CHAP. I.

T The Book of JUDGES.

1 The acts of Judah and Simeon. 6 Adoni-be-thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, 18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast ark justly requited. 8 Jerusalem, 10 and and Ekron with the coast thereof. Hebron taken. 19 And the LORD was with Judah, and he

Now after the death of Joshua it came to drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but

pass, that the children of Israel ask-could not drive out the inhabitants of the val ed the Loan, saying, Who shall go up for us ley, because they had chariots of iron. against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

2 And the LORD said, Julah shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his band.

3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites, and I likewise riil go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4. And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the l'erizzîtes.

6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as sons of Anak. Loses said: and he expelled thence the three

21 And the children of Benjamin did not lem; but the Jebusites dwell with the chil drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusa dren of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. went up against Beth-el; and the LORD was 22 And the house of Joseph, they also with them.

Beth-el: (now the name of the city before 23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry was Luz.)

of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us,
24 And the spies saw a man come forth out
we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and
we will shew thee mercy.

into the city, they smote the city with the
And when he shewed them the entrance
and all his family.
edge of the sword: but they let go the man

Hittites, and built a city, and called the name
26 And the man went into the land of the
thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto
this day.

27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the 8 (Now the children of Judah had fought inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor against Jerusalem, and had to it, and smit-Tanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of ten it with the edge of the swore, and set the Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibcity of fire.) Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites leam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of would dwell in that land.

9T And afterward the children of Judah ment down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, (now the name of Hebroa before was Kirjath-arba,) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: (and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher :)

28 And it came to pass when Israel was and did not utterly drive them out. strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute,

Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Ca29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the naanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

habitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inNahalol: but the Canaanites dwelt among 12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-them, and became tributaries. sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14 And it came to pass, when she came to htm, that she moved him to ask of her father feld: and, she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?

31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhaon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of bitants of Aceho, nor the inhabitants of ZiHelbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabit15 And she said unto him, Give me a bless-ants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Ing: for thou hast given me a south land, Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: gave me also springs of water. And Caleb nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh save her the upper springs and the nether and of Beth-anati: became tributaries unto springs.

GAnd the children of the Kenite, Mose father-in-law, went up out of the city of elm trees with the children of Judah into The wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad: and they went and dwelt among the people.

them

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

35 But the Amorites would dwell in monnt Heres in Ajalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the 17 And Judah went with Simeon his bro-they became tributaries. hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that

ther, and they slew the Canaanites that inha-| 36 And the coast of the Amorites was from bited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it: (and the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and the name of the city was called Hormah :) upward.

1 An angel rebuketh the people at Bochim.
The wickedness of the new generation after
Joshua: 20 their punishment.

Their obstinale idolatry.

18 And when the LORD raised them up 10 judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: (for it repented the LORD because of their groanings. by reason of them that oppressed thein, and vexed them.)

ND an angel of the LORD came up from Gilg to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice; why have ye done this?

3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be

a snare upto you,

4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Loup spake these words unto all the cbildren of Israel, that the people listed up their voice, ab

ept.

5 And they called the name of that place Bochi: and they sacrificed there unto the LOAD.

6 ¶ And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of bis inheritance in Timnath-beres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

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

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Loap, and served Baalim.

19 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them: they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn_way.

20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice:

21 Falso will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died;

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD, to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it,

or not.

23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. GHAP. III

1. The nations left to prove Frael: 5 by communion with them they commit idolatry. 9 Of Othniel. 12 Of Ehud, &c.

NOV

TOW these are the nations which the LORD left to prove Israel by them: (even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof :)

3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonfans, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermen unto the entering in of Hamath

4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served] Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 And they took their daughters to be their Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the LORD was hotwives, and gave their daughters to their sons, against Israel, and he delivered them into the and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the bands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemieight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their round about, so that they could not any longer God, and served Baalim and the groves. stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did

not so.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-risha thaim.

H 4

15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the a deliverer, Ebud the son of Gera, a Benja-LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of mite, a man left-handed: and by him the iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the children of Israel. king of Moab.

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was Kishoa, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, sitting in a summer-parlour, which he had for with his chariots and his multitude; and I will himself alone: and Ehud said, I have a mes-deliver him into thine hand. sage from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

20 And he said unto them, Follow after rue; for the LORD hath delivered your ene- 15 And the LORD discomfited Sisers, and nies the Moabites into your hand. And they all his chariots, and all his host, with the weat down after him, and took the fords of edge of the sword before Barak: so that Sisera Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man lighted down of his chariot, and fled away on to pass over. his feet.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under he hand of Israel. And the land had rest man left.

17 Howbeit, Sisera fed away on his feet to
the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite;
for there was peace between Jabin the king of
Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera,
and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in
to me; fear not. And when he had turned in
unto ber into the tent, she covered him with

and Barak utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down gover19 And he said unto her, Give me, I praynors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty :pen of the writer.

a mantle.

and she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him 15 And the princes of Issachar were with
drink, and covered him.
Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he
was sent on foot into the valley. For the di-
visions of Reuben there were great thoughts
of heart.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door
of the tent: and it shall be, when any man
doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is
there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of
the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and
went softly unto him, and smote the nail into
his temples, and fastened it into the ground:
(for he was fast asleep, and weary :) so he
died.

22 And behold as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jahin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the

16 Why abodest thou among the sheep-folds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships Asher continued on the sea-shore, and abode in his breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the bigh places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Tanach by the waters of Megiddo: they took no gain of money.

20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21 The river of Kishon swept them away,

King of Canaan, until they had destroyed Ja-that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my bin king of Canaan

CHAP. V.

The song of Deborah and Barak.
HEN sang Deborah and Barak the son of
Abinoam on that day, saying,

TH

2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3 Hear, O ye kings: give ear, O ye princes: 1, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

4 Loan, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field - Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through by-ways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

soul, thon hast trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horse-hoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, (said the angel of the Loan.) curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Loap, to the help of the Load against the mighty.

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

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

26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer: and with the hammer she smote Sisera; she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

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

30 Have they not spel? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two? to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needle-work, of divers colours of needle-work on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water: there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Loan go down to the 12 Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, [1 The Israelites, for their, rin, oppressed by Mi

gate

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

Israel oppressed by Midian.

JUDGES.

Gideon and the angels. dian: 8 a prophet rebuketh them: 11 Gideon sent, and set it before thee. And he said, I delivereth them. will tarry until thou come again.

AND the children of Israel did evil in the

19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a sight of the LORD; and the LORD deli-kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of vered them into the hand of Midian seven flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put years. the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong bolds.

20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that 21 Then the angel of the Lord put forth the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh, and the unleavened cakes, and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of

4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza; and left no sus-his sight. tenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor

ass.

5 For they came up with their cattle, and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished be cause of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD' because of the Midianites,

8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egot, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage:

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said. Alas, O Lord Gop! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not; thou shalt not die.

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

ezrites.

25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it;

26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the place, and take the second bullock, and offer Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that op-a burnt-sacrifice with the wood of the grove pressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land.

10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the wine-press, to hide it from the Midianites.

which thou shalt cut down.

27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city. that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

23 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was un-offered upon the altar that was built.

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and Celivered us into the bands of the Midianites.

29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30 Thea the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

14 And the LORD looked upon him and said, 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Ishim, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save rael from the hand of the Midianites: have him? He that will plead for him, let him be not I sent thee? put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one bath cast down his altar.

15 And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 And the Loap said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying. Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

33 Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, were 17 And he said unto him, If now I have gathered together, and went over, and pitchfound grace in thy sight, then shew me a signed in the valley of Jezreel. that thou talkest with me.

34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Je Depart not henee, I pray thee, until Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abito thee, and bring forth my pre-ezer was gathered after him