Judges
Chapter 1
1 And it happened, after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who will go up for us against the Canaanite in the beginning, to fight against him?” 2 And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. Behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 Then Judah said to Simeon, his brother, “Go up with me into my allotment, and let us fight against the Canaanite. And I will also go with you myself into your allotment.” So Simeon went with him. 4 And Judah went up, and Yahweh gave the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand. And at Bezek they struck 10,000 men. 5 And they found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek, and they fought against him. And they struck the Canaanite and the Perizzite. 6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, but they pursued after him, and they seized him, and they cut off the thumbs of his hands and his feet. 7 And Adoni-Bezek said, “70 kings {with} the thumbs of their hands and their feet cut off were gathering beneath my table. According to what I have done, so God has repaid to me.” Then they brought him {to} Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 And the sons of Judah fought with Jerusalem and captured it. And they struck it to the mouth of the sword, and they sent the city into fire. 9 And afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight with the Canaanite living {in} the hill country and the Negev and the Shephelah. 10 Then Judah went down to the Canaanite living in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron previously {was} Kiriath Arba.) And they struck Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.
11 And he went from there against the dwellers of Debir. (Now the name of Debir previously {was} Kiriath Sepher.) 12 And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I will then give to him Aksah, my daughter, for a wife.” 13 And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, the {one} younger than him, captured it. So he gave to him Aksah his daughter for a wife. 14 Now it happened, in the coming of her, that she persuaded him to request the field from her father. And she descended from upon the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What for you?” 15 And she said to him, “Give to me a blessing. Since you have given me land of the Negev, you shall also give to me springs of waters.” So Caleb gave to her the upper springs and the lower springs.
16 Now the sons of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up from the City of Palms with the sons of Judah {to} the wilderness of Judah that {is} in the Negev of Arad. And he went and he dwelled with the people. 17 Then Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanite dwelling {in} Zephath. And they devoted it, and they called the name of the city Hormah. 18 And Judah captured Gaza and the territory of it and Ashkelon and the territory of it and Ekron and the territory of it. 19 Now it happened {that} Yahweh {was} with Judah and he possessed the hill country. But he did not dispossess the dwellers of the valley, for chariotry of iron {was} to them. 20 But they gave Hebron to Caleb, according to what Moses had spoken, and he dispossessed from there the three sons of the Anak. 21 But the Jebusite, the dweller of Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin did not dispossess. So the Jebusite has dwelled with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.
22 And the house of Joseph, they too went up {to} Bethel, and Yahweh {was} with them. 23 And the house of Joseph spied upon Bethel. (Now the name of the city previously {was} Luz.) 24 And the observers saw a man going out from the city, and they said to him, “Show us, please, the entrance of the city, and we will do kindness with you.” 25 So he showed them the entrance of the city, and they struck the city to the mouth of the sword, but the man and all of his family they sent {away}. 26 Then the man went {to} the land of the Hittites and he built a city, and he called the name of it Luz. That {is} the name of it until this day.
27 But Manasseh did not dispossess Beth Shan and its daughters or Taanach and its daughters or the dwellers of Dor and its daughters or the dwellers of Ibleam and its daughters or the dwellers of Megiddo and its daughters, for the Canaanite had resolved to dwell in that land. 28 Now it happened that Israel became strong and he put the Canaanite to forced labor, but he did not dispossess him.
29 And Ephraim did not dispossess the Canaanite, the dweller of Gezer, so the Canaanite dwelled in the midst of him in Gezer.
30 Zebulun did not dispossess the dwellers of Kitron or the dwellers of Nahalol, so the Canaanite dwelled in his midst. But they became forced labor.
31 Asher did not dispossess the dwellers of Akko or the dwellers of Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. 32 So the Asherite dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the dweller of the land, because he did not dispossess him.
33 Naphtali did not dispossess the dwellers of Beth Shemesh or the dwellers of Beth Anath. So he dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the dwellers of the land. But the dwellers of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced labor for them.
34 And the Amorite, they pressed the sons of Dan {into} the hill country, for he did not allow him to go down into the valley. 35 And the Amorite resolved to dwell at Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph became heavy and they became forced labor. 36 Now the border of the Amorite {was} from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.
Chapter 2
1 And the angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I am bringing you up from Egypt, and I have brought you to the land that I swore to your fathers. And I have said, ‘I will forever not break my covenant with you. 2 And you, you shall not cut a covenant with the dwellers of this land. Their altars you shall demolish.’ But you have not heard my voice. What {is} this you have done? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not expel them from the face of you, but they will be to you in the sides, and their gods will be to you for a snare.’” 4 Now it happened, as the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. 5 So they called the name of that place Bokim, and they sacrificed to Yahweh there.
6 And Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went, a man to his inheritance, to possess the land. 7 And the people served Yahweh all of the days of Joshua and all of the days of the elders who had lengthened their days after Joshua, who had seen all of the great deed of Yahweh that he had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, a son of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, to the north of Mount Gaash. 10 And all of that generation was also gathered to its fathers, and another generation arose after them who did not know Yahweh and also the deed that he had done for Israel.
11 Then the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and they served the Baals. 12 And they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the one having brought them out from the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods, from the gods of the peoples who {were} around them, and they bowed down to them. So they angered Yahweh. 13 And they forsook Yahweh and they served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of plunderers, and they plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their enemies from around, and they were not able anymore to stand to the face of their enemies. 15 In all that they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for calamity, just as Yahweh had spoken and just as Yahweh had sworn to them. And it narrowed to them greatly.
16 Then Yahweh raised up judges, and they saved them from the hand of their plunderers. 17 But even to their judges they did not listen. For they whored after other gods and they bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way that their fathers had walked, to hear the commandments of Yahweh. They did not do thus. 18 For when Yahweh raised up for them judges, then Yahweh was with the judge and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all of the days of the judge. For Yahweh had compassion because of their groaning from the face of their afflicters and their oppressors. 19 But it happened, at the death of the judge, they turned and acted corruptly more than their fathers, to walk after other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not drop {any} of their deeds or {any} of their stubborn ways. 20 So the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel and he said, “In that this nation has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and they have not listened to my voice, 21 I also will not continue to dispossess from the face of them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 for the testing of Israel by them, whether they will be keeping the way of Yahweh, to walk in them just as their fathers kept {them}, or not.” 23 So Yahweh left those nations, so as not to dispossess them quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
Chapter 3
1 Now those nations that Yahweh left for the testing of Israel by them, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan, 2 only for the knowing of the generations of the sons of Israel, to teach them warfare, only who previously had not known them, 3 {were} the five rulers of the Philistines, and all of the Canaanite and the Sidonian and the Hivite, the dweller of the mountain of Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon unto Lebo Hamath. 4 And they were for the testing of Israel by them, to know whether they would hear the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the sons of Israel dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 6 And they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.
7 So the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. And they forgot Yahweh their God and they served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim. And the sons of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9 Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a savior for the sons of Israel, and he saved them: Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, the {one} younger than him. 10 And the Spirit of Yahweh was upon him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to war, and Yahweh gave Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, into his hand. So his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim. 11 And the land rested 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.
12 Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. So Yahweh strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, upon that they did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 13 And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the City of Palms. 14 So the sons of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, 18 years.
15 Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a savior for them, Ehud, the son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man impeded in his right hand. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by his hand to Eglon, the king of Moab. 16 And Ehud made a sword for himself, and two mouths {were} to it; a cubit {was} its length. And he bound it onto his right thigh beneath his clothing. 17 Then he brought the tribute to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now Eglon {was} a very fat man. 18 Now it happened, when he had finished bringing the tribute, that he sent away the people, the bearers of the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the carved images that {were} at Gilgal, and he said, “A word of secrecy {is} to me for you, O king.” And he said, “Hush!” So all of the ones standing around him went out from around him. 20 Then Ehud came to him. Now he was sitting in the upper room of coolness that {was} to him, alone. And Ehud said, “A word from God {is} to me for you.” And he arose from upon the throne. 21 Then Ehud stretched out his left hand and took the sword from upon his right thigh, and he thrust it into his belly. 22 And the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the handle, for he did not pull the sword from his belly, and excrement came out. 23 Then Ehud went out {to} the porch, and he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and bolted {them}.
24 And he went out, and his servants came, and they looked, and behold, the doors of the upper room {were} bolted. So they said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the chamber of coolness.” 25 So they waited until they felt ashamed, but behold, he was not opening the doors of the upper room. So they took the opener and they opened {them}, and behold, their lord {was} fallen on the ground, dead.
26 But Ehud escaped during their delaying, and he passed the carved images, and he fled to Seirah. 27 Now it happened at his coming that he blew on the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he {was} to the face of them. 28 Now he had said to them, “Follow after me, for Yahweh has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” So they went down after him and they captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And they struck Moab at that time, about 10,000 men. Each {was} robust and each {was} a man of strength, but not one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel, and the land rested 80 years.
31 After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, and he struck Philistines, 600 men, with a goad of the ox. So he also saved Israel.
Chapter 4
1 And the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh after Ehud died. 2 And Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Now the commander of his army {was} Sisera, and he {was} dwelling in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, for 900 chariots of iron {were} to him, and he oppressed the sons of Israel with might 20 years.
4 Now Deborah, a woman, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she {was} judging Israel at that time. 5 And she {was} sitting beneath the Palm Tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for justice. 6 And she sent and called for Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh Naphtali, and she said to him, “Has not Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and draw out at Mount Tabor, and you shall take with you 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw out to you, to the river of Kishon, Sisera, the commander of the army of Jabin, and his chariotry and his multitude, and I will give him into your hand.’” 8 And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “Going, I will go with you, only that it will not be your honor upon the way that you are going, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Then Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from Kain, from the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses. And he had pitched his tent near an oak tree in Zaanannim, which {is} near Kedesh.
12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up {to} Mount Tabor. 13 So Sisera summoned all of his chariotry, 900 chariots of iron, and all of the people who {were} with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the river of Kishon. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this {is} the day when Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has not Yahweh gone out to the face of you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and 10,000 men {were} after him. 15 And Yahweh panicked Sisera and all of the chariotry and all of the army, to the mouth of the sword to the face of Barak. So Sisera descended from upon the chariot and fled on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariotry and after the army unto Harosheth Haggoyim, and all of the army of Sisera fell by the mouth of the sword. Not even one remained.
17 But Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for {there was} peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and she said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Do not fear.” So he turned aside to her, into the tent, and she covered him with a blanket. 19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and let him drink, and she covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand {at} the entrance of the tent, and it shall be, if anyone comes and asks you and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ then you shall say ‘No one.’” 21 Then Jael, the wife of Heber, took a peg of the tent, and she put the hammer in her hand, and she came to him in secret, and she drove the peg into his temple and pounded {it} into the ground, for he was sleeping deeply and was weary, and he died. 22 And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael came out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he came to her, and behold, Sisera had fallen dead, and the peg {was} in his temple.
23 So on that day God subdued Jabin, the king of Canaan, to the face of the sons of Israel. 24 For going, the hand of the sons of Israel went and {became} severe against Jabin, the king of Canaan, until that they destroyed Jabin, the king of Canaan.
Chapter 5
1 So Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang on that day, saying:
2 “For the loosening of long hair in Israel,
for the volunteering of the people, bless Yahweh!
3 Listen, kings! Give ear, rulers! I, unto Yahweh, {even} I, may I sing.
I will make music to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
4 Yahweh, at your going forth from Seir,
at your marching from the field of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens also dripped,
the dark clouds also dripped water.
5 The mountains flowed from the face of Yahweh,
this {is} Sinai from the face of Yahweh,
the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath,
in the days of Jael,
roads ceased,
and walkers of paths walked crooked roads.
7 The peasantry ceased in Israel,
they ceased,
until when I, Deborah, arose,
when I arose, a mother in Israel!
8 He chose new gods,
then fighting {was} {at} the gates;
was a shield seen, or a spear,
among 40,000 in Israel?
9 My heart is to the commanders of Israel,
the ones volunteering themselves among the people.
Bless Yahweh!
10 Riders of white donkeys, sitters on carpet,
walkers on the road, consider!
11 From the voice of the singers at the watering places,
there they celebrate the righteous acts of Yahweh,
the righteous acts of his peasantry in Israel.
Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, speak a song!
Arise, Barak,
and take captive your captivity, son of Abinoam.
13 Then the remnant came down to the nobles,
the people of Yahweh came down to me against the warriors.
14 From Ephraim, their root {is} in Amalek;
after you, Benjamin, with your peoples;
from Machir, commanders came down;
and from Zebulun, the ones holding the scepter of a scribe.
15 And my princes in Issachar {were} with Deborah,
and {as} Issachar, so Barak;
into a valley he was sent at his feet.
Among the divisions of Reuben,
great {were} the searchings of the heart.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds?
To hear the piping for the flocks?
As for the divisions of Reuben,
great {were} the searchings of the heart.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
and Dan, why does he sojourn {on} ships?
Asher abode at the coast of the seas,
and he stays among his harbors.
18 Zebulun {was} a people reproaching its soul unto death,
also Naphtali on the heights of the field.
19 Kings came, they fought;
then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach,
by the waters of Megiddo.
Plunder of silver they did not take.
20 From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away,
the river of antiquity, the river of Kishon.
March on, my soul, {in} strength!
22 Then the hooves of a horse beat,
from the galloping, the galloping of his mighty {ones}.
23 ‘Curse Meroz!’ said the angel of Yahweh.
‘Cursing, you shall curse the dwellers of it,
because they did not come to the aid of Yahweh,
to the aid of Yahweh against the warriors.’
24 Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is blessed from women,
from women in the tent she is blessed.
25 Water he requested, milk she gave;
in a bowl of nobles she brought curdled milk.
26 They reached out, her hand to the peg
and her right hand to a hammer of workmen.
And she struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
and she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet, he bowed, he fell, he lay down.
Between her feet he bowed, he fell.
At where he bowed, there he fell, destroyed.
28 Through the window she looked and wailed,
the mother of Sisera, through the lattice,
‘Why has his chariot delayed to come?
Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?’
29 The wise of her princesses answered,
she also returned her answer to herself:
30 ‘Are they not finding, {are} they {not} dividing spoil,
a maiden, two maidens to the head of a warrior,
spoil of dyed fabrics for Sisera,
spoil of dyed fabrics {and} embroidery,
dyed fabric {and} two embroideries for the necks of the spoil?’
31 So may all of your enemies perish, Yahweh!
But {may} the lovers of him {be} like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
Then the land rested 40 years.
Chapter 6
1 And the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so Yahweh gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 So the hand of Midian prevailed over Israel. From the face of Midian, the sons of Israel made for themselves dens, which {were} in the mountains, and caves and strongholds. 3 Now it happened, when Israel sowed, that Midian came up and Amalek and the sons of the east, that they came up against him. 4 And they encamped among them, and they ruined the produce of the land unto your coming {to} Gaza. And they did not leave sustenance in Israel or sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they and their livestock would come up, and their tents, and they would come like the abundance of the locust in multitude. And of them and of their camels there was no counting. And they came into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was impoverished greatly from the face of Midian, so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
7 Now it happened, when the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh on account of Midian, 8 that Yahweh sent a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you out from the house of slaves. 9 I rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all of your oppressors. And I drove them out from your face, and I gave to you their land. 10 And I said to you, “I {am} Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorite, when you {are} dwelling in their land.” But you have not heard my voice.’”
11 Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat beneath the oak that {was} in Ophrah, which {was} to Joash the Abiezrite. And Gideon, his son, {was} threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the face of Midian. 12 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh {is} with you, warrior of valor!” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, my lord, but {if} Yahweh is with us, then why has all of this happened to us? And where {are} all of his wonders that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us and given us into the palm of Midian.” 14 But Yahweh turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours, and you shall save Israel from the palm of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 And he said to him, “Excuse me, my lord, by what shall I save Israel? Behold, my thousand {is} the weak {one} in Manasseh, and I {am} the young {one} in the house of my father.” 16 Then Yahweh said to him, “Because I will be with you, and you will strike Midian as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then do for me a sign that you {are} speaking with me. 18 Please do not depart from this {place} until my coming to you, and I will bring out my offering and set it to your face.” And he said, “I will stay until your returning.”
19 Then Gideon went and he prepared a kid of goats and, {from} an ephah of flour, unleavened bread. The meat, he put in a basket, and the broth, he put in a pot. And he brought {them} out to him at under the oak tree, and he presented {them}. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and place {them} on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of Yahweh stretched out the end of the staff that {was} in his hand. And he touched upon the meat and upon the unleavened bread, and fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went from his eyes. 22 And Gideon saw that he {was} the angel of Yahweh, and Gideon said, “Alas, my Lord Yahweh, for upon that I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!” 23 But Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not fear. You will not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and he called it Yahweh {is} Peace. To this day it {is} still at Ophrah of the Abiezrite.
25 And it happened on that night that Yahweh said to him, “Take the bullock of an ox that {is} to your father and the second bullock, seven years {old}, and you shall break down the altar of Baal that {is} to your father, and you shall cut down the Asherah that {is} beside it. 26 And you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God on the head of this stronghold, in the arrangement. Then you shall take the second bull and you shall offer an offering on the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men from his servants and he did according to what Yahweh had spoken to him. Now it happened, because he feared the house of his father and the men of the city from doing by day, that he did {by} night.
28 And the men of the city arose early in the morning, and behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah that {was} beside it was cut down, and the second bullock had been offered on the built altar. 29 And they said, a man to his fellow, “Who has done this thing?” And they searched and sought, and they said, “Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he tore down the altar of Baal and because he cut down the Asherah that {was} beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him, may he die, still morning. If he {is} a god, let him contend for himself, since one has torn down his altar.” 32 And one called him on that day Jerubbaal, saying, “May Baal contend against him, since he tore down his altar.”
33 Now all of Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east assembled themselves together, and they crossed over and they encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of Yahweh wore Gideon, and he blew on the shofar, and he summoned Abiezer after him. 35 And he sent messengers through all of Manasseh, and he summoned him also after him. And he sent messengers through Asher and through Zebulun and through Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are saving Israel by my hand just as you have spoken, 37 behold, I {am} putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew shall be upon the fleece alone, but on all of the ground {is} dryness, then I will know that by my hand you will save Israel just as you have spoken.” 38 And it happened that he arose early on the next day and squeezed the fleece and wrung dew from the fleece, the fulness of a bowl {of} water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “May your nose not burn against me, but may I speak only this time. May I please test only this time with the fleece? Please may dryness be on the fleece alone, and on all of the ground may dew be.” 40 And God did thus during that night. For dryness was on the fleece alone, and on all of the ground was dew.
Chapter 7
1 Then Jerubbaal, that {is}, Gideon, arose early, and all of the people who {were} with him, and they encamped beside the spring of Harod. Now the camp of Midian was northward from him, toward the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who {are} with you {are} {too} many for my giving Midian into their hand, lest Israel glorify itself over me, saying, ‘My hand has saved me.’ 3 So now please proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever {is} afraid and trembling, may he turn back and depart from Mount Gilead.’” And from the people 22,000 turned back, but 10,000 were left.
4 Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “Still the people {are} {too} many. Bring them down to the water, and I will refine it for you there. And it will be, {of} whom I say to you, ‘This {one} shall go with you,’ he shall go with you, but all {of} whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Anyone who laps with his tongue from the water just as a dog laps, you shall set him apart, and anyone who kneels upon his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of the ones lapping with their hand to their mouth was 300 men, and all of the rest of the people knelt upon their knees to drink the water. 7 Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “With the 300 men, the ones lapping, I will save you, and I will give Midian into your hand. But all the people may go, a man to his place.” 8 So the people took provision into their hand and their shofars, but every man of Israel he sent away, a man to his tents, but he held onto the 300 men. Now the camp of Midian was to him from below, in the valley.
9 And it happened during that night that Yahweh said to him, “Arise! Go down into the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you fear to go down, go down, you and Purah your servant, to the camp, 11 and you shall hear what they are speaking, and afterward, your hands will be strong and you shall go down against the camp.” So he went down, he and Purah his servant, to the edge of the armed {ones} who {were} in the camp. 12 Now Midian and Amalek and all of the sons of the east were lying in the valley like the locust in multitude. And to their camels there was not a number, like the sand that {is} along the edge of the sea in multitude. 13 And Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a loaf of bread of barley was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came unto the tent and struck it and it fell, for it overturned it upwards, and the tent fell.” 14 And his comrade answered and said, “This {is} nothing except if {it is} the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the man of Israel. God has given into his hand Midian and all of the camp.”
15 And it happened, when Gideon heard the recounting of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed down. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hand!” 16 Then he divided the 300 men {into} three companies, and he put shofars in the hand of all of them, and empty jars, and torches inside of the jars. 17 And he said to them, “You shall look at me, and thus you shall do. And behold, {as} I am arriving at the edge of the camp, then it shall be, just as I do, thus shall you do. 18 And I will blow on the shofar, I and all who {are} with me, and you shall blow on the shofars, also you, around all of the camp. And you shall say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’”
19 So Gideon and the 100 men who {were} with him came to the edge of the camp, {at} the start of the middle watch. Stationing, they had just stationed the guards, and they blew on the shofars and shattered the jars that {were} in their hand. 20 Then the three companies blew on the shofars and broke the jars. And they held the torches in their left hand and the shofars in their right hand to blow. And they called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon.” 21 And they stood, a man in his place, around the camp, and all of the camp ran and cried out and fled. 22 And they blew the 300 shofars, and Yahweh set the sword of a man against his comrade and against all of the camp. And the camp fled unto Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, unto the edge of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. 23 Then a man of Israel from Naphtali and from Asher and from all of Manasseh was summoned, and they pursued after Midian.
24 And Gideon sent messengers through all of the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian and capture before them the waters unto Beth Barah and the Jordan.” So every man of Ephraim was summoned, and they captured the waters unto Beth Barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they chased after Midian, and they brought the head of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, from across the Jordan.
Chapter 8
1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What {is} this thing you have done to us, not calling to us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him in strength. 2 But he said to them, “What have I now done like you? {Are} not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb! So what was I able to do like you?” Then their spirit abated toward him, upon him speaking this word.
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan. Crossing over, he and the 300 men who {were} with him {were} weary, but pursuing. 5 And he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who {are} at my feet, for they {are} weary, and I {am} pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 But the princes of Succoth said, “{Is} the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that {we are} giving bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Therefore, in the giving of Yahweh {of} Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and briers.” 8 Then he went up from there {to} Penuel, and he spoke to them like this, but the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my returning in peace, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna {were} in Karkor and their camps {were} with them, about 15, 000, all of the {ones} remaining from all of the camp of the sons of the east, and the {ones} having fallen {were} 120, 000 men drawing the sword. 11 Then Gideon went up the road of the {ones} lodged in tents, from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp, and the camp was {in} security. 12 Then Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued after them, and he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. And he made all of the camp tremble.
13 Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth from the men of Succoth and he questioned him. And he wrote for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, 77 men. 15 Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, {about} whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we {are} giving bread to your weary men?’” 16 And took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he taught the men of Succoth with them. 17 Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and to Zalmunna, “Where {are} the men whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “As you {are}, so they {were}. Each {was} like the form of the sons of the king.” 19 And he said, “They {were} my brothers, the sons of my mother! The life of Yahweh, if you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” 20 Then he said to Jether his firstborn, “Arise, kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared, for he {was} still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Arise yourself and strike us! For like a man {is} his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the ornaments that {were} on the necks of their camels.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son and the son of your son, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you myself, and my son will not rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” 24 But Gideon said to them, “Let me request a request from you, that a man give to me an earring of his spoil.” For earrings of gold {were} to them, for they {were} Ishmaelites. 25 And they said, “Giving, we will give.” And they spread out a cloak, and a man threw an earring of his spoil there. 26 Now the weight of the earrings of gold that he requested {was} 1,700 gold, apart from the ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes that {were} on the kings of Midian and apart from the chains that were on the necks of their camels. 27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, in Ophrah, and all of Israel whored after it there. And it was for a snare to Gideon and to his house. 28 So Midian was subdued to the face of the sons of Israel, and they did not continue to lift their head. And the land rested forty years in the days of Gideon. 29 And Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his house.
30 Now to Gideon were 70 sons coming from his thigh, for many wives were to him. 31 And his concubine, who {was} in Shechem, bore to him, she too, a son, and he made his name Abimelek. 32 And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father at Ophrah of the Abiezerite.
33 Now it happened, when Gideon died, that the sons of Israel turned and whored after the Baals. And they made for themselves Baal-Berith as a god. 34 And the sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh, their God, the one having delivered them from the hand of all of their enemies from around. 35 And they did not do covenant faithfulness with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according to all of the good that he did with Israel.
Chapter 9
1 Now Abimelek, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to the brothers of his mother, and he spoke to them and to all of the clan of the house of the father of his mother, saying, 2 “Please speak in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, 70 men ruling over you, all of the sons of Jerubbaal, or one man ruling over you?’ Now remember that I {am} your bone and your flesh.” 3 And the brothers of his mother spoke all of these things for him in the ears of all of the lords of Shechem, and their heart turned after Abimelek, for they said, “He {is} our brother.” 4 Then they gave 70 silver to him from the house of Baal-Berith, and with them Abimelek hired worthless and reckless men, and they went after him. 5 Then he went {to} the house of his father in Ophrah and he killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, 70 men upon one stone. But Jotham was left, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, for he had hidden himself. 6 Then all of the lords of Shechem and all of Beth Millo gathered themselves, and they went and made Abimelek reign as king beside the oak of the pillar that {was} in Shechem.
7 And they declared to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and he lifted his voice and cried out and said to them, “Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you! 8 Going, the trees went to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my fatness, which, by it, they honor gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 10 So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my sweetness and my good fruit, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 12 So the trees said to the vine, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 13 But the vine said to them, ‘Should I discontinue my new wine, cheering gods and men, that I should go to wave over the trees?’ 14 So all of the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come, you reign over us.’ 15 And the thornbush said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come, shelter in my shade. But if not, may fire go forth from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ 16 So now, if you have acted in truth and in integrity and made Abimelek reign, and if you have done good with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if according to the deserving of his hands you have done to him, 17 that my father fought for you and threw his life in front and delivered you from the hand of Midian— 18 but today you have arisen against the house of my father and have killed his sons, 70 men upon one stone, and you have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, reign over the lords of Shechem because he is your brother— 19 now if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice in Abimelek, and may he also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, may fire go forth from Abimelek, and may it consume the lords of Shechem and Beth Millo, and may fire go forth from the lords of Shechem and from Beth Millo, and may it consume Abimelek.” 21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and he went to Beer. And he dwelled there from the face of Abimelek his brother.
22 And Abimelek ruled over Israel three years. 23 Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelek and between the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelek, 24 the violence of the 70 sons of Jerubbaal to come, and their blood to put, upon Abimelek their brother who killed them and upon the lords of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 And the lords of Shechem put ambushers against him on the tops of the hills, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road, and it was told to Abimelek.
26 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers and they went over into Shechem. And the lords of Shechem trusted in him. 27 And they went out {into} the field and cut off their vineyards and trod, and they made offerings and went {into} the house of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelek. 28 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, “Who {is} Abimelek, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? {Is he} not the son of Jerubbaal, and {is not} Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. But why should we ourselves serve him? 29 Now who will give this people into my hand? Then I would remove Abimelek.” And he said to Abimelek, “Increase your army and come out.”
30 And Zebul, the prince of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his nose burned. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelek in deceit, saying, “Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers {are} come to Shechem, and behold, {they are} inciting the city against you. 32 So now arise {at} night, you and the people who {are} with you, and hide in the field. 33 And it shall happen in the morning, as the sun rises, you shall start early and you shall rush against the city. And behold, he and the people who {are} with him {will be} coming out against you, and you shall do to him according to what your hand finds.”
34 So Abimelek and all of the people who {were} with him arose {at} night, and they ambushed against Shechem, {in} four companies. 35 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelek and the people who {were} with him arose from the ambush. 36 And Gaal saw the people and he said to Zebul, “Behold, a people {is} coming down from the tops of the hills!” But Zebul said to him, “The shadow of the hills, you {are} seeing as men.” 37 And Gaal resumed to speak more and he said, “Behold, people {are} coming down from the navel of the land, and one company {is} coming along the way of the Oak of the Diviners.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where now {is} your mouth, {by} which you said, ‘Who {is} Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ {Is} this not the people that you despised? Indeed, go out now and fight with it.” 39 So Gaal went out to the face of the lords of Shechem, and he fought with Abimelek. 40 And Abimelek pursued him, and he fled from his face. And many wounded fell, unto the entrance of the gate.
41 Then Abimelek dwelt in Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem. 42 And it happened on the next day that the people went out {to} the field, and they reported {this} to Abimelek. 43 So he took the people and divided them into three companies and hid in the field. Then he saw and behold, the people {were} gone out from the city, and he arose against them and killed them. 44 For Abimelek and the companies that {were} with him rushed out. And they stood {at} the entrance of the gate of the city, while two of the companies rushed against all who {were} in the field and killed them. 45 And Abimelek fought with the city all of that day. And he captured the city, and he killed the people who {were} in it. Then he tore down the city and sowed it {with} salt.
46 And all of the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, and they entered into the citadel of the house of El-Berith. 47 And it was reported to Abimelek that all of the lords of the tower of Shechem had assembled themselves. 48 So Abimelek went up Mount Zalmon, he and all of the people who {were} with him, and Abimelek took axes in his hand. And he cut a branch of the trees and lifted it and set {it} on his shoulder and said to the people who {were} with him, “What you have seen I have done, hurry, do like me.” 49 So all the people also cut, a man a branch, and they went after Abimelek. And they set {them} against the citadel, and they burned the citadel upon them with fire. So all of the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.
50 Then Abimelek went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez, and he captured it. 51 But a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and all of the men and women and all of the lords of the city fled there. And they closed {it} behind them and went up onto the roof of the tower. 52 Then Abimelek came to the tower and fought with it. And he came near to the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But one woman threw an upper millstone onto the head of Abimelek, and it crushed his skull. 54 Then he cried hastily to the young man bearing his armor and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man stabbed him, and he died. 55 And the men of Israel saw that Abimelek had died, and they went away, a man to his place. 56 So God turned back the evil of Abimelek, which he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers. 57 And all of the evil of the men of Shechem, God turned back upon their head, and the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came upon them.
Chapter 10
1 Now after Abimelek, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. And he {was} dwelling in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel 23 years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
3 And after him Jair the Gileadite arose. And he judged Israel 22 years. 4 And it was to him 30 sons, riding on 30 donkeys. And 30 cities {were} to them, they call them Havvoth Jair to this day, which {are} in the land of Gilead. 5 Then Jair died, and he was buried in Kamon.
6 Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. And they served the Baals and the Ashtoreths and the gods of Aram and the gods of Sidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the sons of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook Yahweh and did not serve him. 7 Then the nose of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the sons of Ammon. 8 And they shattered and crushed the sons of Israel in that year. {For} 18 years, all the sons of Israel who {were} on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which {is} in Gilead. 9 Then the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also with Judah and with Benjamin and with the house of Ephraim, and it narrowed to Israel greatly.
10 Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, for we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11 Then Yahweh said to the sons of Israel, “{Was it} not from the Egyptians and from the Amorite and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines 12 and the Sidonians and Amalek and Maon, {when} they oppressed you, that you cried out to me and I saved you from their hand? 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will not continue to save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods upon whom you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 But the sons of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned. You do to us according to all of the good in your eyes. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 And they removed the foreign gods from the midst of them, and they served Yahweh. And his soul wore out with the trouble of Israel.
17 Now the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they encamped in Gilead. So the sons of Israel gathered themselves, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 Then the people, the princes of Gilead, said, a man to his fellow, “Who {is} the man who will begin to fight with the sons of Ammon? He will be the head for all of the dwellers of Gilead.”
Chapter 11
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a warrior of valor, but he {was} the son of a whoring woman. Now Gilead had begotten Jephthah. 2 And the wife of Gilead bore sons to him, and the sons of the wife grew up, and they drove out Jephthah and said to him, “You will not inherit in the house of our father, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephthah fled from the face of his brothers, and he dwelled in the land of Tob. And worthless men collected themselves to Jephthah, and they went out with him.
4 Now it happened after some days that the sons of Ammon fought with Israel. 5 And it happened, when the sons of Ammon fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come, and you shall be a commander for us so we may fight with the sons of Ammon.” 7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Do you not hate me, since you drove me from the house of my father? So why have you come to me now, when trouble {is} to you?” 8 Then the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have now returned to you. So you shall come with us and fight with the sons of Ammon, and you shall be for us the head of all of the dwellers of Gilead.” 9 Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you have brought me back to fight with the sons of Ammon and Yahweh gives them over to my face, I will be the head for you.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “May Yahweh be hearing {the things} between us if not, according to your word, thus we do!” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them as head and as commander. And Jephthah spoke all of his words to the face of Yahweh at Mizpah.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What to me and to you, that you have come against me to fight in my land?” 13 And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took my land in his coming up from Egypt, from the Arnon and to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. So now return them in peace.” 14 Then Jephthah resumed and sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the sons of Ammon. 16 But in their coming up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds, and he came to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please may I pass through your land.” But the king of Edom did not listen. And he also sent to the king of Moab, but he did not consent. So Israel dwelled in Kadesh. 18 Then he went through the wilderness and circled the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and he went from the rising of the sun to the land of Moab. And they encamped on the other side of the Arnon, but they did not enter within the border of Moab, for the Arnon {was} the border of Moab. 19 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorite, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, “Please, may we pass through your land unto my place?” 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel passing through his border. So Sihon assembled all of his people, and they encamped at Jahaz, and he fought with Israel. 21 Then Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all of his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all of the land of the Amorite inhabiting that land. 22 And they possessed all of the border of the Amorite, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 And now, Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorite from the face of his people Israel. So will you possess it? 24 What Chemosh your god causes you to possess, will you not possess it? And all of what Yahweh our God has dispossessed from our face, we will possess it. 25 And now, being better, are you being better than Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Contending, did he contend with Israel, or fighting, did he fight with them? 26 In the dwelling of Israel in Heshbon and in its daughters and in Aroer and in its daughters and in all of the cities that {are} upon the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why then did you not deliver during that time? 27 So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by fighting with me. Yahweh, the judge, will judge today between the sons of Israel and between the sons of Ammon.’” 28 But the king of the sons of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.
29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through {to} the sons of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh and said, “If giving, you will give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31 then it shall be, the one coming out, whoever comes out of the doors of my house to greet me in my returning in peace from the sons of Ammon, that he will be to Yahweh, and I will offer him {as} a burnt offering.” 32 Then Jephthah passed through to the sons of Ammon to fight with them, and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer and to your coming {to} Minnith, twenty cities, and to Abel Keramim, a very great slaughter. So the sons of Ammon were subdued from the face of the sons of Israel.
34 Then Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold, his daughter was coming out to greet him with timbrels and with dances. And except her alone, {there was} not to him a son or daughter apart from her. 35 And it happened, as he saw her, that he tore his garments and said, “Alas, my daughter! Causing to bow, you have caused me to bow, and you are among the ones troubling me! For I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I am not able to turn back.” 36 But she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh. Do to me according to what came forth from your mouth, after what Yahweh has done for you: vengeances against your enemies, against the sons of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “May this thing be done for me. Refrain from me two months so I may go, and I will go down upon the hills and weep upon my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 And he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away {for} two months. And she went, she and her companions, and she wept upon her virginity on the hills. 39 And it happened at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did to her his vow that he had vowed. And she had not known a man. And it became a custom in Israel. 40 From days to days the daughters of Israel go to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in the year.
Chapter 12
1 And a man of Ephraim was summoned, and he crossed over northward. And they said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight with the sons of Ammon but did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I was a man of strife, I and my people and the sons of Ammon, exceedingly. And I summoned you, but you did not save me from their hand. 3 And I saw that you {were} not a savior, and I put my life in my palm and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. So why have you come up to me this day to fight with me?” 4 And Jephthah assembled all of the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said, “You, Gilead, {are} fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, in the midst of Manasseh.” 5 And Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan to Ephraim. And it happened, when the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” then the men of Gilead said to him, “{Are} you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 then they said to him, “Please say ‘Shibboleth.’“ And he said “Sibboleth,” for he was not able to pronounce {it} correctly. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. And at that time 42,000 from Ephraim fell.
7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.
8 And after him Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 And 30 sons were to him. And 30 daughters he sent outside, and 30 daughters he brought in for his sons from outside. And he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11 And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. And he judged Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 And after him Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judged Israel. 14 And 40 sons and 30 sons of sons were to him, riding on 70 donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekite.
Chapter 13
1 Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Philistines 40 years.
2 Now there was one man from Zorah, from the clan of the Danite, and his name {was} Manoah. And his wife {was} barren and had not given birth. 3 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, please, you {are} barren and have not given birth, but you will conceive and bear a son. 4 And now, please be careful and do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}.
5 For behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And a razor will not go up on his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb. And he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 And the woman came and said to her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance {was} like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him from where he {was}, and he did not declare his name to me. 7 And he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And now, do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
8 And Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, “Please, my Lord, the man of God whom you sent, please let him come again to us and teach us what we should do for the boy, the one to be born.” 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. And she {was} abiding in the field, but Manoah her husband {was} not with her. 10 And the woman hurried and ran and declared to her husband and said to him, “Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me on a day.” 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife. And he came to the man and said to him, “{Are} you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I {am}.” 12 And Manoah said, “Now may your words come {to pass}. What will be the manner of the boy and his work?” 13 And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to this woman, let her be careful. 14 Of all that comes forth from the vine of wine, she shall not eat, and wine or beer, she shall not drink, and any unclean {thing}, she shall not eat. All that I have commanded her, she shall keep.”
15 And Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please let us detain you, and we will prepare to your face a kid of goats.” 16 And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your bread. But if you prepare a burnt offering, to Yahweh you shall offer it.” For Manoah did not know that he {was} the angel of Yahweh. 17 Then Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What {is} your name, {that} when your words come {to pass}, then we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask this about my name, since it {is} wonderful?” 19 And Manoah took the kid of goats and the grain offering and offered {them} on a rock to Yahweh. And he was being wonderful in doing, and Manoah and his wife {were} watching. 20 For it happened, in the going up of the flame from the altar toward the heavens, that the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife {were} watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21 And the angel of Yahweh did not resume again to appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he {was} the angel of Yahweh. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “Dying, we shall die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh desired to kill us, he would not have taken from our hand a burnt offering and a grain offering, and he would not have shown us all these {things}, and at {this} time he would not have made us hear {things} like this.”
24 And the woman bore a son, and she called his name Samson. And the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
25 And the Spirit of Yahweh began to agitate him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and between Eshtaol.
Chapter 14
1 And Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he went up and declared to his father and to his mother and said, “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. And now, get her for me for a wife.” 3 And his father and his mother said to him, “{Is there} not among the daughters of your brothers and among all of my people a woman, that you {are} going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she {is} right in my eyes.” 4 But his father and his mother did not know that it {was} from Yahweh, for he {was} seeking an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines {were} ruling over Israel.
5 And Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah. And they came to the vineyards of Timnah, and behold, a young lion of lions {was} roaring to meet him. 6 Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he tore it as the tearing of a kid, and {there was} not anything in his hand. And he did not declare to his father or to his mother what he had done. 7 And he went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in the eyes of Samson. 8 And he returned after some days to take her, and he turned to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees was {in} the body of the lion, and honey. 9 And he scraped it into his palms, and going, he walked, and eating, he walked, to his father and to his mother. And he gave to them, and they ate, but he did not declare to them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.
10 And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for thus the young men would do. 11 And it happened, in their seeing him, that they took 30 companions, and they were with him. 12 And Samson said to them, “Please let me put a riddle to you. If declaring, you declare it to me {during} the seven days of the feast and you find {it}, then I will give to you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. 13 But if you are not able to declare {it} to me, then you will give to me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle and we will hear it.” 14 So he said to them,
“From the eater came forth food,
and from the strong came forth sweet.”
And they were not able to declare the riddle {for} three days.
15 And it happened on the seventh day that they said to the wife of Samson, “Entice your husband that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire. Did you invite us to dispossess us? {Is it} not {so}?” 16 And the wife of Samson wept on him, and she said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me! You have put a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not declared {it} to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, to my father and to my mother I have not declared {it}, so will I tell {it} to you?” 17 And she wept on him {for} the seven days {during} which the feast was to them. And it happened on the seventh day that he declared {it} to her, for she had pressed him. And she declared the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the sun came in,
“What {is} sweeter than honey?
And what {is} stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have found my riddle.”
19 And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he went down {to} Ashkelon, and he struck 30 men from them. And he took their spoils, and he gave the changes {of clothes} to the declarers of the riddle. And his nose burned, and he went up {to} the house of his father. 20 And the wife of Samson became to his companion who had accompanied him.
Chapter 15
1 And it happened after some days, in the days of the harvest of wheat, that Samson visited his wife with a kid of goats. And he said, “I will go in to my wife, to the chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in. 2 And her father said, “Saying, I said that hating, you hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please let her be to you instead of her.” 3 And Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless regarding the Philistines when I do harm to them.” 4 And Samson went and caught 300 foxes, and he took torches, and he turned tail to tail, and he put one torch between two of the tails, in the middle. 5 And he kindled fire in the torches and sent {them} into the {standing} grain of the Philistines, and he burned from stack and to {standing} grain, and to grove of olive tree. 6 And the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion.” And the Philistines went up and burned her and her father with fire. 7 And Samson said to them, “If you have done like this, then if I avenge against you, then afterward I will stop.” 8 Then he struck them leg on thigh, a great striking. And he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
9 And the Philistines went up and encamped in Judah, and they spread out in Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” And they said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him just as he has done to us.” 11 Then 3,000 men from Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? So what is this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “Just as they did to me, so I have done to them.” 12 And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, to give you into the hand of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not strike me yourselves.” 13 And they spoke to him, saying, “No, but binding, we will bind you and we will give you into their hand, but putting to death, we will not put you to death.” Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
14 He came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted to meet him. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and the ropes that {were} on his arms became like flax that they burn with fire, and his bonds melted from on his hands. 15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and he stretched out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. 16 And Samson said,
“With the jawbone of a donkey,
a heap, two heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
I have struck 1,000 men.”
17 And it happened in his finishing to speak, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, so he called that place Ramath-lehi. 18 But he was very thirsty, so he called to Yahweh and said, “You have given this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God split open the hollow place that {is} in Lehi, and water came out from it. And he drank and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore, he called its name En-hakkore, which {is} in Lehi to this day. 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines 20 years.