Shameful Abuse of the Levite's Concubine in Gibeah hem-judah unto the farther side of | upon the threshold. 28 And he said the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his 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 that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything. 20 And the old man said, Peace be unto 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 the asses fodder; and they unto her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the 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 concubine, and divided her, 1limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders 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 it, take counsel, and speak. washed their feet, and did eat and 20 Then all the children of Is drink. rael went out, and the con22 As they were making their gregation was assembled as one man, hearts merry, behold, the men of from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the city, certain base fellows, beset the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at the house round about, beating Mizpah. 2 And the chiefs of all at the door; and they spake to the the people, even of all the tribes of master of the house, the old man, Israel, presented themselves in the saying, Bring forth the man that assembly of the people of God, four came into thy house, that we may hundred thousand footmen that drew know him. 23 And the man, the sword. 3 (Now the children of Benmaster of the house, went out unto jamin heard that the children of Isthem, and said unto them, Nay, my rael were gone up to Mizpah.) And brethren, I pray you, do not so the children of Israel said, Tell us, wickedly; seeing that this man is how was this wickedness brought to come into my house, do not this pass? 4 And the Levite, the husfolly. 24 Behold, here is my daugh- band of the woman that was murter a virgin, and his concubine; them dered, answered and said, I came I will bring out now, and humble ye into Gibeah that belongeth to Benthem, and do with them what seem-jamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. eth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such folly. 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on 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 ay; and, behold, the woman his bine was fallen down at the 5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night; me they thought to have slain, and my concubine they forced, and she is dead. 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 children of Israel, all of you, give 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 unto his house. 9 But 1 Heb. according to her bones. 2 Heb. corners. 3 Or, even all The People resolve to punish the Evil-doers. The People ask Counsel of God now this is the thing which we will of Israel went out to battle against do to Gibeah: we will go up against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set it by lot; 10 and we will take ten the battle in array against them at men of a hundred throughout all Gibeah. 21 And the children of the tribes of Israel, and a hundred Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, of a thousand, and a thousand out and destroyed down to the ground of ten thousand, to fetch victuals of the Israelites on that day twenty for the people, that they may do, and two thousand men. 22 And the when they come to 1Gibeah of Ben- people, the men of Israel, encouraged jamin, according to all the folly that themselves, and set the battle again they have wrought in Israel. 11 So in array in the place where they set all the men of Israel were gathered themselves in array the first day. against the city, knit together as one 23 And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him. man. 12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the 2 tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you? 13 Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in 24 And the children of Israel Gibeah, that we may put them to came near against the children of death, and put away evil from Is- Benjamin the second day. 25 And rael. But Benjamin would not Benjamin went forth against them hearken to the voice of their breth- out of Gibeah the second day, and ren the children of Israel. 14 And destroyed down to the ground of the children of Benjamin gathered the children of Israel again eighthemselves together out of the cities teen thousand men; all these drew unto Gibeah, to go out to battle the sword. 26 Then all the chilagainst the children of Israel. 15 dren of Israel, and all the people, And the children of Benjamin were went up, and came unto Beth-el, numbered on that day out of the and wept, and sat there before Jecities twenty and six thousand men hovah, and fasted that day until that drew sword, besides the inhabit- even; and they offered burnt-offerants of Gibeah, who were numbered ings and peace-offerings before Jeseven hundred chosen men. 16 hovah. 27 And the children of Among all this people there were Israel asked of Jehovah (for the ark seven hundred chosen men left of the covenant of God was there in handed; every one could sling stones those days, 28 and Phinehas, the at a hair-breadth, and not miss. 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 Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver him into thy hand. 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 went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah 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 1 Heb. Geba. 2 Heb. tribes. See Num. 4. 18; 1 S. 9. 21. 29 And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill of the people, as at other times 2 Benjamin defeated and ravaged in the highways, of which one goeth | they saw that evil was come upon up to Beth-el, and the other to them. 42 Therefore they turned Gibeah, in the field, about thirty their backs before the men of Israel men of Israel. 32 And the children unto the way of the wilderness; but of Benjamin said, They are smitten the battle followed hard after them; down before us, as at the first. and they that came out of the But the children of Israel said, Let cities destroyed them in the midst us flee, and draw them away from thereof. 43 They inclosed the Benthe city unto the highways. 33 And jamites round about, and chased all the men of Israel rose up out of them, and 5trod them down at their place, and set themselves in their resting-place, as far as over array at Baal-tamar: and the liers- against Gibeah toward the sunin-wait of Israel brake forth out rising. 44 And there fell of Benof their place, even out of 1 Maareh- jamin eighteen thousand men; all geba. 34 And there came over these were men of valor. 45 And against Gibeah ten thousand chosen they turned and fled toward the men out of all Israel, and the battle wilderness unto the rock of Rimwas sore; but they knew not that mon: and they gleaned of them evil was close upon them. 35 And in the highways five thousand men, Jehovah smote Benjamin before Is- and followed hard after them unto rael; and the children of Israel Gidom, and smote of them two destroyed of Benjamin that day thousand men. 46 So that all who twenty and five thousand and a fell that day of Benjamin were hundred men: all these drew the twenty and five thousand men that sword. drew the sword; all these were men of valor. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both 7 the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire. 21 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 And the liersin-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 the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. 39 3 And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and 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 cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for 1 Or, the meadow of Geba (or, Gibeah See ver. 10) 2 Heb. touching. 3 Or, And the men... battle: (now Benjamin... heaven :) and the men &c. Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore. 3 And they said, O Jehovah, the 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 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of 4 Or, them that came... they destroyed 5 Or, overtook them 6 Or, at Menuhah 7 Or, as otherwise read, the inhabited city See Dt. 2. 34. Wives for the Benjamites obtained at Jabesh-gilead and at Shiloh Israel that came not up in the assembly unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, 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 Jehovah 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 unto Jehovah to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly. 9 For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 1 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 are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters; for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 And they said, Behold, there is 2 a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the 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 to complain unto us, that we will say unto them, Grant them graciously unto us; because we took not for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did ye give them unto them; else would ye now be guilty. 23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities, 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. 4 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. THE BOOK OF RUTH 1 Naomi and Ruth return to Judah kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; 13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her motherin-law; but Ruth clave unto her. Elimelech and his Family sojourn in Moab. 6 Then she arose with her daugh- 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and 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 God; 17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. 18 And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her. 19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came 3 Or, it is far more bitter for me than for you |