81 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Phi- listines six hundred men with an ox- goad; and he also saved Israel. A And the children of Israel again -1- did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2And the LORD gave them over into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-goiim. 3And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily op- pressed the children of Israel.
4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5And she sat tinder the palm-tree of Deborah between Hamah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtaH, and said unto him: 'Hath not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded, saying: Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7And I will draw unto thee to the brook Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand/ 8And Barak said unto her: 'If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.' 9And she said: 'I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thy honour; for the LORD will give Sisera over into the hand of a woman/ And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10And Barak called Zeb- ulun and Naphtali together to Ke- desh; and there went up" ten thousand men at his feet; and Deborah went up with him.
uNow Heber the Kenite had sev- ered himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the father- in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as Elon-bezaanannim, which is by Kedesh.
^And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. ^And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth-goiim, unto the brook Ki- shon. 14And Deborah said unto Barak: 'Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thy JUDGES hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee?' So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15And the LORD discom- fited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth-goiim; and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.
17Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of He- ber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabm the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him: ' Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not/ And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she cov- ered him with a rug 19And he said unto her: fGive me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. ' And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave Mm drink, and covered him. 20And he said unto her: 'Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say: Is there any man here? that thou shalt say: No.' 21Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent- pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. 22And, behold, as Barak pur- sued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto- him: 'Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.' And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent- pin was in his temples. ^So God sub- dued on that day Jabm the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
MAnd the hand of the children of Is- rael prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabm king of Canaan.
EJ Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, 2When men let grow their hair in Israel, When the people offer themselves willingly, Bless ye the LORD. 3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, 0 ye princes, I, unto the LORD will I sing; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4LoRD, when Thou didst go forth out of Seir, When Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.
The mountains quaked at the pres- ence of the LORD, Even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways And the travellers walked through byways. v 7The rulers ceased in Israel, they Until that thou didst arise, Deborah, That thou didst arise a mother in Israel.
8They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates; Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?
JUDGES 9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich cloths, And ye that walk by the way, tell of it; "Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! There shall they rehearse the right- eous acts of the LORD, Even the righteous acts of His rulers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.
12 A wake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; The LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. 14Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff. 15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.
Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. 16Why sattest thou among the sheep- folds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart. 17Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; And Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships?
Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, And abideth by its bays. 18Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19The kings came, they fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; They took no gain of money. 20They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21The brook Kishon swept them away, That ancient brook, the brook Ki- shon. 0 my soul, tread them down with strength.
^Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones. 251 Curse ye Meroz', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
^Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent shall she be blessed.
25 Water he asked, milk she gave him; In a lordly bowl she brought him curd.
26Her hand she put to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the work- men's hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
JUDGES 27At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay, At her feet he sunk, he fell; Where he sunk, there he fell down dead 28Through the window she looked forth, and peered, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice: 1 Why is his chariot so long in com- ing?
Why tarry the wheels of his char- iots?'
MThe wisest of her princesses answer her, Yea, she returneth answer to herself 3°'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil?
A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments of em- broidery, Two dyed garments of broidery for the neck of every spoiler?'
aSo perish all Thine enemies, 0 LORD; But they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.
And the land had rest forty years. ft And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LOBD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 8And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; 4and they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were with- out number; and they came into the land to destroy it. 6And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of Midian, 8that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel; and he said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. 10And I said unto you: I am the LORD your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not hearkened unto My voice.'
""And the angel of the LORD came, and sat under the terebinth which was in Ophrah, that belonged unto Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was beating ^ out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said 'unto him: 'The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.' ^And Gideon said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, if the LORD be with us, wny then is all this befallen us? and where are all His wondrous, works which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath cast - us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.' 14And the LORD turned towards him, and said: 'Go in this JUDGES JUDGES thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian; have not I sent thee?' 15And he said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.' "And. the LORD said unto him: ' Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.' 17And he said unto him: 'If now I have found favour in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. "Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee ' And he said: *I will tarry until thou come back/ 19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the terebinth, and presented it. 20And the angel of God said unto him: 'Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth.' And he did so. ^-Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh, and the unleavened cakes: and thfrgiigel of the LORD departed out of his sight. ^And Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said: 'Alas, O Lord GOD! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of the LORD face to f ace. J ^And the LORD said unto him: 'Peace be unto thee; fear not; thou shalt not die.' MThen Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it a'Adpnai-shalom'; unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25And it came to pass the same night, „ ^, that the LORD said unto him: 'Take the valley of JeireeL MBut the spirit » That is, The LORD \s peace. bThat is, Let Baal contend.
thy father's bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; 26and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down/ 27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had spoken unto him; and it came to pass, because he feared his father's house- hold and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29And they said one to another: 'Who hath done this thing?' And when they inquired and asked, they said: ' Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.' 30Then the men of the city said unto Joash: 'Bring out thy son, that he may die; because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it.' 31And Joash said unto all that stood against him: 'Will ye contend for Baal? or will ye save him?
he that will contend for him, shall be )ut to death before morning; if he a god, let him contend for him- self, because one hath broken down his altar.' 32Therefore on that day he was called bJerubbaal, saying: 'Let Baal contend against him, because he hath broken down his altar/ all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and pitched in JUDGES of the LORD clothed Gideon; and he blew a horn; and Abiezer was gathered together after him. 35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him; and he sent messengers un- to Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36And Gideon said unto God: £If Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing- floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken/ 38And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39And Gid- eon said unto God: 'Let not Thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew/ 40And God did so that night; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
n Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, * and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched be- side En-harod; and the camp of Mid- ian was on the north side of them, by Gibeath-moreh, in the valley.
2And the LORD said unto Gideon: 'The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midian- ites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying: Mine own hand hath saved me. 3Now therefore make proclamation in the ears of the people, saying: Whoso- ever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.' And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4And the LORD said unto Gideon* 'The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee: This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whom- soever I say unto thee: This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.' 5So he brought down the people unto the water; and the LORD said unto Gideon: ' Every one that lap- peth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bow- eth down upon his knees to drink.' 6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7And the LORD said unto Gideon: 'By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midian- ites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place.' 8So they took the victuals of the people in their hand, and their horns; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the,, camp of Midian was beneath him in^$e valley.
9And it came to pass the s«tme night, that the LORD said unto him: 'Arise, get thee down upon the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand. 10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp. uAnd thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down upon the camp/ ^ Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost Dart of the armed men that were in ;he camp. 12Now the Midianites and JUDGES 83 the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multi- tude. 13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow, and saying: 'Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, that the tent lay flat.7 14And his fellow answered and said- 'This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel* into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.'
15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the inter- pretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said* "Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.' - 16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them horns, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17And he said unto them: 'Look on me, and do likewise; and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18When I blow the horn, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the horns also on every side of all the camp, and say: For the LOED and for Gideon!'
19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the horns, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in then* hands. 20And the three companies blew the horns, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the horns in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried: "The sword for the LOED and for Gideon! ' 2I And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and fled. ^And they blew the three hundred horns, and the LOED set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. ^And the men of Israel were gathered to- gether out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian. ^And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill- country of Ephraim, saying: 'Come down against Midian, and take be- fore them the waters, as far as Beth- barah, and also the Jordan.' So all the men of Ephraim were gathered to- gether, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the Rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the Winepress of ?eeb, and pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. Q And the men of Ephraim said unto him: 'Why hast thou served us thus, that thou didst not call us when thou wentest to fight with Midian?' And they did chide with him, sharply. 2And he said unto them * 'What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
JUDGES 4And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5And he said un- to the men of Succoth: 'Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zal- munna, the kings of Midian.' 6And the princes of Succoth said: 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now hi thy power, that we should give bread unto thine army?' 7And Gideon said: 'Therefore when the LORD hath de- livered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.' 8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke unto them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Suecoth had answered. 9And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying: ' When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.'
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. uAnd Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure. 12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. KAnd Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres. 14And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the princes of Suceoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men. 16And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said: 'Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy power, tha-j; we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?' 16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. 18Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna: 'Where are the men whom ye slew at Tabor?' And they answered: 'As thou art, so were they; of one form with the children of a king.' 19And he said: 'They were my brethren, the sons of my mother; as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.' 20And he said unto Jether his first-born: 'Up, and slay them.' But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: 'Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength.' And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna. and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.
MThen the men of Israel said unto Gideon: 'Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian.' ^And Gideon said unto them: 'I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you- the LORD shall rule over you.' ^And Gideon 'said unto them: 'I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of bas spoil.' — For they had golden ear- rings, because they were Ishmaelites. 28And they answered: ' We will willing- ly give them.' And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil. 26And JUDGES the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; be- side the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the ^ kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. 27And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 28So Midian was subdued before the chil- dren of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days df Gideon.
29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives. 31And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. ^And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
^And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again went astray after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. ^And the children of Israel remembered not the LOED their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel. Q And Abimelech the son of Jerub- ** baal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying: 2f Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.' 3And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said: 'He is our brother.' 4And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, where- with Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5And he went unto his father's house at Oph- rah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6And all the men of Shechem as- sembled themselves together, and all Beth-millo, and went and made Abim- elech king, by the terebinth of the pillar that 'was in Shechem. 7And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Geri- zim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them: 'Hearken' unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8Thes trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree: Reign thou over us. 9But the olive-tree said unto them: Should I leave my fatness, seeing that by me they honour God and man; and go to hold sway over the trees? 10And the trees said to the fig-tree: Come thou, and reign over us. uBut the fig-tree said unto them: Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruitage, and go to hold sway over the trees? 12And the trees said unto the vine: Come thou, and reign over us. "And the vine said unto them: Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go 11 JUDGES