And it came to pass, after the death of Jeshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, - Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites, first, to make war upon them?

And, afterwards, the sons of Judah went down to make war upon the Canaanites, - dwelling in the hill country, and in the south, and in the lowland.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and captureth it, I will give unto him Achsah my daughter, to wife.

Then Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, - and he gave him Achsah his daughter, to wife.

And it came pass, when she came, that she moved him to ask of her father a field, and, when she alighted from off the ass, Caleb said unto her - What aileth thee?

Then went Judah, with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites dwelling in Zephath, - and devoted it to destruction, and the name of the city was called Hormah.

And it same to pass that Yahweh was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, - but did not dispossess the inhabitants of the vale, because they had, chariots of iron.

But, the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin did not drive out, - but the Jebusites have dwelt with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, unto this day.

And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel, - now, the name of the city, formerly, was, Luz.

So the watchers saw a man, coming forth from the city, - and they said unto him - Shew us, we pray thee, the way to get into the city, and we will deal with thee, in lovingkindness.

And he shewed them the way to get into the city, and they smote the city, with the edge of the sword, - but, the man and all his family, they let go.

And the man went into the land of the Hittites, - and built a city, and called the name thereof, Luz, that, is the name thereof, unto this day.

But Manasseh took not possession of Beth-shean and her towns, nor of Taanach and her towns, nor dispossessed the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam, and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns, - but the Canaanites were determined to remain in this land;

And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, - for they suffered them not to come down into the vale;

and, though the Amorites were determined to remain in the hill country of Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, yet was the hand of the house of Joseph heavy, so that they came under tribute.

And the messenger of Yahweh came up from Gilgal, unto Bochim. And he said - I led you up out of Egypt, and brought you into the land, which I had sworn unto your fathers, And I said, I will not break my covenant with you, to times age-abiding;

And it came to pass, when the messenger of Yahweh had spoken these words unto all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Now, when Joshua had let the people go, the sons of Israel went their way, every man to his inheritance, to take possession of the land.

Whithersoever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was found to be against them for misfortune, as spake Yahweh, and as sware Yahweh unto them, - and they were distressed exceedingly.

yet, even unto their judges, did thy not hearken, for they went unchastely astray after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them, - they turned aside speedily out of the way wherein their fathers who hearkened unto the commandments of Yahweh, walked, they did not so.

But, when the judge was dead, they again broke faith more than their fathers, by going their way after other gods, by serving them, and bowing themselves down to them, - they ceased not from their doings nor from their stubborn way.

that I may, by them, put Israel to the proof, - whether they are going to be observant of the way of Yahweh, to walk therein as their fathers observed it, or not.

Now, these, are the nations which Yahweh left, that he might, by them, put Israel to the proof, - all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan;

that the generations of the sons of Israel might certainly get to know, by being taught to make war, - such, at least, as aforetime knew nothing thereof: -

So then these were left , that, by them, he might put Israel to the proof, - to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Yahweh which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

and took their daughters to be their wives, their own daughters moreover, gave they unto their sons, and they served their gods.

And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war, and Yahweh delivered into his hand, Chushan-rishathaim, king of Syria, - and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim.

So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, - and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.

But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, - so they took the key, and opened them , when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.

And he said unto them - Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.

she used to sit, therefore, under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, - and the sons of Israel came up to her, for justice.

And she said - I will, go, with thee; only, it shall not be, thine own honour, that shall arise from the journey which thou art about to take, for, into the hand of a woman, will Yahweh sell Sisera. So Deborah arose, and went with Barak, towards Kadesh.

And they told Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.

Then said Deborah unto Barak - Up! for, this, is the day on which Yahweh hath delivered Sisera into thy hand, hath not, Yahweh, gone forth before thee? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him.

And Yahweh put to flight Sisera and all the chariots and all the host, with the edge of the sword, before Barak, - so Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled on foot.

And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him: Turn aside, my lord, turn aside with me, do not fear. So he turned aside with her into the tent, and she threw over him a coverlet.

And he said unto her - Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water, for I am thirsty. So she opened the bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and spread over him the coverlet.

And lo! Barak - in pursuit of Sisera! So Jael went forth to meet him, and said unto him, Come and let me shew thee - the man whom thou art seeking. And he came in with her, and lo! Sisera - lying dead, with the tent-pin in his temples.

Thus God subdued, on that day, Jabin king of Canaan, - before the sons of Israel.

Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, - on that day, saying: -

Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, - I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were forsaken, - and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout paths:

They chose gods that were new, Then, - war at the gates! Was there, a shield, to be seen? or a spear? among forty thousand in Israel?

In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye - the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.

Then, came down a remnant to the nobles - a people, - Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.

Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings of heart.

Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, - because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, against the mighty.

Her hand, to the tent-pin, put she forth, and, her right hand, to the toilers' mallet, - Then smote she Sisera, She shattered his head, Yea she split open and pierced through his temples:

Through the window, looked out and shrilly cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, - Why is his chariot ashamed to come? Why delay the wheels of his chariot?

The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, - Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: -

Is it not They keep finding - dividing spoil, One damsel, two damsels, to every several hero, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment for Sisera, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment, embroidered, Coloured raiment richly embroidered, on the necks of them who are taken as spoil?

And so it used to be, if Israel had sown, then came up Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east, yea came up against them,

for, they with their cattle, used to come up, with their tents - yea they used to come like locusts, for multitude, both they and their cattle, were without number, - so they came into the land, to lay it waste.

And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried unto Yahweh, - on account of Midian,

Yea and I said to you, - I, Yahweh, am your God, Ye must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye are about to dwell, - But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.

Then came the messenger of Yahweh, and sat down under the oak which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite; and, Gideon his son, was beating out wheat in the winepress, to escape the notice of the Midianites;

And Gideon said unto him - Pardon, my lord! if Yahweh be with us, then wherefore hath all this befallen us? and where are all his wonders, which our fathers have recounted to us - saying, Was it not, out of Egypt, that Yahweh brought us up? But, now, hath Yahweh abandoned us, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

Do not, I beseech thee, withdraw from hence, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said: I, will tarry until thou return.

And the messenger of God said unto him - Take the flesh and the cakes, and set them on this crag, and, the broth, do thou pour out. And he did so.

Then saw Gideon that, the messenger of Yahweh, it was, - so Gideon said - Alas, My Lord Yahweh! forasmuch as I have seen the messenger of Yahweh, face to face!

And Yahweh said unto him - Peace be unto thee! Do not fear, - thou shalt not die.

So Gideon built there an altar unto Yahweh, and called it, Yahweh-shalom. Unto this day, it remaineth, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him - Take the young bullock that belongeth to thy father, even the second bullock of seven years, - and throw thou down the altar of Baal, that belongeth to thy father, and, the sacred stem that is by it, shalt thou cut down.

Then shalt thou build an altar, unto Yahweh thy God, on the top of this fort, with the pile, - and shalt take the second bullock, and cause it to go up as an ascending-sacrifice, with the wood of the sacred stem which thou shalt cut down.

So Gideon took ten men from among his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken unto him, - and so it was that, as he too much feared the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do it by day, he did it by night.

And the men of the city rose up early in the morning, and lo! the altar of Baal, had been overthrown, and, the sacred stem that was by it, had been cut down, and the second bullock had been caused to ascend upon the altar that had been built.

So they said, one to another, Who hath done this thing? And they inquired, and made search, and it was said, Gideon son of Joash, hath done this thing.

So the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring forth thy son, that he may die, - because he hath overthrown the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the sacred stem that was by it.

And Joash said unto all who stood by him - Will, ye, plead for Baal, or will, ye, save him? Whoso pleadeth for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning, - if, a god, he be let him plead for himself, because one hath overthrown his altar.

So he was called on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, - Let Baal, plead against him. Because he had overthrown his altar.

Messengers also, sent he throughout all Manasseh, and, they also, were gathered after him, - messengers also, sent he throughout Asher, and throughout Zebulun, and throughout Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

And Gideon said unto God, - If thou art about to bring salvation, by my hand, unto Israel, as thou hast spoken,

lo! I am placing a woollen fleece, on the threshing-floor, - if, dew, be on the fleece alone and, on all the ground, it be dry, then shall I know that thou wilt bring salvation, by my hand, unto Israel, as thou hast spoken.

And it was so, and he rose up early, on the morrow, and pressed together the fleece, - and wrung out the dew from the fleece, a small bowl full of water.

Then said Gideon unto God, Let not thine anger kindle upon me, but let me speak, only this once, - Let me, I pray thee, put to the proof, only this once, with the fleece, I pray thee, let it be dry on the fleece alone, while, on all the ground, there be dew.

And God did so on that night, - and it was dry on the fleece alone, while, on all the ground, there was dew.

And Yahweh said unto Gideon, Too many, are the people that are with thee, for me to deliver the Midianites into their hand, - lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand, hath saved me.

Now, therefore, proclaim, I pray thee, in the ears of the people, saying, Whoso feareth and trembleth - let him turn and go hack from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and, ten thousand, remained.

Then said Yahweh unto Gideon - Yet, are the people too many, take them down unto the waters, that I may prove them for thee, there, - and it shall be, that, he of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall go with thee, the same, shall go with thee, and, every one of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall not go with thee, the same, shall not go.

So he took down the people unto the waters, - and Yahweh said unto Gideon - Every one that lappeth with his tongue of the water, as a dog lappeth, thou shalt set him by himself, likewise, every one that boweth down upon his knees, to drink.

And so it was, that, the number of them that lapped with their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, - but, all the rest of the people, bowed down on their knees, to drink water.

Then said Yahweh unto Gideon - By the three hundred men that lapped, will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let, all the rest of the people, go every man to his own place.

So the people took provisions in their hand, and their horns, but, every man of Israel besides, sent he away every man to his home, whereas, the three hundred men, he retained. Now, the camp of Midian, was beneath him in the vale.

And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him, Arise! go down against the camp, - for I have delivered it into thy hand.

Or, if, thou, art afraid to go down, go down - thou and Purah thy young man, unto the camp;

And Gideon came in, and lo! a man relating to his neighbour a dream, - and he said - Lo! a dream, have I dreamt, and lo! a round cake of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came as far as the tent - and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, and the tent lay along.

Then he said unto them, On me, shall ye look, and, in like manner, shall ye do, - and lo! when I am coming unto the outermost part of the camp, then shall it be, that, as I do, so, shall ye do.

Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold - with their left hands - of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, - and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!

And, messengers, did Gideon send through all the hill country of Ephraim, saying - Go down to meet Midian, and capture, before them, the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and captured the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan.

And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb at Oreb's Rock, and, Zeeb, they slew at Zeeb's Winepress, and pursued Midian, - and, the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, brought they in unto Gideon at the ford of the Jordan.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him - What is this thing thou hast done to us, in not calling us, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him, sharply.

Into your hand, hath God delivered the princes of Midian - Oreb and Zeeb, what then had I been able to do in comparison with you? Then, was their spirit softened toward him, when he had spoken this word.

And Gideon came towards the Jordan, being about to pass over - he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.

So he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that are following me; for, faint, they are, and, I, am in pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

And the princes of Succoth said, Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, - that we should give to thine army bread?

So he went up from thence, to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner, - and the men of Penuel answered him, as had answered the men of Succoth.

So he spake to the men of Penuel also, saying, - When I return with success, I will break down this tower.

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, then he pursued them, and captured the two kings of Midian - Zebah and Zalmunna, and, all the host, put he in terror.

Then came he in unto the men of Succoth, and said, Lo! Zebah and Zalmunna, - concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying - Are the palms of the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy power, that we should give to thy weary men bread?