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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/8307.txt b/8307.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5394347 --- /dev/null +++ b/8307.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3123 @@ +Project Gutenberg EBook The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 7: Judges + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + + +Title: The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 7: Judges + The Challoner Revision + +Release Date: June, 2005 [EBook #8307] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 4, 2003] + + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BIBLE, DOUAY-RHEIMS, BOOK 7*** + + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger +from etext #1581 prepared by Dennis McCarthy, Atlanta, Georgia +and Tad Book, student, Pontifical North American College, Rome. + + + + + +THE HOLY BIBLE + + + + +Translated from the Latin Vulgate + + +Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek, +and Other Editions in Divers Languages + + +THE OLD TESTAMENT +First Published by the English College at Douay +A.D. 1609 & 1610 + +and + +THE NEW TESTAMENT +First Published by the English College at Rheims +A.D. 1582 + + +With Annotations + + +The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with +the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner +A.D. 1749-1752 + + + + + +THE BOOK OF JUDGES + +This Book is called JUDGES, because it contains the history of what +passed under the government of the judges, who ruled Israel before they +had kings. The writer of it, according to the more general opinion, was +the prophet Samuel. + + +Judges Chapter 1 + +The expedition and victory of Juda against the Chanaanites: who are +tolerated in many places. + +1:1. After the death of Josue, the children of Israel consulted the +Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and +shall be the leader of the war? + +1:2. And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the +land into his hands. + +1:3. And Juda said to Simeon, his brother: Come up with me into my lot, +and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee +into thy lot. And Simeon went with him. + +1:4. And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the +Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand +men. + +1:5. And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and +they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite. + +1:6. And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and +cut off his fingers and toes. + +1:7. And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings, having their fingers and toes +cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have +done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and +he died there. + +1:8. And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it +to the sword, and set the whole city on fire. + +Jerusalem... This city was divided into two; one part was called Jebus, +the other Salem: the one was in the tribe of Juda, the other in the +tribe of Benjamin. After it was taken and burnt by the men of Juda, it +was quickly rebuilt again by the Jebusites, as we may gather from ver. +21; and continued in their possession till it was taken by king David. + +1:9. And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite, +who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains. + +1:10. And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in +Hebron, (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai, +and Ahiman, and Tholmai: + +Hebron... This expedition against Hebron, etc. is the same as is +related, Jos. 15.24. It is here repeated, to give the reader at once a +short sketch of all the achievements of the tribe of Juda against the +Chanaanites. + +1:11. And departing from thence, he went to the inhabitants of Dabir, +the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of +letters. + +The city of letters... Perhaps so called from some famous school, or +library, kept there. + +1:12. And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it +waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife. + +1:13. And Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, +having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife. + +1:14. And as she was going on her way, her husband admonished her to ask +a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said +to her: What aileth thee? + +1:15. But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry +land: give me also a watery land So Caleb gave her the upper and the +nether watery ground. + +1:16. And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from +the city of palms, with the children of Juda, into the wilderness of his +lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him. + +The Cinite... Jethro the father in law of Moses was called Cinoeus, or +the Cinite; and his children who came along with the children of Israel +settled themselves among them in the land of Chanaan, embracing their +worship and religion. From these the Rechabites sprung, of whom see Jer. +35.-Ibid. The city of palms... Jericho, so called from the abundance of +palm trees. + +1:17. And Juda went with Simeon, his brother, and they together defeated +the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of +the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema. + +1:18. And Juda took Gaza, with its confines, and Ascalon, and Accaron, +with their confines. + +Gaza, etc... These were three of the principal cities of the +Philistines, famous both in sacred and profane history. They were taken +at this time by the Israelites: but as they took no care to put +garrisons in them, the Philistines soon recovered them. + +1:19. And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but +was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had +many chariots armed with scythes. + +Was not able, etc... Through a cowardly fear of their chariots armed +with hooks and scythes, and for want of confidence in God. + +1:20. And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, who destroyed +out of it the three sons of Enac. + +1:21. But the sons of Benjamin did not destroy the Jebusites that +inhabited Jerusalem: and the Jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of +Benjamin in Jerusalem until this present day. + +1:22. The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was +with them. + +1:23. For when they were besieging the city, which before was called +Luza, + +1:24. They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew +us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. + +1:25. And when he had shewed them, they smote the city with the edge of +the sword: but that man, and all his kindred, they let go: + +1:26. Who being sent away, went into the land of Hetthim, and built +there a city, and called it Luza: which is so called until this day. + +1:27. Manasses also did not destroy Bethsan, and Thanac, with their +villages; nor the inhabitants of Dor, and Jeblaam, and Mageddo, with +their villages. And the Chanaanite began to dwell with them. + +1:28. But after Israel was grown strong, he made them tributaries, and +would not destroy them. + +1:29. Ephraim also did not slay the Chanaanite that dwelt in Gazer, but +dwelt with him. + +1:30. Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitants of Cetron, and Naalol: but +the Chanaanite dwelt among them, and became their tributary. + +1:31. Aser also destroyed not the inhabitants of Accho, and of Sidon, of +Ahalab, and of Achazib, and of Helba, and of Aphec, and of Rohob: + +1:32. And he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants of +that land, and did not slay them. + +1:33. Nephthali also destroyed not the inhabitants of Bethsames, and of +Bethanath: and he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants +of the land, and the Bethsamites and Bethanites were tributaries to him. + +1:34. And the Amorrhite straitened the children of Dan in the mountain, +and gave them not a place to go down to the plain: + +1:35. And he dwelt in the mountain Hares, that is, of potsherds, in +Aialon and Salebim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon +him, and he became tributary to him. + +He dwelt... That is, the Amorrhite. + +1:36. And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the +scorpion, the rock, and the higher places. + + +Judges Chapter 2 + +An angel reproveth Israel. They weep for their sins. After the death of +Josue, they often fall, and repenting are delivered from their +afflictions, but still fall worse and worse. + +2:1. And an angel of the Lord went up from Galgal to the place of +weepers, and said: I made you go out of Egypt, and have brought you into +the land for which I swore to your fathers: and I promised that I would +not make void my covenant with you for ever: + +An angel... Taking the shape of a man. + +2:2. On condition that you should not make a league with the inhabitants +of this land, but should throw down their altars: and you would not hear +my voice: why have you done this? + +2:3. Wherefore I would not destroy them from before your face; that you +may have enemies, and their gods may be your ruin. + +2:4. And when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the +children of Israel: they lifted up their voice, and wept. + +2:5. And the name of that place was called, The place of weepers, or of +tears: and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord. + + +2:6. And Josue sent away the people, and the children of Israel went +every one to his own possession to hold it: + +And Josue, etc... This is here inserted out of Jos. 24, by way of +recapitulation of what had happened before, and by way of an +introduction to that which follows. + +2:7. And they served the Lord all his days, and the days of the +ancients, that lived a long time after him, and who knew all the works +of the Lord, which he had done for Israel. + +2:8. And Josue, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a +hundred and ten years old; + +2:9. And they buried him in the borders of his possession in +Thamnathsare, in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaas. + +2:10. And all that generation was gathered to their fathers: and there +arose others that knew not the Lord and the works which he had done for +Israel. + +2:11. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and +they served Baalim, + +2:12. And they left the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought +them out of the land of Egypt: and they followed strange gods, and the +gods of the people that dwelt round about them, and they adored them: +and they provoked the Lord to anger, + +They followed strange gods... What is here said of the children of +Israel, as to their falling so often into idolatry, is to be understood +of a great part of them; but not so universally, as if the true worship +of God was ever quite abolished among them: for the succession of the +true church and religion was kept up all this time by the priests and +Levites, at least in the house of God in Silo. + +2:13. Forsaking him, and serving Baal and Astaroth + +2:14. And the Lord being angry against Israel, delivered them into the +hands of plunderers: who took them and sold them to their enemies, that +dwelt round about: neither could they stand against their enemies: + +2:15. But whithersoever they meant to go, the hand of the Lord was upon +them, as he had said, and as he had sworn to them: and they were greatly +distressed. + +2:16. And the Lord raised up judges, to deliver them from the hands of +those that oppressed them: but they would not hearken to them, + +2:17. Committing fornication with strange gods, and adoring them. They +quickly forsook the way, in which their fathers had walked: and hearing +the commandments of the Lord, they did all things contrary. + +2:18. And when the Lord raised them up judges, in their days, he was +moved to mercy, and heard the groanings of the afflicted, and delivered +them from the slaughter of the oppressors. + +2:19. But after the judge was dead, they returned, and did much worse +things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving +them, and adoring them. They left not their own inventions, and the +stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk. + +2:20. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said: +Behold this nation hath made void my covenant, which I had made with +their fathers, and hath despised to hearken to my voice: + +2:21. I also will not destroy the nations which Josue left when he died: + +2:22. That through them I may try Israel, whether they will keep the way +of the Lord, and walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not. + +2:23. The Lord therefore left all these nations, and would not quickly +destroy them, neither did he deliver them into the hands of Josue. + + +Judges Chapter 3 + +The people falling into idolatry are oppressed by their enemies; but +repenting are delivered by Othoniel, Aod, and Samgar. + +3:1. These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might +instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites: + +3:2. That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their +enemies, and to be trained up to war: + +3:3. The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and +the Sidonians, and the Hevites that dwelt in Mount Libanus, from Mount +Baal Hermon to the entering into Emath. + +3:4. And he left them, that he might try Israel by them, whether they +would hear the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their +fathers, by the hand of Moses, or not. + +3:5. So the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanite, and +the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and +the Jebusite: + +3:6. And they took their daughters to wives, and they gave their own +daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. + +3:7. And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their +God, and served Baalim and Astaroth. + +3:8. And the Lord being angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands +of Chusan Rasathaim, king of Mesopotamia, and they served him eight +years. + +Mesopotamia... In Hebrew Aramnaharim. Syria of the two rivers: so called +because it lies between the Euphrates and the Tigris. It is absolutely +called Syria, ver. 10. + +3:9. And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and +delivered them; to wit, Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother +of Caleb: + +3:10. And the spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And +he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered Chusan Rasathaim, king of +Syria, and he overthrew him: + +3:11. And the land rested forty years, and Othoniel, the son of Cenez, +died. + +3:12. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the +Lord: who strengthened against them Eglon, king of Moab: because they +did evil in his sight. + +3:13. And he joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he +went and overthrew Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. + +3:14. And the children of Israel served Eglon, king of Moab, eighteen +years. + +3:15. And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a +saviour, called Aod, the son of Cera, the son of Jemini, who used the +left hand as well as the right. And the children of Israel sent +presents to Eglon, king of Moab, by him. + +3:16. And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of +the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith, under his +garment, on the right thigh. + +3:17. And he presented the gifts to Eglon, king of Moab Now Eglon was +exceeding fat. + +3:18. And when he had presented the gifts unto him he followed his +companions that came along with him. + +3:19. Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, he said to the +king: I have a secret message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence: +and all being gone out that were about him, + +3:20. Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone, +and he said: I have a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up +from his throne. + +A word from God, etc... What Aod, who was judge and chief magistrate of +Israel, did on this occasion, was by a special inspiration of God: but +such things are not to be imitated by private men. + +3:21. And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his +right thigh, and thrust it into his belly, + +3:22. With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the +wound, and was closed up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not +draw out the dagger, but left it in the body as he had struck it in: and +forthwith, by the secret parts of nature, the excrements of the belly +came out. + +3:23. And Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour, and locking +them, + +3:24. Went out by a postern door. And the king's servants going in, saw +the doors of the parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing +nature in his summer parlour. + +3:25. And waiting a long time, till they were ashamed, and seeing that +no man opened the door, they took a key: and opening, they found their +lord lying dead on the ground. + +3:26. But Aod, while they were in confusion, escaped, and passed by the +place of the idols from whence he had returned. And he came to Seirath: + +3:27. And forthwith he sounded the trumpet in Mount Ephraim: and the +children of Israel went down with him, he himself going in the front. + +3:28. And he said to them: Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered our +enemies, the Moabites, into our hands. And they went down after him, and +seized upon the fords of the Jordan, which are in the way to Moab: and +they suffered no man to pass over: + +3:29. But they slew of the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, +all strong and valiant men: none of them could escape. + +3:30. And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel: and the +land rested eighty years. + +3:31. After him was Samgar, the son of Anath, who slew of the +Philistines six hundred men with a ploughshare: and he also defended +Israel. + + +Judges Chapter 4 + +Debbora and Barac deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisara, Jahal killeth +Sisara. + +4:1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord +after the death of Aod: + +4:2. And the Lord delivered them up into the hands of Jabin, king of +Chanaan, who reigned in Asor: and he had a general of his army named +Sisara, and he dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles. + +4:3. And the children of Israel cried to the Lord: for he had nine +hundred chariots set with scythes and for twenty years had grievously +oppressed them. + +4:4. And there was at that time Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of +Lapidoth, who judged the people. + +4:5. And she sat under a palm tree, which was called by her name, +between Rama and Bethel, in Mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel +came up to her for all judgment. + +4:6. And she sent and called Barac, the Son of Abinoem, out of Cedes, in +Nephthali: and she said to him: The Lord God of Israel hath commanded +thee: Go, and lead an army to Mount Thabor, and thou shalt take with +thee ten thousand fighting men of the children of Nephthali, and of the +children of Zabulon: + +4:7. And I will bring unto thee in the place of the torrent Cison, +Sisara, the general of Jabin's army, and his chariots, and all his +multitude, and will deliver them into thy hand. + +4:8. And Barac said to her: If thou wilt come with me, I will go: if +thou wilt not come with me, I will not go. + +4:9. She said to him: I will go, indeed, with thee, but at this time the +victory shall not be attributed to thee, because Sisara shall be +delivered into the hand of a woman. Debbora therefore arose, and went +with Barac to Cedes. + +4:10. And he called unto him Zabulon and Nephthali, and went up with ten +thousand fighting men, having Debbora in his company. + +4:11. Now Haber, the Cinite, had some time before departed from the rest +of the Cinites, his brethren, the sons of Hobab, the kinsman of Moses: +and had pitched his tents unto the valley, which is called Sennim, and +was near Cedes. + +4:12. And it was told Sisara, that Barac, the son of Abinoem, was gone +up to Mount Thabor: + +4:13. And he gathered together his nine hundred chariots armed with +scythes, and all his army, from Haroseth of the Gentiles, to the torrent +Cison. + +4:14. And Debbora said to Barac: Arise, for this is the day wherein the +Lord hath delivered Sisara into thy hands: behold, he is thy leader. And +Barac went down from Mount Thabor, and ten thousand fighting men with +him. + +4:15. And the Lord struck a terror into Sisara, and all his chariots, +and all his multitude, with the edge of the sword, at the sight of +Barac; insomuch, that Sisara leaping down from off his chariot, fled +away on foot, + +4:16. And Barac pursued after the fleeing chariots, and the army, unto +Haroseth of the Gentiles; and all the multitude of the enemies was +utterly destroyed. + +4:17. But Sisara fleeing, came to the tent of Jahel, the wife of Haber, +the Cinite, for there was peace between Jabin, the king of Asor, and the +house of Haber, the Cinite. + +4:18. And Jahel went forth to meet Sisara, and said to him: Come in to +me, my lord; come in, fear not. He went into her tent, and being covered +by her with a cloak, + +4:19. Said to her: Give me, I beseech thee, a little water, for I am +very thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and +covered him. + +4:20. And Sisara said to her: Stand before the door of the tent, and +when any shall come and inquire of thee, saying: Is there any man here? +thou shalt say: There is none. + +4:21. So Jahel, Haber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and taking also a +hammer: and going in softly, and with silence, she put the nail upon the +temples of his head, and striking it with the hammer, drove it through +his brain fast into the ground: and so passing from deep sleep to death, +he fainted away and died. + +4:22. And behold, Barac came pursuing after Sisara: and Jahel went out +to meet him, and said to him: Come, and I will shew thee the man whom +thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, he saw Sisara lying dead, +and the nail fastened in his temples. + +4:23. So God that day humbled Jabin, the king of Chanaan, before the +children of Israel: + +4:24. Who grew daily stronger, and with a mighty hand overpowered Jabin, +king of Chanaan, till they quite destroyed him. + + +Judges Chapter 5 + +The canticle of Debbora and Barac after their victory. + +5:1. In that day Debbora and Barac, son of Abinoem, sung, and said: + +5:2. O you of Israel, that have willingly offered your lives to danger, +bless the Lord. + +5:3. Hear, O ye kings, give ear, O ye princes: It is I, it is I, that +will sing to the Lord, I will sing to the Lord, the God of Israel. + +5:4. O Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, and passedst by the regions +of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens and clouds dropped water. + +5:5. The mountains melted before the face of the Lord, and Sinai before +the face of the Lord the God of Israel. + +5:6. In the days of Samgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jahel, the +paths rested: and they that went by them, walked through bye-ways. + +The paths rested... The ways to the sanctuary of God were unfrequented: +and men walked in the by-ways of error and sin. + +5:7. The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel: until Debbora arose, +a mother arose in Israel. + +5:8. The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overthrew the gates of the +enemies: a shield and spear was not seen among forty thousand of Israel. + +5:9. My heart loveth the princes of Israel: O you, that of your own good +will offered yourselves to danger, bless the Lord. + +5:10. Speak, you that ride upon fair asses, and you that sit in +judgment, and walk in the way. + +5:11. Where the chariots were dashed together, and the army of the +enemies was choked, there let the justices of the Lord be rehearsed, and +his clemency towards the brave men of Israel: then the people of the +Lord went down to the gates, and obtained the sovereignty. + +5:12. Arise, arise, O Debbora, arise, arise, and utter a canticle. +Arise, Barac, and take hold of thy captives, O son of Abinoem. + +5:13. The remnants of the people are saved, the Lord hath fought among +the valiant ones. + +5:14. Out of Ephraim he destroyed them into Amalec, and after him out of +Benjamin into thy people, O Amalec: Out of Machir there came down +princes, and out of Zabulon they that led the army to fight. + +Out of Ephraim, etc... The enemies straggling in their flight were +destroyed, as they were running through the land of Ephraim, and of +Benjamin, which lies after, that is beyond Ephraim: and so on to the +very confines of Amalec. Or, it alludes to former victories of the +people of God, particularly that which was freshest in memory, when the +men of Ephraim and Benjamin, with Aod at their head, overthrew their +enemies the Moabites with the Amalecites their allies. See chap. 3. +Ibid. Machir... The tribe of Manasses, whose eldest son was Machir. + +5:15. The captains of Issachar were with Debbora, and followed the steps +of Barac, who exposed himself to danger, as one going headlong, and into +a pit. Ruben being divided against himself, there was found a strife of +courageous men. + +Divided against himself, etc... By this it seems that the valient men of +the tribe of Ruben were divided in their sentiments, with relation to +this war; which division kept them at home within their own borders, to +hear the bleating of their flocks. + +5:16. Why dwellest thou between two borders, that thou mayst hear the +bleatings of the flocks? Ruben being divided against himself, there was +found a strife of courageous men. + +5:17. Galaad rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan applied himself to ships: +Aser dwelt on the sea shore, and abode in the havens. + +5:18. But Zabulon and Nephthali offered their lives to death in the +region of Merome. + +5:19. The kings came and fought, the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanac, +by the waters of Mageddo and yet they took no spoils. + +5:20. There was war made against them from heaven: the stars, remaining +in their order and courses, fought against Sisara. + +5:21. The torrent of Cison dragged their carcasses, the torrent of +Cadumim, the torrent of Cison: tread thou, my soul, upon the strong +ones. + +5:22. The hoofs of the horses were broken whilst the stoutest of the +enemies fled amain, and fell headlong down. + +5:23. Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse the +inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to +help his most valiant men. + +Meroz... Where this land of Meroz was, which is here laid under a curse, +we cannot find: nor is there mention of it anywhere else in holy writ. +In the spiritual sense, they are cursed who refuse to assist the people +of God in their warfare against their spiritual enemies. + +5:24. Blessed among women be Jahel, the wife of Haber the Cinite, and +blessed be she in her tent. + +5:25. He asked her water, and she gave him milk, and offered him butter +in a dish fit for princes. + +5:26. She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the +workman's hammer, and she struck Sisara, seeking in his head a place for +the wound, and strongly piercing through his temples. + +5:27. Between her feet he fell: he fainted, and he died: he rolled +before her feet, and there he lay lifeless and wretched. + +5:28. His mother looked out at a window, and howled: and she spoke from +the dining room: Why is his chariot so long in coming back? Why are the +feet of his horses so slow? + +5:29. One that was wiser than the rest of his wives, returned this +answer to her mother in law: + +5:30. Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the fairest of the +women is chosen out for him: garments of divers colours are given to +Sisara for his prey, and furniture of different kinds is heaped together +to adorn necks. + +5:31. So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love thee +shine, as the sun shineth in his rising. + +5:32. And the land rested for forty years. + + +Judges Chapter 6 + +The people for their sins, are oppressed by the Madianites. Gedeon is +called to deliver them. + +6:1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord: +and he delivered them into the hand of Madian seven years, + +6:2. And they were grievously oppressed by them. And they made +themselves dens and caves in the mountains, and strong holds to resist. + +6:3. And when Israel had sown, Madian and Amalec, and the rest of the +eastern nations, came up: + +6:4. And pitching their tents among them, wasted all things as they were +in the blade, even to the entrance of Gaza: and they left nothing at all +in Israel for sustenance of life, nor sheep, nor oxen, nor asses. + +6:5. For they and all their flocks came with their tents, and like +locusts filled all places, an innumerable multitude of men, and of +camels, wasting whatsoever they touched. + +6:6. And Israel was humbled exceedingly in the sight of Madian. + +6:7. And he cried to the Lord, desiring help against the Madianites. + +6:8. And he sent unto them a prophet, and he spoke: Thus saith the Lord, +the God of Israel: I made you to come up out of Egypt, and brought you +out of the house of bondage, + +6:9. And delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians, and of all the +enemies that afflicted you: and I cast them out at your coming in, and +gave you their land. + +6:10. And I said: I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the +Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell. And you would not hear my voice. + +6:11. And an angel of the Lord came, and sat under an oak that was in +Ephra, and belonged to Joas, the father of the family of Ezri. And when +Gedeon, his son, was threshing and cleansing wheat by the winepress, to +flee from Madian, + +6:12. The angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said: The Lord is with +thee, O most valiant of men. + +6:13. And Gedeon said to him: I beseech thee, my lord, if the Lord be +with us, why have these evils fallen upon us? Where are his miracles, +which our fathers have told us of, saying: The Lord brought us out of +Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand +of Madian. + +6:14. And the Lord looked upon him, and said: Go, in this thy strength, +and thou shalt deliver Israel out of the hand of Madian: know that I +have sent thee. + +6:15. He answered, and said: I beseech thee, my lord wherewith shall I +deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the meanest in Manasses, and I am +the least in my father's house. + +The meanest in Manasses, etc... Mark how the Lord chooseth the humble +(who are mean and little in their own eyes) for the greatest +enterprises. + +6:16. And the Lord said to him: I will be with thee: and thou shalt cut +off Madian as one man. + +6:17. And he said: If I have found grace before thee, give me a sign +that it is thou that speakest to me: + +6:18. And depart not hence, till I return to thee, and bring a +sacrifice, and offer it to thee. And he answered: I will wait thy +coming. + +6:19. So Gedeon went in, and boiled a kid, and made unleavened loaves of +a measure of flour: and putting the flesh in a basket, and the broth of +the flesh into a pot, he carried all under the oak, and presented to +him. + +6:20. And the angel of the Lord said to him: Take the flesh and the +unleavened loaves, and lay them upon that rock, and pour out the broth +thereon. And when he had done so, + +6:21. The angel of the Lord put forth the tip of the rod, which he held +in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened loaves: and there +arose a fire from the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened +loaves: and the angel of the Lord vanished out of his sight. + +6:22. And Gedeon seeing that it was the angel of the Lord, said: Alas, +my Lord God: for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face. + +6:23. And the Lord said to him: Peace be with thee: fear not, thou shalt +not die. + +6:24. And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it the +Lord's peace, until this present day. And when he was yet in Ephra, +which is of the family of Ezri, + +6:25. That night the Lord said to him: Take a bullock of thy father's, +and another bullock of seven years, and thou shalt destroy the altar of +Baal, which is thy father's: and cut down the grove that is about the +altar: + +6:26. And thou shalt build un altar to the Lord thy God, in the top of +this rock, whereupon thou didst lay the sacrifice before: and thou shalt +take the second bullock, and shalt offer a holocaust upon a pile of the +wood, which thou shalt cut down out of the grove. + +6:27. Then Gedeon, taking ten men of his servants, did as the Lord had +commanded him. But fearing his father's house, and the men of that city, +he would not do it by day, but did all by night. + +6:28. And when the men of that town were risen in the morning, they saw +the altar of Baal destroyed, and the grove cut down, and the second +bullock laid upon the altar, which then was built. + +6:29. And they said one to another: Who hath done this? And when they +inquired for the author of the fact, it was said: Gedeon, the son of +Joas, did all this. + +6:30. And they said to Joas: Bring out thy son hither, that he may die: +because he hath destroyed the altar of Baal, and hath cut down his +grove. + +6:31. He answered them: Are you the avengers of Baal, that you fight for +him? he that is his adversary, let him die before to morrow light +appear: if he be a god, let him revenge himself on him that hath cast +down his altar. + +6:32. From that day Gedeon was called Jerobaal, because Joas had said: +Let Baal revenge himself on him that hath cast down his altar. + +6:33. Now all Madian, and Amalec, and the eastern people, were gathered +together, and passing over the Jordan, camped in the valley of Jezrael. + +6:34. But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he sounded the +trumpet, and called together the house of Abiezer, to follow him. + +6:35. And he sent messengers into all Manasses, and they also followed +him and other messengers into Aser and Zabulon, and Nephthali, and +they came to meet him. + +6:36. And Gedeon said to God: If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as +thou hast said, + +6:37. I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew in +the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I shall know +that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel. + +6:38. And it was so. And rising before day, wringing the fleece, he +filled a vessel with the dew. + +6:39. And he said again to God: Let not thy wrath be kindled against me, +if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece +only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew. + +6:40. And God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the +fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. + + +Judges Chapter 7 + +Gedeon, with three hundred men, by stratagem defeateth the Madianites. + +7:1. Then Jerobaal, who is the same as Gedeon, rising up early, and all +the people with him, came to the fountain that is called Harad. Now the +camp of Madian was in the valley, on the north side of the high hill. + +7:2. And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people that are with thee are +many, and Madian shall not be delivered into their hands: lest Israel +should glory against me, and say: I was delivered by my own strength. + +Lest Israel, etc... By this we see that God will not choose for his +instruments in great achievements, which depend purely on his grace, +such as, through pride and self conceit, will take the glory to +themselves. + +7:3. Speak to the people, and proclaim in the hearing of all: Whosoever +is fearful and timorous, let him return. So two and twenty thousand men +went away from Mount Galaad and returned home, and only ten thousand +remained. + +7:4. And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people are still too many, bring +them to the waters, and there I will try them: and of whom I shall say +to thee, This shall go with thee, let him go: whom I shall forbid to go, +let him return. + +7:5. And when the people were come down to the waters, the Lord said to +Gedeon: They that shall lap the water with their tongues, as dogs are +wont to lap, thou shalt set apart by themselves: but they that shall +drink bowing down their knees, shall be on the other side. + +7:6. And the number of them that had lapped water; casting it with the +hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: and all the rest of the +multitude had drunk kneeling. + +7:7. And the Lord said to Gedeon: By the three hundred men, that lapped +water, I will save you, and deliver Madian into thy hand: but let all +the rest of the people return to their place. + +That lapped water... These were preferred that took the water up in +their hands, and so lapped it, before them who laid themselves quite +down to the waters to drink: which argued a more eager and sensual +disposition. + +7:8. So taking victuals and trumpets according to their number, he +ordered all the rest of the multitude to depart to their tents: and he +with the three hundred gave himself to the battle. Now the camp of Madia +was beneath him in the valley. + +7:9. The same night the Lord said to him: Arise, and go down into the +camp: because I have delivered them into thy hand. + +7:10. But if thou be afraid to go alone, let Phara, thy servant, go down +with thee. + +7:11. And when thou shalt hear what they are saying, then shall thy +hands be strengthened, and thou shalt go down more secure to the +enemies' camp. And he went down with Phara his servant, into part of the +camp, where was the watch of men in arms. + +7:12. But Madian and Amalec, and all the eastern people, lay scattered +in the valley, as a multitude of locusts: their camels also were +innumerable, as the sand that lieth on the sea shore. + +7:13. And when Gedeon was come, one told his neighbour a dream: and in +this manner related what he had seen: I dreamt a dream, and it seemed to +me as if a hearth cake of barley bread rolled and came down into the +camp of Madian: and when it was come to a tent, it struck it, and beat +it down flat to the ground. + +A dream... Observation of dreams is commonly superstitious, and as such +is condemned in the word of God: but in some extraordinary cases, as we +here see, God is pleased by dreams to foretell what he is about to do. + +7:14. He to whom he spoke, answered: This is nothing else but the sword +of Gedeon, the son of Joas, a man of Israel. For the Lord hath delivered +Madian, and all their camp into his hand. + +7:15. And when Gedeon had heard the dream, and the interpretation +thereof, he adored: and returned to the camp of Israel, and said: Arise, +for the Lord hath delivered the camp of Madian into our hands. + +7:16. And he divided the three hundred men into three parts, and gave +them trumpets in their hands, and empty pitchers, and lamps within the +pitchers. + +7:17. And he said to them: What you shall see me do, do you the same: I +will go into one part of the camp, and do you as I shall do. + +7:18. When the trumpet shall sound in my hand, do you also blow the +trumpets on every side of the camp, and shout together to the Lord and +to Gedeon. + +7:19. And Gedeon, and the three hundred men that were with him, went +into part of the camp, at the beginning of the midnight watch, and the +watchmen being alarmed, they began to sound their trumpets, and to clap +the pitchers one against another. + +Their trumpets, etc... In a mystical sense, the preachers of the gospel, +in order to spiritual conquests, must not only sound with the trumpet of +the word of God, but must also break their earthen pitchers, by the +mortification of the flesh and its passions, and carry lamps in their +hands by the light of their virtues. + +7:20. And when they sounded their trurmpets in three places round about +the camp, and had broken their pitchers, they held their lamps in their +left hands, and with their right hands the trumpets which they blew, and +they cried out: The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon: + +7:21. Standing every man in his place round about the enemies' camp. So +all the camp was troubled, and crying out and howling, they fled away: + +7:22. And the three hundred men nevertheless persisted sounding the +trumpets. And the Lord sent the sword into all the camp, and they killed +one another, + +7:23. Fleeing as far as Bethsetta, and the border of Abelmahula, in +Tebbath. But the men of Israel, shouting from Nephthali, and Aser, and +from all Manasses, pursued after Madian. + +7:24. And Gedeon sent messengers into all Mount Ephraim, saying: Come +down to meet Madian, and take the waters before them to Bethbera and the +Jordan. And all Ephraim shouted, and took the waters before them and +the Jordan as far as Bethbera. + +7:25. And having taken two men of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: Oreb they slew +in the rock of Oreb, and Zeb in the winepress of Zeb. And they pursued +Madian, carrying the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon, beyond the waters +of the Jordan. + +Two men... That is, two of their chiefs. + +Judges Chapter 8 + +Gedeon appeaseth the Ephraimites. Taketh Zebee and Salmana. Destroyeth +Soccoth and Phanuel. Refuseth to be king. Maketh an ephod of the gold of +the prey, and dieth in a good old age. The people return to idolatry. + +8:1. And the men of Ephraim said to him: What is this that thou meanest +to do, that thou wouldst not call us, when thou wentest to fight against +Madian? And they chid him sharply, and almost offered violence. + +8:2. And he answered them: What could I have done like to that which you +have done? Is not one bunch of grapes of Ephraim better than the +vintages of Abiezer? + +What could I, etc... A meek and humble answer appeased them; who +otherwise might have come to extremities. So great is the power of +humility both with God and man. + +8:3. The Lord hath delivered into your hands the princes of Madian, Oreb +and Zeb: what could I have done like to what you have done? And when he +had said this, their spirit was appeased, with which they swelled +against him. + +8:4. And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the +three hundred men that were with him: who were so weary that they could +not pursue after them that fled. + +8:5. And he said to the men of Soccoth: Give, I beseech you, bread to +the people that is with me, for they are faint: that we may pursue +Zebee, and Salmana, the kings of Madian. + +8:6. The princes of Soccoth answered: Peradventure the palms of the +hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hand, and therefore thou demandest +that we should give bread to thy army. + +8:7. And he said to them: When the Lord therefore shall have delivered +Zebee and Salmana into my hands, I will thresh your flesh with the +thorns and briers of the desert. + +8:8. And going up from thence, he came to Phanuel: and he spoke the like +things to the men of that place. And they also answered him, as the men +of Soccoth had answered. + +8:9. He said, therefore, to them also: When I shall return a conqueror +in peace, I will destroy this tower. + +8:10. But Zebee and Salmana were resting with all their army. For +fifteen thousand men were left of all the troops of the eastern people, +and one hundred and twenty thousand warriors that drew the sword were +slain. + +8:11. And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the +east of Nobe and Jegbaa, and smote the camp of the enemies, who were +secure, and suspected no hurt. + +8:12. And Zebee and Salmana fled, and Gedeon pursued and took them, all +their host being put in confusion. + +8:13. And returning from the battle before the sun rising, + +8:14. He took a boy of the men of Soccoth: and he asked him the names of +the princes and ancients of Soccoth, and he described unto him seventy- +seven men. + +8:15. And he came to Soccoth, and said to them: Behold Zebee, and +Salmana, concerning whom you upbraided me, saying: Peradventure the +hands of Zebee and Salmana are in thy hands, and therefore thou +demandest that we should give bread to the men that are weary and faint. + +8:16. So he took the ancients of the city, and thorns and briers of the +desert, and tore them with the same, and cut in pieces the men of +Soccoth. + +8:17. And he demolished the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the +city. + +8:18. And he said to Zebee and Salmana: What manner of men were they, +whom you slew in Thabor? They answered: They were like thee, and one of +them as the son of a king. + +8:l9. He answered them: They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As +the Lord liveth, if you had saved them, I would not kill you. + +8:20. And he said to Jether, his eldest son: Arise, and slay them. But +he drew not his sword: for he was afraid, being but yet a boy. + +8:21. And Zebee and Salmana said: Do thou rise and run upon us: because +the strength of a man is according to his age: Gedeon rose up, and slew +Zebee and Salmana: and he took the ornaments and bosses, with which the +necks of the camels of kings are wont to be adorned. + +8:22. And all the men of Israel said to Gedeon: Rule thou over us, and +thy son, and thy son's son: because thou hast delivered us from the hand +of Madian. + +8:23. And he said to them: I will not rule over you, neither shall my +son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you. + +8:24. And he said to them: I desire one request of you: Give me the +earlets of your spoils. For the Ismaelites were accustomed to wear +golden earlets. + +8:25. They answered: We will give them most willingly. And spreading a +mantle on the ground, they cast upon it the earlets of the spoils. + +8:26. And the weight of the earlets that he requested, was a thousand +seven hundred sicles of gold, besides the ornaments, and jewels, and +purple raiment, which the kings of Madian were wont to use, and besides +the golden chains that were about the camels necks. + +8:27. And Gedeon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ephra. +And all Israel committed fornication with it, and it became a ruin to +Gedeon, and to all his house. + +An ephod... A priestly garment which Gedeon made with a good design; but +the Israelites, after his death, abused it by making it an instrument of +their idolatrous worship. + +8:28. But Madian was humbled before the children of Israel, neither +could they any more lift up their heads: but the land rested for forty +years, while Gedeon presided. + +8:29. So Jerobaal, the son of Joas, went and dwelt in his own house: + +8:30. And he had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh, for he had +many wives. + +8:31. And his concubine, that he had in Sichem, bore him a son, whose +name was Abimelech. + +His concubine... She was his servant, but not his harlot: and is called +his concubine, as wives of an inferior degree are commonly called in the +Old Testament, though otherwise lawfully married. + +8:32. And Gedeon, the son of Joas died in a good old age, and was buried +in the sepulchre of his father, in Ephra, of the family of Ezri. + +8:33. But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, +and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with +Baal, that he should be their god: + +8:34. And they remembered not the Lord their God, who delivered them out +of the hands of all their enemies round about: + +8:35. Neither did they shew mercy to the house of Jerobaal Gedeon, +according to all the good things he had done to Israel. + + +Judges Chapter 9 + +Abimelech killeth his brethren. Joatham's parable. Gaal conspireth with +the Sichemites against Abimelech, but is overcome. Abimelech destroyeth +Sichem: but is killed at Thebes. + +9:1. And Abimelech, the son of Jerobaal, went to Sichem, to his mother's +brethren, and spoke to them, and to all the kindred of his mother's +father, saying: + +9:2. Speak to all the men of Sichem: whether is better for you that +seventy men, all the sons of Jerobaal, should rule over you, or that one +man should rule over you? And withal, consider that I am your bone, and +your flesh. + +9:3. And his mother's brethren spoke of him to all the men of Sichem, +all these words, and they inclined their hearts after Abimelech, saying: +He is our brother: + +9:4. And they gave him seventy weight of silver out of the temple of +Baalberith: wherewith he hired to himself men that were needy, and +vagabonds, and they followed him. + +Baalberith... That is, Baal of the covenant, so called from the covenant +they had made with Baal, chap. 8.33. + +9:5. And he came to his father's house in Ephra, and slew his brethren, +the sons of Jerobaal, seventy men, upon one stone: and there remained +only Joatham, the youngest son of Jerobaal, who was hidden. + +9:6. And all the men of Sichem were gathered together, and all the +families of the city of Mello: and they went and made Abimelech king, by +the oak that stood in Sichem. + +9:7. This being told to Joatham, he went, and stood on the top of Mount +Garizim: and lifting up his voice, he cried, and said: Hear me, ye men +of Sichem, so may God hear you. + +9:8. The trees went to anoint a king over them: and they said to the +olive tree: Reign thou over us. + +9:9. And it answered: Can I leave my fatness, which both gods and men +make use of, to come to be promoted among the trees? + +Both gods and men make use of... The olive tree is introduced, speaking +in this manner, because oil was used both in the worship of the true +God, and in that of the false gods, whom the Sichemites served. + +9:10. And the trees said to the fig tree: Come thou and reign over us. + +9:11. And it answered them: Can I leave my sweetness, and my delicious +fruits, and go to be promoted among the other trees? + +9:12. And the trees said to the vine: Come thou and reign over us. + +9:13. And it answered them: Can I forsake my wine, that cheereth God and +men, and be promoted among the other trees? + +Cheereth God and men... Wine is here represented as agreeable to God, +because he had appointed it to be offered up with his sacrifices. But we +are not obliged to take these words, spoken by the trees, in Joatham's +parable, according to the strict literal sense: but only in a sense +accomodated to the design of the parable expressed in the conclusion of +it. + +9:14. And all the trees said to the bramble: Come thou and reign over +us. + +9:15. And it answered them: If, indeed, you mean to make me king, come +ye, and rest under my shadow: but if you mean it not, let fire come out +from the bramble, and devour the cedars of Libanus. + +9:16. Now, therefore, if you have done well, and without sin, in +appointing Abimelech king over you, and have dealt well with Jerobaal, +and with his house, and have made a suitable return for the benefits of +him who fought for you, + +9:17. And exposed his life to dangers, to deliver you from the hand of +Madian, + +9:18. And you are now risen up against my father's house, and have +killed his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, +the son of his handmaid, king over the inhabitants of Sichem, because he +is your brother: + +9:19. If therefore you have dealt well, and without fault, with Jerobaal +and his house, rejoice ye, this day, in Abimelech, and may he rejoice in +you. + +9:20. But if unjustly: let fire come out from him, and consume the +inhabitants of Sichem, and the town of Mello: and let fire come out from +the men of Sichem and from the town of Mello, and devour Abimelech. + +9:21. And when he had said thus, he fled, and went into Bera: and dwelt +there for fear of Abimelech, his brother. + +9:22. So Abimelech reigned over Israel three years. + +9:23. And the Lord sent a very evil spirit between Abimelech and the +inhabitants of Sichem; who began to detest him, + +9:24. And to lay the crime of the murder of the seventy sons of +Jerobaal, and the shedding of their blood, upon Abimelech, their +brother, and upon the rest of the princes of the Sichemites, who aided +him. + +9:25. And they set an ambush against him on the top of the mountains: +and while they waited for his coming, they committed robberies, taking +spoils of all that passed by: and it was told Abimelech. + +9:26. And Gaal, the son of Obed, came with his brethren, and went over +to Sichem. And the inhabitants of Sichem, taking courage at his coming, + +9:27. Went out into the fields, wasting the vineyards, and treading down +the grapes: and singing and dancing, they went into the temple of their +god, and in their banquets and cups they cursed Abimelech. + +9:28. And Gaal, the son of Obed, cried: Who is Abimelech, and what is +Sichem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and +hath made Zebul, his servant, ruler over the men of Emor, the father of +Sichem? Why then shall we serve him? + +9:29. Would to God that some man would put this people under my hand, +that I might remove Abimelech out of the way. And it was said to +Abimelech: Gather together the multitude of an army, and come. + +9:30. For Zebul, the ruler of the city, hearing the words of Gaal, the +son of Obed, was very angry, + +9:31. And sent messengers privately to Abimelech, saying: Behold, Gaal, +the son of Obed, is come into Sichem with his brethren, and endeavoureth +to set the city against thee. + +9:32. Arise, therefore, in the night, with the people that is with thee, +and lie hid in the field: + +9:33. And betimes in the morning, at sun rising, set upon the city, and +when he shall come out against thee, with his people, do to him what +thou shalt be able. + +9:34. Abimelech, therefore, arose with all his army, by night, and laid +ambushes near Sichem in four places. + +9:35. And Gaal, the son of Obed, went out, and stood in the entrance of +the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and all his army with him, +from the places of the ambushes. + +9:36. And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul: Behold, a +multitude cometh down from the mountains. And he answered him: Thou +seest the shadows of the mountains as if they were the heads of men, and +this is thy mistake. + +9:37. Again Gaal said: Behold, there cometh people down from the midst +of the land, and one troop cometh by the way that looketh towards the +oak. + +9:38. And Zebul said to him: Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou +saidst: Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the +people which thou didst despise? Go out, and fight against him. + +9:39. So Gaal went out, in the sight of the people of Sichem, and fought +against Abimelech, + +9:40. Who chased and put him to flight, and drove him to the city: and +many were slain of his people, even to the gate of the city: + +9:41. And Abimelech sat down in Ruma: but Zebul drove Gaal, and his +companions, out of the city, and would not suffer them to abide in it. + +9:42. So the day following the people went out into the field. And it +was told to Abimelech, + +9:43. And he took his army, and divided it into three companies, and +laid ambushes in the fields. And seeing that the people came out of the +city, he arose, and set upon them, + +9:44. With his own company, assaulting and besieging the city: whilst +the two other companies chased the enemies that were scattered about the +field. + +9:45. And Abimelech assaulted the city all that day: and took it, and +killed the inhabitants thereof, and demolished it, so that he sowed salt +in it. + +Sowed salt... To make the ground barren, and fit for nothing. + +9:46. And when they who dwelt in the tower of Sichem, had heard this, +they went into the temple of their god Berith, where they had made a +covenant with him, and from thence the place had taken its name, and it +was exceeding strong. + +9:47. Abimelech also hearing that the men of the tower of Sichem were +gathered together, + +9:48. Went up into mount Selmon, he and all his people with him: and +taking an axe, he cut down the bough of a tree, and laying it on his +shoulder, and carrying it, he said to his companions: What you see me +do, do ye out of hand. + +9:49. So they cut down boughs from the trees, every man as fast as he +could, and followed their leader. And surrounding the fort, they set it +on fire: and so it came to pass, that with the smoke and with the fire a +thousand persons were killed, men and women together, of the inhabitants +of the town of Sichem. + +9:50. Then Abimelech, departing from thence, came to the town of Thebes, +which he surrounded and besieged with his army. + +9:51. And there was in the midst of the city a high tower, to which both +the men and the women were fled together, and all the princes of the +city, and having shut and strongly barred the gate, they stood upon the +battlements of the tower to defend themselves. + +9:52. And Abimelech, coming near the tower, fought stoutly: and, +approaching to the gate, endeavoured to set fire to it: + +9:53. And behold, a certain woman casting a piece of a millstone from +above, dashed it against the head of Abimelech, and broke his skull. + +9:54. And he called hastily to his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw +thy sword, and kill me: lest it should be said that I was slain by a +woman. He did as he was commanded, and slew him. + +9:55. And when he was dead all the men of Israel that were with him, +returned to their homes. + +9:56. And God repaid the evil that Abimelech had done against his +father, killing his seventy brethren. + +9:57. The Sichemites also were rewarded for what they had done, and the +curse of Joatham, the son of Jerobaal, came upon them. + + +Judges Chapter 10 + +Thola ruleth Israel twenty-three years; and Jair twenty-two. The people +fall again into idolatry, and are afflicted again by the Philistines and +Ammonites. They cry to God for help, who upon their repentance hath +compassion on them. + +10:1. After Abimelech, there arose a ruler in Israel, Thola, son of +Phua, the uncle of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, who dwelt in Samir of +mount Ephraim: + +Uncle of Abimelech... i. e., half brother to Gedeon, as being born of +the same mother, but by a different father, and of a different tribe. + +10:2. And he judged Israel three and twenty years, and he died, and was +buried in Samir. + +10:3. To him succeeded Jair, the Galaadite, who judged Israel for two +and twenty years, + +10:4. Having thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass colts, and were +princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, +that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day, in the land of +Galaad. + +Havoth Jair... This name was now confirmed to these towns, which they +had formerly received from another Jair. Num. 32.41. + +10:5. And Jair died, and was buried in the place which is called Camon. + +10:6. But the children of Israel, adding new sins to their old ones, did +evil in the sight of the Lord, and served idols, Baalim and Astaroth, +and the gods of Syria, and of Sidon, and of Moab, and of the children of +Ammon, and of the Philistines: and they left the Lord, and did not serve +him. + +10:7. And the Lord being angry with them, delivered them into the hands +of the Philistines, and of the children of Ammon. + +10:8. And they were afflicted, and grievously oppressed for eighteen +years, all they that dwelt beyond the Jordan in the land of the +Amorrhite, who is in Galaad: + +10:9. Insomuch that the children of Ammon, passing over the Jordan, +wasted Juda, and Benjamin, and Ephraim: and Israel was distressed +exceedingly. + +10:10. And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned against +thee, because we have forsaken the Lord our God, and have served Baalim. + +10:11. And the Lord said to them: Did not the Egyptians, and the +Amorrhites, and the children of Ammon, and the Philistines, + +10:12. The Sidonians also, and Amalec, and Chanaan, oppress you, and you +cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand? + +10:13. And yet you have forsaken me, and have worshipped strange gods: +therefore I will deliver you no more: + +10:14. Go, and call upon the gods which you have chosen: let them +deliver you in the time of distress. + +10:15. And the children of Israel said to the Lord: We have sinned, do +thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee: only deliver us this time. + +10:16. And saying these things, they cast away out of their coasts all +the idols of strange gods, and served the Lord their God: and he was +touched with their miseries. + +10:17. And the children of Ammon shouting together, pitched their tents +in Galaad: against whom the children of Israel assembled themselves +together, and camped in Maspha. + +10:18. And the princes of Galaad said one to another: Whosoever of us +shall first begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be +the leader of the people of Galaad. + + +Judges Chapter 11 + +Jephte is made ruler of the people of Galaad: he first pleads their +cause against the Ammonites; then making a vow obtains a signal victory; +he performs his vow. + +11:1. There was at that time Jephte, the Galaadite, a most valiant man, +and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was +Galaad. + +11:2. Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who, after they were +grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house +of our father, because thou art born of another mother. + +11:3. Then he fled and avoided them, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and +there were gathered to him needy men and robbers, and they followed him +as their prince. + +11:4. In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel. + +11:5. And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to +fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them: + +11:6. And they said to him: Come thou, and be our prince, and fight +against the children of Ammon. + +11:7. And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast +me out of my father's house, and now you are come to me, constrained by +necessity? + +11:8. And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are +now come to thee, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the +children of Ammon, and be head over all the inhabitants of Galaad. + +11:9. Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I +should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall +deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince? + +11:10. They answered him: The Lord, who heareth these things, he himself +is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised. + +11:11. Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the +people made him their prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the +Lord in Maspha. + +11:12. And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, to +say in his name: What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come +against me, to waste my land? + +11:13. And he answered them: Because Israel took away my land, when he +came up out of Egypt, from the confines of the Arnon unto the Jaboc and +the Jordan: now, therefore, restore the same peaceably to me. + +11:14. And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to +the king of Ammon: + +11:15. Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor +the land of the children of Ammon: + +11:16. But when they came up out of Egypt, he walked through the desert +to the Red Sea, and came into Cades. + +11:17. And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Suffer me to +pass through thy land. But he would not condescend to his request. He +sent also to the king of Moab, who, likewise, refused to give him +passage. He abode, therefore, in Cades, + +11:18. And went round the land of Edom at the side, and the land of +Moab: and came over against the east coast of the land of Moab, and +camped on the other side of the Arnon: and he would not enter the bounds +of Moab. + +11:19. So Israel sent messengers to Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, who +dwelt in Hesebon, and they said to him: Suffer me to pass through thy +land to the river. + +11:20. But he, also despising the words of Israel, suffered him not to +pass through his borders: but gathering an infinite multitude, went out +against him to Jasa, and made strong opposition. + +11:21. And the Lord delivered him, with all his army, into the hands of +Israel, and he slew him, and possessed all the land of the Amorrhite, +the inhabitant of that country, + +11:22. And all the coasts thereof from the Arnon to the Jaboc, and from +the wilderness to the Jordan. + +11:23. So the Lord, the God of Israel, destroyed the Amorrhite, his +people of Israel fighting against him, and wilt thou now possess his +land? + +11:24. Are not those things which thy god Chamos possesseth, due to thee +by right? But what the Lord our God hath obtained by conquest, shall be +our possession: + +Chamos... The idol of the Moabites and Ammonites. He argues from their +opinion, who thought they had a just title to the countries which they +imagined they had conquered by the help of their gods: how much more +then had Israel in indisputable title to the countries which God, by +visible miracles, had conquered for them. + +11:25. Unless, perhaps, thou art better than Balac, the son of Sephor, +king of Moab: or canst shew that he strove against Israel, and fought +against him, + +11:26. Whereas he hath dwelt in Hesebon, and the villages thereof, and +in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan, for +three hundred years. Why have you for so long a time attempted nothing +about this claim? + +11:27. Therefore I do not trespass against thee, but thou wrongest me by +declaring an unjust war against me. The Lord be judge, and decide this +day, between Israel and the children of Ammon. + +11:28. And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the +words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers. + +11:29. Therefore the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephte, and going +round Galaad, and Manasses, and Maspha of Galaad, and passing over from +thence to the children of Ammon, + +11:30. He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the +children of Ammon into my hands, + +11:31. Whosoever shall first come forth out of the doors of my house, +and shall meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, +the same will I offer a holocaust to the Lord. + +Whosoever, etc... Some are of opinion, that the meaning of this vow of +Jephte, was to consecrate to God whatsoever should first meet him, +according to the condition of the thing; so as to offer it up as a +holocaust, if it were such a thing as might be offered by the law; or to +devote it otherwise to God, if it were not such as the law allowed to be +offered in sacrifice. And therefore they think the daughter of Jephte +was not slain by her father, but only consecrated to perpetual +virginity. But the common opinion followed by the generality of the holy +fathers and divines is, that she was offered as a holocaust, in +consequence of her father's vow: and that Jephte did not sin, at least +not mortally, neither in making, nor in keeping, his vow: since he is no +ways blamed for it in scripture; and was even inspired by God himself to +make the vow (as appears from ver. 29, 30) in consequence of which he +obtained the victory; and therefore he reasonably concluded that God, +who is the master of life and death, was pleased on this occasion to +dispense with his own law; and that it was the divine will he should +fulfil his vow. + +11:32. And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against +them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands. + +11:33. And he smote them from Aroer till you come to Mennith, twenty +cities, and as far as Abel, which is set with vineyards, with a very +great slaughter: and the children of Ammon were humbled by the children +of Israel. + +11:34. And when Jephte returned into Maspha, to his house, his only +daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other +children. + +11:35. And when he saw her, he rent his garments, and said: Alas! my +daughter, thou hast deceived me, and thou thyself art deceived: for I +have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do no other thing. + +11:36. And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to +the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory +hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies. + +11:37. And she said to her father: Grant me only this, which I desire: +Let me go, that I may go about the mountains for two months, and may +bewail my virginity with my companions. + +Bewail my virginity... The bearing of children was much coveted under +the Old Testament, when women might hope that from some child of theirs, +the Saviour of the world might one day spring. But under the New +Testament virginity is preferred. 1 Cor. 7.35. + +11:38. And he answered her: Go. And he sent her away for two months. And +when she was gone with her comrades and companions, she mourned her +virginity in the mountains. + +11:39. And the two months being expired, she returned to her father, and +he did to her as he had vowed, and she knew no man. From thence came a +fashion in Israel, and a custom has been kept: + +11:40. That, from year to year, the daughters of Israel assemble +together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite, for four +days. + + +Judges Chapter 12 + +The Ephraimites quarrel with Jephte: forty-two thousand of them are +slain: Abeson, Ahialon, and Abdon, are judges. + +12:1. But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards +the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the +children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with +thee? Therefore we will burn thy house. + +12:2. And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with +the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not +do it. + +12:3. And when I saw this, I put my life in my own hands, and passed +over against the children of Ammon and the Lord delivered them into my +hands. What have I deserved, that you should rise up to fight against +me? + +12:4. Then calling to him all the men of Galaad, he fought against +Ephraim: and the men of Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said: +Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in the midst of Ephraim +and Manasses. + +12:5. And the Galaadites secured the fords of the Jordan, by which +Ephraim was to return. And when any one of the number of Ephraim came +thither in the flight, and said: I beseech you let me pass: the +Galaadites said to him: Art thou not an Ephraimite? If he said: I am +not: + +12:6. They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth, which is interpreted, An ear +of corn. But he answered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of +corn by the same letter. Then presently they took him and killed him in +the very passage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim, +two and forty thousand. + +12:7. And Jephte, the Galaadite, judged Israel six years: and he died, +and was buried in his city of Galaad. + +12:8. After him Abesan of Bethlehem judged Israel: + +12:9. He had thirty sons, and as many daughters, whom he sent abroad, +and gave to husbands, and took wives for his sons, of the same number, +bringing them into his house. And he judged Israel seven years: + +12:10. And he died, and was buried in Bethlehem. + +12:11. To him succeeded Ahialon, a Zabulonite: and he judged Israel ten +years: + +12:12. And he died, and was buried in Zabulon. + +12:13. After him, Abdon, the son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judged +Israel: + +12:14. And he had forty sons, and of them thirty grandsons, mounted upon +seventy ass colts, and he judged Israel eight years: + +12:15. And he died, and was buried in Pharathon, in the land of Ephraim, +in the mount of Amalech. + + +Judges Chapter 13 + +The people fall again into idolatry and are afflicted by the +Philistines. An angel foretelleth the birth of Samson. + +13:1. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the +Lord: and he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty +years. + +13:2. Now there was a certain man of Saraa, and of the race of Dan, +whose name was Manue, and his wife was barren. + +13:3. And an angel of the Lord appeared to her, and said: Thou art +barren and without children: but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. + +13:4. Now therefore beware, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat +not any unclean thing. + +13:6. Because thou shalt conceive, and bear a son, and no razor shall +touch his head: for he shall be a Nazarite of God, from his infancy, and +from his mother's womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the +hands of the Philistines. + +13:6. And when she was come to her husband, she said to him: A man of +God came to me, having the countenance of an angel, very awful. And when +I asked him whence he came, and by what name he was called, he would not +tell me: + +13:7. But he answered thus: Behold thou shalt conceive and bear a son: +beware thou drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: +for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from his infancy, from his +mother's womb until the day of his death. + +13:8. Then Manue prayed to the Lord, and said: I beseech thee, O Lord, +that the man of God, whom thou didst send, may come again, and teach us +what we ought to do concerning the child, that shall be born. + +13:9. And the Lord heard the prayer of Manue, and the angel of the Lord +appeared again to his wife, as she was sitting in the field. But Manue +her husband was not with her. And when she saw the angel, + +13:10. She made haste, and ran to her husband: and told him, saying: +Behold the man hath appeared to me, whom I saw before. + +13:11. He rose up, and followed his wife: and coming to the man, said to +him: Art thou he that spoke to the woman? And he answered: I am. + +13:12. And Manue said to him: When thy word shall come to pass, what +wilt thou that the child should do? or from what shall he keep himself? + +13:13. And the angel of the Lord said to Manue: From all the things I +have spoken of to thy wife, let her refrain herself: + +Let her refrain, etc... By the Latin text it is not clear whether this +abstinence was prescribed to the mother, or to the child; but the Hebrew +(in which the verbs relating thereto are of the feminine gender) +determineth it to the mother. But then the child also was to refrain +from the like things, because he was to be from his infancy a Nazarite +of God, ver. 5, that is, one set aside, in a particular manner, and +consecrated to God: now the Nazarites by the law were to abstain from +all these things. + +13:14. And let her eat nothing that cometh of the vine, neither let her +drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: and whatsoever I +have commanded her, let her fulfil and observe. + +13:15. And Manue said to the angel of the Lord: I beseech thee to +consent to my request, and let us dress a kid for thee. + +13:16. And the angel answered him: If thou press me I will not eat of +thy bread: but if thou wilt offer a holocaust, offer it to the Lord. And +Manue knew not it was the angel of the Lord. + +13:17. And he said to him: What is thy name, that, if thy word shall +come to pass, we may honour thee? + +13:18. And he answered him: Why askest thou my name, which is wonderful? + +13:19. Then Manue took a kid of the flocks, and the libations, and put +them upon a rock, offering to the Lord, who doth wonderful things: and +he and his wife looked on. + +13:20. And when the flame from the altar went up towards heaven, the +angel of the Lord ascended also in the same. And when Manue and his wife +saw this, they fell flat on the ground; + +13:21. And the angel of the Lord appeared to them no more. And forthwith +Manue understood that it was an angel of the Lord, + +13:22. And he said to his wife: We shall certainly die, because we have +seen God. + +Seen God... Not in his own person, but in the person of his messenger. +The Israelites, in those days, imagined they should die if they saw an +angel, taking occasion perhaps from those words spoken by the Lord to +Moses, Ex. 33.20, No man shall see me and live. But the event +demonstrated that it was but a groundless imagination. + +13:23. And his wife answered him: If the Lord had a mind to kill us, he +would not have received a holocaust and libations at our hands; neither +would he have shewed us all these things, nor have told us the things +that are to come. + +13:24. And she bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child +grew, and the Lord blessed him. + +13:25. And the Spirit of the Lord began to be with him in the camp of +Dan, between Saraa and Esthaol. + + +Judges Chapter 14 + +Samson desireth a wife of the Philistines. He killeth a lion: in whose +mouth he afterwards findeth honey. His marriage feast, and riddle, which +is discovered by his wife. He killeth, and strippeth thirty Philistines. +His wife taketh another man. + +14:1. Then Samson went down to Thamnatha, and seeing there a woman of +the daughters of the Philistines, + +14:2. He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a +woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I bescech you, +take her for me to wife. + +14:3. And his father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among the +daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou wilt take a +wife of the Philistines, who are uncircumcised? And Samson said to his +father: Take this woman for me; for she hath pleased my eyes. + +Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren... This shews his +parents were at first against his marriage with a Gentile, it being +prohibited, Deut. 7.3; but afterwards they consented, knowing it to be +by the dispensation of God; which otherwise would have been sinful in +acting contrary to the law. + +14:4. Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and +that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the +Philistines had dominion over Israel. + +14:5. Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Thamnatha. And +when they were come to the vineyards of the town, behold a young lion +met him, raging and roaring. + +14:6. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion +as he would have torn a kid in pieces, having nothing at all in his +hand: and he would not tell this to his father and mother. + +14:7. And he went down, and spoke to the woman that had pleased his +eyes. + +14:8. And after some days, returning to take her, he went aside to see +the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the +mouth of the lion, and a honey-comb. + +14:9. And when he had taken it in his hands, he went on eating: and +coming to his father and mother, he gave them of it, and they ate: but +he would not tell them that he had taken the honey from the body of the +lion. + +14:10. So his father went down to the woman, and made a feast for his +son Samson: for so the young men used to do. + +14:11. And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him +thirty companions to be with him. + +14:12. And Samson said to them: I will propose to you a riddle, which if +you declare unto me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you +thirty shirts, and as many coats: + +14:13. But if you shall not be able to declare it, you shall give me +thirty shirts and the same number of coats. They answered him: Put forth +the riddle, that we may hear it. + +14:14. And he said to them: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of +the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not for three days +expound the riddle. + +14:15. And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson: +Sooth thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle +meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy father's +house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip us? + +14:16. So she wept before Samson and complained, saying: Thou hatest me, +and dost not love me: therefore thou wilt not expound to me the riddle, +which thou hast proposed to the sons of my people. But he answered: I +would not tell it to my father and mother: and how can I tell it to +thee? + +14:17. So she wept before him the seven days of the feast: and, at +length, on the seventh day, as she was troublesome to him, he expounded +it. And she immediately told her countrymen. + +14:18. And they, on the seventh day before the sun went down, said to +him: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And +he said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not +found out my riddle. + +14:19. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to +Ascalon, and slew there thirty men whose garments he took away, and gave +to them that had declared the riddle. And being exceeding angry, he went +up to his father's house: + +14:20. But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for +her husband. + + +Judges Chapter 15 + +Samson is denied his wife. He burns the corn of the Philistines, and +kills many of them. + +15:1. And a while after, when the days of the wheat harvest were at +hand, Samson came, meaning to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid +of the flock. And when he would have gone into her chamber, as usual, +her father would not suffer him, saying: + +15:2. I thought thou hadst hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy +friend: but she hath a sister, who is younger and fairer than she, take +her to wife instead of her. + +15:3. And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in +what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils. + +15:4. And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail +to tail, and fastened torches between the tails: + +Foxes... Being judge of the people he might have many to assist him to +catch with nets or otherwise a number of these animals; of which there +were great numbers in that country. + +15:6. And setting them on fire he let the foxes go, that they might run +about hither and thither. And they presently went into the standing corn +of the Philistines. Which being set on fire, both the corn that was +already carried together, and that which was yet standing, was all +burnt, insomuch that the flame consumed also the vineyards and the +oliveyards. + +15:6. Then the Philistines said: Who hath done this thing? And it was +answered: Samson, the son in law of the Thamnathite, because he took +away his wife, and gave her to another, hath done these things. And the +Philistines went up and burnt both the woman and her father. + +15:7. But Samson said to them: Although you have done this, yet will I +be revenged of you, and then I will be quiet. + +15:8. And he made a great slaughter of them, so that in astonishment +they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And going down he dwelt in +a cavern of the rock Etam. + +15:9. Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the +place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where +their army was spread abroad. + +15:10. And the men of the tribe of Juda said to them: Why are you come +up against us? They answered: We are come to bind Samson, and to pay him +for what he hath done against us. + +15:11. Wherefore three thousand men of Juda went down to the cave of the +rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines +rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they +did to me, so have I done to them. + +15:12. And they said to him: We are come to bind thee, and to deliver +thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear +to me, and promise me that you will not kill me. + +15:13. They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up +bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the +rock Etam. + +15:14. Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the +Philistines shouting went to meet him, the Spirit of the Lord came +strongly upon him: and as flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of +fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed. + +15:15. And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass, which lay +there, catching it up, he slew therewith a thousand men. + +15:16. And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt +of asses, I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men. + +15:17. And when he had ended these words, singing, he threw the jawbone +out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is +interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone. + +15:18. And being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast +given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy +servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of +the uncircumcised. + +15:19. Then the Lord opened a great tooth in the jaw of the ass and +waters issued out of it. And when he had drunk them, he refreshed his +spirit, and recovered his strength. Therefore the name of that place was +called The Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone, until this +present day. + +15:20. And he judged Israel, in the days of the Philistines, twenty +years. + + +Judges Chapter 16 + +Samson is deluded by Dalila: and falls into the hands of the +Philistines. His death. + +16:1. He went also into Gaza, and saw there a woman, a harlot, and went +in unto her. + +16:2. And when the Philistines had heard this, and it was noised about +among them, that Samson was come into the city, they surrounded him, +setting guards at the gate of the city, and watching there all the night +in silence, that in the morning they might kill him as he went out. + +16:3. But Samson slept till midnight, and then rising, he took both the +doors of the gate, with the posts thereof and the bolt, and laying them +on his shoulders, carried them up to the top of the hill, which looketh +towards Hebron. + +16:4. After this he loved a woman, who dwelt in the valley of Sorec, and +she was called Dalila. + +Dalila... Some are of opinion she was married to Samson; others that she +was his harlot. If the latter opinion be true, we cannot wonder that, in +punishment of his lust, the Lord delivered him up, by her means, into +the hands of his enemies. However if he was guilty, it is not to be +doubted but that under his afflictions he heartily repented and returned +to God, and so obtained forgiveness of his sins. + +16:5. And the princes of the Philistines came to her, and sald: Deceive +him, and learn of him wherein his great strength lieth, and how we may +be able to overcome him, to bind and afflict him: which if thou shalt +do, we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. + +16:6. And Dalila said to Samson: Tell me, I beseech thee, wherein thy +greatest strength lieth, and what it is, wherewith if thou wert bound, +thou couldst not break loose. + +16:7. And Samson answered her: If I shall be bound with seven cords, +made of sinews not yet dry, but still moist, I shall be weak like other +men. + +16:8. And the princes of the Philistines brought unto her seven cords, +such as he spoke of, with which she bound him; + +16:9. Men lying privately in wait with her, and in the chamber, +expecting the event of the thing, and she cried out to him: The +Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the bands, as a man +would break a thread of tow twined with spittle, when it smelleth the +fire: so it was not known wherein his strength lay. + +16:10. And Dalila said to him: Behold thou hast mocked me, and hast told +me a false thing: but now at least tell me wherewith thou mayest be +bound. + +16:11. And he answered her: If I shall be bound with new ropes, that +were never in work, I shall be weak and like other men. + +16:12. Dalila bound him again with these, and cried out: The Philistines +are upon thee, Samson, there being an ambush prepared for him in the +chamber. But he broke the bands like threads of webs. + +16:13. And Dalila said to him again: How long dost thou deceive me, and +tell me lies? Shew me wherewith thou mayest be bound. And Samson +answered her: If thou plattest the seven locks of my head with a lace, +and tying them round about a nail, fastenest it in the ground, I shall +be weak. + +16:14. And when Dalila had done this, she said to him: The Philistines +are upon thee, Samson. And awaking out of his sleep, he drew out the +nail with the hairs and the lace. + +16:15. And Dalila said to him: How dost thou say thou lovest me, when +thy mind is not with me? Thou hast told me lies these three times, and +wouldst not tell me wherein thy greatest strength lieth. + +16:16. And when she pressed him much, and continually hung upon him for +many days, giving him no time to rest, his soul fainted away, and was +wearied even unto death. + +16:17. Then opening the truth of the thing, he said to her: The razor +hath never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite, that is to say, +consecrated to God from my mother's womb: If my head be shaven, my +strength shall depart from me, and I shall become weak, and shall be +like other men. + +16:18. Then seeing that he had discovered to her all his mind, she sent +to the princes of the Philistines, saying: Come up this once more, for +now he hath opened his heart to me. And they went up, taking with them +the money which they had promised. + +16:19. But she made him sleep upon her knees, and lay his head in her +bosom. And she called a barber and shaved his seven locks, and began to +drive him away, and thrust him from her: for immediately his strength +departed from him. + +16:20. And she said: The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And awaking +from sleep, he said in his mind: I will go out as I did before, and +shake myself, not knowing that the Lord was departed from him. + +16:21. Then the Philistines seized upon him, and forthwith pulled out +his eyes, and led him bound in chains to Gaza, and shutting him up in +prison made him grind. + +16:22. And now his hair began to grow again, + +16:23. And the princes of the Philistines assembled together, to offer +great sacrifices to Dagon their god, and to make merry, saying: Our god +hath delivered our enemy Samson into our hands. + +16:24. And the people also seeing this, praised their god, and said the +same: Our god hath delivered our adversary into our hands, him that +destroyed our country, and killed very many. + +16:25. And rejoicing in their feasts, when they had now taken their good +cheer, they commanded that Samson should be called, and should play +before them. And being brought out of prison, he played before them; and +they made him stand between two pillars. + +16:26. And he said to the lad that guided his steps: Suffer me to touch +the pillars which support the whole house, and let me lean upon them, +and rest a little. + +16:27. Now the house was full of men and women, and all the princes of +the Philistines were there. Moreover about three thousand persons of +both sexes, from the roof and the higher part of the house, were +beholding Samson's play. + +16:28. But he called upon the Lord, saying: O Lord God remember me, and +restore to me now my former strength, O my God, that I may revenge +myself on my enemies, and for the loss of my two eyes I may take one +revenge. + +Revenge myself... This desire of revenge was out of zeal for justice +against the enemies of God and his people; and not out of private +rancour and malice of heart. + +16:29. And laying hold on both the pillars on which the house rested, +and holding the one with his right hand, and the other with his left, + +16:30. He said: Let me die with the Philistines. And when he had +strongly shook the pillars, the house fell upon all the princes, and the +rest of the multitude, that was there: and he killed many more at his +death, than he had killed before in his life. + +Let me die... Literally, let my soul die. Samson did not sin on this +occasion, though he was indirectly the cause of his own death. Because +he was moved to what he did, by a particular inspiration of God, who +also concurred with him by a miracle, in restoring his strength upon the +spot, in consequence of his prayer. Samson, by dying in this manner, was +a figure of Christ, who by his death overcame all his enemies. + +16:31. And his brethren and all his kindred, going down took his body, +and buried it between Saraa and Esthaol, in the buryingplace of his +father Manue: and he judged Israel twenty years. + + +Judges Chapter 17 + +The history of the idol of Michas, and the young Levite. + +17:1. There was at that time a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was +Michas. + +17:2. Who said to his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver, which +thou hadst put aside for thyself, and concerning which thou didst swear +in my hearing, behold I have, and they are with me. And she said to him. +Blessed be my son by the Lord. + +17:3. So he restored them to his mother, who said to him: I have +consecrated and vowed this silver to the Lord, that my son may receive +it at my hand, and make a graven and a molten god; so now I deliver it +to thee. + +17:4. And he restored them to his mother: and she took two hundred +pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, to make of them a +graven and a molten God, which was in the house of Michas. + +17:5. And he separated also therein a little temple for the god, and +made an ephod, and theraphim, that is to say, a priestly garment, and +idols: and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he became his +priest. + +Filled the hand... That is, appointed and consecrated him to the +priestly office. + +17:6. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every one did that +which seemed right to himself. + +17:7. There was also another young man of Bethlehem Juda, of the kindred +thereof: and he was a Levite, and dwelt there. + +17:8. Now he went out from the city of Bethlehem, and desired to sojourn +wheresoever he should find it convenient for him. And when he was come +to mount Ephraim, as he was on his journey, and had turned aside a +little into the house of Michas, + +17:9. He was asked by him whence he came. And he answered: I am a Levite +of Bethlehem Juda, and I am going to dwell where I can, and where I +shall find a place to my advantage. + +17:10. And Michas said: Stay with me, and be unto me a father and a +priest, and I will give thee every year ten pieces of silver, and a +double suit of apparel, and thy victuals. + +17:11. He was content, and abode with the man, and was unto him as one +of his sons. + +17:12. And Michas filled his hand, and had the young man with him for +his priest, saying: + +17:13. Now I know God will do me good, since I have a priest of the race +of the Levites. + + +Judges Chapter 18 + +The expedition of the men of Dan against Lais: in their way they rob +Michas of his priest and his gods. + +18:1. In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of Dan +sought them an inheritance to dwell in: for unto that day they had not +received their lot among the other tribes. + +Not received, etc... They had their portions assigned them, Jos. 19.40. +But, through their own sloth, possessed as yet but a small part of it. +See Judges 1.34. + +18:2. So the children of Dan sent five most valiant men, of their stock +and family, from Saraa and Esthaol, to spy out the land, and to view it +diligently: and they said to them: Go, and view the land. They went on +their way, and when they came to mount Ephraim, they went into the house +of Michas, and rested there: + +18:3. And knowing the voice of the young man the Levite, and lodging +with him, they said to him: Who brought thee hither? what dost thou +here? why wouldst thou come hither? + +18:4. He answered them: Michas hath done such and such things for me, +and hath hired me to be his priest. + +18:5. Then they desired him to consult the Lord, that they might know +whether their journey should be prosperous, and the thing should have +effect. + +18:6. He answered them: Go in peace: the Lord looketh on your way, and +the journey that you go. + +18:7. So the five men going on came to Lais: and they saw how the people +dwelt therein without any fear, according to the custom of the +Sidonians, secure and easy, having no man at all to oppose them, being +very rich, and living separated, at a distance from Sidon and from all +men. + +18:8. And they returned to their brethren in Saraa and Esthaol, who +asked them what they had done: to whom they answered: + +18:9. Arise, and let us go up to them: for we have seen the land which +is exceeding rich and fruitful: neglect not, lose no time: let us go and +possess it, there will be no difficulty. + +18:10. We shall come to a people that is secure, into a spacious +country, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, in which there is no +want of any thing that groweth on the earth. + +18:11. There went therefore of the kindred of Dan, to wit, from Saraa +and Esthaol, six hundred men, furnished with arms for war. + +18:12. And going up they lodged in Cariathiarim of Juda: which place +from that time is called the camp of Dan, and is behind Cariathiarim. + +18:13. From thence they passed into mount Ephraim. And when they were +come to the house of Michas, + +18:14. The five men, that before had been sent to view the land of Lais, +said to the rest of their brethren: You know that in these houses there +is an ephod and theraphim, and a graven and a molten god: see what you +are pleased to do. + +18:15. And when they had turned a little aside, they went into the house +of the young man the Levite, who was in the house of Michas: and they +saluted him with words of peace. + +18:16. And the six hundred men stood before the door, appointed with +their arms. + +18:17. But they that were gone into the house of the young man, went +about to take away the graven god, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and +the molten god, and the priest stood before the door, the six hundred +valiant men waiting not far off. + +18:18. So they that were gone in took away the graven thing, the ephod, +and the idols, and the molten god, And the priest said to them: What are +you doing? + +18:19. And they said to him: Hold thy peace, and put thy finger on thy +mouth, and come with us, that we may have thee for a father, and a +priest. Whether is better for thee, to be a priest in the house of one +man, or in a tribe and family in Israel? + +18:20. When he heard this, he agreed to their words, and took the ephod, +and the idols, and the graven god, and departed with them. + +18:21. And when they were going forward, and had put before them the +children and the cattle, and all that was valuable, + +18:22. And were now at a distance from the house of Michas, the men that +dwelt in the houses of Michas gathering together followed them, + +18:23. And began to shout out after them. They looked back, and said to +Michas: What aileth thee? Why dost thou cry? + +18:24. And he answered: You have taken away my gods which I have made +me, and the priest, and all that I have, and do you say: What aileth +thee? + +18:25. And the children of Dan said to him: See thou say no more to us, +lest men enraged come upon thee, and thou perish with all thy house. + +18:26. And so they went on the journey they had begun. But Michas +seeing that they were stronger than he, returned to his house. + +18:27. And the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we spoke +of before, and came to Lais, to a people that was quiet and secure, and +smote them with the edge of the sword: and the city they burnt with +fire, + +18:28. There being no man at all who brought them any succour, because +they dwelt far from Sidon, and had no society or business with any man. +And the city was in the land of Rohob: and they rebuilt it, and dwelt +therein, + +18:29. Calling the name of the city Dan, after the name of their father, +who was the son of Israel, which before was called Lais. + +18:30. And they set up to themselves the graven idol, and Jonathan the +son of Gersam, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests in the +tribe of Dan, until the day of their captivity. + +18:31. And the idol of Michas remained with them all the time that the +house of God was in Silo. In those days there was no king in Israel. + + +Judges Chapter 19 + +A Levite bringing home his wife, is lodged by an old man at Gabaa in the +tribe of Benjamin. His wife is there abused by wicked men, and in the +morning found dead. Her husband cutteth her body in pieces, and sendeth +to every tribe of Israel, requiring them to revenge the wicked fact. + +19:1. There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount +Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda: + +19:2. And she left him, and returned to her father's house in Bethlehem, +and abode with him four months. + +19:3. And her husband followed her, willing to be reconciled with her, +and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her back with him, having with +him a servant and two asses: and she received him, and brought him into +her father's house. And when his father in law had heard this, and had +seen him, he met him with joy, + +19:4. And embraced the man. And the son in law tarried in the house of +his father in law three days, eating with him and drinking familiarly. + +19:5. But on the fourth day, arising early in the morning, he desired to +depart. But his father in law kept him, and said to him: Taste first a +little bread, and strengthen thy stomach, and so thou shalt depart. + +19:6. And they sat down together, and ate and drank. And the father of +the young woman said to his son in law: I beseech thee to stay here to +day, and let us make merry together. + +19:7. But he rising up, began to be for departing. And nevertheless his +father in law earnestly pressed him, and made him stay with him. + +19:8. But when morning was come, the Levite prepared to go on his +journey. And his father in law said to him again: I beseech thee to take +a little meat, and strengthening thyself, till the day be farther +advanced, afterwards thou mayest depart. And they ate together. + +19:9. And the young man arose to set forward with his wife and servant. +And his father in law spoke to him again: Consider that the day is +declining, and draweth toward evening: tarry with me to day also, and +spend the day in mirth, and to morrow thou shalt depart, that thou +mayest go into thy house. + +19:10. His son in law would not consent to his words: but forthwith went +forward, and came over against Jebus, which by another name is called +Jerusalem, leading with him two asses loaden, and his concubine. + +Concubine.. She was his lawful wife, but even lawful wives are +frequently in scripture called concubines. See above, chap. 8. ver. +31.--Ver. 16. Jemini... That is, Benjamin. + +19:11. And now they were come near Jebus, and the day was far spent: and +the servant said to his master: Come, I beseech thee, let us turn into +the city of the Jebusites, and lodge there. + +19:12. His master answered him: I will not go into the town of another +nation, who are not of the children of Israel, but I will pass over to +Gabaa: + +19:13. And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least +in the city of Rama. + +19:14. So they passed by Jebus, and went on their journey, and the sun +went down upon them when they were by Gabaa, which is in the tribe of +Benjamin: + +19:15. And they turned into it to lodge there. And when they were come +in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to +lodge. + +19:16. And behold they saw an old man, returning out of the field and +from his work in the evening, and he also was of mount Ephraim, and +dwelt as a stranger in Gabaa; but the men of that country were the +children of Jemini. + +19:17. And the old man lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his +bundles in the street of the city, and said to him: Whence comest thou? +and whither goest thou? + +19:18. He answered him: We came out from Bethlehem Juda, and we are +going to our home, which is on the side of mount Ephraim, from whence we +went to Bethlehem: and now we go to the house of God, and none will +receive us under his roof: + +19:19. We have straw and hay for provender of the asses, and bread and +wine for the use of myself and of thy handmaid, and of the servant that +is with me: we want nothing but lodging. + +19:20. And the old man answered him: Peace be with thee: I will furnish +all things that are necessary: only I beseech thee, stay not in the +street. + +19:21. And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his +asses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a +feast. + +19:22. While they were making merry, and refreshing their bodies with +meat and drink, after the labour of the journey, the men of that city, +sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and beset the old man's +house, and began to knock at the door, calling to the master of the +house, and saying: Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we +may abuse him: + +19:23. And the old man went out to them, and said: Do not so, my +brethren, do not so wickedly: because this man is come into my lodging, +and cease I pray you from this folly. + +19:24. I have a maiden daughter, and this man hath a concubine, I will +bring them out to you, and you may humble them, and satisfy your lust: +only, I beseech you, commit not this crime against nature on the man. + +19:25. They would not be satisfied with his words; which the man seeing, +brought out his concubine to them, and abandoned her to their +wickedness: and when they had abused her all the night, they let her go +in the morning. + +19:26. But the woman, at the dawning of the day, came to the door of the +house, where her lord lodged, and there fell down. + +19:27. And in the morning the man arose, and opened the door, that he +might end the journey he had begun: and behold his concubine lay before +the door with her hands spread on the threshold. + +19:28. He thinking she was taking her rest, said to her: Arise, and let +us be going. But as she made no answer, perceiving she was dead, he took +her up, and laid her upon his ass, and returned to his house. + +19:29. And when he was come home, he took a sword, and divided the dead +body of his wife with her bones into twelve parts, and sent the pieces +into all the borders of Israel. + +19:30. And when every one had seen this, they all cried out: There was +never such a thing done in Israel, from the day that our fathers came up +out of Egypt, until this day: give sentence, and decree in common what +ought to be done. + + +Judges Chapter 20 + +The Israelites warring against Benjamin are twice defeated; but in the +third battle the Benjamites are all slain, saving six hundred men. + +20:1. Then all the children of Israel went out, and gathered together as +one man, from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in +Maspha: + +20:2. And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel, +met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand +footmen fit for war. + +20:3. (Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of +Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman +that was killed being asked, how so great a wickedness had been +committed, + +20:4. Answered: I came into Gabaa, of Benjamin, with my wife, and there +I lodged: + +20:5. And behold the men of that city, in the night beset the house +wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an +incredible fury of lust, so that at last she died. + +20:6. And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the parts into all +the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a +crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel. + +20:7. You are all here, O children of Israel, determine what you ought +to do. + +20:8. And all the people standing, answered as by the voice of one man: +We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his +own house: + +20:9. But this we will do in common against Gabaa: + +20:10. We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of +Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten +thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we may fight against +Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness, what it +deserveth. + +20:11. And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one +man, with one mind, and one counsel: + +20:12. And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, to say to +them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you? + +20:13. Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous +crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel. +But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the +children of Israel: + +20:14. But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered +themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the +whole people of Israel. + +20:15. And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men +that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa, + +20:16. Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left +hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they +could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side. + +20:17. Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were +found four hundred thousand that drew swords and were prepared to fight. + +20:18. And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: +and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to +go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered +them: Let Juda be your leader. + +20:19. And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning, +camped by Gabaa: + +20:20. And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to +assault the city. + +20:21. And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa slew of the +children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men. + +20:22. Again Israel, trusting in their strength and their number, set +their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before: + +Trusting in their strength... The Lord suffered them to be overthrown +and many of them to be slain, though their cause was just; partly in +punishment of the idolatry which they exercised or tolerated in the +tribe of Dan, and elsewhere; and partly because they trusted in their +own strength; and therefore, though he bid them fight, he would not give +them the victory, till they were thoroughly humbled and had learned to +trust in him alone. + +20:23. Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until +night: and consulted him and said: Shall I go out any more to fight +against the children of Benjamin my brethren or not? And he answered +them: Go up against them, and join battle. + +20:24. And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight +against the children of Benjamin, + +20:25. The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa: +and meeting them, made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen +thousand men that drew the sword. + +20:26. Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, +and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the +evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings, + +20:27. And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark +of the covenant of the Lord was there, + +20:28. And Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was over the +house. So they consulted the Lord, and said: Shall we go out any more to +fight against the children of Benjamin, our brethren, or shall we cease? +And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into +your hands. + +20:29. And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of +Gabaa: + +20:30. And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as +they had done the first and second. + +20:31. And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and +seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and +kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst +they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel and the other +to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men: + +20:32. For they thought to cut them off as they did before. But they +artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, +and by their seeming to flee, to bring them to the highways aforesaid. + +20:33. Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where +they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called +Baalthamar. The ambushes also, which were about the city, began by +little and little to come forth, + +20:34. And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten +thousand men chosen out of all Israel, attacked the inhabitants of the +city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they +understood not that present death threatened them on every side. + +20:35. And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and +they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, +all fighting men, and that drew the sword. + +20:36. But the children of Benjamin, when they saw themselves to be too +weak, began to flee. Which the children of Israel seeing, gave them +place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared, +which they had set near the city. + +20:37. And they that were in ambush arose on a sudden out of their +coverts, and whilst Benjamin turned their backs to the slayers, went +into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword. + +20:38. Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they +had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should +make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the +city was taken. + +20:39. And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle, (for the +children of Benjamin thought they fled, and pursued them vigorously, +killing thirty men of their army) + +20:40. And perceived, as it were, a pillar of smoke rise up from the +city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that +the flames ascended on high: + +20:41. They that before had made as if they fled, turning their faces, +stood bravely against them. Which the children of Benjamin seeing, +turned their backs, + +20:42. And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing +them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet +them. + +20:43. And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, +and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down +on the east side of the city of Gabaa. + +20:44. And they that were slain in the same place, were eighteen +thousand men, all most valiant soldiers. + +20:45. And when they that remained of Benjamin saw this, they fled into +the wilderness, and made towards the rock that is called Remmon. In that +flight also, as they were straggling, and going different ways; they +slew of them five thousand men. And as they went farther, they still +pursued them, and slew also other two thousand. + +20:46. And so it came to pass, that all that were slain of Benjamin, in +divers places, were five and twenty thousand fighting men, most valiant +for war. + +20:47. And there remained of all the number of Benjamin only six hundred +men that were able to escape, and flee to the wilderness: and they abode +in the rock Remmon four months. + +20:48. But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the +city to the sword, both men and beasts, and all the cities and villages +of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames. + + +Judges Chapter 21 + +The tribe of Benjamin is saved from being utterly extinct, by providing +wives for the six hundred that remained. + +21:1. Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None +of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife. + +21:2. And they all came to the house of God in Silo, and sitting before +him till the evening, lifted up their voices, and began to lament and +weep, saying: + +21:3. O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy +people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us? + +21:4. And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered +there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said: + +21:5. Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with +the army of the Lord? for they had bound themselves with a great oath, +when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain. + +21:6. And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their +brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel. + +21:7. Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn, +not to give our daughters to them. + +21:8. Therefore they said: Who is there of all the tribes of Israel, +that came not up to the Lord to Maspha? And, behold, the inhabitants of +Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army. + +21:9. (At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was +found there,) + +21:10. So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded +them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword, +with their wives and their children. + +21:11. And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women +that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save. + +21:12. And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that +had not known the bed of a man, and they brought them to the camp in +Silo, into the land of Chanaan. + +21:13. And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were +in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace. + +21:14. And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were +given them of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might +give in like manner. + +21:15. And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of +one tribe out of Israel. + +21:16. And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have +not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead. + +21:17. And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that +one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. + +21:18. For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with +an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give +Benjamin any of his daughters to wife. + +21:19. So they took counsel, and said: Behold, there is a yearly +solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city +of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to +Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona. + +21:20. And they commanded the children of Benjamin and said: Go, and lie +hid in the vineyards, + +21:21. And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the +custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards, and catch +you every man his wife among them, and go into the land of Benjamin. + +21:22. And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall +begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have +pity on them: for they took them not away as by the right of war or +conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the +fault was committed on your part. + +21:23. And the children of Benjamin did as they had been commanded: and, +according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his +wife of them that were dancing: and they went into their possession, and +built up their cities, and dwelt in them. + +21:24. The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and +families, to their dwellings. In those days there was no king in Israel: +but every one did that which seemed right to himself. + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BIBLE, DOUAY-RHEIMS, BOOK 7 *** + +********** This file should be named 8307.txt or 8307.zip *********** + +Produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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