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to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you Learly on your way, that thou mayeft go home..

The Benjamites' wickedness. old man, faying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23 And the man, the master of the 10 But the man would not tarry that houfe, went out unto them, and faid night, but he rose up and departed, and unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I came over against Jebus, which is Jerufa-pray you, do not fo wickedly; feeing lem; and there were with him two affes that this man is come into mine house, faddled, his concubine alfo was with him. do not this folly.

II And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the fervant said unto his mafter, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebufites, and lodge in it.

12 And his mafter faid unto him, We' will not turn afide hither into the city of a ftranger, that is not of the children of Ifrael; we fhall pafs over to Gibeah.

13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of thefe places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah..

14 And they paffed on and went their way; and the fun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belong eth to Benjamin.

15 And they turned afide thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he fat him down in a street of the city for there was no man that took them into his houfe to lodging.

16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was alfo of mount Ephraim; and he fojourned in Gibeah but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he faw a wayfaring him in the street of the city and the old man faid, Whither goeft thou? and whence comest thou?

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18 And he said unto him, We are paffing from Beth-leham-judah toward the fide of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

19 Yet there is both ftraw and provender for our affes; and there is bread and

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24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what feemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

25 But the men would not hearken to him: fo the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to fpring, they let her go.

26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's houfe where her lord was, till it was light.

27 And her lord rofe up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 And he faid unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an afs, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

29 And when he was come into his houfe, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and fent her into all the coast of Ifrael.

30 And it was fo, that all that faw it faid, -There was no fuch deed done nor feen from the day that the children of Ifrael came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day confider of it, take advice, and speak your minds. CHAP.

XX.

I The Levite in a general affembly declareth his wrong. 8 Their decree. 26 The Benjamites are deftroyed.

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HEN all the children of Ifrael went

wine alfo for me, and for thy handmaid,ut, and the congregation was gaand for the young man which is with thy fervants: their is no want of any thing. 20 And the old man faid, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

thered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-fheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Ifrael, prefented themfelves in the affembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen

21 So he brought him into his houfe, and gave provender unto the affes: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. 22 1. Now as they were making their that drew sword. bearts merry, behold, the men of the 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard city, certain fons of Belial, befet the house that the children of Ifrael were gone up round about, and beat at the door, and to Mizpeh.) Then faid the children of fpake to the mafter of the houfe, the Ifrael, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

The Levite's complaint.

JUDGES. The Ifraelites quar with Benjamin

4 And the Levite, the hufband of the 18 And the children of Ifrael arofe, woman that was flain, answered and and went up to the house of God, and faid, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to asked counfel of God, and faid, Which Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. of us fhall go up firft to the battle against 5 And the men of Gibeah rofe against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD me, and befet the house round about up-faid, Judah shall go up first. on me by night, and thought to have 19 And the children of Ifrael rofe up flain me and my concubine have they in the morning, and encamped against forced, that the is dead. Gibeah.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and fent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Ifrael: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Ifrael.

7 Behold, ye are all children of Ifrael; give here your advice and counsel.

8 And all the people arose as one man, faying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

9 But now this fhall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

to And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Ifrael, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Ifrael.

II So all the men of Ifrael were gathered against the city, knit together as

one man.

20 And the men of Ifrael went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Ifrael put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Ifraelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people the men of Ifrael encouraged themfelves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 (And the children of Ifrael went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counfel of the LORD, faying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD faid, Go up against him.)

24 And the children of Ifrael came near against the children of Benjamin the fe cond day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and deftroyed down to the ground of the 12 And the tribes of Ifrael fent men children of Ifrael again eighteen thoufand through all the tribe of Benjamin, fay-men; all thefe drew the sword. ing, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Ifrael. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Ifrael:

26 Then all the children of Ifrael, and all the people, went up, and came unto the houfe of God, and wept, and fat there before the LORD, and fafted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

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27 And the children of Ifrael enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in thofe days, 1

28 And Phinehas, the fon of Eleazar,

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle a-the son of Aaron, stood before it in thofe gainst the children of Ifrael.

15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and fix thoufand men that drew fword, befide the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered feven hundred chofen men.

16 Among all this people there were Teven hundred chofen men lefthanded; every one could fling ftones at an hair breadth, and not mifs.

17 And the men of Ifrael, befide Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew fword: all thefe qwere men of war.

days,) faying, Shall yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or fhall I ceafe? And the LORD faid, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29 And Ifrael fet liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 And the children of Ifrael went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to faite of the people, and kill, as at other

The Benjamites' defolation.

Chap. xxi. times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the houfe of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Ifrael.

32 And the children of Benjamin faid, They are fmitten down before us, as at the firft. But the children of Ifrael faid, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 And all the men of Ifrael rofe up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Ifrael came forth out or their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thoufand chofen men out of all Ifrael, and the battle was fore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 9

Their deftruction bewailed.

45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men : and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and flew two thousand men of them.

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thoufand men that drew the fword; all these were men of valour.

47 But fix hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 And the men of Ifrael turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and fmote them with the edge of the fword, as well the men of every city, as the beaft, and 35 And the LORD fmote Benjamin be-all that came to hand: also they set on fore Ifrael: and the children of Ifrael de- fire all the cities that they came to. ftroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty CHAP. XXI. and five thousand and an hundred men: all thefe drew the fword.

36 So the children of Benjamin faw that they were mitten. for the men of the gave place to the Benjamites, because they trufted unto the liers in wait which they had fet befide Gibeah.

37 And the liers in wait hafted and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and fmote all the city with the edge of the fword.

38 Now there was an appointed fign between the men of Ifrael and the liers in wait, that they fhould make a great flame with fmoke rife up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Ifrael retired in the battle, Benjamin began to fmite and kill of the men of Ifrael about thirty perfons: for they faid, Surely they are fmitten down before us, as in the first battle. 40 But when the flame began to arife up out of the city with a pillar of fmoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city afcended up toheaven.

41 And when the men of Ifrael turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they faw that evil was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Ifrael unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midft of them. 43 Thus they inclofed the Benjamites round about, and chafed them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the funrifing.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

1 The people bewailing the defolation of Benjamin, 16 advije them to furprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh. NOW the men of Ifrael had worn in Mizpeh, faying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

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3 And faid, O LORD God of Ifrael, why is this come to pafs in Ifrael, that there fhould be to day one tribe lacking in Ifrael?

4 And it came to pafs on the morrow, that the people arofe early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 And the children of Ifrael faid, Who is there among all the tribes of Ifrael that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, faying, He hall furely be put to death.

6 And the children of Ifrael repented them for Benjamin their brother, and faid, There is one tribe cut off from Ifrael this day.

7 How fhall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have fworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

8 And they faid, What one is there of the tribes of Ifrael that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? and, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabefhgilead to the affembly.

9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabi tants of Jabefh-gilead there.

The virgins of Shiloh furprifed.

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Io And the congregation fent thither 19 Then they faid, Behold, there is a twelve thousand men of the valianteft, feaft of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a and commanded them, faying, Go and place which is on the north fide of Beth-el, fmite the inhabitants of Jabefh-gilead on the east fide of the highway that goeth with the edge of the sword, with the wo-up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the men and the children. fouth of Lebonah.

II And this is the thing that ye fhall do, Ye shall utterly deftroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabefh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 And the whole congregation fent Jome to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, faying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

21 And fee, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will fay unto them, Be favourable unto them for our fakes: be14 And Benjamin came again at that caufe we reserved not to each man his time; and they gave them wives which they wife in the war: for ye did not give unbad faved alive of the women of Jabefh-to them at this time, that ye fhould be gilead and yet fo they fufficed them not. guilty. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, becaufe that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Ifrael.

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OW it came to pafs in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to fojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two fons.

23 And the children of Benjamin did fo, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

24 And the children of Ifrael departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

25 In those days there was no king in Ifrael: every man did that which avas right in his own eyes.

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Ruth and they dwelled there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died alfo both of them; and the woman was left of her two fons and her husband.

6 Then the arofe with her daughters in law, that he might return from the country of Moab: for fhe had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had vifited his people in giving them bread.

2 And the name of the man quas Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the and the name of his two fons Mahlon place where the was, and her two daughand Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-ters in law with her; and they went on judah. And they came into the country the way to return unto the land of Judah. of Moab, and continued there.

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and fhe was left, and her two fons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other

8 And Naomi faid unto her two daugh ters in law, Go, return each to her mother's houfe: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 The LORD grant you that ye may

Ruth's conflancy to Naomi:

Chap. ii.

She gleaneth in Boaz's field.

find reft, each of you in the house of her AND Naomi had a kinfman of her

husband. Then the kiffed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

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TO And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi faid, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more fons in my womb that they may be your husbands?

hufband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitefs faid unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean cars of corn after him in whofe fight I shall find grace. And the faid unto her, Go, my daughter.

12 Turn again, my daughters, go your 3 And he went, and came, and gleanaway; for I am too old to have an hufed in the field after the reapers: and her band. If I fhould fay, I have hope, if I hap was to light on a part of the field fhould have an husband also to night, and belonging unto Boaz, who was of the fhould alfo bear fons; kindred of Elimelech.

13 Would ye tarry for them till they 4 ¶ And, behold, Boaz came from were grown? would ye ftay for them Beth-lehem, and faid unto the reapers, from having husbands? nay, my daugh- The LORD be with you. And they anters; for it grieveth me much for your fwered him, The LORD bless thee. fakes, that the hand of the LORD is gone 5 Then faid Boaz unto his fervant that out against me. was fet over the reapers, Whose damfel is this?

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And the faid, Behold, thy fifter in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods return thou after thy fif ter in law.

16 And Ruth faid, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee for whither thou goeft, I will go; and where thou lodgeft, I will lodge: thy people Jhall be my people, and thy God my God:

17Where thou dieft, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do fo to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18 When the faw that fhe was ftedfaftly minded to go with her, then the left fpeaking unto her.

6 And the fervant that was fet over the reapers anfwered and faid, It is the Moabitifh damfel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7 And he faid, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the fheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that he tarried a little in the houfe.

8¶ Then faid Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here faft by my maidens:

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they fhall not touch thee? and when thou art athirft, go unto the veffels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, 10 Then the fell on her face, and bowwhen they were come to Beth-lehem, thated herself to the ground, and faid unto all the city was moved about them, and him, why have I found grace in thine they faid, Is this Naomi ? eyes, that thou fhouldeft take knowledge of me, feeing I am a ftranger?

20 And the faid unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Al- II And Boaz anfwered and faid unto mighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. her, It hath fully been fhewed me, all that 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath thou haft done unto thy mother in law brought me home again empty: why fince the death of thine hufband: and then call ye me Naomi, feeing the LORD how thou haft left thy father and thy mohath teftified against me, and the Alther, and the land of thy nativity, and nighty hath afflicted me? art come unto a people which thou kneweft not heretofore.

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitefs, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab and they came to Beth-lehem in | the beginning of barley harvest.

CHAP. II.

1 Ruth gleaneth in the fields of Boaz. 4 He taketh knowledge of her, 8 and fheaeth ber favour.

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