nft Ifrael, and he fold them into ds of the Philiftines, and into Es of the children of Ammon. that year they vexed and ophe children of Ifrael: eighteen the children of Ifrael that were ther fide Jordan, in the land of rites, which is in Gilead. reover, the children of Ammon ver Jordan, to fight alfo against d againft Benjamin, and against of Ephraim; fo that Ifrael was effed. And the children of rael cried LORD, faying, We have finned ee, both becaufe we have forGod, and alfo ferved Baalim. d the LORD faid unto the chilrael, Did not I deliver you from ians, and from the Amorites, children of Ammon, and from tines? Zidonians also, and the Amand the Maonites did. oppress ve cried to me, and I delivered f their hand. ye have forfaken me, and fergods: wherefore I will deli o more. and cry unto the gods which hofen; let them deliver you e of your tribulation. nd the children of Ifrael faid LORD, We have finned, do us whatsoever feemeth good deliver us only, we pray thee, |they put away the ftrange among them, and served the d his foul was grieved for the Ifrael.. n the children of Ammon ered together, and encamped and the children of Ifrael themselves together, and enMizpeh. the people and princes of d one to another, What man will begin to fight against the f Ammon? he fhall be head •inhabitants of Gilead thruft out Jephthah, and faid unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our fathers houfe, for thou art the fon of a ftrange: woman. 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. 4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Ifrael. 5 And it was fo, that when the children of Ammon made war against Ifrael, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jeph thah out of the land of Tob: 6 And they faid unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. 7 And Jephthah faid unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and ex-pel me out of my fathers houfe? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in diftrefs? 8. And the elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayft go with us and fight against the children of Am mon, and be our head over all the ins habitants of Gilead. 9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, fhall I be your head? 10 And the elders of Gilead faid un to Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not fo according to thy words. 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jeph thah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. 12 And Jephthah fent meffengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, faying, What haft thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? 13 And the king of the children of Ammon anfwered unto the meffengers ah, Ifrael took not away the land] Ifrael and the children of Ammon. mb, nor the land of the children mon: But when Ifrael came up from E- Then Ifrael fent meffengers unto But Sihon trufted not Ifrael to So now the LORD God of Ifrael And now art thou any thing better 28 Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkned not unto the words of Jephthah which he fent him. 29 Then the fpirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he paffed over Gilead, and Manaffeh, and paffed o ver Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he paffed over unto the children of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and faid, If thou fhalt with out fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine bands, 31 Then it shall be, that whatfoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, fhall furely be the LORDS, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering. 32 So Jephthah paffed over unto the children of Ammon to fight againft them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he fmote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great flaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were fubdued before the children of Ifrael. 34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his houfe, and behold, his daugh ter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and he was his only child: b.fide her he had neither fon nor daughter. 35 And it came to pafs when he faw her, that he rent his clothes, and fald, Alas, my daughter, thou haft brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. 36 And the faid unto him, My father, if thou haft opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forafmuch as the LORD bath taken venge ance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. The Ephraimites flain. An angel Chap. xii, xiii. appeareth to Manoahs wife. with her companions, and bewailed her And after him Ibzan of Beth-le virginity upon the mountains. hem judged Ifrael. 39 And it came to pafs at the end of two months, that fhe returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and the knew no man. And it was a cuftom in Ifrael, 40 That the daughters of Ifrael went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. CHAP. XII. 1 The Ephraimites quarrelling with Fephthah, and difcerned by Shibboleth, are Alain by the Gileadites. 7 Jephthah dieth. A Nd the men of Ephraim gathered themfelves together, and went north-ward, and faid unto Jephthah, Wherefore paffedft thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didft not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine houfe upon thee with fire. 8 9 And he had thirty fons, and thirty daughters, whom he fent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his fons. And he judged Ifrael feven years. 10 Then died fbzan, and was buried at Beth-lehem. 11 And after him, Elon a Zebulonite judged Ifrael, and he judged If rael ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the coun try of Zebulan. 13 And after him, Abdon the fon of Hillel a Pirathonite judged Ifrael. 14 And he had forty fons, and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten afs-colts: and he judged Krael eight years. 15 And Abdon the fon of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites. 2 And Jephthah faid unto them, I and my people were at great ftrife with the children of Ammon; and when I 1 called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. 3 And when I faw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and paffed over against the children of Am mon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? 4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead fmote Ephraim, because they faid, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, among the Ephraimites, and among the Manaf fites. CHAP. XIII, Ifrael is in the hand of the Philifines. 2 An angel appeareth to Manoahs wife. 8 The angel appeareth10 Manoah. 15 Manoahs facrifice, whereby the angel is difcovered. 24 Samfon is born. ANd the children of Ifrael did evil again in the fight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philiftines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whofe name was Manoah, and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the LORD appear ed unto the woman, and faid unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and beareft not: but thou fhalt conceive, and 5 And the Gileadites took the paf-bear a fon. fages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and it was fo, that when thofe Ephrai-and drink not wine, nor ftrong drink, ites wine 1 faid Lerme go over; that the men of Gilead laid and eat not any unclean thing. unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he a fon, and no razor fhall come on his faid, Nay: 6 Then faid they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he faid Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and flew him at the paffages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites, forty and two thousand. 7 And Jephthah judged Ifrael fix years: then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. head: for the child fhall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he fhall begin to deliver Ifrael out of the hand of the Philiftines. 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, faying, 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, then Manoabs facrifice. Judges Samfon born. halt conceive and bear a fon; and now flame went up toward heaven from off drink no wine nor ftrong drink, neither the altar, that the angel of the LORD eat any unclean thing: for the child fhall afcended in the flame of the altar: and be a Nazarite to God, from the womb Manoah and his wife looked on is, and to the day of his death. fell on their faces to the ground. 8Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and faid, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didft fend, come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that fhall be born. 9 And God hearkned to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as fhe fat in the feld: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 And the woman made hafte, and ran, and fhewed her husband, and faid unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. II And Manoah arofe, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and faid unto him, Art thou the man that fpakeft unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12 And Manoah faid, Now let thy words come to pafs: How fhall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? 13 And the angel of the LORD faid unto Manoah, Of all that I faid unto the woman, let her beware. 14 She may not cat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or ftrong drink,nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her, let her obferve. 15 And Manoah faid unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we fhall have made ready a kid for thee. 16 And the angel of the LORD faid unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not cat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou muft offer it unto the LORD: for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the 17 And Manoah faid unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy fayings come to pass, we may do thee honour? 18 And the angel of the LORD faid unto him, Why askeft thou thus after my name, feeing it is fecret? 19 So Manoah took a kid, with a meat-offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came to pass, when the 21 (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. 22 And Manoah faid unto his wife, We fhall furely die, because we have feen God. 23 But his wife faid unto him. If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have fhewed us all thefethings, nor would as at this time have told us fuch things as thefe. 24 And the woman bare a fon, and called his name Samfon: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the fpirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Efhtaol. CHA P. XIV. Samfon defreth a wife of the Philistines: 10 His marriage-feaft, 12 and riddle. 19 He Spoileth thirty Philistines. A Nd Samfon went down to Tim nath, of the daughters of the Philiftines. 2 And he came up and told his father and his mother, and faid, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philiftines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother faid unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goeft to take a wife of the uncircumcifed Philiftines? And Samfon faid unto his father, Get her for me, for the pleaseth mall 4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he fought an occafion against the Philiftines: for at that time the Philiftines had dominion over Ifrael, 5 Then went Samfon down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and behold, a young lion rored against him. 6 And the fpirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not bis nd he took thereof in his bands, ent on eating, and came to his fand mother, and he gave them, and id eat but he told not them that taken the hony out of the carcafe lion.ve nam stáli 4.So his father went down unto man, and Samfon made there a for fo ufed the young men to do. And it came to pass when they faw at they brought thirty companibe with him. I upon him, and he went down to Afhkelon, and flew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddie: and his anger was kindled, and he went up to his fathers houfe. 20 But Samfons wife was given to his companion, whom he had ufed as his friend. CHAP XV. 1 Samfon is denied his wife: 3 He burneth the Philistines corn: 7 He fmiteth them hip and thigh: 9 He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philiftines: 14 He killeth them with a jaw-bone. it came to pass within a while And Samfon faid unto them, Bafter, in the time of wheat-harveft, w put forth a riddle unto you: if certainly declare it me within en days of the feaft, and find it en I will give you thirty fheets, ty change of garments. ut if ye cannot declare is me, ll ye give me thirty fheets, and hange of garments. And they o him, Put forth thy riddle, that hear it. nd he faid unto them, Out of the me forth meat, and out of the ame forth fweetness. And they Ot in three days expound the d it came to pass on the feventh at they faid unto Samfons wife, hy husband, that he may deo us the riddle, left we burn chee fathers houfe with fire: have us to take that we have? uit d Samfons wife wept before faid, Thou doft but hate me, me not: thou haft put forth into the children of my people, mot-told it me. And he faid Behold, I have not told it my r my mother, and fhall I tell it fhe wept before him the fewhile their feaft lafted and o país on the feventh day, that er, because the lay fore upon Ifhe told the riddle to the chilEr people. that Samfon vifited his wife with a kid, and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not fuffer him to go in. 2 And her father faid, I verily thought that thou hadft utterly hated her, therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger fifter fairer than the? take her, I pray thee, in ftead of her. 3¶And Samfon faid concerning them, Now fhall I be more blameless than the Philiftines, though I do them a displeafure. 4 And Samfon went and caught three hundred foxes, and took fire-brands,and turned tail to tail, and put a fire-brand in the midft between two tails. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the ftandingcorn of the Philiftines, and burnt up both the fhocks, and alfo the ftandingcorn, with the vineyards and olives. 6 Then the Philiftines faid. Who hath done this? And they answered, Samfon the fon in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philiftines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. 7 And Samfon faid unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that, I will ceafe. 8 And he fmote them hip and thigh with a great flaughter; and he went |