but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.'

And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.'

God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."

And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD."

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.

And it came to pass, a long season after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and was stricken in years.

And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations before your faces: for the LORD your God he fought for you.

Behold, I have appointed these nations that remain to be the inheritance of your tribes: even from Jordan, and all the nations that I have destroyed, even unto the great sea.

Be, therefore, exceeding strong that ye take heed to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye bow not aside therefrom, to the righthand or to the left:

and that ye go not unto these nations that remain with you: and that ye neither make mention or swear by the names of their gods, and that ye neither serve them nor bow yourselves unto them.

But that ye stick fast unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.

Take good heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love the LORD your God.

But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these nations that remain with you and shall make marriages with them, and shall go to them and they come to you:

be sure that the LORD your God will not cast out all these nations before you. But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

Behold, I walk this day, by the way of all the world: call ye to mind in all your hearts and in all your souls, that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised you. All are come to pass, and nothing hath failed thereof.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron. And I plagued Egypt, after the manner as I did among them, and after that I brought you out,

But if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, then choose you this day, whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the water, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land, ye dwelt. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

And the people answered and said, "God forbid that we should forsake the LORD and serve strange gods.

For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and which did those miracles in our sight, and preserved us in all the way we went and among all the nations which we came through.

But when ye have forsaken the LORD and have served strange gods, he will turn and do you evil and consume you, after that he hath done you good."

Then Joshua said unto the folk, "Ye are witnesses unto yourselves, that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and pitched it on end in the said place, even under an oak that stood in the sanctuary of the LORD.

And after these things, the time came that Joshua the son of Nun and the servant of the LORD died being a hundredth and ten years old.

And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had seen all the works of the LORD that he had done to Israel.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, whom they buried in Gibeah that pertained to Phinehas his son and was given him in Mount Ephraim.

And after that, the children of Judah went even to fight against the Cananites that dwelt in the mountain, in the south, and in the low country.

And Judah went unto the Cananites that dwelt in Hebron, which before time was called Kiriatharba. And slew Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.

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

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.

In like manner Ephraim expelled not the Cananites that dwelt in Gezer, but the Cananites dwelt still in Gezer among them.

And so the Amorites went and dwelled in mount Heres in Aijalon and in Shaalbim. Neverthelater, the hand of Joseph waxed heavy upon them, so that they became tributaries.

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 the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had seen all the great works of the LORD that he did to Israel.

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.

Wherefore the LORD waxed angry with Israel, and delivered them unto the hands of raveners to spoil them and sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they had no power any longer to stand before their enemies.

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.

and that to prove Israel through them whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein as their fathers did or not."

he left the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Cananites, the Sidonians, the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon: even from mount Baalhermon unto Hamath.

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.

And then they cried unto the LORD. And the LORD stirred them up a saver, Ehud the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, a man that could do nothing handsomely with his right hand. And when the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of the Moabites,

And when he had delivered the present, he let the people go that had carried the present,

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.

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.

And they slew of the Moabites, the same time, upon a ten thousand men, all nobles, and men of might: that there escaped not a man,

and so the Moabites were subdued that day, under the hands of Israel: and the land had rest eighty years.

And the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, whose captain of war was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the gentiles.

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.

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

And Sisera called for all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and for all the people that he had, from Harosheth of the gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

But Barak followed after the chariots and after the host, even unto Harosheth of the gentiles. And all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, that there was not a man left.

And so God brought Jabin the king of Canaan into subjection that day, before the children of Israel.

"Praise the LORD in them that were willing, while others sat still in Israel.

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath and in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. And they that walked by paths, went by ways that set compasses about.

Mine heart loveth the maintainers of the law in Israel, that are willing among the people.

Bless the LORD, ye that ride on goodly asses and sit in judgment. And ye that walk by the ways, make ditties.

"Then they that had escaped, reigned over the proudest of the people. The LORD reigneth over the strong.

Ephraim was the first against Amalek, and after them Benjamin, among the people. Of Machir came learned men in the law, and of Zebulun that well could draw with the pen of a scribe.

But Zebulun is a people that put their lives in jeopardy of death, and Naphtali in like manner, even unto the top of the fields.

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.

The river of Kishon caught them away: that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, tread thou the mighty underfoot.

Then they mauled the horses' legs, that their mighty coursers left prancing.

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?'

So, perish all thine enemies LORD: but they that love thee, let them be as the sun rising in his might!" And the land had rest forty years.

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.

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 he answered him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign, that thou art the LORD that talketh with me.

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,

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 Joash said unto all that stood by him, "Will ye fight for Baal, or will ye be his defenders? He that striveth for him shall die this morning. If he be a god, let him strive with him that cast down his altar!"

Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the threshing place. And if the dew be on the fleece only, and dry upon all the earth beside: then I shall be sure that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou saidest."

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.

Then Jerubbaal, otherwise called Gideon, rose early, and all the people that were with him, and pitched beside the well of Harod, so that the host of the Midianites were in a valley on the north side of the hill Moreh.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel make her vaunt to my dishonour and say, 'Our own hand hath saved us.'

And when he had brought down the people unto the water, the LORD said unto Gideon, "As many as lap the water with their tongues, as dogs do, them put by themselves; and so do them that kneel down upon their knees to drink."

And the number of them that put their hands to their mouths and lapped, were three hundred men. And all the remnant of the people knelt down upon their knees to drink water.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand. And all the other people shall go every man unto his own home."

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 when I blow with a trumpet, and all that are with me, blow ye with trumpets also on every side the host and say, 'Here be the LORD and Gideon.'"

And so Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, came unto the side of the host in the beginning of the middle watch, and raised up the watchmen. And they blew with their trumpets and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chode with him a good.

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 he said unto the men of Succoth, "Give I pray you cakes of bread unto the people that follow me: for they be fainty, that I may follow after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."