The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kiriathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife."

And Othniel the son of Kenaz Caleb's younger brother took it: to whom he gave Achsah his daughter to wife,

and as they went she counseled him to ask of her father a field. And then she lighted off her ass, and Caleb said unto her, "What aileth thee?"

And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah that lieth in the South of Arad, and dwelt among the people.

And Judah went and Simeon with him, and they slew the Cananites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it, and called the name of the city Hormah.

And the LORD was with Judah that he conquered the mountains, but they could not drive out the inhabiters of the valleys, because they had chariots of iron.

And the children of Benjamin did not cast out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

and the house of Joseph searched out Bethel which before time was called Luz.

And the spies saw a man come out of the city and they said unto him, "Show us the way into the city, and we will show thee mercy."

And he showed them the way into the city, and they smote it with the edge of the sword, but let the man and all his household go free.

Neither did Asher cast out the inhabiters of Acco, neither the inhabiters of Sidon, of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, nor of Rehob,

but the Asherites dwelt among the Cananites the inhabiters of the land, and drave them not out.

Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabiters of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabiters of Bethanath, but dwelt amongst the Cananites the inhabiters of the land. Nevertheless the inhabiters of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers. And I said that I would never break my covenant with you,

Wherefore I have likewise determined that I will not cast them out before you: that they may be a fall unto you, and their gods shall be snares unto you."

And when the angel of the LORD had spoken these words unto all the children of Israel, the people cried out and wept.

And even so, all that generation were put unto their fathers. And there arose another generation after them which neither knew the LORD, nor yet the works which he did unto Israel.

and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD.

Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors,

and yet for all that they would not hearken unto their judges: But went a whoring after strange gods and bowed themselves unto them, and turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD, and did not so.

And when the LORD raised up judges unto them, the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD had compassion over their sorrowings which they had by the reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Yet for all that, as soon as the judge was dead they turned and did worse than their fathers in following strange gods, and in serving them, and ceased not from their inventions nor from their malicious ways.

therefore henceforth I will not cast out one man before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died -

And so the LORD left those nations alone, and drove them not out immediately, neither delivered them into the hands of Joshua.

Therefore the LORD was angry with Israel and delivered them into the hands of Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia. So that the children of Israel served Cushanrishathaim eight years.

And the spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he judged Israel, and went out to war. And the LORD sold Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. So that his hand was mighty over Cushanrishathaim.

Ehud made him a two-edged dagger of a span long, and girded it under his garment upon his right thigh;

and he himself turned back from the idols at Gilgal, and caused to say thus: "I have a secret thing to tell thee, O king." And the king commanded to keep silence, and all they that stood about him went out from him.

And Ehud came in unto him in a summer parlor, of which he had several unto himself alone, and said, "I have a message unto thee from God." And he arose out of his seat.

And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly,

so that the hilt went in also, and the fat closed upon the hilt: for he drew not the dagger out of his belly. And filthiness departed from him.

But Ehud gat him out at the back door, and put to the door after him, and locked it.

When he was gone out, his servants came and looked. And behold, the doors of the parlor were locked. And they said, "Ah, he is doing of his easement in his summer chamber."

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam, out of Kadesh in Naphtali, and said unto him, "The LORD God of Israel commandeth thee, that thou go and draw to mount Tabor and take with thee ten thousand men, of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.

But Heber the Kenite was removed out of the Kenites, which was of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and pitched his tent until he was come unto the oak of Zaananim, by Kadesh.

And then it was showed unto Sisera how that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

Then said Deborah unto Barak, "Up, for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hands: for the LORD is gone out before thee." And so Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

And Jael went out against Sisera and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord. Turn in to me and fear not." And he turned in unto her tent: and she covered him with a mantle.

And behold, as Barak followed after Sisera, Jael came out against him, and said unto him, "Come and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail through his temples.

LORD, when thou departedest out of Seir and camest from the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heaven rained, and the clouds dropped water:

"God chose new fashions of war, for when they had war at their gates: there was not seen, among forty thousand, either shield or spear in Israel.

Kings came and fought. Then fought the king of Canaan at Taanach, upon the water of Megiddo. But the silver that they coveted, they carried not away.

Through a window looked Sisera's mother and howled through a lattice, 'Why abideth his chariot so long, that it cometh not? Why tarry the wheels of his wagons?'

for they came with their cattle and households even as grasshoppers in multitude: so that both they and also their camels were without number. And they entered the land to destroy it.

the LORD sent a prophet unto them, and said unto them, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: I fetched you from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage

and I rid you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all that oppressed you, and cast them out before you, and gave you their lands.

And the Angel of the LORD came and sat under an oak in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the father of the Abiezrites. And his son Gideon pressed out wheat out of the ears in a press, for to flee from the Midianites.

And Gideon answered him, "Oh my Lord; if the LORD be with us, why is all this come upon us? Yea, and where be his miracles which our fathers told us of and said, 'The LORD brought us out of Egypt'? But now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

And the LORD looked upon him and said, "Go hence in this thy might and deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites: Behold, I have sent thee."

Depart not hence until I come again unto thee and bring mine offering, and have set it before thee." And he said, "I will tarry until thou come again."

And Gideon went and made ready a kid, and sweet cakes of an Ephah of flour, and put the flesh in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it.

And the angel of God said unto him, "Take the flesh and the sweet cakes and put them upon this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.

Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the cakes. And there arose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished out of his sight.

And when Gideon perceived that it was an angel, he said, "Alas my Lord Jehovah, that I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face."

Then Gideon made an altar there unto the LORD and called it Jehovah Shalom; The LORD is the Peace. Which unto this day is yet in Ophrah that pertaineth unto the father of the Abiezrites.

And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Take an ox of thy father's and another of seven years old, and destroy the altar of Baal that belongeth unto thy father, and cut down the grove that is about it,

and make an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock and furnish it. And take the second ox and offer burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove, which thou shalt have cut down."

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD bade him. But because he durst not do it by day for fear of his father's household and of the men of the city, he did it by night.

When the men of the city were up early in the morning: Behold the altar of Baal was broken, and the grove that stood about it cut down. And the second ox offered upon the altar that was made.

And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And they enquired and asked. And it was told them that Gideon the son of Joash had done it.

Then the men of the city said unto Joash, "Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath broken the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was about it."

And it came to pass. And he rose up early on the morrow, and he thrust the fleece together and wrung the dew thereout and filled a bowl of water.

And Gideon said unto God, "Be not angry with me, that I speak once more; let me prove only once again with the fleece. Let it be dry only upon the fleece, and dew upon all the ground about."

And God did so that same night: so that it was dry upon the fleece only, and on all the ground about, dew.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people are yet too many, bring them down unto the water, and I will try them unto thee there. And of whom I say unto thee, this shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. And whosoever I say unto thee, this shall not go with thee, the same shall not go."

And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Up, and go down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand.

and hearken what they say, and so shall thine hands be strong, and then thou shalt go down unto the host." Then he went down with Phurah his lad, even hard unto the men of arms that were in the host.

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream and me thought that a broiled loaf of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along."

And they took two captains of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb at the press Zeeb and followed after Midian. And brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

And he said unto them, "What deed have I done like unto yours: are not the clusters of Ephraim better than the wine harvest of Abiezer?

God hath delivered into your hands the lords of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do like as you have done?" And then their spirits abated from off him, when he had said that.

And then Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, both he and the three hundred men that were with him, very faint and yet followed the chase.

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, the sun being yet up, and caught a lad of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him.

And then said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner men were they which ye slew at Tabor?" And they answered, "The likeness of thee and them is all one, even after the fashion of the children of a king."

And he said unto Jether his eldest son, "Up, and slay them." But the lad drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet young.

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, "Reign over us, both thou, thy son and thy son's son, for thou hast delivered us out of the hands of the Midianites."

And they said, "We will do it." And they spread a mantle and did cast thereinto every man the earrings of his prey.

And the weight of the golden earrings was a thousand and seven hundred sicles of gold, beside brooches, ouches and garments of scarlet that were of the kings of Midian, and beside the chains, that were about their camels' necks.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ophrah. And all Israel went a whoring after him there, which thing was the ruin of Gideon's house.

and thought not on the LORD their God which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons which went with him.

And they went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew all his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, even seventy persons upon one stone. Notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal escaped, for he hid himself.

And all the citizens of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Mello, and went and made Abimelech king at a certain oak that was by Shechem.

And when it was told Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lift up his voice and called, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me you citizens of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

And the furze bush said unto the trees, "If it will be true that ye will anoint me king over you, then come and rest under my shadow, and ye shall see that a fire shall come out of the furze-bush and waste the cypress trees of Lebanon!'

- forasmuch as my father fought for you and adventured his life, and rid you out of the hands of the Midianites -

But, if ye have not dealt truly, then I pray God a fire may come out of Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and the house of Mello. And that there come a fire out of the citizens of Shechem, and out of the house of Mello and consume Abimelech."

And the citizens of Shechem set men to lay await for him in the top of the mountains, which men robbed all that came along the way by them. And it was told Abimelech.

And they went out into the fields and gathered in their grapes and trod them and made merry: and went into the house of their God, and did eat and drink and cursed Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "What is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve such as come of Hamor the father of Shechem. For what reason is it that we should serve him?

Would God this people were under my hand, then I would take Abimelech out of the way." And one said unto Abimelech, "Make thine host greater and go out."

Now, therefore, up by night, both thou and all the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the fields.

And rise early in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, and come upon the city. And when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, do to him what thine hands shall be able."

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night. And they laid await to the city in four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up and the folk that were with him, from lying await.

Then said Zebul unto him, "Where is now thy mouth that said, 'What fellow is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' These are the people that thou so despisest. Go out now a fellowship and fight with them."

And Gaal went out before the citizens of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

And then Abimelech went and dwelt at Arumah. And then Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, and would not suffer them to dwell in Shechem.

And on the morrow the people went out into the field. And it was told Abimelech.