And Jephthah said unto them, Great strife, had, I and my people, even with the sons of Ammon; but, when I cried unto you for help, ye saved me not out of their hand.

So, when I saw that thou wast not going to save, then put I my life in my hand, and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Wherefore, then, have ye come up against me this day, to fight against me?

they said to him, Come now, say Shibboleth, and, if he said Sibboleth, and he could not take heed to speak in that manner, then laid they hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan, - and there fell, at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty-two thousand.

Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink, - nor eat anything unclean;

So the woman came in, and told her husband, saying, A man of God, came unto me, and, his, appearance, was as the appearance of the messenger of God, reverend exceedingly, - and I asked him not whence he was, and, his name, he told me not.

But he said unto me, Lo! thou art about to conceive, and bear a son, - now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be, from his birth until the day of his death.

And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah, - and the messenger of God came again unto the woman, as, she, was sitting in the field, Manoah her husband, not being with her.

But the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah - Though thou detain me, yet will I not eat of thy food, and, though thou make ready an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh, must thou cause it to ascend. For Manoah had not discerned that, the angel of Yahweh, he was.

But his wife said unto him, If Yahweh had been pleased to put us to death, he would not have received at our hand, an ascending-sacrifice and a meal-offering, nor would he have shewed us all these things, - and, at such a time, have let us hear the like of this!

And his father and his mother said to him - Is there not, among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, a woman, that thou art going away to take a woman from among the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson said unto his father - Take, her, for me, for, she, is pleasant in mine eyes.

Now, his father and his mother, knew not, that, from Yahweh, it was, that, an occasion, he was seeking of the Philistines, - at that time, the Philistines having dominion over Israel.

And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he tore it in pieces as if he had torn in pieces a kid, there being, nothing at all, in his hand, - but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

which he took into his hands, and went on - eating as he went, and came unto his father and unto his mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat, - but he told them not that, out of the carcass of the lion, he had taken the honey.

And he said to them - Out of the eater, came forth food, And, out of the strong, came forth sweetness. But they could not tell the riddle, in three days.

And it came to pass, on the fourth day, that they said to Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father, with fire. Was it not, to impoverish us, that ye invited us - was it not?

And the wife of Samson wept upon him, and said - Thou dost, altogether hate me, and dost not love me, a riddle, hast thou put forth to the sons of my people, and, unto me, thou hast not told it! And he said to her, Lo! to my own father and mother, have I not told it, and, to thee, shall I tell it?

And the men of the city said to him, on the seventh day - ere yet the sun went in, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle!

And it came to pass, after a time, in the days of wheat-harvest, that Samson went to visit his wife, with a kid, and he said - I will go in unto my wife, in the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

And her father said - I, thought, that thou didst, hate, her, so I gave her to thy companion, - Is not, her younger sister, fairer than she? Pray let her be thine, in her stead.

Then went down three thousand men out of Judah, unto the cleft of the crag Etam, and said unto Samson - Knowest thou not that the Philistines are lording it over us? What, then, is this thou hast done to us? And he said unto them, As they have done to me, so, have I done to them.

And they said to him - To bind thee, are we come down, to deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me, that ye will not fall upon me, yourselves.

And they answered him, saying - Nay; but we will, bind, thee, and deliver thee into their hand, but we will not, put thee to death. So they bound him with two new ropes, and took him up from the crag.

And it was told the Gazites, saying - Samson hath come in hither. So they came round, and lay in wait for him, all the night, in the gate of the city, - but kept themselves quiet all the night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then will we slay him.

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green cords, that have not been dried, then shall I become weak, and be as any other man.

So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords, that had not been dried, - and she bound him therewith.

Now, the liers in wait, were tarrying for her, in an inner chamber, - and she said unto him, - The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he snapped the cords as a thread of tow is broken, when fire bloweth thereon, so his strength was not discovered.

And she said unto him - How canst thou say, I love thee, when, thy heart, is not with me? These three times, hast thou laughed at me, and hast not told me wherein lieth thy great strength.

And she said - The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and said - I will go out now, as time after time, and shake myself free: he, not knowing, that, Yahweh, had departed from him.

In those days, there was no king in Israel, - and, in those days, the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in for there had not fallen to them, unto that day, in the midst of the tribes of Israel, enough for an inheritance.

And they said - Arise! and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and lo! it is very good, - are, ye, then, minded to do nothing? do not be too slothful to go, and enter, and take possession of the land.

And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, - lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.

So they both of them sat down and did eat together, and drink. Then said the father of the damsel unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry the night, and let thy heart be glad.

And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.

And, when the man rose up to go - he and his concubine and his young man, - his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own home.

But the man would not tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem, - and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.

They being by Jebus, and, the day, having gone far down, the young man said unto his lord - Do come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and tarry the night therein.

And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel, - but will pass on as far as Gibeah.

And he said to his young man, Come and let us draw near unto one of the places, - and tarry the night in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah, - so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry the night.

And the man, the owner of the house, went forth unto them, and said unto them, Do not, my brethren, do not act vilely, I pray you, - after this man hath entered into my house, do not commit this impiety.

Lo, my virgin daughter, and his concubine, I must needs now bring, them, forth, and ye must humble, them, and do, unto them, what seemeth good in your own eyes, - but, unto this man, must ye not do this impious thing!

But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside, - and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the dawn.

And so it was, that every one who beheld said - There hath not happened, nor been seen the like of this, from the day when the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt, until this day: Put it to yourselves contemning it, take counsel and speak!

And the Levite, husband of the woman that was cut in pieces, responded and said, - Into Gibeah that pertaineth to Benjamin, I entered, I and my concubine, to tarry the night.

And the owners of Gibeah rose up against me, and beset the house, for my sake, by night, - me, they thought to slay, and, my concubine, they so humbled, that she died.

So all the men of Israel were gathered together against the city, as one man knit together.

Now, therefore, deliver up the men - the sons of the Abandoned One - who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and vileness be consumed out of Israel. But the sons of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel.

Out of all this people, were seven hundred chosen men, left-handed, - any one of whom could sling with a stone to a hair's-breadth, and not miss.

And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men, out of all Israel, and the battle was severe, - they, not knowing that disaster was overtaking them.

Now, the men of Israel, had sworn in Mizpah, saying, - Not a man from among us, shall give his daughter unto Benjamin, to wife.

And the sons of Israel said, Who was there that came not up, in the convocation, out of all the tribes of Israel, unto Yahweh? For, the great oath, had been taken, as to any who came not up unto Yahweh at Mizpah, saying - He shall be, put to death.

What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, - seeing that, we ourselves, have sworn by Yahweh, not to give them of our daughters, for wives?

So they said, What one of the tribes of Israel is there, that hath not come up unto Yahweh at Mizpah? And lo! no man had come into the camp, out of Jabesh-gilead, unto the convocation:

When the people were numbered, lo! there was not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead.

And they found - of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead - four hundred young women, virgins, who had not cohabited with man, - so they brought them into the camp, at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

So Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, - but they found not for them to suffice , even so.

And they said, There is an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, - and there must not be wiped out, a tribe, out of Israel.

Yet, we, may not give them wives, of our own daughters, For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed, be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

And it shall be, when their fathers, or their brethren, come in to complain to us, that we will say unto them - As a favour to us, grant them, because we took not for each man his wife in the battle, - for, ye yourselves, gave them not unto them, so as, now, to be guilty.

Go back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband, - If I should say, I have, hope, if I should, even to-night have a husband, and should, even bear sons,

And Ruth said - Do not urge me to leave thee, to go back from following thee, - for, whither thou goest, I will go, and, where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people, shall be my people, and, thy God, my God;

And she said unto them, Do not call me Naomi, - call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me:

and she said - Let me glean, I pray thee, and gather among the sheaves, after the reapers; so she came in, and hath continued from that time, all the morning until just now, and hath not rested in the house, for a little.

And Boaz said unto Ruth - Hearest thou not, my daughter? Do not go to glean in any other field, neither indeed shalt thou pass on, from hence, - but, here, shalt thou keep fast by my maidens:

thine eyes, be on the field which they shall reap, and go thou after them, Have I not commanded the young men, that they touch thee not? And, when thou art athirst, then go unto the vessels, and drink of what the young men shall draw.

And Boaz answered, and said to her, It hath been, told, me - all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law, since the death of thy husband, - and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and come unto a people whom thou knewest not, aforetime.

And she said - Let me find favour in thine eyes, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken unto the heart of thy handmaid, - though, I, be not as, one of thine own handmaidens.

And, when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying - Even between the sheaves, let her glean, and reproach her not;

yea moreover, draw out, for her, from the bundles, - and leave behind that she may glean it, and rebuke her not.

Then said Naomi, to her daughter-in-law - Blessed, be he of Yahweh, who hath not left off his lovingkindness to the living, and to the dead. And Naomi said to her - Near to us, is the man, of our own kinsmen, is he!

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, - Good, is it, my daughter, that thou go forth with his maidens, and that they meet thee not, in any other field.

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, - My daughter! shall I not seek for thee a place of rest, in which it may be well with thee?

Now, therefore, is not, Boaz, of our kindred, with whose maidens thou hast been? Lo! he is winnowing the barley threshing-floor, to-night!

Thou wilt, therefore, bathe thee, and anoint thee, and put thine apparel upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor, - do not make thyself known to the man, until he have done eating and drinking.

And it came to pass, in the middle of the night, that the man started up, and turned, - and lo! a woman, lying at his feet.

And he said - Blessed, be thou of Yahweh, my daughter, for thou hast made thy last lovingkindness better than the first, - in not following after young men, whether poor, or rich.

Now, therefore, my daughter, do not fear, whatsoever thou shalt say, I will do for thee, - for all the gate of my people doth know, that, a virtuous woman, thou art.

Tarry the night, and it shall be, in the morning, if he will act as kinsman to thee, well, let him so act, but, if he inclineth not to act as kinsman to thee, then will, I, so act to thee - by the life of Yahweh, - Lie still, until the morning.

So she lay at his feet, until the morning, and rose up before one could know his neighbour. And he said - Do not let it be known that a woman came into the threshing-floor.

And she said - These six measures of barley, gave he unto me, - for he said, Do not go in empty, unto thy mother-in- law.

And she said - Abide, my daughter, until that thou get to know, how the matter will fall out, - for the man will not rest, except he have finished the thing to-day.

and, I, thought, I would unveil thine ear, saying - Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but, if thou wilt not so act, only tell me - that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but, I, am after thee. And he said, I, will act as kinsman.

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over, to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off - from among his brethren, and from the gate of his dwelling- place, - Witnesses, are ye to-day!

Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed, be Yahweh! who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day, - and may his name, be proclaimed, in Israel;

And, thus, used she to do, year by year, whenever she went up to the house of Yahweh, thus, used she to vex her, - and she wept, and would not eat.

So Elkanah her husband said to her - Hannah! wherefore shouldst thou weep? and wherefore wilt thou not eat? and wherefore should thy heart be sad? Am, I, not better to thee, than ten sons?

And she vowed a vow, and said - Yahweh of hosts! If thou wilt, look, upon the humiliation of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then will I give him unto Yahweh, all the days of his life, and no, razor, shall come upon his head.

But as for, Hannah, she, was speaking in her heart, only her lips, were moving, but, her voice, could not be heard, - so Eli thought she had been drunken.

Do not count thy handmaid for an abandoned woman, - for, out of the abundance of my grief and my vexation, have I spoken, hitherto.

But, Hannah, went not up, - for she said to her husband - Not till the boy is weaned, then will I take him, and he shall appear before Yahweh, and abide there evermore.

Do not multiply words, so loftily - loftily, Nor let arrogance proceed from your mouth, - For, a GOD of knowledge, is Yahweh, And, for himself, are great doings made firm.

Now, the sons of Eli, were abandoned men, - they knew not Yahweh.

Also, before any could make perfume with the fat, the priests young man would come in and say to the person who was sacrificing, Come! give flesh for the priest's roastings, - for he will not take of thee boiled flesh - only raw.

If one man sin against another, God will interpose, but, if, against Yahweh, a man sin, who will intercede, for him? But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for Yahweh was pleased to put them to death.

But thou shalt descry distress at home, in all that shall gladden Israel, - and there shall not be an elder in thine own house, all the days.

But, any man of thine whom I may not cut off from mine altar, it shall be - to consume his eyes, and grieve his soul; Howbeit, all the multitude of thy house, shall die, by the sword of men.

But it came to pass, at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, his eyes, having begun to be dim, he could not see,

though, the lamp of God, was not yet to be put out, and, Samuel, was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where was the ark of God,

So he ran unto Eli and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, return - Its down. So he went, and lie down.

And again Yahweh called once there - Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, my son, return - lie down.