and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, - so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.

So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Then said Zebah and Zalmunna - Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

Then said the men of Israel, unto Gideon, Rule over us - even thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, - for thou hast saved us out of the power of Midian.

And Gideon said unto them - I would make to you a request, Give me, then, every man the nose-ring of his spoil. For they had, nose-rings of gold, for, Ishmaelites, they were.

And, Gideon, had seventy sons, sprung from his own loins, - for, many wives, had he.

Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem - Which is better for you, that there should rule over you, seventy men, all sons of Jerubbaal, or that there should rule over you, one man? And remember that, your bone and your flesh, am I.

So the brethren of his mother spake for him, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem, all these words, - and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said - Our own brother, is he.

And he entered the house of his father, at Ophrah, and slew his brethren, sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, upon one stone, - but there remained Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, for he had hidden himself.

But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, which, in me, gods and men do honour, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees?

But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and mine excellent increase, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees?

But the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, that rejoiceth gods and men, - and go to wave to and fro, over the trees?

And the bramble said unto the trees, If, in truth, ye are about to anoint me to be king over you, come, take refuge in my shade, - but, if not, there shall come forth fire out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

in that my father fought for you, and cast his soul away from before him, and rescued you out of the hand of Midian; -

but, if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the owners of Shechem, and the house of Millo, - and let fire come out from the owners of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech!

So the owners of Shechem set for him liers in wait, upon the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who crossed over them by the road, - and it was told Abimelech.

So Abimelech rose up,, and all the people that were with him, by night, - and they lay in wait above Shechem, in four companies.

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, - and there fell a multitude of slain as far as the entering of the gate.

So, even all the people cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and laid them over the basement, and set it on fire over them who were therein, - even all the men of the tower of Shechem died about a thousand men and women.

And Abimelech came in as far as the tower, and fought against it, - and so came near, as far as the entrance of the tower, to burn it with fire.

And the wife of Gilead bare him sons, - and, when the wife's sons grew up, they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him - Thou shalt not inherit with the house of our father, for, son of an alien woman, art thou.

And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah - Therefore, have we, now, returned unto thee, that, if thou go with us, and do battle with the sons of Ammon, then shalt thou become our head, for all the inhabitants of Gilead.

for, when they came up out of Egypt, and Israel journeyed through the desert as far as the Red Sea, and came in unto Kadesh,

Then journeyed they through the desert, and went round the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and so came, from the rising of the sun, to the land of Moab, but encamped beyond Arnon, - and entered not within the boundary of Moab, for, Arnon, is the boundary of Moab.

Then did Israel send messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, - and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land as far as my own place.

Yea they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, - from Arnon, even as far as the Jabbok, and from the desert, even as far as the Jordan.

all the time that Israel hath been dwelling in Heshbon and in her towns, and in Aroer and in her towns, and in all the cities that are on the banks of Arnon, - for three hundred years? Wherefore, then, have ye not made a rescue within that time?

and he smote them, from Aroer even till thou enterest in to Minnith, even twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with an exceeding great smiting, - and thus were the sons of Ammon subdued before the sons of Israel.

And she said unto him - My father! Thou hast opened wide thy mouth unto Yahweh, Do with me, according to that which hath gone forth out of thy mouth, - after that Yahweh hath exacted for thee an avenging from thine enemies, from the sons of Ammon.

And she said unto her father, Let this thing, be done for me, - Let me alone two months, that I may depart, and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

And he said - Depart. So he let her go, for two months, - and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity, upon the mountains.

From year to year, departed the daughters of Israel, to lament aloud for the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in the year.

And the men of Ephraim were called together, and passed over northward, - and said unto Jephthah - Wherefore didst thou pass over to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and, for us, didst not call, to go with thee? Thy house, will we consume over thee with fire.

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.

And so it was, he had thirty sons, and, thirty daughters, sent he abroad, while, thirty daughters, brought he from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

for lo! thou, art about to conceive and bear a son, and no, razor, shall come on his head, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be from his birth, - and, he, shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

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 Manoah said, Now, let thy words come to pass, - What shall be the rule for the boy, and his work?

And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh, - I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid.

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.

And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall, die, - for, upon God, have we looked.

And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan, - between Zorah and Eshtaol.

So he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said - A woman, have I seen in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines, - now, therefore, take her for me, to wife.

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.

So Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, - and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnath, when lo! a young lion, roaring to meet him.

And his father went down unto the woman, - and Samson made there a banquet, for, so, used the young men, to do.

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, when he had set fire to the torches, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, - and set fire, both to the stack of sheaves and to the standing corn, and besides to the olive plantation.

Then said the Philistines - Who hath done this? And they said - Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion. So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father, with fire.

He, was coming in as far as Lehi, and, the Philistines, came shouting to meet him, - when the Spirit of Yahweh came suddenly over him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as threads of flax which have been ignited with fire, so that his bonds melted from off his hands.

So then God clave open the hollow that is in Lehi, and there came therefrom water, and he drank, and his spirit came back, and he revived, - for this cause, called he the name thereof - Ain-hakkore, which is in Lehi, until this day.

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.

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.

so he told her all his heart, and said to her - No, razor, hath come on my head, for, one separate unto God, have I been, from my birth, - if I were shaven, then would depart from me my strength, and I should become weak, and be as any other man.

And, when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying - Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought up the silver in their hand.

And she made him sleep upon her knees, and called for a man, and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head, - and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.

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.

And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain.

And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.

So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, - My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, - and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines.

And, when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said - I had, hallowed, the silver unto Yahweh out of mine own hand, for my son, to make a graved (molten) image, now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee.

So the man took his journey out of the city, out of Bethlehem-judah, to sojourn, wheresoever he could find a home , - and he came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, in pursuing his journey.

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.

So then the sons of Dan sent, out of their family, five men out of their bounds - men who were sons of valour - out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol - to spy out the land, and to explore it, and they said unto them, Go! explore the land. And they came into the hill country of Ephraim, as far as the house of Micah, and lodged there.

So the five men went their way, and entered Laish, - and saw the people who were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quietly and securely, and there was no one to reproach them with anything in the land, none to possess himself of dominion, they being, far away, from the Zidonians, and having no dealings with any one.

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 they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, - and came as far as the house of Micah.

And the sons of Dan went on their journey, - and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, - the city also, burned they with fire.

And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein,

And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, - and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.

So they set up for themselves the graven image of Micah, which he had made, - and let it remain all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.

And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, - and remained there, the space of four months.

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 unto him - We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a house.

Nevertheless, straw and fodder too, is there for our asses, yea moreover, bread and wine, there are for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants, - there is lack, of nothing.

And the chiefs of all the people - all the tribes of Israel - presented themselves in the convocation of the people of God, - four hundred thousand footmen, that drew the sword.

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.

and we will take ten men of a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the people, - that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the impiety that it hath wrought in Israel.

And, the men of Israel, were numbered, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, that drew the sword, - every one of these being a man of war.

And they arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked of God, and the sons of Israel said, Who shall go up for us first, to fight against the sons of Benjamin? And Yahweh said - Judah, first.

And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, - and again set themselves in array for battle in the place where they had set themselves in array on the first day.

and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing before it in those days, saying: Shall I yet again go forth to battle, against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I forbear? And Yahweh said - Go up, for, to-morrow, will I deliver him into thy hand.

So, when the men of Israel turned in the battle, - and, the Benjamites, began to smite and slay of the sons of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, Yea! they are, smitten, before us, as in the first battle,

And, when, the men of Israel, turned, then were the men of Benjamin dismayed, - for they saw that disaster had overtaken them.

And, when they turned before the men of Israel unto the way of the desert, the battle, over took them, - while, as for them that came out of the cities, they began to destroy them in their midst: -

they hemmed in the Benjamites, they pursued them, with ease, trode they them down, - as far as over against Gibeah, towards sunrise.

And, when they turned and fled towards the desert unto the cliff Rimmon, then gleaned they of them, in the highways, five thousand men, - and they followed hard after them as far as Gidom, and smote of them, two thousand men.

But there turned and fled, towards the desert, unto the cliff Rimmon, six hundred men, - who abode in the cliff Rimmon, four months.

Thus, the men of Israel, turned against the sons of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, beginning with the city, each and every one down to the beast, even to every one that was met with, - moreover, all the cities they came to, they set on fire.

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.

And the sons of Israel grieved for Benjamin, their brother, - and they said, There is cut off, to-day, one tribe out of Israel.

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?

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.

Now, the assembly, had grieved for Benjamin, - because Yahweh had made a breach, in the tribes of Israel.

So then, the elders of the assembly said, What are we to do for them who remain, for wives, - for womankind, hath been destroyed out of Benjamin?