And Gaal answered again and said, "See, there come folk down by the middle of the land and another company come along by the charmer's oak."

But there was a strong tower in the midst of the city, and thither ran all the men and women and all the citizens of the city and shut it to them, and got them up upon the top of the tower.

After Abimelech there arose, to defend Israel, one Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, which dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

And there was one Jephthah a Gileadite, a strong man, which was the son of a harlot: Howbeit Gilead begat Jephthah.

Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob. And there gathered idle people to Jephthah, and went out with him.

Then the other answered, "Then say, 'Shibboleth.'" And they said, "Syboleth" - and could not so pronounce. Whereupon the others took them and slew them at the passages of Jordan. And there were overthrown at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty two thousand.

And there was a man in Zorah of the kindred of the Danites, named Manoah, whose wife was barren and bare not.

For see, thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And there may no razor or shearers come on his head: for the lad shall be an abstainer unto God, even from the time of his birth. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines."

Then his father and mother said unto him, "Is there never a woman of the daughters of thy brethren, among all my people: but that thou must go and fetch a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said unto his father, "Give me this woman for she pleaseth me well."

And within a short space after, as he went thither again to take her to wife, he turned out of the way, to see the carcass of the Lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the Lion and honey.

And when his father was come unto the woman, Samson made there a feast, for so used the young men to do.

But God brake a great tooth that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout. And when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he was refreshed, wherefore the name thereof was called the Well of the Caller-on, which is in Lehi unto this day.

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an whore, and went in unto her.

And Delilah took new ropes and bound him therewith, and said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And there were layers of wait in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms, as they had been but a thread.

And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, "There never came razor nor shears upon mine head, for I have been an abstainer to God even from my mother's womb. If mine hair were cut off, my strength would go from me, and I should wax and be like all other men."

And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played.

There was a man in mount Ephraim, named Micah,

For in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did what thought him best.

And there was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, and out of the kindreds of Judah: which young man was a Levite and sojourned there.

In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in, for unto that time there fell none inheritance unto them among the tribes of Israel.

And the children of Dan sent of their kindreds five men of activity, out of their coasts, even out of Zorah and Eshtaol, to view the land and search it out, and said unto them, "Go and search out the land." And they came to mount Ephraim, even to the house of Micah and lodged there.

And there departed thence of the kindred of the Danites, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with instruments of war.

Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, "Know ye not that there is in these houses an ephod and images; and a graven image and an image of metal? Now therefore consider what ye have to do."

And there was no man to help, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no meddling with any other nation. And the city stood in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

It chanced in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, took to wife a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah:

which concubine played the whore in his house, and went away from him, unto her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and there continued four months.

And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, kept him that he abode with him three days and so they ate and drank and lodged there.

Howbeit, the man stood up to depart: but his father-in-law compelled him to turn again and to tarry all night there.

And when they were fast by Jebus, the day was sore spent and the young man said unto his master, "Come I pray thee and let us turn in, into this city of the Jebusites and lodge all night there."

And they turned thitherward to go and lodge all night in Gibeah. And when they came in, they sat them down in a street of the city, for there was no man took them in to lodge.

But behold, there came an old man from his work, out of the fields, at even - which was also of mount Ephraim, and but a stranger in Gibeah, for the men of the place were of the children of Benjamin.

And the other answered him, "We come from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of mount Ephraim: from thence am I, and went to Bethlehem Judah and go now to the house of the LORD. But there is no man that receiveth me to house:

And then came the woman in the dawning of the day and fell down at the door of the man's house, where her lord was, and there she lay till day.

And all that saw it said, "There was no such deed done or seen since the children of Israel came out of Egypt unto this day. Consider the matter, give counsel and say your minds."

Then all the children of Israel went out: and there gathered a congregation together as it had been but one man, even from Dan to Beersheba and out of the land of Gilead, unto the land to Mizpeh.

And there stood folk out of all quarters of all the tribes of Israel, in the congregation of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew swords.

Then all the people arose, as it had been one man, saying, "There shall not a man of us go to his tent, neither turn into his house.

Then the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto Bethel, and wept and sat there before the LORD, and fasted the same day unto evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And they asked the LORD - for there was the ark of the covenant of God, in those days;

and came before Gibeah: ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and there was sore battle. But the other knew not that evil was so nigh them.

And there were slain of Benjamin eighteen thousand, and all men of might.

Only, six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness, unto the rock of pomegranates and abode there four months.

And the men of Israel sware in Mizpeh saying, "There shall none of us give his daughter unto any of Benjamin to wife."

And the people came to Bethel and abode there till evening, before God, and lifted up their voices and wept sore,

and said, "O LORD God of Israel, why is this chanced in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?"

And on the morrow the people rose up betimes and made there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

And the children of Israel had pity on Benjamin their brethren, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day:

Then they said, "What are they of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD?" And behold there came none of the inhabiters of Jabeshgilead unto the congregation.

And when the people were viewed, behold, there were none of the inhabiters of Jabeshgilead there.

And they said, "There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel:

Then they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD yearly in Shiloh which is on the north side of Bethel, and on the east side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem and south from Lebanon."

In those days there was no king in Israel: but every man did what seemed him right.

In the time when the judges judged, there fell a dearth in the land. Wherefore a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went for to sojourn in the country of Moab with his wife and two sons.

The name of the man was Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion and they were Ephraimites, out of Bethlehem Judah. And when they came into the land of Moab, they continued there.

which took them wives of the nations of the Moabites: the one's name Orpah and the other's Ruth. And when they had dwelled there about a ten years,

But Naomi said, "Turn again my daughters: for what cause would you go with me? Think you that there be any more children in my bowels to be your husbands?

But Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from after thee. For whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou dwellest, there I will dwell. Thy people are my people, and thy God is my God.

Where thou diest, I will die, and there will be buried. The LORD do so and so to me, except that death only depart thee and me asunder."

And it is true that I am of thy next kin: howbeit, there is one nigher than I.

And so she lay at his feet until the morning. And she arose up before one could know another. And he said, "Let no man be aware, that there came any woman unto the threshing floor."

Then went Boaz unto the gate and sat him down there. And behold, the kinsman of which Boaz spake came by. Unto whom he said, "Come and sit down here, and called him by his name." And he turned in and sat down.

And I thought to do thee to know, and bid thee buy it before the inhabiters and elders of my people, if thou be disposed to challenge it: but and if thou wilt not purchase it, then tell me that I may know it. For there is none to challenge it save thou, and I next after thee." And the other answered, "I will purchase it."

And her neighbours gave it a name saying, "There is a child borne to Naomi, and called it Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

There was a man of Ramathaimzophim of mount Ephraim, named Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

and vowed a vow and said, "LORD of Hosts, if thou wilt look on the wretchedness of thine handmaid and shalt remember me and not forget thine handmaid, and shalt give unto thine handmaid a man child I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life and there shall neither razor or shears come upon his head."

But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, "I will tarry until the lad be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and there abide forever."

and therefore I also lend him the LORD, as long as he may be lent the LORD." And so they prayed there unto the LORD.

There is none so holy as the LORD: no, there is none save thou. Neither is there any strength like unto our God.

And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, "Thus sayeth the LORD, 'I appeared unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house.

Behold, the days will come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an elder in thine house.

And thou shalt see thine enemy in the tabernacle, in all that shall please Israel, and there shall not be an elder in thine house while the world standeth.

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days, for there was none open vision.

And the people sent to Shiloh, and fetched from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts which dwelleth between the Cherubims. And there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas with the ark of the covenant of God.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was put to the worse and fled, every man into his tent. And there was a mighty great slaughter, so that there were overthrown of Israel, thirty thousand footmen.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the array and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent and earth upon his head.

And the messenger answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there is a great slaughter chanced among the people, and thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and thereto the ark of God is taken."

Then they sent and fetched all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go home again unto his own place, that it slay us not with our people." For there was a plague of death throughout all the city, and the hand of God was exceeding sore there,

And the cart came into the grove of one Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood still there. There was there also a great stone. And they clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the causes of the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

Thereto, the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel came again to Israel, even from Ekron to Gath, with the coasts of the same, which Israel plucked out of the hands of the Philistines. For there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

Nevertheless, the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but did say, "Nay, not so: But there shall be a king over us,

Now there was a man of Benjamin named Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man that was a Benjaminite, a man of might:

the same had a son called Saul, a goodly young man, so that among the children of Israel, there was none goodlier than he, and was thereto, from the shoulders upward, higher than all the other people.

And they went through mount Ephraim and through the land of Shalishah, and found them not. Then they went through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not. Then they went also through the land of Benjamin, and they found them not.

"Behold, there is in this city a worshipful man of God, and all that he sayeth cometh to pass. Now then let us go thither: peradventure he shall show us what way we may go."

Then said Saul to his lad, "If we go, what shall we bring the man? For our bread is all spent out of our hampers and there is none other present to bring the man of God. What have we?"

And as they were going up into the city, they met with damsels that came out to draw water, and said unto them, "Is there here a Seer?"

Then thou shalt go forth from thence and shalt come to the oak of Tabor. And there shalt thou meet three men going to God to Bethel: one carrying three kids; and another carrying three loaves of bread; and the third carrying a bottle of wine.

And Samuel said to all the people, "There! See ye whom the LORD hath chosen, and how there is none like him among all the company?" And all the people shouted and said, "God save the king!"

And Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a host, such as God had touched their hearts.

Then said the elders of Jabesh, "Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel. And then if there come no man to help us, we will come out to thee."

But Saul said, "There shall no man die this day, for today the LORD hath saved Israel."

Then said Samuel unto the people, "Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there."

And the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king there, before the LORD in Gilgal. And there they offered peace offerings before the LORD. And there Saul and all the people rejoiced exceedingly.

And there came out of the host of the Philistines three companies, to destroy: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah unto the land of Shual;

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears.

And so in time of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: save for Saul and Jonathan his son was there somewhat found.

And in the way over by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the garrison of the Philistines, were there two sharp rocks, even one on the one side, and the other one the other side: the one called Bozez, and the other Seneh.

And there was a fear in the host that was in the field, and among all the people: insomuch that they that kept the hold, and they that were gone to rob, were afraid also: and the earth trembled and there was a fear sent of God.