which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man.

And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

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

And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto this day, to fight against me?

Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead

smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lehem.

And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

Question.-Jephthah asked the elders (the chief men) of Gilead, whether, if he consented to fight the Ammonites, they would choose him for head, or chief leader. Did that show a wrong ambition? Answer. He probably was ambitious; but we must remember that he had been driven away from his people, and was not willing to return unless in an honourable and leading position. Besides, he no doubt felt that he could be of no real service unless he had the complete control.

Q-Why did Jephthah send messengers to the people of Ammon before making war against them?

A.-Moses, as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy, had ordered that the Israelites should not make a warlike attack without first sending messengers with proposals of peace.

Q.-We read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. What is the exact meaning of these

words?

A.-In some manner not recorded, the Lord made Jephthah to know that he had a special sanction for what he did.

Q-Why did Jephthah vow that he would make a sacrifice and burnt offering, after victory, of whatsoever came from his house to meet him on his return?

A. He had long been among the Syrians, who frequently made human sacrifices, and, although selected to lead the Israelites in war (for God employs weak and even wicked instruments to carry out His designs), was probably inclined to imitate their practices, having for

gotten the laws of the God of Israel, thinking that heshould please the Lord by such a sacrifice.

Q.-How did he perform his vow ?

A.-By sacrificing his young daughter. She asked to b spared two months that she might "bewail her virginity," which means prepare herself for death, and resign herself to the disappointment which all the Israelitish women felt if they died unmarried, and so did not become mothers, which was considered the most honourable state a woman could desire. Some writers have thought that Jephthah did not really kill his daughter; but kept her in a state of religious seclusion, like that of a nun, the reason given being that no mention is. made of her actual death. But Jephthah had vowed to make a burnt offering, and we read that "he did with her according to his vow," which seems to leave no room for doubt as to her fate.

Q.-Why was an escaped Ephraimite told to say the word "Shibboleth?"

A. The sound of the letters "sh" was not in the Ephraimite language, and the people had not learned to pronounce it. The Gileadites, therefore, used it to try whether those who fled were Ephraimites or not. If they could pronounce the word properly, they did not belong to that people; if they said "Sibboleth," it was a proof that they were Ephraimites, notwithstanding their denial. The word means an ear of corn.

Q.-Why is mention made of the number of persons who rode on ass colts?

A.-The art of riding was not much practised by the Israelites, and horses are not mentioned in this part of their history. To ride at all was considered a great proof of dignity.

angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: for, lo, thou shalt bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God to the day of his death.

Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?

And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong

drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.

And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offer ing and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time. have told us such things as these.

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.