29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, on them. Micah and his gods. dah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, 1 as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and 2 a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell and on which it was borne up, of the one 3 or, he leaned with the man; and the young man was unwith his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein: so the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. d ver.5. c c.18.30. Job 20.5. Ps.62.3. Ec.9.12. g Pr.14.12. h c.17.6. to him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated & the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then said Micah, Now & know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. CHAP. XVIII. IN A ways the tribe of those days there was no king in Is the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 5 2 And the children of Dan sent of their k Jos.17.14-18. family five men from their coasts, men c.13.25. of valour, from Zorah,' and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who, when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 2 And he said unto his mother, The cleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, " Blessed be thou of m Ge.14.19. the LORD, my son. Ru.3.10. Ne.13.25. 3 And when he had restored the eleven 2Jno.11. hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD, from my hand, for Le.19.4. my son, to make a graven image and an Ex.20.4,23. molten image; now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. o Hos.4.12, p Is.46.6. 1 Ki.22.6. r c.8.27. called Leshem. 4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundreds Jos.19.47. shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod," and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 Hos.3.4. filled the t Ge.31.19,30. hand. Ex.29.9. 1 Ki. 13.33. u c.18.1,7. 19.1. 21.3,25. 7 possessor, or, heir of u in restraint. v De.12.8. 6 In these days there was no king Israel, but every man did that" which was right in his own eyes. And there was a young man out of of the family of Ju Beth-lehem-judah, Pr.16.2. 20 Ru.1.1,2. 222 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace; before the LORD is your way wherein ye go. Expedition of the Danites. a ver.2. The Levite and his concubine. the house of Micah, the men that were in JUDGES, XIX. Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren B. C. 1406. said unto them, What say ye? b that we may 9 And they said, Arise, go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter the land. to possess a 10 When ye go, ye shall come unto people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a any thing place where there is no want of that is in the earth. 1 Ki.22.3. c Ge.21.17. 2 Ki.6.28. together. 23 And they cried unto the children of 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my d ver.7,27. e Jos.2.23,24. f De.8.9. 11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men 2 appoint-2 girded. ed with weapons of war. 3 bitter of soul. 2 Sa.17.8. 12 And they went up, and pitched in g1 Ch.13.5,6. Kirjath-jearim, & in Judah: wherefore they2 Ch.1.4. called that place Mahaneh-dan unto hc.13.25. this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. Tran 13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. De.33.22. 14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said i ver.7.10. unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, j c.17.5. and a graven image, and a molten image? ver.1,7. now, therefore, consider what ye have to do. k 2 Sa.10.6. m Ge.14.14. Jos.19.47. 15 And they turned thitherward, and Nu.13.21. came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and 4 saluted him. 16 And the "six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 4 15.20. 1 Ki.12.29,30. of peace. n ver.11. 18a.17.22. Ps.78.60. 17 And the five men that went to spyo ver.2,14. out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men of war. that were appointed with weapons 18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy a woman a peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20 And the priest's heart was glad; and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the carriage, before them. 22 And when they were a good way from 40.4. Pr.30.32. Mi.7.16. 8 c.17.10. months, or, a year and Ge.34.3. t Je.3.1. 223 3 25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned, and went back unto his house. 27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer, * because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob.' And they built a city, and dwelt therein. m 29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit, the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day P of the captivity of the land. Micah's graven 31 And they set them up image, which he made, all the time that the house of God I was in Shiloh. CHAP. XIX. AND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a concubine out of Bethlehemto him judah. 5 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehem-judah, and was there 6 four whole months, 3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak 7 friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, is damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with The wickedness JUDGES, XIX. him three days: so they did eat and drink, B. C. 1406. and lodged there 2 Comfort thine heart with a morsel of 2 strengthen. bread, and afterward go your way. c 6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry. 7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 4 e Ge.18.5. Ps.104.15. c ver.22. Ge 43.23,24 c.6.23. Ge.19.2. Ge.24.32. g Ge.18.4. Jno.13.5.14. 1 Ti.5.10. h ver.6.9. c.16.25. And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold now, the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end; lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on Ge.6.4. your way, that thou mayest go home. 6 10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem: and there were with him two asses saddled; his concubine also was with him. the 5 It is the pitching time of the day. 6 to thy tent. n 2 Sa. 13.12. to over against. 0 Jos.15.8,63. 18.28. 2 Sa.5.6. p Ge.34.2. De.21.14. 3 the matter of 11 And when they were by Jebus, day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and this folly. let us turn in, into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. 13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.49 14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging." 16 And, behold, there came an old mans from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. of Gibeah. 18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house" of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house. 19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. 20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee: howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, & and did eat and drink. 22 Now, as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly." 24 Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26 Then came the woman, in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light. 27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going: but none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. 29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coast of Israel. 30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider " of it, take advice, and speak your minds. 2 And the chief of all the people, even all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that ⚫ drew sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up Then said the children of to Mizpeh.) Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? B. C. 1406. a Jos.22.12. c.21.5. ver.11. 2 Sa.3.10. Sa.3.20. c c.11.11. d c.3.15. e c.8.10. c.19.22-27. g ver.23,26. Joel 1.14. Levite. h Nu.27.21. 4 And the Levite, the husband of the man the the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belong-c.1.1. eth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me; and my concubine have they forced, 2 that she is dead. i c.19.15, &c. 2 humbled. k Ge.49.27. Hos.10.9. 6 And I took my concubine, and cut c.19.29. her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly 'in Israel. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give m here your advice and counsel. 8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house: 9 But now, this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go up by lot against it: 10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. man. 1 Jos.7.15. m c.19.30. Ps.78.34. Hos.5.15. ver.26,27. War with the Benjamites. 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time, out of the cities, twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, hundred which were numbered seven chosen men. 16 Among all this people there were seven d left-handed: every hundred chosen men one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. g 18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked hcounsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground, of the Israelites that day, twenty and two thousand men. 22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array, in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23 (And n the children of Israel went up, and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.) 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground, of the children of Israel again, eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. 26 Then Pall the children of Israel, and 11 Šo all the men of Israel were gathered p ver.18,23. all the people, went up, and came unto the against the city, 3 knit together as one fellows. Joel 2.12-18. house of God, and wept, 7 and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day un12 And the tribes of Israel sent menr De.13.14. Jos.22.13,&c. til even, and offered burnt-offerings and through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, peace-offerings before the LORD. What wickedness is this that is done among you? 27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days; 28 And Phinehas, "the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah Defeat of the Benjamites. JUDGES, XXI. B. C. 1406. 1 or, from Manuchah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array 2 unto over against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people 3 and kill, as at other times, in the high-ways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 4 against. a Jos.15.32. 1 Ch.6.77. Zec.14.10. 3 wounded. or, Beth-el. 32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto c.21.13. the high-ways. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar; and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. Lamentation for the Benjamites. them down with ease, 2 over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising. 44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these were men of valour. 45 And they turned, and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of "Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the high-ways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. 46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword: all these were men of valour. 47 But six hundred men turned, and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well 34 And there came against Gibeah tens was found. the men of every city, as the beast, and all thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and c Jos.8.14. Ec.9.12. Is.47.11. 1 Th.5.3. 6 were found. e 1 Sa.14.28, the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before dc.20.1,10. Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. 37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait 7 drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. 29. Ro.10.2. f c.20.18,26. & Ge.27.39. Jos.8.15,&c. 1 Sa.30.4. 7 or, made a signore. 38 Now there was an appointed between the men of Israel 9 and the liers 9 with. in wait, that they should make a great flame 10 with smoke rise up out of the 10 elevation. city. 39 And when the men of Israel retired in that 5 came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to. CHAP. XXI. d OW & the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who 2 there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? for they had made a great oath the battle, Benjamin began to smite 11 and 11the wound concerning him that came not up to the kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. 40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the 12 flame of the city ascended up to heaven. ed. jc.11.35. Ge.19.28. Joel 2.30. 12 whole con sumption. LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel i repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day: 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD, that we will not give them of our daughters to wives? 8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead TM to the assembly. m 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither |