15:6 Then the
Philistines
said, Who hath done this?
bible-kjv
remember also that I am
your bone and your flesh.
9:3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men
of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow
Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the
house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons,
which followed him.
9:5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his
brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon
one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left; for he hid himself.
9:6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of
Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar
that was in Shechem.
9:7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of
mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them,
Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
9:8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and
they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness,
wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees? 9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and
reign over us.
9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness,
and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 9:12 Then
said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
9:13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which
cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 9:14 Then
said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
9:15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me
king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not,
let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
9:16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye
have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and
his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his
hands; 9:17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life
far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 9:18 And ye are
risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons,
threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech,
the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he
is your brother;) 9:19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech,
and let him also rejoice in you: 9:20 But if not, let fire come out
from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo;
and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech.
9:21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there,
for fear of Abimelech his brother.
9:22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 9:23 Then God
sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the
men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 9:24 That the
cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come,
and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them;
and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his
brethren.
9:25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of
the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech.
9:26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to
Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
9:27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards,
and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their
god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
9:28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is
Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and
Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for
why should we serve him? 9:29 And would to God this people were under
my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech,
Increase thine army, and come out.
9:30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the
son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
9:31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold,
Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold,
they fortify the city against thee.
9:32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee,
and lie in wait in the field: 9:33 And it shall be, that in the
morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon
the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come
out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find
occasion.
9:34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by
night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
9:35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of
the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were
with him, from lying in wait.
9:36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there
come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto
him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
9:37 And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the
middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of
Meonenim.
9:38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou
saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the
people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with
them.
9:39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with
Abimelech.
9:40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were
overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
9:41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his
brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
9:42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into
the field; and they told Abimelech.
9:43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies,
and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were
come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote
them.
9:44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward,
and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other
companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew
them.
9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took
the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the
city, and sowed it with salt.
9:46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they
entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
9:47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of
Shechem were gathered together.
9:48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people
that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut
down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder,
and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do,
make haste, and do as I have done.
9:49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and
followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire
upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also,
about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and
took it.
9:51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled
all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them,
and gat them up to the top of the tower.
9:52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and
went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's
head, and all to brake his skull.
9:54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and
said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A
women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
9:55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they
departed every man unto his place.
9:56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto
his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 9:57 And all the evil of
the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came
the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of
Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in
mount Ephraim.
10:2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was
buried in Shamir.
10:3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty
and two years.
10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they
had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which
are in the land of Gilead.
10:5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the
gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of
Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and
served not him.
10:7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold
them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the
children of Ammon.
10:8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel:
eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
10:9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also
against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim;
so that Israel was sore distressed.
10:10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have
sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also
served Baalim.
10:11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver
you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines? 10:12 The Zidonians also, and the
Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and
I delivered you out of their hand.
10:13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will
deliver you no more.
10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver
you in the time of your tribulation.
10:15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned:
do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we
pray thee, this day.
10:16 And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served
the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
10:17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped
in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together,
and encamped in Mizpeh.
10:18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What
man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he
shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was
the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
11:2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and
they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in
our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
11:3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of
Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with
him.
11:4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of
Ammon made war against Israel.
11:5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against
Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of
Tob: 11:6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that
we may fight with the children of Ammon.
11:7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me,
and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now
when ye are in distress? 11:8 And the elders of Gilead said unto
Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go
with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home
again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver
them before me, shall I be your head? 11:10 And the elders of Gilead
said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so
according to thy words.
11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people
made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his
words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
11:12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of
Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come
against me to fight in my land? 11:13 And the king of the children of
Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took
away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto
Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again
peaceably.
11:14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children
of Ammon: 11:15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took
not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
11:16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the
wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 11:17 Then Israel
sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee,
pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.
And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not
consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
11:18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the
land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the
land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
11:19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the
king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee,
through thy land into my place.
11:20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but
Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and
fought against Israel.
11:21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people
into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all
the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
11:22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon
even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
11:23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites
from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? 11:24
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to
possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before
us, them will we possess.
11:25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight
against them, 11:26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and
in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the
coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover
them within that time? 11:27 Wherefore I have not sinned against
thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be
judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of
Ammon.
11:28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the
words of Jephthah which he sent him.
11:29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed
over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from
Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
11:30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt
without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 11:31 Then
it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to
meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall
surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
11:32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight
against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
11:33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith,
even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very
great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the
children of Israel.
11:34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his
daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she
was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
11:35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes,
and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou
art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the
LORD, and I cannot go back.
11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth
unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of
thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of
thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
11:37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let
me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and
bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
11:38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she
went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the
mountains.
11:39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned
unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had
vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 11:40 That
the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah
the Gileadite four days in a year.
12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went
northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to
fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with
thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
12:2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife
with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not
out of their hands.
12:3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my
hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD
delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me
this day, to fight against me? 12:4 Then Jephthah gathered together
all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead
smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of
Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
12:5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the
Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were
escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him,
Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 12:6 Then said they unto him,
Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to
pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages
of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and
two thousand.
12:7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the
Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
12:8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
12:9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent
abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he
judged Israel seven years.
12:10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged
Israel ten years.
12:12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the
country of Zebulun.
12:13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged
Israel.
12:14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on
threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
12:15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried
in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines
forty years.
13:2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the
Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto
her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son.
13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong
drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the
child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin
to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God
came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel
of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told
he me his name: 13:7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive,
and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat
any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the
womb to the day of his death.
13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man
of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we
shall do unto the child that shall be born.
13:9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God
came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her
husband was not with her.
13:10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and
said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto
me the other day.
13:11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man,
and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And
he said, I am.
13:12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we
order the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13:13 And the angel of
the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her
beware.
13:14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither
let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all
that I commanded her let her observe.
13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us
detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
13:16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain
me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt
offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that
he was an angel of the LORD.
13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name,
that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? 13:18 And
the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my
name, seeing it is secret? 13:19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat
offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did
wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
13:20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from
off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the
altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces
to the ground.
13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to
his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
13:22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we
have seen God.
13:23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us,
he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our
hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as
at this time have told us such things as these.
13:24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the
child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the
camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of
the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I
have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now
therefore get her for me to wife.
14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a
woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people,
that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And
Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD,
that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time
the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath,
and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared
against him.
14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent
him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but
he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased
Samson well.
14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to
see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees
and honey in the carcase of the lion.
14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to
his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told
not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
14:10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a
feast; for so used the young men to do.
14:11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty
companions to be with him.
14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto
you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the
feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty
change of garments: 14:13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall
ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said
unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14:14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out
of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days
expound the riddle.
14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto
Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the
riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye
called us to take that we have? is it not so? 14:16 And Samson's wife
wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not:
thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast
not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my
father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 14:17 And she wept
before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to
pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon
him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before
the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger
than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my
heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to
Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave
change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger
was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
14:20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used
as his friend.
15:1 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat
harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will
go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him
to go in.
15:2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly
hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger
sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless
than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
15:4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took
firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst
between two tails.
15:5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the
standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and
also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
15:6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered,
Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife,
and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt
her and her father with fire.
15:7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I
be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
15:8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he
went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
15:9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread
themselves in Lehi.
15:10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And
they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath
done to us.
15:11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock
Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are
rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said
unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
15:12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we
may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said
unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast,
and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee.
And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the
rock.
15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him:
and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that
were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his
bands loosed from off his hands.
15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand,
and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
15:16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
15:17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that
he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place
Ramathlehi.
15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou
hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and
now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the
uncircumcised? 15:19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the
jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit
came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof
Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
15:20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty
years.
16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in
unto her.
16:2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And
they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of
the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when
it is day, we shall kill him.
16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them
up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the
valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto
her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what
means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him;
and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
16:6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy
great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict
thee.
16:7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs
that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green
withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
16:9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the
chamber.
And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the
fire. So his strength was not known.
16:10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be
bound.
16:11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that
never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and
said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were
liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his
arms like a thread.
16:13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said
unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
16:14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when
thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and
hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words,
and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 16:17 That he
told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor
upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's
womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.
16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she
sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this
once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man,
and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she
began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke
out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before,
and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought
him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did
grind in the prison house.
16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was
shaven.
16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to
offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they
said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they
said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the
destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they
said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for
Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set
him between the pillars.
16:26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer
me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I
may lean upon them.
16:27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of
the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three
thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember
me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O
God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the
house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right
hand, and of the other with his left.
16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and
upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at
his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
16:31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and
took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol
in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty
years.
17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver
that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of
also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his
mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to
his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto
the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took
two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made
thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house
of Micah.
17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and
teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that
which was right in his own eyes.
17:7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of
Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
17:8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to
sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to
the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto
him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may
find a place.
17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father
and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year,
and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
17:11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young
man was unto him as one of his sons.
17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his
priest, and was in the house of Micah.
17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the
tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the
tribes of Israel.
18:2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the
land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land:
who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they
lodged there.
18:3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the
young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him,
Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what
hast thou here? 18:4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth
Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
18:5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that
we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
18:6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is
your way wherein ye go.
18:7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people
that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the
Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land,
that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the
Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
18:8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say ye? 18:9 And they said, Arise, that
we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it
is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to
possess the land.
18:10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large
land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no
want of any thing that is in the earth.
18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of
Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of
war.
18:12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it
is behind Kirjathjearim.
18:13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the
house of Micah.
18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of
Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these
houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image?
now therefore consider what ye have to do.
18:15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young
man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
18:16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war,
which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
18:17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came
in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering
of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons
of war.
18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image,
the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the
priest unto them, What do ye? 18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy
peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a
father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the
house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family
in Israel? 18:20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the
ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst
of the people.
18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the
cattle and the carriage before them.
18:22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men
that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together,
and overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their
faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with
such a company? 18:24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I
made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and
what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 18:25 And the
children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us,
lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the
lives of thy household.
18:26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that
they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
18:27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest
which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet
and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt
the city with fire.
18:28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and
they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth
by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan
their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city
was Laish at the first.
18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan,
the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests
to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all
the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in
Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of
mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away
from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four
whole months.
19:3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto
her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple
of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the
father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
19:4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he
abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged
there.
19:5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in
the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said
unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and
afterward go your way.
19:6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together:
for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray
thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
19:7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him:
therefore he lodged there again.
19:8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and
the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they
tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
19:9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and
his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him,
Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all
night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart
may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home.
19:10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there
were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
19:11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the
servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in
into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
19:12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into
the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will
pass over to Gibeah.
19:13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one
of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
19:14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down
upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
19:15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah:
and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for
there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
19:16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the
field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in
Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
19:17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in
the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and
whence comest thou? 19:18 And he said unto him, We are passing from
Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and
I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD;
and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19:19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there
is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young
man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
19:20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy
wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
19:21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the
asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of
the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and
beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man,
saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may
know him.
19:23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and
said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly;
seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
19:24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I
will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
19:25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and
abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to
spring, they let her go.
19:26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at
the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
19:27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the
house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his
concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were
upon the threshold.
19:28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none
answered.
Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him
unto his place.
19:29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid
hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
19:30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed
done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of
the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and
speak your minds.
20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the
land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
20:2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of
Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God,
four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
20:3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel
were gone up to Mizpeh. ) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us,
how was this wickedness? 20:4 And the Levite, the husband of the
woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that
belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
20:5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round
about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine
have they forced, that she is dead.
20:6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her
throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
20:7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and
counsel.
20:8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of
us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
20:9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we
will go up by lot against it; 20:10 And we will take ten men of an
hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a
thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the
people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin,
according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
20:11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit
together as one man.
20:12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of
Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
20:13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which
are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from
Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of
their brethren the children of Israel.
20:14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of
the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of
Israel.
20:15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of
the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the
inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
20:16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not
miss.
20:17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four
hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
20:18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of
God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first
to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said,
Judah shall go up first.
20:19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped
against Gibeah.
20:20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and
the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at
Gibeah.
20:21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and
destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two
thousand men.
20:22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set
their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in
array the first day.
20:23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD
until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again
to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD
said, Go up against him. ) 20:24 And the children of Israel came near
against the children of Benjamin the second day.
20:25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second
day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again
eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up,
and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the
LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings before the LORD.
20:27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of
the covenant of God was there in those days, 20:28 And Phinehas, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,)
saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of
Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for
to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
20:29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
20:30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of
Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah,
as at other times.
20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and
were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people,
and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to
the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty
men of Israel.
20:32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before
us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and
draw them from the city unto the highways.
20:33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put
themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came
forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
20:34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all
Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near
them.
20:35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of
Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand
and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
20:36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the
men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto
the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
20:37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the
liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the
edge of the sword.
20:38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and
the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise
up out of the city.
20:39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began
to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they
said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
20:40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a
pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the
flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
your bone and your flesh.
9:3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men
of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow
Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the
house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons,
which followed him.
9:5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his
brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon
one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left; for he hid himself.
9:6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of
Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar
that was in Shechem.
9:7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of
mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them,
Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
9:8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and
they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness,
wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees? 9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and
reign over us.
9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness,
and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? 9:12 Then
said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
9:13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which
cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 9:14 Then
said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
9:15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me
king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not,
let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
9:16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye
have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and
his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his
hands; 9:17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life
far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 9:18 And ye are
risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons,
threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech,
the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he
is your brother;) 9:19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech,
and let him also rejoice in you: 9:20 But if not, let fire come out
from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo;
and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech.
9:21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there,
for fear of Abimelech his brother.
9:22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 9:23 Then God
sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the
men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 9:24 That the
cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come,
and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them;
and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his
brethren.
9:25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of
the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech.
9:26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to
Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
9:27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards,
and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their
god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
9:28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is
Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and
Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for
why should we serve him? 9:29 And would to God this people were under
my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech,
Increase thine army, and come out.
9:30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the
son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
9:31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold,
Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold,
they fortify the city against thee.
9:32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee,
and lie in wait in the field: 9:33 And it shall be, that in the
morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon
the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come
out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find
occasion.
9:34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by
night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
9:35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of
the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were
with him, from lying in wait.
9:36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there
come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto
him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
9:37 And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the
middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of
Meonenim.
9:38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou
saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the
people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with
them.
9:39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with
Abimelech.
9:40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were
overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
9:41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his
brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
9:42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into
the field; and they told Abimelech.
9:43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies,
and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were
come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote
them.
9:44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward,
and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other
companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew
them.
9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took
the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the
city, and sowed it with salt.
9:46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they
entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
9:47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of
Shechem were gathered together.
9:48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people
that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut
down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder,
and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do,
make haste, and do as I have done.
9:49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and
followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire
upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also,
about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and
took it.
9:51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled
all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them,
and gat them up to the top of the tower.
9:52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and
went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's
head, and all to brake his skull.
9:54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and
said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A
women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
9:55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they
departed every man unto his place.
9:56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto
his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 9:57 And all the evil of
the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came
the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of
Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in
mount Ephraim.
10:2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was
buried in Shamir.
10:3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty
and two years.
10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they
had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which
are in the land of Gilead.
10:5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the
gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of
Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and
served not him.
10:7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold
them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the
children of Ammon.
10:8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel:
eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
10:9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also
against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim;
so that Israel was sore distressed.
10:10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have
sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also
served Baalim.
10:11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver
you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of
Ammon, and from the Philistines? 10:12 The Zidonians also, and the
Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and
I delivered you out of their hand.
10:13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will
deliver you no more.
10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver
you in the time of your tribulation.
10:15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned:
do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we
pray thee, this day.
10:16 And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served
the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
10:17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped
in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together,
and encamped in Mizpeh.
10:18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What
man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he
shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was
the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
11:2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and
they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in
our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
11:3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of
Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with
him.
11:4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of
Ammon made war against Israel.
11:5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against
Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of
Tob: 11:6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that
we may fight with the children of Ammon.
11:7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me,
and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now
when ye are in distress? 11:8 And the elders of Gilead said unto
Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go
with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home
again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver
them before me, shall I be your head? 11:10 And the elders of Gilead
said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so
according to thy words.
11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people
made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his
words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
11:12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of
Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come
against me to fight in my land? 11:13 And the king of the children of
Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took
away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto
Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again
peaceably.
11:14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children
of Ammon: 11:15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took
not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
11:16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the
wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 11:17 Then Israel
sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee,
pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.
And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not
consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
11:18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the
land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the
land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
11:19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the
king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee,
through thy land into my place.
11:20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but
Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and
fought against Israel.
11:21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people
into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all
the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
11:22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon
even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
11:23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites
from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? 11:24
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to
possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before
us, them will we possess.
11:25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight
against them, 11:26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and
in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the
coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover
them within that time? 11:27 Wherefore I have not sinned against
thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be
judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of
Ammon.
11:28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the
words of Jephthah which he sent him.
11:29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed
over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from
Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
11:30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt
without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 11:31 Then
it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to
meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall
surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
11:32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight
against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
11:33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith,
even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very
great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the
children of Israel.
11:34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his
daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she
was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
11:35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes,
and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou
art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the
LORD, and I cannot go back.
11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth
unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of
thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of
thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
11:37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let
me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and
bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
11:38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she
went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the
mountains.
11:39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned
unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had
vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, 11:40 That
the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah
the Gileadite four days in a year.
12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went
northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to
fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with
thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
12:2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife
with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not
out of their hands.
12:3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my
hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD
delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me
this day, to fight against me? 12:4 Then Jephthah gathered together
all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead
smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of
Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
12:5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the
Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were
escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him,
Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 12:6 Then said they unto him,
Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to
pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages
of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and
two thousand.
12:7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the
Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
12:8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
12:9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent
abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he
judged Israel seven years.
12:10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged
Israel ten years.
12:12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the
country of Zebulun.
12:13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged
Israel.
12:14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on
threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
12:15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried
in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines
forty years.
13:2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the
Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto
her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son.
13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong
drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the
child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin
to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God
came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel
of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told
he me his name: 13:7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive,
and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat
any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the
womb to the day of his death.
13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man
of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we
shall do unto the child that shall be born.
13:9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God
came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her
husband was not with her.
13:10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and
said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto
me the other day.
13:11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man,
and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And
he said, I am.
13:12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we
order the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13:13 And the angel of
the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her
beware.
13:14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither
let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all
that I commanded her let her observe.
13:15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us
detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
13:16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain
me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt
offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that
he was an angel of the LORD.
13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name,
that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? 13:18 And
the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my
name, seeing it is secret? 13:19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat
offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did
wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
13:20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from
off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the
altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces
to the ground.
13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to
his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
13:22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we
have seen God.
13:23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us,
he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our
hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as
at this time have told us such things as these.
13:24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the
child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the
camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of
the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I
have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now
therefore get her for me to wife.
14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a
woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people,
that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And
Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD,
that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time
the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath,
and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared
against him.
14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent
him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but
he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased
Samson well.
14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to
see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees
and honey in the carcase of the lion.
14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to
his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told
not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
14:10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a
feast; for so used the young men to do.
14:11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty
companions to be with him.
14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto
you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the
feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty
change of garments: 14:13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall
ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said
unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14:14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out
of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days
expound the riddle.
14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto
Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the
riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye
called us to take that we have? is it not so? 14:16 And Samson's wife
wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not:
thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast
not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my
father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 14:17 And she wept
before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to
pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon
him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before
the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger
than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my
heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to
Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave
change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger
was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
14:20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used
as his friend.
15:1 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat
harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will
go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him
to go in.
15:2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly
hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger
sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless
than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
15:4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took
firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst
between two tails.
15:5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the
standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and
also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
15:6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered,
Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife,
and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt
her and her father with fire.
15:7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I
be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
15:8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he
went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
15:9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread
themselves in Lehi.
15:10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And
they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath
done to us.
15:11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock
Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are
rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said
unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
15:12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we
may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said
unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast,
and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee.
And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the
rock.
15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him:
and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that
were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his
bands loosed from off his hands.
15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand,
and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
15:16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
15:17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that
he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place
Ramathlehi.
15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou
hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and
now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the
uncircumcised? 15:19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the
jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit
came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof
Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
15:20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty
years.
16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in
unto her.
16:2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And
they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of
the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when
it is day, we shall kill him.
16:3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them
up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the
valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto
her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what
means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him;
and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
16:6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy
great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict
thee.
16:7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs
that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green
withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
16:9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the
chamber.
And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the
fire. So his strength was not known.
16:10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be
bound.
16:11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that
never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and
said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were
liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his
arms like a thread.
16:13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said
unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
16:14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when
thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and
hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words,
and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 16:17 That he
told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor
upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's
womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.
16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she
sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this
once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man,
and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she
began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke
out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before,
and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought
him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did
grind in the prison house.
16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was
shaven.
16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to
offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they
said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they
said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the
destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they
said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for
Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set
him between the pillars.
16:26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer
me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I
may lean upon them.
16:27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of
the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three
thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember
me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O
God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the
house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right
hand, and of the other with his left.
16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and
upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at
his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
16:31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and
took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol
in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty
years.
17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver
that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of
also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his
mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to
his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto
the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took
two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made
thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house
of Micah.
17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and
teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that
which was right in his own eyes.
17:7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of
Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
17:8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to
sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to
the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto
him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may
find a place.
17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father
and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year,
and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
17:11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young
man was unto him as one of his sons.
17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his
priest, and was in the house of Micah.
17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the
tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the
tribes of Israel.
18:2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the
land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land:
who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they
lodged there.
18:3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the
young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him,
Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what
hast thou here? 18:4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth
Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
18:5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that
we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
18:6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is
your way wherein ye go.
18:7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people
that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the
Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land,
that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the
Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
18:8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say ye? 18:9 And they said, Arise, that
we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it
is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to
possess the land.
18:10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large
land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no
want of any thing that is in the earth.
18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of
Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of
war.
18:12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it
is behind Kirjathjearim.
18:13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the
house of Micah.
18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of
Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these
houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image?
now therefore consider what ye have to do.
18:15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young
man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
18:16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war,
which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
18:17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came
in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering
of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons
of war.
18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image,
the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the
priest unto them, What do ye? 18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy
peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a
father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the
house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family
in Israel? 18:20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the
ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst
of the people.
18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the
cattle and the carriage before them.
18:22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men
that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together,
and overtook the children of Dan.
18:23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their
faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with
such a company? 18:24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I
made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and
what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 18:25 And the
children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us,
lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the
lives of thy household.
18:26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that
they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
18:27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest
which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet
and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt
the city with fire.
18:28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and
they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth
by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan
their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city
was Laish at the first.
18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan,
the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests
to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
18:31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all
the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in
Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of
mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away
from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four
whole months.
19:3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto
her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple
of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the
father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
19:4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he
abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged
there.
19:5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in
the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said
unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and
afterward go your way.
19:6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together:
for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray
thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
19:7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him:
therefore he lodged there again.
19:8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and
the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they
tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
19:9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and
his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him,
Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all
night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart
may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home.
19:10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there
were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
19:11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the
servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in
into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
19:12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into
the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will
pass over to Gibeah.
19:13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one
of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
19:14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down
upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
19:15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah:
and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for
there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
19:16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the
field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in
Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
19:17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in
the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and
whence comest thou? 19:18 And he said unto him, We are passing from
Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and
I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD;
and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19:19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there
is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young
man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
19:20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy
wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
19:21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the
asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of
the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and
beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man,
saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may
know him.
19:23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and
said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly;
seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
19:24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I
will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
19:25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and
abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to
spring, they let her go.
19:26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at
the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
19:27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the
house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his
concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were
upon the threshold.
19:28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none
answered.
Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him
unto his place.
19:29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid
hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
19:30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed
done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of
the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and
speak your minds.
20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the
land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
20:2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of
Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God,
four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
20:3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel
were gone up to Mizpeh. ) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us,
how was this wickedness? 20:4 And the Levite, the husband of the
woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that
belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
20:5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round
about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine
have they forced, that she is dead.
20:6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her
throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
20:7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and
counsel.
20:8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of
us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
20:9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we
will go up by lot against it; 20:10 And we will take ten men of an
hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a
thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the
people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin,
according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
20:11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit
together as one man.
20:12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of
Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
20:13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which
are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from
Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of
their brethren the children of Israel.
20:14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of
the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of
Israel.
20:15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of
the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the
inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
20:16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not
miss.
20:17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four
hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
20:18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of
God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first
to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said,
Judah shall go up first.
20:19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped
against Gibeah.
20:20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and
the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at
Gibeah.
20:21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and
destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two
thousand men.
20:22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set
their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in
array the first day.
20:23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD
until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again
to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD
said, Go up against him. ) 20:24 And the children of Israel came near
against the children of Benjamin the second day.
20:25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second
day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again
eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up,
and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the
LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings before the LORD.
20:27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of
the covenant of God was there in those days, 20:28 And Phinehas, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,)
saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of
Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for
to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
20:29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
20:30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of
Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah,
as at other times.
20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and
were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people,
and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to
the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty
men of Israel.
20:32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before
us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and
draw them from the city unto the highways.
20:33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put
themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came
forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
20:34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all
Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near
them.
20:35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of
Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand
and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
20:36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the
men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto
the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
20:37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the
liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the
edge of the sword.
20:38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and
the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise
up out of the city.
20:39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began
to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they
said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
20:40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a
pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the
flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
