in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7 T And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, Buth 1.1,2 and he sojourned there.

Deut. 12.8. See Josh. 19. 15. ch. 19.1.

Mic. 5.2.

Matt. 21,

5,6.

2

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, as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-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 a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

34

11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the ch. 18. 30. Levite; and the young man m became his priest, and was in the house

1 ver. 5.

cir. 1406. ch. 17.6. &21.25.

of Micah.

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

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 The Danites send five men to seek out an
inheritance. 3 At the house of Micah they
consult with Jonathan, and are encouraged
in their way. 7 They search Laish, and bring
back news of good hope. 11 Six hundred
men are sent to surprise it.
14 In the way
they rob Micah of his priest and his conse
crate things. 27 They win Laish, and call it
Dan. 30 They set up idolatry, wherein Jona
than inherited the priesthood.

I in Israel: and the those days the Noah.19.47. tribe of 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. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, Num 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.

Nthose days there was no king

6 Heb. sons.

d Nam. 13.

17.

Josh. 2.1.

ch. 17.1

to seek an inheritance.

BEFORE CHRIST

and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. cir. 1406. 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, "of God, thatch, 17.10. 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.

k

7 ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, 'how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

8 And they came unto their brethren to m Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?

9 And they said, " Arise, that we may 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 to possess the

land.

g 1 Kings

22:50. 1.

Hos. 4. 12.

See ch. 17.

5. & ver. 14. 11 Kings 22.

6.

14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these x ch. 17. 5. houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

4 And he said unto them, Thus

4

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. 17 And the five men that went

4 Heb. asked kim

of peace. Gen. 43. 27, ver. 11.

1 Sam.17.22.

ver. 2, 14.

The Danites win Laish.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

a ch. 17.4, 5.

& 29.9. &

40. 4.

Prov. 30. 32. Mic. 7. 16.

to spy 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 that were appointed with weapons of war.

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 b Job 21. 5. thy peace, blay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better ch. 17.10. 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 te

raphim, 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 the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What 2 Heb. that aileth thee, 2 that thou comest with such a company?

thou art gathered together?

Heb. bitter
Sam. 17.8.

of soul.

24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

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 Josh.19.47. quiet and secure and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

d ver. 7, 10. Deut.33.22.

f ver. 7.

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

A Levite goeth to Beth-lehem.

by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Is-Sam. 10.6. rael: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

1

hJosh.19.47.

Gen. 14.14.

ch. 20. 1. 1 Kings 12. 29,80.

& 15. 20.

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 of ch. 18.1, the captivity of the land.

1 Sam. 4. 2, 3, 10, 11. Ps.78.60,61.

31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, 'all Josh. 18.1. the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

ch. 19. 18. & 21. 12.

cir. 1406.

& 18.

AND there was no king in Is-ch. 17. 6. rael, that there was a certain Levite & 21. 25. sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of b Beth-lehem-judah.

2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there 34 four whole months.

3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak 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, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

5 ¶ And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine Heb. heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

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

Strengthen. • Gen. 18.5.

The Levite's concubine

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

Heb. till

the day declined.

3 Heb. is

weak,

Heb. it is the pitching

time of

day.

5 Heb. to thy tent.

Heb.

to over against. d Josh. 18.

23.

Josh. 15.

8,63.
ch. 1. 21.

2 Sam. 5. 6.

f Josh. 18.

23.

25.

thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

9 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 your way, that thou mayest go

¿ home.

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.

11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and 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 Josh. 18. Gibeah, or in Ramah.

Heb. 13.2.

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.

is abused to death.

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; monly lodge not in the street.

n

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, Pthe men of the city, certain asons 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 yex Gen. 34. 2. them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

2 Heb. the matter of this folly.

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, Gen. 4. 1. 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.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

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 Joh. 18.1. Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that 'receiveth me to house.

ch. 18. 31. &20. 18.

1 Sam. 1.

8.7. 7 Heb. gathereth. ver. 15.

19 Yet there is both straw and

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 a divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all

the coasts of Israel.

30 And it was so, that all that saw

# ch. 20. 5.

ch.20.6. 11.7.

See 1 Sam.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

b ch. 20. 7. Prov. 13.10.

a Deut. 13. 12.

Josh. 22.12. ch. 21. 5.

1 Sam. 11.7.

ch. 18. 29. 2 Sam.8.10.

1 Sam.3.20.

& 24. 2. c Judg. 10. 17. & 11. 11. 1 Sam. 7. 5. & 10. 17.

d ch. 8. 10.

2 Heb. the man the Levitc.

⚫ ch. 19. 15.

f ch. 19. 22.

8 ch. 19. 25, 26.

8 Heb. humbled.

h ch. 19. 29.

The Israelites go

TH

THEN all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD ein Mizpeh.

2 And the chief of all the people, even of 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 to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth 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, that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the 1 Josh.7.15. inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

k

7 Behold, ye are all children of ch. 19.30. Israel; give 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.

1

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13 Now therefore deliver us the m the children of Belial, which men, are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin

n

would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

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, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

1 Chr. 12. 2.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-ch. 3. 15. handed; every 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.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and Pwent up to the house of God, and asked counsel 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 Gen. 49.27. 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 the children of Israelver. 26, 27. 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.).

against Gibeah.

BEPORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

ver. 21.

☐ ver. 18.

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 all the children of Israel, and all the people, " went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enJosh. 18.1. quired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

1 Sam. 4.

y Josh. 24. 33.

Deut. 10. 8. & 18. 5.

So Josh.

8.4.

2 Heb. to smite of the people wounded as at, &c.

8 Or, Beth-el

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 aset liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array 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, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

8

The Benjamites are smitten.

that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew

the sword.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1406.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil them. upon 42 Therefore they turned their them. backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

9 Or, from Menuchah, &c. 2 Heb. unto over

44 And there fell of Benjamin against." 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 Josh.15.32. them in the highways 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.

478 But six hundred men turned ch. 21. 13. and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.