Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? read more.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.


Saul took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the territory of Israel with the following message: This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle. The people were afraid of Jehovah. They came out united behind Saul.

They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.)

When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. read more.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin.


The Israelites gathered at Mizpah. They made a solemn promise to Jehovah: None of us will allow a daughter to marry a Benjaminite. The people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They lifted their voices and wept bitterly. They said: Jehovah God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel? read more.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.


Jehovah said to Joshua: You get up! Why are you on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things and put them in their own possessions. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They ran from their enemies, because they were accursed. I will not be with you any more until you destroy the devoted things you have among you. read more.
Get up and sanctify the people. Say: 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: You cannot stand before you enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning assemble by tribe. The tribe Jehovah picks will come forward family by family and man by man. He that has take the devoted things shall be burned in the fire, along with all that he owns. He has transgressed the covenant of Jehovah. He has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.' So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: He brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Joshua said to Achan: My son, give glory to Jehovah God of Israel and confess to him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. Achan answered Joshua: Indeed I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel. This I have done. When I saw among the spoils a quality Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them. I hid them in the earth in the middle of my tent. So Joshua sent messengers to the tent and found it and the silver. They took them out of the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before Jehovah. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. Joshua said: Why have you troubled us? Jehovah will trouble you this day. All Israel stoned them with stones. After they stoned them they burned them with fire. They raised over them a great heap of stones that is there to this day. So Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. The name of that place was called, the Valley of Achor, to this day.

They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? read more.
When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.


Curse Meroz, says Jehovah's angel: Curse those who live there. They did not come to help Jehovah. They did not come as soldiers to fight for him.

Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there.

Near them, the Tekoites were at work; but their chiefs did not put their necks to the work of their masters.

They have not been your servants in their kingdom! In all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them they have not turned away from their evil doing.

You should have put my money in the bank. I should have received my money back plus interest.


What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he does not have works? Can that faith save him?



When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. read more.
Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel.


Curse Meroz, says Jehovah's angel: Curse those who live there. They did not come to help Jehovah. They did not come as soldiers to fight for him.

Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there.

Near them, the Tekoites were at work; but their chiefs did not put their necks to the work of their masters.

They have not been your servants in their kingdom! In all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them they have not turned away from their evil doing.

You should have put my money in the bank. I should have received my money back plus interest.


What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he does not have works? Can that faith save him?



The Israelites gathered at Mizpah. They made a solemn promise to Jehovah: None of us will allow a daughter to marry a Benjaminite. The people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. They lifted their voices and wept bitterly. They said: Jehovah God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel? read more.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They asked: Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in Jehovah's presence at Mizpah? (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.) The people of Israel felt sorry for their brothers the Benjaminites. They said: Israel has lost one of its tribes. We have made a solemn promise to Jehovah that we will not give them any of our daughters. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives? When they asked if some group out of the tribes of Israel had not gone to the gathering at Mizpah, they found out that no one from Jabesh in Gilead had been there. No one from Jabesh responded to the roll call. The assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders: Go kill everyone in Jabesh, including women and children. Kill all the males, and also every woman who is not a virgin. They found four hundred young virgins among the people in Jabesh. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The whole assembly sent word to the Benjaminites who were at Rimmon Rock and offered to end the war. The Benjaminites came back. And the other Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh whom they had not killed. But there were not enough of them. The people felt sorry for the Benjaminites because Jehovah had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. So the leaders said: There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive. We cannot allow them to marry our daughters. We have put a curse on anyone who allows a Benjaminite to marry one of our daughters. They said: The yearly festival of Jehovah at Shiloh is coming soon. (Shiloh is north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and east of the road between Bethel and Shechem.) They told the Benjaminites: Go hide in the vineyards. When the young women of Shiloh come out to dance during the festival, you come out of the vineyards. Each of you should take a wife by force from among them and take her back to the territory of Benjamin with you. If their fathers or brothers come to you and protest, you can tell them: 'Please let us keep them, because we did not take them from you in battle to be our wives. Since you did not give them to us, you are not guilty of breaking your promise.' The Benjaminites did this. Each of them chose a wife from the young women who were dancing at Shiloh and carried her away. They went back to their own territory, rebuilt their towns, and lived there.