^12:1And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire. ^12:2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand. ^12:3And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? ^12:4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, [and] in the midst of Manasseh. ^12:5And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; ^12:6then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand. ^12:7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead. ^12:8And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel. ^12:9And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. ^12:10And Ibzan died, and was buried at Beth-lehem. ^12:11And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. ^12:12And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. ^12:13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. ^12:14And he had forty sons and thirty sons` sons, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. ^12:15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.

^13:1And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. ^13:2And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. ^13:3And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. ^13:4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: ^13:5for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. ^13:6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: ^13:7but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death. ^13:8Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. ^13:9And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. ^13:10And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the [other] day. ^13:11And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. ^13:12And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and [how] shall we do unto him? ^13:13And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. ^13:14She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe. ^13:15And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee. ^13:16And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah. ^13:17And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor? ^13:18And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? ^13:19So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. ^13:20For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground. ^13:21But the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah. ^13:22And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. ^13:23But his wife said unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these. ^13:24And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. ^13:25And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

^14:1And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. ^14:2And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. ^14:3Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. ^14:4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel. ^14:5Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. ^14:6And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid; and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. ^14:7And he went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. ^14:8And after a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. ^14:9And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat: but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. ^14:10And his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. ^14:11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. ^14:12And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; ^14:13but if ye cannot declare it unto me, then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. ^14:14And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food, And out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle. ^14:15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson`s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father`s house with fire: have ye called us to impoverish us? is it not [so]? ^14:16And Samson`s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee? <sup>14:17</sup>And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him sore; and she told the riddle to the children of her people. <sup>14:18</sup>And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle. <sup>14:19</sup>And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes [of raiment] unto them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father`s house. ^14:20But Samson`s wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

^15:1But it came to pass after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. ^15:2And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. ^15:3And Samson said unto them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief. ^15:4And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between every two tails. ^15:5And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the oliveyards. ^15:6Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they said, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. ^15:7And Samson said unto them, If ye do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. ^15:8And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam. ^15:9Then the Philistines went up, and encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. ^15:10And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they said, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. ^15:11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. ^15:12And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. ^15:13And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock. ^15:14When he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands. ^15:15And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men therewith. ^15:16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men. ^15:17And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi. ^15:18And he was sore athirst, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised. ^15:19But God clave the hollow place that is in Lehi, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore the name thereof was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi, unto this day. ^15:20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

^16:1And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her. ^16:2[And it was told] the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, [Let be] till morning light, then we will kill him. ^16:3And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron. ^16:4And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. ^16:5And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver. ^16:6And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. ^16:7And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. ^16:8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. ^16:9Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. ^16:10And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. ^16:11And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. ^16:12So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them off his arms like a thread. ^16:13And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. ^16:14And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web. ^16:15And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. ^16:16And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death. ^16:17And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother`s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. ^16:18And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. ^16:19And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. ^16:20And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him. ^16:21And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house. ^16:22Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. ^16:23And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. ^16:24And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who hath slain many of us. ^16:25And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them. And they set him between the pillars: ^16:26and Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. ^16:27Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. ^16:28And Samson called unto Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. ^16:29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. ^16:30And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life. ^16:31Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

^17:1And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. ^17:2And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred [pieces] of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah. ^17:3And he restored the eleven hundred [pieces] of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I verily dedicate the silver unto Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. ^17:4And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred [pieces] of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah. ^17:5And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. ^17:6In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. ^17:7And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there. ^17:8And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. ^17:9And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place]. ^17:10And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten [pieces] of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. ^17:11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. ^17:12And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. ^17:13Then said Micah, Now know I that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

^18:1In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. ^18:2And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there. ^18:3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? ^18:4And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am become his priest. ^18:5And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. ^18:6And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way wherein ye go. ^18:7Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man. ^18:8And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye? ^18:9And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land. ^18:10When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large; for God hath given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth. ^18:11And there set forth from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war. ^18:12And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan, unto this day; behold, it is behind Kiriath-jearim. ^18:13And they passed thence unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. ^18:14Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. ^18:15And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. ^18:16And the six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. ^18:17And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war. ^18:18And when these went into Micah`s house, and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye? <sup>18:19</sup>And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? <sup>18:20</sup>And the priest`s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. ^18:21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them. ^18:22When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah`s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. <sup>18:23</sup>And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? <sup>18:24</sup>And he said, ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee? <sup>18:25</sup>And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. <sup>18:26</sup>And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. <sup>18:27</sup>And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire. <sup>18:28</sup>And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein. <sup>18:29</sup>And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. <sup>18:30</sup>And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. <sup>18:31</sup>So they set them up Micah`s graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

^19:1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. ^19:2And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father`s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months. <sup>19:3</sup>And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father`s house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. ^19:4And his father-in-law, the damsel`s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. <sup>19:5</sup>And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the damsel`s father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way. ^19:6So they sat down, and did eat and drink, both of them together: and the damsel`s father said unto the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry. <sup>19:7</sup>And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again. <sup>19:8</sup>And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel`s father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declineth; and they did eat, both of them. ^19:9And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel`s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home. <sup>19:10</sup>But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his concubine also was with him. <sup>19:11</sup>When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. <sup>19:12</sup>And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah. <sup>19:13</sup>And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah. <sup>19:14</sup>So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. <sup>19:15</sup>And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge. <sup>19:16</sup>And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. <sup>19:17</sup>And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? <sup>19:18</sup>And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am [now] going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house. <sup>19:19</sup>Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything. <sup>19:20</sup>And the old man said, Peace be unto thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. <sup>19:21</sup>So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. <sup>19:22</sup>As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him. <sup>19:23</sup>And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly. <sup>19:24</sup>Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such folly. <sup>19:25</sup>But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. <sup>19:26</sup>Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man`s house where her lord was, till it was light. ^19:27And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold. ^19:28And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the ass; and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. ^19:29And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel. ^19:30And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider it, take counsel, and speak.

^20:1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah. ^20:2And the chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. ^20:3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass? ^20:4And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. ^20:5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night; me they thought to have slain, and my concubine they forced, and she is dead. ^20:6And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. ^20:7Behold, ye children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel. ^20:8And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn unto his house. ^20:9But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: [we will go up] against it by lot; ^20:10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. ^20:11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. ^20:12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you? ^20:13Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel. ^20:14And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. ^20:15And the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men. ^20:16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss. ^20:17And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. ^20:18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah [shall go up] first. ^20:19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. ^20:20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah. ^20:21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty and two thousand men. ^20:22And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day. ^20:23And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him. ^20:24And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. ^20:25And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. ^20:26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto Beth-el, and wept, and sat there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even; and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. ^20:27And the children of Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, ^20:28and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy hand. ^20:29And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about. ^20:30And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. ^20:31And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to Beth-el, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel. ^20:32And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city unto the highways. ^20:33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. ^20:34And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was close upon them. ^20:35And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword. ^20:36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah. ^20:37And the liers-in-wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. ^20:38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. ^20:39And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. ^20:40But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up [in smoke] to heaven. ^20:41And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that evil was come upon them. ^20:42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they that came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof. ^20:43They inclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down at [their] resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. ^20:44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valor. ^20:45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men. ^20:46So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valor. ^20:47But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months. ^20:48And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

^21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. ^21:2And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore. ^21:3And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel? ^21:4And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. ^21:5And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death. ^21:6And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. ^21:7How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters to wives? ^21:8And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. ^21:9For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. ^21:10And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. ^21:11And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. ^21:12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. ^21:13And the whole congregation sent and spake to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace unto them. ^21:14And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. ^21:15And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. ^21:16Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? ^21:17And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel. ^21:18Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. ^21:19And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. ^21:20And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, ^21:21and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. ^21:22And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain unto us, that we will say unto them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we took not for each man [of them] his wife in battle, neither did ye give them unto them, else would ye now be guilty. ^21:23And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them. ^21:24And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. ^21:25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Ruth

^1:1And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. ^1:2And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. ^1:3And Elimelech, Naomi`s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. <sup>1:4</sup>And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. <sup>1:5</sup>And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband. <sup>1:6</sup>Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread. <sup>1:7</sup>And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. <sup>1:8</sup>And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother`s house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. ^1:9Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. ^1:10And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. ^1:11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? ^1:12Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; ^1:13would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. ^1:14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her. ^1:15And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. ^1:16And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; ^1:17where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. ^1:18And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her. ^1:19So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and [the women] said, Is this Naomi? ^1:20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. ^1:21I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? ^1:22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

^2:1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband`s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. <sup>2:2</sup>And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. <sup>2:3</sup>And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. <sup>2:4</sup>And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee. <sup>2:5</sup>Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? <sup>2:6</sup>And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: <sup>2:7</sup>And she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house. <sup>2:8</sup>Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. <sup>2:9</sup>Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. <sup>2:10</sup>Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner? <sup>2:11</sup>And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore. <sup>2:12</sup>Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. <sup>2:13</sup>Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens. <sup>2:14</sup>And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof. <sup>2:15</sup>And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not. <sup>2:16</sup>And also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not. <sup>2:17</sup>So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. <sup>2:18</sup>And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed. <sup>2:19</sup>And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man`s name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz. ^2:20And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen. ^2:21And Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. ^2:22And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that they meet thee not in any other field. ^2:23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

^3:1And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? ^3:2And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. ^3:3Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor, but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. ^3:4And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. ^3:5And she said unto her, All that thou sayest I will do. ^3:6And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. ^3:7And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. ^3:8And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. ^3:9And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. ^3:10And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. ^3:11And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. ^3:12And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. ^3:13Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman`s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as Jehovah liveth: lie down until the morning. ^3:14And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor. ^3:15And he said, Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it; and she held it; and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city. ^3:16And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. ^3:17And she said, These six [measures] of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law. ^3:18Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

^4:1Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. ^4:2And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. ^4:3And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech`s: <sup>4:4</sup>And I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. <sup>4:5</sup>Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. <sup>4:6</sup>And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it. <sup>4:7</sup>Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel. <sup>4:8</sup>So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe. <sup>4:9</sup>And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech`s, and all that was Chilion`s and Mahlon`s, of the hand of Naomi. ^4:10Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. ^4:11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem: ^4:12and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman. ^4:13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son. ^4:14And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel. ^4:15And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him. ^4:16And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. ^4:17And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. ^4:18Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron, ^4:19and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, ^4:20and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, ^4:21and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, ^4:22and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

1 Samuel

^1:1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite: ^1:2and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ^1:3And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto Jehovah, were there. ^1:4And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: ^1:5but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb. ^1:6And her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. ^1:7And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ^1:8And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? ^1:9So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah. ^1:10And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Jehovah, and wept sore. ^1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. ^1:12And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth. ^1:13Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. ^1:14And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. ^1:15And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Jehovah. ^1:16Count not thy handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto. ^1:17Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him. ^1:18And she said, Let thy handmaid find favor in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat; and her countenance was no more [sad]. ^1:19And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her. ^1:20And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of Jehovah. ^1:21And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. ^1:22But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, [I will not go up] until the child be weaned; and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and there abide for ever. ^1:23And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him. ^1:24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh: and the child was young. ^1:25And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. ^1:26And she said, Oh, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto Jehovah. ^1:27For this child I prayed; and Jehovah hath given me my petition which I asked of him: ^1:28therefore also I have granted him to Jehovah; as long as he liveth he is granted to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.

^2:1And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. ^2:2There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God. ^2:3Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. ^2:4The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. ^2:5They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased [to hunger]: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth. ^2:6Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. ^2:7Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up. ^2:8He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah`s, And he hath set the world upon them. <sup>2:9</sup>He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. <sup>2:10</sup>They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. <sup>2:11</sup>And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest. <sup>2:12</sup>Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not Jehovah. <sup>2:13</sup>And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest`s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; ^2:14and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. ^2:15Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest`s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw. <sup>2:16</sup>And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. <sup>2:17</sup>And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah. <sup>2:18</sup>But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. <sup>2:19</sup>Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. <sup>2:20</sup>And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah. And they went unto their own home. <sup>2:21</sup>And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah. <sup>2:22</sup>Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. <sup>2:23</sup>And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. <sup>2:24</sup>Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make Jehovah`s people to transgress. ^2:25If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them. ^2:26And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men. ^2:27And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh`s house? <sup>2:28</sup>and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? <sup>2:29</sup>Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? <sup>2:30</sup>Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. <sup>2:31</sup>Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father`s house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. ^2:32And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. ^2:33And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. ^2:34And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. ^2:35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. ^2:36And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests` offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

^3:1And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. ^3:2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), ^3:3and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep], in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was; ^3:4that Jehovah called Samuel; and he said, Here am I. ^3:5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. ^3:6And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. ^3:7Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. ^3:8And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. ^3:9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ^3:10And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth. ^3:11And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. ^3:12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. ^3:13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. ^3:14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli`s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever. ^3:15And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. ^3:16Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I. ^3:17And he said, What is the thing that [Jehovah] hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he spake unto thee. ^3:18And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what seemeth him good. ^3:19And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ^3:20And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah. ^3:21And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah.

^4:1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. ^4:2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. ^4:3And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Jehovah smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. ^4:4So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of hosts, who sitteth [above] the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ^4:5And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. ^4:6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah was come into the camp. ^4:7And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. ^4:8Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. ^4:9Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. ^4:10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. ^4:11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. ^4:12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. ^4:13And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. ^4:14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted, and came and told Eli. ^4:15Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. ^4:16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my son? ^4:17And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ^4:18And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] feel from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. ^4:19And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas` wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came upon her. ^4:20And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. ^4:21And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. ^4:22And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.