,this e,book was produced by ,david     
,widger  from etext #aeha prepared by   
,dennis ,mc,carthy1 ,atlanta1 ,georgia  
and ,tad ,book1 student1 ,pontifical    
,north ,american ,college1 ,rome4       
,,the ,,holy ,,bible                    
,translated from the ,latin ,vulgate    
,diligently ,compared with the ,hebrew1 
,greek1  and ,other ,editions in ,divers
 ,languages      ,,the ,,old ,,testament
  ,first ,published by the ,english     
,college at ,douay  ,a4,d4 #afji  #afaj 
and    ,,the ,,new ,,testament  ,first  
,published by the ,english ,college at  
,rheims  ,a4,d4 #aehb      ,with        
,annotations      ,the ,whole ,revised  
and ,diligently ,compared with  the     
,latin ,vulgate by ,bishop ,richard     
,challoner  ,a4,d4 #agdi-ageb           
,,the ,,book ,,of ,,judges    ,this     
,book is called ,,judges1 because it    
contains the history of what  passed    
under the government of the judges1 who 
ruled ,israel before they  had kings4   
,the writer of it1 according to the more

 general opinion1 was  the prophet      
,samuel4      ,judges ,chapter #a       
,the expedition and victory of ,juda    
against the ,chanaanites3 who are       
tolerated in many places4    #a3a4      
,after the death of ,josue1 the children
 of ,israel consulted the  ,lord1       
saying3 ,who shall go up before us      
against the ,chanaanite1 and  shall be  
the leader of the war8    #a3b4 ,and the
 ,lord said3 ,juda shall go up3 behold  
,i have delivered the  land into his    
hands4    #a3c4 ,and ,juda said to      
,simeon1 his brother3 ,come up with me  
into my lot1  and fight against the     
,chanaanite1 that ,i also may go along  
with thee  into thy lot4 ,and ,simeon   
went with him4    #a3d4 ,and ,juda went 
up1 and the ,lord delivered the         
,chanaanite1 and the  ,pherezite into   
their hands3 and they slew of them in   
,bezec ten thousand  men4    #a3e4 ,and 
they found ,adonibezec in ,bezec1 and   
fought against him1 and  they defeated  
the ,chanaanite1 and the ,pherezite4    

#a3f4 ,and ,adonibezec fled3 and they   
pursued after him and took him1 and  cut
 off his fingers and toes4    #a3g4 ,and
 ,adonibezec said3 ,seventy kings1      
having their fingers and toes  cut off1 
gathered up the leavings of the meat    
under my table3 as ,i have  done1 so    
hath ,god requited me4  ,and they       
brought him to ,jerusalem1 and  he died 
there4    #a3h4 ,and the children of    
,juda besieging ,jerusalem1 took it1 and
 put it  to the sword1 and set the whole
 city on fire4    ,jerusalem444 ,this   
city was divided into two2 one part was 
called ,jebus1  the other ,salem3 the   
one was in the tribe of ,juda1 the other
 in the  tribe of ,benjamin4 ,after it  
was taken and burnt by the men of ,juda1
 it  was quickly rebuilt again by the   
,jebusites1 as we may gather from ver4  
#ba2 and continued in their possession  
till it was taken by king ,david4       
#a3i4 ,and afterwards they went down and
 fought against the ,chanaanite1  who   
dwelt in the mountains1 and in the      

south1 and in the plains4    #a3aj4 ,and
 ,juda going forward against the        
,chanaanite1 that dwelt in  ,hebron1    
7the name whereof was in former times   
,cariath-,arbe7 slew ,sesai1  and       
,ahiman1 and ,tholmai3    ,hebron444    
,this expedition against ,hebron1 etc4  
is the same as is  related1 ,jos4       
#ae4bd4 ,it is here repeated1 to give   
the reader at once a  short sketch of   
all the achievements of the tribe of    
,juda against the  ,chanaanites4        
#a3aa4 ,and departing from thence1 he   
went to the inhabitants of ,dabir1  the 
ancient name of which was               
,cariath-,sepher1 that is1 the city of  
letters4    ,the city of letters444     
,perhaps so called from some famous     
school1 or  library1 kept there4        
#a3ab4 ,and ,caleb said3 ,he that shall 
take ,cariath-,sepher1 and lay it       
waste1 to him will ,i give my daughter  
,axa to wife4    #a3ac4 ,and ,othoniel1 
the son of ,cenez1 the younger brother  
of ,caleb1  having taken it1 he gave him

 ,axa his daughter to wife4    #a3ad4   
,and as she was going on her way1 her   
husband admonished her to ask  a field  
of her father4 ,and as she sighed       
sitting on her ass1 ,caleb said  to her3
 ,what aileth thee8    #a3ae4 ,but she  
answered3 ,give me a blessing1 for thou 
hast given me a dry  land3 give me also 
a watery land ,so ,caleb gave her the   
upper and the  nether watery ground4    
#a3af4 ,and the children of the ,cinite1
 the kinsman of ,moses1 went up from    
the city of palms1 with the children of 
,juda1 into the wilderness of his  lot1 
which is at the south side of ,arad1 and
 they dwelt with him4    ,the ,cinite444
 ,jethro the father in law of ,moses was
 called ,cinoeus1 or  the ,cinite2 and  
his children who came along with the    
children of ,israel  settled themselves 
among them in the land of ,chanaan1     
embracing their  worship and religion4  
,from these the ,rechabites sprung1 of  
whom see ,jer4  #ce4-;,ibid4 ,the city  
of palms444 ,jericho1 so called from the

 abundance of  palm trees4    #a3ag4    
,and ,juda went with ,simeon1 his       
brother1 and they together defeated  the
 ,chanaanites that dwelt in ,sephaath1  
and slew them4 ,and the name of  the    
city was called ,horma1 that is1        
,anathema4    #a3ah4 ,and ,juda took    
,gaza1 with its confines1 and ,ascalon1 
and ,accaron1  with their confines4     
,gaza1 etc444 ,these were three of the  
principal cities of the  ,philistines1  
famous  both in sacred and profane      
history4 ,they were taken  at this time 
by the ,israelites3 but as they took no 
care to put  garrisons in them1 the     
,philistines soon recovered them4       
#a3ai4 ,and the ,lord was with ,juda1   
and he possessed the hill country3 but  
was not able to destroy the inhabitants 
of the valley1 because they had  many   
chariots armed with scythes4    ,was not
 able1 etc444 ,through a cowardly fear  
of their chariots armed  with hooks and 
scythes1 and for want of confidence in  
,god4    #a3bj4 ,and they gave ,hebron  

to ,caleb1 as ,moses had said1 who      
destroyed  out of it the three sons of  
,enac4    #a3ba4 ,but the sons of       
,benjamin did not destroy the ,jebusites
 that  inhabited ,jerusalem3 and the    
,jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of   
,benjamin in ,jerusalem until this      
present day4    #a3bb4 ,the house of    
,joseph also went up against ,bethel1   
and the ,lord was  with them4    #a3bc4 
,for when they were besieging the city1 
which before was called  ,luza1         
#a3bd4 ,they saw a man coming out of the
 city1 and they said to him3 ,shew  us  
the entrance into the city1 and we will 
shew thee mercy4    #a3be4 ,and when he 
had shewed them1 they smote the city    
with the edge of  the sword3 but that   
man1 and all his kindred1 they let go3  
#a3bf4 ,who being sent away1 went into  
the land of ,hetthim1 and built  there a
 city1 and called it ,luza3 which is so 
called until this day4    #a3bg4        
,manasses also did not destroy ,bethsan1
 and ,thanac1 with their  villages2 nor 

the inhabitants of ,dor1 and ,jeblaam1  
and ,mageddo1 with  their villages4 ,and
 the ,chanaanite began to dwell with    
them4    #a3bh4 ,but after ,israel was  
grown strong1 he made them tributaries1 
and  would not destroy them4    #a3bi4  
,ephraim also did not slay the          
,chanaanite that dwelt in ,gazer1 but   
dwelt with him4    #a3cj4 ,zabulon      
destroyed not the inhabitants of        
,cetron1 and ,naalol3 but  the          
,chanaanite dwelt among them1 and became
 their tributary4    #a3ca4 ,aser also  
destroyed not the inhabitants of ,accho1
 and of ,sidon1 of  ,ahalab1 and of     
,achazib1 and of ,helba1 and of ,aphec1 
and of ,rohob3    #a3cb4 ,and he dwelt  
in the midst of the ,chanaanites1 the   
inhabitants of  that land1 and did not  
slay them4    #a3cc4 ,nephthali also    
destroyed not the inhabitants of        
,bethsames1 and of  ,bethanath3 and he  
dwelt in the midst of the ,chanaanites1 
the inhabitants  of the land1 and the   
,bethsamites and ,bethanites were       

tributaries to him4    #a3cd4 ,and the  
,amorrhite straitened the children of   
,dan in the mountain1  and gave them not
 a place to go down to the plain3       
#a3ce4 ,and he dwelt in the mountain    
,hares1 that is1 of potsherds1 in       
,aialon and ,salebim4 ,and the hand of  
the house of ,joseph was heavy upon     
him1 and he became tributary to him4    
,he dwelt444 ,that is1 the ,amorrhite4  
#a3cf4 ,and the border of the ,amorrhite
 was from the ascent of the  scorpion1  
the rock1 and the higher places4        
,judges ,chapter #b    ,an angel        
reproveth ,israel4 ,they weep for their 
sins4 ,after the death of  ,josue1 they 
often fall1 and repenting are delivered 
from their  afflictions1 but still fall 
worse and worse4    #b3a4 ,and an angel 
of the ,lord went up from ,galgal to the
 place of  weepers1 and said3 ,i made   
you go out of ,egypt1 and have brought  
you into  the land for which ,i swore to
 your fathers3 and ,i promised that ,i  
would  not make void my covenant with   

you for ever3    ,an angel444 ,taking   
the shape of a man4    #b3b4 ,on        
condition that you should not make a    
league with the inhabitants  of this    
land1 but should throw down their       
altars3 and you would not hear  my      
voice3 why have you done this8    #b3c4 
,wherefore ,i would not destroy them    
from before your face2 that you  may    
have enemies1 and their gods may be your
 ruin4    #b3d4 ,and when the angel of  
the ,lord spoke these words to all the  
children of ,israel3 they lifted up     
their voice1 and wept4    #b3e4 ,and the
 name of that place was called1 ,the    
place of weepers1 or of  tears3 and     
there they offered sacrifices to the    
,lord4      #b3f4 ,and ,josue sent away 
the people1 and the children of ,israel 
went  every one to his own possession to
 hold it3    ,and ,josue1 etc444 ,this  
is here inserted out of ,jos4 #bd1 by   
way of  recapitulation of what had      
happened before1 and by way of an       
introduction to that which follows4     

#b3g4 ,and they served the ,lord all his
 days1 and the days of the  ancients1   
that lived a long time after him1 and   
who knew all the works  of the ,lord1   
which he had done for ,israel4    #b3h4 
,and ,josue1 the son of ,nun1 the       
servant of the ,lord1 died1 being a     
hundred and ten years old2    #b3i4 ,and
 they buried him in the borders of his  
possession in  ,thamnathsare1 in ,mount 
,ephraim1 on the north side of ,mount   
,gaas4    #b3aj4 ,and all that          
generation was gathered to their        
fathers3 and there  arose others that   
knew not the ,lord and the works which  
he had done for  ,israel4    #b3aa4 ,and
 the children of ,israel did evil in the
 sight of the ,lord1 and  they served   
,baalim1    #b3ab4 ,and they left the   
,lord1 the ,god of their fathers1 who   
had brought  them out of the land of    
,egypt3 and they followed strange gods1 
and the  gods of the people that dwelt  
round about them1 and they adored them3 
and they provoked the ,lord to anger1   

,they followed strange gods444 ,what is 
here said of the children of  ,israel1  
as to their falling so often into       
idolatry1 is to be understood  of a     
great part of them2 but not so          
universally1 as if the true worship  of 
,god was ever quite abolished among     
them3 for the succession of the  true   
church and religion was kept up all this
 time by the priests and  ,levites1 at  
least in the house of ,god in ,silo4    
#b3ac4 ,forsaking him1 and serving ,baal
 and ,astaroth    #b3ad4 ,and the ,lord 
being angry against ,israel1 delivered  
them into the  hands of plunderers3 who 
took them and sold them to their        
enemies1 that  dwelt round about3       
neither could they stand against their  
enemies3    #b3ae4 ,but whithersoever   
they meant to go1 the hand of the ,lord 
was upon  them1 as he had said1 and as  
he had sworn to them3 and they were     
greatly  distressed4    #b3af4 ,and the 
,lord raised up judges1 to deliver them 
from the hands of  those that oppressed 

them3 but they would not hearken to     
them1    #b3ag4 ,committing fornication 
with strange gods1 and adoring them4    
,they  quickly forsook the way1 in which
 their fathers had walked3 and hearing  
the commandments of the ,lord1 they did 
all things contrary4    #b3ah4 ,and when
 the ,lord raised them up judges1 in    
their days1 he was  moved to mercy1 and 
heard the groanings of the afflicted1   
and delivered  them from the slaughter  
of the oppressors4    #b3ai4 ,but after 
the judge was dead1 they returned1 and  
did much worse  things than their       
fathers had done1 following strange     
gods1 serving  them1 and adoring them4  
,they left not their own inventions1 and
 the  stubborn way1 by which they were  
accustomed to walk4    #b3bj4 ,and the  
wrath of the ,lord was kindled against  
,israel1 and he said3  ,behold this     
nation hath made void my covenant1 which
 ,i had made with  their fathers1 and   
hath despised to hearken to my voice3   
#b3ba4 ,i also will not destroy the     

nations which ,josue left when he died3 
#b3bb4 ,that through them ,i may try    
,israel1 whether they will keep the way 
of the ,lord1 and walk in it1 as their  
fathers kept it1 or not4    #b3bc4 ,the 
,lord therefore left all these nations1 
and would not quickly  destroy them1    
neither did he deliver them into the    
hands of ,josue4      ,judges ,chapter  
#c    ,the people falling into idolatry 
are oppressed by their enemies2 but     
repenting are delivered by ,othoniel1   
,aod1 and ,samgar4    #c3a4 ,these are  
the nations which the ,lord left1 that  
by them he might  instruct ,israel1 and 
all that had not known the wars of the  
,chanaanites3    #c3b4 ,that afterwards 
their children might learn to fight with
 their  enemies1 and to be trained up to
 war3    #c3c4 ,the five princes of the 
,philistines1 and all the ,chanaanites1 
and  the ,sidonians1 and the ,hevites   
that dwelt in ,mount ,libanus1 from     
,mount  ,baal ,hermon to the entering   
into ,emath4    #c3d4 ,and he left them1

 that he might try ,israel by them1     
whether they  would hear the            
commandments of the ,lord1 which he had 
commanded their  fathers1 by the hand of
 ,moses1 or not4    #c3e4 ,so the       
children of ,israel dwelt in the midst  
of the ,chanaanite1 and  the ,hethite1  
and the ,amorrhite1 and the ,pherezite1 
and the ,hevite1 and  the ,jebusite3    
#c3f4 ,and they took their daughters to 
wives1 and they gave their own          
daughters to their sons1 and they served
 their gods4    #c3g4 ,and they did evil
 in the sight of the ,lord1 and they    
forgot their  ,god1 and served ,baalim  
and ,astaroth4    #c3h4 ,and the ,lord  
being angry with ,israel1 delivered them
 into the hands  of ,chusan ,rasathaim1 
king of ,mesopotamia1 and they served   
him eight  years4    ,mesopotamia444 ,in
 ,hebrew ,aramnaharim4 ,syria of the two
 rivers3 so called  because it lies     
between the ,euphrates and the ,tigris4 
,it is absolutely  called ,syria1 ver4  
#aj4    #c3i4 ,and they cried to the    

,lord1 who raised them up a saviour1 and
  delivered them2 to wit1 ,othoniel1 the
 son of ,cenez1 the younger brother  of 
,caleb3    #c3aj4 ,and the spirit of the
 ,lord was in him1 and he judged        
,israel4 ,and  he went out to fight1 and
 the ,lord delivered ,chusan ,rasathaim1
 king of  ,syria1 and he overthrew him3 
#c3aa4 ,and the land rested forty years1
 and ,othoniel1 the son of ,cenez1      
died4    #c3ab4 ,and the children of    
,israel did evil again in the sight of  
the  ,lord3 who strengthened against    
them ,eglon1 king of ,moab3 because they
  did evil in his sight4    #c3ac4 ,and 
he joined to him the children of ,ammon1
 and ,amalec3 and he  went and overthrew
 ,israel1 and possessed the city of palm
 trees4    #c3ad4 ,and the children of  
,israel served ,eglon1 king of ,moab1   
eighteen  years4    #c3ae4 ,and         
afterwards they cried to the ,lord1 who 
raised them up a  saviour1 called ,aod1 
the son of ,cera1 the son of ,jemini1   
who used the  left hand as well as the  

right4  ,and the children of ,israel    
sent  presents to ,eglon1 king of ,moab1
 by him4    #c3af4 ,and he made himself 
a two-edged sword1 with a haft in the   
midst of  the length of the palm of the 
hand1 and was girded therewith1 under   
his  garment1 on the right thigh4       
#c3ag4 ,and he presented the gifts to   
,eglon1 king of ,moab ,now ,eglon was   
exceeding fat4    #c3ah4 ,and when he   
had presented the gifts unto him he     
followed his  companions that came along
 with him4    #c3ai4 ,then returning    
from ,galgal1 where the idols were1 he  
said to the  king3 ,i have a secret     
message to thee1 ,o king4 ,and he       
commanded silence3  and all being gone  
out that were about him1    #c3bj4 ,aod 
went in to him3 now he was sitting in a 
summer parlour alone1  and he said3 ,i  
have a word from ,god to thee4 ,and he  
forthwith rose up  from his throne4     
,a word from ,god1 etc444 ,what ,aod1   
who was judge and chief magistrate of   
,israel1 did on this occasion1 was by a 

special inspiration of ,god3 but  such  
things are not to be imitated by private
 men4    #c3ba4 ,and ,aod put forth his 
left hand1 and took the dagger from his 
right thigh1 and thrust it into his     
belly1    #c3bb4 ,with such force that  
the haft went in after the blade into   
the  wound1 and was closed up with the  
abundance of fat4 ,so that he did not   
draw out the dagger1 but left it in the 
body as he had struck it in3 and        
forthwith1 by the secret parts of       
nature1 the excrements of the belly     
came out4    #c3bc4 ,and ,aod carefully 
shutting the doors of the parlour1 and  
locking  them1    #c3bd4 ,went out by a 
postern door4 ,and the king's servants  
going in1 saw  the doors of the parlour 
shut1 and they said3 ,perhaps he is     
easing  nature in his summer parlour4   
#c3be4 ,and waiting a long time1 till   
they were ashamed1 and seeing that  no  
man opened the door1 they took a key3   
and opening1 they found their  lord     
lying dead on the ground4    #c3bf4 ,but

 ,aod1 while they were in confusion1    
escaped1 and passed by the  place of the
 idols from whence he had returned4 ,and
 he came to ,seirath3    #c3bg4 ,and    
forthwith he sounded the trumpet in     
,mount ,ephraim3 and the  children of   
,israel went down with him1 he himself  
going in the front4    #c3bh4 ,and he   
said to them3 ,follow me3 for the ,lord 
hath delivered our  enemies1 the        
,moabites1 into our hands4 ,and they    
went down after him1 and  seized upon   
the fords of the ,jordan1 which are in  
the way to ,moab3 and  they suffered no 
man to pass over3    #c3bi4 ,but they   
slew of the ,moabites at that time1     
about ten thousand1  all strong and     
valiant men3 none of them could escape4 
#c3cj4 ,and ,moab was humbled that day  
under the hand of ,israel3 and the  land
 rested eighty years4    #c3ca4 ,after  
him was ,samgar1 the son of ,anath1 who 
slew of the  ,philistines six hundred   
men with a ploughshare3 and he also     
defended  ,israel4      ,judges ,chapter

 #d    ,debbora and ,barac deliver      
,israel from ,jabin and ,sisara1 ,jahal 
killeth  ,sisara4    #d3a4 ,and the     
children of ,israel again did evil in   
the sight of the ,lord  after the death 
of ,aod3    #d3b4 ,and the ,lord        
delivered them up into the hands of     
,jabin1 king of  ,chanaan1 who reigned  
in ,asor3 and he had a general of his   
army named  ,sisara1 and he dwelt in    
,haroseth of the ,gentiles4    #d3c4    
,and the children of ,israel cried to   
the ,lord3 for he had nine  hundred     
chariots set with scythes and for twenty
 years had grievously  oppressed them4  
#d3d4 ,and there was at that time       
,debbora1 a prophetess1 the wife of     
,lapidoth1 who judged the people4       
#d3e4 ,and she sat under a palm tree1   
which was called by her name1  between  
,rama and ,bethel1 in ,mount ,ephraim3  
and the children of ,israel  came up to 
her for all judgment4    #d3f4 ,and she 
sent and called ,barac1 the ,son of     
,abinoem1 out of ,cedes1 in  ,nephthali3

 and she said to him3 ,the ,lord ,god of
 ,israel hath commanded  thee3 ,go1 and 
lead an army to ,mount ,thabor1 and thou
 shalt take with  thee ten thousand     
fighting men of the children of         
,nephthali1 and of the  children of     
,zabulon3    #d3g4 ,and ,i will bring   
unto thee in the place of the torrent   
,cison1  ,sisara1 the general of        
,jabin's army1 and his chariots1 and all
 his  multitude1 and will deliver them  
into thy hand4    #d3h4 ,and ,barac said
 to her3 ,if thou wilt come with me1 ,i 
will go3 if  thou wilt not come with me1
 ,i will not go4    #d3i4 ,she said to  
him3 ,i will go1 indeed1 with thee1 but 
at this time the  victory shall not be  
attributed to thee1 because ,sisara     
shall be  delivered into the hand of a  
woman4 ,debbora therefore arose1 and    
went  with ,barac to ,cedes4    #d3aj4  
,and he called unto him ,zabulon and    
,nephthali1 and went up with ten        
thousand fighting men1 having ,debbora  
in his company4    #d3aa4 ,now ,haber1  

the ,cinite1 had some time before       
departed from the rest  of the ,cinites1
 his brethren1 the sons of ,hobab1 the  
kinsman of ,moses3  and had pitched his 
tents unto the valley1 which is called  
,sennim1 and  was near ,cedes4    #d3ab4
 ,and it was told ,sisara1 that ,barac1 
the son of ,abinoem1 was gone  up to    
,mount ,thabor3    #d3ac4 ,and he       
gathered together his nine hundred      
chariots armed with  scythes1 and all   
his army1 from ,haroseth of the         
,gentiles1 to the torrent  ,cison4      
#d3ad4 ,and ,debbora said to ,barac3    
,arise1 for this is the day wherein the 
,lord hath delivered ,sisara into thy   
hands3 behold1 he is thy leader4 ,and   
,barac went down from ,mount ,thabor1   
and ten thousand fighting men with  him4
    #d3ae4 ,and the ,lord struck a      
terror into ,sisara1 and all his        
chariots1  and all his multitude1 with  
the edge of the sword1 at the sight of  
,barac2 insomuch1 that ,sisara leaping  
down from off his chariot1 fled  away on

 foot1    #d3af4 ,and ,barac pursued    
after the fleeing chariots1 and the     
army1 unto  ,haroseth of the ,gentiles2 
and all the multitude of the enemies was
  utterly destroyed4    #d3ag4 ,but     
,sisara fleeing1 came to the tent of    
,jahel1 the wife of ,haber1  the        
,cinite1 for there was peace between    
,jabin1 the king of ,asor1 and the      
house of ,haber1 the ,cinite4    #d3ah4 
,and ,jahel went forth to meet ,sisara1 
and said to him3 ,come in to  me1 my    
lord2 come in1 fear not4 ,he went into  
her tent1 and being covered  by her with
 a cloak1    #d3ai4 ,said to her3 ,give 
me1 ,i beseech thee1 a little water1 for
 ,i am  very thirsty4 ,she opened a     
bottle of milk1 and gave him to drink1  
and  covered him4    #d3bj4 ,and ,sisara
 said to her3 ,stand before the door of 
the tent1 and  when any shall come and  
inquire of thee1 saying3 ,is there any  
man here8  thou shalt say3 ,there is    
none4    #d3ba4 ,so ,jahel1 ,haber's    
wife1 took a nail of the tent1 and      

taking also a  hammer3 and going in     
softly1 and with silence1 she put the   
nail upon the  temples of his head1 and 
striking it with the hammer1 drove it   
through  his brain fast into the ground3
 and so passing from deep sleep to      
death1  he fainted away and died4       
#d3bb4 ,and behold1 ,barac came pursuing
 after ,sisara3 and ,jahel went out  to 
meet him1 and said to him3 ,come1 and ,i
 will shew thee the man whom  thou      
seekest4 ,and when he came into her     
tent1 he saw ,sisara lying dead1  and   
the nail fastened in his temples4       
#d3bc4 ,so ,god that day humbled ,jabin1
 the king of ,chanaan1 before the       
children of ,israel3    #d3bd4 ,who grew
 daily stronger1 and with a mighty hand 
overpowered ,jabin1  king of ,chanaan1  
till they quite destroyed him4          
,judges ,chapter #e    ,the canticle of 
,debbora and ,barac after their victory4
    #e3a4 ,in that day ,debbora and     
,barac1 son of ,abinoem1 sung1 and said3
    #e3b4 ,o you of ,israel1 that have  

willingly offered your lives to danger1 
bless the ,lord4    #e3c4 ,hear1 ,o ye  
kings1 give ear1 ,o ye princes3 ,it is  
,i1 it is ,i1 that  will sing to the    
,lord1 ,i will sing to the ,lord1 the   
,god of ,israel4    #e3d4 ,o ,lord1 when
 thou wentest out of ,seir1 and passedst
 by the regions  of ,edom1 the earth    
trembled1 and the heavens and clouds    
dropped water4    #e3e4 ,the mountains  
melted before the face of the ,lord1 and
 ,sinai before  the face of the ,lord   
the ,god of ,israel4    #e3f4 ,in the   
days of ,samgar1 the son of ,anath1 in  
the days of ,jahel1 the  paths rested3  
and they that went by them1 walked      
through bye-ways4    ,the paths         
rested444 ,the ways to the sanctuary of 
,god were unfrequented3  and men walked 
in the by-ways of error and sin4        
#e3g4 ,the valiant men ceased1 and      
rested in ,israel3 until ,debbora arose1
  a mother arose in ,israel4    #e3h4   
,the ,lord chose new wars1 and he       
himself overthrew the gates of the      

enemies3 a shield and spear was not seen
 among forty thousand of ,israel4       
#e3i4 ,my heart loveth the princes of   
,israel3 ,o you1 that of your own good  
will offered yourselves to danger1 bless
 the ,lord4    #e3aj4 ,speak1 you that  
ride upon fair asses1 and you that sit  
in  judgment1 and walk in the way4      
#e3aa4 ,where the chariots were dashed  
together1 and the army of the  enemies  
was choked1 there let the justices of   
the ,lord be rehearsed1 and  his        
clemency towards the brave men of       
,israel3 then the people of the  ,lord  
went down to the gates1 and obtained the
 sovereignty4    #e3ab4 ,arise1 arise1  
,o ,debbora1 arise1 arise1 and utter a  
canticle4  ,arise1 ,barac1 and take hold
 of thy captives1 ,o son of ,abinoem4   
#e3ac4 ,the remnants of the people are  
saved1 the ,lord hath fought among  the 
valiant ones4    #e3ad4 ,out of ,ephraim
 he destroyed them into ,amalec1 and    
after him out of  ,benjamin into thy    
people1 ,o ,amalec3 ,out of ,machir     

there came down  princes1 and out of    
,zabulon they that led the army to      
fight4    ,out of ,ephraim1 etc444 ,the 
enemies straggling in their flight were 
destroyed1 as they were running through 
the land of ,ephraim1 and of  ,benjamin1
 which lies after1 that is beyond       
,ephraim3 and so on to the  very        
confines of ,amalec4 ,or1 it alludes to 
former victories of the  people of ,god1
 particularly that which was freshest in
 memory1 when the  men of ,ephraim and  
,benjamin1 with ,aod at their head1     
overthrew their  enemies the ,moabites  
with the ,amalecites their allies4 ,see 
chap4 #c4  ,ibid4 ,machir444 ,the tribe 
of ,manasses1 whose eldest son was      
,machir4    #e3ae4 ,the captains of     
,issachar were with ,debbora1 and       
followed the steps  of ,barac1 who      
exposed himself to danger1 as one going 
headlong1 and into  a pit4 ,ruben being 
divided against himself1 there was found
 a strife of  courageous men4           
,divided against himself1 etc444 ,by    

this it seems that the valient men of   
the tribe of ,ruben were divided in     
their sentiments1 with relation to  this
 war2 which division kept them at home  
within their own borders1 to  hear the  
bleating of their flocks4    #e3af4 ,why
 dwellest thou between two borders1 that
 thou mayst hear the  bleatings of the  
flocks8 ,ruben being divided against    
himself1 there was  found a strife of   
courageous men4    #e3ag4 ,galaad rested
 beyond the ,jordan1 and ,dan applied   
himself to ships3  ,aser dwelt on the   
sea shore1 and abode in the havens4     
#e3ah4 ,but ,zabulon and ,nephthali     
offered their lives to death in the     
region of ,merome4    #e3ai4 ,the kings 
came and fought1 the kings of ,chanaan  
fought in ,thanac1  by the waters of    
,mageddo and yet they took no spoils4   
#e3bj4 ,there was war made against them 
from heaven3 the stars1 remaining  in   
their order and courses1 fought against 
,sisara4    #e3ba4 ,the torrent of      
,cison dragged their carcasses1 the     

torrent of  ,cadumim1 the torrent of    
,cison3 tread thou1 my soul1 upon the   
strong  ones4    #e3bb4 ,the hoofs of   
the horses were broken whilst the       
stoutest of the  enemies fled amain1 and
 fell headlong down4    #e3bc4 ,curse ye
 the land of ,meroz1 said the angel of  
the ,lord3 curse the  inhabitants       
thereof1 because they came not to the   
help of the ,lord1 to  help his most    
valiant men4    ,meroz444 ,where this   
land of ,meroz was1 which is here laid  
under a curse1  we cannot find3 nor is  
there mention of it anywhere else in    
holy writ4  ,in the spiritual sense1    
they are cursed who refuse to assist the
 people  of ,god in their warfare       
against their spiritual enemies4        
#e3bd4 ,blessed among women be ,jahel1  
the wife of ,haber the ,cinite1 and     
blessed be she in her tent4    #e3be4   
,he asked her water1 and she gave him   
milk1 and offered him butter  in a dish 
fit for princes4    #e3bf4 ,she put her 
left hand to the nail1 and her right    

hand to the  workman's hammer1 and she  
struck ,sisara1 seeking in his head a   
place for  the wound1 and strongly      
piercing through his temples4    #e3bg4 
,between her feet he fell3 he fainted1  
and he died3 he rolled  before her feet1
 and there he lay lifeless and wretched4
    #e3bh4 ,his mother looked out at a  
window1 and howled3 and she spoke from  
the dining room3 ,why is his chariot so 
long in coming back8 ,why are the  feet 
of his horses so slow8    #e3bi4 ,one   
that was wiser than the rest of his     
wives1 returned this  answer to her     
mother in law3    #e3cj4 ,perhaps he is 
now dividing the spoils1 and the fairest
 of the  women is chosen out for him3   
garments of divers colours are given to 
,sisara for his prey1 and furniture of  
different kinds is heaped together  to  
adorn necks4    #e3ca4 ,so let all thy  
enemies perish1 ,o ,lord3 but let them  
that love thee  shine1 as the sun       
shineth in his rising4    #e3cb4 ,and   
the land rested for forty years4        

,judges ,chapter #f    ,the people for  
their sins1 are oppressed by the        
,madianites4 ,gedeon is  called to      
deliver them4    #f3a4 ,and the children
 of ,israel again did evil in the sight 
of the ,lord3  and he delivered them    
into the hand of ,madian seven years1   
#f3b4 ,and they were grievously         
oppressed by them4  ,and they made      
themselves dens and caves in the        
mountains1 and strong holds to resist4  
#f3c4 ,and when ,israel had sown1       
,madian and ,amalec1 and the rest of the
  eastern nations1 came up3    #f3d4    
,and pitching their tents among them1   
wasted all things as they were  in the  
blade1 even to the entrance of ,gaza3   
and they left nothing at all  in ,israel
 for sustenance of life1 nor sheep1 nor 
oxen1 nor asses4    #f3e4 ,for they and 
all their flocks came with their tents1 
and like  locusts filled all places1 an 
innumerable multitude of men1 and of    
camels1 wasting whatsoever they touched4
    #f3f4 ,and ,israel was humbled      

exceedingly in the sight of ,madian4    
#f3g4 ,and he cried to the ,lord1       
desiring help against the ,madianites4  
#f3h4 ,and he sent unto them a prophet1 
and he spoke3 ,thus saith the ,lord1    
the ,god of ,israel3 ,i made you to come
 up out of ,egypt1 and brought you  out 
of the house of bondage1    #f3i4 ,and  
delivered you out of the hands of the   
,egyptians1 and of all the  enemies that
 afflicted you3 and ,i cast them out at 
your coming in1 and  gave you their     
land4    #f3aj4 ,and ,i said3 ,i am the 
,lord your ,god1 fear not the gods of   
the  ,amorrhites1 in whose land you     
dwell4  ,and you would not hear my      
voice4    #f3aa4 ,and an angel of the   
,lord came1 and sat under an oak that   
was in  ,ephra1 and belonged to ,joas1  
the father of the family of ,ezri4 ,and 
when  ,gedeon1 his son1 was threshing   
and cleansing wheat by the winepress1 to
  flee from ,madian1    #f3ab4 ,the     
angel of the ,lord appeared to him1 and 
said3 ,the ,lord is with  thee1 ,o most 

valiant of men4    #f3ac4 ,and ,gedeon  
said to him3 ,i beseech thee1 my lord1  
if the ,lord be  with us1 why have these
 evils fallen upon us8 ,where are his   
miracles1  which our fathers have told  
us of1 saying3 ,the ,lord brought us out
 of  ,egypt but now the ,lord hath      
forsaken us1 and delivered us into the  
hand  of ,madian4    #f3ad4 ,and the    
,lord looked upon him1 and said3 ,go1 in
 this thy strength1  and thou shalt     
deliver ,israel out of the hand of      
,madian3 know that ,i  have sent thee4  
#f3ae4 ,he answered1 and said3 ,i       
beseech thee1 my lord wherewith shall ,i
  deliver ,israel8  ,behold1 my family  
is the meanest in ,manasses1 and ,i am  
the least in my father's house4    ,the 
meanest in ,manasses1 etc444 ,mark how  
the ,lord chooseth the humble  7who are 
mean and little in their own eyes7 for  
the greatest  enterprises4    #f3af4    
,and the ,lord said to him3 ,i will be  
with thee3 and thou shalt cut  off      
,madian as one man4    #f3ag4 ,and he   

said3 ,if ,i have found grace before    
thee1 give me a sign  that it is thou   
that speakest to me3    #f3ah4 ,and     
depart not hence1 till ,i return to     
thee1 and bring a  sacrifice1 and offer 
it to thee4 ,and he answered3 ,i will   
wait thy  coming4    #f3ai4 ,so ,gedeon 
went in1 and boiled a kid1 and made     
unleavened loaves of  a measure of      
flour3 and putting the flesh in a       
basket1 and the broth of  the flesh into
 a pot1 he carried all under the oak1   
and presented to  him4    #f3bj4 ,and   
the angel of the ,lord said to him3     
,take the flesh and the  unleavened     
loaves1 and lay them upon that rock1 and
 pour out the broth  thereon4 ,and when 
he had done so1    #f3ba4 ,the angel of 
the ,lord put forth the tip of the rod1 
which he held  in his hand1 and touched 
the flesh and the unleavened loaves3 and
 there  arose a fire from the rock1 and 
consumed the flesh and the unleavened   
loaves3 and the angel of the ,lord      
vanished out of his sight4    #f3bb4    

,and ,gedeon seeing that it was the     
angel of the ,lord1 said3 ,alas1  my    
,lord ,god3 for ,i have seen the angel  
of the ,lord face to face4    #f3bc4    
,and the ,lord said to him3 ,peace be   
with thee3 fear not1 thou shalt  not    
die4    #f3bd4 ,and ,gedeon built there 
an altar to the ,lord1 and called it the
  ,lord's peace1 until this present day4
 ,and when he was yet in ,ephra1  which 
is of the family of ,ezri1    #f3be4    
,that night the ,lord said to him3 ,take
 a bullock of thy father's1  and another
 bullock of seven years1 and thou shalt 
destroy the altar of  ,baal1 which is   
thy father's3 and cut down the grove    
that is about the  altar3    #f3bf4 ,and
 thou shalt build un altar to the ,lord 
thy ,god1 in the top of  this rock1     
whereupon thou didst lay the sacrifice  
before3 and thou shalt  take the second 
bullock1 and shalt offer a holocaust    
upon a pile of the  wood1 which thou    
shalt cut down out of the grove4        
#f3bg4 ,then ,gedeon1 taking ten men of 

his servants1 did as the ,lord had      
commanded him4 ,but fearing his father's
 house1 and the men of that city1  he   
would not do it by day1 but did all by  
night4    #f3bh4 ,and when the men of   
that town were risen in the morning1    
they saw  the altar of ,baal destroyed1 
and the grove cut down1 and the second  
bullock laid upon the altar1 which then 
was built4    #f3bi4 ,and they said one 
to another3 ,who hath done this8 ,and   
when they  inquired for the author of   
the fact1 it was said3 ,gedeon1 the son 
of  ,joas1 did all this4    #f3cj4 ,and 
they said to ,joas3 ,bring out thy son  
hither1 that he may die3  because he    
hath destroyed the altar of ,baal1 and  
hath cut down his  grove4    #f3ca4 ,he 
answered them3 ,are you the avengers of 
,baal1 that you fight for  him8 he that 
is his adversary1 let him die before to 
morrow light  appear3 if he be a god1   
let him revenge himself on him that hath
 cast  down his altar4    #f3cb4 ,from  
that day ,gedeon was called ,jerobaal1  

because ,joas had said3  ,let ,baal     
revenge himself on him that hath cast   
down his altar4    #f3cc4 ,now all      
,madian1 and ,amalec1 and the eastern   
people1 were gathered  together1 and    
passing over the ,jordan1 camped in the 
valley of ,jezrael4    #f3cd4 ,but the  
spirit of the ,lord came upon ,gedeon1  
and he sounded the  trumpet1 and called 
together the house of ,abiezer1 to      
follow him4    #f3ce4 ,and he sent      
messengers into all ,manasses1 and they 
also followed  him and other messengers 
into ,aser and ,zabulon1 and ,nephthali1
 and  they came to meet him4    #f3cf4  
,and ,gedeon said to ,god3 ,if thou wilt
 save ,israel by my hand1 as  thou hast 
said1    #f3cg4 ,i will put this fleece 
of wool on the floor3 if there be dew in
  the fleece only1 and it be dry on all 
the ground beside1 ,i shall know  that  
by my hand1 as thou hast said1 thou wilt
 deliver ,israel4    #f3ch4 ,and it was 
so4 ,and rising before day1 wringing the
 fleece1 he  filled a vessel with the   

dew4    #f3ci4 ,and he said again to    
,god3 ,let not thy wrath be kindled     
against me1  if ,i try once more1       
seeking a sign in the fleece4 ,i pray   
that the fleece  only may be dry1 and   
all the ground wet with dew4    #f3dj4  
,and ,god did that night as he had      
requested3 and it was dry on the  fleece
 only1 and there was dew on all the     
ground4      ,judges ,chapter #g        
,gedeon1 with three hundred men1 by     
stratagem defeateth the ,madianites4    
#g3a4 ,then ,jerobaal1 who is the same  
as ,gedeon1 rising up early1 and all    
the people with him1 came to the        
fountain that is called ,harad4 ,now the
  camp of ,madian was in the valley1 on 
the north side of the high hill4        
#g3b4 ,and the ,lord said to ,gedeon3   
,the people that are with thee are      
many1 and ,madian shall not be delivered
 into their hands3 lest ,israel  should 
glory against me1 and say3 ,i was       
delivered by my own strength4    ,lest  
,israel1 etc444 ,by this we see that    

,god will not choose for his            
instruments in great achievements1 which
 depend purely on his grace1  such as1  
through pride and self conceit1 will    
take the glory to  themselves4    #g3c4 
,speak to the people1 and proclaim in   
the hearing of all3  ,whosoever  is     
fearful and timorous1 let him return4   
,so two and twenty thousand men  went   
away from ,mount ,galaad and returned   
home1 and only ten thousand  remained4  
#g3d4 ,and the ,lord said to ,gedeon3   
,the people are still too many1 bring   
them to the waters1 and there ,i will   
try them3 and of whom ,i shall say  to  
thee1 ,this shall go with thee1 let him 
go3 whom ,i shall forbid to go1  let him
 return4    #g3e4 ,and when the people  
were come down to the waters1 the ,lord 
said to  ,gedeon3 ,they that shall lap  
the water with their tongues1 as dogs   
are  wont to lap1 thou shalt set apart  
by themselves3 but they that shall      
drink bowing down their knees1 shall be 
on the other side4    #g3f4 ,and the    

number of them that had lapped water2   
casting it with the  hand to their      
mouth1 was three hundred men3 and all   
the rest of the  multitude had drunk    
kneeling4    #g3g4 ,and the ,lord said  
to ,gedeon3 ,by the three hundred men1  
that lapped  water1 ,i will save you1   
and deliver ,madian into thy hand3 but  
let all  the rest of the people return  
to their place4    ,that lapped water444
 ,these were preferred that took the    
water up in  their hands1 and so lapped 
it1 before them who laid themselves     
quite  down to the waters to drink3     
which argued a more eager and sensual   
disposition4    #g3h4 ,so taking        
victuals and trumpets according to their
 number1 he  ordered all the rest of the
 multitude to depart to their tents3 and
 he  with the three hundred gave himself
 to the battle4 ,now the camp of ,madia 
was beneath him in the valley4    #g3i4 
,the same night the ,lord said to him3  
,arise1 and go down into the  camp3     
because ,i have delivered them into thy 

hand4    #g3aj4 ,but if thou be afraid  
to go alone1 let ,phara1 thy servant1 go
 down  with thee4    #g3aa4 ,and when   
thou shalt hear what they are saying1   
then shall thy  hands be strengthened1  
and thou shalt go down more secure to   
the  enemies' camp4 ,and he went down   
with ,phara his servant1 into part of   
the  camp1 where was the watch of men in
 arms4    #g3ab4 ,but ,madian and       
,amalec1 and all the eastern people1 lay
 scattered  in the valley1 as a         
multitude of locusts3 their camels also 
were  innumerable1 as the sand that     
lieth on the sea shore4    #g3ac4 ,and  
when ,gedeon was come1 one told his     
neighbour a dream3 and in  this manner  
related what he had seen3 ,i dreamt a   
dream1 and it seemed to  me as if a     
hearth cake of barley bread rolled and  
came down into the  camp of ,madian3 and
 when it was come to a tent1 it struck  
it1 and beat  it down flat to the       
ground4    ,a dream444 ,observation of  
dreams is commonly superstitious1 and as

 such  is condemned in the word of ,god3
 but in some extraordinary cases1 as we 
here see1 ,god is pleased by dreams to  
foretell what he is about to do4        
#g3ad4 ,he to whom he spoke1 answered3  
,this is nothing else but the sword  of 
,gedeon1 the son of ,joas1 a man of     
,israel4 ,for the ,lord hath delivered  
,madian1 and all their camp into his    
hand4    #g3ae4 ,and when ,gedeon had   
heard the dream1 and the interpretation 
thereof1 he adored3 and returned to the 
camp of ,israel1 and said3 ,arise1  for 
the ,lord hath delivered the camp of    
,madian into our hands4    #g3af4 ,and  
he divided the three hundred men into   
three parts1 and gave  them trumpets in 
their hands1 and empty pitchers1 and    
lamps within the  pitchers4    #g3ag4   
,and he said to them3 ,what you shall   
see me do1 do you the same3 ,i  will go 
into one part of the camp1 and do you as
 ,i shall do4    #g3ah4 ,when the       
trumpet shall sound in my hand1 do you  
also blow the  trumpets on every side of

 the camp1 and shout together to the    
,lord and  to ,gedeon4    #g3ai4 ,and   
,gedeon1 and the three hundred men that 
were with him1 went  into part of the   
camp1 at the beginning of the midnight  
watch1 and the  watchmen being alarmed1 
they began to sound their trumpets1 and 
to clap  the pitchers one against       
another4    ,their trumpets1 etc444 ,in 
a mystical sense1 the preachers of the  
gospel1  in order to spiritual          
conquests1 must not only sound with the 
trumpet of  the word of ,god1 but must  
also break their earthen pitchers1 by   
the  mortification of the flesh and its 
passions1 and carry lamps in their      
hands by the light of their virtues4    
#g3bj4 ,and when they sounded their     
trurmpets in three places round about   
the camp1 and had broken their pitchers1
 they held their lamps in their  left   
hands1 and with their right hands the   
trumpets which they blew1 and  they     
cried out3 ,the sword of the ,lord and  
of ,gedeon3    #g3ba4 ,standing every   

man in his place round about the        
enemies' camp4 ,so  all the camp was    
troubled1 and crying out and howling1   
they fled away3    #g3bb4 ,and the three
 hundred men nevertheless persisted     
sounding the  trumpets4 ,and the ,lord  
sent the sword into all the camp1 and   
they killed  one another1    #g3bc4     
,fleeing as far as ,bethsetta1 and the  
border of ,abelmahula1 in  ,tebbath4    
,but the men of ,israel1 shouting from  
,nephthali1 and ,aser1 and  from all    
,manasses1 pursued after ,madian4       
#g3bd4 ,and ,gedeon sent messengers into
 all ,mount ,ephraim1 saying3 ,come     
down to meet ,madian1 and take the      
waters before them to ,bethbera and the 
,jordan4  ,and all ,ephraim shouted1 and
 took the waters before them and  the   
,jordan as far as ,bethbera4    #g3be4  
,and having taken two men of ,madian1   
,oreb and ,zeb3 ,oreb they slew  in the 
rock of ,oreb1 and ,zeb in the winepress
 of ,zeb4 ,and they pursued  ,madian1   
carrying the heads of ,oreb and ,zeb to 

,gedeon1 beyond the waters  of the      
,jordan4    ,two men444 ,that is1 two of
 their chiefs4    ,judges ,chapter #h   
,gedeon appeaseth the ,ephraimites4     
,taketh ,zebee and ,salmana4 ,destroyeth
  ,soccoth and ,phanuel4 ,refuseth to be
 king4 ,maketh an ephod of the gold of  
the prey1 and dieth in a good old age4  
,the people return to idolatry4    #h3a4
 ,and the men of ,ephraim said to him3  
,what is this that thou meanest  to do1 
that thou wouldst not call us1 when thou
 wentest to fight against  ,madian8     
,and they chid him sharply1 and almost  
offered violence4    #h3b4 ,and he      
answered them3 ,what could ,i have done 
like to that which you  have done8 ,is  
not one bunch of grapes of ,ephraim     
better than the  vintages of ,abiezer8  
,what could ,i1 etc444 ,a meek and      
humble answer appeased them2 who        
otherwise might have come to            
extremities4 ,so great is the power of  
humility both with ,god and man4        
#h3c4 ,the ,lord hath delivered into    

your hands the princes of ,madian1 ,oreb
  and ,zeb3 what could ,i have done like
 to what you have done8 ,and when he    
had said this1 their spirit was         
appeased1 with which they swelled       
against him4    #h3d4 ,and when ,gedeon 
was come to the ,jordan1 he passed over 
it with the  three hundred men that were
 with him3 who were so weary that they  
could  not pursue after them that fled4 
#h3e4 ,and he said to the men of        
,soccoth3 ,give1 ,i beseech you1 bread  
to  the people that is with me1 for they
 are faint3 that we may pursue  ,zebee1 
and ,salmana1 the kings of ,madian4     
#h3f4 ,the princes of ,soccoth answered3
 ,peradventure the palms of the  hands  
of ,zebee and ,salmana are in thy hand1 
and therefore thou demandest  that we   
should give bread to thy army4    #h3g4 
,and he said to them3 ,when the ,lord   
therefore shall have delivered  ,zebee  
and ,salmana into my hands1 ,i will     
thresh your flesh with the  thorns and  
briers of the desert4    #h3h4 ,and     

going up from thence1 he came to        
,phanuel3 and he spoke the like  things 
to the men of that place4  ,and they    
also answered him1 as the men  of       
,soccoth had answered4    #h3i4 ,he     
said1 therefore1 to them also3 ,when ,i 
shall return a conqueror  in peace1 ,i  
will destroy this tower4    #h3aj4 ,but 
,zebee and ,salmana were resting with   
all their army4 ,for  fifteen thousand  
men were left of all the troops of the  
eastern people1  and one hundred and    
twenty thousand warriors that drew the  
sword were  slain4    #h3aa4 ,and       
,gedeon went up by the way of them that 
dwelt in tents1 on the  east of ,nobe   
and ,jegbaa1 and smote the camp of the  
enemies1 who were  secure1 and suspected
 no hurt4    #h3ab4 ,and ,zebee and     
,salmana fled1 and ,gedeon pursued and  
took them1 all  their host being put in 
confusion4    #h3ac4 ,and returning from
 the battle before the sun rising1      
#h3ad4 ,he took a boy of the men of     
,soccoth3 and he asked him the names of 

the princes and ancients of ,soccoth1   
and he described unto him seventy-      
seven men4    #h3ae4 ,and he came to    
,soccoth1 and said to them3 ,behold     
,zebee1 and  ,salmana1 concerning whom  
you upbraided me1 saying3 ,peradventure 
the  hands of ,zebee and ,salmana are in
 thy hands1 and therefore thou          
demandest that we should give bread to  
the men that are weary and faint4       
#h3af4 ,so he took the ancients of the  
city1 and thorns and briers of the      
desert1 and tore them with the same1 and
 cut in pieces the men of  ,soccoth4    
#h3ag4 ,and he demolished the tower of  
,phanuel1 and slew the men of the  city4
    #h3ah4 ,and he said to ,zebee and   
,salmana3 ,what manner of men were they1
  whom you slew in ,thabor8 ,they       
answered3 ,they were like thee1 and one 
of  them as the son of a king4          
#h3l#i4 ,he answered them3 ,they were my
 brethren1 the sons of my mother4 ,as   
the ,lord liveth1 if you had saved them1
 ,i would not kill you4    #h3bj4 ,and  

he said to ,jether1 his eldest son3     
,arise1 and slay them4 ,but  he drew not
 his sword3 for he was afraid1 being but
 yet a boy4    #h3ba4 ,and ,zebee and   
,salmana said3 ,do thou rise and run    
upon us3 because  the strength of a man 
is according to his age3 ,gedeon rose   
up1 and slew  ,zebee and ,salmana3 and  
he took the ornaments and bosses1 with  
which the  necks of the camels of kings 
are wont to be adorned4    #h3bb4 ,and  
all the men of ,israel said to ,gedeon3 
,rule thou over us1 and  thy son1 and   
thy son's son3 because thou hast        
delivered us from the hand  of ,madian4 
#h3bc4 ,and he said to them3 ,i will not
 rule over you1 neither shall my  son   
rule over you1 but the ,lord shall rule 
over you4    #h3bd4 ,and he said to     
them3 ,i desire one request of you3     
,give me the  earlets of your spoils4   
,for the ,ismaelites were accustomed to 
wear  golden earlets4    #h3be4 ,they   
answered3 ,we will give them most       
willingly4  ,and spreading a  mantle on 

the ground1 they cast upon it the       
earlets of the spoils4    #h3bf4 ,and   
the weight of the earlets that he       
requested1 was a thousand  seven hundred
 sicles of gold1 besides the ornaments1 
and jewels1 and  purple raiment1 which  
the kings of ,madian were wont to use1  
and besides  the golden chains that were
 about the camels necks4    #h3bg4 ,and 
,gedeon made an ephod thereof1 and put  
it in his city ,ephra4  ,and all ,israel
 committed fornication with it1 and it  
became a ruin to  ,gedeon1 and to all   
his house4    ,an ephod444 ,a priestly  
garment which ,gedeon made with a good  
design2 but  the ,israelites1 after his 
death1 abused it by making it an        
instrument of  their idolatrous worship4
    #h3bh4 ,but ,madian was humbled     
before the children of ,israel1 neither 
could they any more lift up their heads3
 but the land rested for forty  years1  
while ,gedeon presided4    #h3bi4 ,so   
,jerobaal1 the son of ,joas1 went and   
dwelt in his own house3    #h3cj4 ,and  

he had seventy sons1 who came out of his
 thigh1 for he had  many wives4         
#h3ca4 ,and his concubine1 that he had  
in ,sichem1 bore him a son1 whose  name 
was ,abimelech4    ,his concubine444    
,she was his servant1 but not his       
harlot3 and is called  his concubine1 as
 wives of an inferior degree are        
commonly called in the  ,old ,testament1
 though otherwise lawfully married4     
#h3cb4 ,and ,gedeon1 the son of ,joas   
died in a good old age1 and was buried  
in the sepulchre of his father1 in      
,ephra1 of the family of ,ezri4         
#h3cc4 ,but after ,gedeon was dead1 the 
children of ,israel turned again1  and  
committed fornication with ,baalim4     
,and they made a covenant with  ,baal1  
that he should be their god3    #h3cd4  
,and they remembered not the ,lord their
 ,god1 who delivered them out  of the   
hands of all their enemies round about3 
#h3ce4 ,neither did they shew mercy to  
the house of ,jerobaal ,gedeon1         
according to all the good things he had 

done to ,israel4      ,judges ,chapter  
#i    ,abimelech killeth his brethren4  
,joatham's parable4 ,gaal conspireth    
with  the ,sichemites against           
,abimelech1 but is overcome4 ,abimelech 
destroyeth  ,sichem3 but is killed at   
,thebes4    #i3a4 ,and ,abimelech1 the  
son of ,jerobaal1 went to ,sichem1 to   
his mother's  brethren1 and spoke to    
them1 and to all the kindred of his     
mother's  father1 saying3    #i3b4      
,speak to all the men of ,sichem3       
whether is better for you that  seventy 
men1 all the sons of ,jerobaal1 should  
rule over you1 or that one  man should  
rule over you8 ,and withal1 consider    
that ,i am your bone1 and  your flesh4  
#i3c4 ,and his mother's brethren spoke  
of him to all the men of ,sichem1  all  
these words1 and they inclined their    
hearts after ,abimelech1 saying3  ,he is
 our brother3    #i3d4 ,and they gave   
him seventy weight of silver out of the 
temple of  ,baalberith3 wherewith he    
hired to himself men that were needy1   

and  vagabonds1 and they followed him4  
,baalberith444 ,that is1 ,baal of the   
covenant1 so called from the covenant   
they had made with ,baal1 chap4 #h4cc4  
#i3e4 ,and he came to his father's house
 in ,ephra1 and slew his brethren1  the 
sons of ,jerobaal1 seventy men1 upon one
 stone3 and there remained  only        
,joatham1 the youngest son of ,jerobaal1
 who was hidden4    #i3f4 ,and all the  
men of ,sichem were gathered together1  
and all the  families of the city of    
,mello3 and they went and made          
,abimelech king1 by  the oak that stood 
in ,sichem4    #i3g4 ,this being told to
 ,joatham1 he went1 and stood on the top
 of ,mount  ,garizim3 and lifting up his
 voice1 he cried1 and said3 ,hear me1 ye
 men  of ,sichem1 so may ,god hear you4 
#i3h4 ,the trees went to anoint a king  
over them3 and they said to the  olive  
tree3 ,reign thou over us4    #i3i4 ,and
 it answered3 ,can ,i leave my fatness1 
which both gods and men  make use of1 to
 come to be promoted among the trees8   

,both gods and men make use of444 ,the  
olive tree is introduced1 speaking  in  
this manner1 because oil was used both  
in the worship of the true  ,god1 and in
 that of the false gods1 whom the       
,sichemites served4    #i3aj4 ,and the  
trees said to the fig tree3 ,come thou  
and reign over us4    #i3aa4 ,and it    
answered them3 ,can ,i leave my         
sweetness1 and my delicious  fruits1 and
 go to be promoted among the other      
trees8    #i3ab4 ,and the trees said to 
the vine3 ,come thou and reign over us4 
#i3ac4 ,and it answered them3 ,can ,i   
forsake my wine1 that cheereth ,god and 
men1 and be promoted among the other    
trees8    ,cheereth ,god and men444     
,wine is here represented as agreeable  
to ,god1  because he had appointed it to
 be offered up with his sacrifices4 ,but
 we  are not obliged to take these      
words1 spoken by the trees1 in          
,joatham's  parable1 according to the   
strict literal sense3 but only in a     
sense  accomodated to the design of the 

parable expressed in the conclusion of  
it4    #i3ad4 ,and all the trees said to
 the bramble3 ,come thou and reign over 
us4    #i3ae4 ,and it answered them3    
,if1 indeed1 you mean to make me king1  
come  ye1 and rest under my shadow3 but 
if you mean it not1 let fire come out   
from the bramble1 and devour the cedars 
of ,libanus4    #i3af4 ,now1 therefore1 
if you have done well1 and without sin1 
in  appointing ,abimelech king over you1
 and have dealt well with ,jerobaal1    
and with his house1 and have made a     
suitable return for the benefits of  him
 who fought for you1    #i3ag4 ,and     
exposed his life to dangers1 to deliver 
you from the hand of  ,madian1    #i3ah4
 ,and you are now risen up against my   
father's house1 and have  killed his    
sons1 seventy men1 upon one stone1 and  
have made ,abimelech1  the son of his   
handmaid1 king over the inhabitants of  
,sichem1 because he  is your brother3   
#i3ai4 ,if therefore you have dealt     
well1 and without fault1 with ,jerobaal 

and his house1 rejoice ye1 this day1 in 
,abimelech1 and may he rejoice in  you4 
#i3bj4 ,but if unjustly3 let fire come  
out from him1 and consume the           
inhabitants of ,sichem1 and the town of 
,mello3 and let fire come out from  the 
men of ,sichem and from the town of     
,mello1 and devour ,abimelech4    #i3ba4
 ,and when he had said thus1 he fled1   
and went into ,bera3 and dwelt  there   
for fear of ,abimelech1 his brother4    
#i3bb4 ,so ,abimelech reigned over      
,israel three years4    #i3bc4 ,and the 
,lord sent a very evil spirit between   
,abimelech and the  inhabitants of      
,sichem2 who began to detest him1       
#i3bd4 ,and to lay the crime of the     
murder of the seventy sons of           
,jerobaal1 and the shedding of their    
blood1 upon ,abimelech1 their  brother1 
and upon the rest of the princes of the 
,sichemites1 who aided  him4    #i3be4  
,and they set an ambush against him on  
the top of the mountains3  and while    
they waited for his coming1 they        

committed robberies1 taking  spoils of  
all that passed by3 and it was told     
,abimelech4    #i3bf4 ,and ,gaal1 the   
son of ,obed1 came with his brethren1   
and went over  to ,sichem4 ,and the     
inhabitants of ,sichem1 taking courage  
at his coming1    #i3bg4 ,went out into 
the fields1 wasting the vineyards1 and  
treading down  the grapes3 and singing  
and dancing1 they went into the temple  
of their  god1 and in their banquets and
 cups they cursed ,abimelech4    #i3bh4 
,and ,gaal1 the son of ,obed1 cried3    
,who is ,abimelech1 and what is         
,sichem1 that we should serve him8  ,is 
he not the son of ,jerobaal1 and  hath  
made ,zebul1 his servant1 ruler over the
 men of ,emor1 the father of  ,sichem8  
,why then shall we serve him8    #i3bi4 
,would to ,god that some man would put  
this people under my hand1  that ,i     
might remove ,abimelech out of the way4 
,and it was said to  ,abimelech3 ,gather
 together the multitude of an army1 and 
come4    #i3cj4 ,for ,zebul1 the ruler  

of the city1 hearing the words of ,gaal1
 the  son of ,obed1 was very angry1     
#i3ca4 ,and sent messengers privately to
 ,abimelech1 saying3 ,behold1 ,gaal1    
the son of ,obed1 is come into ,sichem  
with his brethren1 and endeavoureth  to 
set the city against thee4    #i3cb4    
,arise1 therefore1 in the night1 with   
the people that is with thee1  and lie  
hid in the field3    #i3cc4 ,and betimes
 in the morning1 at sun rising1 set upon
 the city1 and  when he shall come out  
against thee1 with his people1 do to him
 what  thou shalt be able4    #i3cd4    
,abimelech1 therefore1 arose with all   
his army1 by night1 and laid  ambushes  
near ,sichem in four places4    #i3ce4  
,and ,gaal1 the son of ,obed1 went out1 
and stood in the entrance of  the gate  
of the city4 ,and ,abimelech rose up1   
and all his army with him1  from the    
places of the ambushes4    #i3cf4 ,and  
when ,gaal saw the people1 he said to   
,zebul3 ,behold1 a  multitude cometh    
down from the mountains4  ,and he       

answered him3 ,thou  seest the shadows  
of the mountains as if they were the    
heads of men1 and  this is thy mistake4 
#i3cg4 ,again ,gaal said3 ,behold1 there
 cometh people down from the midst  of  
the land1 and one troop cometh by the   
way that looketh towards the  oak4      
#i3ch4 ,and ,zebul said to him3 ,where  
is now thy mouth1 wherewith thou        
saidst3 ,who is ,abimelech1 that we     
should serve him8 ,is not this the      
people which thou didst despise8 ,go    
out1 and fight against him4    #i3ci4   
,so ,gaal went out1 in the sight of the 
people of ,sichem1 and fought  against  
,abimelech1    #i3dj4 ,who chased and   
put him to flight1 and drove him to the 
city3 and  many were slain of his       
people1 even to the gate of the city3   
#i3da4 ,and ,abimelech sat down in      
,ruma3 but ,zebul drove ,gaal1 and his  
companions1 out of the city1 and would  
not suffer them to abide in it4         
#i3db4 ,so the day following the people 
went out into the field4 ,and it  was   

told to ,abimelech1    #i3dc4 ,and he   
took his army1 and divided it into three
 companies1 and  laid ambushes in the   
fields4 ,and seeing that the people came
 out of the  city1 he arose1 and set    
upon them1    #i3dd4 ,with his own      
company1 assaulting and besieging the   
city3 whilst  the two other companies   
chased the enemies that were scattered  
about the  field4    #i3de4 ,and        
,abimelech assaulted the city all that  
day3 and took it1 and  killed the       
inhabitants thereof1 and demolished it1 
so that he sowed salt  in it4    ,sowed 
salt444 ,to make the ground barren1 and 
fit for nothing4    #i3df4 ,and when    
they who dwelt in the tower of ,sichem1 
had heard this1  they went into the     
temple of their god ,berith1 where they 
had made a  covenant with him1 and from 
thence the place had taken its name1 and
 it  was exceeding strong4    #i3dg4    
,abimelech also hearing that the men of 
the tower of ,sichem were  gathered     
together1    #i3dh4 ,went up into mount 

,selmon1 he and all his people with him3
 and  taking an axe1 he cut down the    
bough of a tree1 and laying it on his   
shoulder1 and carrying it1 he said to   
his companions3 ,what you see me  do1 do
 ye out of hand4    #i3di4 ,so they cut 
down boughs from the trees1 every man as
 fast as he  could1 and followed their  
leader4 ,and surrounding the fort1 they 
set it  on fire3 and so it came to pass1
 that with the smoke and with the fire a
  thousand persons were killed1 men and 
women together1 of the inhabitants  of  
the town of ,sichem4    #i3ej4 ,then    
,abimelech1 departing from thence1 came 
to the town of ,thebes1  which he       
surrounded and besieged with his army4  
#i3ea4 ,and there was in the midst of   
the city a high tower1 to which both    
the men and the women were fled         
together1 and all the princes of the    
city1 and having shut and strongly      
barred the gate1 they stood upon the    
battlements of the tower to defend      
themselves4    #i3eb4 ,and ,abimelech1  

coming near the tower1 fought stoutly3  
and1  approaching to the gate1          
endeavoured to set fire to it3    #i3ec4
 ,and behold1 a certain woman casting a 
piece of a millstone from  above1 dashed
 it against the head of ,abimelech1 and 
broke his skull4    #i3ed4 ,and he      
called hastily to his armourbearer1 and 
said to him3 ,draw  thy sword1 and kill 
me3 lest it should be said that ,i was  
slain by a  woman4 ,he did as he was    
commanded1 and slew him4    #i3ee4 ,and 
when he was dead all the men of ,israel 
that were with him1  returned to their  
homes4    #i3ef4 ,and ,god repaid the   
evil that ,abimelech had done against   
his  father1 killing his seventy        
brethren4    #i3eg4 ,the ,sichemites    
also were rewarded for what they had    
done1 and the  curse of ,joatham1 the   
son of ,jerobaal1 came upon them4       
,judges ,chapter #aj    ,thola ruleth   
,israel twenty-three years2 and ,jair   
twenty-two4 ,the people  fall again into
 idolatry1 and are afflicted again by   

the ,philistines and  ,ammonites4 ,they 
cry to ,god for help1 who upon their    
repentance hath  compassion on them4    
#aj3a4 ,after ,abimelech1 there arose a 
ruler in ,israel1 ,thola1 son of  ,phua1
 the uncle of ,abimelech1 a man of      
,issachar1 who dwelt in ,samir of  mount
 ,ephraim3    ,uncle of ,abimelech444 i4
 e41 half brother to ,gedeon1 as being  
born of  the same mother1 but by a      
different father1 and of a different    
tribe4    #aj3b4 ,and he judged ,israel 
three and twenty years1 and he died1 and
 was  buried in ,samir4    #aj3c4 ,to   
him succeeded ,jair1 the ,galaadite1 who
 judged ,israel for two  and twenty     
years1    #aj3d4 ,having thirty sons1   
that rode on thirty ass colts1 and were 
princes of thirty cities1 which from his
 name were called ,havoth ,jair1  that  
is1 the towns of ,jair1 until this      
present day1 in the land of  ,galaad4   
,havoth ,jair444 ,this name was now     
confirmed to these towns1 which they    
had formerly received from another      

,jair4 ,num4 #cb4da4    #aj3e4 ,and     
,jair died1 and was buried in the place 
which is called ,camon4    #aj3f4 ,but  
the children of ,israel1 adding new sins
 to their old ones1 did  evil in the    
sight of the ,lord1 and served idols1   
,baalim and ,astaroth1  and the gods of 
,syria1 and of ,sidon1 and of ,moab1 and
 of the children of  ,ammon1 and of the 
,philistines3 and they left the ,lord1  
and did not serve  him4    #aj3g4 ,and  
the ,lord being angry with them1        
delivered them into the hands  of the   
,philistines1 and of the children of    
,ammon4    #aj3h4 ,and they were        
afflicted1 and grievously oppressed for 
eighteen  years1 all they that dwelt    
beyond the ,jordan in the land of the   
,amorrhite1 who is in ,galaad3    #aj3i4
 ,insomuch that the children of ,ammon1 
passing over the ,jordan1  wasted ,juda1
 and ,benjamin1 and ,ephraim3 and       
,israel was distressed  exceedingly4    
#aj3aj4 ,and they cried to the ,lord1   
and said1 ,we have sinned against  thee1

 because we have forsaken the ,lord our 
,god1 and have served ,baalim4          
#aj3aa4 ,and the ,lord said to them3    
,did not the ,egyptians1 and the        
,amorrhites1 and the children of ,ammon1
 and the ,philistines1    #aj3ab4 ,the  
,sidonians also1 and ,amalec1 and       
,chanaan1 oppress you1 and you  cried to
 me1 and ,i delivered you out of their  
hand8    #aj3ac4 ,and yet you have      
forsaken me1 and have worshipped strange
 gods3  therefore ,i will deliver you no
 more3    #aj3ad4 ,go1 and call upon the
 gods which you have chosen3 let them   
deliver you in the time of distress4    
#aj3ae4 ,and the children of ,israel    
said to the ,lord3 ,we have sinned1 do  
thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee3  
only deliver us this time4    #aj3af4   
,and saying these things1 they cast away
 out of their coasts all  the idols of  
strange gods1 and served the ,lord their
 ,god3 and he was  touched with their   
miseries4    #aj3ag4 ,and the children  
of ,ammon shouting together1 pitched    

their tents  in ,galaad3 against whom   
the children of ,israel assembled       
themselves  together1 and camped in     
,maspha4    #aj3ah4 ,and the princes of 
,galaad said one to another3 ,whosoever 
of us  shall first begin to fight       
against the children of ,ammon1 he shall
 be  the leader of the people of        
,galaad4      ,judges ,chapter #aa      
,jephte is made ruler of the people of  
,galaad3 he first pleads their  cause   
against the ,ammonites2 then making a   
vow obtains a signal victory2  he       
performs his vow4    #aa3a4 ,there was  
at that time ,jephte1 the ,galaadite1 a 
most valiant man1  and a warrior1 the   
son of a woman that was a harlot1 and   
his father was  ,galaad4    #aa3b4 ,now 
,galaad had a wife of whom he had sons3 
who1 after they were  grown up1 thrust  
out ,jephte1 saying3 ,thou canst not    
inherit in the house  of our father1    
because thou art born of another mother4
    #aa3c4 ,then he fled and avoided    
them1 and dwelt in the land of ,tob3 and

  there were gathered to him needy men  
and robbers1 and they followed him  as  
their prince4    #aa3d4 ,in those days  
the children of ,ammon made war against 
,israel4    #aa3e4 ,and as they pressed 
hard upon them1 the ancients of ,galaad 
went to  fetch ,jephte out of the land  
of ,tob to help them3    #aa3f4 ,and    
they said to him3 ,come thou1 and be our
 prince1 and fight  against the children
 of ,ammon4    #aa3g4 ,and he answered  
them3 ,are not you the men that hated   
me1 and cast  me out of my father's     
house1 and now you are come to me1      
constrained by  necessity8    #aa3h4    
,and the princes of ,galaad said to     
,jephte3 ,for this cause we are  now    
come to thee1 that thou mayst go with   
us1 and fight against the  children of  
,ammon1 and be head over all the        
inhabitants of ,galaad4    #aa3i4       
,jephte also said to them3 ,if you be   
come to me sincerely1 that ,i  should   
fight for you against the children of   
,ammon1 and the ,lord shall  deliver    

them into my hand1 shall ,i be your     
prince8    #aa3aj4 ,they answered him3  
,the ,lord1 who heareth these things1 he
 himself  is mediator and witness that  
we will do as we have promised4         
#aa3aa4 ,jephte therefore went with the 
princes of ,galaad1 and all the  people 
made him their prince4 ,and ,jephte     
spoke all his words before the  ,lord in
 ,maspha4    #aa3ab4 ,and he sent       
messengers to the king of the children  
of ,ammon1 to  say in his name3 ,what   
hast thou to do with me1 that thou art  
come  against me1 to waste my land8     
#aa3ac4 ,and he answered them3 ,because 
,israel took away my land1 when he  came
 up out of ,egypt1 from the confines of 
the ,arnon unto the ,jaboc and  the     
,jordan3 now1 therefore1 restore the    
same peaceably to me4    #aa3ad4 ,and   
,jephte again sent word by them1 and    
commanded them to say to  the king of   
,ammon3    #aa3ae4 ,thus saith ,jephte3 
,israel did not take away the land of   
,moab1 nor  the land of the children of 

,ammon3    #aa3af4 ,but when they came  
up out of ,egypt1 he walked through the 
desert  to the ,red ,sea1 and came into 
,cades4    #aa3ag4 ,and he sent         
messengers to the king of ,edom1 saying3
 ,suffer me to  pass through thy land4  
,but he would not condescend to his     
request4 ,he  sent also to the king of  
,moab1 who1 likewise1 refused to give   
him  passage4 ,he abode1 therefore1 in  
,cades1    #aa3ah4 ,and went round the  
land of ,edom at the side1 and the land 
of  ,moab3 and came over against the    
east coast of the land of ,moab1 and    
camped on the other side of the ,arnon3 
and he would not enter the bounds  of   
,moab4    #aa3ai4 ,so ,israel sent      
messengers to ,sehon1 king of the       
,amorrhites1 who  dwelt in ,hesebon1 and
 they said to him3 ,suffer me to pass   
through thy  land to the river4         
#aa3bj4 ,but he1 also despising the     
words of ,israel1 suffered him not to   
pass through his borders3 but gathering 
an infinite multitude1 went out  against

 him to ,jasa1 and made strong          
opposition4    #aa3ba4 ,and the ,lord   
delivered him1 with all his army1 into  
the hands of  ,israel1 and he slew him1 
and possessed all the land of the       
,amorrhite1  the inhabitant of that     
country1    #aa3bb4 ,and all the coasts 
thereof from the ,arnon to the ,jaboc1  
and from  the wilderness to the ,jordan4
    #aa3bc4 ,so the ,lord1 the ,god of  
,israel1 destroyed the ,amorrhite1 his  
people of ,israel fighting against him1 
and wilt thou now possess his  land8    
#aa3bd4 ,are not those things which thy 
god ,chamos possesseth1 due to thee  by 
right8 ,but what the ,lord our ,god hath
 obtained by conquest1 shall be  our    
possession3    ,chamos444 ,the idol of  
the ,moabites and ,ammonites4 ,he argues
 from their  opinion1 who thought they  
had a just title to the countries which 
they  imagined they had conquered by the
 help of their gods3 how much more  then
 had ,israel in indisputable title to   
the countries which ,god1 by  visible   

miracles1 had conquered for them4       
#aa3be4 ,unless1 perhaps1 thou art      
better than ,balac1 the son of ,sephor1 
king of ,moab3 or canst shew that he    
strove against ,israel1 and fought      
against him1    #aa3bf4 ,whereas he hath
 dwelt in ,hesebon1 and the villages    
thereof1 and  in ,aroer1 and its        
villages1 and in all the cities near the
 ,jordan1 for  three hundred years4     
,why have you for so long a time        
attempted nothing  about this claim8    
#aa3bg4 ,therefore ,i do not trespass   
against thee1 but thou wrongest me by   
declaring an unjust war against me4     
,the ,lord be judge1 and decide this    
day1 between ,israel and the children of
 ,ammon4    #aa3bh4 ,and the king of the
 children of ,ammon would not hearken to
 the  words of ,jephte1 which he sent   
him by the messengers4    #aa3bi4       
,therefore the spirit of the ,lord came 
upon ,jephte1 and going  round ,galaad1 
and ,manasses1 and ,maspha of ,galaad1  
and passing over from  thence to the    

children of ,ammon1    #aa3cj4 ,he made 
a vow to the ,lord1 saying3 ,if thou    
wilt deliver the  children of ,ammon    
into my hands1    #aa3ca4 ,whosoever    
shall first come forth out of the doors 
of my house1  and shall meet me1 when ,i
 return in peace from the children of   
,ammon1  the same will ,i offer a       
holocaust to the ,lord4    ,whosoever1  
etc444 ,some are of opinion1 that the   
meaning of this vow of  ,jephte1 was to 
consecrate to ,god whatsoever should    
first meet him1  according to the       
condition of the thing2 so as to offer  
it up as a  holocaust1 if it were such a
 thing as might be offered by the law2  
or to  devote it otherwise to ,god1 if  
it were not such as the law allowed to  
be  offered in sacrifice4 ,and therefore
 they think the daughter of ,jephte  was
 not slain by her father1 but only      
consecrated to perpetual  virginity4    
,but the common opinion followed by the 
generality of the holy  fathers and     
divines is1 that she was offered as a   

holocaust1 in  consequence of her       
father's vow3 and that ,jephte did not  
sin1 at least  not mortally1 neither in 
making1 nor in keeping1 his vow3 since  
he is no  ways blamed for it in         
scripture2 and was even inspired by ,god
 himself to  make the vow 7as appears   
from ver4  #bi1 #cj7 in consequence of  
which he  obtained the victory2 and     
therefore he reasonably concluded that  
,god1  who is the master of life and    
death1 was pleased on this occasion to  
dispense with his own law2 and that it  
was the divine will he should  fulfil   
his vow4    #aa3cb4 ,and ,jephte passed 
over to the children of ,ammon to fight 
against  them3 and the ,lord delivered  
them into his hands4    #aa3cc4 ,and he 
smote them from ,aroer till you come to 
,mennith1 twenty  cities1 and as far as 
,abel1 which is set with vineyards1 with
 a very  great slaughter3 and the       
children of ,ammon were humbled by the  
children  of ,israel4    #aa3cd4 ,and   
when ,jephte returned into ,maspha1 to  

his house1 his only  daughter met him   
with timbrels and with dances3 for he   
had no other  children4    #aa3ce4 ,and 
when he saw her1 he rent his garments1  
and said3 ,alas6 my  daughter1 thou hast
 deceived me1 and thou thyself art      
deceived3 for ,i  have opened my mouth  
to the ,lord1 and ,i can do no other    
thing4    #aa3cf4 ,and she answered him3
 ,my father1 if thou hast opened thy    
mouth to  the ,lord1 do unto me         
whatsoever thou hast promised1 since the
 victory  hath been granted to thee1 and
 revenge of thy enemies4    #aa3cg4 ,and
 she said to her father3 ,grant me only 
this1 which ,i desire3  ,let me go1 that
 ,i may go about the mountains for two  
months1 and may  bewail my virginity    
with my companions4    ,bewail my       
virginity444 ,the bearing of children   
was much coveted under  the ,old        
,testament1 when women might hope that  
from some child of theirs1  the ,saviour
 of the world might one day spring4     
,but under the ,new  ,testament         

virginity is preferred4 #a ,cor4 #g4ce4 
#aa3ch4 ,and he answered her3 ,go4 ,and 
he sent her away for two months4 ,and   
when she was gone with her comrades and 
companions1 she mourned her  virginity  
in the mountains4    #aa3ci4 ,and the   
two months being expired1 she returned  
to her father1 and  he did to her as he 
had vowed1 and she knew no man4 ,from   
thence came a  fashion in ,israel1 and a
 custom has been kept3    #aa3dj4 ,that1
 from year to year1 the daughters of    
,israel assemble  together1 and lament  
the daughter of ,jephte the ,galaadite1 
for four  days4      ,judges ,chapter   
#ab    ,the ,ephraimites quarrel with   
,jephte3 forty-two thousand of them are 
slain3 ,abeson1 ,ahialon1 and ,abdon1   
are judges4    #ab3a4 ,but behold there 
arose a sedition in ,ephraim4 ,and      
passing towards  the north1 they said to
 ,jephte3 ,when thou wentest to fight   
against the  children of ,ammon1 why    
wouldst thou not call us1 that we might 
go with  thee8 ,therefore we will burn  

thy house4    #ab3b4 ,and he answered   
them3 ,i and my people were at great    
strife with  the children of ,ammon3 and
 ,i called you to assist me1 and you    
would not  do it4    #ab3c4 ,and when ,i
 saw this1 ,i put my life in my own     
hands1 and passed  over against the     
children of ,ammon and the ,lord        
delivered them into my  hands4 ,what    
have ,i deserved1 that you should rise  
up to fight against  me8    #ab3d4 ,then
 calling to him all the men of ,galaad1 
he fought against  ,ephraim3 and the men
 of ,galaad defeated ,ephraim1 because  
he had said3  ,galaad is a fugitive of  
,ephraim1 and dwelleth in the midst of  
,ephraim  and ,manasses4    #ab3e4 ,and 
the ,galaadites secured the fords of the
 ,jordan1 by which  ,ephraim was to     
return4 ,and when any one of the number 
of ,ephraim came  thither in the flight1
 and said3 ,i beseech you let me pass3  
the  ,galaadites said to him3 ,art thou 
not an ,ephraimite8 ,if he said3 ,i am  
not3    #ab3f4 ,they asked him3 ,say    

then1 ,scibboleth1 which is interpreted1
 ,an ear  of corn4 ,but he answered1    
,sibboleth1 not being able to express an
 ear of  corn by the same letter4 ,then 
presently they took him and killed him  
in  the very passage of the ,jordan4    
,and there fell at that time of         
,ephraim1  two and forty thousand4      
#ab3g4 ,and ,jephte1 the ,galaadite1    
judged ,israel six years3 and he died1  
and was buried in his city of ,galaad4  
#ab3h4 ,after him ,abesan of ,bethlehem 
judged ,israel3    #ab3i4 ,he had thirty
 sons1 and as many daughters1 whom he   
sent abroad1  and gave to husbands1 and 
took wives for his sons1 of the same    
number1  bringing them into his house4  
,and he judged ,israel seven years3     
#ab3aj4 ,and he died1 and was buried in 
,bethlehem4    #ab3aa4 ,to him succeeded
 ,ahialon1 a ,zabulonite3 and he judged 
,israel ten  years3    #ab3ab4 ,and he  
died1 and was buried in ,zabulon4       
#ab3ac4 ,after him1 ,abdon1 the son of  
,illel1 a ,pharathonite1 judged         

,israel3    #ab3ad4 ,and he had forty   
sons1 and of them thirty grandsons1     
mounted upon  seventy ass colts1 and he 
judged ,israel eight years3    #ab3ae4  
,and he died1 and was buried in         
,pharathon1 in the land of ,ephraim1  in
 the mount of ,amalech4      ,judges    
,chapter #ac    ,the people fall again  
into idolatry and are afflicted by the  
,philistines4 ,an angel foretelleth the 
birth of ,samson4    #ac3a4 ,and the    
children of ,israel did evil again in   
the sight of the  ,lord3 and he         
delivered them into the hands of the    
,philistines forty  years4    #ac3b4    
,now there was a certain man of ,saraa1 
and of the race of ,dan1  whose name was
 ,manue1 and his wife was barren4       
#ac3c4 ,and an angel of the ,lord       
appeared to her1 and said3 ,thou art    
barren and without children3 but thou   
shalt conceive and bear a son4    #ac3d4
 ,now therefore beware1 and drink no    
wine nor strong drink1 and eat  not any 
unclean thing4    #ac3f4 ,because thou  

shalt conceive1 and bear a son1 and no  
razor shall  touch his head3 for he     
shall be a ,nazarite of ,god1 from his  
infancy1 and  from his mother's womb1   
and he shall begin to deliver ,israel   
from the  hands of the ,philistines4    
#ac3f4 ,and when she was come to her    
husband1 she said to him3 ,a man of     
,god came to me1 having the countenance 
of an angel1 very awful4 ,and when  ,i  
asked him whence he came1 and by what   
name he was called1 he would not  tell  
me3    #ac3g4 ,but he answered thus3    
,behold thou shalt conceive and bear a  
son3  beware thou drink no wine1 nor    
strong drink1 nor eat any unclean thing3
  for the child shall be a ,nazarite of 
,god from his infancy1 from his         
mother's womb until the day of his      
death4    #ac3h4 ,then ,manue prayed to 
the ,lord1 and said3 ,i beseech thee1 ,o
 ,lord1  that the man of ,god1 whom thou
 didst send1 may come again1 and teach  
us  what we ought to do concerning the  
child1 that shall be born4    #ac3i4    

,and the ,lord heard the prayer of      
,manue1 and the angel of the ,lord      
appeared again to his wife1 as she was  
sitting in the field4 ,but ,manue  her  
husband was not with her4 ,and when she 
saw the angel1    #ac3aj4 ,she made     
haste1 and ran to her husband3 and told 
him1 saying3  ,behold the man hath      
appeared to me1 whom ,i saw before4     
#ac3aa4 ,he rose up1 and followed his   
wife3 and coming to the man1 said to    
him3 ,art thou he that spoke to the     
woman8 ,and he answered3 ,i am4         
#ac3ab4 ,and ,manue said to him3 ,when  
thy word shall come to pass1 what  wilt 
thou that the child should do8  or from 
what shall he keep himself8    #ac3ac4  
,and the angel of the ,lord said to     
,manue3 ,from all the things ,i  have   
spoken of to thy wife1 let her refrain  
herself3    ,let her refrain1 etc444 ,by
 the ,latin text it is not clear whether
 this  abstinence was prescribed to the 
mother1 or to the child2 but the ,hebrew
  7in which the verbs relating thereto  

are of the feminine gender7  determineth
 it to the mother4 ,but then the child  
also was to refrain  from the like      
things1 because he was to be from his   
infancy a ,nazarite  of ,god1 ver4 #e1  
that is1 one set aside1 in a particular 
manner1 and  consecrated to ,god3 now   
the ,nazarites by the law were to       
abstain from  all these things4         
#ac3ad4 ,and let her eat nothing that   
cometh of the vine1 neither let her     
drink wine or strong drink1 nor eat any 
unclean thing3 and whatsoever ,i  have  
commanded her1 let her fulfil and       
observe4    #ac3ae4 ,and ,manue said to 
the angel of the ,lord3 ,i beseech thee 
to  consent to my request1 and let us   
dress a kid for thee4    #ac3af4 ,and   
the angel answered him3 ,if thou press  
me ,i will not eat of  thy bread3 but if
 thou wilt offer a holocaust1 offer it  
to the ,lord4 ,and  ,manue knew not it  
was the angel of the ,lord4    #ac3ag4  
,and he said to him3 ,what is thy name1 
that1 if thy word shall  come to pass1  

we may honour thee8    #ac3ah4 ,and he  
answered him3 ,why askest thou my name1 
which is wonderful8    #ac3ai4 ,then    
,manue took a kid of the flocks1 and the
 libations1 and put  them upon a rock1  
offering to the ,lord1 who doth         
wonderful things3 and  he and his wife  
looked on4    #ac3bj4 ,and when the     
flame from the altar went up towards    
heaven1 the  angel of the ,lord ascended
 also in the same4 ,and when ,manue and 
his wife  saw this1 they fell flat on   
the ground2    #ac3ba4 ,and the angel of
 the ,lord appeared to them no more4    
,and forthwith  ,manue understood that  
it was an angel of the ,lord1    #ac3bb4
 ,and he said to his wife3 ,we shall    
certainly die1 because we have  seen    
,god4    ,seen ,god444 ,not in his own  
person1 but in the person of his        
messenger4  ,the ,israelites1 in those  
days1 imagined they should die if they  
saw an  angel1 taking occasion perhaps  
from those words spoken by the ,lord to 
,moses1 ,ex4 #cc4bj1 ,no man shall see  

me and live4 ,but the event             
demonstrated that it was but a          
groundless imagination4    #ac3bc4 ,and 
his wife answered him3 ,if the ,lord had
 a mind to kill us1 he  would not have  
received a holocaust and libations at   
our hands2 neither  would he have shewed
 us all these things1 nor have told us  
the things  that are to come4    #ac3bd4
 ,and she bore a son1 and called his    
name ,samson4  ,and the child  grew1 and
 the ,lord blessed him4    #ac3be4 ,and 
the ,spirit of the ,lord began to be    
with him in the camp of  ,dan1 between  
,saraa and ,esthaol4      ,judges       
,chapter #ad    ,samson desireth a wife 
of the ,philistines4 ,he killeth a lion3
 in whose  mouth he afterwards findeth  
honey4 ,his marriage feast1 and riddle1 
which  is discovered by his wife4 ,he   
killeth1 and strippeth thirty           
,philistines4  ,his wife taketh another 
man4    #ad3a4 ,then ,samson went down  
to ,thamnatha1 and seeing there a woman 
of  the daughters of the ,philistines1  

#ad3b4 ,he came up1 and told his father 
and his mother1 saying3 ,i saw a  woman 
in ,thamnatha of the daughters of the   
,philistines3 ,i bescech you1  take her 
for me to wife4    #ad3c4 ,and his      
father and mother said to him3 ,is there
 no woman among the  daughters of thy   
brethren1 or among all my people1 that  
thou wilt take a  wife of the           
,philistines1 who are uncircumcised8    
,and ,samson said to his  father3 ,take 
this woman for me2 for she hath pleased 
my eyes4    ,is there no woman among the
 daughters of thy brethren444 ,this     
shews his  parents were at first against
 his marriage with a ,gentile1 it being 
prohibited1 ,deut4 #g4c2 but afterwards 
they consented1 knowing it to be  by the
 dispensation of ,god2 which otherwise  
would have been sinful in  acting       
contrary to the law4    #ad3d4 ,now his 
parents knew not that the thing was done
 by the ,lord1 and  that he sought an   
occasion against the ,philistines3 for  
at that time the  ,philistines had      

dominion over ,israel4    #ad3e4 ,then  
,samson went down with his father and   
mother to ,thamnatha4 ,and  when they   
were come to the vineyards of the town1 
behold a young lion  met him1 raging and
 roaring4    #ad3f4 ,and the ,spirit of 
the ,lord came upon ,samson1 and he tore
 the lion  as he would have torn a kid  
in pieces1 having nothing at all in his 
hand3 and he would not tell this to his 
father and mother4    #ad3g4 ,and he    
went down1 and spoke to the woman that  
had pleased his  eyes4    #ad3h4 ,and   
after some days1 returning to take her1 
he went aside to see  the carcass of the
 lion1 and behold there was a swarm of  
bees in the  mouth of the lion1 and a   
honey-comb4    #ad3i4 ,and when he had  
taken it in his hands1 he went on       
eating3 and  coming to his father and   
mother1 he gave them of it1 and they    
ate3 but  he would not tell them that he
 had taken the honey from the body of   
the  lion4    #ad3aj4 ,so his father    
went down to the woman1 and made a feast

 for his  son ,samson3 for so the young 
men used to do4    #ad3aa4 ,and when the
 citizens of that place saw him1 they   
brought him  thirty companions to be    
with him4    #ad3ab4 ,and ,samson said  
to them3 ,i will propose to you a       
riddle1 which if  you declare unto me   
within the seven days of the feast1 ,i  
will give you  thirty shirts1 and as    
many coats3    #ad3ac4 ,but if you shall
 not be able to declare it1 you shall   
give me  thirty shirts and the same     
number of coats4 ,they answered him3    
,put forth  the riddle1 that we may hear
 it4    #ad3ad4 ,and he said to them3   
,out of the eater came forth meat1 and  
out of  the strong came forth sweetness4
 ,and they could not for three days     
expound the riddle4    #ad3ae4 ,and when
 the seventh day came1 they said to the 
wife of ,samson3  ,sooth thy husband1   
and persuade him to tell thee what the  
riddle  meaneth4 ,but if thou wilt not  
do it1 we will burn thee1 and thy       
father's  house4  ,have you called us to

 the wedding on purpose to strip us8    
#ad3af4 ,so she wept before ,samson and 
complained1 saying3 ,thou hatest me1    
and dost not love me3 therefore thou    
wilt not expound to me the riddle1      
which thou hast proposed to the sons of 
my people4 ,but he answered3 ,i  would  
not tell it to my father and mother3 and
 how can ,i tell it to  thee8    #ad3ag4
 ,so she wept before him the seven days 
of the feast3 and1 at  length1 on the   
seventh day1 as she was troublesome to  
him1 he expounded  it4 ,and she         
immediately told her countrymen4        
#ad3ah4 ,and they1 on the seventh day   
before the sun went down1 said to  him3 
,what is sweeter than honey8 and what is
 stronger than a lion8 ,and  he said to 
them3 ,if you had not ploughed with my  
heifer1 you had not  found out my       
riddle4    #ad3ai4 ,and the ,spirit of  
the ,lord came upon him1 and he went    
down to  ,ascalon1 and slew there thirty
 men whose garments he took away1 and   
gave  to them that had declared the     

riddle4 ,and being exceeding angry1 he  
went  up to his father's house3         
#ad3bj4 ,but his wife took one of his   
friends and bridal companions for  her  
husband4      ,judges ,chapter #ae      
,samson is denied his wife4 ,he burns   
the corn of the ,philistines1 and  kills
 many of them4    #ae3a4 ,and a while   
after1 when the days of the wheat       
harvest were at  hand1 ,samson came1    
meaning to visit his wife1 and he       
brought her a kid  of the flock4  ,and  
when he would have gone into her        
chamber1 as usual1  her father would not
 suffer him1 saying3    #ae3b4 ,i       
thought thou hadst hated her1 and       
therefore ,i gave her to thy  friend3   
but she hath a sister1 who is younger   
and fairer than she1 take  her to wife  
instead of her4    #ae3c4 ,and ,samson  
answered him3 ,from this day ,i shall be
 blameless in  what ,i do against the   
,philistines3 for ,i will do you evils4 
#ae3d4 ,and he went and caught three    
hundred foxes1 and coupled them tail  to

 tail1 and fastened torches between the 
tails3    ,foxes444 ,being judge of the 
people he might have many to assist him 
to  catch with nets or otherwise a      
number of these animals2 of which there 
were great numbers in that country4     
#ae3f4 ,and setting them on fire he let 
the foxes go1 that they might run  about
 hither and thither4 ,and they presently
 went into the standing corn  of the    
,philistines4  ,which being set on fire1
 both the corn that was  already carried
 together1 and that which was yet       
standing1 was all  burnt1 insomuch that 
the flame consumed also the vineyards   
and the  oliveyards4    #ae3f4 ,then the
 ,philistines said3 ,who hath done this 
thing8 ,and it was  answered3 ,samson1  
the son in law of the ,thamnathite1     
because he took  away his wife1 and gave
 her to another1 hath done these things4
 ,and the  ,philistines went up and     
burnt both the woman and her father4    
#ae3g4 ,but ,samson said to them3       
,although you have done this1 yet will  

,i  be revenged of you1 and then ,i will
 be quiet4    #ae3h4 ,and he made a     
great slaughter of them1 so that in     
astonishment  they laid the calf of the 
leg upon the thigh4 ,and going down he  
dwelt in  a cavern of the rock ,etam4   
#ae3i4 ,then the ,philistines going up  
into the land of ,juda1 camped in the   
place which afterwards was called       
,lechi1 that is1 the ,jawbone1 where    
their army was spread abroad4    #ae3aj4
 ,and the men of the tribe of ,juda said
 to them3 ,why are you come  up against 
us8 ,they answered3 ,we are come to bind
 ,samson1 and to pay him  for what he   
hath done against us4    #ae3aa4        
,wherefore three thousand men of ,juda  
went down to the cave of the  rock      
,etam1 and said to ,samson3 ,knowest    
thou not that the ,philistines  rule    
over us8  ,why wouldst thou do thus8    
,and he said to them3 ,as they  did to  
me1 so have ,i done to them4    #ae3ab4 
,and they said to him3 ,we are come to  
bind thee1 and to deliver  thee into the

 hands of the ,philistines4  ,and       
,samson said to them3 ,swear  to me1 and
 promise me that you will not kill me4  
#ae3ac4 ,they said3 ,we will not kill   
thee3 but we will deliver thee up       
bound4 ,and they bound him with two new 
cords1 and brought him from the  rock   
,etam4    #ae3ad4 ,now when he was come 
to the place of the ,jawbone1 and the   
,philistines shouting went to meet him1 
the ,spirit of the ,lord came  strongly 
upon him3 and as flax is wont to be     
consumed at the approach of  fire1 so   
the bands with which he was bound were  
broken and loosed4    #ae3ae4 ,and      
finding a jawbone1 even the jawbone of  
an ass1 which lay  there1 catching it   
up1 he slew therewith a thousand men4   
#ae3af4 ,and he said3 ,with the jawbone 
of an ass1 with the jaw of the colt  of 
asses1 ,i have destroyed them1 and have 
slain a thousand men4    #ae3ag4 ,and   
when he had ended these words1 singing1 
he threw the jawbone  out of his hand1  
and called the name of that place       

,ramathlechi1 which is  interpreted the 
lifting up of the jawbone4    #ae3ah4   
,and being very thirsty1 he cried to the
 ,lord1 and said3 ,thou hast  given this
 very great deliverance and victory into
 the hand of thy  servant3 and behold ,i
 die for thirst1 and shall fall into the
 hands of  the uncircumcised4    #ae3ai4
 ,then the ,lord opened a great tooth in
 the jaw of the ass and  waters issued  
out of it4 ,and when he had drunk them1 
he refreshed his  spirit1 and recovered 
his strength4 ,therefore the name of    
that place was  called ,the ,spring of  
him that invoked from the jawbone1 until
 this  present day4    #ae3bj4 ,and he  
judged ,israel1 in the days of the      
,philistines1 twenty  years4            
,judges ,chapter #af    ,samson is      
deluded by ,dalila3 and falls into the  
hands of the  ,philistines4 ,his death4 
#af3a4 ,he went also into ,gaza1 and saw
 there a woman1 a harlot1 and went  in  
unto her4    #af3b4 ,and when the       
,philistines had heard this1 and it was 

noised about  among them1 that ,samson  
was come into the city1 they surrounded 
him1  setting guards at the gate of the 
city1 and watching there all the night  
in silence1 that in the morning they    
might kill him as he went out4    #af3c4
 ,but ,samson slept till midnight1 and  
then rising1 he took both the  doors of 
the gate1 with the posts thereof and the
 bolt1 and laying them  on his          
shoulders1 carried them up to the top of
 the hill1 which looketh  towards       
,hebron4    #af3d4 ,after this he loved 
a woman1 who dwelt in the valley of     
,sorec1 and  she was called ,dalila4    
,dalila444 ,some are of opinion she was 
married to ,samson2 others that she  was
 his harlot4 ,if the latter opinion be  
true1 we cannot wonder that1 in         
punishment of his lust1 the ,lord       
delivered him up1 by her means1 into    
the hands of his enemies4  ,however if  
he was guilty1 it is not to be  doubted 
but that under his afflictions he       
heartily repented and returned  to ,god1

 and so obtained forgiveness of his     
sins4    #af3e4 ,and the princes of the 
,philistines came to her1 and sald3     
,deceive  him1 and learn of him wherein 
his great strength lieth1 and how we may
  be able to overcome him1 to bind and  
afflict him3 which if thou shalt  do1 we
 will give thee every one of us eleven  
hundred pieces of silver4    #af3f4 ,and
 ,dalila said to ,samson3 ,tell me1 ,i  
beseech thee1 wherein thy  greatest     
strength lieth1 and what it is1         
wherewith if thou wert bound1  thou     
couldst not break loose4    #af3g4 ,and 
,samson answered her3 ,if ,i shall be   
bound with seven cords1  made of sinews 
not yet dry1 but still moist1 ,i shall  
be weak like other  men4    #af3h4 ,and 
the princes of the ,philistines brought 
unto her seven cords1  such as he spoke 
of1 with which she bound him2    #af3i4 
,men lying privately in wait with her1  
and in the chamber1  expecting the event
 of the thing1 and she cried out to him3
 ,the  ,philistines are upon thee1      

,samson4  ,and he broke the bands1 as a 
man  would break a thread of tow twined 
with spittle1 when it smelleth the      
fire3 so it was not known wherein his   
strength lay4    #af3aj4 ,and ,dalila   
said to him3 ,behold thou hast mocked   
me1 and hast told  me a false thing3 but
 now at least tell me wherewith thou    
mayest be  bound4    #af3aa4 ,and he    
answered her3 ,if ,i shall be bound with
 new ropes1 that  were never in work1 ,i
 shall be weak and like other men4      
#af3ab4 ,dalila bound him again with    
these1 and cried out3 ,the ,philistines 
are upon thee1 ,samson1 there being an  
ambush prepared for him in the  chamber4
 ,but he broke the bands like threads of
 webs4    #af3ac4 ,and ,dalila said to  
him again3 ,how long dost thou deceive  
me1 and  tell me lies8 ,shew me         
wherewith thou mayest be bound4 ,and    
,samson  answered her3 ,if thou plattest
 the seven locks of my head with a lace1
  and tying them round about a nail1    
fastenest it in the ground1 ,i shall  be

 weak4    #af3ad4 ,and when ,dalila had 
done this1 she said to him3 ,the        
,philistines  are upon thee1 ,samson4   
,and awaking out of his sleep1 he drew  
out the  nail with the hairs and the    
lace4    #af3ae4 ,and ,dalila said to   
him3 ,how dost thou say thou lovest me1 
when  thy mind is not with me8 ,thou    
hast told me lies these three times1 and
  wouldst not tell me wherein thy       
greatest strength lieth4    #af3af4 ,and
 when she pressed him much1 and         
continually hung upon him for  many     
days1 giving him no time to rest1 his   
soul fainted away1 and was  wearied even
 unto death4    #af3ag4 ,then opening   
the truth of the thing1 he said to her3 
,the razor  hath never come upon my     
head1 for ,i am a ,nazarite1 that is to 
say1  consecrated to ,god from my       
mother's womb3 ,if my head be shaven1 my
  strength shall depart from me1 and ,i 
shall become weak1 and shall be  like   
other men4    #af3ah4 ,then seeing that 
he had discovered to her all his mind1  

she sent  to the princes of the         
,philistines1 saying3 ,come up this once
 more1 for  now he hath opened his heart
 to me4 ,and they went up1 taking with  
them  the money which they had promised4
    #af3ai4 ,but she made him sleep upon
 her knees1 and lay his head in her     
bosom4 ,and she called a barber and     
shaved his seven locks1 and began to    
drive him away1 and thrust him from her3
 for immediately his strength  departed 
from him4    #af3bj4 ,and she said3 ,the
 ,philistines are upon thee1 ,samson4   
,and awaking  from sleep1 he said in his
 mind3 ,i will go out as ,i did before1 
and  shake myself1 not knowing that the 
,lord was departed from him4    #af3ba4 
,then the ,philistines seized upon him1 
and forthwith pulled out  his eyes1 and 
led him bound in chains to ,gaza1 and   
shutting him up in  prison made him     
grind4    #af3bb4 ,and now his hair     
began to grow again1    #af3bc4 ,and the
 princes of the ,philistines assembled  
together1 to offer  great sacrifices to 

,dagon their god1 and to make merry1    
saying3 ,our god  hath delivered our    
enemy ,samson into our hands4    #af3bd4
 ,and the people also seeing this1      
praised their god1 and said the  same3  
,our god hath delivered our adversary   
into our hands1 him that  destroyed our 
country1 and killed very many4          
#af3be4 ,and rejoicing in their feasts1 
when they had now taken their good      
cheer1 they commanded that ,samson      
should be called1 and should play       
before them4 ,and being brought out of  
prison1 he played before them2 and  they
 made him stand between two pillars4    
#af3bf4 ,and he said to the lad that    
guided his steps3 ,suffer me to touch   
the pillars which support the whole     
house1 and let me lean upon them1  and  
rest a little4    #af3bg4 ,now the house
 was full of men and women1 and all the 
princes of  the ,philistines were there4
 ,moreover about three thousand persons 
of  both sexes1 from the roof and the   
higher part of the house1 were          

beholding ,samson's play4    #af3bh4    
,but he called upon the ,lord1 saying3  
,o ,lord ,god remember me1 and  restore 
to me now my former strength1 ,o my     
,god1 that ,i may revenge  myself on my 
enemies1 and for the loss of my two eyes
 ,i may take one  revenge4    ,revenge  
myself444 ,this desire of revenge was   
out of zeal for justice  against the    
enemies of ,god and his people2 and not 
out of private  rancour and malice of   
heart4    #af3bi4 ,and laying hold on   
both the pillars on which the house     
rested1  and holding the one with his   
right hand1 and the other with his left1
    #af3cj4 ,he said3 ,let me die with  
the ,philistines4 ,and when he had      
strongly shook the pillars1 the house   
fell upon all the princes1 and the  rest
 of the multitude1 that was there3 and  
he killed many more at his  death1 than 
he had killed before in his life4       
,let me die444 ,literally1 let my soul  
die4 ,samson did not sin on this        
occasion1 though he was indirectly the  

cause of his own death4 ,because  he was
 moved to what he did1 by a particular  
inspiration of ,god1 who  also concurred
 with him by a miracle1 in restoring his
 strength upon the  spot1 in consequence
 of his prayer4 ,samson1 by dying in    
this manner1 was  a figure of ,christ1  
who by his death overcame all his       
enemies4    #af3ca4 ,and his brethren   
and all his kindred1 going down took his
 body1  and buried it between ,saraa and
 ,esthaol1 in the buryingplace of his   
father ,manue3 and he judged ,israel    
twenty years4      ,judges ,chapter #ag 
,the history of the idol of ,michas1 and
 the young ,levite4    #ag3a4 ,there was
 at that time a man of mount ,ephraim1  
whose name was  ,michas4    #ag3b4 ,who 
said to his mother3 ,the eleven hundred 
pieces of silver1 which  thou hadst put 
aside for thyself1 and concerning which 
thou didst swear  in my hearing1 behold 
,i have1 and they are with me4 ,and she 
said to him4  ,blessed be my son by the 
,lord4    #ag3c4 ,so he restored them to

 his mother1 who said to him3 ,i have   
consecrated and vowed this silver to the
 ,lord1 that my son may receive  it at  
my hand1 and make a graven and a molten 
god2 so now ,i deliver it  to thee4     
#ag3d4 ,and he restored them to his     
mother3 and she took two hundred  pieces
 of silver and gave them to the         
silversmith1 to make of them a  graven  
and a molten ,god1 which was in the     
house of ,michas4    #ag3e4 ,and he     
separated also therein a little temple  
for the god1 and  made an ephod1 and    
theraphim1 that is to say1 a priestly   
garment1 and  idols3 and he filled the  
hand of one of his sons1 and he became  
his  priest4    ,filled the hand444     
,that is1 appointed and consecrated him 
to the  priestly office4    #ag3f4 ,in  
those days there was no king in ,israel1
 but every one did that  which seemed   
right to himself4    #ag3g4 ,there was  
also another young man of ,bethlehem    
,juda1 of the kindred  thereof3 and he  
was a ,levite1 and dwelt there4         

#ag3h4 ,now he went out from the city of
 ,bethlehem1 and desired to sojourn     
wheresoever he should find it convenient
 for him4 ,and when he was come  to     
mount ,ephraim1 as he was on his        
journey1 and had turned aside a  little 
into the house of ,michas1    #ag3i4 ,he
 was asked by him whence he came4 ,and  
he answered3 ,i am a ,levite  of        
,bethlehem ,juda1 and ,i am going to    
dwell where ,i can1 and where ,i  shall 
find a place to my advantage4    #ag3aj4
 ,and ,michas said3 ,stay with me1 and  
be unto me a father and a  priest1 and  
,i will give thee every year ten pieces 
of silver1 and a  double suit of        
apparel1 and thy victuals4    #ag3aa4   
,he was content1 and abode with the man1
 and was unto him as one  of his sons4  
#ag3ab4 ,and ,michas filled his hand1   
and had the young man with him for  his 
priest1 saying3    #ag3ac4 ,now ,i know 
,god will do me good1 since ,i have a   
priest of the race  of the ,levites4    
,judges ,chapter #ah    ,the expedition 

of the men of ,dan against ,lais3 in    
their way they rob  ,michas of his      
priest and his gods4    #ah3a4 ,in those
 days there was no king in ,israel1 and 
the tribe of ,dan  sought them an       
inheritance to dwell in3 for unto that  
day they had not  received their lot    
among the other tribes4    ,not         
received1 etc444 ,they had their        
portions assigned them1 ,jos4  #ai4dj4  
,but1 through their own sloth1 possessed
 as yet but a small part of it4  ,see   
,judges #a4cd4    #ah3b4 ,so the        
children of ,dan sent five most valiant 
men1 of their stock  and family1 from   
,saraa and ,esthaol1 to spy out the     
land1 and to view it  diligently3 and   
they said to them3 ,go1 and view the    
land4 ,they went on  their way1 and when
 they came to mount ,ephraim1 they went 
into the house  of ,michas1 and rested  
there3    #ah3c4 ,and knowing the voice 
of the young man the ,levite1 and       
lodging  with him1 they said to him3    
,who brought thee hither8 what dost thou

  here8 why wouldst thou come hither8   
#ah3d4 ,he answered them3 ,michas hath  
done such and such things for me1  and  
hath hired me to be his priest4         
#ah3e4 ,then they desired him to consult
 the ,lord1 that they might know        
whether their journey should be         
prosperous1 and the thing should have   
effect4    #ah3f4 ,he answered them3 ,go
 in peace3 the ,lord looketh on your    
way1 and  the journey that you go4      
#ah3g4 ,so the five men going on came to
 ,lais3 and they saw how the people     
dwelt therein without any fear1         
according to the custom of the          
,sidonians1 secure and easy1 having no  
man at all to oppose them1 being  very  
rich1 and living separated1 at a        
distance from ,sidon and from all  men4 
#ah3h4 ,and they returned to their      
brethren in ,saraa and ,esthaol1 who    
asked them what they had done3 to whom  
they answered3    #ah3i4 ,arise1 and let
 us go up to them3 for we have seen the 
land which  is exceeding rich and       

fruitful3 neglect not1 lose no time3 let
 us go and  possess it1 there will be no
 difficulty4    #ah3aj4 ,we shall come  
to a people that is secure1 into a      
spacious  country1 and the ,lord will   
deliver the place to us1 in which there 
is no  want of any thing that groweth on
 the earth4    #ah3aa4 ,there went      
therefore of the kindred of ,dan1 to    
wit1 from ,saraa  and ,esthaol1 six     
hundred men1 furnished with arms for    
war4    #ah3ab4 ,and going up they      
lodged in ,cariathiarim of ,juda3 which 
place  from that time is called the camp
 of ,dan1 and is behind ,cariathiarim4  
#ah3ac4 ,from thence they passed into   
mount ,ephraim4  ,and when they were    
come to the house of ,michas1    #ah3ad4
 ,the five men1 that before had been    
sent to view the land of ,lais1  said to
 the rest of their brethren3 ,you know  
that in these houses there  is an ephod 
and theraphim1 and a graven and a molten
 god3 see what you  are pleased to do4  
#ah3ae4 ,and when they had turned a     

little aside1 they went into the house  
of the young man the ,levite1 who was in
 the house of ,michas3 and they  saluted
 him with words of peace4    #ah3af4    
,and the six hundred men stood before   
the door1 appointed with  their arms4   
#ah3ag4 ,but they that were gone into   
the house of the young man1 went  about 
to take away the graven god1 and the    
ephod1 and the theraphim1 and  the      
molten god1 and the priest stood before 
the door1 the six hundred  valiant men  
waiting not far off4    #ah3ah4 ,so they
 that were gone in took away the graven 
thing1 the ephod1  and the idols1 and   
the molten god1 ,and the priest said to 
them3 ,what are  you doing8    #ah3ai4  
,and they said to him3 ,hold thy peace1 
and put thy finger on thy  mouth1 and   
come with us1 that we may have thee for 
a father1 and a  priest4 ,whether is    
better for thee1 to be a priest in the  
house of one  man1 or in a tribe and    
family in ,israel8    #ah3bj4 ,when he  
heard this1 he agreed to their words1   

and took the ephod1  and the idols1 and 
the graven god1 and departed with them4 
#ah3ba4 ,and when they were going       
forward1 and had put before them the    
children and the cattle1 and all that   
was valuable1    #ah3bb4 ,and were now  
at a distance from the house of ,michas1
 the men that  dwelt in the houses of   
,michas gathering together followed     
them1    #ah3bc4 ,and began to shout out
 after them4 ,they looked back1 and said
 to  ,michas3 ,what aileth thee8 ,why   
dost thou cry8    #ah3bd4 ,and he       
answered3 ,you have taken away my gods  
which ,i have made  me1 and the priest1 
and all that ,i have1 and do you say3   
,what aileth  thee8    #ah3be4 ,and the 
children of ,dan said to him3 ,see thou 
say no more to us1  lest men enraged    
come upon thee1 and thou perish with all
 thy house4    #ah3bf4 ,and so they went
 on the journey they had begun4  ,but   
,michas  seeing that they were stronger 
than he1 returned to his house4         
#ah3bg4 ,and the six hundred men took   

the priest1 and the things we spoke  of 
before1 and came to ,lais1 to a people  
that was quiet and secure1 and  smote   
them with the edge of the sword3 and the
 city they burnt with  fire1    #ah3bh4 
,there being no man at all who brought  
them any succour1 because  they dwelt   
far from ,sidon1 and had no society or  
business with any man4  ,and the city   
was in the land of ,rohob3 and they     
rebuilt it1 and dwelt  therein1         
#ah3bi4 ,calling the name of the city   
,dan1 after the name of their father1   
who was the son of ,israel1 which before
 was called ,lais4    #ah3cj4 ,and they 
set up to themselves the graven idol1   
and ,jonathan the  son of ,gersam1 the  
son of ,moses1 he and his sons were     
priests in the  tribe of ,dan1 until the
 day of their captivity4    #ah3ca4 ,and
 the idol of ,michas remained with them 
all the time that the  house of ,god was
 in ,silo4 ,in those days there was no  
king in ,israel4      ,judges ,chapter  
#ai    ,a ,levite bringing home his     

wife1 is lodged by an old man at ,gabaa 
in the  tribe of ,benjamin4 ,his wife is
 there abused by wicked men1 and in the 
morning found dead4 ,her husband cutteth
 her body in pieces1 and sendeth  to    
every tribe of ,israel1 requiring them  
to revenge the wicked fact4    #ai3a4   
,there was a certain ,levite1 who dwelt 
on the side of mount  ,ephraim1 who took
 a wife of ,bethlehem ,juda3    #ai3b4  
,and she left him1 and returned to her  
father's house in ,bethlehem1  and abode
 with him four months4    #ai3c4 ,and   
her husband followed her1 willing to be 
reconciled with her1  and to speak      
kindly to her1 and to bring her back    
with him1 having with  him a servant and
 two asses3 and she received him1 and   
brought him into  her father's house4   
,and when his father in law had heard   
this1 and had  seen him1 he met him with
 joy1    #ai3d4 ,and embraced the man4  
,and the son in law tarried in the house
 of  his father in law three days1      
eating with him and drinking familiarly4

    #ai3e4 ,but on the fourth day1      
arising early in the morning1 he desired
 to  depart4 ,but his father in law kept
 him1 and said to him3 ,taste first a   
little bread1 and strengthen thy        
stomach1 and so thou shalt depart4      
#ai3f4 ,and they sat down together1 and 
ate and drank4  ,and the father of  the 
young woman said to his son in law3 ,i  
beseech thee to stay here to  day1 and  
let us make merry together4    #ai3g4   
,but he rising up1 began to be for      
departing4 ,and nevertheless his  father
 in law earnestly pressed him1 and made 
him stay with him4    #ai3h4 ,but when  
morning was come1 the ,levite prepared  
to go on his  journey4 ,and his father  
in law said to him again3 ,i beseech    
thee to take  a little meat1 and        
strengthening thyself1 till the day be  
farther  advanced1 afterwards thou      
mayest depart4 ,and they ate together4  
#ai3i4 ,and the young man arose to set  
forward with his wife and servant4  ,and
 his father in law spoke to him again3  

,consider that the day is  declining1   
and draweth toward evening3 tarry with  
me to day also1 and  spend the day in   
mirth1 and to morrow thou shalt depart1 
that thou  mayest go into thy house4    
#ai3aj4 ,his son in law would not       
consent to his words3 but forthwith went
  forward1 and came over against ,jebus1
 which by another name is called        
,jerusalem1 leading with him two asses  
loaden1 and his concubine4              
,concubine44 ,she was his lawful wife1  
but even lawful wives are  frequently in
 scripture called concubines4 ,see      
above1 chap4 #h4  ver4  #ca4--,ver4 #af4
 ,jemini444 ,that is1 ,benjamin4        
#ai3aa4 ,and now they were come near    
,jebus1 and the day was far spent3 and  
the servant said to his master3 ,come1  
,i beseech thee1 let us turn into  the  
city of the ,jebusites1 and lodge there4
    #ai3ab4 ,his master answered him3 ,i
 will not go into the town of another   
nation1 who are not of the children of  
,israel1 but ,i will pass over to       

,gabaa3    #ai3ac4 ,and when ,i shall   
come thither1 we will lodge there1 or at
 least  in the city of ,rama4    #ai3ad4
 ,so they passed by ,jebus1 and went on 
their journey1 and the sun  went down   
upon them when they were by ,gabaa1     
which is in the tribe of  ,benjamin3    
#ai3ae4 ,and they turned into it to     
lodge there4 ,and when they were come   
in1 they sat in the street of the city1 
for no man would receive them to  lodge4
    #ai3af4 ,and behold they saw an old 
man1 returning out of the field and     
from his work in the evening1 and he    
also was of mount ,ephraim1 and  dwelt  
as a stranger in ,gabaa2 but the men of 
that country were the  children of      
,jemini4    #ai3ag4 ,and the old man    
lifting up his eyes1 saw the man sitting
 with his  bundles in the street of the 
city1 and said to him3 ,whence comest   
thou8  and whither goest thou8          
#ai3ah4 ,he answered him3 ,we came out  
from ,bethlehem ,juda1 and we are  going
 to our home1 which is on the side of   

mount ,ephraim1 from whence we  went to 
,bethlehem3 and now we go to the house  
of ,god1 and none will  receive us under
 his roof3    #ai3ai4 ,we have straw and
 hay for provender of the asses1 and    
bread and  wine for the use of myself   
and of thy handmaid1 and of the servant 
that  is with me3 we want nothing but   
lodging4    #ai3bj4 ,and the old man    
answered him3 ,peace be with thee3 ,i   
will furnish  all things that are       
necessary3 only ,i beseech thee1 stay   
not in the  street4    #ai3ba4 ,and he  
brought him into his house1 and gave    
provender to his  asses3 and after they 
had washed their feet1 he entertained   
them with a  feast4    #ai3bb4 ,while   
they were making merry1 and refreshing  
their bodies with  meat and drink1 after
 the labour of the journey1 the men of  
that city1  sons of ,belial 7that is1   
without yoke71 came and beset the old   
man's  house1 and began to knock at the 
door1 calling to the master of the      
house1 and saying3 ,bring forth the man 

that came into thy house1 that we  may  
abuse him3    #ai3bc4 ,and the old man  
went out to them1 and said3 ,do not so1 
my  brethren1 do not so wickedly3       
because this man is come into my        
lodging1  and cease ,i pray you from    
this folly4    #ai3bd4 ,i have a maiden 
daughter1 and this man hath a concubine1
 ,i will  bring them out to you1 and you
 may humble them1 and satisfy your lust3
  only1 ,i beseech you1 commit not this 
crime against nature on the man4        
#ai3be4 ,they would not be satisfied    
with his words2 which the man seeing1   
brought out his concubine to them1 and  
abandoned her to their  wickedness3 and 
when they had abused her all the night1 
they let her go  in the morning4        
#ai3bf4 ,but the woman1 at the dawning  
of the day1 came to the door of the     
house1 where her lord lodged1 and there 
fell down4    #ai3bg4 ,and in the       
morning the man arose1 and opened the   
door1 that he  might end the journey he 
had begun3 and behold his concubine lay 

before  the door with her hands spread  
on the threshold4    #ai3bh4 ,he        
thinking she was taking her rest1 said  
to her3 ,arise1 and let  us be going4   
,but as she made no answer1 perceiving  
she was dead1 he took  her up1 and laid 
her upon his ass1 and returned to his   
house4    #ai3bi4 ,and when he was come 
home1 he took a sword1 and divided the  
dead  body of his wife with her bones   
into twelve parts1 and sent the pieces  
into all the borders of ,israel4        
#ai3cj4 ,and when every one had seen    
this1 they all cried out3 ,there was    
never such a thing done in ,israel1 from
 the day that our fathers came up  out  
of ,egypt1 until this day3 give         
sentence1 and decree in common what     
ought to be done4      ,judges ,chapter 
#bj    ,the ,israelites warring against 
,benjamin are twice defeated2 but in the
  third battle the ,benjamites are all  
slain1 saving six hundred men4    #bj3a4
 ,then all the children of ,israel went 
out1 and gathered together as  one man1 

from ,dan to ,bersabee1 with the land of
 ,galaad1 to the ,lord in  ,maspha3     
#bj3b4 ,and all the chiefs of the       
people1 and all the tribes of ,israel1  
met together in the assembly of the     
people of ,god1 four hundred thousand   
footmen fit for war4    #bj3c4 7,nor    
were the children of ,benjamin ignorant 
that the children of  ,israel were come 
up to ,maspha47 ,and the ,levite1 the   
husband of the woman  that was killed   
being asked1 how so great a wickedness  
had been  committed1    #bj3d4          
,answered3 ,i came into ,gabaa1 of      
,benjamin1 with my wife1 and there  ,i  
lodged3    #bj3e4 ,and behold the men of
 that city1 in the night beset the house
  wherein ,i was1 intending to kill me1 
and abused my wife with an  incredible  
fury of lust1 so that at last she died4 
#bj3f4 ,and ,i took her and cut her in  
pieces1 and sent the parts into all  the
 borders of your possession3 because    
there never was so heinous a  crime1 and
 so great an abomination committed in   

,israel4    #bj3g4 ,you are all here1 ,o
 children of ,israel1 determine what you
 ought  to do4    #bj3h4 ,and all the   
people standing1 answered as by the     
voice of one man3  ,we will not return  
to our tents1 neither shall any one of  
us go into his  own house3    #bj3i4    
,but this we will do in common against  
,gabaa3    #bj3aj4 ,we will take ten men
 of a hundred out of all the tribes of  
,israel1 and a hundred out of a         
thousand1 and a thousand out of ten     
thousand1 to bring victuals for the     
army1 that we may fight against  ,gabaa 
of ,benjamin1 and render to it for its  
wickedness1 what it  deserveth4         
#bj3aa4 ,and all ,israel were gathered  
together against the city1 as one  man1 
with one mind1 and one counsel3         
#bj3ab4 ,and they sent messengers to all
 the tribe of ,benjamin1 to say to      
them3 ,why hath so great an abomination 
been found among you8    #bj3ac4        
,deliver up the men of ,gabaa1 that have
 committed this heinous  crime1 that    

they may die1 and the evil may be taken 
away out of ,israel4  ,but they would   
not hearken to the proposition of their 
brethren the  children of ,israel3      
#bj3ad4 ,but out of all the cities which
 were of their lot1 they gathered       
themselves together into ,gabaa1 to aid 
them1 and to fight against the  whole   
people of ,israel4    #bj3ae4 ,and there
 were found of ,benjamin five and twenty
 thousand men  that drew the sword1     
besides the inhabitants of ,gabaa1      
#bj3af4 ,who were seven hundred most    
valiant men1 fighting with the left     
hand as well as with the right3 and     
slinging stones so sure that they  could
 hit even a hair1 and not miss by the   
stone's going on either side4    #bj3ag4
 ,of the men of ,israel also1 beside the
 children of ,benjamin1 were  found four
 hundred thousand that drew swords and  
were prepared to fight4    #bj3ah4 ,and 
they arose and came to the house of     
,god1 that is1 to ,silo3  and they      
consulted ,god1 and said3 ,who shall be 

in our army the first to  go to the     
battle against the children of          
,benjamin8 ,and the ,lord answered      
them3 ,let ,juda be your leader4        
#bj3ai4 ,and forthwith the children of  
,israel rising in the morning1  camped  
by ,gabaa3    #bj3bj4 ,and going out    
from thence to fight against ,benjamin1 
began to  assault the city4    #bj3ba4  
,and the children of ,benjamin coming   
out of ,gabaa slew of the  children of  
,israel that day two and twenty thousand
 men4    #bj3bb4 ,again ,israel1        
trusting in their strength and their    
number1 set  their army in array in the 
same place1 where they had fought       
before3    ,trusting in their           
strength444 ,the ,lord suffered them to 
be overthrown  and many of them to be   
slain1 though their cause was just2     
partly in  punishment of the idolatry   
which they exercised or tolerated in the
  tribe of ,dan1 and elsewhere2 and     
partly because they trusted in their    
own strength2 and therefore1 though he  

bid them fight1 he would not give  them 
the victory1 till they were thoroughly  
humbled and had learned to  trust in him
 alone4    #bj3bc4 ,yet so that they    
first went up and wept before the ,lord 
until  night3 and consulted him and     
said3 ,shall ,i go out any more to fight
  against the children of ,benjamin my  
brethren or not8 ,and he answered  them3
 ,go up against them1 and join battle4  
#bj3bd4 ,and when the children of       
,israel went out the next day to fight  
against the children of ,benjamin1      
#bj3be4 ,the children of ,benjamin      
sallied forth out of the gates of       
,gabaa3  and meeting them1 made so great
 a slaughter of them1 as to kill        
eighteen  thousand men that drew the    
sword4    #bj3bf4 ,wherefore all the    
children of ,israel came to the house of
 ,god1  and sat and wept before the     
,lord3 and they fasted that day till the
  evening1 and offered to him           
holocausts1 and victims of peace        
offerings1    #bj3bg4 ,and inquired of  

him concerning their state4 ,at that    
time the ark  of the covenant of the    
,lord was there1    #bj3bh4 ,and        
,phinees1 the son of ,eleazar1 the son  
of ,aaron1 was over the  house4 ,so they
 consulted the ,lord1 and said3 ,shall  
we go out any more to  fight against the
 children of ,benjamin1 our brethren1 or
 shall we cease8  ,and the ,lord said to
 them3 ,go up1 for to morrow ,i will    
deliver them into  your hands4          
#bj3bi4 ,and the children of ,israel set
 ambushes round about the city of       
,gabaa3    #bj3cj4 ,and they drew up    
their army against ,benjamin the third  
time1 as  they had done the first and   
second4    #bj3ca4 ,and the children of 
,benjamin boldly issued out of the city1
 and  seeing their enemies flee1 pursued
 them a long way1 so as to wound and    
kill some of them1 as they had done the 
first and second day1 whilst  they fled 
by two highways1 whereof one goeth up to
 ,bethel and the other  to ,gabaa1 and  
they slew about thirty men3    #bj3cb4  

,for they thought to cut them off as    
they did before4 ,but they  artfully    
feigning a flight1 designed to draw them
 away from the city1  and by their      
seeming to flee1 to bring them to the   
highways aforesaid4    #bj3cc4 ,then all
 the children of ,israel rising up out  
of the places where  they were1 set     
their army in battle array1 in the place
 which is called  ,baalthamar4 ,the     
ambushes also1 which were about the     
city1 began by  little and little to    
come forth1    #bj3cd4 ,and to march    
from the west side of the city4  ,and   
other ten  thousand men chosen out of   
all ,israel1 attacked the inhabitants of
 the  city4 ,and the battle grew hot    
against the children of ,benjamin3 and  
they  understood not that present death 
threatened them on every side4          
#bj3ce4 ,and the ,lord defeated them    
before the children of ,israel1 and     
they slew of them in that day five and  
twenty thousand1 and one hundred1  all  
fighting men1 and that drew the sword4  

#bj3cf4 ,but the children of ,benjamin1 
when they saw themselves to be too      
weak1 began to flee4 ,which the children
 of ,israel seeing1 gave them  place to 
flee1 that they might come to the       
ambushes that were prepared1  which they
 had set near the city4    #bj3cg4 ,and 
they that were in ambush arose on a     
sudden out of their  coverts1 and whilst
 ,benjamin turned their backs to the    
slayers1 went  into the city1 and smote 
it with the edge of the sword4          
#bj3ch4 ,now the children of ,israel had
 given a sign to them1 whom they  had   
laid in ambushes1 that after they had   
taken the city1 they should  make a     
fire3 that by the smoke rising on high1 
they might shew that the  city was      
taken4    #bj3ci4 ,and when the children
 of ,israel saw this in the battle1 7for
 the  children of ,benjamin thought they
 fled1 and pursued them vigorously1     
killing thirty men of their army7       
#bj3dj4 ,and perceived1 as it were1 a   
pillar of smoke rise up from the  city2 

and ,benjamin looking back1 saw that the
 city was taken1 and that  the flames   
ascended on high3    #bj3da4 ,they that 
before had made as if they fled1 turning
 their faces1  stood bravely against    
them4 ,which the children of ,benjamin  
seeing1  turned their backs1    #bj3db4 
,and began to go towards the way of the 
desert1 the enemy pursuing  them thither
 also4 ,and they that fired the city    
came also out to meet  them4    #bj3dc4 
,and so it was1 that they were slain on 
both sides by the enemies1  and there   
was no rest of their men dying4 ,they   
fell and were beaten down  on the east  
side of the city of ,gabaa4    #bj3dd4  
,and they that were slain in the same   
place1 were eighteen  thousand men1 all 
most valiant soldiers4    #bj3de4 ,and  
when they that remained of ,benjamin saw
 this1 they fled into  the wilderness1  
and made towards the rock that is called
 ,remmon4 ,in that  flight also1 as they
 were straggling1 and going different   
ways2 they  slew of them five thousand  

men4 ,and as they went farther1 they    
still  pursued them1 and slew also other
 two thousand4    #bj3df4 ,and so it    
came to pass1 that all that were slain  
of ,benjamin1 in  divers places1 were   
five and twenty thousand fighting men1  
most valiant  for war4    #bj3dg4 ,and  
there remained of all the number of     
,benjamin only six hundred  men that    
were able to escape1 and flee to the    
wilderness3 and they abode  in the rock 
,remmon four months4    #bj3dh4 ,but the
 children of ,israel returning1 put all 
the remains of the  city to the sword1  
both men and beasts1 and all the cities 
and villages  of ,benjamin were consumed
 with devouring flames4      ,judges    
,chapter #ba    ,the tribe of ,benjamin 
is saved from being utterly extinct1 by 
providing  wives for the six hundred    
that remained4    #ba3a4 ,now the       
children of ,israel had also sworn in   
,maspha1 saying3 ,none  of us shall give
 of his daughters to the children of    
,benjamin to wife4    #ba3b4 ,and they  

all came to the house of ,god in ,silo1 
and sitting before  him till the        
evening1 lifted up their voices1 and    
began to lament and  weep1 saying3      
#ba3c4 ,o ,lord ,god of ,israel1 why is 
so great an evil come to pass in thy    
people1 that this day one tribe should  
be taken away from among us8    #ba3d4  
,and rising early the next day1 they    
built an altar3 and offered  there      
holocausts1 and victims of peace1 and   
they said3    #ba3e4 ,who is there among
 all the tribes of ,israel that came not
 up with  the army of the ,lord8 for    
they had bound themselves with a great  
oath1  when they were in ,maspha1 that  
whosoever were wanting should be slain4 
#ba3f4 ,and the children of ,israel     
being moved with repentance for their   
brother ,benjamin1 began to say3 ,one   
tribe is taken away from ,israel4       
#ba3g4 ,whence shall they take wives8   
,for we have all in general sworn1  not 
to give our daughters to them4    #ba3h4
 ,therefore they said3 ,who is there of 

all the tribes of ,israel1  that came   
not up to the ,lord to ,maspha8  ,and1  
behold1 the inhabitants of  ,jabes      
,galaad were found not to have been in  
that army4    #ba3i4 7,at that time also
 when they were in ,silo1 no one of them
 was  found there17    #ba3aj4 ,so they 
sent ten thousand of the most valiant   
men1 and commanded  them1 saying3 ,go   
and put the inhabitants of ,jabes       
,galaad to the sword1  with their wives 
and their children4    #ba3aa4 ,and this
 is what you shall observe3  ,every     
male1 and all women  that have known    
men1 you shall kill1 but the virgins you
 shall save4    #ba3ab4 ,and there were 
found of ,jabes ,galaad four hundred    
virgins1 that  had not known the bed of 
a man1 and they brought them to the camp
 in  ,silo1 into the land of ,chanaan4  
#ba3ac4 ,and they sent messengers to the
 children of ,benjamin1 that were  in   
the rock ,remmon1 and commanded them to 
receive them in peace4    #ba3ad4 ,and  
the children of ,benjamin came at that  

time1 and wives were  given them of     
,jabes ,galaad3 but they found no       
others1 whom they might  give in like   
manner4    #ba3ae4 ,and all ,israel was 
very sorry1 and repented for the        
destroying of  one tribe out of ,israel4
    #ba3af4 ,and the ancients said3     
,what shall we do with the rest1 that   
have  not received wives8 for all the   
women in ,benjamin are dead4    #ba3ag4 
,and we must use all care1 and provide  
with great diligence1 that  one tribe be
 not destroyed out of ,israel4          
#ba3ah4 ,for as to our own daughters we 
cannot give them1 being bound with  an  
oath and a curse1 whereby we said3      
,cursed be he that shall give  ,benjamin
 any of his daughters to wife4          
#ba3ai4 ,so they took counsel1 and said3
 ,behold1 there is a yearly  solemnity  
of the ,lord in ,silo1 which is situate 
on the north of the city  of ,bethel1   
and on the east side of the way1 that   
goeth from ,bethel to  ,sichem1 and on  
the south of the town of ,lebona4       

#ba3bj4 ,and they commanded the children
 of ,benjamin and said3 ,go1 and lie    
hid in the vineyards1    #ba3ba4 ,and   
when you shall see the daughters of     
,silo come out1 as the  custom is1 to   
dance1 come ye on a sudden out of the   
vineyards1 and catch  you every man his 
wife among them1 and go into the land of
 ,benjamin4    #ba3bb4 ,and when their  
fathers and their brethren shall come1  
and shall  begin to complain against    
you1 and to chide1 we will say to them3 
,have  pity on them3 for they took them 
not away as by the right of war or      
conquest1 but when they asked to have   
them1 you gave them not1 and the  fault 
was committed on your part4    #ba3bc4  
,and the children of ,benjamin did as   
they had been commanded3 and1  according
 to their number1 they carried off for  
themselves every man his  wife of them  
that were dancing3 and they went into   
their possession1 and  built up their   
cities1 and dwelt in them4    #ba3bd4   
,the children of ,israel also returned  

by their tribes1 and  families1 to their
 dwellings4 ,in those days there was no 
king in ,israel3  but every one did that
 which seemed right to himself4