Judges 20 Cross References - Thomson

¹ So all the children of Israel set out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan to Bersabee, and from the land of Galaad, before the Lord at Massepha. ² And when all the tribes of Israel were drawn up before the Lord in the congregation of the people of God, there were four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword. ³ Now the children of Benjamin heard that the Israelites were gone up to Massepha. Then the children of Israel who had come together said, Speak. Where was this wickedness done. ⁴ Whereupon the man, the Levite, the husband of the woman who was slain, answered and said, I came to Gabaa of Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. ⁵ And the men of Gabaa rose upon me, and beset me and the house by night. Me they would have killed, and my concubine they forced so that she died. ⁶ Upon which I took my concubine, and divided her in pieces and sent them through all the borders of the inheritance of the children of Israel. Since they have occasioned a ferment and destruction in Israel, ⁷ behold you are all Israelites; Advise and consult here for yourselves. ⁸ Then all the people arose as one man, and said, We will not, any of us go to his habitation, nor shall any of us return to his house; ⁹ and this is what shall be done to Gabaa; we will go up against it by lot. ¹⁰ But let us take ten men for the hundreds through all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for the thousands and a thousand for the ten thousands to collect provisions, and bring them to Gabaa of Benjamin, that we may do to it according to the abominable act which it hath committed in Israel. ¹¹ And when all Israel was united against that city, as one man, ¹² the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this which is done among you? ¹³ Now therefore deliver up those men, those sons of transgressors in Gabaa, that we may put them to death, and purge away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to their brethren the children of Israel. ¹⁴ Nay the children of Benjamin assembled from their cities to Gabaa, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. ¹⁵ And the children of Benjamin, who came from their cities, were at that time reviewed, twenty three thousand men who drew the sword, exclusive of the inhabitants of Gabaa, who were also reviewed. ¹⁶ Out of all the people seven hundred were selected, who used both hands alike. All these were men who could sling stones to a hair breadth, and not miss. ¹⁷ Now the men of Israel had been reviewed, exclusive of Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, who drew the sword. All these were men of array. ¹⁸ And they arose, and went up to Baithel, and inquired of God. And the children of Israel said, Who shall go up as our commander in chief to battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said Juda shall go up as commander in chief. ¹⁹ And all the children of Israel arose in the morning, and encamped against Gabaa; ²⁰ and all Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and drew up for them before Gabaa. ²¹ And the children of Benjamin sallied from Gabaa, and destroyed of Israel that day on the field of battle twenty two thousand men. ²² But the men of Israel took courage, and proceeded again to set the battle in array in the same place where they had drawn up the first day. ²³ The sons of Israel had indeed gone up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and inquired of the Lord saying, Shall we again proceed to draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren And the Lord said, Go up against them. ²⁴ So the children of Israel advanced against the children of Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ And the children of Benjamin came out from Gabaa to meet them on the second day, and destroyed of Israel again on the field of battle, eighteen thousand men. All these were men who drew the sword. ²⁶ Upon this all the children of Israel, even the whole people went up and came to Baithel, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted the whole day till evening, and offered whole burnt offerings and sacrifices before the Lord. ²⁷ For in those days the ark of the covenant of the Lord their God was there, ²⁸ and Phineas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, stood before it in those days. And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord saying, Shall we proceed again to go out to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren? And the Lord said, Go up. To-morrow I will deliver them into your hands. ²⁹ Then the children of Israel set men in ambush all around Gabaa. ³⁰ And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin, the third day, and drew up in array before Gabaa as they had done once and again. ³¹ And the children of Benjamin sallied out to meet the people, and were drawn clean out of the city, and began to smite some of the people dead, as in the first and second engagement in the high ways, which lead up, one to Baithel, and the other to Gabaa, through the fields, about thirty men of Israel. ³² And the children of Benjamin said, They fall before us, as heretofore. Now the sons of Israel had said, Let us flee, and draw them clean out of the city into the high ways. ³³ And when they had done so, and every man arose from his place, then they drew up in array at Baal-thamar, and the ambush of Israel came up from their place, from Maraagabo, ³⁴ and there came over against Gabaa ten thousand men, chosen out of all Israel; and the battle was fierce, for they did not know that evil was coming upon them. ³⁵ And the Lord smote Benjamin before the children of Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty five thousand one hundred men. All these drew the sword. ³⁶ When the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; now the Israelites had given way to Benjamin because they trusted to the ambush which they had laid for Gabaa; ³⁷ but when they retreated, the ambush was put in motion, and rushed forward against Gabaa, and poured into it, and smote the city with the edge of the sword. ³⁸ The children of Israel indeed had settled a signal of battle with the ambush, and that they should raise a counter signal of smoke from the city. ³⁹ So when the sons of Israel saw that the men in ambush had taken Gabaa, they halted, in order of battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite dead of the men of Israel about thirty men, for they said, They fall again before us, as in the former engagement. ⁴⁰ But when the counter sign ascended over the city, higher and higher, like a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked back, and behold, the destruction of the city ascended up to heaven. ⁴¹ So when Israel faced about, the men of Benjamin were struck with consternation, for they saw that evil was coming upon them, ⁴² and they looked about before the children of Israel, towards the way of the wilderness, and fled. But the battle overtook them. ⁴³ And they surrounded and destroyed them who came from the cities. They cut down Benjamin and pursued them closely from Nua to over against Gabaa, towards the rising of the sun, ⁴⁴ and there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valour. ⁴⁵ Now the rest of them had looked about, and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Remmon; but of them the children of Israel gleaned up five thousand men. And the children of Israel went down after them to Gedan, and smote of them two thousand men. ⁴⁶ So that all who fell of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who that day drew the sword. All these were men of valour. ⁴⁷ And the remainder, being six hundred men, turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Remmon, and abode at Rock Remmon four months. ⁴⁸ And the children of Israel turned back upon the Benjaminites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, beginning at the city Methla, including cattle and every thing throughout all the cities. And the cities which they came to, they burned with fire.

¹ Now the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, had a great multitude of cattle, and having taken a view of the country of Jazer, and the region of Galaad, and seen that it was a place fit for stock,

⁴⁰ So Moses gave Galaad to the community of Machir, son of Manasses, and they dwelt there.

¹² And if thou shalt hear it said, that in one of the cities, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to dwell in, ¹³ there are wicked men gone forth among you, who have seduced all the inhabitants of their land, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you know not; ¹⁴ thou shalt examine, and make inquiry, and search diligently: And behold, if the report is evidently true, and such abomination hath been committed among you; ¹⁵ thou shalt surely destroy all the inhabitants of that land, with the slaughter of the sword. With an Anathema thou shalt devote to destruction, it and all that are in it. ¹⁶ And thou shalt collect all the spoils of it into the streets thereof, and burn with fire the city, and all the spoils thereof, with all the inhabitants, in the sight of the Lord thy God. And it shall be uninhabited for ever. It shall never be rebuilt any more; ¹⁷ nor shall any thing of what is devoted to destruction cleave to thy hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his wrath, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion on thee, and multiply thee, in the manner he solemnly promised thy fathers, ¹⁸ if thou wilt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments which I this day command you; to do what is comely and well pleasing in the sight of the Lord thy God.

³⁸ and Dalad, and Maspha, and Jachareel,

¹ And the borders of the tribe of the children of Manasses were these; Because he was the first born of Joseph, Machir the first born of Manasses, the father of Galaad, being a man of war, had a possession in Galaaditis, and in Basanitis;

²⁶ and Massema, and Miron, and Amoke,

¹² all the Israelites assembled at Selo, to go up to war against them.

¹⁷ Now the children of Ammon had gone up, and encamped in Galaad; and the children of Israel assembled and encamped at the watch tower.

¹¹ Thereupon Jephthae went with the elders of Galaad, and the people made him head and leader over them. And when Jephthae had repeated all these his terms before the Lord, at Massepha,

²⁹ and called the name of the city Dan after the name of their father Dan who was born to Israel. Now the name of that city formerly was Oulamais.

² And when all the tribes of Israel were drawn up before the Lord in the congregation of the people of God, there were four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword.

⁸ Then all the people arose as one man, and said, We will not, any of us go to his habitation, nor shall any of us return to his house;

¹¹ And when all Israel was united against that city, as one man,

¹⁸ And they arose, and went up to Baithel, and inquired of God. And the children of Israel said, Who shall go up as our commander in chief to battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said Juda shall go up as commander in chief.

²⁶ Upon this all the children of Israel, even the whole people went up and came to Baithel, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted the whole day till evening, and offered whole burnt offerings and sacrifices before the Lord.

⁵ Then the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who came not up before the Lord at the general assembly? For they had denounced the great curse against those who came not up before the Lord to Massepha, saying, Let him assuredly be put to death.

²⁰ And all Israel, from. Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord.

⁵ Samuel said, Assemble all Israel to Massepha, and I will pray to the Lord for you. ⁶ So they assembled at Massepha, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, on the ground, and fasted that day, and said, We have sinned before the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Massepha.

¹⁷ Then Samuel summoned all the people before the Lord, to Massepha,

⁷ and taking two heifers, he cut them in pieces, and sent them to all the borders of Israel, by the hands of messengers, saying, So shall be done to every man's cattle who goeth not out after Saul and after Samuel. And a dread of the Lord came on all the people of Israel, and they came out as one man. ⁸ And when he had reviewed them at Bezek, in the Bama, the men of Israel, six hundred thousand, and the men of Juda, seventy thousand,

⁹ and made him king over Galaaditis, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

¹⁰ to take the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Juda, from Dan to Bersabee.

¹⁴ So when he had turned the heart of Juda, like that of one man, they sent to the king, saying, Return thou and all thy servants.

² When the king said to Joab, the captain general of his army, who was with him, Go, I pray thee through all the tribes of Israel and Juda, from Dan to Bersabee, and review the people, and let me know the number of them,

²³ And when all the chiefs of the army, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Godolias, they came to him at Massephath, namely, Ismael son of Nathanias, and Jona son of Kareth, and Saraias son of Thanamath, the Netophathite, and Jezonias son of Machathi, they and their men.

² and king David said to Joab and the chiefs of the army, Go, number Israel from Dan to Bersabee, and let me know the number of them,

⁵ therefore they determined to make proclamation, throughout all Israel, from Bersabee to Dan, that they might come and keep the passover, to the Lord God of Israel, at Jerusalem, because a multitude had not done it according to the scripture.

¹ yet when the seventh month was come, the Israelites who were in their cities, even the whole people, like one man, assembled at Jerusalem.

¹ but when the seventh month was come, the sons of Israel who were in their cities, and all the people, assembled like one man, in the street which is before the water gate, and spoke to Esdras the scribe to bring out the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had enjoined on Israel.

¹⁰ Now Zebee and Salmana were at Karkar, and their army with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the whole host of the foreign tribes, they who had fallen being a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.

¹⁵ And the children of Benjamin, who came from their cities, were at that time reviewed, twenty three thousand men who drew the sword, exclusive of the inhabitants of Gabaa, who were also reviewed.

¹⁷ Now the men of Israel had been reviewed, exclusive of Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, who drew the sword. All these were men of array.

⁹ And Joab laid before the king the amount of the review of the people. And that of Israel was eight hundred thousand fighting men: and the men of Juda were five hundred thousand warriors.

²⁶ And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew the sword, to cut their way through to the king of Edom. But they he could not,

²² But while they were cheering their hearts, behold the men of the city; sons of transgressors, surrounded the house, and knocked at the door, and spake to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came to thy house that we may know him. ²³ Upon this the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, Do not, my brethren; do not, I pray you, the man an injury after his entering my house. You must not commit such folly. ²⁴ Behold here is my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine; I will bring them out, and you may humble them and do to them what seemeth good in your eyes, but to the man you must not do such an act of folly. ²⁵ But the men would not hearken to him. Then the man took his concubine, and brought her out to them, and they knew her, and abused her the whole night till the morning. And soon as the day began to dawn they let her go. ²⁶ And the woman went at the dawn of day and threw herself down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it should be light. ²⁷ And when her husband arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out with a design to proceed on in his journey, behold the woman, his concubine, was lying at the doors of the house with her hands on the threshold.

³ A prudent man seeing the wicked severely punished instructeth himself: but the foolish passed heedlessly by and were punished.

²⁵ Come speedily to a friendly agreement with thine adversary, whilst thou art on the road with him; lest the adversary deliver thee up to the judge; and the judge consign thee to the officer, and thou be thrown into prison.

⁵⁸ For when thou art going with thine adversary to a magistrate, endeavour to come to an agreement with him on the way, lest he bring thee before the judge; and the judge deliver thee up to the officer, and the officer commit thee to prison: ⁵⁹ I tell thee thou canst not get out of that, till thou hast paid the last farthing.

³¹ Or, what king marching out to encounter another in battle, doth not first sit down and consult, whether he with ten thousand men, is able to meet him who is coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if not: doth he not, while the other is yet at a great distance, send an embassy, and sue for peace?

¹⁵ Whereupon they turned aside thither, to go and lodge in Gabaa, and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city; but there was not a man who invited them to lodge at his house. ¹⁶ And behold there came an old man from his work, out of the field, late in the evening. Now the man was from mount Ephraim, and sojourned at Gabaa, but the men of the place were Benjaminites. ¹⁷ And when he raised his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, the old man said, Whither art thou going, and whence comest thou? ¹⁸ And he said to him, We are on our way from Bethlehem of Juda to the side of mount Ephraim. I am of that place. I went to Bethlehem Juda, and am on my way home, but there is not a man who inviteth me to his house. ¹⁹ I have indeed straw and provender for our asses, and bread and wine for myself and the handmaid, and the young man with thy servants. There is no want of any thing. ²⁰ Thereupon the old man said, Peace be to thee. But let all thy wants be upon me. But thou must not lodge in the street. ²¹ So he took him to his house, and provided a place for the asses. And when they had washed their feet, they ate and drank. ²² But while they were cheering their hearts, behold the men of the city; sons of transgressors, surrounded the house, and knocked at the door, and spake to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came to thy house that we may know him. ²³ Upon this the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, Do not, my brethren; do not, I pray you, the man an injury after his entering my house. You must not commit such folly. ²⁴ Behold here is my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine; I will bring them out, and you may humble them and do to them what seemeth good in your eyes, but to the man you must not do such an act of folly. ²⁵ But the men would not hearken to him. Then the man took his concubine, and brought her out to them, and they knew her, and abused her the whole night till the morning. And soon as the day began to dawn they let her go. ²⁶ And the woman went at the dawn of day and threw herself down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it should be light. ²⁷ And when her husband arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out with a design to proceed on in his journey, behold the woman, his concubine, was lying at the doors of the house with her hands on the threshold. ²⁸ And he said to her, Arise and let us depart. But she made no answer; for she was dead. So he took her up, upon the ass, and went to his place,

⁴ But before they went to rest, the men of the city, the Sodomites, surrounded the house, both young and old; all the people in a body. ⁵ And they called out Lot and said to him, Where are the men who came to thee this night? Bring them out to us that we may know them. ⁶ Whereupon Lot went out to them into the porch and shut the door after him: ⁷ And he said to them, You must not brethren, commit such wickedness. ⁸ I have two daughters who have not known man; Let me bring out these to you, and use them as you please; only do no injury to these men in as much as they have come under the shelter of my roof.

²⁴ you shall bring them both out to the gate of the city, and stone them with stones, till they die: the young woman, because she did not cry aloud in the city, and the man because he humbled the wife of his neighbour. So thou shalt remove evil from among you.

²² But while they were cheering their hearts, behold the men of the city; sons of transgressors, surrounded the house, and knocked at the door, and spake to the man, the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came to thy house that we may know him.

²⁵ But the men would not hearken to him. Then the man took his concubine, and brought her out to them, and they knew her, and abused her the whole night till the morning. And soon as the day began to dawn they let her go. ²⁶ And the woman went at the dawn of day and threw herself down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it should be light.

¹⁰ In thee they uncovered the nakedness of a father; and in thee humbled a woman in a state of separation. ¹¹ In thee one debauched his neighbour's wife; another wantonly defiled his daughter in law; and another humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

⁷ and Jacob's sons came from the plain. And when the men heard, they were stung to the quick; and it was exceedingly painful to them, that he had brought dishonour on Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, and it should not pass so.

¹⁵ and whoever is pointed out, he shall be burned with fire and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and committed iniquity in Israel.

²³ Upon this the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said, Do not, my brethren; do not, I pray you, the man an injury after his entering my house. You must not commit such folly.

²⁹ and took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, and sent them through all the borders of Israel.

¹⁰ But let us take ten men for the hundreds through all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for the thousands and a thousand for the ten thousands to collect provisions, and bring them to Gabaa of Benjamin, that we may do to it according to the abominable act which it hath committed in Israel.

¹² And she said to him, No, my brother, thou must not dishonour me; for such a thing ought not to be done in Israel. Thou must not commit such folly. ¹³ As for me where could I hide my dishonour? And with regard to thyself, thou wouldst be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, speak I pray thee to the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.

⁵ Now therefore if you will hearken diligently to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be to me a peculiar people above all the nations; for the whole earth is mine: ⁶ but as for you, you shall be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. These words thou shalt deliver to the children of Israel.

⁶ Therefore keep them, and practise them. For this will be your wisdom, and your understanding, in the sight of all the nations. Whoever shall chance to hear all these rules of rectitude, will say, Behold this is a wise and understanding people a great nation.

¹ You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not make a baldness between your eyes for the dead. ² Because thou art a people dedicated to the Lord thy God, and the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people to himself, above all the nations on the face of the earth,

¹⁴ Then the rulers took some of their provisions, and did not consult the Lord.

³⁰ Whereupon every one who saw them said, There never was such a thing done or seen from the day the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day. Appoint for yourselves a counsel over her and speak.

¹⁸ [Omitted]

⁶ By government war is conducted! and help is the attendant of a heart instructed by counsel.

¹ It is currently reported that there is among you an act of lewdness, and of such a sort as is not named among the nations, so that one hath his father's wife:

⁶ This boasting of yours is unbecoming. Do you not know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole mixture?

¹⁰ not including in general the fornicators of this world, nor those who are immoderate in their desires, or rapacious, or idolaters; since in that case you must needs have gone out of the world. ¹¹ But this is what I now write to you, that if any one named a brother, be a fornicator, or one who gratifieth immoderate desires, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, you are not to associate; no, nor eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with passing sentence on those who are without? Is not this the case? On those within you are to pass sentence,

⁵ And if any of you wanteth wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.

¹ So all the children of Israel set out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan to Bersabee, and from the land of Galaad, before the Lord at Massepha.

¹ Now the children of Israel had sworn at Massepha, saying, Not a man of us shall give his daughter to a Benjaminite to wife.

³ To do justice and to adhere to truth are more acceptable to God than the blood of victims.

¹⁰ Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; since there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge nor wisdom in the mansion of the dead to which thou must go.

² They gave possessions by lot, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Joshua, to nine tribes and the half of a tribe on this side the Jordan;

⁴¹ Then Saul said, Lord the God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? If the fault be in me, or in Jonathan my son, Lord God of Israel make us manifest. And when he said these words, Give I beseech thee to thy people Israel, Give I beseech thee Sanctity, the lot fell on Jonathan and Saul; and the people escaped. ⁴² Then Saul said, Cast the lot between me, and Jonathan my son, and against whomsoever the Lord shall decide by lot, let him be put to death. But the people said to Saul, This is not confirmed. But Saul prevailed over the people, so they cast the lot between him and his son Jonathan; and the lot fell on Jonathan.

⁵ These he distributed by lot, one with the other. Because there were chiefs of the holies, and chiefs of the Lord, among the sons of Eleazar and among the sons of Ithamar,

¹ Now the chiefs of the people dwelt at Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one of every ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in their cities.

³³ All things come upon the wicked into their bosoms: but from the Lord all things which are just.

⁷ Then they said, one to another, Come let us cast lots and know on whose account this calamity is come on us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.

²⁶ they cast lots; and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

¹⁴ thou shalt examine, and make inquiry, and search diligently: And behold, if the report is evidently true, and such abomination hath been committed among you;

¹⁰ And when thou art come to a city, to fight against it, thou shalt call upon the inhabitants to come out peaceably.

¹³ And the children of Israel sent to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half of the tribe of Manasses, to the land of Galaad, Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the chief priest, ¹⁴ and ten of the chiefs with him, a chief from the head family of every tribe of Israel. Now the chiefs of the head families are the chiliarchs of Israel. ¹⁵ And when they came to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half of the tribe of Manasses, to the land of Galaad, they spoke to them, saying, ¹⁶ Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this which you have committed in the presence of the God of Israel, to turn away this day from the Lord, having built for yourselves an altar that you may apostatize from the Lord?

¹⁵ Wherefore if thy brother trespass against thee, go and expostulate with him when thou and he are alone. If he hearken to thee thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hearken to thee, then take with thee one or two, that by the testimony of two or three witnesses everything may be ascertained; ¹⁷ And if he disregard them, tell the congregation; and if he disregard the congregation, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican. ¹⁸ Verily I say to you, whatsoever ye shall bind on the earth will be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on the earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁸ If possible, that is, as far as in your power, be at peace with all men.

⁵ And that prophet, or that dreamer, shall be put to death; for he hath spoken to lead thee astray from the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, who redeemed thee from bondage; to put thee out of the way in which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk. So thou shalt remove evil from among you.

¹³ there are wicked men gone forth among you, who have seduced all the inhabitants of their land, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you know not;

⁷ And the hand of the witness shall be upon him, among the first, to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of the people. So thou shalt remove the wickedness from among you.

¹² they tell thee, either to the right, or to the left. And if any man act presumptuously, so as not to hearken to the priest who hath stood to minister to the name of the Lord thy God; or to the judge who may be in those days; that man shall be put to death. So thou shalt remove the evil person from among Israel,

¹⁹ you shall do to him as he wickedly thought to do to his brother. thou shalt remove the evil from among you;

²¹ Thereupon the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall be put to death. So thou shalt remove the wicked from among you; and the rest, who hear, will be struck with awe.

²¹ they shall carry out the young woman to the doors of her father's house, and stone her with stones, till she die, because she hath committed folly in Israel, by making her father's house a place of prostitution. So thou shalt remove evil from among you.

⁷ If any man be found stealing any of his brethren, the children of Israel, or, having got him in his power, selleth him, the thief shall be put to death. So shalt thou remove evil from among you.

²⁵ If one man sin against another, intercession can be made for him to the Lord; but if he sin against the Lord, who can intercede for him? But they hearkened not to the voice of their father, wherefore the Lord determined to destroy them.

²² all the turbulent and bad men among the warriors, who went with David, answered and said, Because they did not accompany us in the pursuit we will not give them any of the spoils which we have taken, save that every one may take his wife and children. Let them take these and depart.

¹ men of Israel; and there happened to be there a turbulent man whose name was Sabee, son of Bochori, the chief of the Jeminites, and he sounded a trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jessai. Every man to his tent, Israel.

²¹ Is not this the case? There is a man of mount Ephraim; his name is Sabee son of Bochori, who hath lifted up his hand against king David. Only deliver him up to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said, Behold his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. ²² So the woman went to all the people. And when she had spoken to the whole city in her wisdom, they cut off the head of Sabee son of Bochori. And having cut it off, they threw it to Joab; whereupon Joab sounded a trumpet, and all the people withdrew from the city, and dispersed, every man to his tent, and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

⁶ [p] All such are like rejected thorns. Because they cannot be handled,

¹³ and there came in two wicked men and sat over against him and testified against him saying, Thou hast renounced God and the king. Upon which they led him out of the city, and stoned him with stones so that he died.

⁷ and there were gathered to him wicked factious men, so that he rose up against Roboam the son of Solomon, when he was young and faint hearted and unable to withstand him;

¹⁶ But while the prophet was speaking to him lie said to him, Have I made thee a counsellor of the king? Forbear, lest thou be scourged. Thereupon the prophet held his peace, for I know, said he, that he hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel.

²⁰ But Amasias would not hearken, for the Lord had determined to deliver him up, because he sought the gods of the Idumeans.

¹ Better is a man of experience, than a man who is stiff-necked: for when the latter is suddenly burned, there is no healing him.

¹⁰ Therefore remove wrath from thy heart and put away evil from thy flesh.

⁹ they were corrupt as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins.

⁹ From the time of those mounts, Israel sinned: it was there they stood. Should not battle against these children of iniquity overtake them on this mount,

³² Some having recognised God's law, That they who do such things deserve death, not only do the same things themselves, but have even a complacency in them who commit them;

⁴ And I heard another voice out of heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that you may not partake of her sins and that you may not receive of her punishments. ⁵ Because her sins have reached to heaven and God hath remembered her acts of injustice,

²⁰ But he said, Thou shalt not pass through me. And Edom came out to meet him with a great multitude, and a strong hand.

²³ But Seon would not grant Israel a passage through his territories. He indeed assembled all his people, and went out to the wilderness, to attack Israel, and came to Jessa, and drew up in array against Israel.

¹³ Now Jeroboam had detached an ambuscade to come upon his rear. He was before Juda and the ambuscade was behind them.

²⁵ Because he lifted up his hands against the Lord, and hardened his neck against the Lord Almighty: ²⁶ therefore he ran upon him contemptuously, with the thick boss of his buckler.

³⁷ on a review of those of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty five thousand four hundred.

⁴¹ These Benjaminites, according to their communities were, from the review of them, forty five thousand five hundred.

²⁵ And the children of Benjamin came out from Gabaa to meet them on the second day, and destroyed of Israel again on the field of battle, eighteen thousand men. All these were men who drew the sword.

³⁵ And the Lord smote Benjamin before the children of Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty five thousand one hundred men. All these drew the sword.

⁴⁶ So that all who fell of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who that day drew the sword. All these were men of valour. ⁴⁷ And the remainder, being six hundred men, turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Remmon, and abode at Rock Remmon four months.

¹⁵ But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, namely Aod son of Gera, the Jeminite, a man who could use both hands alike. When the children of Israel sent presents by him to Eglon king of Moab,

⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, and having chosen for himself five smooth stones, out of the brook, he put them in the shepherd's scrip, which he kept for a purse, and with a sling in his hand, he went out to meet the man; the Philistine.

⁴⁹ And David put his hand in the scrip, and took out a stone, and slinged it, and smote the Philistine on the forehead, and the stone pierced through the helmet, into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. ⁵⁰ [Omitted]

²⁹ Though a man may rise up to pursue thee, and seek thy life, yet will the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of life by the Lord God; but the life of thy enemies thou shalt sling out with a sling.

² and used the bow, slung stones and hurled darts with both hands. Of the brethren of Saul; of Benjamin

¹⁴ And Ozias provided for them; for all this army, shields and spears, and helmets, and breast plates, and bows, and slings to cast stones.

⁴⁶ every one who went out to be marshalled in Israel, was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

⁵¹ This muster of the Israelites was six hundred and one thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

⁸ And when he had reviewed them at Bezek, in the Bama, the men of Israel, six hundred thousand, and the men of Juda, seventy thousand,

⁴ Thereupon Saul assembled the people, and reviewed them at Galgal, four hundred thousand men of array, particularly of Juda thirty thousand men of array.

⁵ he gave David an account of the review of the people, and the whole number of the men of Israel who drew a sword, w r as eleven hundred thousand, and the children of Juda were four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew a sword.

¹⁴ this was the number of them according to the houses of their patriarchal families. The chiliarchs for Juda were Edna the chief, and with him sons, mighties of the army, three hundred chiliads; ¹⁵ and after him Joanan the leader and with him two hundred and eighty chiliads; ¹⁶ and after him Amasias the Zarite, who devoted himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred chiliads, mighties of the army; ¹⁷ and from Benjamin a mighty of the army, namely Eliada, and with him bow men, and those armed with shields, two hundred chiliads; ¹⁸ and after him Jozabad, and with him eighty chiliads, mighties of battle.

⁸ Judas! Let thy brethren praise thee: Thy hands will be on the back of thy enemies. The sons of thy father shall bow down to thee. ⁹ Judas is a lion's whelp. From a vigorous stem, my son, thou art sprung. Couching down thou art gone to sleep like a young lion: Who dare rouse him! ¹⁰ A chief shall not fail from Judas. Nor a leader from his loins; Till the things reserved for him shall come; Even He, the expectation of nations.

⁵ Whereupon Moses laid their case before the Lord.

²¹ children of Israel may hearken to him. And he shall stand before Eleazar, the priest, and they shall ask him the determination of the manifestations before the Lord. And at his command they shall go out; and at his command he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation, shall come in.

¹ When all the congregation of Israel assembled at Selo, and fixed there the tabernacle of the testimony, and the land was subdued under them,

¹ Now, after the decease of Joshua, the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us as our leader against the Chananites, to conduct the war against them? ² And the Lord said, Juda shall go up. Behold I have delivered the land into his hand.

³¹ They indeed set up for themselves the graven image which Micah made, all the time the house of God was at Selom.

¹⁸ And he said to him, We are on our way from Bethlehem of Juda to the side of mount Ephraim. I am of that place. I went to Bethlehem Juda, and am on my way home, but there is not a man who inviteth me to his house.

⁷ behold you are all Israelites; Advise and consult here for yourselves.

²³ The sons of Israel had indeed gone up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and inquired of the Lord saying, Shall we again proceed to draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren And the Lord said, Go up against them.

²⁶ Upon this all the children of Israel, even the whole people went up and came to Baithel, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted the whole day till evening, and offered whole burnt offerings and sacrifices before the Lord. ²⁷ For in those days the ark of the covenant of the Lord their God was there,

¹⁴ Set apart a fast; proclaim a solemn service; assemble the elders; all the inhabitants of the land, to the house of your God, and cry to the Lord incessantly,

¹ Thereupon Joshua arose early next morning, and removed from Sattin; and having come to the Jordan, they halted there some time before they crossed.

¹² And on the second day Joshua arose, early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord,

¹⁶ Accordingly Joshua arose early in the morning, and brought forward the people by tribes, and the tribe of Juda was pointed out.

²⁷ Benjamin is a ravening wolf. In the morning he is still eating, and for the evening he provideth food.

⁹ When thou goest out to encamp against thine enemies, thou shalt be on thy guard against every evil thing.

¹⁰ And now you purpose to keep the children of Juda and Jerusalem, for men slaves and women slaves! Behold am not I with you to testify to the Lord your God?

¹⁶ A king is not saved because of a numerous army: nor can a giant be saved by his abundant strength.

¹⁸ It is but for their frauds thou hast dealt thus with them. Thou hast overthrown them by their exaltation.! ¹⁹ how they were for destruction! They are gone in a moment! They perished for their iniquity!

¹⁹ Thy way was through the sea, and thy paths through many waters; but thy footsteps could not be known.

¹ As the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, man indeed knoweth not what to love or what to hate: with regard to all things before him there is vanity in them all. ² The same event happeneth to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; to the clean and to the unclean; to him who sacrificeth and to him who sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; as is he who sweareth, so is he who feareth the oath. ³ There is this evil in every thing done under the sun, that one event happeneth to them all, so that the heart of the children of men being filled with evil there is an instability in their heart during their life, and it followeth them to the dead.

¹ [p] Righteous as thou art, O Lord, can I defend a cause against thee? but let me speak to thee in respect to judgments. Why is the way of wicked men prosperous? Why are they happy who have been all guilty of perfidy?

⁶ And David was in great distress, for the people talked of stoning him; for the soul of all the people was exasperated, every one for his sons, and his daughters. David, however, was strengthened by the Lord his God.

²⁵ Thereupon David said to the messenger, Thus shaft thou say to Joab, Let not this be grievous in thy sight; for the sword devoureth sometimes on one side, and sometimes on the other. Make thy battle strong against the city, and block it up, and enclose it with strong works.

⁵ They strengthened for themselves an evil matter: they talked of hiding snares, saying, Who can see us?

⁶ and Joshua rent his clothes. Now when Joshua had prostrated himself, with his face on the ground, before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they had put dust on their heads,

³⁴ When he smote them and they sought him, and returned and inquired early after God, ³⁵ and remembered that God was their helper, and that God the Most High was their redeemer; ³⁶ though they expressed love for him with their mouth, they lied to him with their tongue,

¹⁵ I will sally forth and return to my place until they are made desolate, then they will seek my face.

²⁵ Thou canst not do such a thing as this to slay the righteous with the wicked. Shall the righteous be as the wicked? No, no; Thou who judgest the whole earth; wilt not thou execute judgment?

²¹ And the children of Benjamin sallied from Gabaa, and destroyed of Israel that day on the field of battle twenty two thousand men.

¹² If he dismiss who shall bring back? Or who shall say to him, What hast thou done? ¹³ For he himself slighted anger; by him the monsters under heaven were bowed down.

² A cloud and darkness are around him: justice and judgment are the basis of his throne.

⁵ Indeed according to this obduracy, and impenitent heart of thine thou art treasuring up for thyself wrath against a day of the wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁵ If then our unrighteousness established the righteousness of God, what shall we say, Is not God unjust who taketh vengeance? I speak as a man.

³³ O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways not to be traced out!

⁶ So they assembled at Massepha, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, on the ground, and fasted that day, and said, We have sinned before the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Massepha.

³ Thereupon Josaphat was terrified, and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast through all Juda

²¹ Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Avue, that we might humble ourselves in the presence of our God, and inquire of him the straight road for us, and our children, and all our substance;

⁴ And there assembled to me every one who, in the defection of the captivity, continued to follow the word of the God of Israel: but as for me, I continued sitting disconsolate, till the evening sacrifice. ⁵ And at the evening sacrifice I arose from my humiliation; having rent my garments, I rose up, and fell upon my knees, and spreading forth my hands to the Lord God,

¹² Now therefore saith the Lord your God, turn to me with your whole heart, and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning. ¹³ Rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, long suffering and full of compassion, and relenteth at evils. ¹⁴ Who knoweth but he will turn and relent, and leave behind him a blessing and a sacrifice and a libation for the Lord your God. ¹⁵ Sound the trumpet in Sion. Appoint a fast; proclaim a solemn act of worship. ¹⁶ Assemble the people; sanctify the congregation; choose elders. Bring together infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber and the bride from her wardrobe. ¹⁷ At the foot of the altar, let the priests who minister to the Lord, weep, and say, Spare, Lord, thy people; and give not up thy heritage to reproach; for the nations to rule over them. That they may not say among the nations, "Where is their God?" ¹⁸ the Lord was indeed jealous for his land and spared his people.

⁵ And the men of Ninive believed God and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. ⁶ When the word reached the king of Ninive, he arose from his throne and stripped off his robes and clothed himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. ⁷ And proclamation was made and orders issued in Ninive from the king and from his nobles, saying, With regard to men and beasts, including herds and flocks, Let them not taste any thing; let them neither feed nor drink water. ⁸ So both men and beasts were covered with sackcloth; and there was an incessant cry to God; and every one turned from his evil way, and from the wickedness of their hands, saying, ⁹ "Who knoweth but God will relent and turn away from his fierce wrath, so that we may not perish. ¹⁰ And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways. And God relented at the evil which he said he would do to them, and did it not.

³ And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why hath the Lord caused us this day to shrink before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of our God from Selom, and let it go forth from the midst of us, and it will save us out of the hands of our enemies. ⁴ So the people sent to Selom, and brought thence the ark of the Lord who is enthroned on the cherubim. And both the sons of Eli, Ophni and Phineas, went with the ark.

⁶⁰ and he abandoned the tabernacle of Selom; the tent in which he had dwelt among men; ⁶¹ and delivered up their strength to captivity, and their glory into an enemy's hand;

¹ It is not that the hand of the Lord is unable to save; nor that his ear is grown dull to hear;

¹² Go then to my place which was at Selo, where I caused my name to dwell at first; and see what I have done to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel.

⁷ Upon seeing this, Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, started up from among the congregation, and taking a javelin in his hand, ⁸ went after the man; the Israelite, into the bed chamber, and ran them both through, the man, the Israelite, quite through, and the woman into her belly. Whereupon the plague stopped from the children of Israel. ⁹ Now they who had died of the plague were twenty four thousand. ¹⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ¹¹ Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, hath stayed my wrath from Israel, by shewing a zeal for me among them, so that in my jealousy I have not utterly consumed the children of Israel. ¹² Therefore say, Behold I give him the covenant of peace. ¹³ It shall be to him, and to his seed after him, an everlasting covenant of the priests' office, because he shewed a zeal for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.

⁸ Now the Lord, having at that time set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, and to serve, and bless in his name, as they do at this day,

⁵ Because the Lord hath chosen him, out of all thy tribes, to stand before the Lord God, to minister and to bless, in his name; therefore with regard to him and his sons,

⁷ Joshua said, Alas, Lord! Why hath thy servant caused this people to cross the Jordan, to deliver them up to the Amorite to destroy us? Should we have tarried, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan?

¹³ And the children of Israel sent to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half of the tribe of Manasses, to the land of Galaad, Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the chief priest,

³⁰ When Phineas the priest, and all the chief's of the congregation of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half of the tribe of Manasses, had spoken, they were pleased. ³¹ And Phineas the priest said to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half of the tribe of Manasses, This day we perceive that the Lord is with us, because you have not committed a trespass before the Lord, and because you have delivered the Israelites out of the hand of the Lord. ³² So Phineas the priest returned, with the chiefs, from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, and from the half of the tribe of Manasses, from Galaad to the land of Chanaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them this answer,

³³ And after these things, Eleazar son of Aaron, the chief priest, died, and was buried in Gabaar, which belonged to Phineas his son, which he had given him on mount Ephraim. At that time the children of Israel took up the ark of God, and carried it about among them. And Phineas officiated as priest in the room of his father Eleazar. And when he died, he was buried in Gabaar, which belonged to him. As for the children of Israel, they had gone to their several homes, and to their respective: cities. And when the children of Israel fell to worshipping Astarte, and Astaroth, and the gods of the nations around them, the Lord delivered them into the hands of Eglon king of Moab, and he exercised dominion over them eighteen years.

² And the Lord said, Juda shall go up. Behold I have delivered the land into his hand.

⁹ And that night the Lord said to him, Arise, and go down through the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand.

³⁷ Whereupon Saul consulted God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? But he answered him not that day.

⁴ Then David inquired again of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, and said to him, Arise and go down to Keila; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands. ⁵ So David went with his men to Keila, and fought the Philistines and they fled before him, and he took their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them. So David saved the inhabitants of Keila. ⁶ Now as Abiathar, son of Abimelech, had fled to David, he went down with him to Keila, having the ephod in his hand. ⁷ And when Saul was told that David was come to Keila, Saul said, God hath sold him into my hands; for he is shut up by coming into a city with gates and bars. ⁸ So Saul gave orders to all the people to go down for battle, to Keila, to take David and his men. ⁹ And David knew it; for Saul did not conceal his mischievous intention respecting him. Therefore David said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod of the Lord. ¹⁰ And David said, Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard that Saul seeketh to come against Keila to destroy the city on my account. ¹¹ Will it be shut up? Or will Saul come down now as thy servant hath heard? Lord God of Israel tell thy servant. And the Lord said, It will be shut up. ¹² [Omitted]

⁸ And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this horde? Shall I overtake them? And he said to him, Pursue, for thou shalt overly take them and without fail rescue.

¹⁹ Whereupon David inquired of the Lord saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hands? And the Lord said to David, Go up; for I will assuredly deliver the Philistines into thy hands. ²⁰ So David went out through Upper breaks, and smote the Philistines there. Whereupon David said, The Lord broke through the Philistine enemies before me, as waters burst through mounds. For this cause the name of that place, was called Upper Breaks. ²¹ And there they left their gods; and David and the men who were with him took them. ²² Again the Philistines proceeded to come up, and made another irruption into the valley of the Titans. ²³ And when David inquired of the Lord, the Lord said, Thou shalt not go up to meet them in front. Wheel about from them, and come upon them near Wailing. ²⁴ And when thou nearest the sound of a rustling in the grove of Wailing, then thou shalt go down against them; for the Lord will then go out before thee, to smite in the battle of the Philistines.

³ And having put the ark of the Lord in a new car, they brought it from the house of Aminadab, who dwelt on the mount. And Oza, and his brothers the sons of Aminadab, led the car with the ark.

⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Oza, and he smote him there, by the ark of the Lord, in the presence of God. ⁸ Now David was disheartened because the Lord had broke out upon Oza, and that place is to this day called Breach of Oza; ⁹ and David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? ¹⁰ So David was not willing that the ark of the covenant of the Lord should turn aside to him, into the city of David, and David caused it to turn aside to the house of Abeddara, the Gethite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Abeddara the Gethite three months, and the Lord blessed the whole house of Abeddara, and all belonging to him. ¹² And when they told king David saying, The Lord bath blessed two house of Abeddara, and all belonging to him, on account of the ark of God, David went and brought up the ark of the Lord out of the house of Abeddara, into the city of David, with rejoicing.

¹⁷ You have not to fight. Consider these things, and see the salvation of the Lord with you. Juda and Jerusalem, be not terrified nor afraid to go out to-morrow to meet them; for the Lord is with you.

⁵ Trust in God with thy whole heart; and be not elated for thine own wisdom. ⁶ Shew it in all thy ways, that it may make thy paths straight.

²³ [p] I know, Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, nor can a man who travelleth ensure to himself a prosperous journey.

⁴ and he gave them orders, saying, Lie in ambush behind the city; be not at a great distance from the city, and be all ready;

³⁴ and there came over against Gabaa ten thousand men, chosen out of all Israel; and the battle was fierce, for they did not know that evil was coming upon them.

²³ And when David inquired of the Lord, the Lord said, Thou shalt not go up to meet them in front. Wheel about from them, and come upon them near Wailing.

⁵ and the men of Gai slew of them about thirty six men, and pursued them from the gate, and drove them from the steep. Whereupon the heart of the people was dismayed, and became like water;

¹⁴ And when the king of Gai saw them, he hasted, and went out to meet them, straight to battle, he and all his people with him; for he did not know that there was an ambush behind the city. ¹⁵ At their appearance Joshua and Israel retreated before them, ¹⁶ and they pursued the Israelites, and were drawn off from the city.

¹³ Then he said to his servant, Come let us draw near to one of those places, that we may lodge either in Gabaa, or in Rama. ¹⁴ So they passed on, and proceeded in their journey, and the sun set upon them when they were near Gabaa, which is in Benjamin.

²⁹ then he will pass the valley and come to Aggai. Terror will seize Rama the city of Saul;

¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch forth thy hand, with the spear in thy hand, towards the city; for into thy hands I have delivered it, and the men in ambush will rise quickly from their place. So Joshua stretched forth his hand, with the spear towards the city; ¹⁹ and the men in ambush immediately arose from their place. They started up at the instant he stretched forth his hand, and rushed into the city; and having taken it, they hasted and set it on fire. ²⁰ And when the inhabitants of Gai looked back, they saw a smoke rising from the city, up to heaven, and had no where to flee, this way or that. ²¹ For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, they turned, and smote the men of Gai; ²² and the others issued out of the city to meet them, so that they were in the midst of the army, some being on one side, and some on the other; and they smote them until there was not one left alive, nor any who escaped.

¹⁴ And when the king of Gai saw them, he hasted, and went out to meet them, straight to battle, he and all his people with him; for he did not know that there was an ambush behind the city.

¹³ and having spent their life in festivity, they are composed to rest in the peaceful grave.

¹⁹ But the ways of the wicked being dark; they know not at what they stumble.

⁶ For a mighty transgressor there is a great snare; but the just shall have joy and gladness.

¹¹ Because those who do evil are not speedily called to an account, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil. ¹² He who sinned continued thenceforward to do evil, even because of the forbearance shewn to them. Now as I know that it is good for them who fear God, that they should be awed by his presence;

¹² That man indeed no more knoweth his time than the fishes which are enclosed in an evil dredge, or than birds which are caught in a net. Like them the sons of men are drawn into an evil time when it cometh upon them suddenly.

¹⁰ Alas for their souls! Because they have counselled an evil counsel against themselves, saying, "Let us bind the just one, for he is disagreeable to us;" let them therefore eat the fruits of their deeds. ¹¹ Alas for the wicked! according to the works of his hands evils shall befal him. my people!

¹¹ but upon thee shall come destruction, and thou shalt not know; a pit; and into it thou shalt fall. Yes, upon thee shall come misery, of which thou shalt not be able to rid thyself: and destruction shall come upon thee suddenly of which thou wilt have no apprehension.

⁴⁴ Be ye therefore ready prepared, because the son of man cometh at an hour you least expect.

³⁴ Take heed therefore to yourselves that your hearts be not overloaded with excess of meat, or drink, or worldly cares, and that day come upon you unawares.

³ For whilst they are saying, there is peace and safety, sudden destruction is then upon them, like the pangs of a woman in travail, and they cannot escape.

⁴⁴ and there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valour. ⁴⁵ Now the rest of them had looked about, and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Remmon; but of them the children of Israel gleaned up five thousand men. And the children of Israel went down after them to Gedan, and smote of them two thousand men. ⁴⁶ So that all who fell of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who that day drew the sword. All these were men of valour.

⁵ But the mirth of the wicked is sudden ruin, and the joy of transgressors, destruction,

¹⁵ At their appearance Joshua and Israel retreated before them, ¹⁶ and they pursued the Israelites, and were drawn off from the city. ¹⁷ There was not a man left in Gai, who did not pursue Israel. Nay they left the city open, and pursued Israel. ¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch forth thy hand, with the spear in thy hand, towards the city; for into thy hands I have delivered it, and the men in ambush will rise quickly from their place. So Joshua stretched forth his hand, with the spear towards the city; ¹⁹ and the men in ambush immediately arose from their place. They started up at the instant he stretched forth his hand, and rushed into the city; and having taken it, they hasted and set it on fire. ²⁰ And when the inhabitants of Gai looked back, they saw a smoke rising from the city, up to heaven, and had no where to flee, this way or that. ²¹ For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, they turned, and smote the men of Gai; ²² and the others issued out of the city to meet them, so that they were in the midst of the army, some being on one side, and some on the other; and they smote them until there was not one left alive, nor any who escaped. ²³ They took the king of Gai alive, and brought him to Joshua, ²⁴ and when the Israelites had made an end of slaying all that were in Gai, and all that were in the plains, and on the mountain, at the steep, from which at the last they had driven them, Joshua returned to Gai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵ Now they who fell on that day, including men and women, even all the inhabitants of Gai, were twelve thousand. ²⁶ Over and above the spoils which were in the city, the Israelites took all the prey for themselves, ²⁷ according to the command of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Joshua. ²⁸ Then Joshua burned the city with fire, and made it an uninhabitable heap forever, as at this day. ²⁹ And he hanged the king of Gai on a gibbet; and he continued on the gibbet till the evening. But, at the setting of the sun, Joshua gave orders, and they took down his body from the gibbet, and threw it into a pit; and raised over it a heap of stones, which remaineth to this day.

¹³ A hand shall not touch him, for he shall be stoned with stones or shot with a dart. Whether man or beast it shall not live. When the voices and the trumpets and the cloud are gone from the mount, they may go up to the mount.

⁵ let all the people at the same time shout; and upon their shouting, the walls of the city will fall of their own accord; and all the people shall enter, every one straight forward into the city.

¹⁹ and the men in ambush immediately arose from their place. They started up at the instant he stretched forth his hand, and rushed into the city; and having taken it, they hasted and set it on fire.

²¹ But this covenant of mine I will establish with Isaak whom Sarah shall bear about this time next year."

²⁰ And when the inhabitants of Gai looked back, they saw a smoke rising from the city, up to heaven, and had no where to flee, this way or that.

¹⁶ Elisha said to her, This time twelve month, about this very hour thou alive and well hast embraced a son. To which she replied, Nay, my lord, do not deceive thy handmaid.

³² And the children of Benjamin said, They fall before us, as heretofore. Now the sons of Israel had said, Let us flee, and draw them clean out of the city into the high ways.

²⁸ and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorra and towards the circumjacent plain, and he beheld and lo! a flame ascended out of the earth like the smoke of a furnace.

⁶ What is this coming up from the wilderness; like a column of smoke, fuming with myrrh and incense made of all the perfumer's powders?

³⁰ And I will exhibit wonders in heaven and on the earth, blood and fire and smoky vapour.

³ [And again they said, alleluia!] and the smoke of her goeth up for the ages of the ages.

⁹ The enemy said, I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoil; I will glut my vengeance: My sword shall slay; my hand shall prevail. ¹⁰ Thou didst send forth thy blast, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty water.

⁸ The men in power shall be confounded; and pangs shall seize them, like those of a woman in travail. And they shall bewail their calamities, one to another, and be amazed; and their countenances will quiver like a flame. ⁹ For behold the remediless day of the Lord is coming; a day of wrath and indignation, to make the empire a desolation; and to destroy the sinners out of it.

¹⁴ The transgressors in Sion are fled; terror will seize the ungodly. Who will tell you that a fire is kindled? who will proclaim to you the place which is everlasting?

²⁷ They ate; they drank; they married, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Just so it was also in the days of Lot. They ate; they drank; they bought; they sold; they planted; they built:

²⁶ and men are fainting with fear and apprehension of the things which are coming on the world. For the powers of heaven will be shaken,

¹² But these, like irrational brute beasts, made for capture and destruction, railing at what they are ignorant of, shall perish with their own destruction. 13 Receiving wages of iniquity, esteeming riot by day a pleasure; being spots and blemishes; rioting by their deceits; banquetting with you;

¹⁵ and the kings of the earth and the nobles and the rich and the chief commanders and the under officers and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ saying to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him who is sitting on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of His wrath is come and who is able to stand?"

⁸ therefore in one day these calamities shall come upon her, pestilence and sorrow and famine; and she shall be consumed with fire; for the Lord God who judgeth her is mighty. ⁹ And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will wail and beat their breasts for her, when they see the smoke of her burning ¹⁰ standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Alas! Alas! that great city Babylon! that 'mighty city! for in one hour thy judgment is come.

¹⁵ At their appearance Joshua and Israel retreated before them,

²⁴ and when the Israelites had made an end of slaying all that were in Gai, and all that were in the plains, and on the mountain, at the steep, from which at the last they had driven them, Joshua returned to Gai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

³ Judea is forced to emigrate. On account of her humiliation and because of her great servitude, she sat down among the nations; she found no rest. All her persecutors found her among them who were afflicting her.

³² and Labos, and Sale, and Eromoth, twenty nine cities with their villages.

¹³ Then all the congregation sent, and spoke to the children of Benjamin at Rock Remmon, and invited them to peace.

⁷⁷ And to the Merarites, the remaining Levites, they gave out of the tribe of Zabulon, Remmon with its suburbs, and Thabor with its suburbs,

¹⁰ enclosing for Jerusalem all the land and the desert around, from Gabea to Remmon southward. As for Rama, it shall continue in its place. From the gate of Benjamin to the place of the first gate, on to the gate of the corners and to the tower of Anameel, on to the king's wine presses

⁹ he will not be angry to utter ruin, nor continue his wrath forever. ¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us according to our sins; nor retributed to us according to our iniquities.

⁹ Had not the Lord of Hosts left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom and made like Gomorra.

⁷ Our sins have risen up against us. O Lord, deal with us for Thine own sake: for our sins are many in Thy sight; for we have sinned against Thee.

³² because he who hath humbled will have compassion, even according to the multitude of his mercies.

² Lord, I have heard the report of thee and am terrified; I have considered thy works and am struck with amaze. In the midst of two living beings thou wilt be known; when the years draw nigh thou wilt be acknowledged; when the time is come thou wilt be pointed out: when my soul is troubled, in wrath remember mercy.

¹⁵ thou shalt surely destroy all the inhabitants of that land, with the slaughter of the sword. With an Anathema thou shalt devote to destruction, it and all that are in it. ¹⁶ And thou shalt collect all the spoils of it into the streets thereof, and burn with fire the city, and all the spoils thereof, with all the inhabitants, in the sight of the Lord thy God. And it shall be uninhabited for ever. It shall never be rebuilt any more; ¹⁷ nor shall any thing of what is devoted to destruction cleave to thy hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his wrath, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion on thee, and multiply thee, in the manner he solemnly promised thy fathers,

¹³ Now the soldiers of the army which Amasias had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, had fallen on the cities of Juda from Samaria to Baithoron and had smitten of them three thousand, and carried off much spoil.

⁶ Indeed Phakee, the son of Romelias, king of Israel, slew of Juda in one day, a hundred and twenty chiliads of the men mighty in power, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. ⁷ Zechri also, the chieftain of Ephraim, slew Maasias the king's son, and Ezrikan, the leader of his house, and Elkana, the lieutenant of the king. ⁸ And the Israelites carried away captive, of their brethren, three hundred chiliads, including married women, sons and daughters. And they took from them much spoil. But as they were carrying the spoils to Samaria, ⁹ there was there a prophet of the Lord, whose name was Oded, who went out to meet the army coming to Samaria, and said to them, Behold the anger of the Lord God of your fathers is against Juda, and he hath delivered them into your hands, and you have slain them with a rage which hath reached up to heaven.

¹⁹ A brother assisted by a brother is like a fortified and lofty city, and is strong as a well founded palace.