Judges 7; Judges 8; Judges 9; Judges 10; Judges 11; Judges 12; Judges 13; Judges 14; Judges 15; Judges 16; Judges 17; Judges 18

Judges 7

1 Then Yerubba`al, who is Gid`on, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midyan was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 The LORD said to Gid`on, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midyanim into their hand, lest Yisra'el vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.

3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gil`ad. There returned of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 The LORD said to Gid`on, The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people to the water: and the LORD said to Gid`on, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.

6 The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

7 The LORD said to Gid`on, By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midyanim into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his place.

8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Yisra'el every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midyan was beneath him in the valley.

9 It happened the same night, that the LORD said to him, Arise, get you down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand.

10 But if you fear to go down, go you with Purah your servant down to the camp:

11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward shall your hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.

12 The Midyanim and the `Amaleki and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the sea-shore for multitude.

13 When Gid`on had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midyan, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

14 His fellow answered, This is nothing else save the sword of Gid`on the son of Yo'ash, a man of Yisra'el: into his hand God has delivered Midyan, and all the host.

15 It was so, when Gid`on heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation of it, that he worshiped; and he returned into the camp of Yisra'el, and said, Arise; for the LORD has delivered into your hand the host of Midyan.

16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.

17 He said to them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall you do.

18 When I blow the shofar, I and all who are with me, then blow you the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For the LORD and for Gid`on.

19 So Gid`on, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they cried, The sword of the LORD and of Gid`on.

21 They stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put [them] to flight.

22 They blew the three hundred trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beit-Hashitta toward Tzererah, as far as the border of Avel-Mecholah, by Tabbat.

23 The men of Yisra'el were gathered together out of Naftali, and out of Asher, and out of all Menashsheh, and pursued after Midyan.

24 Gid`on sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Efrayim, saying, Come down against Midyan, and take before them the waters, as far as Beit-Barah, even the Yarden. So all the men of Efrayim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beit-Barah, even the Yarden.

25 They took the two princes of Midyan, `Orev and Ze'ev; and they killed `Orev at the rock of `Orev, and Ze'ev they killed at the winepress of Ze'ev, and pursued Midyan: and they brought the heads of `Orev and Ze'ev to Gid`on beyond the Yarden.

Judges 8

1 The men of Efrayim said to him, Why have you served us thus, that you didn't call us, when you went to fight with Midyan? They did chide with him sharply.

2 He said to them, What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Efrayim better than the vintage of Avi-Ezer?

3 God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midyan, `Orev and Ze'ev: and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 Gid`on came to the Yarden, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

5 He said to the men of Sukkot, Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zevach and Tzalmunnah, the kings of Midyan.

6 The princes of Sukkot said, Are the hands of Zevach and Tzalmunnah now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?

7 Gid`on said, Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zevach and Tzalmunnah into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 He went up there to Penu'el, and spoke to them in like manner; and the men of Penu'el answered him as the men of Sukkot had answered.

9 He spoke also to the men of Penu'el, saying, When I come again in shalom, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zevach and Tzalmunnah were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

11 Gid`on went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Novach and Yogbehah, and struck the host; for the host was secure.

12 Zevach and Tzalmunnah fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midyan, Zevach and Tzalmunnah, and confused all the host.

13 Gid`on the son of Yo'ash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

14 He caught a young man of the men of Sukkot, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Sukkot, and the Zakenim of it, seventy-seven men.

15 He came to the men of Sukkot, and said, See Zevach and Tzalmunnah, concerning whom you did taunt me, saying, Are the hands of Zevach and Tzalmunnah now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?

16 He took the Zakenim of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Sukkot.

17 He broke down the tower of Penu'el, and killed the men of the city.

18 Then said he to Zevach and Tzalmunnah, What manner of men were they whom you killed at Tavor? They answered, As you are, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

19 He said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother: as the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.

20 He said to Yeter his firstborn, Up, and kill them. But the youth didn't draw his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Then Zevach and Tzalmunnah said, Rise you, and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. Gid`on arose, and killed Zevach and Tzalmunnah, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

22 Then the men of Yisra'el said to Gid`on, Rule you over us, both you, and your son, and your son's son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midyan.

23 Gid`on said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

24 Gid`on said to them, I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Yishme`elim.)

25 They answered, We will willingly give them. They spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil.

26 The weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midyan, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 Gid`on made an efod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ofrat: and all Yisra'el played the prostitute after it there; and it became a snare to Gid`on, and to his house.

28 So Midyan was subdued before the children of Yisra'el, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gid`on.

29 Yerubba`al the son of Yo'ash went and lived in his own house.

30 Gid`on had seventy sons conceived from his body; for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who was in Shekhem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Avimelekh.

32 Gid`on the son of Yo'ash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Yo'ash his father, in Ofrat of the Abiezrites.

33 It happened, as soon as Gid`on was dead, that the children of Yisra'el turned again, and played the prostitute after the Ba`alim, and made Ba`al-Berit their god.

34 The children of Yisra'el didn't remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35 neither shown they kindness to the house of Yerubba`al, [who is] Gid`on, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Yisra'el.

Judges 9

1 Avimelekh the son of Yerubba`al went to Shekhem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

2 Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shekhem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Yerubba`al, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 His mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shekhem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Avimelekh; for they said, He is our brother.

4 They gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Ba`al-Berit, with which Avimelekh hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.

5 He went to his father's house at Ofrat, and killed his brothers the sons of Yerubba`al, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Yotam the youngest son of Yerubba`al was left; for he hid himself.

6 All the men of Shekhem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Avimelekh king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shekhem.

7 When they told it to Yotam, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, Listen to me, you men of Shekhem, that God may listen to you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, Reign you over us.

9 But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?

10 The trees said to the fig tree, Come, and reign over us.

11 But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?

12 The trees said to the vine, Come, and reign over us.

13 The vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?

14 Then said all the trees to the bramble, Come, and reign over us.

15 The bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Levanon.

16 Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, in that you have made Avimelekh king, and if you have dealt well with Yerubba`al and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands

17 (for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midyan:

18 and you are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Avimelekh, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shekhem, because he is your brother);

19 if you then have dealt truly and righteously with Yerubba`al and with his house this day, then rejoice you in Avimelekh, and let him also rejoice in you:

20 but if not, let fire come out from Avimelekh, and devour the men of Shekhem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shekhem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Avimelekh.

21 Yotam ran away, and fled, and went to Be'er, and lived there, for fear of Avimelekh his brother.

22 Avimelekh was prince over Yisra'el three years.

23 God sent an evil spirit between Avimelekh and the men of Shekhem; and the men of Shekhem dealt treacherously with Avimelekh:

24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Yerubba`al might come, and that their blood might be laid on Avimelekh their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shekhem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

25 The men of Shekhem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them: and it was told Avimelekh.

26 Ga`al the son of `Eved came with his brothers, and went over to Shekhem; and the men of Shekhem put their trust in him.

27 They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod [the grapes], and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avimelekh.

28 Ga`al the son of `Eved said, Who is Avimelekh, and who is Shekhem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Yerubba`al? and Zevul his officer? serve you the men of Hamor the father of Shekhem: but why should we serve him?

29 Would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Avimelekh. He said to Avimelekh, Increase your army, and come out.

30 When Zevul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga`al the son of `Eved, his anger was kindled.

31 He sent messengers to Avimelekh craftily, saying, Behold, Ga`al the son of `Eved and his brothers are come to Shekhem; and, behold, they constrain the city [to take part] against you.

32 Now therefore, up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field:

33 and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush on the city; and, behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.

34 Avimelekh rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shekhem in four companies.

35 Ga`al the son of `Eved went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Avimelekh rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush.

36 When Ga`al saw the people, he said to Zevul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. Zevul said to him, You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

37 Ga`al spoke again and said, Behold, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Me`onenim.

38 Then said Zevul to him, Where is now your mouth, that you said, Who is Avimelekh, that we should serve him? is not this the people that you have despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

39 Ga`al went out before the men of Shekhem, and fought with Avimelekh.

40 Avimelekh chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.

41 Avimelekh lived at Arumah: and Zevul drove out Ga`al and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shekhem.

42 It happened on the next day, that the people went out into the field; and they told Avimelekh.

43 He took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; He rose up against them, and struck them.

44 Avimelekh, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them.

45 Avimelekh fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

46 When all the men of the tower of Shekhem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the Beit-El-Berit.

47 It was told Avimelekh that all the men of the tower of Shekhem were gathered together.

48 Avimelekh got him up to Mount Tzalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Avimelekh took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

49 All the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Avimelekh, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the men of the tower of Shekhem died also, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then went Avimelekh to Tevetz, and encamped against Tevetz, and took it.

51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and got them up to the roof of the tower.

52 Avimelekh came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Avimelekh's head, and broke his skull.

54 Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, A woman killed him. His young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 When the men of Yisra'el saw that Avimelekh was dead, they departed every man to his place.

56 Thus God requited the wickedness of Avimelekh, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers;

57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shekhem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Yotam the son of Yerubba`al.

Judges 10

1 After Avimelekh there arose to save Yisra'el Tola the son of Pu`ah, the son of Dodo, a man of Yissakhar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill-country of Efrayim.

2 He judged Yisra'el twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 After him arose Ya'ir, the Gil`adite; and he judged Yisra'el twenty-two years.

4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvot-Ya'ir to this day, which are in the land of Gil`ad.

5 Ya'ir died, and was buried in Kamon.

6 The children of Yisra'el again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Ba`alim, and the `Ashtarot, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Tzidon, and the gods of Mo'av, and the gods of the children of `Ammon, and the gods of the Pelishtim; and they forsook the LORD, and didn't serve him.

7 The anger of the LORD was kindled against Yisra'el, and he sold them into the hand of the Pelishtim, and into the hand of the children of `Ammon.

8 They vexed and oppressed the children of Yisra'el that year: eighteen years [oppressed they] all the children of Yisra'el that were beyond the Yarden in the land of the Amori, which is in Gil`ad.

9 The children of `Ammon passed over the Yarden to fight also against Yehudah, and against Binyamin, and against the house of Efrayim; so that Yisra'el was sore distressed.

10 The children of Yisra'el cried to the LORD, saying, We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Ba`alim.

11 The LORD said to the children of Yisra'el, Didn't I save you from the Mitzrim, and from the Amori, from the children of `Ammon, and from the Pelishtim?

12 The Tzidonim also, and the `Amaleki, and the Ma`on, did oppress you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

13 Yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will save you no more.

14 Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.

15 The children of Yisra'el said to the LORD, We have sinned: do you to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, we pray you, this day.

16 They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served the LORD; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Yisra'el.

17 Then the children of `Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gil`ad. The children of Yisra'el assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mitzpah.

18 The people, the princes of Gil`ad, said one to another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the children of `Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gil`ad.

Judges 11

1 Now Yiftach the Gil`adite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute: and Gil`ad became the father of Yiftach.

2 Gil`ad's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Yiftach, and said to him, You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman.

3 Then Yiftach fled from his brothers, and lived in the land of Tov: and there were gathered vain fellows to Yiftach, and they went out with him.

4 It happened after a while, that the children of `Ammon made war against Yisra'el.

5 It was so, that when the children of `Ammon made war against Yisra'el, the Zakenim of Gil`ad went to get Yiftach out of the land of Tov;

6 and they said to Yiftach, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of `Ammon.

7 Yiftach said to the Zakenim of Gil`ad, Didn't you hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? and why are you come to me now when you are in distress?

8 The Zakenim of Gil`ad said to Yiftach, Therefore are we turned again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the children of `Ammon; and you shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gil`ad.

9 Yiftach said to the Zakenim of Gil`ad, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of `Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 The Zakenim of Gil`ad said to Yiftach, the LORD shall be witness between us; surely according to your word so will we do.

11 Then Yiftach went with the Zakenim of Gil`ad, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Yiftach spoke all his words before the LORD in Mitzpah.

12 Yiftach sent messengers to the king of the children of `Ammon, saying, What have you to do with me, that you are come to me to fight against my land?

13 The king of the children of `Ammon answered to the messengers of Yiftach, Because Yisra'el took away my land, when he came up out of Mitzrayim, from the Arnon even to the Yabbok, and to the Yarden: now therefore restore those [lands] again peaceably.

14 Yiftach sent messengers again to the king of the children of `Ammon;

15 and he said to him, Thus says Yiftach: Yisra'el didn't take away the land of Mo'av, nor the land of the children of `Ammon,

16 but when they came up from Mitzrayim, and Yisra'el went through the wilderness to the Sea of Suf, and came to Kadesh;

17 then Yisra'el sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Please let me pass through your land; but the king of Edom didn't listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Mo'av; but he would not: and Yisra'el abode in Kadesh.

18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Mo'av, and came by the east side of the land of Mo'av, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn't come within the border of Mo'av, for the Arnon was the border of Mo'av.

19 Yisra'el sent messengers to Sichon king of the Amori, the king of Heshbon; and Yisra'el said to him, Let us pass, we pray you, through your land to my place.

20 But Sichon didn't trust Yisra'el to pass through his border; but Sichon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Yahatz, and fought against Yisra'el.

21 The LORD, the God of Yisra'el, delivered Sichon and all his people into the hand of Yisra'el, and they struck them: so Yisra'el possessed all the land of the Amori, the inhabitants of that country.

22 They possessed all the border of the Amori, from the Arnon even to the Yabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Yarden.

23 So now the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, has dispossessed the Amori from before his people Yisra'el, and should you possess them?

24 Won't you possess that which Kemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo'av? did he ever strive against Yisra'el, or did he ever fight against them?

26 While Yisra'el lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in `Aro`er and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; why didn't you recover them within that time?

27 I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: the LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Yisra'el and the children of `Ammon.

28 However the king of the children of `Ammon didn't listen to the words of Yiftach which he sent him.

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Yiftach, and he passed over Gil`ad and Menashsheh, and passed over Mitzpeh of Gil`ad, and from Mitzpeh of Gil`ad he passed over to the children of `Ammon.

30 Yiftach vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, If you will indeed deliver the children of `Ammon into my hand,

31 then it shall be, that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in shalom from the children of `Ammon, it shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Yiftach passed over to the children of `Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.

33 He struck them from `Aro`er until you come to Minnit, even twenty cities, and to Avel-Keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of `Ammon were subdued before the children of Yisra'el.

34 Yiftach came to Mitzpah to his house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 It happened, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I can't go back.

36 She said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of `Ammon.

37 She said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

38 He said, Go. He sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains.

39 It happened at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she was a virgin. It was a custom in Yisra'el,

40 that the daughters of Yisra'el went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Yiftach the Gil`adite four days in a year.

Judges 12

1 The men of Efrayim were gathered together, and crossed Tzafon; and they said to Yiftach, Why did you pass over to fight against the children of `Ammon, and didn't call us to go with you? we will burn your house on you with fire.

2 Yiftach said to them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of `Ammon; and when I called you, you didn't save me out of their hand.

3 When I saw that you didn't save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of `Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: why then are you come up to me this day, to fight against me?

4 Then Yiftach gathered together all the men of Gil`ad, and fought with Efrayim; and the men of Gil`ad struck Efrayim, because they said, You are fugitives of Efrayim, you Gil`adi, in the midst of Efrayim, [and] in the midst of Menashsheh.

5 The Gil`adi took the fords of the Yarden against the Efrayim. It was so, that when [any of] the fugitives of Efrayim said, Let me go over, the men of Gil`ad said to him, Are you an Efratite? If he said, No;

6 then said they to him, Say now Shibbolet; and he said Sibboleth; for he couldn't manage to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and killed him at the fords of the Yarden. There fell at that time of Efrayim forty-two thousand.

7 Yiftach judged Yisra'el six years. Then died Yiftach the Gil`adite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gil`ad.

8 After him 'Ivtzan of Beit-Lechem judged Yisra'el.

9 He had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. He judged Yisra'el seven years.

10 'Ivtzan died, and was buried at Beit-Lechem.

11 After him Elon the Zevulonite judged Yisra'el; and he judged Yisra'el ten years.

12 Elon the Zevulonite died, and was buried in Ayalon in the land of Zevulun.

13 After him `Avdon the son of Hillel the Pir`atonite judged Yisra'el.

14 He had forty sons and thirty sons' sons, who rode on seventy donkey colts: and he judged Yisra'el eight years.

15 `Avdon the son of Hillel the Pir`atonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Efrayim, in the hill-country of the `Amaleki.

Judges 13

1 The children of Yisra'el again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Pelishtim forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Tzor`ah, of the family of the Dani, whose name was Manoach; and his wife was barren, and didn't bear.

3 The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said to her, See now, you are barren, and don't bear; but you shall conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don't eat any unclean thing:

5 for, behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazir to God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Yisra'el out of the hand of the Pelishtim.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome; and I didn't ask him whence he was, neither did he tell me his name:

7 but he said to me, Behold, you shall 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 Nazir to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoach entreated the LORD, and said, Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you did send come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child who shall be born.

9 God listened to the voice of Manoach; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoach, her husband, wasn't with her.

10 The woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, who came to me the [other] day.

11 Manoach arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Are you the man who spoke to the woman? He said, I am.

12 Manoach said, Now let your words happen: what shall be the ordering of the child, and [how] shall we do to him?

13 The angel of the LORD said to Manoach, Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.

15 Manoach said to the angel of the LORD, I pray you, let us detain you, that we may make ready a kid for you.

16 The angel of the LORD said to Manoach, Though you detain me, I won't eat of your bread; and if you will make ready a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD. For Manoach didn't know that he was the angel of the LORD.

17 Manoach said to the angel of the LORD, What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?

18 The angel of the LORD said to him, Why do you ask after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

19 So Manoach took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD: and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoach and his wife looked on.

20 For it happened, when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoach and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoach or to his wife. Then Manoach knew that he was the angel of the LORD.

22 Manoach said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said to him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn't have received a burnt offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

24 The woman bore a son, and named him Shimshon: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

25 The Spirit of the LORD began to move him in Machane-Dan, between Tzor`ah and Eshta'ol.

Judges 14

1 Shimshon went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Pelishtim.

2 He came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Pelishtim: now therefore get her for me as wife.

3 Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Pelishtim? Shimshon said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well.

4 But his father and his mother didn't know that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Pelishtim. Now at that time the Pelishtim had rule over Yisra'el.

5 Then went Shimshon down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

6 The Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a kid; and he had nothing in his hand: but he didn't tell his father or his mother what he had done.

7 He went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Shimshon well.

8 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.

9 He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate: but he didn't tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman: and Shimshon made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11 It happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Shimshon said to them, Let me now put forth a riddle to you: if you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;

13 but if you can't declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. They said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.

14 He said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, Out of the strong came forth sweetness. They couldn't in three days declare the riddle.

15 It happened on the seventh day, that they said to Shimshon's wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire: have you called us to impoverish us? is it not [so]?

16 Shimshon's wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and don't love me: you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and haven't told it me. He said to her, Behold, I haven't told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?

17 She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it happened on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him sore; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? He said to them, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, You wouldn't have found out my riddle.

19 The Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes [of clothing] to those who declared the riddle. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 But Shimshon's wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Judges 15

1 But it happened after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, that Shimshon visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father wouldn't allow him to go in.

2 Her father said, I most assuredly thought that you had utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion: isn't her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her, instead.

3 Shimshon said to them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Pelishtim, when I do them a mischief.

4 Shimshon 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.

5 When he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Pelishtim, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

6 Then the Pelishtim said, Who has done this? They said, Shimshon, the son-in-law of the Timni, because he has taken his wife, and given her to his companion. The Pelishtim came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

7 Shimshon said to them, If you do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

8 He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of `Etam.

9 Then the Pelishtim went up, and encamped in Yehudah, and spread themselves in Lechi.

10 The men of Yehudah said, Why are you come up against us? They said, To bind Shimshon are we come up, to do to him as he has done to us.

11 Then three thousand men of Yehudah went down to the cleft of the rock of `Etam, and said to Shimshon, "Don't you know that the Pelishtim are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" He said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.

12 They said to him, We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Pelishtim. Shimshon said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall on me yourselves.

13 They spoke to him, saying, No; but we will bind you fast, and deliver you into their hand: but surely we will not kill you. They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

14 When he came to Lechi, the Pelishtim shouted as they met him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands.

15 He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put forth his hand, and took it, and struck a thousand men therewith.

16 Shimshon said, With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps on heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men.

17 It happened, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramat-Lechi.

18 He was very thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, You have given this great deliverance by the hand of your servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.

19 But God split the hollow place that is in Lechi, and water came out of it. When he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore, which is in Lechi, to this day.

20 He judged Yisra'el in the days of the Pelishtim twenty years.

Judges 16

1 Shimshon went to `Aza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.

2 [It was told] the `Azati, saying, Shimshon is come here. 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] until morning light, then we will kill him.

3 Shimshon lay until 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 on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hevron.

4 It came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 The lords of the Pelishtim came up to her, and said to her, Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will each give you of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.

6 Delilah said to Shimshon, Tell me, Please, in which your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you.

7 Shimshon said to her, If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

8 Then the lords of the Pelishtim brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. She said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. He broke the cords, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 Delilah said to Shimshon, Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, Please, with which you might be bound.

11 He said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

12 So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. The liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. He broke them off his arms like a thread.

13 Delilah said to Shimshon, Hitherto you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me with which you might be bound. He said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

15 She said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in which your great strength lies.

16 It happened, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed to death.

17 He told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazir to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak, and be like any other man."

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Pelishtim, saying, Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Pelishtim came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.

19 She made him sleep on 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.

20 She said, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. He awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he didn't know that the LORD had departed from him.

21 The Pelishtim laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to `Aza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

22 However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.

23 The lords of the Pelishtim gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god has delivered Shimshon our enemy into our hand.

24 When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god has delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us.

25 It happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Shimshon, that he may make us sport. They called for Shimshon out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them. They set him between the pillars:

26 and Shimshon said to the boy who held him by the hand, Allow me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house rests, that I may lean on them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Pelishtim were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Shimshon made sport.

28 Shimshon called to the LORD, and said, Lord GOD, remember me, Please, and strengthen me, Please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Pelishtim for my two eyes.

29 Shimshon took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

30 Shimshon said, Let me die with the Pelishtim. He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were therein. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.

31 Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Tzor`ah and Eshta'ol in the burying-place of Manoach his father. He judged Yisra'el twenty years.

Judges 17

1 There was a man of the hill-country of Efrayim, whose name was Mikhah.

2 He said to his mother, The eleven hundred [pieces] of silver that were taken from you, about which you did utter a curse, and did also speak it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. His mother said, Blessed be my son of the LORD.

3 He restored the eleven hundred [pieces] of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I most assuredly dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you.

4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred [pieces] of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it an engraved image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Mikhah.

5 The man Mikhah had a house of gods, and he made an efod, and terafim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his Kohen.

6 In those days there was no king in Yisra'el: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7 There was a young man out of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, of the family of Yehudah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.

8 The man departed out of the city, out of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to the hill-country of Efrayim to the house of Mikhah, as he journeyed.

9 Mikhah said to him, Whence come you? He said to him, I am a Levite of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].

10 Mikhah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a Kohen, and I will give you ten [pieces] of silver by the year, and a suit of clothing, and your victuals. So the Levite went in.

11 The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

12 Mikhah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his Kohen, and was in the house of Mikhah.

13 Then said Mikhah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Kohen.

Judges 18

1 In those days there was no king in Yisra'el: and in those days the tribe of the Dani sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day [their] inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Yisra'el.

2 The children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Tzor`ah, and from Eshta'ol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, Go, search the land. They came to the hill-country of Efrayim, to the house of Mikhah, and lodged there.

3 When they were by the house of Mikhah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned aside there, and said to him, Who brought you here? and what do you in this place? and what have you here?

4 He said to them, Thus and thus has Mikhah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I am become his Kohen.

5 They said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

6 The Kohen said to them, Go in shalom: before the LORD is your way wherein you go.

7 Then the five men departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people who were therein, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Tzidonim, 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 Tzidonim, and had no dealings with any man.

8 They came to their brothers to Tzor`ah and Eshta'ol: and their brothers said to them, What [say] you?

9 They said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are you still? don't be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.

10 When you go, you shall come to a people secure, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the eretz.

11 There set forth from there of the family of the Dani, out of Tzor`ah and out of Eshta'ol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

12 They went up, and encamped in Kiryat-Ye`arim, in Yehudah: therefore they called that place Machane-Dan, to this day; behold, it is behind Kiryat-Ye`arim.

13 They passed there to the hill-country of Efrayim, and came to the house of Mikhah.

14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Layish answered, and said to their brothers, Do you know that there is in these houses an efod, and terafim, and an engraved image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what you have to do.

15 They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Mikhah, and asked him of his welfare.

16 The six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

17 The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, and the efod, and the terafim, and the molten image: and the Kohen stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.

18 When these went into Mikhah's house, and fetched the engraved image, the efod, and the terafim, and the molten image, the Kohen said to them, What do you?

19 They said to him, Hold your shalom, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a Kohen: is it better for you to be Kohen to the house of one man, or to be Kohen to a tribe and a family in Yisra'el?

20 The Kohen's heart was glad, and he took the efod, and the terafim, and the engraved image, and went in the midst of the people.

21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.

22 When they were a good way from the house of Mikhah, the men who were in the houses near to Mikhah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 They cried to the children of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Mikhah, What ails you, that you come with such a company?

24 He said, you have taken away my gods which I made, and the Kohen, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say you to me, What ails you?

25 The children of Dan said to him, "Don't let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household."

26 The children of Dan went their way: and when Mikhah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 They took that which Mikhah had made, and the Kohen whom he had, and came to Layish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.

28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Tzidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lies by Beit-Rechov. They built the city, and lived therein.

29 They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Yisra'el: however the name of the city was Layish at the first.

30 The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image: and Yonatan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moshe, he and his sons were Kohanim to the tribe of the Dani until the day of the captivity of the land.

31 So they set them up Mikhah's engraved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.