Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it.

And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?'

Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

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 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 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.

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

And as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you: so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil until he have destroyed you from off this good land, which the LORD your God hath given you

when ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you: and have gone and served strange gods, and bowed yourselves to them. Then shall the wrath of the LORD wax hot upon you, and ye shall perish quickly, from off the good land which he hath given you."

And they cried unto the LORD. And he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them. And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt. And ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

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 the LORD said, "Judah shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his hands."

Then Adonibezek said, "Three score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table wherefore as I have done so God hath done to me again." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

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,

but ye should have made no covenant with the inhabiters of this land, ye should have broken down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye this done?

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."

Wherefore the LORD was angry with Israel and said, "Because this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice,

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.

'Haply, they have found, and divide, the spoil. A maid, yea two maids for a piece: a spoil of divers colours for Sisera, a spoil of divers colours with broidered works, divers coloured broidered works for the neck for a prey.'

And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God, and therefore fear not the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed my voice."

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."

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.

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 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."

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."

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 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 even so, now: if ye have done truly and uncorruptly to make Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands,

and ye are risen up against my father's house this day. And have slain his children, even seventy persons upon one stone and have made Abimelech - the son of his maidservant - king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother.

If, then, ye have dealt purely and truly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

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."

Then the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against thee: for we have forsaken our own God, and have served Baalim."

And for all that, ye have forsaken me, and serve strange gods, wherefore I will help you no more.

But go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen, and let them save you in the time of your tribulation."

But the children of Israel said unto the LORD, "We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever please thee, and deliver us only at this time."

Wherefore I have not sinned against thee. But thou doest me wrong, to war against me. The LORD therefore be judge this day, between the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon."

And when he saw her, he rent his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter, thou hast made me stoop, and art one of them that trouble me. For I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and cannot go back."

And she said unto him, "My father, if thou have opened thy mouth unto the LORD, then do with me according to that proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD hath avenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon."

Then said Manoah unto the Angel of the LORD, "Grant us to tarry until we have made ready a kid and have set it before thee."

and said unto his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!"

But his wife said unto him, "If the LORD would kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering of our hands; neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would have told us as he hath of things to come."

and came up and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. And now give her me to wife."

And when the seventh day was come, they said unto Samson's wife, "Flatter with thine husband, that he may declare us thy riddle, or else we will burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to make us beggars? Or not?"

Then Samson's wife wept unto him and said, "It cannot be but that thou hatest me and lovest me not: for thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my folk and wilt not tell me what it meaneth." And he said, "Behold, I have not told it my father, nor my mother, and should I tell it thee?"

But it chanced, within a while after, even in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a Kid. And when he supposed to have gone in unto his wife into the chamber, her father would not suffer him to go in,

Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? Wherefore then hast thou served us thus?" And he answered them, "As they served me, so have I served them."

And Samson said, "With the jaw of an ass, have I made heaps: with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men!"

- unto whom came the lords of the Philistines, and said unto her, "Flatter with him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may have power over him, that we may bind him, to bring him under, and we will give every man eleven hundred silverlings."

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."

Then said Micah, "Now I am sure that the LORD will be good unto me, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

And they said, "Up, and let us go unto them, for we have seen the land, that it is very good. Haste therefore and be not slothful to depart and go and conquer the land.

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 he said, "Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and also the priest, and go your ways with them! And what have I more? How then say ye unto me, 'What aileth thee?'"

and yet I have straw and provender for our asses, and bread and wine for me and thy handmaid, and thy lad that are with thy servant, and lack nothing."

And the citizens of Gibeah rose against me, and set the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and caught my concubine and forced her, that she died.

And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the lands of the inheritance of Israel. For they have committed abomination and folly in Israel.

And we will take ten men of the hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of the thousand, and a thousand out of the ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people to make that they may go against Gibeah Benjamin, according to all the folly, that they have wrought in Israel."

what shall we do unto the remnant of them, for to get them wives, forasmuch as we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?"

And this is that ye shall do: utterly destroy all the males and the women that have lain by men."

And if their fathers or brethren come to us to complain, we will say unto them, "Have pity on them, because we reserved not to each man his wife in time of war, and thereto because that ye gave them none in due time, ye were to blame."

Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, "Go, and return each of you unto your mother's house. The LORD deal as kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me."

Turn again my daughters and go: for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, also if I took a man this night: yea, and though I had already borne sons?

Thine eyes are on a field that shall be reaped: go after the maidens therefore, for I have charged the young men, that they touch thee not. Moreover when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the lads have drawn."

Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, "How is that I have found grace in thine eyes, to know me, seeing I am an alien?"

wash thyself therefore and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee to the threshing floor. But let not the man be aware of thee, until he have left eating and drinking.

Tarry all night. And when morning is come, if he will marry thee: it is good, so let him do. But if he will not have thee, as sure as the LORD liveth I will have thee. Lie still until the morning."

Then said she, "My daughter sit still, until thou know how the matter will chance. For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the matter this same day."

Then said Boaz unto the elders and unto all the people, "Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

And the women said unto Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, the which hath not left thee without a heir this day that shall have a name in Israel,

Hannah answered, and said, "Not so, my lord. I am a woman sorrowful in mine heart, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Count not thine handmaid to be like a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my meditation and grief have I spoken hitherto."

They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry cease so to be: insomuch that the barren hath borne seven, and she that had many children is waxed feeble.

Yea, and thereto before they had offered the fat, the priest's lad came and said to the man that offered, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw."

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel sayeth, 'I said that thine house and the house of thy father should have walked before me forever. But now the LORD sayeth that be far from me: for them that honoureth me I will honour, and they that despise me, shall not be regarded.

In that day I will perform to Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin it and end it.

For I have told him that I will judge his house forever. For the wickedness which he knoweth, how his sons are ungracious, and he was not wroth therewith.

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the wickedness of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering, while the world standeth."

Be strong and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men therefore and fight."

Then they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel unto us: to slay us and our people."

And they sent messengers to the inhabiters of Kiriathjearim saying, "The Philistines have brought home again the Ark of the LORD: come down and fetch it up to you."

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.

and said unto him, "Behold, thou art old and thy sons follow not thy ways. Now, therefore, make us a king to judge us, as all other nations have."

And the LORD said unto Samuel, "Hear the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee. For they have not cast thee away, but me: that I should not reign over them.

And as they have ever done - since I brought them out of Egypt unto this day, and have forsaken me and served other gods - even so do they unto thee.

And when ye cry out at that time upon your king which ye shall have chosen you, the LORD will not hear you at that day."

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 the young man answered Saul again, and said, "I have found about me the fourth part of a sicle: that will we give the man of God to tell us our way."

"Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin: him shalt thou anoint to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people and their cry is come unto me."

And ye have this day cast away your God that helped you out of all your adversities and tribulations. And ye have said unto him: make a king over us. Now therefore stand before the LORD by your tribes and your thousands.'"

And they said unto the messengers that came, "So say unto the men of Jabesh in Gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.'" And the messengers came and showed the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

Then said Samuel unto all Israel, "Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made you a king.

And see, your king walketh before you. But I am old and grayheaded: and behold my sons are with you and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Behold, here I am. Answer me before the LORD and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I done wrong to? Or whom have I oppressed? And of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it you again."

Then said he to them, "The LORD is witness unto you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have found nought in my hands." And they answered, "We are witnesses."

Then they cried unto the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hands of our enemies and we will serve thee.'

Now therefore behold the king, whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired. See, the LORD hath given you a king!