Idolatry is set up in Dan. B. C. about 1405. +IIeb. that thou art gathered together? † Heb. bitter of soul, 2 Sam. 17. 8. diver. 7, 10. Deut. 33. 22. e Josh. 19. 47. f ver. 7. JUDGES. And they turned their faces, and said unto | Micah, What aileth thee, † that thou comest with such a company? 24 And he said, Ye 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 | angry follows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 26 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 dcame 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 deliveror, because it was ffar 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. i Gen. 14. 14. ch. 23. 1. 1 Kings 12. 29, 30. & 15. 20. ch. 13. 1. 1 Sam. 4. 2, 3, 19, 11. P3, 78.60, 61. / Josh. 18. 1. ch. 19. 18. & 21. 12. about 1406. a ch. 17. 6. & 18. 1. & 21.25. Heb. a 10man a con cubine, or, a wife a concubine. b ch. 17. 7. Or, a year and four months. + Heb. 29 And they called the name of the city iDan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the namo 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. 21 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. A Levite cometh to Gibeah. father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 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 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 thomo. 10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came tover against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. 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-g Josh. 18. 25. mah. 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 & took them into his house to lodging. 16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he place were Benjamites. AND it came to pass in those days, sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Lovite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. 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 friendly unto her, and to days bring her again, having his servant with four months. him, and a couple of asses: and she Heb. to her brought him into her father's house; and heart, when the father of the damsel saw him, he Gen. 31. 3. rejoiced to meet him. † Heb. Strengthen. c Gen. 18. 5. 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 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 I 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. m 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, ? the men of the city, certain 9 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 h Matt. 25.43. Heb. 13. 2. i Pa. 104. 23. kJosh. 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. q Deut. 13.13. Gen. 19. 5. Rom. 1. 26, 27. s Gen. 19. 6,7. The Levite declareth his wrong. B. C. about 1406. t 2 Sam. 13.12. u Gen. 19. 8. Gen. 34. 2. Deut. 21. 14. + Heb. the matter of this folly. Gen. 4. 1. z ch. 20. 5. a ch, 20. 6. JUDGES. so wickedly; seeing that this man is come The Israelites lose forty thousand. 9 But now this shall be the thing which | we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 24 “Behold, here is my daughter a maiden,¦ 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 be 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. the 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, m. 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 children of Israel. 15 And the children of Benjamin were num 29 ¶ And when he was come into his house,bered at that time out of the cities twenty he took a knife, and laid hold on his concu. bine, and divided her, together with her See 1 Sam. bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 11. 7. 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 Prov. 13. 10. speak your minds. b ch. 20. 7. a Deut. 13.12. Josh. 22. 12. ch. 21. 5. 1 Sam. 11, 7, b ch. 18. 29. 1 Sam. 3. 20. 2 Sam. 3. 10. & 24. 2. c Judg. 10. 17. & 11. 11. 1 Sam.7. 5. & 10. 17. d ch. 8. 10. tHeb.theman the Levite. e ch. 19. 15. fch. 19. 22. g ch. 19.25,26. † Hcb, humbled. I ch. 19. 29. i Josh. 7, 15 k ch. 19. 30. CHAPTER XX. 1 The Levite in a general assembly declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the assembly. 12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites. 18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand. 26 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except six hundred. THE out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from 6 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 d that 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 + 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. 5 ƒ And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that 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 are all children of Israel; * 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 into bis house. 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 olefthanded; 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. 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. 23("And the children of Israel went up and 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 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. 26 ¶ Then 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. B. C. about 1406. + Heb. Deut. 13. 14. 16. m Deut.13.13. ch. 19. 22. n Deut. 17.12. o ch. 3. 15. 1 Chr. 12. 2, p ver. 23, 26, 7 Num. 27.21. ch. 1. 1. * Gen. 49. 27, & ver. 26, 27. t ver. 21. u ver, 18, The Benjamites destroyed. 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 a set 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, us 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 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: 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 d And 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 fand the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. Benjamin's desolation bewailed. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of ƒ Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of the:n. 46 So that all which fell that day of Ben- 47 But six hundred men turned and fled to CHAPTER XXI. 1 The people bewail the desolution of Benjamin. a Now the men of Israel had sworn in B. C. about 1406. Josh. 15. 32. y ch. 21. 13. † Heb. found. † Heb. found. a ch. 20. 1. were 2 And the people came to the house of b ch.20.18,26. 3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why 5 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 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 T And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizper-peh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 39 And when the men of Israel retired in 41 And when the men of Israel turned 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. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. c2 Sam.24.25. d ch. 5. 23. el Sam. 11. 1. & 31. 11. 10 And the congregation sent thither 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, 13 And the whole congregation sent some The Benjamites carry B. C. about 1406. † Heb. and 8pakc called. RUTH t 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. peace, 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. off the virgins of Shiloh. 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. 34, 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. a ch. 17. 6. & 18. 1. & 19. 1. p Deut. 12. 8. ch, 17. 6. B. C. about 1322. a Judg. 2. 16. †Heb.judged. b See Gen. 12. 10. & 26. 2 Kings 8. 1. e Judg. 17. 8. с d See Gen. 35. 19. e Judg. 3. 30. + Heb. were. about 1312. ƒ Ex. 4. 31. Luke 1. 68. g Ps. 132. 15. Matt. 6. 11. h See Josh.24. 15. THE BOOK OF RUTH. CHAPTER I. 1 Elimelech driven by famine into Moab, dieth there. 4 Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also. 6.Naomi returning homeward, 8dissuadeth her two daughters in law from going with her. 14 Orpah leaveth her, but Ruth with great constaney accompanieth her. 19 They two come to Beth-lehem, where they are gladly received. NO C OW it came to pass in the days when "the judges + ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-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, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and † continued there. 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 visited 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 i 2 Tim. 1. 16, ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 17, 18. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her 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: tthe LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. Ruth gleaneth in the fields of Boaz. B. C. about 1312. RUTH. Boaz sheweth her great favour. call yo me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath | her parched corn, and she did eat, and 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the be2 Sam. 21. 9. ginning of barley harvest. a Ex. 9,31,32, ch. 2. 23. a ch. 3. 2, 12. b ch. 4. 21. Called Booz, Matt. 1. 5. c Lev. 19. 9. CHAPTER II. 1 Ruth gleaneth in the fields of Boaz. 4 Boaz AND Naomi had a "kin of wealth, of the 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and "glean ears of corn after him in whose sight | Deut. 24. 19. I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her thap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. 4 ¶ And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, dThe LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. 5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? B. C. about 1312. 15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying,m ver. 18. Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. 17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother in law saw what she had gave groaned; and she brought forth, and was sufficed. † Heb. shame her not. n ver. 14. o ver. 10. Ps. 41. 1. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, PBlessed be ho of the LORD, who p ch. 3. 10. hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, "ll one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daugh6 And the servant that was set over the ter in law, It is good, my daughter, that reapers answered and said, It is the Moab-thou go out with his maidens, that they itish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab : 7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. f1 Sam.25.23. 10 Then she ƒ fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? g ch. 1. 14, 16, 17. h1 Sam.24.19. ¿ ch. 1. 16. Ps. 17. 8. & 36. 7. & 57, 1. & 63. 7. || Or, I find favour. Gen. 33. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 18. † Heb. to the heart, Gen. 34. 3. Judg. 19. 3. 1 Sam.25.41. 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 h The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 13 Then she said, "Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. 14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached | 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whoso maidens thou wast? Behold, c ch. 2. 8. he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, dand anoint 2 Sam. 14.2. thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his fect, | ||ọr, lift up and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. 5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6 ¶ And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. 8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 And he said, Who art thou? |