, and

34 the ambush of Israel came up from their place, from Maraa- gabo, and there came over against Gabaa ten thousand men, chosen out of all Israel; and the battle was fierce, for they did

35 not know that evil was coming upon them. And the Lord smote Benjamin before the children of Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenly five thou-

36 sand one hundred men. All these drew the sword. When the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten—now the Israelites had given way to Benjamin because they trusted

37 to the ambush which they had laid for Gabaa; but when they retreated, the ambush was put in motion, and rushed forward against Gabaa, and poured into it, and smote the city with the

38 edge of the sword. The children of Israel indeed had settled a

signal of battle with-the ambush, and that they should raise a coun-

3 9 tcr signal of smoke from the city. So when the sons of Israel

saw that the men in ambush had taken Gabaa, they halted, in

order of battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite dead of the

men of Israel about thirty men, for they said, They fall again

40 before us, as in the former engagement. But when the counter sign ascended over the city, higher and higher, like a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked back, and behold, the destruction of

41 the city ascended up to heaven. So when Israel faced about,

42 the men of Benjamin were struck with consternation, for thcy saw that evil was coming upon them, and they looked about before the children of Israel, towards the way of the wilderness, and fled. But the battle overtook them. And they sur-

43 rounded and destroyed them who came from the cities. They cut down Benjamin and pursued them closely from Nua to

44 over against Gabaa, towards the rising of the sun, and there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men

45 of valour. Now the rest of them had looked about, and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Remmon; but of them the children of Israel gleaned up five thousand men. And the children of Israel went down after them to Gedan, and smote

46 of them two thousand men. So that all who fell of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who that day drew the sword.

47 All these were men of valour. And the remainder, being six hundred men, turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of

48 Remmon, and abode at Rock Remmon four months. And the children of Israel turned back upon the Benjaminites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, beginning at the city Methla, including cattle and every thing throughout all the cities. And the cities which they came to, they burned with fire.

XXI. Now the children of Israel had sworn at Massepha, saying, Not a man of us shall give his daughter to a Benjaminitc

2 to wife. So when the people came to Baithel they sat there till evening before God, then raising their voice, they wept bitterly

3 and said, Why O Lord God of Israel hath this happened that

4 there should be this day one tribe cut off from Israel? And on

the day following the people arose early in the morning, and built there an altar, and offered whole burnt offerings and sacri-

5 fices. Then the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who came not up before the Lord at the general assembly? For they had denounced the great curse against those who came not up before the Lord to Massepha,

6 saying, Let him assuredly be put to death. Now the children of Israel had felt compassion for Benjamin their brother, and

7 said, There is now one tribe cutoff from Israel, What shall we do for wives for the few who are left, seeing we have sworn by the Lord, that we will not give them any of our daughters

8 for wi^es ? So when they said, Who is there among the tribes of Israel who came not up before the Lord to Massepha ? and behold not a man had come to the camp from Jabis Galaad to

9 the general assembly, and the people were reviewed, and there

10 was not a man of the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad; the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men from among the young warriors, and gave them a charge saying, Go and smite the in-

11 habitants of Jabis Galaad with the edge of the sword: And this you shall do, You shall devote to destruction every male, and every woman who hath cohabited with man: but the virgins

12 you shall preserve alive. And having done so they found among the inhabitants four hundred young virgins who had not cohabited with man, and brought them to the camp at Selom which

13 is in the land of Chanaan. Then all the congregation sent, and spoke to the children of Benjamin at Rock Remtnon, and in-

14 vited them to peace. And when Benjamin returned to the children of Israel at that time, the Israelites gave them the women whom they had saved alive from among the daughters of Jabis

15 Galaad. So they were pleased, and the people relented for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach among the tribes

16 of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for the rest? For all the women of Benjamin

17 are destroyed: (Now they had determined that die inheritance of the Benjaminites should belong to them who had escaped,

18 that a tribe might not be blotted out from Israel:) for we can- not give them any of our daughters for wives; for we have sworn among the children of Israel, saying, Cursed be the man

19 who giveth a wife to a Benjaminite. Then they said, Behold

there is a festival of the Lord at Seloin, which is kept yearly,

»on the north of Baithel, towards the rising of the sun, on the

high way which goeth up from Baithel to Sychetn, and on the

20 south of Lebona. So they gave a charge to the Benjaminites

21 saying, Go and lie in wait among the vineyards, and watch, and behold when the daughters of the inhabitants of Selom go out to dance in choirs, start out from the vineyards, and seize for yourselves every man a wife from among the daughters of

22 Selom, and go to the land of Benjamin. And when their fathers or their brothers come to us, to enter a complaint before us, we will say to them, Grant them as a favour to us, because

23 we did net take every man a woman at the battle. Seeing you have not given them, you have, as it were, accidentally transgressed. And the children of Benjamin did so. And having taken wives according to their number from among the choirs whom they surprised, they went, and returned to their inhe-

24 ritance, and rebuilt their cities and dwelt therein. And the children of Israel went at that time every man to his tribe, and to his kindred, and went out thence every man to his possession.

25 And in those days, there being no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes.