JUDGES
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¤1 °1 After the death of Joshua, the
Israelites consulted Yahweh, “Who among us shall be the first to fight
against the Canaanites?” °2 Yahweh
answered: “The tribe of Judah shall go up first, and I will give the land
into their hands.” °3 So
the people of Judah said to their brothers from the tribe of Simeon, “Help us
conquer the part of the land that is allotted to us, and then we will conquer
with you the region that is yours.” So they joined forces for the war. °4 When the
tribe of Judah attacked the Canaanites and the Perizzites, Yahweh gave them
into their hands; in Bezek they defeated ten thousand men. °5 In Bezek
they encountered the lord of Bezek and fought against him. °6 The lord
of Bezek fled but they pursued him. They captured him and cut off his thumbs
and his big toes. °7 The
lord of Bezek then said, “Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes I cut off
used to pick scraps under my table, now God has done to me according to what
I have done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. °8 The tribe
of Judah attacked the city of Jerusalem, and after killing its inhabitants
they burned the city. °9 Afterwards
they went down from Jerusalem to attack the Canaanites who lived in the
mountains, in the Negeb and in the plains. °10 They also attacked the Canaanites
who were in Hebron (Hebron was also called Kiriath-Arba at that time), and
they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. °11 From there they marched against
the inhabitants of Debir, a city which was also called Kiriath-Sepher. °12 Then
Caleb made this promise, “To the one who takes Kiriath-Sepher, I will give my
daughter Achsah as wife.” °13 It
was Othoniel who took the city; he was the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger
brother, and Caleb gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife. °14 When
Achsah came to Othoniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. She
alighted from her ass, and Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” °15 She
answered, “What a gift this Negeb wilderness is! Give me also springs of
water.” And Caleb gave her the Upper Springs and the Lower Springs. °16 The
descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, also went up with the people
of Judah from the city of palms to that part of the desert of Judah on the
boundary of the Negeb near Arad, and they settled there with them. °17 Those
from Judah and their brothers from the tribe of Simeon attacked the
Canaanites who lived in Zephath, and they sacrificed Zephath in honor of Yahweh.
For this reason, the city was named “Anathema.” °18 Judah seized Gaza, Ashkelon and
Ekron with their respective territories. °19 Although
they conquered the mountainous regions with the help of Yahweh, they could
not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they fought with iron
chariots. °20 Following
the orders of Moses, they gave the city of Hebron to Caleb who had cast out
the three sons of Anak from there. °21 But the tribe of Benjamin did not
succeed in expelling the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; the Jebusites have
stayed in Jerusalem until this day. °22 The
people of Joseph went up against Bethel with the help of Yahweh. °23 They sent
men out to spy in Bethel, formerly called Luz, °24 and they met a man coming out of
the city. They said to him, “Tell us how we can enter the city, and we will
not kill you.” °25 He showed
them the way. Then they entered and put the city to the sword, but set that
man free together with his whole family. °26 The man went to the land of the
Hittites where he built a city which he named Luz which is its name to this
day. °27 However,
the tribe of Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth-Shean and Taanach
or the inhabitants of Dor, Ibleam and Megiddo. The Canaanites persisted in dwelling
in these cities and in the towns that depended on them, and they kept their
lands. °28 But
when the Israelites grew stronger, they exacted taxes from the Canaanites who
stayed in their place. °29 Neither
did the tribe of Ephraim expel the Canaanites who lived in Gezer °30 nor did
the tribe of Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol. These
Canaanites lived among them, but had to pay taxes to them. °31 Those of
Asher did not expel the people of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik
or Rehob. °32 The tribe
of Asher had to live in the midst of the Canaanites who occupied their
territory, for they could not drive them out from that region. °33 The same
happened with the tribe of Naphtali that failed to drive out the inhabitants
of Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath; they had to dwell in the midst of the
Canaanites who lived in that region. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of
Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath paid taxes to this tribe. °34 The
Amorites did not allow the descendants of Dan to come down to the plain, so
the latter had to live in the mountains. °35 The Amorites also remained in
Har-Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the tribe of Joseph grew stronger,
they forced the Amorites to pay taxes. °36 The territory of the Amorites
extended from the slope of Akrabbim, to Sela and upward. ¤2 °1
The Angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bochim
where the Israelites were gathered, and he said to them, “I made you go up
from Egypt and brought you to the land I had promised your ancestors. I said
to them, ‘Never will I break my covenant with you, °2 but
you shall not make any covenant with the Canaanites and shall destroy their
altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. Why did you not obey me? °3 Now, I
will not drive out these nations before you. They shall be your oppressors
and their gods shall be a trap for you.” °4 After the
Angel of Yahweh had spoken, all the Israelites began to weep and cry. °5 For this
reason, they named that place Bochim, which means “those who weep,” and they
offered sacrifices to Yahweh. °6 When
Joshua dismissed the Israelites, each one of them went to his inheritance to
occupy the land. °7 The
people served Yahweh during the lifetime of Joshua and of the leaders who
outlived him, and who had witnessed all the great works of Yahweh for Israel. °8 Joshua,
son of Nun, the servant of Moses, died at the age of one hundred and ten
years. °9 They
buried him at the boundary of his inheritance in Timnath-Heres, in the
mountains of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. °10 That whole
generation died and another one came, but they did not know Yahweh or what he
had done for Israel. § Summary of the book: unfaithfulness and punishment°11 The Israelites treated
Yahweh badly for they served the Baals instead. °12 They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their ancestors
who had brought them out of Egypt, and served other gods, the gods of the
neighboring peoples. They bowed before those gods and offended Yahweh. °13 When Yahweh saw that they
had abandoned him to serve Baal and Ashtaroth, °14 he became angry with his people and gave them into
the hands of plunderers who left them in misery. He himself sold them to
their enemies who completely surrounded the Israelites, so that these
Israelites could no longer withstand them. °15 Whenever they felt strong for an offensive, Yahweh
would turn against them and send evil upon them, as he had warned them and
sworn to do. And this caused much distress and anguish for the Israelites. °16 Yahweh raised up “judges” (or
liberators) who saved the Israelites from their exploiters. °17 But neither did they obey
those “judges” for they still prostituted themselves to other gods and
worshiped them. They soon left the way of their fathers who obeyed the
commandments of Yahweh; they did not follow the way of their fathers. °18 When Yahweh made a judge
appear among his people, Yahweh was with him and saved them from their
enemies. That lasted as long as the judge lived, for Yahweh was moved to pity
by the lament of his people who were oppressed and persecuted. °19 But when the judge died,
they again became worse than their ancestors – worshiping and serving other
gods. They would not renounce their pagan practices and stubborn ways. °20 Yahweh was angry and he
said, “These people broke the Covenant I made with their ancestors and they
refuse to obey me. °21 Well now,
neither shall I drive out before them any of the nations left when Joshua
died. °22 And I shall
test the Israelites through those nations; then I shall know if they will
finally follow my ways as their ancestors did.” °23 So Yahweh left those
nations in their place and did not take the land immediately from them. This
was also why he did not give them into the hands of Joshua. ¤3 °1
These are the nations that Yahweh let live in order
to test the Israelites through them, that is to say, all the Israelites who
had not known any of the wars in Canaan.
°2 He
let these people live so that the generation of the children of Israel who
had not known war before might learn how to fight. °3 These people were the five lords
of the Philistines and all the Canaanites, the Sidonians and the Hivites of
Mount Lebanon, from the mountain of Baal-Hermon to as far as the entrance of
Hamath. °4 They
remained to test Israel to see if they would observe the commandments that
Yahweh had prescribed to their fathers through Moses. °5 So the
Israelites lived in the midst of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
°6 The
Israelites married the daughters of these people, gave their own daughters in
marriage to the sons of these people and served their gods. § Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar
°7 The Israelites treated
Yahweh badly; they forgot Yahweh, their God, and served the Baals and the
Asheroths. °8 Because of
this, the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel and he left them in the hands
of Cushanrishathaim, king of Aram, to whom they were subject for eight years. °9 Then the Israelites cried
to Yahweh, and he raised up from among them a liberator who saved them –
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. °10 The spirit of Yahweh was upon him and he led
Israel. When Othniel went to war, Yahweh gave Cushanrishathaim, king of Aram,
into Othniel’s hands. °11 Othniel won
over the king and the land had peace for forty years. Then Othniel, son of
Kenaz, died. °12 The Israelites again did
what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he strengthened Eglon, king of Moab,
so he could attack them; that was because they had treated Yahweh badly. °13 Eglon joined the Ammonites
and the Amalekites; they set out and marched together defeating Israel and
taking the City of Palms. °14 The Israelites
became subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years. °15 But as they cried to
Yahweh, he gave them a liberator – Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera,
from the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites entrusted a gift to him to bring
to Eglon, king of Moab. °16 So, Ehud made
for himself a two-edged dagger, one cubit long, and strapped it on his right
thigh under his clothes. °17 He then went to
present the gift to Eglon, king of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man. °18 When Ehud finished
offering the present, he dismissed the men who had brought all the things. °19 But when he arrived at the
place of the Idols, near Gilgal, he went back to the king, and said to Eglon,
“I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon, king of Moab, then
declared, “Leave me alone!” And so everyone who was present left the room. °20 Then Ehud approached him, while
the king was seated alone on his private roof chamber where it was cool. Ehud
said to him, “Lord, I have a warning from God for you.” The king rose from
his seat. °21 Then Ehud, with his left
hand, took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into the king’s
belly. °22 The handle even went in
with the blade and the fat closed over the blade, for Ehud did not draw the
dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. °23 Ehud jumped out
through the window after having locked the doors of the roof behind him. °24 When he had gone, the
servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They
thought, “He must be relieving himself in the cool room.” °25 They waited for some time,
but the doors of the roof room remained closed. Finally, they took the keys
and opened the doors: their lord lay on the floor dead. °26 Ehud had escaped while the
servants waited for their king; he had passed through the place of the Idols
and reached a safe place in Seirah. °27 When he arrived he had the trumpets sounded in the
mountains of Ephraim and the Israelites went down from the mountains. °28 He stood before all of
them and said, “Follow me, for Yahweh has given the people of Moab, our
enemies, into our hands.” They went down with him, barred the passages of the
Jordan towards Moab and they let nobody pass. °29 They defeated Moab on that
occasion, killing some ten thousand, all strong and brave men. Nobody was
spared. °30 So on that day,
Moab became subject to Israel, and the land remained peaceful for eighty
years. °31 Then Shamgar, the son of
Anath, came; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He, too, saved
Israel. § Deborah and Barak
¤4 °1
After Ehud died, the Israelites again treated Yahweh badly, °2 so he left them in the
power of Yabin, king of Canaan. Yabin reigned in Hazor, and the commander of
his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-Hagoiim. °3 Then the Israelites cried
to Yahweh, for Yabin had nine hundred chariots of war, and had kept the
Israelites oppressed for twenty years. °4 At that time, Deborah, a
prophetess and wife of Lappidoth, became judge. °5 She used to sit under what was called the Palm of
Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in the land of Ephraim. There she resolved
the complaints that the Israelites presented to her. °6 And she sent
and called for Barak, the son of Abinoam, who was from the town of Kedesh of
Naphtali. She said to him, “This is the order of Yahweh: Go, gather the
people on Mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand men from the tribes of
Naphtali and Zebulun, °7 for I am going
to bring Sisera to you at the river Kishon with his chariots and men, and I
will give him into your hands.” °8 Barak answered her, “If
you will go, then I shall go, too; but if you do not go, I shall not go.” °9 Deborah answered, “I will
go with you, but if you do it that way the honor of the victory will not be
yours, for Sisera will be killed by a woman.” In this way Deborah went
with Barak to Kedesh. °10 Barak summoned
men from Zebulun and Naphtali and ten thousand followed him. Deborah also
went up with him. °12 When Sisera
came to know that Barak had climbed Mount Tabor, °13 he gathered all his chariots – nine hundred
chariots of war in all – and all his men, and they set out from
Harosheth-Hagoiim to the river Kishon. °14 Then Deborah said to
Barak, “Rise, for this is the day in which Yahweh shall give Sisera into your
hands. Today, Yahweh goes before you.” So, Barak went down from Mount Tabor with his
ten thousand men. °15 Yahweh made him
win over Sisera and his chariots and all his army. Sisera alighted from his
chariot and fled, °16 while Barak
pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-Hagoiim. All of Sisera’s army
perished. Nobody was spared. °11 At that moment, Heber the
Kenite was encamped by the oak of Zaan-Nannim, near Kedesh, after separating
from the other Kenite descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. °17 There Sisera took refuge,
and came running to the tent of Yael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Peace
reigned between the Kenite tribe and the Canaanites of Yabin, king of Hazor. °18 Yael came out to meet
Sisera and said to him, “Come this way, my lord, have no fear.” Sisera
entered and Yael hid him under a blanket. °19 He asked her for a little water to quench his
thirst. The woman opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him
again with the blanket. °20 And he said to
her, “Stand at the entrance; and if anyone comes and asks you, tell him there
is no one with you.” °21 Sisera was very
tired, so he slept. Then the woman took a hammer and a tent peg, went quietly
to him and drove the peg into his temple till it was fixed into the ground. °22 When Barak arrived, Yael
came out to meet him and said, “Come in, and I will show you the man you are
looking for.” He entered and saw Sisera dead with a tent peg through his
temple. °23 On that day Yahweh humbled
Yabin before the Israelites. °24 The Israelites
did not rest until they destroyed all the Canaanites. § Song of Deborah
¤5
°1 On
that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang this song: °2 In Israel
the warriors let their hair loose, in Israel they presented voluntary
offerings for the war. Blessed be Yahweh! °3 Listen, O
kings; pay attention, O princes. To Yahweh will I sing. To Yahweh, the God of
Israel, will I offer praise. °4 When you
went forth from Seir, O Yahweh, when you came from the camp of Edom, the
earth trembled, the heavens reeled and the clouds poured down rain. °5 The
mountains rocked before Yahweh, before Yahweh – the God of Israel. °6 In the
days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Yael, caravans ceased and
travelers wandered through the byways. °7 There were no leaders in Israel
until I, Deborah, awoke and arose as a mother of Israel. °8 They went
after new gods, and war was upon them. There was hardly a shield or a spear
for forty thousand men in Israel! °9 My heart
is with the leaders of Israel, among the people who came willingly. Blessed
be Yahweh! °10 Those who
go riding on white asses, those who walk by the way, meditate! °11 Hear the
voice of those who divide the plunder near the watering place: they sing the
favors God has done to Israel when the people of Yahweh march down to the
gates. °12 Wake up,
Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up and begin to sing. Arise, Barak! And bring
your songs, son of Abinoam. °13 Let the
survivors of the people rule over their oppressors! May Yahweh be with me,
stronger than the valiant! °14 Your
roots, O Ephraim, are in Amalek; your brother Benjamin is behind you among
your army. From Machir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun the leaders
bearing the brass staff. °15 The
leaders of Issachar are with Deborah, Issachar is with Barak; the people
rushed forth following their footsteps into the plain. There were long talks among
the clans of Reuben. °16 Why
did you choose to remain in your folds listening to the flute among the
flock? The clans of Reuben could not decide. °17 Galaad
remained on the other side of the Jordan, and Dan, why did you remain in your
ships? Asher has remained on the seacoasts; he is quiet in his ports. °18 Zebulun,
in turn, has scorned death; Naphtali went up to the battlefield, too. °19 The kings
came to fight; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, near the waters of
Megiddo, but they got no silver. °20 From the
heavens the stars fought, from their orbits they fought against Sisera. °21 The
torrent Kishon dragged them away, the cold torrent, the torrent Kishon. March
on without fear, my soul! °22 Hoofs of horses
shake the ground: the galloping, galloping of his horses. °23 Cursed be
Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh, cursed be it, cursed be its inhabitants, for
it came not to the aid of Yahweh, not like the heroes. °24 Blessed
among women be Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, among the women who dwell in
tents, blessed may you be! °25 He
asked for water, she gave him milk; in the cup of honor she served him cream. °26 She put
her hand to the peg and with her right hand took the hammer of a workman. She
struck Sisera, crushed his head, pierced and shattered his temple. °27 He
collapsed at her feet, and there he fell, and lay still. °28 Sisera’s
mother looks out of the window, and she cries out behind the lattice: Why is
his chariot late in coming? Why is his chariot delayed? °29 The
wisest of her women answers and says: °30 Surely they are dividing the
plunder – one captive, two captives for each warrior; colored cloths for
Sisera as booty, colored cloths twice adorned with raised embroidery for a
scarf. °31 So may all
your enemies perish, O Yahweh, but may your friends be like the brilliant
sun! And there was peace in the
land for forty years. ¤6
°1 The
Israelites treated Yahweh badly, and Yahweh gave them into the hands of the
Midianites for seven years, °2 and the
hand of the Midianites lay heavily on them. Because of Midian, the
Israelites made for themselves passages in the mountains, caves and shelters. °3 When the
Israelites had sown, Midian would come with Amalek and with the people of the
East. They would come up against the Israelites, °4 encamp in the lands of the
Israelites and destroy all the fields as far as the entrance to Gaza. They
would leave no provisions or sheep or ox or ass, °5 for they would come up like
locusts in number, bringing with them their livestock and their tents. They
and their camels were many and they invaded and plundered the land. °6 In this
way, Midian subdued Israel and brought upon it so great a misery that the
Israelites cried to Yahweh. °7 When the
Israelites cried to Yahweh because of Midian, °8 Yahweh sent them a prophet who
said to them, “This is the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel: I led you up
from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. °9 I
freed you from the hands of the Egyptians and from all your oppressors. I
drove out before you the inhabitants of these lands, and gave their lands to
you, °10 and
I said to you, ‘I am Yahweh, your God. Disregard the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land you dwell.’ But you did not listen to me.” § Call of Gideon
°11 The Angel of Yahweh came
and sat under the sacred tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, of the
family of Abiezer. Gideon, the son of Joash, was threshing the wheat in the
winepress to hide it from the Midianites. °12 The Angel of Yahweh said
to him, “Yahweh be with you, valiant warrior.” °13 Gideon
answered, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why is all this happening
to us? Where are the wonders which our fathers recounted to us? Did they not say
that Yahweh led them up from Egypt? Why has he abandoned us now and given us
into the hands of the Midianites?” °14 Yahweh then turned to him
and said, “Go, and with your courage, save Israel from the Midianites. It is
I who send you.” °15 Gideon answered:
“Pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in my
tribe and I am the least in the family of my father.” °16 Yahweh said to him, “I
will be with you and you shall defeat the people of Midian with one single
stroke.” °17 Gideon said to
him, “Please give me a sign that it is indeed you who speak. °18 Do not leave until I
return with an offering and present it to you.” Yahweh responded, “I am going
to wait for you here.” °19 Gideon went and prepared a
young goat, took a measure of flour and baked unleavened bread. He put the
broth in a pot and the meat in a basket, and went to present them to the
Angel under the tree. °20 Then the Angel
of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread; put them on this rock, and
pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. °21 At that moment, the Angel of Yahweh extended the
staff he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Suddenly, fire
blazed from the rock. The fire consumed the meat and the bread, and the Angel
of Yahweh disappeared. °22 Gideon realized that he
was the Angel of Yahweh and said, “Alas, O Lord Yahweh! I have seen the Angel
of Yahweh face to face.” °23 But Yahweh said to him,
“Peace be with you. Do not fear for you shall not die.” °24 Gideon built an altar to
Yahweh in that place and called it Yahweh-Peace. To this day, it is still in
Ophrah of Abiezer. °25 That same night Yahweh
said to Gideon, “Take with you ten of your father’s servants and a
seven-year-old bull. Destroy your father’s altar to Baal and cut the sacred
pillar beside it. °26 Then build an
altar to Yahweh on this knoll and sacrifice the bull to me, burning it with
the wood from the sacred pillar.” °27 So, Gideon, with the help
of his ten servants, did what Yahweh had commanded. But because he feared his
family and the people of the town, he did it by night. °28 On the following day, the
towns-people saw the altar of Baal broken into pieces and the sacred pillar
cut down. They also saw that a bull had been sacrificed on the new altar. °29 So they asked one another
and, as they investigated, found out that it was Gideon who had done it, °30 and they went to Joash and
said, “Hand your son over to us for he must die; he destroyed the altar of
Baal and cut down the sacred pillar.” °31 But Joash said to the angry crowd, “Are you going
to defend Baal and save him? If he is god, let him defend himself when
someone destroys his altar.” °32 On that day they gave
Gideon the name Jerubaal which means: “Let|Baal defend|himself against Gideon, for Gideon destroyed his
altar.” °33 All Midian, Amalek and the
people of the East joined forces, crossed the Jordan and invaded the plains
of Jezreel. °34 Then the spirit
of Yahweh clothed Gideon with strength; he blew the trumpet and summoned the
men of Abiezer. °35 He sent
messengers throughout the whole territory of Manasseh and they joined him.
The people of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali also went out to meet them. °36 Gideon said to God, “If
indeed you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, grant me this
favor. °37 I am going to
spread this woolen fleece on the threshing ground. If the dew falls only on
the fleece while all the ground remains dry, then I shall know that you are
to save Israel by my hand, as you have promised.” °38 So it was: Gideon rose at
day-break, squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew, filling a cup with
water. °39 Gideon again
spoke to God and said to him, “Don’t be angry with me if I dare to speak to
you again. Allow me to make another test with the fleece: let it be dry only
on the fleece and let dew come on all the ground.” °40 That night, Yahweh did so. The fleece remained dry
and dew covered all the ground. ¤7 °1
Jerubaal, that is Gideon, rose early with all the people who were
with him and they encamped beside the spring of Harod. The Midianite camp was
farther north and extended from the hill of Moreb to the plains. °2 Then Yahweh said to
Gideon, “There are too many people with you. If I give the Midianites into
their hands, the Israelites might think that they won over the Midianites by
their own strength. °3 So summon your
men and say to them that whoever is afraid may go home.” So twenty-two
thousand men returned and only ten thousand remained. °4 Yahweh said to Gideon,
“There are still too many people. Take them down to the water and I myself
will test them for you. If I say: This one shall go with you, he will go. And
if I say: Not this one, he shall not go.” °5 So Gideon brought them down to the water and
Yahweh told him, “Those who lap the water like a dog, you shall place on one
side. And those who kneel down to drink, you shall place on the other side.” °6 Three hundred men lapped
the water, and the rest knelt down to drink. °7 Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “I will help these
three hundred men who lapped the water and give the Midianites into your
hands. Let the rest return to their homes.” °8 The three hundred men took the pitchers and the
horns of whom Gideon dismissed. Finally, Gideon and his three hundred men
faced the Midianites who were encamped below the valley. °9 That
night Yahweh said to him, “Rise and go down to the camp, because I have given
it into your hands. °10 But
if you are afraid to go down alone, set out for the camp with your servant
Purah, °11 and
listen to what they say there. You shall be strengthened by it and then you
shall attack the camp.” He then went down with his servant Purah to the
outposts of the guards of the camp. °12 Midian,
Amalek, and all the people of the East were in the valley, thick as locusts,
and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore. °13 Gideon
approached just as a man was recounting his dream to his comrade. Gideon
heard him say, “I had a dream: a big loaf of barley bread rolled down into
the camp of Midian, until it came to a tent, bumped against it and overturned
the tent.” °14 His
comrade answered him, “This cannot mean anything other than the sword of
Gideon, son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given Midian and the whole camp
into his hands.” °15 When
Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed, returned to the camp
of Israel and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your
hands.” °16 Gideon divided the three
hundred men into three groups. Then he handed the trumpets to all and the
empty pitchers with lighted torches inside. °17 He said to them, “Look at me, and do what I do.
When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. °18 When I and those who are
with me blow the trumpets then blow yours all around the camp and shout, ‘For
Yahweh and for Gideon!’” °19 With the hundred men with
him, Gideon came to the Midianite camp just as the guards were changing shift
at the beginning of the midnight watch. °20 Then the Israelites smashed the jars, took the torches
in one hand, and blew the trumpets they were holding in the other hand. After
blowing the trumpets, the three groups shouted, “For Yahweh and for Gideon!” °21 Everyone stood in his
place around the camp while the Midianites ran, shouting as they fled. °22 As the three hundred
Israelites went on blowing the trumpets, Yahweh made the Midianites in the
camp kill one another. Those who managed to escape went as far as
Beth-Shittah toward Zererah, and as far as the border of Abel-Meholah
opposite Tabbath. °23 Then the
Israelites from the tribe of Naphtali, Asher and the whole of Manasseh came
to help Gideon, and they pursued Midian. °24 Gideon also sent messengers throughout all the
mountains of Ephraim to say, “Come down to fight against Midian and block the
passages as far as Beth-Barah and along the Jordan.” So, all the men of
Ephraim came out and occupied the shallow waters as far as Beth-Barah and
along the Jordan. °25 They took the
two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb as prisoners. They killed Oreb at the
rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and
brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon at the other side of the Jordan. § Gideon’s second campaign
¤8
°1 The
people of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn’t you call us when you went to
fight against Midian?” They argued with him violently. °2 He
said to them, “What have I done in comparison with what you have done? Are
not the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? °3 Yahweh
has given the leaders of Midian – Oreb and Zeeb – into your hands. What have
I been able to do in comparison with what you have done?” After hearing this,
their anger lessened. °4 Gideon
and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were
exhausted and hungry. °5 So
he said to the people of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the army
that follows me, for they are exhausted and hungry, and I am still pursuing
Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” °6 But the
elders of Succoth answered, “Have you by chance already restrained the hands
of Zebah and Zalmunna? Why should we give bread to your army?” °7 Gideon
answered them, “Well, when Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands,
I will skin your flesh with the thorns and thistles of the desert.” °8 From
there he went up to Penuel and made the same request. But they answered him
as those of Succoth had. °9 So Gideon
said, “When I return victorious, I will tear down this tower.” °10 Zebah and
Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men, all
that were left of the people of the East; a hundred and twenty thousand
warriors had died! °11 Gideon
went up by the road of the nomads, east of Nobah and Yogbehah, and fell upon
Zebah and Zalmunna and their army. °12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He
pursued them, took the two as prisoners and scattered all their army. °13 After the
battle, Gideon, the son of Joash, returned through the slope of Heres. °14 He caught
a young man of the people of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote
down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth. °15 Gideon
went to the people of Succoth and said to them, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna
about whom you mocked me by saying: Have you by chance already restrained the
hands of Zebah and Zalmunna for us to give bread to your hungry troops?” °16 So he
took the elders of the town and punished the people of Succoth with thorns
and thistles of the desert. °17 He tore
down the tower of Penuel and killed the inhabitants of the town. °18 Then he
said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What did the men whom you killed at Tabor look
like?” They answered, “They looked like you, they looked like sons of kings.”
°19 Gideon
answered, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if
you had let them live, I would not kill you.” °20 He said
to Yether, his eldest son, “Courage, kill them!” But the youth did not draw
his sword; he did not dare do it for he was still very young. °21 So Zebah
and Zalmunna said, “Rise and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his courage.”
Gideon arose and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks. § Gideon’s error
°22 The
Israelites said to Gideon, “Since you have saved us from the Midianites, you
shall be our king, and after you, your son and the descendants of your son.” °23 But
Gideon answered, “I will not rule over Israel, nor my son, for Yahweh is our
king!” °24 Gideon
added, “I will ask something from you. Let each of you give me an earring
from your booty.” Gideon said this for these Midianites wore gold earrings
like all the Ishmaelites. °25 They
answered him, “That we will gladly do.” Then Gideon spread out his cloak and
every Israelite threw in an earring from his booty. °26 The gold
earrings reached one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold; not counting the
brooches, the rings, the expensive garments used by the kings of Midian, and
the collars of the camels. °27 With
this money, Gideon made an idol and put it in his city of Ophrah. People from
all Israel began to go to that place, turning away from Yahweh. That was the
trap into which Gideon and his family fell. °28 In spite
of this, the Midianites were humbled in such a way that peace reigned in
Israel for forty years during Gideon’s lifetime. °29 Gideon returned to Ophrah and
remained in his house. °30 He
had seventy sons of his blood, for he had many wives. °31 A woman
from the city of Shechem also bore him a son whom he named Abimelech. °32 Gideon
the son of Joash died at a happy old age, and he was buried in the tomb of
Joash his father, in Ophrah of Abiezer. °33 After the
death of Gideon, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals and
took Baal-Berith as god. °34 The
Israelites no longer remembered Yahweh, their God, who had freed them from
the hands of all the enemies who surrounded them. °35 Neither were they grateful to the
family of Jerubaal-Gideon for all the good things he had done to Israel. § Abimelech¤9
°1 Abimelech,
the son of Jerubaal, marched to Shechem where the brothers of his mother
were, and he said to them and to the whole paternal family of his mother, °2 “Please
ask this of all the lords of Shechem: Which is better for you, that you be
governed by all the seventy sons of Jerubaal, or by only one man? Remember
that I am of the same blood as you are.” °3 The
brothers of his mother sent this message to all the lords of Shechem. The
lords of Shechem took sides with Abimelech, saying, “He is our brother.” °4 So they
gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith which
Abimelech used to hire wicked mercenaries to set out with him. °5 Abimelech
went with them to the house of his father in Ophrah, and on one stone killed
all his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubaal. Only Jotham, the youngest son
of Jerubaal, was able to escape by hiding himself. °6 Then
all the lords of Shechem and the whole council assembled together by the oak
at the pillar in Shechem, and proclaimed Abimelech king. °7 When
Jotham was told about this, he went to the top of Mount Gerizim. There he
cried out to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to
you! °8 The trees
once set out to find and anoint a king. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our
king.’ °9 The
olive tree answered, ‘Am I going to renounce the oil by which – thanks to me
– gods and people are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’ °10 The trees
said to the fig tree: ‘Come and reign over us.’ °11 The fig tree answered them, ‘Am I
going to renounce my sweetness and my delicious fruit, to hold sway over the
trees?’ °12 The trees
said to the vine: ‘Come and reign over us.’ °13 The vine answered, ‘Am I going to
renounce my juice which cheers gods and people to hold sway over the trees?’ °14 Then the
trees said to the bramble bush: ‘Come, reign over us.’ °15 The
bramble bush answered the trees, ‘If you come in sincerity to anoint me as
your king, then come near and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire
break out of the bramble bush to devour even the cedars of Lebanon.’ °16 And now,
tell me, have you acted rightly and truthfully in choosing Abimelech king?
Have you treated Jerubaal and his family well and given him what he deserves
according to his merits? °17 For my
father fought for you, risking his life to free you from the hands of Midian.
°18 But
now, you have risen against the family of my father. You have killed all his
seventy sons with one stone, and have declared Abimelech, the son of his
slave, as king over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother. °19 If you
have acted rightly and truthfully toward Jerubaal and his family today, then
may Abimelech rejoice in you and you in him. °20 But if not, let fire break forth
from Abimelech to devour the lords of Shechem and their council; and let fire
break forth from their council to devour Abimelech.” °21 Jotham fled
to the safety of Beer, where he lived far from his brother Abimelech. °22 Abimelech
ruled over Israel for three years.
°23 But
Yahweh sent a spirit of discord between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem;
and the lords of Shechem betrayed Abimelech. °24 Yahweh did this so that the
seventy sons of Jerubaal might be avenged. Their blood had to fall back upon
their brother Abimelech who murdered them, and the lords of Shechem who
helped him murder his brothers. °25 To do him
harm, the lords of Shechem prepared ambushes against Abimelech on the
mountaintops, and intimidated everyone who passed by the way. Abimelech was
informed of this. °26 Then
Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers, and he won the confidence of
the lords of Shechem. °27 One
day they went to the vineyards and gathered grapes and trod on them. Then
they feasted in the temple of their god. While eating and drinking, they
cursed Abimelech. °28 Then
Gaal, the son of Ebed, exclaimed, “Who is Abimelech for the Shechemites that
we should serve him? He is only the son of Jerubaal, and Zebul is but his
town captain. Let us serve the people of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why
should we serve Abimelech? °29 If only
this people were in my hands, then I would remove Abimelech and say to him:
Reinforce your army, come out and fight!” °30 When
Zebul, the city governor, was informed of the plan of Gaal, the son of Ebed,
he was very angry. °31 He
sent messengers to Abimelech in secret to say to him, “See, Gaal, the son of
Ebed, has come with his brothers to Shechem and he is stirring up the city
against you. °32 Therefore,
arise, you and the men you have with you, and lay an ambush in the field. °33 By early
morning at sunrise, go and rush upon the city. When Gaal comes out against
you with his men, you may do to him whatever you wish.” °34 Abimelech
and all his troops rose by night, and they laid an ambush against Shechem in
four groups. °35 When
Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood at the entrance of the city, Abimelech
and his troops rose from their hiding place. °36 Gaal saw
the troops and said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountain
tops.” But Zebul answered him, “It is the shadow of the mountain that you
see. You mistake it for men.” °37 Gaal
said again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and
another group is coming from the Diviners’ Oak.” °38 Zebul then said, “Did you not
say: Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Are not these men those whom
you despised? Go now and fight them.” °39 Gaal went
out and led the people of Shechem in fighting Abimelech. °40 Abimelech
pursued Gaal who fled and many fell dead before reaching the gates. °41 Abimelech
returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, and did not
let them live in Shechem. § Shechem destroyed°42 The
following day, the people went out into the fields. Abimelech was informed
about this, °43 so
he called his troops, divided them into three groups and laid an ambush in
the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose against
them and killed them. °44 Abimelech
and the group with him attacked and took possession of the entrance to the
city gates; other groups rushed upon those who were in the fields. °45 Throughout
that day, Abimelech attacked the city. He took it and killed all its
inhabitants. Then he destroyed the city and sprinkled salt over it. °46 When the
inhabitants of the Tower of Shechem heard this, they went to the underground
room of the temple of El-Berith. °47
Abimelech was told that all the inhabitants of the
Tower of Shechem were together, °48
so he went up to Mount Zalmon with all his troops.
Taking an ax, he cut down a branch of a tree, lifted it up and bore it on his
shoulders. He then said to the troops with him, “You have seen what I have
done, so do the same.” °49 So
all his men cut the branches, then followed Abimelech. They piled the
branches on top of the underground room and set them on fire over the people
inside. So all the inhabitants of the Tower of Shechem – about a thousand men
and women – died. § Death of Abimelech°50 Abimelech
went against Thebez, besieged it and took it. °51 But inside the city was a strong
tower in which all the men and women, all the inhabitants of the city sought
refuge. They locked it from within and went up to the roof of the tower. °52 Abimelech
came to the tower to attack them; he approached the door, intending to set it
on fire. °53 But
a woman threw a millstone upon his head and shattered his skull. °54 He
immediately called out to his young armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your
sword and kill me, lest they say of me: ‘A woman killed him’.” So his
armor-bearer thrust him through, and he died. °55 When the people of Israel saw
that Abimelech was dead, everyone returned to his home. °56 In this
way God repaid Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father when he
murdered his seventy brothers. °57
He also made the people of Shechem pay for all their
wickedness. So the curse of Jotham, son of Jerubaal, was fulfilled. § Tola, Jair and Jephthah¤10 °1 After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of
Dodo, appeared to save Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar and lived at
Shamir, in the mountains of Ephraim. °2 He was judge of Israel for twenty-three years and
when he died, he was buried in Shamir. °3 After him rose Jair of
Gilead who was judge of Israel for twenty-two years. °4 He had thirty sons who
rode on thirty asses, and had thirty cities which are still called the
villages of Jair to this day, in the land of Gilead. °5 When Jair died, he was
buried in Kamon. °6 The Israelites again
treated Yahweh badly; they served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of
Aram and Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of
the Philistines. They abandoned Yahweh and no longer served him. °7 The anger of Yahweh burned
against Israel, so he gave them into the hands of the Philistines and the
Ammonites. °8 For eighteen years, all
the Israelites living on the other side of the Jordan in the Amorite land of
Gilead were disturbed and oppressed. °9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to attack
Judah, Benjamin and the people of Ephraim. Israel was in great distress. °10 In those years the
Israelites called out to Yahweh saying, “We have sinned against you, for we
have abandoned Yahweh, our God, to serve the Baals.” °11 Yahweh said to the
Israelites, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the
Philistines, °12 the Sidonians,
Amalek and Midian oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not save you
from their hands? °13 But in spite of
this, you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not save you
again. °14 Go and cry out
to the gods you have chosen: see if they will save you in the time of your
distress.” °15 The Israelites answered
Yahweh, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever you wish, but save us today.” °16 Then they put away the
strange gods and served Yahweh. And he could no longer endure the suffering
of Israel. °17 The Ammonites assembled
and went to encamp in Gilead. The Israelites also assembled and they encamped
at Mizpah. °18 There the
people and the leaders of Gilead asked one another, “Who will lead us all to
fight against the Ammonites? Whoever he is, we shall make him head of all the
inhabitants of Gilead.” ¤11 °1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior. His
mother was a prostitute, and his father was Gilead. °2 But Gilead’s wife also
bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out saying, “You
shall not share or inherit anything in the household of our father, for you
are the son of another woman.” °3 Jephthah fled
from his brothers and went to the region of Tob. There he joined a band of
mercenaries who made their raids with him. °4 The time came when the Ammonites declared war on
Israel. °5 So the elders
of Gilead went to Jephthah in the land of Tob °6 and said to him, “Come and lead our men in
fighting the Ammonites.” °7 Jephthah answered the
elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you drive me out of my father’s house because you hated
me? Why do you come to me now in your distress?” °8 The elders answered him, “We come asking you to
join us in fighting the Ammonites; we want you to be head of the whole of
Gilead.” °9 Jephthah answered them,
“If you ask me to return to fight the Ammonites and Yahweh grants me victory,
I will be your head.” °10 And they said
to him, “May Yahweh listen to us! Woe to us if we do not carry out what we
have just said!” °11 So Jephthah returned with
the elders of Gilead and the people made him their head and general, and
Jephthah repeated all his conditions before Yahweh in Mizpah. °12 Jephthah
sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to say to him, “What happened
between us that you come and attack me in my own country?” °13 The king
answered the messengers, “When Israel went up out of Egypt, they seized my
country from the Arnon to the Yabbok and to the Jordan. So give it back
willingly.” °14 Jephthah
again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, °15 saying
“This is what Jephthah says: Israel has not seized the land of the Ammonites.
°16 When
they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Sea of Reeds
and came to Kadesh. °17 Then
Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom and said to him, ‘Let us pass
through your country.’ But the king of Edom did not listen. They also sent to
the king of Moab, and he, too, refused. So Israel remained at Kadesh. °18 Then
journeying through the desert, they went around the country of Edom and Moab,
and came to the east of the land of Moab. They encamped on the other side of
the Arnon, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. °19 Israel then sent messengers to
Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Let us
pass through your country and go to our place.’ °20 But Sihon did not trust Israel
enough to let them pass through; he gathered all his men and encamped at
Jahaz and attacked Israel. °21 Yahweh
the God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people into the hands of Israel.
Israel defeated them and conquered all the land of the Amorites who lived
there. °22 So they
conquered the whole territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Yabbok,
and from the desert to the Jordan. °23 Since
Yahweh the God of Israel has taken this land from the Amorites for his people
Israel, can you now take it away from us? °24 Do you not hold all that your god
Chemosh has given you? In the same way, we hold all that Yahweh, our God, has
given us. °25 Will
you do better than Balak, son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Was he able to
attack Israel? °26 For
three hundred years, Israel has lived in Heshbon and the cities that depend
on it. They have also lived in Aroer and in its villages and in all the
cities on both sides of the Jordan. Why didn’t you recover these within that
time? °27 I have
not offended you, but you are treating me badly by attacking me. Let Yahweh,
the Judge, decide today between the children of Israel and the children of
Ammon.” °28 But the
king of the Ammonites did not pay attention to Jephthah’s message. § Jephthah’s daughter°29 The Spirit of Yahweh came
upon Jephthah. He went through Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of
Gilead, and then entered the territory of the Ammonites. °30 Jephthah made a vow to
Yahweh: “If you make me victorious, °31 I shall sacrifice to you whoever first comes out
of my house to meet me when I return from battle. He shall be for Yahweh and
I shall offer him up through the fire.” °32 Jephthah crossed the
territory of the Ammonites to fight against them, and Yahweh gave him
victory. °33 He pursued them
from the city of Aroer to the entrance of Minnith and Abel Keramim, seizing
twenty towns. So he defeated the Ammonites. °34 When Jephthah returned
home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him. She was so happy to see
her father that she danced to the sound of her tambourine. She was an only
child; besides her he had no other daughter or son. °35 When Jephthah saw her, he
tore his clothes and cried out, “My daughter, you have shattered me; you have
brought me misfortune. For I have made a foolish vow to Yahweh, and now I
cannot take it back.” °36 She answered
him, “Father, even if you have made such a foolish vow, you have to do to me
just as you promised, for Yahweh has avenged you and crushed your enemies. °37 I only beg of you to give
me two months to live with my companions in the mountains. There I shall
lament because I will never marry.” °38 Jephthah said to her, “Go then.” And he sent her
away for two months. She and her companions went to the mountains and wept
because she would never marry. °39 At the end of two months,
she returned to her father and he fulfilled the vow he had made. The young
girl had never known a man. From this comes the Israelite custom °40 that the daughters of Israel
go out for four days annually to lament the daughter of Jephthah the
Gileadite. ¤12
°1 The
men of Ephraim gathered, crossed the Jordan northward and said to Jephthah,
“Why did you go and attack the Ammonites without asking us to march with you?
For this we shall burn you inside your house.” °2 Jephthah
answered them, “My people and I had a great struggle with the Ammonites. I
asked help from you but you did not save me from their hands. °3 When I
saw that no one had come to help me, I risked my own life and marched against
the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave them into my hands. Why, then, have you come
up today to fight me?” °4 Then
Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked Ephraim. The Gileadites
defeated the Ephraimites who told them, “You, Gileadites, are fugitives who
crossed from Ephraim and Manasseh.” °5 Gilead seized the shallow waters
of the Jordan and blocked the way. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said,
“Let me pass,” the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If
he responded, “No,” °6 they
would add, “Then say Shibboleth.” But then he would say,
“Sibboleth” for an Ephraimite could not pronounce it correctly. So they would
seize him and cut his throat by the shallow waters of the Jordan. Forty-two
thousand men from Ephraim perished at that time. °7 Jephthah
was judge in Israel for six years. Then he died and was buried in his city,
Mizpah of Gilead. °8 After
him, Ibzan of Bethlehem was judge in Israel. °9 He had thirty sons and thirty
daughters. His thirty daughters were given in marriage outside his clan, but
for his sons, he brought in thirty women. He was judge in Israel for seven
years. °10 When
Ibzan died, he was buried in Bethlehem. °11 After
him, Elon the Zebulunite became judge in Israel. He governed Israel for ten
years. °12 Then
he died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. °13 After
him, Abdon, the son of Hillel of Pirathon, was judge in Israel. °14 He had
forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy asses. He was judge in
Israel for eight years. °15 Then
he died and was buried at Pirathon, in the mountains of Ephraim, in the
mountain of the Amorites. § Samson’s birth foretold
¤13 °1 The Israelites again treated Yahweh badly so he
gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. °2 There was a man of Zorah
of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife could not bear children. °3 The Angel of Yahweh
appeared to this woman and said to her, “You have not borne children and have
not given birth, but see, you are to conceive and give birth to a son. °4 Because of this, take care
not to take wine or any alcoholic drink, nor to eat unclean foods from now
on, °5 for you shall
bear a son who shall be a Nazirite of Yahweh from the womb of his mother.
Never shall his hair be cut for he is consecrated to Yahweh. He shall begin
the liberation of the Israelites from the Philistine oppression.” °6 The woman went to her
husband and told him, “A messenger of God who bore the majesty of an angel
spoke to me. I did not ask him where he came from nor did he tell me his
name. °7 But he
said to me: ‘You are to conceive and give birth to a son. Henceforth, you
shall not drink wine or fermented drinks, nor eat anything unclean, for your
son shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb of his mother until the day of
his death’.” °8 Manoah
called upon Yahweh and said, “I pray you, Lord, that the man of God whom you
have sent may come again to us and teach us how to bring up the boy who is to
be born.” °9 Yahweh
listened to Manoah and the Angel of Yahweh came to the woman as she was
seated in the fields. Again Manoah, her husband, was not with her when the
Angel came. °10 The woman
immediately ran to inform her husband and told him, “Look, the man who came
to me the other day is here again.” °11 Manoah rose and followed his
wife. He came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who has spoken to
this woman?” He answered, “I am.” °12 Manoah
said to him, “When your word is fulfilled, what rule and direction shall the
boy follow?” °13 The Angel
of Yahweh answered Manoah, “She must abstain from all I have indicated to
this woman. °14 She
shall not taste anything that comes from the grape, nor drink wine or
fermented drinks, nor eat anything unclean, and she shall observe everything
I have commanded her.” °15 Manoah
then said to the Angel of Yahweh, “Permit us to detain you and prepare a
young goat for you.” (Manoah did not know that the man was the Angel of
Yahweh) °16 But
he said to Manoah, “Even if I did stay, I would not taste your food. But if
you want to offer a burnt offering, offer it to Yahweh.” °17 So Manoah
said to the Angel of Yahweh, “What is your name, that we may honor you when
your word comes true.” °18 The
Angel of Yahweh answered him, “Why do you ask my name? It is|Wonderful…”|°19 Manoah then took the young goat
and the cereal offering, and offered it upon the rock as a holocaust to
Yahweh who does wonderful things. °20 And
something happened as Manoah and his wife looked on. A fire broke forth from
the altar rising toward heaven, and the Angel of Yahweh ascended in the
flame. When Manoah and his wife
saw this, they fell face downwards on the ground. °21 When the Angel of Yahweh vanished
from the sight of Manoah and his wife, Manoah knew then that he was the Angel
of Yahweh. °22 And
he said to his wife, “We shall surely die for we have seen God.” °23 She
answered him, “If Yahweh had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted
the holocaust or the offering from our hand; he would not have made all these
things happen or said what we have just heard.” °24 The woman
gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew and Yahweh blessed
him. °25 Then the
Spirit of Yahweh began to move him when he was in Mahane Dan between Zorah
and Eshtaol. § Stories of Samson
¤14
°1 Samson
went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman. °2 He
came up and said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman at
Timnah; get her for me that she may be my wife.” °3 His
father and mother said to him, “Is there no one among the daughters of your
brothers and among all your people that you should go and take a wife from
among those uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father,
“Get her for me, for I like her.” °4
His father and mother did not know that this came
from Yahweh who was seeking a quarrel with the Philistines; for at that time,
the Philistines had dominion over Israel. °5 Samson
then went down to Timnah, and when he reached the vineyards at Timnah, a
young lion came up roaring toward him. °6 The Spirit of Yahweh then seized
Samson. With bare hands he tore the lion to pieces as he would have done with
a young goat. °7 But
he told neither his father or mother what he had done. °8 Then he
went down and talked to the woman who pleased him. After some time, he returned
to take her. He went out of his way to look at the carcass of the lion. He
found a swarm of bees and honey in the lion’s carcass. °9 Samson
scraped the honey into his hands and ate it as he walked. When he reached his
parents, he gave them honey and they ate it, too. But he did not tell them he
had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass. °10 Then, Samson’s father went down
to the woman and Samson offered a banquet as was the custom among the young. °11 When he
appeared, the Philistines assigned thirty men to go with him as his wedding
companions. °12 Samson
said to them, “I am going to give you a riddle. If you can give me the right
solution within seven days of the feast, I shall give you thirty tunics and
thirty linen garments. °13 But if
you can’t tell me the solution, you will give me thirty tunics and thirty
linen garments.” They answered, “Tell your riddle; we are listening.” °14 He said
to them, “From him who eats came what is eaten, and from the strong,
sweetness came.” °15 After
three days, they had not guessed the riddle. So on the fourth day, they said
to Samson’s wife, “Convince your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we
will burn you and your father’s family. Did you invite us to rob us?” °16 Samson’s
wife began to weep and she threw herself upon her husband saying, “You do not
like me or love me anymore. You have given a riddle to the young men of my
people, but you have not explained it to me.” He said to her, “I have not
explained it even to my parents, why should I explain it to you?” °17 She cried
before him for seven days while the feast lasted. On the seventh day, he
explained it to her for he was bored with her crying. She then related it to
her countrymen. °18 On the
seventh day, before the married couple were to enter the wedding chamber, the
people of the city said to Samson, “What is sweeter than honey? What is
stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my young
cow, you would not have guessed my riddle.” °19 Then the
Spirit of Yahweh seized him. He went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty men,
took their plunder and gave the linen garments to those who had guessed the
riddle. Then, in great anger, he came up to his father’s house. °20 So
Samson’s wife was given to one of his wedding companions. ¤15 °1 After
some time, during wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, bringing a
young goat with him, and he said, “I want to be with my wife in our room.”
But her father would not let him in,
°2 saying,
“I thought that you did not like her anymore, so I gave her to your
companion. Is not her younger sister still better? Why don’t you take her
instead?” °3 Samson
replied, “This time I owe nothing to the Philistines even if I do them harm.” °4 Samson
went out and caught three hundred foxes, took some torches and tied the
animals tail to tail. He then placed a torch in between every two tails, °5 set fire
to the torches and turned the foxes loose in the grain fields of the
Philistines. In this way, he burned the sheaves and the standing grain,
together with the vineyards and olive groves. °6 The
Philistines asked, “Who did this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law
of the man from Timnah, because this man took his wife and gave her to his
companion.” So they went up and burned her and her family. °7 Samson
said to them, “Since you did this, I will not rest until I have had my
revenge on you.” °8 So
he caused a great havoc upon them. Then he went down to live in a cave in the
rock of Etam. °9 The
Philistines went up to the mountains of Judah and raided Lehi. °10 The men
of Judah asked them, “Why have you come to attack us?” They answered, “We
have come to capture Samson, and do to him what he did to us.” °11 Three
thousand men of Judah went down to the cave at the rock of Etam and said to
Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines lord it over us? Now what have
you done to us?” He answered, “What they did to me, I have done to them.” °12 They said
to him, “We have come down to tie you up and hand you over to the
Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not kill me.” °13 They
answered, “No, we only want to tie you up and hand you over to them, but we
will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from
the rocks. °14 When
they arrived in Lehi, the Philistines ran to him with shouts of victory. But
the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Samson. The ropes that bound him became like
linen flax burned in the fire and the knots were loosened from his arms. °15 He found
a fresh jawbone of an ass, grabbed it and with it killed a thousand men. °16 Samson
then said, “With the jawbone of an ass, I dealt them a mighty blow; with the
jawbone of an ass, I beat a thousand men.” °17 When he
finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone and that is why the place was
called Ramath-Lehi. °18 Then
he became terribly thirsty and called out to Yahweh saying, “You have given
your servant this great victory. Now am I to die of thirst and fall into the
hands of the uncircumcised?” °19 So Yahweh
opened a hollow in the ground at Lehi and water gushed forth from it. Samson
drank; his strength returned and he revived. For this, the name En-Hakkore
was given to the fountain which is still in Lehi to this day. °20 Samson
became judge of Israel for twenty years during the time of the Philistines. ¤16
°1 When
Samson went to Gaza, he saw a prostitute there and entered the place where
she lived. °2 When
the men of Gaza were notified that Samson had come, they made the rounds and
lay in wait for him at the city gates. They kept quiet all night, thinking,
“We will wait for him until dawn and then we will kill him.” °3 But
Samson slept until midnight. At midnight, he arose and took hold of the door
panels of the city gates together with the doorcase, and pulled them up with
the bar. He put them upon his shoulders and carried them to the hilltop
opposite Hebron. § Samson and Delilah°4 After this, Samson fell in
love with a woman in the valley of Sorek; she was called Delilah. °5 The Philistine chiefs said
to this woman, “Charm him and find out where he gets such strength and how we
can defeat and tie him up. Each of us shall give you eleven hundred pieces of
silver.” °6 So Delilah asked Samson,
“Tell me, please, where do you get such strength and how can others tie you
up to subdue you?” °7 Samson answered her, “If
they bind me with seven new and moist bowstrings, then I shall lose my
strength and be as any other man.” °8 The Philistine chiefs sent
seven new bowstrings that had not been dried to Delilah, and she tied Samson
with them. °9 With men hidden
in her dwelling, she shouted, “Samson, here come the Philistines!” Samson
broke the bowstrings as if they were burned flax. So they did not find out
where his great strength came from. °10 Then Delilah said to
Samson, “You made a fool of me, and you lied to me. Tell me, how can they
subdue you?” °11 Samson answered
her, “If they bind me this time with seven newly-braided ropes which have
never been used, then I shall lose my strength and be like any other man.” °12 So Delilah bound him with
seven newly-braided ropes. But when she shouted, “Here come the Philistines!”
he again snapped the ropes round his arms like thread. °13 So Delilah said to him,
“How long will you deceive me and lie to me? Tell me how they can subdue
you.” He answered her, “If you braid the seven locks of my hair in the warp
of the loom and tighten it with a pin, then I shall lose my strength.” °14 She lulled him to sleep,
and then braided the seven locks of his hair in the warp of the loom and
tightened it with a pin. Then she cried, “Here come the Philistines!” Samson
woke up and pulled the warp with the locks of his hair. And so, Delilah did
not find out where his great strength came from. °15 Then Delilah said to him,
“You say that you love me, but your heart is not with me. Three times, you
have deceived me and have not told me from whence your great strength comes.”
°16 And as Delilah
insisted and bothered him day after day with her questions, the time came
when Samson felt he would die in disgust. °17 So he told her the truth: “Never has my hair been
cut for I am a Nazirite, consecrated to God from the womb of my mother. If my
hair is cut, then I shall lose my strength and be like any other man.” °18 Delilah understood that he
had told her the truth this time, so she called the Philistine chiefs and
said, “Come, because Samson has revealed his secret to me.” They took the
money and came to her. °19 Delilah lulled
Samson to sleep upon her knees and called a man to cut the seven locks of his
hair. And she could immediately subdue him for his strength had left him. °20 When Delilah shouted
“Samson, the Philistines!” he awoke and thought that he could still save
himself as on other occasions. But he did not know that Yahweh was no longer
with him. °21 So the
Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him to Gaza. There
they bound him with two bronze chains and made him turn the mill in the
prison. °22 The hair on
Samson’s head, however, began to grow as soon as it was cut. § Death of Samson
°23 The Philistine chiefs
assembled to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and had a great
feast, saying, “Our god has given Samson, our enemy, into our hands!” °25 As they were very happy,
they said, “Bring out Samson that he may amuse us.” They brought him out of
prison and he amused them. Then they had him placed between the columns °24 and on seeing him the
people praised their god saying, “Our god has put our enemy into our hands,
Samson who has destroyed our country and killed our men.” °26 Samson then said to the
boy who held him by the hand, “Lead me where I can touch the pillars on which
this house rests, so that I may lean on them.” °27 The house was full of men and women, all the
Philistine chiefs were also there, and on the roof were about three thousand
men and women watching Samson for amusement. °28 Samson called on Yahweh
and exclaimed, “Lord, Yahweh, please remember me and restore my strength only
this once, so that I may avenge myself against the Philistines for my eyes.” °29 Samson grasped the two middle
pillars on which the house rested, leaned on them with his right arm on one
pillar and his left on the other, °30
and cried out, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed with all
his strength and the house fell upon the chiefs and the people gathered
there. Those who joined him in his own death were more than those he had
killed during his lifetime. °31 His brothers and the whole
family of his father went down to get him. They buried him between Zorah and
Eshtaol, in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel for twenty
years. § Story of Micah
¤17
°1 A
man named Micah lived in the mountains of Ephraim. One day °2 he said
to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver taken from you and about which
you uttered a curse, well, it was I who took that silver. And now, I return
it to you.” °3 His
mother answered, “May Yahweh bless my son!” So he returned the eleven hundred
pieces of silver to his mother. But his mother said to him,
“I had consecrated this money to Yahweh with my own hand, so that with this
money, my son could make a statue cast in metal. So I am giving this silver
back to you.” °4 He,
however, returned the silver to his mother who set aside two hundred pieces
for the silversmith, who made a statue cast in metal. °5 This was
placed in the house of Micah, so that Micah had a house of God. He also made
an ephod to consult Yahweh as they cast lots, and some small idols, and
consecrated also one of his sons as his priest. °6 At
that time, there was no king in Israel and each one did what seemed right to
him. °7 A young
Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, a descendant of Moses who lived there as a
foreigner, °8 left
Bethlehem one day and set out to see where he could live as a guest. He came
to the house of Micah in the mountains of Ephraim, °9 and Micah asked him, “Where do
you come from?” He answered, “I am a Levite and I have come walking from
Bethlehem; I am in search of a place where I can stay as a guest.” °10 Micah
said to him, “Stay in my house and be a father and priest to me; I shall give
you ten pieces of silver a year, clothing and food.” So the Levite went in to
his house. °11 The
Levite agreed to stay in Micah’s house and became like one of his sons. °12 Micah
consecrated the Levite, and this young man became his priest and remained in
the house of Micah. °13 And
Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will bestow favors on me for this Levite
has become my priest.” ¤18
°1 At
that time there was no king in Israel. The tribe of Dan was looking for a
territory to dwell in, because until that day they had not received a share
in the inheritance of the tribes of Israel. °2 So the Danites sent five valiant
men from Zorah and Eshtaol – all from the Danite tribe – to go around the
land and explore it. They said to them, “Go and explore the country.” These
men came to the mountains of Ephraim near the house of Micah and spent the
night there. °3 When they
were near the house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, so they
went in. They asked him, “Who has brought you here? What are you doing in
this place? Why are you here?” °4 He
answered, “Such and such a thing Micah has done for me. He has hired me to
become his priest.” °5 They
said to him, “Ask God so we may know whether the journey we are making shall
be successful or not.” °6 The
priest answered them, “Go in peace, the journey you make is under the eye of
Yahweh.” °7 The five
men left and came to Laish. They saw that the inhabitants of that place were
living in security according to the customs of the Sidonians – quiet and
trusting people – with no one creating trouble. They lived far from the
Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else. °8 Upon
their return to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, °9 they
were asked, “What news do you bring?” They answered, “Come on, let us go and
attack them for the country we have seen is an excellent place. But why are
you silent? Do not delay in setting out to conquer the land. °10 When you
go, you shall meet a quiet people; the land is vast and God has given it into
our hands, a place which does not lack anything.” °11 So six
hundred armed men of the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol; °12 they went
up and encamped at Kiriath-Jearim in Judah. °13 From there they passed through
the mountains of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. °14 Then the
five men who had gone to explore the land addressed their brothers and said,
“Do you not know that in one of these houses, there is an ephod used to
consult Yahweh, some small idols and a statue cast in metal? Now decide what
you have to do.” °15 The
troops made a detour and entered the house of the young Levite, the house of
Micah. They greeted him °16 while
the six hundred armed Danites stood at the threshold of the gate. °17 Then the five
men who had earlier gone up to explore the land went up again, entered
Micah’s house °18 and
took the statue, the ephod that is used to consult Yahweh and the small
idols, while the priest stood at the gate with the six hundred armed men. The
priest said to them, “What are you doing?” °19 They said to him, “Be quiet!” Put
your hand on your mouth and come with us. You shall be a father and priest to
us. Do you prefer to be a priest in the house of one individual or to be a
priest for a tribe of Israel?” °20 This made
the priest happy, so he took the ephod, the small idols and the statue, and
went with the troops. °21 The
Danites went on their way, putting the women, children, livestock and
precious objects in front of them. °22 They were already far from the
house of Micah when the people of the neighboring houses started shouting and
set out to pursue them. °23 But
the Danites turned around and said to Micah, “Why are you shouting?” °24 He
answered, “You have taken the gods which I made, and my priest is going away
with you. What else is left to me? And yet you still ask me: ‘What is the
matter with you?’” °25 The
Danites answered him, “Be quiet now lest some ill-tempered men fall upon you,
and kill you and your household.” °26
So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing
that they were stronger, returned home. °27 As for
them, they now had the gods which Micah had fashioned and the priest he had
in his service, and they marched on against Laish, a quiet and trusting
people. They put the inhabitants to the sword and burned the city. °28 No one
came to help them for they lived far from Sidon, and had no relationship with
anyone else. This city was in the valley which extended to Beth-Rehob. °29 The
Danites rebuilt the city and lived there, and they gave it the name Dan in
memory of their ancestor Dan, son of Israel, though the city was formerly
called Laish. °30 They
set aside a place for the statue, and Jonathan – a descendant of Gershom, son
of Moses – and his sons after him, became priests of the tribe of Dan until
the people were driven out of the land. °31 They set up the image Micah had
made, and there it remained as long as the house of God was in Shiloh. § The crime at Gibeah
¤19
°1 At
that time there was still no king in Israel. A Levite who lived deep in the
mountains of Ephraim took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as concubine. °2 This
woman left him and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem of Judah. She
remained there for about four months. °3 Her husband set out to visit her
and speak to her heart to make her return to his home. He brought with him a
servant and two asses. She welcomed him in the
house of her father who was glad to see him. °4 His father-in-law, the father of
the girl, made him stay so he remained with him for three days. They ate,
drank and spent the night there. °5
On the fourth day, they rose early in the morning
and the Levite prepared to leave. But the father of the young maiden said to
his son-in-law, “Eat some bread first so you can regain your strength, then
you can go.” °6 The two
sat and began to eat and drink together. Then the father-in-law said, “Please
spend the night here and have a good time.” °7 When the Levite got up to leave,
his father-in-law insisted, so he stayed that night. °8 On the
fifth day, he again rose early in the morning to go, but the father of the
young maiden said to him, “Have more patience and stay until evening.” So
they ate together. °9 But
when the husband, his concubine and his servant stood up to leave, the
father-in-law said to his son-in-law, “Look, it’s already getting dark. Spend
the night here and enjoy yourself. You can leave early tomorrow morning and
be on your way home.” °10 But
the Levite refused to spend the night there, so he got up, left and arrived
opposite Jebush, or Jerusalem. He brought with him the two saddled asses, his
concubine and his servant. °11 It was
very late when they came near Jebush. So the servant said to his master, “Let
us not go any farther but go into the city of the Jebusites and spend the
night there.” °12 His
master answered him, “Let us not go to a foreign city where there are no
Israelites; we will go to Gibeah.” And he added to his servant, °13 “Come and
let us go near one of those towns. We will spend the night in Gibeah or in
Ramah.” °14 So
they went their way, and at sunset they arrived opposite Gibeah of Benjamin. °15 They
turned aside and went there to spend the night. °16 Then, an old man came in from his
work in the fields. He was a man from the mountains of Ephraim and lived as a
visitor in Gibeah, for the people of that place were of the tribe of
Benjamin. °17 Looking
to one side, the old man noticed the visitor in the city square and said to
him, “Where do you come from and where are you going?” °18 And he
answered, “We are passing through, for we come from Bethlehem of Judah, and
we are going up to the borders of the mountains of Ephraim where I come from.
I went to Bethlehem of Judah and now I am returning home. But here no one has
offered me his house. °19 We
have, however, straw and green fodder for our asses, and bread and wine for
me, my wife and the young man who accompanies us. We don’t lack anything.” °20 The old
man said to him, “Peace be with you. I shall provide you with all that you
need. Just don’t spend the night in the square.” °21 He brought them to his house and
gave fodder to the asses. The travelers washed their feet, then ate and
drank. °22 As they
were relaxing, the wicked men of the city went round the house, pounded on
the door and said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man you
have welcomed into your house so we may amuse ourselves with him.” °23 The owner
of the house went out to them and said, “No, my brothers, do not treat him
badly. This man has come into my house, so do not do him evil. °24 Here is
my daughter, a virgin, and my companion’s concubine. I can give her to you if
you want. Ravish her and do with her what seems good to you, but not with
this man.” °25 But
those men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and brought
her outside. They violated and maltreated her the whole night until morning.
At dawn, they left her. °26 At early
morning, the woman came and fell at the entrance of the man’s house where her
husband was. She lay there until it was day. °27 When her husband rose up in the
morning, opened the door of the house and went out to go on his way, he saw
the woman, his concubine, lying at the entrance of the house, her hands on
the threshold. °28 He
said to her, “Get up, and let us go.” But there was no response. So the man
put her on his ass and went home. °29 When he
arrived home, he took a knife and taking hold of his concubine, he divided
her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces and sent them throughout the territory
of Israel. °30 He
gave his messengers, this order: “Say this to the Israelites: Until today,
have you seen anything like this since the Israelites came up from the land
of Egypt? Think about it. Seek counsel and decide.” Everyone who saw it said:
“Until today, never has this happened nor has a thing like this been seen
since the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt.” ¤20
°1 So
all the children of Israel, the whole community from Dan to Beer-Sheba,
gathered as one man, including the land of Gilead, before Yahweh at Mizpah. °2 The heads
of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel came to the assembly of the
people of God: four hundred thousand men on foot, all armed with swords. °3 The men of
the tribe of Benjamin also knew that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites said, “Tell
us how this crime happened.” °4 The
Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, addressed them and said, “I
arrived at Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night there. °5 By night,
the residents of Gibeah showed up and surrounded the house, intending to harm
us. They were determined to kill me, and they abused my concubine in such a
way that she died. °6 I then
took her, cut her into pieces, one piece to each territory of Israel, because
what they have done is a shame for Israel. °7 Now
that you are here, all Israelites, discuss among yourselves and make a
decision now.” °8 All the
people rose as one man and said, “None of us shall return to his tent nor go
to his house. °9 This
is what we will do with the people of Gibeah: we will draw lots °10 and will
take from the tribes of Israel ten men for every hundred, a hundred for every
thousand, and a thousand for every ten thousand. They shall gather provisions
for the troops who will go to punish Gibeah in Benjamin for the crime its
inhabitants have committed in Israel.” °11 So all the men of Israel united
as one man against the city. °12 The
tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the whole tribe of Benjamin and
said to them: “What is this crime that has been committed among you? °13 Hand over
those wicked men of Gibeah to us, that we may kill them and banish the evil
from Israel.” But the Benjaminites did not mind their Israelite brothers. °14 Meanwhile,
the Benjaminites also left their cities and gathered at Gibeah to face the
Israelites. °15 That
day the Benjaminites who came from different cities totaled twenty-six
thousand men, armed with swords, without counting the inhabitants of Gibeah. °16 Among
them were seven hundred valiant men, all left-handed and able to sling a
stone at a hair’s breadth without missing. °17 The
people of Israel also counted their men. Without counting Benjamin, there
were four hundred thousand men, able to draw sword, all men of war. °18 So they
set out and went up to Bethel where they asked God: “Who among us shall go up
first to fight the sons of Benjamin?” And Yahweh answered, “Judah shall go up
first.” °19 The
Israelites rose early and encamped opposite Gibeah. °20 They went
out to fight against Benjamin and drew up the battle line against Gibeah. °21 But the
Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and killed twenty-two thousand Israelites. °22 On the
second day, the sons of Israel attacked the Benjaminites. °23 The
Israelites then went up to weep before Yahweh until evening, and asked
Yahweh, saying, “Shall we fight again with the sons of our brother Benjamin?”
Yahweh answered, “Go up against them.” °24 So the
people, the troops of Israel, regained their courage and returned to their
former battle line. °25 On
that day, too, the Benjaminites went out against them and killed eighteen
thousand sword-wielding Israelites. °26 Then all
the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel. There they sat weeping
before Yahweh. They fasted the whole day until evening and presented burnt
and peace offerings before Yahweh, °27 for the Ark of the Covenant was
there, °28 with
Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, as its minister. They asked: “Shall
we come out again and fight the sons of our brother Benjamin, or not?” Yahweh
replied, “Go up tomorrow, and I will give them into your hands.” °29 Israel
set men in ambush around Gibeah. °30
On the third day, the Israelites marched against
Gibeah and positioned themselves in the battle line as on previous times. °31 The sons
of Benjamin went out against them, but the Israelites cut off the way that
led back to the city. The Benjaminites began as before to attack the men of
Israel, killing about thirty men on the roads going up to Bethel and to
Gibeah. °32 So
the Benjaminites thought: “We have defeated them again as before.” But the Israelites said to
themselves: “Let us flee to draw them away from the city and cut off the
roads.” °33 All
the men of Israel moved from their camp and took up position at Baal-Tamar,
while those who were in ambush rushed out of their place to the west of
Gibeah. °34 So
ten thousand chosen men from all Israel came against Gibeah. The battle was
fought hard, and the Benjaminites did not notice the calamity which was to
come upon them. °35 Yahweh
defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites killed
twenty-five thousand Benjaminites, all sword-wielding men. °36 The Benjaminites thought
they were victorious, but the men of Israel gave them ground, because they
relied on the ambush they had set against Gibeah. °37 The
men in ambush rushed out and quickly deployed themselves. They attacked
Gibeah and put the whole city to the sword. °38 The men of Israel had planned
with those in ambush that smoke would rise from the city as a signal. At
this, the Israelites would then return and fight. °39 So the
Israelites who pretended to escape returned when the Benjaminites had killed
about thirty men and had thought: “Now they are defeated as in the first
battle.” °40 The
smoke signal was already rising from the city. When the Benjaminites looked
behind, they saw that the whole city was on fire, with flames rising up to
heaven. °41 When
the Israelites faced them, the Benjaminites trembled before the calamity
which had come upon them. °42 They
retreated before the men of Israel and fled in the direction leading to the
desert. But the Israelites who came out of the city overtook them and
destroyed them. °43 They
surrounded the men of Benjamin, pursued them without rest and crushed them
opposite Gibeah by the east. °44 Eighteen
thousand Benjaminites fell, all valiant men. °45 The survivors retreated and fled
towards the desert to the rock of Rimmon. About five thousand men, however,
were killed on the way. They also pursued Benjamin as far as Gideon, killing
two thousand men. °46 On that
day, twenty-five thousand sword-wielding Benjaminites died, all valiant men. Of
those who fled to the desert to the rock of Rimmon, °47 six
hundred were able to escape. They remained there for four months. °48 The
troops of Israel turned against the towns of Benjamin and put them to the
sword, the people as well as the livestock and everything in them. They also
burned all the cities they found. ¤21
°1 The
men of Israel swore at Mizpah: “None of us shall give his daughter in
marriage to any Benjaminite.” °2 The
people went to Bethel. There they sat before Yahweh until evening, called on
him and wept with great lamentation. °3 They
said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, why has this misfortune happened to Israel,
that one of its tribes has perished today?” °4 On the
next day, the people rose early, built an altar there and offered holocausts and
peace offerings. °5 The
Israelites then asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to
the assembly of Yahweh?” For they had solemnly sworn that whoever would not
come up to Mizpah before Yahweh should die. °6 The sons
of Israel had compassion on their brother Benjamin and they said, “Today a
tribe of Israel has been cut off, °7
what shall we do to provide wives for those that
remain, for we have sworn to Yahweh not to give them our daughters in
marriage?” °8 Because
of this they asked, “Did any tribe of Israel not come up to Mizpah before
Yahweh?” And they found out that none from Yabesh of Gilead had come to the
camp for the assembly. °9 They
made the census and saw that there was no one from Yabesh of Gilead. °10 Then the
community sent there twelve thousand of their valiant men with this order:
“Go and put to the sword the inhabitants of Yabesh of Gilead, including women
and children. °11 This
is what you shall do: kill every man and every woman who has had a relation
with a man, but let the maidens live.” °12 So they did. They found four
hundred young virgins among the inhabitants of Yabesh in Gilead (who had not
had any relations with man), and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in
the land of Canaan. °13 Then the
community sent messengers to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon
to make peace with them, °14 and
the Benjaminites returned. The Israelites gave them the women of Yabesh of
Gilead they had spared, but there were not enough for all. °15 The
people had compassion again on Benjamin for Yahweh had let one of the tribes
of Israel perish. °16 So
the community elders said, “What can we do to provide wives for those that
are left, for the women of Benjamin were killed?” °17 and they added, “How can the
survival of Benjamin be assured that a tribe of Israel may not perish? °18 We cannot
give them our daughters since we have made this oath: Cursed be he who gives
a wife to Benjamin?” °19 But they
said, “It is now the feast of Yahweh which is celebrated annually at Shiloh,
north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and
south of Lebonah.” °20 So they
advised the Benjaminites: “Go and wait in ambush in the vineyards. °21 Be ready
and when the maidens of Shiloh come dancing in groups, come out of the vineyards
and each man seize a wife and go to the land of Benjamin. °22 If their
fathers or brothers come to complain against you, we shall tell them: Try to
understand them; see, the war left us with no means of giving a wife to each
one of them. You are not the ones who gave them your maidens, otherwise you
would have broken your vow.” °23 So the
Benjaminites did and seized the women they needed. Then they went and
returned to their inheritance, rebuilt their cities and dwelt in them. °24 The
Israelites then marched from there to their homes, by tribe and families. °25 At that
time, there was no king in Israel and everyone did what seemed good to him. The End. |