The Ephraimites' quarrel. 38 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. 39 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, 40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly Stolament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. CHAPTER XII. 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. B go and go down. y added to a Je. 13. 23. This seems 1 Sa. 1.22,24 2.18. 8 or, ordi nance. Sfrom year 2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my h chap. 8. 1. people were at great strife with the chil-e were called. dren of Ammon; and when I called you, i Nu. 6. 2, &c. ye delivered me not out of their hands. k1 Ki. 17. 24. 3 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 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 smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. 5 And the Gileadites took the passages" of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraim: ites which were escaped said, Let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; 6 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. 7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. 8 And after him Ibzan? of Beth-lehem judged Israel. 9 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. 10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lehem. 11 And after him Elon," a Zebulonite, judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. 13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. 14 And he had forty sons and thirtys nephews, that rode" on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. 15 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. I Mat. 28. 3. m1 Sa. 19.5. Ps. 119. 109. Jos. 22. 11. Which sig nifieth a Is. 27.12. What shall be the man- What shall be his overse 4. to have judge to ch.6.18, &c. judge also sons' sons. derful, ch.3. 13, 27. 5.14. An Angel appears to Manoah. CHAPTER XIII. AND the children of Israel y did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah,d of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angele of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and nog razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, Ak 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: 7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and 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 from the womb to the day of his death. 8 Then Manoah entreated 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 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." 12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: how shall we order the child? and how shall we do unto him? 13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of any thing 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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? 18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is " secret? 19 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. 20 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 felld on their faces to the ground. 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 said unto his wife, We surely die, because we have seen shall God. 23 But his wife said 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 shewed us all these things, nor would, as at this time, have told us such things as these. 24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson:* and' the child and the LORD blessed him. grew, 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah" and Eshtaol. CHAPTER XIV. B. C. 1161. a ch.6.19..23. 2 Ch. 7. 8. Bor, shirts. Eze. 1. 28. De. 5. 26. chap. 16. 5. Pr. 1. 10. 27. 13. Jno. 15. 15. Y possess us, He. 11. 32. 11 Sa. 3. 19. mchap. 3. 10. 8 Mahanehdan, as chap. 18.12. Samson's riddle. can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments: 13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to Y take that we have? is it not so? 16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, bethe riddle to the children of her people. AND Samson went down to Timnath, Cor, the rest causer she lay sore upon him; and she told and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now, therefore, get her for me to wife. 8 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcisedt Philistines ? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6 And the Spirity 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 his father or his mother what he had done. 7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion; and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. of the. n chap. 18.11. • Ge. 38. 13. Jos. 15. 10. 18.4, 5. Ge. 24. 3, 4. De. 7. 3. 2 Ki. 6. 33. w Je. 9. 4. Jno. 3. 29. a chap. 13.1. y chap.13.25. * 1 Sa. 17. 34, 35. thine. less from. 30. Pr. 25. 16. vor, torches. 10 So his father went down unto the c2 Sa. 14. 30. woman: and Samson made there a feast ;dd Es. 1.7, &c. for so used the young men to do. 11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. Ec. 10. 19. e Pr. 1. 6. Eze. 17. 2. Lu. 14. 7. 18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day, before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. 19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle: and his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. 20 But Samson's wife was given" to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.w CHAPTER XV. BUT it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore" I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. V 4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. 6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he I had taken his wife, and given her to his 12 And Samson said unto them, I will chap. 14.15. companion. And the Philistines came up, now put forth a riddlee unto you: if ye and burnt her and her father with fire. 7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. 9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.c 10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. 11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. 12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand; but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. 14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place T Ramath-lehi. B. C. 1140. a Ki. 11. 1. brook. Delilah's treachery. he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came Bor, by the up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength chap. 14. 15. lieth, and by what means we may prevail Pr.2.16..19. against him, that we may bind him to 5. 3..11. afflict him; and we will give thee, every 6.24..26. one of us, eleven hundred pieces of silver. 7.21..27. 6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, 1Co.6.15..18 I pray thee, wherein thy great strength yor, humble. lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. c verse 19. went down. moist, or, new cords. d chap. 14. 4. ePs. 106. 41. none. i smelleth. fchap. 14. 6. K wherewith Ps. 18. 34. moist. i. e. the bone. chap. 14. 16. ie, the well of him that 18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncir- a shortened. cumcised? 19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again,' and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. 20 And he judged" Israel, in the days of the Philistines, twenty years. CHAPTER XVI. THEN went Samson to Gaza, and saw there xan harlot, and went in unto her. Ps. 34. 6. m He seems to have judged South-west Israel dur ing twenty years of their servi tude of the Philistines, chap. 13. 1. n Pr. 12. 23. Mi. 7. 5. chap. 13. 5. Nu. 6. 5. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were xa woman, quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, & bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron. 4 And it came to pass afterward, that an harlot. P1 Sa. 23. 26. Ps. 118.10.. silent. bar. Pr. 7. 26. Ec. 7. 26. 7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven Sgreen withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire: so his strength was not known. 10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. 11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. 13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hilies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be therto thou hast mocked me, and told me bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. 14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. 15 And she said unto him, Howi canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. 16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. 18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once; for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks. of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. The death of Samson. JUDGES, XVIII. B. C. 1120. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out, as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and B put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza; and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon' their god, and to rejoice for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. m 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry," that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. 26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there: and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 28' And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember" me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein: so the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren, and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. CHAPTER XVII. AND there was a man of mount raim, whose name was Micah. Eph The 2 And he said unto his mother, eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD, from my hand, for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. 4 Yet he restored the money unto his a Is. 46. 6. Ho. 7. 9. 1 Sa. 28. 15. B bored out. chap. 8. 27. Ge.31.19,30 Ho. 3. 4. y filled the 1 Ki. 13. 33. ƒ Je. 2. 19. ch. 18. 1, 7. 19. 1. 21.3, 25 De. 12. 8. Pr. 16. 2. Ec. 11. 9. Sor, as when. i Ru. 1. 1, 2. Micah and his gods. mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, anda gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod,d and teraphim, and y consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did thath which was right in his own eyes. 7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I 1 Sa.5.2, &c. am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judaḥ, and I Job 30.9,10. go to sojourn where I may find a place. Ps.35.15,16. 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell Pr.24.17,18. with me, and be unto me a father? and m Da. 5. 4. a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels in making of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. his way. n and who multiplied our slain. * chap. 9. 27. He. 11. 36. ◊ before them. chap. 18. 19. Kan order of garments, or, a double suit. g verse 5. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. 13 Then said Micah, Now know I that CHAPTER XVIII. IN those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheLa.3.31,32. ritance had not fallen unto them among Jon.2.1,2,7. the tribes of Israel. r chap. 18.30. s Ps. 91. 15. t Pr. 14. 12. "Ps.74.18..23 Je. 15. 15. chap. 17.6. y Jos. 19. 47. or, he lean ed on them. μ my soul. vsons. chap. 13.25. 16.31. Ge. 42. 9. Nu. 13. 17. Jos. 2.1. a Job 20. 5. Ps. 62. 3. chap. 13.25. Jos.17.14..18 dHo. 4. 12. el Ki. 22. 6. fNe. 13. 25. 2 John 11. g Ge. 14. 19. Ru. 3. 10. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who, when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said unto him, Askd counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace; before the LORD is your way Jos. 19. 47, wherein ye go. Expedition of the Danites. JUDGES, XIX. 8 And they came unto their brethren to Zoraha and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. B. C. 1406. a verse 2. ẞ bitter of soul, 2 Sa. 17. 8. 6 Nu. 13. 30. 10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a 1 Ki. 22. 3. people secure, and to a large land: for ever. 7, 27. God hath given it into your hands; ad Jos.2.23,24. place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. e De. 8. 9. fver. 7, 10. De. 33. 22. il And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men Yap-ygirded. pointed with weapons of war. 12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day; behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. 13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. 14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now, therefore, consider what ye have to do. 15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. 16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. and fetched the carved image, the ephod, 18 And these went into Micah's house, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lays thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and bet to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20 And the priest's heart was glad; and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the carriage before them. 22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. ver. 1, 7. m Nu. 13. 21. 1 Ge. 14. 14. 1Ki.12.29,30 chap. 17.5. 1 Sa.4.2, &c. Ps. 78. 60. & asked him 1 Sa. 17. 22. P verse 11. a woman, a concubine. q ver. 2, 14. four months. a year and rJe. 3. 1. $ Job 21. 5. t chap. 17.10. strengthen, verse 8. Ge. 18. 5. The Levite and his concubine. 25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest Bangry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned, and went back unto his house. 27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 29 And' they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit, the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day" of the captivity of the land. 31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. CHAPTER XIX. AND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem. judah. 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months. 3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again," having his servant when the father of the damsel saw him, with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. 5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine" heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way. 6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damu Ps. 104. 15. sel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart" be merry. v verse 22. w Ge. 21. 17. Ps. 114. 5. declined. 7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the dam 23 And they cried unto the children of Atill the day on's father said, Comfort thine heart, I Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What" aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? art gather- pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 9 And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening," I pray you tarry all |