and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, - so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.

And, his concubine who was in Shechem, she also, bare him a son, - and he gave him the name of Abimelech.

So the brethren of his mother spake for him, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem, all these words, - and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said - Our own brother, is he.

So they gave him seventy pieces of silver, out of the house of Baal-berith, - and Abimelech hired therewith, loose and unstable men, and they followed him.

Now, therefore, if, in truth and sincerity, ye have acted, in making Abimelech king, - and if ye have dealt, well, with Jerubbaal and with his house, and if, according to the deserving of his hands, ye have done unto him;

in that my father fought for you, and cast his soul away from before him, and rescued you out of the hand of Midian; -

if then, in truth and in sincerity, ye have dealt with Jerubbaal and with his house, this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let, him also, rejoice in you;

So the owners of Shechem set for him liers in wait, upon the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who crossed over them by the road, - and it was told Abimelech.

And Gaal son of Ebed came, with his brethren, and they passed through to Shechem, - and the owners of Shechem put their trust in him.

And Gaal son of Ebed said: Who is Abimelech - and who is the son of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor, Shechem's father, but why should, we, serve him?

and it shall be, in the morning, about sunrise, thou shalt get up early, and spread thyself out against the city, - when lo! he and the people that are with him coming out against thee, so shalt thou do unto him as thy hand shall find opportunity.

So Abimelech rose up,, and all the people that were with him, by night, - and they lay in wait above Shechem, in four companies.

Then came forth Gaal son of Ebed, and took his stand at the opening of the gate of the city, - so Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the place of ambush.

And, when Gaal saw the people, he said unto Zebul, Lo! people coming down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, The shadow of the mountains, thou seest, like men.

So then Zebul said unto him - Where, then, is thy mouth that kept on saying, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not, this, the people which thou didst despise? Go forth, I pray thee, now, and fight with them!

And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, - and there fell a multitude of slain as far as the entering of the gate.

And, Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, spread themselves out, and one of the companies took their stand at the opening of the gate of the city, - while, the two companies, spread themselves out against all that were in the field, and smote them.

So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him, and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and lifted it, and laid it on his shoulder, - and said unto the people that were with him - What ye have seen me do, haste! do likewise.

Then called he hastily unto the young man bearing his armour, and said unto him - Draw thy sword, and put me to death, lest they say of me, A woman, slew him! So his young man thrust him through, and he died.

And there arose, after him, Jair the Gileadite, - and judged Israel twenty-two years.

And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, - and forsook Yahweh, and served him not.

And the wife of Gilead bare him sons, - and, when the wife's sons grew up, they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him - Thou shalt not inherit with the house of our father, for, son of an alien woman, art thou.

So Jephthah fled from the face of his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob, - and there gathered about Jephthah unemployed men, who went forth with him.

Then went Jephthah with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them, as head and commander, - and Jephthah spake all his words before Yahweh, in Mizpah.

and said a unto him, Thus, saith Jephthah, - Israel took not away the land of Moab, or the land of the sons of Ammon;

Then did Israel send messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, - and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land as far as my own place.

But the king of the sons of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah, which he sent unto him.

then shall it be, that, whosoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house, to meet me, when I return successful, from the sons of Ammon, shall belong unto Yahweh, and I will offer him up, as an ascending-sacrifice.

Then came Jephthah towards Mizpah, unto his own house, and lo! his daughter, coming forth to meet him, with timbrels, and with dances, - and, she, was none other than his only child, he had not, besides her, either son or daughter.

And she said unto him - My father! Thou hast opened wide thy mouth unto Yahweh, Do with me, according to that which hath gone forth out of thy mouth, - after that Yahweh hath exacted for thee an avenging from thine enemies, from the sons of Ammon.

And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan, against the Ephraimites, - and so it was, that, when the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me pass over, the men of Gilead said to him, An Ephraimite, art thou? and, if he said - Nay!

they said to him, Come now, say Shibboleth, and, if he said Sibboleth, and he could not take heed to speak in that manner, then laid they hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan, - and there fell, at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty-two thousand.

And there judged Israel, after him, Ibzan of Bethlehem.

And, after him, did Elon the Zebulunite judge Israel, - and he judged Israel, ten years.

And there judged Israel, after him, Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite.

So the woman came in, and told her husband, saying, A man of God, came unto me, and, his, appearance, was as the appearance of the messenger of God, reverend exceedingly, - and I asked him not whence he was, and, his name, he told me not.

Then Manoah made entreaty unto Yahweh, and said: Pardon, O My Lord! the man of God whom thou didst send, I pray thee, let him come again unto us, that he may teach us what we are to do, unto the boy that is to be born.

So the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, - and said unto him, Lo! the man, hath appeared unto me, who came the other day unto me.

Then Manoah arose, and followed his wife, - and came unto the man, and said unto him - Art, thou, the man that spake unto the wife? And he said - I am.

And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore is it, that thou shouldst ask after my name, - seeing that, it, is Wonderful?

But his wife said unto him, If Yahweh had been pleased to put us to death, he would not have received at our hand, an ascending-sacrifice and a meal-offering, nor would he have shewed us all these things, - and, at such a time, have let us hear the like of this!

So the woman hare a son, and called his name Samson, - and the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan, - between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And his father and his mother said to him - Is there not, among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, a woman, that thou art going away to take a woman from among the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson said unto his father - Take, her, for me, for, she, is pleasant in mine eyes.

So Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, - and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnath, when lo! a young lion, roaring to meet him.

And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he tore it in pieces as if he had torn in pieces a kid, there being, nothing at all, in his hand, - but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

And it came to pass, because they feared him, that they took thirty companions, who remained with him.

but, if ye cannot tell me, then shall, ye, give me thirty linen wraps, and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

And the wife of Samson wept upon him, and said - Thou dost, altogether hate me, and dost not love me, a riddle, hast thou put forth to the sons of my people, and, unto me, thou hast not told it! And he said to her, Lo! to my own father and mother, have I not told it, and, to thee, shall I tell it?

So she wept upon him the seven days, - while their banquet lasted, - and it came to pass, on the seventh day, that he told her, because she urged him, and she told the riddle unto the sons of her people.

And the men of the city said to him, on the seventh day - ere yet the sun went in, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle!

And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote of them thirty men, and took their garments, and gave the changes of raiment to them who had told the riddle, - and his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

And the wife of Samson was given unto his companion who had served him as his friend.

And it came to pass, after a time, in the days of wheat-harvest, that Samson went to visit his wife, with a kid, and he said - I will go in unto my wife, in the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

And the men of Judah said, Wherefore have ye come up against us? And they said - To bind Samson, are we come up, to do unto him as he hath done unto us.

And they said to him - To bind thee, are we come down, to deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me, that ye will not fall upon me, yourselves.

And they answered him, saying - Nay; but we will, bind, thee, and deliver thee into their hand, but we will not, put thee to death. So they bound him with two new ropes, and took him up from the crag.

He, was coming in as far as Lehi, and, the Philistines, came shouting to meet him, - when the Spirit of Yahweh came suddenly over him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as threads of flax which have been ignited with fire, so that his bonds melted from off his hands.

And it was told the Gazites, saying - Samson hath come in hither. So they came round, and lay in wait for him, all the night, in the gate of the city, - but kept themselves quiet all the night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then will we slay him.

So the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said to her - Entice him, and see wherein lieth his great strength, and wherewith we may prevail against him, and bind him, to humble him, - and, we, will give thee, every man, eleven hundred pieces of silver.

So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords, that had not been dried, - and she bound him therewith.

Now, the liers in wait, were tarrying for her, in an inner chamber, - and she said unto him, - The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he snapped the cords as a thread of tow is broken, when fire bloweth thereon, so his strength was not discovered.

So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him - The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! Now, the liers in wait, were tarrying in an inner chamber. And he snapped them off his arms like a thread.

So she beat them up with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he awaked out of his sleep, and pulled out the pin of the loom, and the warp.

And she said unto him - How canst thou say, I love thee, when, thy heart, is not with me? These three times, hast thou laughed at me, and hast not told me wherein lieth thy great strength.

And it came to pass, when she urged him with her words continually, and pressed him, that his soul became impatient, unto death;

And she made him sleep upon her knees, and called for a man, and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head, - and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.

And she said - The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and said - I will go out now, as time after time, and shake myself free: he, not knowing, that, Yahweh, had departed from him.

And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, - and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison.

And, when the people saw him, they praised their god, - for they said - Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain.

And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.

And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them.

Then came down his brethren, and all the house of his father, and lifted him, and carried him up, and buried him, between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the buryingplace of Manoah his father, - he, having judged Israel twenty years.

And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him - A Levite, am I, from Bethlehem-judah, and, I, am taking my journey to sojourn, wheresoever I can find a home .

And Micah said unto him - Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and, I, will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy sustenance. So the Levite went.

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, - and the young man became to him, as one of his sons.

They, being by the house of Micah, knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, - so they turned aside there, and said to him - Who brought thee in hither? and what art thou doing in this place, and what hast thou here?

So they said unto him - Ask of God, we pray thee, - that we may know whether the journey on which we are going shall have good success.

So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, - and asked him of his welfare.

And they said unto him - Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest, - is it better that thou be priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?

And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, - lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household.

And the sons of Dan went on their journey, - and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, - and remained there, the space of four months.

Then arose her husband, and went after her, to speak unto her heart, that he might bring her back again, having his young man with him, and a couple of asses, - and she brought him into the house of her father, and, when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

And his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, constrained him, and he abode with him three days, - and they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

And, when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law pressed him, so he turned back and tarried the night there.

And, when the man rose up to go - he and his concubine and his young man, - his father-in-law, the father of the damsel, said to him, Come now, see! the day hath sunk down towards evening, come now! tarry the night; lo! the day goeth down, tarry the night here, and let thy heart be glad, so shall ye rise early to-morrow for your journey, and thou shalt go thy way to thine own home.

But the man would not tarry the night, but rose up and went his way, and came as far as over against Jebus, the same, is Jerusalem, - and, with him, were a couple of asses, saddled, his concubine also, was with him.

And his lord said unto him, We will not turn aside into a city of aliens, who are, not of the sons of Israel, - but will pass on as far as Gibeah.

And he said unto him - We, are passing along, from Bethlehem-judah, unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, whence I am, but I have been as far as Bethlehem-judah, and now, unto the house of Yahweh, am I going, and there is no one minded to take me into a house.

So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses, - and they bathed their feet, and did eat and drink.

They, were gladdening their heart, when lo! men of the city, men of the sons of the Abandoned One, beset the house round about, beating violently against the door, - and they spake unto the old man the owner of the house, saying, Bring forth the man that hath entered into thy house, that we may know him.

But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them, outside, - and they knew, her, and abused her all the night, until the morning, and let her go at the uprisings of the dawn.

Now the sons of Israel had gone up, and wept before Yahweh, until the evening, and asked of Yahweh, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother? And Yahweh said, Go up against him.

and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing before it in those days, saying: Shall I yet again go forth to battle, against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I forbear? And Yahweh said - Go up, for, to-morrow, will I deliver him into thy hand.

where thou diest, I will die, and, there, will I be buried: So, let Yahweh do to me, and, so, let him add, if, death itself, part me and thee.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi - Let me go, I pray thee, to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose eyes I may find favour. And she said to her - Go, my daughter.

And lo! Boaz coming from Bethlehem, and he said to the reapers, Yahweh, be with you! and they said to him, Yahweh bless thee!

Then she fell upon her face, and bowed herself to the ground, - and said unto him - Wherefore have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take notice of me, seeing that, I, am, a stranger?