The Philistines put out his eyes. CHAP. XVII.

The idolatry of Micah.

three times, and hast not told me wherein once avenged of the Philistines for my thy great strength lieth. two eyes.

16 And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was boine up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor his left. upon my head; for I have been a Naza- 30 And Samson said, Let me die with rite unto God from my mother's womb: if the Philistines. And he bowed himself I be shaven, then my strength will go from with all his might; and the house fell upon me, and I shall become weak, and be like the lords, and upon all the people that any other man. were therein. So the dead which he slew 18 And when Delilah saw that he had at his death were more than they which he told her all his heart, she sent and called slew in his life. for the lords of the Philistines, saying, 31 Then his brethren and all the house Come up this once, for he hath shewed me of his father came down, and took him, and all his heart. Then the lords of the Phi-brought him up, and buried him between listines came up unto her, and brought Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of money in their hand. Manoah bis father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of

bis head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

CHAP. XVII.

there was a man of mount Ephraim,

whose name was Micah.

2 And he said unto his mother, The 20 And she said, The Philistines be eleven hundred shekels of silver that were upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, times before, and shake myself. And he the silver is with me; I took it. And his wist not that the LORD was departed from mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, him. my son.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with setters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto

23 Then the lords of the Philistines ga- thee. thered them together, for to offer a great 4 Yet he restored the money unto his sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to re-mother; and his mother took two hundred joice for they said, Our god hath deliver- shekels of silver, and gave them to the ed Samson our enemy into our hand. founder, who made thereofa graven image 24 And when the people saw him, they and a molten image: and they were in the praised their god: for they said, Our god house of Micah.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

hath delivered into our hands our enemy, 5 And the man Micah had a house of and the destroyer of our country; which gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, slew many of us. and consecrated one of his sons, who be25 And it came to pass, when their came his priest. hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prisonhouse; and he made them sport: and they 7 T And there was a young man out of set him between the pillars. Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, 26 And Samson said unto the lad that who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may 8 And the man departed out of the city feel the pillars whereupon the house stand- from Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where eth, that I may lean upon them. he could find a place and he came to 27 Now the house was full of men and mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as women and all the lords of the Philistines he journeyed. were there and there were upon the roof 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence about three thousand men and women, comest thou? And he said unto him, I am that beheld while Samson made sport. a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to 28 And Samson called unto the LORD, sojourn where I may find a place. and said, O Lord GoD, remember me, 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, with me, and be unto me a father and a only this once, O God, that I may be at priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of

The Danites seek an inheritance

JUDGES.

They go to Larsh. silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and 12 And they went up, and pitched in thy victuals. So the Levite went in. Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they 11 And the Levite was content to dwell called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this with the man; and the young man was day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. unto him as one of his sons. 13 And they passed thence unto mount 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; Ephraim, and came unto the house of Miand the young man became his priest, and cah. was in the house of Micah.

14 Then answered the five men that 13 Then said Micah, Now know I that went to spy out the country of Laish, and the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a said unto their brethren, Do ye know that Levite to my priest. there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molte do en image? now therefore consider what

CHAP. XVIII.

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

IN was no kine Dantes N those days there was no king in Israel: 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 saluted him. family five men from their coasts, men of 16 And the six hundred men appointed valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to with their weapons of war, which were of spy out the land, and to search it; and the children of Dan, stood by the entering they said unto them, Go, search the land of the gate.

:

who when they came to mount Ephraim, 17 And the five men that went to spy to the house of Micah, they lodged there. out the land went up, and came in thither, 3 When they were by the house of Mi-and took the graven image, and the ephod, cah, they knew the voice of the young and the teraphim, and the molten image: man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and the priest stood in the entering of the and said unto him, Who brought thee gate with the six hundred men that were hither? and what makest thou in this appointed with weapons of war. place? and what hast thou here?

18 And these went into Micah's house, 4 And he said unto them, Thus and and fetched the carved image, the ephod, thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath and the teraphim, and the molten image. 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.

Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thy 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 6 And the priest said unto them, Go in unto the house of one man, or that thou be peace before the LORD is your way a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? wherein ye go. 20 And the priest's heart was glad, and 7 T Then the five men departed, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and came to Laish, and saw the people that the graven image, and went in the midst were therein, how they dwelt careless, af- of the people.

ter the manner of the Zidonians, quiet 21 So they turned and departed, and and secure; and there was no magistrate in put the little ones, and the cattle, and the the land, that might put them to shame in carriage before them.

any thing; and they were far from the Zi- 22 And when they were a good way donians, and had no business with any man. from the house of Micah, the men that 8 And they came unto their brethren to were in the houses near to Micah's house Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren were gathered together, and overtook the said unto them, What say ye? children of Dan.

9 And they said, Arise, that we may go 23 And they cried unto the children of up against them: for we have seen the Dan. And they turned their faces, and land, and behold, it is very good: and are said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that ye stili? be not slothful to go, and to en- thou comest with such a company? ter to possess the land.

24 And he said, Ye have taken away

10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a my gods which I made, and the priest, people secure, and to a large land: for and ye are gone away: and what have I God hath given it into your hands; a more? and what is this that ye say unto place where there is no want of any thing me, What aileth thee? 25 And the children of Dan said unto

that is in the earth.

11 ¶ And there went from thence of the him. Let not thy voice be heard among us, family of the Danites, out of Zorah and lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appoint- lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. ed with weapons of war. 26 And the children of Dan went their