And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the pillar which was by it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered upon the altar that was built.

Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out your son so that he may die (because he had cast down the altar of Baal, and because he had cut down the pillar by it).

And Joash said to all that stood against him, Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? He who contends for him shall be killed by the morning. If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because one has cast down his altar.

And Gideon said to God, If You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said,

behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the grain-floor. And if the dew is on the fleece only, and dry upon all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.

And Gideon said to God, Let not Your anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once. I pray You, let me test but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

And Jerubbaal (he is Gideon) and all the people that were with him, rose up early and pitched beside the well of Harod, so that the army of the Midianites was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will separate them for you there. It shall be that of whom I say to you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you. And of whomever I say to you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, I will save you by the three hundred men who lapped, and will deliver the Midianites into your hand. And let all the other people go, each man to his place.

And you shall hear what they shall say. And afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down to the army. Then he went down with Phurah his servant to the edge of the ranks in the army.

And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels without number, like the sand by the seaside for multitude.

And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise. And, behold, when I come to the edge of the camp, it shall be, as I do, so you shall do.

And Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army. For the army was at ease.

But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness with which they honor God and man by me, and go to be promoted over the trees?

But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

so that the cruelty to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem who helped him in the killing of his brothers.

And the men of Shechem set men lying in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed by. And it was told to Abimelech.

And now come up by night, you and the people with you, and lie in wait in the field.

And it shall be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, it shall be that you shall rise early and set upon the city. And behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as you desire.

And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people with him, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

And Gaal spoke again and said, See, people are coming by the middle of the land, and another company coming along by way of the Sorcerers' Oak.

And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar. And he lived in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served Jehovah. And His soul was moved by the misery of Israel.

And the people and rulers of Gilead said to one another, What man is there who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the sons of Ammon.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, For this reason we turn again to you now, so that you may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be our head over all the people of Gilead.

And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah delivers them before me, shall I be your head?

And they went along through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but they did not come within the border of Moab; for Arnon was the border of Moab.

when Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities which are along by the borders of Arnon, for three hundred years? Why then did you not deliver them in that time?

then it shall be that whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, surely it shall belong to Jehovah, or I will offer it up instead of a burnt offering.

And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, so that I may go up and down upon the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.

For lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

But He said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

And Manoah prayed to Jehovah and said, O, my Lord, let the Man of God, whom You sent, come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the boy that shall be born.

And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.

And it happened when they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

And her father said, I truly thought that you utterly hated her, and I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she is? Please, let her be for you instead of her.

And Samson said concerning them, Now I shall be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do evil with them.

And Samson said to them, Though you have done this, yet I will be avenged of you, and after that I will stop.

And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Lure him and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, so that we may tie him to afflict him. And each one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And Delilah said to Samson, Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.

And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then I shall be weak and be as another man.

And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please, tell me with what you may be bound.

And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall be weak and be as another man.

And Delilah said to Samson, You have mocked me until now, and told me lies. Tell me with what you may be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.

And he told her all his heart, and said to her, A razor has not come on my hair, for I am a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak and be like any man.

And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands, so that I may lean upon them.

And Samson called to Jehovah and said, O, Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, so that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver which were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. Behold, I took it. And his mother said, Be blessed of Jehovah, my son.

And Micah said to him, Live with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of clothes, and your food. And the Levite went in.

In those days no king was in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites looked for an inheritance for them to live in. For to that day it had not fallen to them by inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

And they said to him, We pray you, Ask counsel of God so that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

And they said, Arise, so that we may go up against them. For we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good. And will you sit quietly? Do not be too lazy to go; enter to possess the land.

And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.

And they said to him, Be quiet, lay your hand on your mouth and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?

And the sons of Dan said to him, Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household.

And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with any man. And it was in the valley that lies by Beth-rehob. And they built a city and lived in it.

And they sat down and ate and drank, both of them together, for the girl's father had said to the man, Please be content, and stay all night, and let your heart be merry.

And when the man rose up to leave, he and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening. Please stay all night. Behold, the day grows to an end. Stay here so that your heart may be merry. And tomorrow go early on your way, so that you may go to your tent.

And the old man said, Peace be with you. Yet all that you lack shall be on me. Only do not stay in the street.

And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then the man took her on an ass, and the man rose up and went to his place.

And now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah, going against it by lot.

and said, O, Jehovah, the God of Israel, Why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up with the congregation to Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives?

And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had known no man by lying with any male. And they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

And they said, There must be an inheritance for those of Benjamin who have escaped, so that a tribe may not be destroyed out of Israel.

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, we will say to them, Be favorable to them for our sakes, because we did not reserve each man a wife in the war. For if you did not give to them at this time, you would be guilty.

And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters. Why will you go with me? Are there yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

And Ruth said, Do not beg me to leave you, to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.

And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless you.

And Boaz said to Ruth, Do you not hear, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, neither go away from here, but stay here close by my maidens.

Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men that they shall not touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

May Jehovah repay your work, and may a full reward be given you from Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust.

And Ruth of Moab said, He said to me also, You shall keep close by my young men whom I have until they have ended all my harvest.

And she kept close by the maidens of Boaz to glean until the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

And her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you so that it may be well with you?

And he said, Blessed be you of Jehovah, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, in that you did not follow young men, whether poor or rich.

Stay tonight, and it shall be in the morning, if he will redeem you, well; he will redeem. And if he does not delight to redeem you, as Jehovah lives, then I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.

And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Do not let it be known that a woman came to the floor.

And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said, Such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.

And I said I will tell it in your ear, saying, Buy it before those who live here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem it. But if you will not redeem, tell me so that I may know. For there is none to redeem besides you. And I am after you. And he said, I will redeem.

And Boaz said, In the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy also from the hand of Ruth of Moab, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. So he drew off his sandal.

And also Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day.

And all the people in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. May Jehovah make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, for these two built the house of Israel. And may you be blessed in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

And let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give you of this young woman.

And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, so that his name may be famous in Israel.

And he shall be to you as a restorer of life, and one who cheers your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, she who is better to you than seven sons.

And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her. And she wept and did not eat.

And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. And Eli the priest sat on the seat by the side post of the temple of Jehovah.

And Eli said to her, How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you!

And she said, O, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Jehovah.

For this boy I was praying, and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of Him.

And I have returned him to Jehovah. As long as he lives, he shall be given to Jehovah. And he worshiped Jehovah there.

Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

The foes of Jehovah shall be broken to pieces. He thunders in the heavens upon them. Jehovah shall judge the ends of the earth. And He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed.