Gideons ephed.

Jidges.

Jothams parable. not rule over you, neither fhall my fon rule over you? remember alfo that I am your over you: the LORD fhall rule over you. bone and your flesh. 24 And Gideon (aid unto them, I would defire a requeft of you, that you would give me every man the ear rings of his prey: (for they had golden car-rings, becaufe they were Ishmaelites)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did caft therein, every man the ear-rings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden ear rings that he requefted, was a thoufand and feven hundred shekels of gold, befide ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and befide the chains that were about their camels necks.

27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah, and all Ifrael went thither a whoring af serit: which thing became a fnare unto Gideon, and to his houfe.

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Ifrael, fo that they lifted up their heads no more: and the country was in quietnefs forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 And Jerubbaal the fon of Joafh went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threefcore and ten fons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine that mu in Shechem, the alfo bare him a fon, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the fon of Joafh died in a good old age, and was buried in the fepulchre of Joath his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

33 And it came to país affoon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Ifrael turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal berith their god. 34 And the children of Ifrael remembred not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every fide:

35 Neither fhewed they kindnefs to the houfe of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had thewed unto Ifrael.

CHAP. IX.

3 And his mothers brethren fpake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they faid, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him threefcore and ten pieces of filver, out of the house of Baal-berith: wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light perfons, which followed him.

5 And he went unto his fathers houfe at Ophrah, and flew his brethren the fons of Jerubbaal, being threefcore and ten perfons, upon one Itone: notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngeft fon of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the houfe of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and ftood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift up his voice and cried, and faid unto them, Hearken unto me, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, and they faid unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.

9 But the olive-tree faid unto them, Should I leave my fatnefs, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

to And the trees faid to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

II But the fig-tree faid unto them, Should I forfake my fweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12 Then faid the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

13 And the vine faid unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

14 Then faid all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us, Is And the bramble faid unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your truft in my fhadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bram

And Abimelech the fon of Jerubbaal ble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

went to unto his mothers brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the houfe of his mothers father, faying,

16 Know therefore, if ye have done truly and fincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his houfe, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands:

2 Speak, I pray you in the ears of all e men of Shechem, Whether is better you, either that all the fons of Jerub- 17 (For my father fought for you, and (which are threefcore and ten per- adventured his life far, and delivered you ) reign over you, or that one reign out of the hand of Midian:

Gaal overcome.

32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field.

Gaals.confpiracy against Abimelech. Chap. ix. 18 And ye are rifen up against my fathers houfe this day,and have flain his fons, threefcore and ten períons,upon one ftone, and have made Abimelech the fon of his maid-fervant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother)

19 If ye then have dealt truly and fincerely with Jerubbaal and with his houfe this day, then rejoyce ye in Abimelech, and let him alfo rejoyce in you:

20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the houfe of Millo: and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the houfe of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

at And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

22When Abimelech had reigned three years over Ifrael,

23 Then God fent an evil (pirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem: and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech :

24 That the cruelty done to the threeforeandten fons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother which flew them, and upon the men of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

25 And the men of Shechem fet 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.

26 And Gaal the fon of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went in to the houfe of their god, and did eat and drink, and curfed Abimelech.

28 And Gaal the fon of Ebed faid, Who Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should ferve him? is not he the fon of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? ferve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we ferve him?

29 And would to God this people were under my hand, then would I remove Abimelech. And he faid to Abimelech, Increafe thine army, and come out.

30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the fon of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

31 And he fent meflengers unto Abimelech privily, faying, Behold, Gaal the fon of Ebed, and his brethren be come to Shechem, and behold, they fortifie the city against thee.

33 And it shall be that in the morning, as foon as the fun is up, thou shalt rife early, and fet upon the city: and behold, when he and the people that is with him come out againft thee, then mayeft thou do to them as thou fhalt find occafion

34 And Abimelech role up, and all the people that were with him by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

35 And Gaal the fon of Ebed went out, and food in the erring of the gate of the city and Abimelech rofe up, and the people that were with him from lying in wait.

36 And when Gaal faw the people, he faid to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul faid unto him, Thou feeft the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

37 And Gaal fpake again, and faid, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

38 Then faid Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou faidft, Who is Abimelech, that we fhould ferve him? is not this the people that thou haft defpifed? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech..

40 And Abimelech chafed him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entring of the gate.

41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thruft out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42 And it came to pafs on the morrow that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

43 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.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and ftood in the entring of the gate of the city and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and flew them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he took the city, and flew the people that was therein, an beat down the city, and fowed it w falt,

K. 4.

45 €

Judges.

Jephthahs covenant

CHA P. XI.

thah, Ifrael took not away the land of MoOw Jephthah the Gileadite was a ab, nor the land of the children of Am

Nighty man of valour, and he was mon:

the fon of an harlot : and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gileads wife bare him fons, and his wifes fons grew up, and they thruft out Jephthah, and faid unto him, Thou fhalt not inherit in our fathers houfe, for thou art the fon of a ftrange woman.

3 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.

4 And it came to pafs in procefs of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Ifrael.

s And it was fo, that when the children of Ammon made war against Ifrael, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

6 And they faid unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah faid unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expet me out of my fathers houfe? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in diftrefs? 8 And the elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayeft go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah faid unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to hight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, The LORD be witnefs between us, if we do not fo 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.

12And Jephthah fent meffengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, faving, What haft thou to do with me, that thou art come againft me to fight in

may land?

16 But when Ifrael came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness, unto the Red fea, and came to Kadesh;

17 Then Ifrael fent meffengers unto the king of Edom, faying, Let me,I pray thee, pafs through thy land: but the king of E dom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they fent unto the king of Moab, but he would not confent: and Ifrael abode in Kadefh.

18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compaffed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the eaft-fide of the land of Moab,and pitched on the other fide of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Ifrael fent meffengers unto Sihon king of, the Amorites, the king of Hefhbon; and Ifrael faid unto him, Let us pafs, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place.

20 But Sihon trufted not Ifrael to pafs through his coaft: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought againft Ifrael.

21 And the LORD God of Ifrael delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Ifrael, and they fmote them: fo Ifrael poffeffed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 And they poffeffed all the coafts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan,

23 So now the LORD God of Ifrael hath difpoffeffed the Amorites from before his people Ifrael, and shouldft thou poffefs it?

24 Wilt not thou poffefs that which Chemoth thy God giveth thee to poffefs? fo whomfoever the LORD our God thall drive out from before us, them will we poffefs.

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the fon of Zippor king of Mo ab? did he ever ftrive againft Ifrael, or did he ever fight againft them,

26 While Ifrael dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coafts of Arnon, three hundred years?? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?"

13 And the king of the children of Ammon antwered unto the meffengers of Jephthah, Becaufe Ifrael took away my 27 Wherefore I have not finned againft land when they came up out of Egypt, thee, but thou doeft me wrong to war a from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto gainft me: the LORD the Judge be judge Jordan: now therefore reftore thofe bands this day between the children of Ifrael again peaceably.

14 And Jephthah fent meffengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon Is And faid unto him, Thus faith Jeph

and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkned not unto the w of Jephthah which he fent him.

Judges.

The Ephraimites flain, 29 Then the fpirit of the LORD came north-ward, and faid unto Jephthah, apon Jephthah, and he paffed over Gile- Wherefore paffedft thou over to fight aad, and Manaffeh, and paffed over Miz- gainft the children of Ammon, and didft peh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gi- not call us to go with thee? we will burn Lead he paffed over unto the children of thine houfe upon thee with fire. Ammon.

35 And it came to pafs when he faw her, that he rent his cloaths, and faid, Alas my daughter, thou haft brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth un- 7 And Jephthah judged Ifrael fix years: to the LORD, and I cannot go back.

36 And the faid unto him, My father, if thou haft opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forafmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And the faid 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.

38 And he faid, Go. And he fent her away for two months: and he went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 13 And after him, Abdon the fon of 39 And it came to pafs at the end of Hillel a Pirathonite judged Ifrael. two months,that the returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and the knew no пав. And it was a cuftom in Ifrael,

40 That the daughters of Ifrael went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. CHAP. XII.

Nd the men of Ephraim gathered Again in the fight of the LORD, and

themselves together, and went