 chapters 13 through 21 of the Book of Judges from the World English Bible. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This recording by LibriVox user Great Plains. The Book of Judges from the World English Bible. chapters 13 through 21 Judges chapter 13 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. And Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoa. His wife was barren and didn't bear. The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, See now, you are barren and don't bear. But you shall conceive and bear a son. Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink. And don't eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come on his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God. Very awesome. And I didn't ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name. But he said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. Then Minoa entreated Yahweh and said, Oh Lord, please let the man of God whom you did sin come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the child who shall be born. God listened to the voice of Minoa, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Minoa, her husband, wasn't with her. The woman made haste and ran and told her husband and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me that day. Minoa arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, Are you the man who spoke to the woman? He said, I am. Minoa said, Now let your words happen. What shall the child's way of life and mission be? The angel of Yahweh said to Minoa, Of all that I said to the woman, Let her beware. She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine. Neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her, let her observe. Minoa said to the angel of Yahweh, Please let us detain you that we may make a young goat ready for you. The angel of Yahweh said to Minoa, Though you detain me, I won't eat of your bread, and if you prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh. For Minoa didn't know that he was the angel of Yahweh. Minoa said to the angel of Yahweh, What is your name that when your words happen we may honor you? The angel of Yahweh said to him, Why do you ask about my name since it is wonderful? So Minoa took the young goat with the meal offering and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did a wonderful thing as Minoa and his wife looked on. For it happened when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, that the angel of Yahweh ascended in the flame of the altar, and Minoa and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of Yahweh didn't appear to Minoa or to his wife anymore. Then Minoa knew that he was the angel of Yahweh. Minoa said to his wife, We shall surely die because we have seen God. But his wife said to him, Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn't have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand. Neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these. The woman bore a son and named him Samson, and the child grew and Yahweh blessed him. The spirit of Yahweh began to move him in Mahanadan between Zora and Eshtayal. Judges 14 Samson went down to Timna, and saw a woman in Timna of the daughters of the Philistines. He came up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timna of the daughters of the Philistines, now therefore get her for me as wife. Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brothers or among all my people that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she pleases me well. But his father and his mother didn't know that it was of Yahweh, for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel. Then went Samson down and his father and his mother to Timna, and came to the vineyards of Timna, and behold a young lion roared against him. The spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat. And he had nothing in his hand, but he didn't tell his father or his mother what he had done. He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. After a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He took it into his hands and went on, eating as he went, and he came to his father and mother, and gave to them and they ate. But he didn't tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. His father went down to the woman, and Samson made their a feast, for so used the young men to do. It happened when they saw him that they brought thirty companions to be with him. Samson said to them, Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. But if you can't declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty linens of garment and thirty changes of clothing. They said to him, Put forth your riddle that we may hear it. And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food. Out of the strong came forth sweetness. They couldn't in three days declare the riddle. It happened on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Is it not so? Samson's wife wept before him and said, You just hate me and you don't love me. You have put forth a riddle to the children of my people and haven't told it to me. He said to her, Behold, I haven't told it to my father or my mother and shall I tell you? She wept before him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her because she pressed him severely and she told the riddle to the children of her people. The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? He said to them, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer you wouldn't have found out my riddle. The spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger was kindled and he went up to his father's house. But Samson's wife was given to his companion whom he had used as his friend. End of Chapter 14 Book of Judges, Chapter 15 But it happened after a while in the time of the wheat harvest that Samson visited his wife with a young goat and he said, I will go into my wife into the room. But her father wouldn't allow him to go in. Her father said, I most certainly thought that you had utterly hated her. Therefore I gave her to your companion. Isn't her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead. Samson said to them, This time I will be blameless in regard of the Philistines when I harm them. Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took torches and turned tail to tail and put a torch in the midst between every two tails. When he had set the brands on fire he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines and burnt up both the shocks of the Philistines and also the olive groves. Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? They said, Samson the son-in-law of the Timonite because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion. The Philistines came up and burnt her and her father with fire. Samson said to them, If you behave like this surely I will be avenged of you and after that I will cease. He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter and went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etem. Then the Philistines went up and encamped in Judah and spread themselves in Lehi. The men of Judah said, Why have you come up against us? They said, We have come up to bind Samson to do to him as he has done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etem and said to Samson Don't you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us? He said to them, As they did to me, so I have done to them. They said to him, We have come down to bind you that we may deliver you into the hands of the Philistines. Samson said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall on me yourselves. They spoke to him, saying No, but we will bind you fast and deliver you into their hand but surely we will not kill you. They bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. When he came to Lehi the Philistines shouted as they met him and the spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire and his bands dropped off from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey and put forth his hand and took it and struck a thousand men therewith. Samson said, With the jawbone of a donkey heaps on heaps with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men. It happened when he had made an end of speaking that he had cast away the jawbone out of his hand and that place was called Ramath Lehi. He was very thirsty and called on Yahweh and said, You have given this great deliverance by the hand of your servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised? But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi and water came out of it. When he had drunk his spirit came again and he revived. After it's name was called Enhakari which is in Lehi to this day. He judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. End of Chapter 15 Judges Chapter 16 Samson went to Gaza and saw there a prostitute and went into her. The Gazites were told, Samson is here. They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city saying, Wait until morning light then we will kill him. Samson lay until midnight and arose at midnight and lay hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two post and pluck them up bar and all and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron. It came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, Entice him and see in which his great strength lies and by what means we may prevail against him that we may bind him to afflict him and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. Delilah said to Samson, Please tell me where your great strength lies and what you might be bound to afflict you. Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried why become weak and be as another man? Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried and she bound him with them. Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room she said to him, The Philistines are on you Samson. He broke the cords as a string of toe is broken when it touches the fire so his strength was not known. Delilah said to Samson Behold you have mocked me and told me lies Tell me with which you might be bound. He said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done then shall I become weak and be as another man. So Delilah took new ropes and bound him therewith and said to him, The Philistines are on you Samson. The ambush was waiting in the inner room he broke them off his arms like a thread. Delilah said to Samson Until now you have mocked me and told me lies Tell me with which you might be bound. He said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web. She fastened it with the pin and said to him, The Philistines are on you Samson. He awakened out of his sleep and plucked away the pin of the beam and the web. She said to him, How can you say I love you when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies. Delilah said daily with her words and urged him that his soul was troubled to death. He told her all his heart and said to her, No razor has ever come on my head for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved then my strength will go from me and I will become weak and be like any other man. When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart she sent her once for he has told me all his heart. Then the Lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. She made him sleep on her knees and she called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him and his strength went from him. She said, The Philistines are upon you Samson. He awoke out of his sleep and said I will go out as at other times and shake myself free but he didn't know that Yahweh had departed from him. The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass and he ground at the mill in the prison. However the hair on his head began to grow again after he was shaved. The Lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their God and to Rejoice. For they said, Our God has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. When the people saw him they praised their God for they said Our God has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country who has slain many of us into our hand. It happened when their hearts were merry that they said call for Samson that he may entertain us. They called for Samson out of the prison and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars and Samson said to the boy Samson allow me to feel the pillars whereupon the house rests that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women and all the Lords of the Philistines were there and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women who saw while Samson performed. Samson called to Yahweh and said Lord Yahweh remember me please and strengthen me please only this once God that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested and he leaned on them the one with his right hand and the other with his left. Samson said let me die with the Philistines. He bowed himself with all his might and the house fell on the Lords and on all the people who were therein so the dead that he killed in his death were more than those who he killed in his life then his brothers and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zora and Eshtel in the burial site of Minoa his father. He judged Israel twenty years. End of Chapter 16 Judges Chapter 17 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah He said to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you about which you have uttered a curse and also spoke it in my ears behold the silver is with me I took it His mother said blessed be my son of Yahweh He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son to make an engraved image and a molten image now therefore I will restore it to you He restored the money to his mother his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the founder who made of it an engraved image and a molten image and it was in the house of Micah the man Micah had a house of gods and he made an Ephod and tariff him and consecrated one of his sons who became his priest in those days there was no king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes there was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah of the family of Judah who was a Levite and he lived there the man departed out of the city out of Bethlehem Judah to live where he could find a place and he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah as he traveled Micah said to him where did you come from he said to him I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah and I am looking for a place to live Micah said to him dwell with me and be to me a father and a priest and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year a suit of clothing and your food so the Levite went in the Levite was content to dwell with the man and the young man was to him as one of his sons Micah consecrated the Levite and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah then Micah said now know I that Yahweh will do good to me since I have a Levite to my priest End of Chapter 17 Judges Chapter 18 In those days there was no king in Israel and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in for to that day their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel The children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number from Zorah and from Eshtel to spy out the land enter search it and they said to them go explore the land they came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah and lodged there when they were by the house of Micah they knew the voice of the young man the Levite and they turned aside there and said to him who brought you here what do you do in this place what do you have here even thus has Micah dealt with me and he has hired me and I am become his priest they said to him please ask council of God that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous the priest said to them go in peace your way in which you go is before Yahweh then the five men departed and came to Laiash and saw the people who were therein how they lived in security in the way of the Sidonians for there was none in the land possessing authority that might put them to shame in anything and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with any man they came to their brothers to Zora and Eshtel and their brother said to them what do you say they said arise and let us go up against them for we have seen the land and behold it is very good do you stand still don't be slothful to go you are in to possess the land when you go you shall come to a secure people and the land is large for God has given it into your hand a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth they're set forth from the family of the Danites out of Zora and out of Eshtel 600 men girt with weapons of war they went up and encamped in Quraith Jerem in Judah therefore they called that place behold it is behind Quraith Jerem they passed there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laiash answered and said to their brothers do you know that there is in these houses an Ephod and Terephim and an engraved image and a molten image now therefore consider what you have to do they turned aside there and came to the house of the young man the Levite even to the house of Micah and asked him of his welfare the 600 men girt with their weapons of war who were of the children of Dan stood by the entrance of the gate the five men who went out to spy the land went up and came in there and took the engraved image and the Ephod and the Terephim and the molten image and the priests stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men girt with weapons of war when these went into Micah's house and fetched the engraved image the Ephod and the Terephim and the molten image the priests said to them what are you doing they said to him, hold your peace put your hand on your mouth and go with us and be to us a father and a priest is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man or to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel the priest's heart was glad and he took the Ephod and the Terephim and took the engraved image and went in the midst of the people so they turned and departed and put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them when they were a good way from the house of Micah the men who were in the house near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan they cried to the children of Dan they turned their faces and said to Micah what ails you, that you come with such a company he said to the gods which I made and the priest and have gone away and what more do I have how then do you say to me what ails you the children of Dan said to him don't let your voice be heard among us lest angry fellows fall on you and you lose your life with the lives of your household the children of Dan went their way and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him he turned and went back to his house they took that which Micah had made and the priest whom he had and came to Laiash to a people quiet and secure and struck them with the edge of the sword and they burnt the city with fire there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with any man and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehab they built the city and lived therein they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel however the name of the city was Laiash at first the children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image and Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Moses he and his sons were priests who the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land so they set them up Micah's engraved image which he made all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh end of chapter 18 chapter 19 it happened in those days when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah his concubine played the prostitute against him and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem Judah and was there the space of four months her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her to bring her again having his servant with him and a couple of donkeys and she brought him into her father's house and when the father of the young lady saw him he rejoiced to meet him his father-in-law the young lady's father retained him and he stayed with him three days so they ate and drank and lodged there it happened on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning and he rose up to depart and the young lady's father said to his son-in-law strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread and afterwards you shall go your way so they sat down ate and drank both of them together and the young lady's father said to the man please be pleased to stay all night and let your heart be merry the man rose up to depart but his father-in-law urged him and he lodged there again he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart and the young lady's father said please strengthen your heart and stay until the day declines and they both ate when the man rose to depart he and his concubine and his servant his father-in-law the young lady's father said to him behold now the day draws towards evening please stay all night behold the day grows to an end lodge here that your heart may be merry and tomorrow go on your way early that you may go home but the man wouldn't stay that night but he rose up and departed and came over against Jebus the same is Jerusalem and there were with him a couple of donkeys saddled his concubine was also with him when they were by Jebus the day was far spent and the servant said to his master please come and let us turn aside into the city of the Jebusites and lodge in it his master said to him we won't turn aside into the city of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel but we will pass over to Gibeah he said to a servant come and let us draw near to one of these places and we will lodge in Gibeah or in Rehma so they passed on and went their way and the sun went down on them near to Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin they turned aside there and he went in and sat him down in the street of the city for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge behold there came an old man from his work out of the field that evening now the man was of the hill country of Ephraim and he lived in Gibeah but the men of the place were binge mites he lifted up his eyes and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city where are you going where did you come from he said to him we are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim I am from there and I went to Bethlehem Judah I am going to the house of Yahweh and there is no man who takes me into his house yet there is both straw and preventer for our donkeys and there is bread and wine also for me and for your hand made and for the young man who is with your servants there is no want of anything the old man said peace be to you how so ever let all your wants lie on me only don't lodge in the street so he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder and they washed their feet and ate and drank and as they were making their hearts merry behold the men of the city certain base fellows surrounded the house beating at the door and they spoke to the master of the house the old man saying bring him into your house that we may have sex with him the man the master of the house went out to them and said to them no my brothers please don't act so wickedly since this man has come into my house don't do this folly behold here is my virgin daughter and his concubine I will bring them out now humble them and do with them what seems good to you but to this man don't do any such folly but the men wouldn't listen to him so the man lay hold of his concubine and brought her out to them and they had sex with her and abused her all night until the morning and when the day began to dawn they let her go 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 until it was light 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 with her hands on the threshold he said to her get up let us be going but no one answered then he took her up on the donkey and the man rose up and went to his place when he had come into his house he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel it was so that all who 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 to this day consider it take counsel and speak end of chapter nineteen judges chapter twenty then all the children of Israel went out and the congregation was assembled as one man from Dan even to Bershiba with the land of Gilead to Yahweh at Mizpa the chiefs of all people even of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God four hundred thousand footmen who drew swords now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpa the children of Israel said tell us how did this wickedness happen the Levite the husband of the woman who was murdered answered I came into Giba that belongs to Benjamin I and my concubine to Lodge the men of Giba rose against me and surrounded the house by night they thought to have slain me and they forced my concubine and she is dead 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 behold you children of Israel all of you give here your advice and counsel all the people arose as one man saying none of us will go to his tent neither will any of us turn to his house but now this is the thing which we will do to Giba we will go up against it by lot and we will take ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel and one hundred of one thousand and a thousand out of ten thousand to get food for the people that they may do when they come to Giba of Benjamin according to all the folly that they have worked in Israel so all the men of Israel were gathered together as one man the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribes of Benjamin saying what wickedness is this that happened among you now therefore deliver up the men the base fellows who are in Giba that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel but Benjamin would not listen to the voices of their brothers the children of Israel the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Giba to go out to battle against the children of Israel the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty six thousand men who drew the sword besides the inhabitants of Giba who were numbered seven hundred chosen men among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left handed everyone could sling stones at a hair breath and not miss the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword all these were men of war the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and asked counsel of God and they said who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin Yahweh said Judah first the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Giba the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Giba the children of Benjamin came forth out of Giba and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day twenty two thousand men the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves and set the battle against in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day the children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and they asked Yahweh saying shall I again draw near to the battle against the children of Benjamin my brother Yahweh said go up against him the children of Israel came near the children of Benjamin the second day Benjamin went forth against them out of Giba the second day and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men all of these drew the sword then all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept and sat there before Yahweh and fasted that day until evening and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh the children of Israel asked of Yahweh for the covenant of God was there in those days and Phineas 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 Yahweh said go up for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand Israel set ambushes all around Giba the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Giba as at other times the children of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city and they began to strike and kill of the people as at other times in the highways of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Giba in the field about thirty men of Israel the children of Benjamin said they are struck down before us as at the first the children of Israel said let us flee and draw them away from the cities to the highways all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Be'al Tamar and the ambushers of Israel broke forth out of their place even out of Maare Gaba there came over against Giba ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel and the battle was severe but they didn't know that evil was close on them Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty five thousand one hundred men all of these drew the sword so the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Giba the ambushers hurried and rushed on Giba and the ambushers drew themselves along and struck all the city with the edge of the sword now the battle between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city the men of Israel turned in the battle and Benjamin began to strike and kill the men of Israel about thirty persons for they said surely they are struck down before us as in the first battle but when the cloud began to arise out of the city in a pillar of smoke the Benjamin looked behind them and the men of Israel turned and the men of Benjamin were dismayed for they saw that evil had come on them therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness but the battle followed hard after them and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in its midst they surrounded the Benjaminites chased them and trod them down at the resting place as far as over against Giba towards the sunrise and eighteen thousand men all these were men of valor they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Riman and they gleamed of them in the highways five thousand men and followed hard after them to get them and struck of them two thousand men so that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty five thousand men who drew the sword and all of these were men of valor but six hundred men turned and fled toward the state in the rock of Riman four months the men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin and struck with the edge of the sword both the entire city and the livestock and all that they found moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire end of chapter twenty judges chapter twenty one now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpa saying there shall not any of us give Benjamin as wife the people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept severely they said Yahweh the God of Israel why has this happened in Israel that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel it happened on the next day that the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings the children of Israel said who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh for they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to Yahweh at Mizpa saying he shall surely be put to death the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother and said there is one tribe cut off from Israel this day how shall we provide wives for those who remain since we have our daughters to wives they said what one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpa behold there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly for when the people were numbered behold there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them saying go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword with the women and the little ones this is the thing that you shall do you shall utterly destroy every male and every woman who has lain with a man they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by laying with them and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Jerusalem to them Benjamin returned at that time and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead and yet so they weren't enough for them the people grieved for Benjamin because at Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel then the elders of the congregation said how shall we provide wives for those who remain since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin they said there is an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel however we may not give them wives of our daughters for the children of Israel had sworn saying cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin they said behold there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh which is on the north of Bethel and on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem he commanded the children of Benjamin saying go and lie in wait in the vineyards and see and behold if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances then come out of the vineyards and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin it shall be when their fathers or brothers come to complain to us that we will say to them grant them graciously to us because we didn't take for each man his wife in battle otherwise you would now be guilty the children of Benjamin did so and took them wives according to their number of those who danced whom they carried off they went and returned to their inheritance built the cities and lived in them the children of Israel departed there at that time every man to his tribe and to his family and they went out from there every man to his inheritance in those days there was no king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes end of chapter 21 end of the book of judges end of recording the book of Ruth from the world English Bible this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the book of Ruth from the world English Bible it happened in the days when the judges judged that there was a famine in the land a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chileon they came into the country of Moab and continued there Elimelech Naomi's husband died and she was left and her two sons they took them wives of the women of Moab the name of the one was Orpa and the name of the other Ruth and they lived there about 10 years Mahlon and Chileon both died and the woman was bereaved of her two children and her husband 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 Yahweh had visited his people and giving them bread 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 to the land of Judah Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law go return each of you to her mother's house Yahweh deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me Yahweh grant you that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband then she kissed them and they lifted up their voice and wept they said to her no but we will return with you to your people Naomi said go back my daughters why do you want to go with me do I still have sons in my womb that they may be your husbands go back 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 tonight and should also bear sons would you then wait until they were grown would you then refrain from having husbands no my daughters for it grieves me much for your sakes for the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me they lifted up their voice and wept again and Orpa kissed her mother in law but Ruth joined with her she said behold your sister in law has gone back to her people as to her God follow your sister in law Ruth said don't entreat me to leave you and to return from following after you for where you go I will go and where you lodge I will lodge your people shall be my people and your God my God where you die I will die and there will I be buried Yahweh do so to me and more also if anything but death part you and me when she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her she left off speaking to her so they too went until they came to Bethlehem it happened when they had come to Bethlehem that all the city was moved about them and they asked is this Naomi she said to them don't call me Naomi call me Mara for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me I went out full and Yahweh has brought me home again empty why do you call me Naomi since Yahweh has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me so Naomi returned and Ruth the Mara Bites her daughter-in-law with her who returned out of the country of Mayab and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest chapter 2 Naomi had a kinsman of her husbands a mighty man of wealth of the family of Alemelik and his name was Baez Ruth the Mara Bites said to Naomi let me now go to the field which is of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favour she said to her go my daughter she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Baez who was of the family of Alemelik behold Baez came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers Yahweh be with you they answered him yes you then Baez said to his servant who was set over the reapers whose young lady is this the servant who was set over the reapers answered it is the Mara Bites lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Mayab she said please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves so she came and has continued even from the morning until now except that she stayed a little in the house then Baez said to Ruth listen my daughter don't go to glean in another field and don't go from here but stay here close to my maidens let your eyes be on the field that they reap and go after them haven't I commanded the young men not to touch you when you are thirsty go to the vessels and drink from that which the young men have drawn then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said to him why have I found favour in your sight that you should take knowledge of me since I am a foreigner Baez answered her it has fully been shown me all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people that you didn't know before may Yahweh repay your work and a full reward be given you from Yahweh may Yahweh repay your work may Yahweh repay your work and a full reward be given you from Yahweh the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge then she said let me find favour in your sight my lord because you have comforted me and because you have spoken kindly to your handmaid though I am not as one of your handmaidens at mealtime Baez said to her come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the vinegar she sat beside the reapers and they reached her parched grain and she ate and was satisfied and left some of it when she had risen up to glean Baez commanded his young men saying let her glean even among the sheaves and don't reproach her also pull out some for her from the bundles and leave it and let her glean and don't rebuke her so she gleaned in the field until evening and she beat out that which she had gleaned and it was about an effer of barley she took it up and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed her mother-in-law said to her where have you gleaned today where have you worked blessed be he who noticed you she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said who my work today is Baez Naomi said to her daughter-in-law blessed be he of Yahweh who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead Naomi said to her the man is a close relative to us one of our near kinsmen Ruth the Moabates said yes he said to me you shall stay close to my young men until they have ended all my harvest Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law it is good my daughter that you go out with his maidens and that they not meet you in any other field so she stayed close to the maidens of Baez to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and she lived with her mother-in-law chapter 3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her my daughter shall I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you now isn't Baez our kinsmen with whose maidens you were behold he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor therefore wash yourself anoint yourself get dressed and go down to the threshing floor but don't make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking it shall be when he lies down that you shall mark the place where he shall lie and you shall go in and uncover his feet and lay down then he will tell you what you shall do she said to her all that you say I will do she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law told her when Baez had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain she came softly uncovered his feet and laid her down it happened at midnight that the man was startled and turned himself and behold a woman lay at his feet he said who are you she answered I am Ruth your handmaid therefore spread your skirt over your handmaid for you were a near kinsman he said bless to you by Yahweh my daughter you have shown more kindness in the latter end than the beginning in as much as you didn't follow young men with the poor or rich now my daughter don't be afraid I will do to you all that you say for all the city of my people does know that you were a worthy woman now it is true that I am a near kinsman however there is a kinsman nearer than I stay this night and it shall be in the morning that if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman well let him do the kinsman's part but if he will not do the part of a kinsman for you then will I do the part of a kinsman for you as Yahweh lives lie down until the morning she lay at his feet until the morning she rose up before one could discern another for he said let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor he said bring the mantle that is on you and hold it she held it and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her and went into the city when she came to her mother-in-law she said how did it go my daughter she told her all that the man had done to her she said he gave me these six measures of barley for he said don't go empty to your mother-in-law then she said sit still my daughter until you know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest until he has finished the thing this day before now buyers went up to the gate and sat down there behold the near kinsman of whom buyers spoke came by to whom he said come over here friend and sit down he turned aside and sat down he took ten men of the elders of the city and said sit down here they sat down he said to the near kinsman Naomi who has come back out and said I thought to disclose it to you saying buy it before those who sit here and before the elders of my people if you will redeem it redeem it but if you will not redeem it then tell me that I may know for there is no one to redeem it besides you and I am after you he said I will redeem it then Boaz said on the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabatees the wife of the dead to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance the near kinsman said I can't redeem it for myself lest I mar my own inheritance take my right of redemption for yourself for I can't redeem it now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging to confirm all things a man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour and this was the way of attestation in Israel so the near kinsman said to Boaz buy it for yourself he took off his shoe Boaz said to the elders and to all the people you are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was a limelix and all that was chelons and marthons from the hand of Naomi moreover Ruth the Moabatees the wife of Marlon I have purchased to be my wife to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place you are witnesses this day all the people who were in the gate and the elders said we are witnesses may Yahweh make the woman that has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah which too built the house of Israel and treat you worthily in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem let your house be like the house of Peres whom Tamar bought a Judah of the seed which Yahweh shall give you of this young woman so Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went into her and Yahweh gave her conception and she bore a son the women said to Naomi blessed be Yahweh who has not left you this day without a near kinsman and let his name be famous in Israel he shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age for your daughter in law who loves you who is better to you than seven sons has borne him Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom and became nurse to it the women, her neighbours gave him a name saying there is a son born to Naomi and they named him Obed he is the father of Jesse the father of David now this is the history of the generations of Peres Peres became the father of Hezron and Hezron became the father of Ram and Ram became the father of Amenadab and Amenadab became the father of Nahshon and Nahshon became the father of Salmon and Salmon became the father of Byers and Byers became the father of Obed and Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse became the father of David End of the Book of Ruth Recording by Tim McKenzie For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sarah Jennings The First Book of Samuel from the World English Bible Chapters 1-8 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of armies in Shiloh The two sons of Eli, Houghney and Phinehas priests to Yahweh were there When the day came that Alcana sacrificed he gave to Panina his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions but to Hannah he gave him two sons portions but to Hannah he gave a double portion for he loved Hannah but Yahweh had shut up her womb her rival provoked her severely to make her fret because Yahweh had shut up her womb as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of Yahweh so she provoked her therefore she wept and didn't eat Alcana her husband said to her Hannah why do you weep why don't you eat and you're relieved am I not better to you than ten sons so Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly she vowed a vow and said Yahweh of armies if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmade and remember me and not forget your handmade a boy then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life and no razor shall come on his head it happened as she continued praying before Yahweh that Eli saw her mouth now Hannah spoke in her heart only her lips moved but her voice was not heard therefore Eli thought she had been drunken Eli said to her how long will you be drunken put away your wine from you Hannah answered I have a powerful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but I poured out my soul before Yahweh don't count your handmade for a wicked woman for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation then Eli answered go in peace and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him she said let your handmade find favour in your sight so the woman went her way and ate the special expression wasn't sad anymore they rose up in the morning early and worshipped before Yahweh and returned and came to their house in Rama and Elkhana knew Hannah his wife and Yahweh remembered her it happened when the time had come that Hannah conceived and bore a son and she named him Samuel saying because I have asked him of Yahweh the man Elkhana and all his house went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and his bow but Hannah didn't go up for she said to her husband not until the child is weaned then I will bring him that he may appear before Yahweh and stay there forever Elkhana her husband said to her do what seems good to you wait until you have weaned him only may Yahweh establish his word so the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him when she had weaned him she took him up with her and brought him to Yahweh's house in Shiloh the child was young they killed the bull and brought the child to Eli she said oh my lord as your soul lives my lord I am the woman who stood by you here praying to Yahweh for this child I prayed and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him therefore also I have granted him to Yahweh as long as he lives he is granted to Yahweh he worshipped Yahweh there Chapter 2 Hannah prayed and said my heart exalts in Yahweh my horn is exalted in Yahweh my mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation there is no one as holy as Yahweh for there is no one besides you nor is there any rock like our God talk no more so exceedingly proudly don't let arrogance come out of your mouth for Yahweh is a God of knowledge by His grace Yahweh is a God of knowledge by Him actions are weighed the bows of the mighty men are broken those who stumbled are armed with strength those who were full have hired themselves out for bread those who were hungry are satisfied yes the baron has born seven she who has many children languishes Yahweh kills and makes alive he brings down to Sheol and brings up he makes poor and makes rich he brings low he also lifts up he raises up the poor out of the dust he lifts up the needy from the dung hill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory for the pillars of the earth are Yahweh's he has set the world on them he will keep the feet of His holy ones but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness for no man shall prevail by strength those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces he will thunder against them in the sky Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth he will give strength to His king and exalt the horn of His anointed Elkenna went to Rama to His house the child served Yahweh before Eli the priest now the sons of Eli were basemen they didn't know Yahweh the custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice the priests' servant came while the flesh was boiling with a fork of three teeth in his hand and he struck it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot all that the fork brought up the priest took therewith so they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there yes before they burnt the fat the priests' servant came and said to the man who sacrificed give meat to roast for the priest for he will not accept boiled meat from you but raw if the man said to him let the fat be burned first and then take as much as your soul desires then he would say no but you shall give it to me now and if not I will take it by force the sin of the young man was very great before Yahweh for the men despised the offering of Yahweh but Samuel ministered before Yahweh being a child clothed with a linen ephod moreover his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice Eli blessed Elkana and his wife and said Yahweh give you seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh they went to their own home Yahweh visited Hannah and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters the child Samuel grew before Yahweh now Eli was very old and he heard all that his sons did to Israel and he would lay with the woman who served at the door of the tent of meeting he said to them why do you do such things for I hear of your evil doings from all this people know my sons for it is no good report that I hear you make Yahweh's people disobey if one man sin against another God shall judge him but if a man sin against Yahweh who shall entreat for him notwithstanding they didn't listen to the voice of their father because Yahweh intended to kill them the child Samuel grew on and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men a man of God came to Eli and said to him thus says Yahweh did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest to go up to my altar to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me did I give to the house of your father all the offerings of Israel made by fire why do you kick at my sacrifice in my offering which I have commanded in my habitation and honor your sons above me to make yourselves fat with all the best of the offerings of Israel my people therefore Yahweh the God of Israel says I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever but now Yahweh says be it far from me for those who honor me I will honor those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed behold the days come that I will cut off your arm in the arm of your father's house and there shall not be an old man in your house you shall see the affliction of my habitation and all the wealth which I shall give Israel and there shall not be an old man in your house forever the man of yours whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age this shall be the sign to you that shall come on your two sons on Hophne and Phinehas in one day they shall both die I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before my anointed forever it shall happen that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and shall say please put me into one of the priest's offices that I may eat a morsel of bread Chapter 3 The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli the word of Yahweh was precious in those days there was no frequent vision it happened at that time when Eli was laid down in his place now his eyes had begun to grow dim so that he could not see and the lamp of God hadn't yet gone out and Samuel had laid down in the temple of Yahweh where the Ark of God was that Yahweh called Samuel and he said here I am he ran to Eli and said here I am for you called me he said I didn't call lie down again he went and laid down Yahweh called yet again Samuel Samuel arose and went to Eli and said here I am for you called me he answered I didn't call my son lie down again now Samuel didn't yet know Yahweh neither was the word of Yahweh yet revealed to him Yahweh called Samuel again the third time he arose and went to Eli and said here I am for you called me Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child therefore Eli said to Samuel go lie down and it shall be if he calls you that you shall say speak Yahweh for your servant hears so Samuel went down and lay in his place Yahweh came and stood and called as at other times Samuel Samuel then Samuel said speak for your servant hears Yahweh said to Samuel behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle in that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from the beginning even to the end for I have told him that I will judge Eli's house forever for the iniquity which he knew because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he didn't restrain them therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be removed with sacrifice nor offering forever Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh Samuel feared to show Eli the vision then Eli called Samuel and said Samuel my son he said here I am he said what is the thing that he has spoken to you please don't hide it from me God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you Samuel told him every bit and hid nothing from him he said it is Yahweh let him do what seems good to him Samuel grew and Yahweh was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh Chapter 4 The word of Samuel came to all Israel Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and encamped beside Abenezer and the Philistines encamped in Affek the Philistines put themselves in a ray against Israel and when they joined the battle Israel was struck before the Philistines and they killed the army in the field about four thousand men when the people had come into the camp the elders of Israel said why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines let us get the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies so the people sent to Shiloh and they brought from there the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh the Philistines who sits above the cherubim and the two sons of Eli Houghney and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God when the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh came into the camp all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth rang again when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout they said what does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean they understood that the Ark of Yahweh had come into the camp the Philistines were afraid they said God has come into the camp they said woe to us for there has not been such a thing before woe to us who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness be strong and behave like men O you Philistines that you not be servants to the Hebrews as they have been to you strengthen yourselves like men and fight the Philistines fought they were struck and they fled every man to his tent there was a very great slaughter for there fell of Israel 30,000 footmen the Ark of God was taken and the two sons of Eli Hothney and Phinehas were slain there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and with earth on his head when he came behold Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God when the man came into the city and told it all the city cried out when Eli heard the noise of the crying he said what does the noise of this tumult mean the man hurried and came and told Eli now Eli was 98 years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see the man said to Eli I am he who came out of the army every day out of the army he said how did the matter go my son he who brought the news answered Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has been also a great slaughter among the people your two sons also Hothney and Phinehas are dead and the Ark of God has been captured it happened when he made mention of the Ark of God that Eli fell from off his seat backward and his neck broke and he died he was an old man and heavy he had judged Israel 40 years his daughter-in-law Phinehas's wife was with child near to be delivered when she heard the news that the Ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead she bowed herself and gave birth for her pains came on her about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her don't be afraid for you have given birth to a son but she didn't answer neither did she regard it she named the child Ichabod saying the glory has departed from Israel because the Ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband she said the glory has departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken Chapter 5 now the Philistines had taken the Ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon when they of Ashdod rose early on the next day behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the Ark of Yahweh they took Dagon and set him in his place again when they arose early on the next morning behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the Ark of Yahweh and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the face only Dagon's torso was intact therefore, now that the priests of Dagon nor anyone who came into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon and Ashdod to this day but the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors even Ashdod and its borders when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so they said the Ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our God they sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said what shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel they answered let the Ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath they carried the Ark of the God of Israel there it was so that after they had carried it about the hand of Yahweh was against the city with a very great confusion they struck the men of the city both small and great and tumors broke out on them so they sent the Ark of God to Ikron it happened as the Ark of God came to Ikron the Ikronites cried out saying they have brought about the Ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people they sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and they said send away the Ark of the God of Israel and let it go again to its own place for there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city the hand of God was very heavy there the men who didn't die were struck with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven chapter 6 the Ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines seven months the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners saying what shall we do with the Ark of Yahweh show us with which we shall send it to its place they said if you send away the Ark of the God of Israel don't send it empty but by all means return him a trespass offering then you shall be healed and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you then they said what shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him they said five golden tumors and five golden mice for the number of the lords of the Philistines for one plague was on you all and on your lords therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land and you shall give glory to the God of Israel perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you from off your gods and from off your land why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when he had worked wonderfully among them didn't they let the people go and they departed now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart two milk cows on which there has come no yoke and tie the cows to the cart and bring their cows home from them and take the Ark of Yahweh and lay it on the cart and put the jewels of gold which you return him for a trespass offering in a coffer by its side and send it away that it may go behold if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh then he has done us this great evil but if not then we shall know that it is not his hand that has struck us it was a chance that happened to us the men did so and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart and shut up their cows at home and they put the Ark of Yahweh on the cart and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumours the cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh they went along the highway lowing as they went and didn't turn aside to the right hand after them to the border of Beth Shemesh they of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley and they lifted up their eyes and saw the Ark and rejoiced to see it the cart came into the field of Joshua by Beth Shemesh and stood there where there was a great stone and they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh the Levites took down the Ark of Yahweh and the coffer that was with it in which the jewels of gold were and put them on the great stone and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it they returned to Ikron the same day these are the golden tumours which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh for Ashdod 1 for Gaza 1 for Escalon 1 for Gath 1 and the golden mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords both of fortified cities and of country villages even to the great stone where on they sat down the Ark of Yahweh that stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh he struck of the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of Yahweh he struck of the people 50,070 men and the people warned because they struck the people with the great slaughter the men of Beth Shemesh said who is able to stand before Yahweh this holy God to whom shall he go up from us they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kyriath Gerim saying the Philistines have brought back the Ark of Yahweh come down and bring it up to yourselves chapter 7 the men of Kyriath Gerim came and fetched up the Ark of Yahweh and brought it to the house of Abinadab in the hill and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of Yahweh it happened from the day that the Ark stayed in Kyriath Gerim that the time was long for it was 20 years and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh Samuel spoke to the house of Israel saying if you do return to Yahweh with all your heart then put away the foreign gods and the ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to Yahweh and serve him only the Philistines then the children of Israel removed the bales and the ashtaroth and served Yahweh only Samuel said gather all Israel to Mizpa and I will pray for you to Yahweh they gathered together at Mizpa and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh and fasted on that day and said there we have sinned against Yahweh Samuel judged the children of Israel when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpa the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel when the children of Israel heard it they were afraid of the Philistines the children of Israel said to Samuel don't cease to cry to Yahweh our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh and Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel and answered him as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them and they were struck down before Israel the men of Israel went out of Mizpa and pursued the Philistines and struck them until they came under Beth Carr then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpa and Shen saying Yahweh helped us until now so the Philistines were subdued and they came no more within the border of Israel the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ikron even to Gath and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines there was peace between Israel and the Amorites Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpa and he judged Israel in all those places his return was to Ramah for there was his house and there he judged Israel and there he built an altar to Yahweh Chapter 8 it happened when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second Abijah and they were judges in Beersheba his sons didn't walk in his ways but turned aside after Lucre and took bribes and perverted justice then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah and said to him behold you are old and your sons don't walk in your ways now make us a king to judge us like all the nations but the thing displeased Samuel when they said give us a king to judge us Samuel prayed to Yahweh Yahweh said to Samuel listen to the voice of the people and all that they tell you for they have not rejected you but they have rejected me that I should not be king over them according to all the works which they have done since the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day in that they have forsaken me and served other gods now therefore listen to their voice however you shall protest solemnly to them and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who asked him of a king he said this will be the way of the king who shall reign over you he will take your sons and appoint them to him for his chariots and to be his horsemen and they shall run before his chariots and he will appoint them to him captains of fifties and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots he will take your daughters to be perfumers and to be cooks and to be bakers he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves even their best and give them to his servants he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants he will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and put them to his work he will take the tenth of your flocks and you shall be his servants you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you and Yahweh will not answer you in that day but the people refuse to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said no but we will have a king over us that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles Samuel heard all the words of the people and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh Yahweh said to Samuel listen to their voice and make them a king Samuel said to the men of Israel every man go to his own city