Gideon encouraged by a drtam.

35 And he fent meffengers throughout all Manaffch; who alfo was gathered after him: and he fent menengers unto A her, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon faid unto God, If thou wilt fave Ifrael by mine hand, as thou haft said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth. bede, then thail I know that thou wilt fave Tirael by mine hand, as thou haft faid.

38 And it was fo: for he rofe up early on the morrow, and thruit the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the recce, a bowl full of water.

39 And Gideon faid unto God, Let not thine anger be hot againit me, and I will fpeak but this once: Let me prove, 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.

40 And God did fo that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

CHAP. VII.

■ Gideon's army: 9 he is encouraged by the dream, and the interpretation of the barley cake. 24 Orel and Zeeb taken. T CHEN Jerubuial, (who is Gideon,) and all the people that were with him, rofe up early, and pitched befide the well of Harod: fe that the hoft of the Midianites were on the north fide of them, by the hill of Morch, in the valley,

2 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many toi me to give the Midianites into their hands, len Ifrael vaung themselves against me, fay ing, Mine own han-1 hath faved me.

3 Now therefore, go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, faying, Whofoever is fearful an 1 afraid, let him return, and depart early from mount Gilead: and there returned of the people twenty and two thousand, and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there and it thail be, that of whom I fay unto thee, This fhall go with thee, the fame fhall go with thee; and of whomfoever I fay unto thee, This fhall not go with thee, the fame shall not go..

5 So he brought down the people unto the water and the LORD faid unto Gideon, Every one that lappe.h of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him halt thou fet by himself; likewife every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink

water.

7 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, By the thice hundred men that lappe will I fave you, ani deliver the Midianites into thine hand and let all the other people go every min unto his place.

8 S the people cook victuals in their hand, and their trumpers: and he fent all the refi of Ifraei every man unto his teat, and retained those three hun trei men. And the hot of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

Oreb and Zeeb taken. 9And it came to pafs the fame night that the LORD faid unto him, Arife, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

To But it thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy fervant down to the hott.

11 And thou shalt hear what they fag, and afterward thall thine hands be ftrengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his fervant unto the outfide of the armed men that were in the hott.

12 And the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the children of the caft, lay along in the valley like grafshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the fand by the fea-tide for multitude.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and faid, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of Darley-bread tuinbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and fmote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

14 And his fellow anfwered and faid, This is nothing e.fe fave the fword ofGiceen the fon of loath, a man of Ifrael: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the hoft.

15 And it was fa, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpre tion thereof, that he worthipped, and returned into the hoft of Ifrael, and laid, Arife; tor the LORD hath delivered into your hand the hon of Midian.

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, andlamps within the pitchers

17 And he faid unto them, Look on me, and do likewife: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it thali be, that as I do, fo fhall ye do.

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets allo on every fide of all the camp, and fay, The fword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly fet the watch and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The fword of the LORD and of Gideon.

21 And they flood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the hott ran,

and cried, and fled.

Zebab and Zalmunna taken.

Gideon's children and dealb. hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

CHAP. VIII.

The Ephraimites pacified. 10 Zebah and Zalmunna. 33 The Ifraelites idolatry and

ingratitude.

A ND the men of Ephraim faid unto him, Why haft thou ferved us thus, that thou calledft us not when thou wenteft to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him Tharply.

2 And he faid unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had laid that.

4 And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

5 And he faid unto the nien of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and am puriuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth faid, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in shine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army!

7 And Gideon faid, Therefore when the 3.BRD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your fleth with the thorns of the wilderness, and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewife: and the men of Penuel anfwered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

And he fpake alfo unto the men of Pe. nuel, faying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 Now Zehah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hofts with them, about Atteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hofts of the children of the eaft: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew fword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the eaft of Nobah and Jogbehah, and fmote the hoit: for

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and flew the men of the city.

18 Then faid he unto Zebah and Zal. munna, What manner of men were they whom ye flew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, fo were they; each one re. fembled the children of a king.

19 And he faid, They were my brethren, even the fons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had faved them alive, I would not lay you.

20 And he faid unto Jether his firft-born, Up, and say them: but the youth drew not his fword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna faid, Rife thou, and fall upon us for as the man is, fo is his strength. And Gideon arofe, and flew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camel's necks.

22 Then the men of Ifrael faid unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy fon, and thy fon's fon alfo; for thou hatt delivered us from the hand of Midian.

23 And Gideon faid unto them, I will not rule over you, neither fhall my fon rule over you: the LORD thail rule over you.

24 And Gideon faid unto them, I would defire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his prey: (for they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did caft therein every man the ear-rings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and feven hundred bekels of gold, beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and befide the chains that were about their camel's necks.

27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Ifrael went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

28 Thus was Midian fubdued before the children of Ifrael, that they lifted up their heads no more: and the country was in quietnefs forty years in the days of Gideon. 20 And Jerubbaal the son of Joath went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threefcore and ten fons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

31 And his concubine that was in She. chem, the alfo bare him a fou, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the fon of Joath died in a good old age, and was buried in the fe pulchre of Joath his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

33 And it came to pafs, as foon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Ifrael turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-bernth their god

34 And the children of lfrael remember. ed not the LORD their God, who had deli

1 Abimelech is made king by the Shechemites. Fatham, by a parable, rebuketh them. 22 Gaal's conspiracy. 56 Jotham's curse.

Gaal's confpiracy.

ventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

18 And ye are rifen up againft my father's houfe this day, and have flain his fon, three. fcore and ten perfons, upon one one, and have made Abimelech, the ion of his naidfervant, king over the men of Shechem, be caule he is your brother :)

19 If ye then have dealt truly and fincerely with Jerubbaa, and with his nouie this day, rejoice in you;

to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, faying.

2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the fons of Jerubbaal (which are threescore and ten perfons) reign over you, or that one reign over you remember alfo that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 And his mother's brethren fpake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all thefe words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they faid, He is our brother.

4 And they gave him threefcore and ten pieces of filver out of the houfe of Baal-berith; wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light perfons, which followed him.

And he went unto his father's houfe at Ophrah, and flew his brethren, the .ons of Jerubbaal, being threefcore and ten perfons, upon one ftone: notwithstanding, yet Jo tham the youngest fon of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself

6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the houfe of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and flood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and faid unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Sheshem, that God may hearken unto you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint aking over them; and they faid unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.

9 But the olive-tree faid unto them, Should I leave my fatnefs, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted

over the trees!

10 And the trees faid to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

11 But the ng-tree faid unto them, Should I forfake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12 Then faid the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

13 And the vine faid unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

r4 Then faid all the trees unto the bram. bie, Come thou, and reign over us.

15 And the bramble faid unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your truft in my fhadow; and if sot, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

16 Now therefore if ye have done truly and fincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerub. baal and his houfe, and have done unto him according to the deferving of his hands:

17 (For my father fought for you, and ad

20 But if not, let fire come out from Abi. melech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the houfe of Milio; and let fire come out from the men of shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Ifrael,

23 Then God fent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech :

24 That the cruelty done to the threefcore and ten fons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother which fiew them; and upon the men of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

25 And the men of Shechem fet liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

26 And Gaal the fon of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the houfe of their god, and did eat and drink, and curfed Abimelech.

28 And Gaal the fon of Ebed faid, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we fhould ferve him? Is not be the fon of Jerubbaal and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; for why thould we ferve him?

29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the fon of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

31 And he fent meffengers unto Abimelech privily, faying, Behold, Gaal the fon of Ebed, and his brethren, be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

33 And it fhall be, that in the morning, as foon as the fun is up, thou thalt rife early, and fet upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayeft thou do to them as thou thalt find occation.

34 And Abimelech rofe up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

35 And Gaal the fon of Ebed went cut, and flood in the entering of the gate of the

Abimelech overcometh Gaal.

:

city and Abimelech rofe up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.

36 And when Gaal faw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul faid unto him, Thou feeft the fhadow of the mountains as if they were men.

37 And Gaal fpake again, and faid, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

38 Then faid Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou faidft, Who is Abimelech, that we should ferve him? Is not this the people that thou haft despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 1

39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

40 And Abimelech chafed him, and he fled before hini; and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. 41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebal thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. ⚫

42 And it came to pafs on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech,

43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rofe up against them, an 1 fmote them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and flood in the entering of the gate of the city and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and Dew them.

45 And Abimelech tought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and flew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and fowed it with falt.

46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.

47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and faid unto the people that were with him, What ye have feen me do, make hafte, and do as I hare done,

49 And all the people likewife cut down every man his bough, and followed Abime. Jech, and put them to the hold, and fet the hold on fire upon them: fo that all the men of the tower of Shechem died alfo, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

51 But there was a frong tower within the city, and thither flei all the men and women, ani all they of the city, and that it to them, and gat them up to the top of the

tower.

52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and ought againft it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 Anda certain woman cast a piece of a milftone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his full.

$4 Then he called haftily unto the young

Fotham's curse.

man his armour-bearer, and faid unto him, Draw thy word, and flay me, that men fay not of me, A woman few him, And his young man thruft him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Ifrael faw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech which he did unto his tacher, in flaying his feventy brethren.

57 And all the evil or the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curfe of Jotham the fon of Jerubbaal. СНА Р. Х.

Tola judgeth Ifrael. 7 The Philiftines and Ammonites oppref ng ifrael, 15 upon their repentance, God pitieth them.

AND after Abimelech there arofe to defend Ifrael, Tola, the fon of Puah, the fon of Dodo, a man of fifachar; and he dwele" in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

2 And he judged Ifrael (wenty and three years, and died, and was buried in shamir. 3 And after him arofe Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Ifrael twenty and two years.

4 And he had thirty fons that rode on thirty afs-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. 6And the children of Ifrael did evil again in the fight of the LORD, and ferved Baalim, and Athtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philiftines, and forfook the LORD, and ferved not him.

7. And the anger of the LORD was hot againft Ifrael, and he fold them into the hands of the Philiftines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

8 And that year they vexed and oppreffed the children of Ifrael eighteen years, all the children of Ifrael that were on the other fide Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9 Mcreover, the children of Ammon paff." over lordan to fight alfo againft Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; fo that Ifrael was fore diftreifed.

To And the children of Ifracl cried unto the LORD, faying, We have finned again, thee, both because we have torfaken our God," and alfo ferved Balim.

11 And the LCRD faid unto the children of Ifrael, Did not I deliver you from the Egyp tians, and from the Amorites, from the chil.. dren of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

12 The Zidonians alfo, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did of prefs you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

13 Yet ye have forfaken me, and ferved other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no

Jephthah's covenant!

CHA P. XI.

of Tob:

6 And they faid unto Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah faid unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's houfe? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in diftrefs?

8 And the elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayeft go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah faid unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the. LORD deliver them before me, thail I be your head!

10 And the elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, The LORD be a witnefs between us, if we do not fo according to thy words.

II Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

12 And Jephthah fent meffengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, faying, What haft thou to do with me, that thou art come againft me to fight in my land'

13 And the king of the children of Ammon anfwered unto the meffengers of Jephthah, Becaufe Ifrael took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Ar. non even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore reftore those lands again reaceably.

14 And Jephthah fent meffengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon,

15 And faid unto him, Thus faith Jephthah, Ifrael took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

16 But when rack came up from Egypt,

17 Then Ifrael fent meffengers unto the king of Edom, faying, Let me, I pray thee, pafs through thy land: but the king of Edom. would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they fent unto the king of Moab; but he would not confent: and Ifrael abode in Kadeth.

18 Then they went along through the wil dernefs, and compaffed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the eaft fide of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other fide of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Ifrael fent meffengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Hefhbon; and Ifrael faid unto him, Let us pafs, we pray thee, through: thy land unto my place.

20 But Sihon trufted not Ifrael to pafs through his coaft; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought againft Ifrael.

21 And the LORD God of Ifrael delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Ifrael, and they fmote them; fo Ifrael poffeffed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 And they poffeffed a" the coafts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wildernefs even unto Jordan.

23 So now, the LORD God of Ifrael hath difpoffeffed the Amorites from before his peo. ple Ifrael, and thouldeft thou poffefs it?

24 Wilt not thou poffefs that which Che. moth thy god giveth thee to poffefs? So whom foever the LORD our God fhall drive out from before us, them will we poffefs.

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the fon of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever ftrive against Ifrael, or did he ever fight against them,

26 While Ifrael dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coafts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not finned against thee, but thou doeft me wrong to war againft me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Ifrael and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he fent him.

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah; and he paffed over Gilead and Manaffeh, and paffed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he paffed over unto the children of Ammon.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and faid, If thou that without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it thall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my houfe to meet me, when 1 return in peace from the chil tren of Ammon, fhall furely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

32 So Jephthah paffed over unto the chil. dren of Ammon to fight againft them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

33 And he fmote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards,