And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, "Wherefore wentest thou to fight with the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will therefore burn thine house upon thee with fire."

And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with the Ephraimites. And the men of Gilead smote the Ephraimites, because they said, "Ye Gileadites are but renegades of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and the Manassites!"

Moreover, the men of Gilead took the passages of Jordan from the Ephraimites. And when those Ephraimites that were escaped said, "Let us go over," then the men of Gilead said unto them, "Ye are Ephraimites." And they said, "Nay."

After this man, one Ibozan of Bethlehem judged Israel;

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

Then the wife went and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came unto me, and the fashion of him was like the fashion of an Angel of God, exceeding fearful. But I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name.

Then Manoah made intercession to the LORD, and said, "I pray thee, my LORD, let the man of God which thou sentest come once more unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the lad when he is born."

And God heard the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the wife, as she sat in the fields: But Manoah her husband was not with her.

Then the wife made haste and ran and showed her husband and said to him, "Behold, the man appeared unto me that came the other day unto me."

And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, "Art thou the man that spakest unto my wife?" And he said, "Yea."

Then Manoah said, "Now when thy saying is come to pass: what shall be the manner of the child, and what shall he do?"

And the Angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, "Thy wife must abstain from all that I said unto her:

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 the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, "Though thou make me abide, I will not eat of thy meat. And moreover, if thou wilt prepare a burnt offering, that thou must offer unto the LORD." For Manoah wist not that it was an angel of the LORD.

And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, "What is thy name, that when thy saying is come to pass, we may do thee some worship?"

And Manoah took a kid with a meat offering and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD. And the angel did wonderfully, Manoah and his wife looking upon.

For when the flame came up out of the altar, the angel of the LORD ascended up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked upon and fell flat on their faces unto the ground.

But the angel of the LORD did no more appear unto Manoah and his wife. And then Manoah knew that it was an angel of the LORD,

And the spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he tare him, as a man would rent a kid, and yet had nothing in his hand. Nevertheless he told not his father and mother what he had done.

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

And the men of the city said unto him the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a Lion?" Then said he unto them, "If ye had not ploughed with my calf, ye had not found out my riddle."

Then the spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them and spoiled them, and gave their garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And he was wroth and went up to his father's house.

And the men of Judah said, "Why are ye come against us?" And they answered, "To bind Samson are we come, even to do him as he hath done to us."

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 he found a jawbone of a ratten ass, and put forth his hand and caught it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

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 Delilah said to Samson, "Oh, tell me where thy great strength lieth, and if thou were bound wherewith men might constrain thee."

And Samson said unto her, "If men bound me with seven ropes of fresh sinews that were never dried, I should be weak and as another man."

Notwithstanding, she had men lying in wait with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he brake the cords as a string of tow breaketh, when it feeleth fire. And so his strength was not known.

And he said, "If I were bound with new ropes that never were occupied, then should I be weak, and as another man."

And Delilah said unto Samson, "Hitherto, thou hast beguiled me and told me lies: I pray thee yet, tell me wherewith men may bind thee." And he said unto her, "If thou plaitedest the seven locks of my head with a hair lace and fastenedest them with a nail."

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 when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent for the Philistines saying, "Come up yet this once, for he hath showed me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came and brought the money in their hands.

And she made him sleep upon her lap, and sent for a man, and cut off the seven locks of his head and began to vex him. But his strength was gone from him.

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.

And then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him up, and brought him and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

There was a man in mount Ephraim, named Micah,

which said unto his mother, "The eleven hundred silverlings that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst and saidst in mine ears: Behold, the silver is with me for I took it away." Then said his mother, "Blessed be thou my son, in the LORD."

And so he restored the eleven hundred silverlings to his mother again. And his mother said, "I vowed the silver unto the LORD of mine hand for my son: to make a graven image and an image of metal. Now therefore I give it thee again."

And he restored the money again unto his mother. Then his mother took two hundred silverlings and put them to a goldsmith, to make thereof a graven image and a image of metal, which remained in the house of Micah.

And the man Micah had a chapel of gods, and made an ephod and images, and filled the hand of one of his sons which became his priest.

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.

And the man departed out of the city of Bethlehem Judah, to go dwell where he could find a place. And he came to mount Ephraim, and to the house of Micah as he journeyed.

And the Levite went and began to dwell with the man, and was unto him as dear as one of his own sons.

And Micah filled the hand of the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and continued in the house of Micah.

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 when they were come unto the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in thither, and said unto him, "Who brought thee hither? And what makest thou in this place? And what hast thou here?"

Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, and after the manner of the Sidonians: still, and without casting of perils, and that no man made any trouble in the land or usurped any dominion, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with any nation.

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 they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man the Levite in the house of Micah, and saluted him peaceably.

And the six hundred men girded with weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood in the entering of the gate.

And the five men that went to spy out the land, went in thither and took the carved image and the ephod, the graven image, and the image of metal. And the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were armed unto battle,

And they answered him, "Hold thy peace, and put thine hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be unto us a father and a priest. Whether is it better for thee to be a priest? Unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe or a kindred in Israel?"

When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses that were by Micah's house, made an outcry, and followed after the children of Dan and called unto them.

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.

The fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the man stood up to depart. But the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, "Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread and then go your way."

And they sat down and did eat and drink both of them together. Then said the damsel's father unto the man, "Go to, I pray thee, and tarry all night and let thine heart be merry."

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

And then the man arose to depart with his concubine and his lad. But his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, "Behold, the day goeth fast away and draweth toward even. Tarry all night: at the least way tarry this day here and let thine heart be merry. And tomorrow get you early upon your way and get thee to thy tent."

Neverthelater, the man would not tarry, but arose and departed and came as far as Jebus, which is Jerusalem, and his two asses laden, and his concubine, and his lad with him.

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 when he had lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the streets of the city he said, "Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?"

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:

The old man said, "Peace be with thee, all that thou lackest shalt thou find with me: onely abide not in the streets all night."

And as they were making their hearts merry, the men of the city which were wicked, set the house round about, and thrust at the door, and spake to the man of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him."

But the man of the house went out to them and said unto them, "Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly seeing that this man is come into mine house: do not this folly.

Behold my daughter, yet a virgin, and this man's concubine: them I will bring out unto you, and humble them, and do with them what seemeth you good: but unto this man, do not this folly."

But the men would not hearken to him. Nevertheless the man took his concubine and brought her out unto them, and they had to do with her, and entreated her shamefully, all the night even unto the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go.

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.

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.

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.

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."

And so all the men of Israel gathered together, unto Gibeah, knit together as it had been but one man.

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What wickedness is this that is happened among you?

Now therefore deliver us the men, those wicked wretches of Gibeah that we may slay them, and put away evil from Israel." Neverthelater, the children of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time, out of the cities: twenty six thousand men that drew swords, beside the inhabiters of Gibeah which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

And among all these folk were seven hundred left handed men, which every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.

And the children of Israel, beside the children of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew swords, and all men of war.

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and put themselves in array against them, to fight against Gibeah.

And the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed in Israel that day twenty two thousand men, and brought them to the earth.

the children of Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah, the second day, and destroyed to the earth of the children of Israel once again, eighteen thousand men that drew swords every man of them.

Then came the children of Benjamin against the people, till they were drawn a great way from the city. And they began to smite of the people dead - as twice before, by two highways of which one goeth up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the field - upon a thirty men of Israel.

And then all the men of Israel rose up out of their standing, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar. And likewise the layers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah,

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 the LORD plagued Benjamin before Israel, so that the children of Israel destroyed in Benjamin the same day twenty five thousand and a hundred men, that drew swords every one of them.

It seemed the children of Benjamin, that the other had been put to the worse. For the men of Israel gave room to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the layers in wait which they had laid against Gibeah.

And the appointment of the men of Israel with the layers in wait to run upon Benjamin with the sword, was when they should make the smoke rise up out of the city.

And the men of Israel fled in the battle. And Benjamin began to smite dead of the children of Israel, about a thirty persons, for they supposed that the other had been put to the worse before them, as in the first battle.

When the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were abashed: for they saw that evil approached them.

And they turned before the men of Israel into the way that leadeth to the wilderness, the other following them at the hard heels. And beside that they of the city destroyed them in the middle of them.

And they compassed Benjamin about, and chased them to Menuah, and overran them before Gibeah on the east side.

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

And they turned and fled to the wilderness ward and unto the rock of pomegranates. And the other slew by the way of the rest of them, five thousand men, and sticked unto them until they came to Gidom, and slew two thousand more of them.

So that all that were slain that same day of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men that drew swords, 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.