The idolatry of Micah. B. C. about 1406. a ch. 17. 6. & 21. 25. b Josh, 19, 47. JUDGES. 4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made and ephod, and teraphim, and +consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And there was a young man out of A Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, tas be journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. CHAPTER XVIII. The Danites send five men to seek out an inherit ance. 3 At the house of Micah they consult with his priest, and are encouraged in their way. 7 They visit Laiah, and bring back a good report. 11 Six hundred men are sent to surprise it. 14 In the way they rob Micah of his priest and his consecrated things. 27 They smite Laish, and call it Dan. 30 They set up Micah's graven im age, and Jonathan becometh their priest. IN TN those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their ↑ Heb. soni. family five men from their coasts, men of e ch. 13. 25. valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, dto dNum. 13.17.py out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. Josh. 2. 1. ch. 17. 1. f ch. 17. 10. g1 Kings 22.5. Is. 30. 1. Hos. 4. 12. A Seech. 17.5. & ver. 14. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath fhired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, hof God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. Men of Dan visit Laish. or. 7 Then the five men departed, and camelKings22. 6. to Laish, and saw the people that were Josh. 19. 47, therein, thow they dwelt careless, after the Leshem. manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; Iver. 27, 28, and there was no † magistrate in the land, + Heb. posthat might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren ver. 2. said unto them, What say ye? 9 And they said, "Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people Psecure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. 11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men tappointed with weapons of war. hear of restraint. n Num. 13.30, Josh, 2. 23, 24. • 1 Kings 22.3. pver. 7, 27. Deut. 8. 9. Heb.girded. 12 And they went up, and pitched in "Kir-r Josh, 15, 60. jath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place "Mahaneh-dan unto this day: ch. 13. 25. behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. 13 And they passed thence unto mount 18am.14.28. 14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there ch. 17. 5. is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. † Heb. asked him of peace, Gen 43. 27. 1 Sam. 17.22, 16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering y ver. 11. of the gate. a ver, 2, 14. 17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took a the graven image, and the ephod, a ch. 17. 4, 5. and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, blay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go 6 Job 21. 5. & with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gath ered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. 29.9. & 40.4. Prov. 30. 32. Mic. 7. 16. c ch. 17. 10. Idolatry established in Dan. B. C. about 1406. † Heb. that thou art gathered together? JUDGES. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, † that thou comest with such a company? 24 And he said, Yo have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest + Heb. bitter angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose of soul, thy life, with the lives of thy household. 2 Sam. 17. 8. d ver. 7, 10, Deut. 33. 22. Josh. 19. 47. fver. 7. 23 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. 27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and d came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer, because it was ƒ far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the Num. 13.21. valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 2 Sam. 10. 6. h Josh. 19. 47. ¡ Gen. 14. 14. ch, 20, 1. 1 Kings 12. 23, 30. & 15. 20. k ch. 13. 1. 1 Sam, 4, 2. 3, 10, 11. Ps. 78. 60, 61. 1 Josh. 18. 1. ch. 19. 18. & 21. 12. a ch. 17. 6. & 18. 1. & 21.25. t Heb. a wo man a con cubine, or, a wife a concubine. 6 ch. 17. 7. Or, a year and four months. Heb. days four months. Heb. to her heart, ↑ Heb. Strengthen. e Gen. 18. 5. 29 And they called the name of the city i Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan kuntil the day of the captivity of the land. 31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. CHAPTER XIX. A Levite goeth to Beth-lehem to fetch home his concubine. 16 An old man entertaineth him at Gibeah. 22 The men of the city abuse his concubine to death. 29 He divideth her into twelve pieces, and sendeth them to the twelve tribes, AND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of 6 Beth-lehem-judab. 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months. 3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak tfriendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. 5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way. 6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and Jet thine heart be merry. 7 And when the man rose up to depart, his A Levite lodgeth in Gibeah. + Heb. till the day declined. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. 9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day + draweth toward Heb. evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go + home. 10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came tover against dJebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. is weak. t Heb. it is the pitching time of the day. Heb. to thy tent. Heb. to over against. d Josh, 18. 28. 11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and Josh. 15. 8. 63. lodge in it. ch. 1. 21. 2 Sam. 5. 6. 12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over f to Gibeah. f Josh 18. 28. 13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ra- Josh. 18. 25. inah. 14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that A took them into his house to lodging. A Matt. 25.43. Heb. 13. 2. 16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, Ps. 104. 23. which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? 18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am 1: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house. 19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. 20 And the old man said, 'Peace be with thee; howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. 21 "So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. 22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, Pthe men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. 23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not Josh. 18. 1. ch, 18. 31. & 20. 18. 1 Sam. 1.3.7. ↑ Heb. gathereth. ver. 15. Gen. 43. 23, ch. 6. 23. m Gen. 19. 2. n Gen. 24. 32. & 43. 24. o Gen. 18. 4. John 13. 5. p Gen. 19. 4. ch. 20. 5. Hos. 9. 9. & 10. 9. Deut. 13.13, Gen. 19. 5. Rom. 1. 26, 27. Gen. 19. 6,7. The Levite declareth his wrong. B. C. about 1406. 12 Sam. 13.12. Gen. 19. 8. Gen. 34. 2. Deut. 21.14. ↑ Heb. the matter of this folly. y Gen. 4. 1 Ich, 20. 5. a ch. 20. 6. See 1 Sam. 11. 7. é ch. 20. 7. Prov. 13. 10. a Deut. 13.12. Josh. 22. 12. ch. 21. 5. 1 Sam. 11. 7. 6 ch. 18. 29. 6 1 Sam. 3. 20. 2 Sam. 3. 10. & 24. 2. eJudg. 10. 17. & 11. 11. 1 Sam.7, 5. & 10. 17. d eh. 8. 10. ↑ Heb.the man the Levite. e ch. 19. 15. feb. 19. 22. JUDGES. so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. 24" Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light. 27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going: but none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. 29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concu bine, and a divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds. CHAPTER XX. The Levite in an assembly of the people declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the assembly. 12 The Benjamites, being required to deliver up the quilty persons, refuse, and prepare for war. 18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thou sand, 26 By stratagem they destroy all the Benjamites, except six hundred. THEN all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. 2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen dthat drew sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? 4 And t the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, "I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5fAnd the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: g ch. 19.25,26, and my concubine have they †forced, that she is dead. ↑ Heb. humbled. A ch. 19. 29. i Josh. 7. 15. k ch. 19. 30. 6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; kgive here your advice and counsel. 8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. The guilty men not delivered up. 9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 10 And we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. 12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13 Now therefore deliver us the men," the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and "put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the chil dren of Israel. 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. 16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. 18 And the children of Israel arose, and P went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle. against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. B. C. about 1406. + Heb. fellows. Deut. 13. 14. Josh, 22. 13, 16. m Deut.13.13. ch. 19. 22. n Deut. 17.12. a ch. 3. 15. 1 Chr. 12. 2. pver. 23, 26. q Num. 27.21. ch. 1. 1. r Gen. 49. 27. 22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23And the children of Israel went up and sver. 26, 27. wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him. 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them tver. 21. out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. 26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, "went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. u ver. 18. The Benjamites destroyed. B. C. about 1406. * Josh. 18. 1. 1 Sam. 4. 3,4. y Josh. 24. 33. Deut. 10. 8. & 18. 5. a So Josh.8.4. +Heb. to smite of the people wounded as at, fe. Or, Beth-el. b Josh. 8. 14. Is. 47. 11. e Josh. 8. 15. d Josh. 8. 19. Or, made a long sound with the trumpet Josh. 6. 5. Or, time. + Heb. with. † Heb. elevation. tHeb. tomite the wounded. JUDGES. 27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 "And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 29 And Israel aset liers in wait round about Gibeah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 81 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the high ways. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: 6 but they knew not that evil was near them. 35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword. 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. 37 dAnd the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great + flame with smoke rise up out of the city. 39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. 40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the e Josh. 8. 20. Benjamites looked behind them, and, be↑ Heb. the hold, the flame of the city ascended up to whole heaven. sumption. con 41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil † was come upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them. 43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease tover against Gibeah toward the sunrising. 44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. Desolation of Benjamin. NOW the men of Israel had sworn in a ch. 20. 1. Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of beh.20.18,26. God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? 4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 e28am.24.25. And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? d For they had made a great oath deh, 5, 23. concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD, that we will not give them of our daughters to wives? 8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. el Sam. 11. 1. & 31. 11. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, fGo and smitef ver. 5. & ch. the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the 5. 23. edge of the sword, with the women and the 1 Sam. 11. 7. children. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that thath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young vir gins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And the whole congregation sent some g Num. 31.17. ↑ Heb. know eth the lying with man. Heb. young women gins. h Josh. 18. 1. The remnant of the B. C. about 1406. + Heb. and spake called. RUTH. + to speak to the children of Benjamin ithat were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. 14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not. i ch. 20. 47. | Or, proclaim peace, Deut. 20. 10. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh +yearly, in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. Benjamites obtain wives. 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; B. C. about 1406. m See Ex. 15. 20. ch. 11. 31. 21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable Or, Gratify unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war : for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. us in them. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and "repaired the cities, nSee ch.20.48. and dwelt in them. 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: Pevery man did that which was right in his own eyes. och. 17. 6. & 18. 1. & 19. 1. p Deut. 12. 8. ch. 17. 6. e Judg. 3. 30. ↑ Heb. were. about 1312. f Ex. 4. 31. Luke 1. 68. P. 132. 15. Matt, 6. 11. A See Josh.24. 15. THE BOOK OF RUTH. CHAPTER I. Elimelech driven by famine into Moab, dieth. 4 His two sons marry wives of Moab, and die also. 6 Naomi returning homeward, 8 dissuad eth her two daughters in law from going with her. 14 Orpah leaveth her, but Ruth cleaveth unto her. 19 They two come to Beth-lehem. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, dEphrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. they came into the country of Moab, and + continued there. And 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had ƒvisited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as 2 Tim. 1. 16, ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto Pher P Judg. 11.24. gods return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my 2 Kings 2.2, God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi ? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me "Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then 2 Kings 2. 2. Luke 24. 28. Or, Be not against me. 4, G. ch. 2. 11, 12. t1 Sam. 3. 17. & 25. 22. 2 Sam. 19.13. 2 Kings 6.1. u Acts 21. 14. † Heh. strengthened herself. a Matt. 21.10. y See Is. 23. 7. That is, # Job 1. 21. |