|
| |
Judges
| And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou
served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight
with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. |
| And he said unto them, What have I done now in
comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better
than the vintage of Abiezer? |
| God hath delivered into your hands the princes of
Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you?
Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. |
| And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and
the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. |
| And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray
you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint,
and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. |
| And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of
Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto
thine army? |
| And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath
delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh
with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. |
| And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them
likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had
answered him. |
| And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying,
When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. |
| Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their
hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all
the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword. |
| And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in
tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the
host was secure. |
| And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after
them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and
discomfited all the host. |
| And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle
before the sun was up, |
| And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and
inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and
the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. |
| And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said,
Behold Zebah and Zalmunna with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the
hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread
unto thy men that are weary? |
| And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of
the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. |
| And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the
men of the city. |
| Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of
men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so
were they; each one resembled the children of a king. |
| And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of
my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not
slay you. |
| And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay
them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was
yet a youth. |
| Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall
upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and
slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their
camels' necks. |
| Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou
over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast
delivered us from the hand of Midian. |
| And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you,
neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. |
| And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request
of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For
they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) |
| And they answered, We will willingly give them. And
they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of
his prey. |
| And the weight of the golden earrings that he
requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside
ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of
Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. |
| And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his
city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it:
which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. |
| Thus was Midian subdued before the children of
Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was
in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. |
| And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his
own house. |
| And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body
begotten: for he had many wives. |
| And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare
him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. |
| And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age,
and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites. |
| And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead,
that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after
Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. |
| And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD
their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies
on every side: |
| Neither showed they kindness to the house of
Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had
showed unto Israel. |
| And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem
unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the
family of the house of his mother's father, saying, |
| Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of
Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of
Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that
one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. |
| And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears
of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to
follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. |
| And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of
silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain
and light persons, which followed him. |
| And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and
slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten
persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of
Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. |
| And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and
all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain
of the pillar that was in Shechem. |
| And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood
in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and
said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken
unto you. |
| The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over
them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. |
| But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my
fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted
over the trees? |
| And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and
reign over us. |
| But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my
sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? |
| Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and
reign over us. |
| And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine,
which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? |
| Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou,
and reign over us. |
| And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye
anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and
if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of
Lebanon. |
| Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely,
in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with
Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands; |
| (For my father fought for you, and adventured his
life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: |
| And ye are risen up against my father's house this
day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one
stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over
the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) |
| If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and
let him also rejoice in you: |
| But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and
devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out
from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour
Abimelech. |
| And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and
dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. |
| When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, |
| Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and
the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with
Abimelech: |
| That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons
of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their
brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him
in the killing of his brethren. |
| And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in
the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way
by them: and it was told Abimelech. |
| And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and
went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in
him. |
| And they went out into the fields, and gathered
their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the
house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. |
| And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and
who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal?
and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for
why should we serve him? |
| And would to God this people were under my hand!
then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine
army, and come out. |
| And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words
of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. |
| And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily,
saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem;
and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. |
| Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that
is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: |
| And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the
sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold,
when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then
mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. |
| And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were
with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four
companies. |
| And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the
entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people
that were with him, from lying in wait. |
| And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,
Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul
said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were
men. |
| And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people
down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the
plain of Meonenim. |
| Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth,
wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is
not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and
fight with them. |
| And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and
fought with Abimelech. |
| And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him,
and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the
gate. |
| And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out
Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. |
| And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people
went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. |
| And he took the people, and divided them into three
companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the
people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and
smote them. |
| And Abimelech, and the company that was with him,
rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and
the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields,
and slew them. |
| And Abimelech fought against the city all that day;
and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat
down the city, and sowed it with salt. |
| And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard
that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. |
| And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the
tower of Shechem were gathered together. |
| And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all
the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and
cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his
shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen
me do, make haste, and do as I have done. |
| And all the people likewise cut down every man his
bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the
hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died
also, about a thousand men and women. |
| Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against
Thebez, and took it. |
| But there was a strong tower within the city, and
thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut
it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. |
| And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought
against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with
fire. |
| And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon
Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull. |
| Then he called hastily unto the young man his
armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men
say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through,
and he died. |
| And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was
dead, they departed every man unto his place. |
| Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which
he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: |
| And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God
render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son
of Jerubbaal. |
| And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel
Tola the son of Puah the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in
Shamir in mount Ephraim. |
| And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and
died, and was buried in Shamir. |
| And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged
Israel twenty and two years. |
| And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass
colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this
day, which are in the land of Gilead. |
| And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. |
| And the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of
Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the
children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the
LORD, and served not him. |
| And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel,
and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands
of the children of Ammon. |
| And that year they vexed and oppressed the children
of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the
other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. |
| Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to
fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of
Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. |
| And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our
God, and also served Baalim. |
| And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did
not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the
children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? |
| The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the
Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out
of their hand. |
| Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods:
wherefore I will deliver you no more. |
| Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let
them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. |
| And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We
have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver
us only, we pray thee, this day. |
| And they put away the strange gods from among them,
and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. |
| Then the children of Ammon were gathered together,
and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves
together, and encamped in Mizpeh. |
| And the people and princes of Gilead said one to
another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of
Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. |
| Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of
valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. |
| And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons
grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not
inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. |
| Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in
the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went
out with him. |
| And it came to pass in process of time, that the
children of Ammon made war against Israel. |
| And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made
war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of
the land of Tob: |
| And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our
captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. |
| And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not
ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come
unto me now when ye are in distress? |
| And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,
Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and
fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the
inhabitants of Gilead. |
| And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye
bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD
deliver them before me, shall I be your head? |
| And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The
LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. |
| Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and
the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all
his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. |
| And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the
children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art
come against me to fight in my land? |
| And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto
the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they
came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now
therefore restore those lands again peaceably. |
| And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took
not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: |
| But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked
through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; |
| Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom,
saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom
would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of
Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. |
| Then they went along through the wilderness, and
compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east
side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but
came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. |
| And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the
Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we
pray thee, through thy land into my place. |
| But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his
coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz,
and fought against Israel. |
| And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all
his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel
possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. |
| And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites,
from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. |
| So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the
Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? |
| Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god
giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out
from before us, them will we possess. |
| And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son
of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he
ever fight against them, |
| While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in
Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts
of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them
within that time? |
| Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou
doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day
between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. |
| Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened
not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him. |
| Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and
he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead,
and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. |
| And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If
thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, |
| Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of
the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the
children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up
for a burnt offering. |
| So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon
to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. |
| And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to
Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a
very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the
children of Israel. |
| And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and,
behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances:
and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. |
| And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent
his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low,
and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth
unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. |
| And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast
opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath
proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance
for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. |
| And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done
for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the
mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. |
| And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two
months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity
upon the mountains. |
| And it came to pass at the end of two months, that
she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow
which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, |
| That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament
the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. |
| And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together,
and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over
to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with
thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. |
| And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at
great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye
delivered me not out of their hands. |
| And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my
life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the
LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me
this day, to fight against me? |
| Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of
Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim,
because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the
Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. |
| And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan
before the Ephraimites: and it was so that when those Ephraimites which
were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him,
Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; |
| Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he
said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they
took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that
time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. |
| And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died
Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. |
| And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. |
| And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom
he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons.
And he judged Israel seven years. |
| Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. |
| And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and
he judged Israel ten years. |
| And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in
Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. |
| And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite,
judged Israel. |
| And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode
on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. |
| And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died,
and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the
Amalekites. |
| And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight
of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines
forty years. |
| And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of
the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. |
| And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and
said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou
shalt conceive, and bear a son. |
| Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine
nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: |
| For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no
razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God
from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the
Philistines. |
| Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A
man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of
an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither
told he me his name: |
| But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and
bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any
unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to
the day of his death. |
| Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord,
let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us
what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. |
| And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the
angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah
her husband was not with her. |
| And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her
husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that
came unto me the other day. |
| And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to
the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman?
And he said, I am. |
| And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How
shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? |
| And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all
that I said unto the woman let her beware. |
| She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine,
neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all
that I commanded her let her observe. |
| And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray
thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. |
| And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though
thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a
burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that
he was an angel of the LORD. |
| And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is
thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? |
| And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest
thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? |
| So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered
it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah
and his wife looked on. |
| For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward
heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the
flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on
their faces to the ground. |
| But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to
Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the
LORD. |
| And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die,
because we have seen God. |
| But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased
to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat
offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things,
nor would as at this time have told us such things as these. |
| And the woman bare a son, and called his name
Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. |
| And the spirit of the LORD began to move him at
times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. |
| And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in
Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. |
| And he came up, and told his father and his mother,
and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the
Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. |
| Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is
there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my
people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?
And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me
well. |
| But his father and his mother knew not that it was
of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at
that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. |
| Then went Samson down, and his father and his
mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a
young lion roared against him. |
| And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him,
and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his
hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. |
| And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she
pleased Samson well. |
| And after a time he returned to take her, and he
turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a
swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. |
| And he took thereof in his hands, and went on
eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they
did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the
carcase of the lion. |
| So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson
made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. |
| And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they
brought thirty companions to be with him. |
| And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a
riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days
of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and
thirty change of garments: |
| But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give
me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him,
Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. |
| And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth
meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in
three days expound the riddle. |
| And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they
said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us
the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye
called us to take that we have? is it not so? |
| And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou
dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto
the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto
her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I
tell it thee? |
| And she wept before him the seven days, while their
feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her,
because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children
of her people. |
| And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh
day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is
stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with
my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. |
| And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he
went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their
spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle.
And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. |
| But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom
he had used as his friend. |
Next Book
Next
Chapter Top Index Prev
Chapter Prev Book
|
Our purpose is to promote and support divine and Christian worship as
taught in
the examples and teachings contained in the Holy scriptures of
the Bible excluding additions and subtractions!
