 CHAPTER XVIII. The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land was subdued before them. Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance. Joshua said to the children of Israel, How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you? Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance, and they shall come to me. They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north. You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh, your God. For the Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manassee have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them. The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh and Shiloh. The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions. The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill-country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Avon. The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz. The same is Bethel, southward. The border went down to Ataroth Adar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower. The border extended and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward, and ended at Kyriath Baal, the same as Kyriath Jerim, a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter. The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kyriath Jerim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Neftoa. The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the sun of Hinom, which is in the valley of Refium northward. It went down to the valley of Hinom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to N. Rogel. It extended northward, went out at N. Shemesh, and went out to Galiloth, which is over against the ascent of Adaman. It went down to the stone of Bohan, the sun of Rubin. It passed along to the side over against the Araba northward, and went down to the Araba. The border passed along to the side of Bethogla northward, and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border. The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Bethogla, Emek-Kaziz, Beth-Arabah, Zmariam, Bethel, Avim, Perah, Ofrah, Chifar-Amani, Afni, and Geba, twelve cities with their villages. Gebian, Ramah, Biroh, Mizpah, Chapira, Moza, Rechem, Irpil, Terella, Zella, Elf, the Jebusite, the same as Jerusalem. Gibyoth and Kiryoth, fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to their families. CHAPTER XIX The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon, according to their families. Their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah. They had, for their inheritance, Bersheba, or Sheba, Molada, Hazar-Shual, Bala, Ezem, El-Tolad, Bethuel, Horma, Ziklag, Beth-Macroboth, Hazar-Susa, Beth-Lebeoth, and Sheruim. Thirteen cities with their villages, Ain, Rimon, Ether, and Ashen. Four cities with their villages, and all the villages that were around these cities to Balath-Bir, Ramah of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon, according to their families. Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon, for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. For the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun, according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarad. Their border went up westward, even to Marallah, and reached to Davesheth. It reached to the brook, that is, before Jokhneam. It turned from Sarad eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chislas-Tabor. It went out to Dabereth, and went up to Japhia. From there it passed along eastward to Gath-Hefer, to Ath-Kazen, and it went out at Rimen, which stretches to Nihah. The border turned around it on the north to Hanathon, and it ended at the valley of Iftha-El, Katath, Nahalal, Shimran, Adela, and Bethlehem. Twelve cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun, according to their families, these cities with their villages. The fourth lot came out for Ishikar, even for the children of Ishikar, according to their families. Their border was to Jezreel, Chesaloth, Shennem, Haferim, Shion, An-Harroth, Rabeth, Kishun, Ibez, Remeth, and Ghanem, and Hada, and Beth-Pazez. The border reached to Tabor, Shahazuma, and Beth-Shamesh. Their border ended at the Jordan, sixteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ishikar, according to their families, the cities with their villages. The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher, according to their families. Their border was Helcath, Halley, Beton, Akshaf, Ala-Malach, Ahmad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-Libnath. It turned toward the sunrise to Beth-Dagon, and reached Zebulun, and to the valley of Iftha-El, northward to Beth-Emech and Niel. It went out to Kabul, on the left hand, and Ebron, Rehob, Haman, and Kanna, even to the Great Sidon. The border turned to Rama, to the fortified city of Tyre, and the border turned to Hozah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achseb, Uma also and Efech, and Rehob, twenty-two cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher, according to their families, these cities with their villages. The sixth lot came out for the children of Naftali, even for the children of Naftali, according to their families. Their border was from Heleth, from the Okan Zananim, at Aminakheb, and Jabnil, to Lakham. It ended at the Jordan. The border turned westward to Asnath-Tabor, and went out from there to Hukhok. It reached to Zebulun, on the south, and reached to Asher, on the west, and to Judah, at the Jordan, toward the sunrise. The fortified cities were Zidam, Zir, Hamath, Rakath, Shinarath, Adama, Rama, Hazor, Kedesh, Edri, N-Hazor, Iron, Migdal-El, Horam, Beth-Anath, and Beth-Shamesh, nineteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naftali, according to their families, the cities with their villages. The Seventh Lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan, according to their families. The border of their inheritance was Zora, Eshtal, Irshamesh, Shalabin, Aijalan, Isla, Elan, Timna, Ekran, Altaka, Gibbathan, Baeleth, Jihad, Ben-e-Barak, Gath-Riman, Mi-Jarkan, and Rakan, with the border over against Japa. The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them, for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan, their father. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan, according to their families, these cities with their villages. So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua, the son of Nun, in their midst, according to the commandment of Yahweh. They gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathsura, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and he built the city and lived there. These are the inheritances which Elizor the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the father's houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by Lot and Shiloh, before Yahweh, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land. CHAPTER 20 Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you, by Moses, that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. They shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at their entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place that he may live among them. If the avenger of blood pursue after him, they shall not deliver up the man's slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally and didn't hate him before. He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man's slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from. They set apart Kadesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naftali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kyriath Arba, the same as Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. Beyond the Jordan at Jericho Eastward, they assigned Beezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Rubin, Ramoth and Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, for the alien who lives among them that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation. Then the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites came near to Eliza the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Yahweh commanded Moses to give us cities to dwell in with their suburbs for our livestock. The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance according to the commandment of Yahweh these cities with their suburbs. The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin. The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh. The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ishakar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. The children of Marari, according to their families, had twelve cities out of the tribe of Rubin, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. The children of Israel gave these cities with their suburbs by lot to the Levites as Yahweh commanded by Moses. They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which were mentioned by name, and they were for the children of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, for theirs was the first lot. They gave them Kyriath Arba, named after the father of Anak, the same as Hebron, in the hill country of Judah with its suburbs around it. But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb, the son of Jafuna, for his possession. To the children of Aaron, the priests, they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Libna with its suburbs, Jadr with its suburbs, Eshtemoah with its suburbs, Holon with its suburbs, Dabeer with its suburbs, Ain with its suburbs, Jadah with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs, nine cities out of those two tribes. Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs, Anathoth with its suburbs, and Alman with its suburbs, four cities. All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs, Kibzim with its suburbs, and Beth Horan with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the tribe of Dan, El-Teky with its suburbs, Gebethon with its suburbs, Aijalan with its suburbs, Gathrimon with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the half-tripe of Manasseh, Canach with its suburbs, and Gathrimon with its suburbs, two cities. All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs. They gave to the children of Gershan, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tripe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and B. Estra with its suburbs, two cities. Out of the tribe of Ishikar, Kishon with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs, Jarmuth with its suburbs, and Ganem with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs, Helcath with its suburbs, and Rahab with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the tribe of Naftali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hemothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs, three cities. All the cities of the Gershanites, according to their families, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. To the families of the children of Marari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Joknium with its suburbs, Karta with its suburbs, Dimna with its suburbs, and Nahalal with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the tribe of Rubin, Bezer with its suburbs, Jahaz with its suburbs, Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Maphath with its suburbs, four cities. Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramath in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahaneem with its suburbs, Heshban with its suburbs, Jazer with its suburbs, four cities in all. All these were the cities of the children of Marari, according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities. All the cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel, were forty-eight cities with their suburbs. Each of these cities included their suburbs around them. It was this way with all these cities. So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it and lived in it. Yahweh gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand. Nothing failed of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. CHAPTER XXII Then Joshua called the Rubinites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manassee, and said to them, You have kept all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of Yahweh your God. Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents to the land of your possession which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan. Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you. To love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. Now to the one half-tribe of Manassee Moses had given inheritance and bastion, but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents he blessed them and spoke to them saying, Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers. The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manassee returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan to go to the land of Gilead to the land of their possession which they owned, according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. When they had come to the region about the Jordan, that is the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manassee, built there in altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at. The children of Israel heard this, behold the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manassee have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan in the region about the Jordan on the side that pertains to the children of Israel. When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up against them to war. The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manassee into the land of Gilead, Phineas, the son of Eliza, the priest, and with him ten princes, one prince of a father's house for each of the tribes of Israel, and they were every one of them head of their father's houses among the thousands of Israel. They came to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manassee, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, what trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yahweh in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against Yahweh, is the iniquity of pure too little for us from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of Yahweh that you must turn away this day from following Yahweh. It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of Yahweh, in which Yahweh's tabernacle dwells and take possession among us, but don't rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us in building an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God. Didn't Ahim the son of Zarah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, that man didn't perish alone in his iniquity. Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel. The mighty one, God, Yahweh the mighty one, God, Yahweh, he knows, and Israel shall know, if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh, don't save us this day, that we have built an altar to turn away from following Yahweh, or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let Yahweh himself require it. If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason saying, in time to come your children might speak to our children saying, What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel, for Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad, you have no portion in Yahweh, so your children might make our children cease from fearing Yahweh. Therefore we said, let's now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, that your children may not tell our children in time to come, you have no portion in Yahweh. Therefore we said, it shall be, when they tell us, or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Yahweh which our fathers made, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but it is a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and turn away this day from following Yahweh to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of Yahweh our God, that is before his tabernacle. When Phineas the priest and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Rubin and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well. Phineas the son of Eliza the priest said to the children of Rubin, to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh. Today we know that Yahweh is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh. Phineas the son of Eliza the priest and the princes returned from the children of Rubin and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. The thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Rubin and the children of Gad lived. The children of Rubin and the children of Gad named the altar a witness between us that Yahweh is God. CHAPTER XXIII It happened after many days when Yahweh had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them, I am old and well advanced in years. You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations because of you, for it is Yahweh your God who has fought for you. Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain to be an inheritance for your tribes from the Jordan with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun. Yahweh your God will thrust them out from before you and drive them from out of your sight. We shall possess their land as Yahweh your God spoke to you. Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them. But hold fast to Yahweh your God as you have done to this day. For Yahweh has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for it is Yahweh your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you. Take good heed therefore to yourselves that you love Yahweh your God. But if you do at all go back and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go into them, and they to you, know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight. But they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, and tell you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so Yahweh will bring on you all the evil things until he has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you when you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you. Chapter 24 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to shek him, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, your fathers lived of old time beyond the river, even Tara, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. I gave to Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, and I gave to Esau, Mount Seer, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in its midst, and afterward I brought you out. I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots, and with horsemen to the Red Sea. When they cried out to Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them, and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt, and you lived in the wilderness many days. I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you. Then Baelic, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Baelum, the son of Beor, to curse you, but I would not listen to Baelum. Therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand. You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Parasite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Gurgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, and I delivered them into your hand. I sent the Hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites, not with your sword nor with your bow. I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn't build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn't plant. Now therefore fear Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the river, in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh. The people answered, far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh to serve other gods. For it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed. Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh, for he is our God. Joshua said to the people, you can't serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins. If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you after he has done you good. The people said to Joshua, no, but we will serve Yahweh. Joshua said to the people, you are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves to serve him. They said, we are witnesses. Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel. The people said to Joshua, we will serve Yahweh our God and we will listen to his voice. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God, and he took a great stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God. So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. It happened after these things that Joshua the Son of None, the servant of Yahweh, died, being 110 years old. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathsura, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gash. Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. Eliza the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phineas, his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim. End of the book of Joshua. CHAPTERS 1-5 It happened after the death of Joshua. The children of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, Who should go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them? Yahweh said, Judah shall go up, behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. Judah said to Simeon, his brother, come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites, and I likewise will go with you into your lot. So Simeon went with him. Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Parasites into their hand, and they struck of them in Bezek ten thousand men. They found Adonai Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him, and they struck the Canaanites and Parasites. But Adonai Bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, and caught off his thumbs and his great toes. Adonai Bezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, scavenged under my table, as I have done, so God has requited me. They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. Afterward, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the south, and in the lowland. Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. Now the name of Hebron was Kyriath Arba, and they struck Shashi, and Ahimon, and Talmai. From there he went against the Inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir was Kyriath Sefer. Caleb said, He who strikes Kyriath Sefer, and takes it, to him I will give Aksa, my daughter, as wife. Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it, and he gave him Aksa, his daughter, as wife. It happened when she came that she got him to ask her father for a field, and she alighted from off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What would you like? She said to him, Give me a blessing, for that you have set me in the land of the south, give me also springs of water. Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. The children of the Kenite, Moses's brother-in-law, went up out of the city of Palmtrees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Eirad, and they went and lived with the people. Judah went with Simeon, his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Horma. Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border. Yahweh was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country, for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had spoken, and he drove out there the three sons of Aenak. The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. The house of Benjamin, they also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them. The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. Now the name of the city before was Luz. The watcher saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said to him, Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you. He showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go, and all his family. The man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day. Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and its towns, nor Tanakh and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Iblayam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. It happened when Israel had grown strong that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gazar, but the Canaanites lived in Gazar among them. Zebulun didn't drive out the inhabitants of Ketron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalal, but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. Asher didn't drive out the inhabitants of Akko, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Alab, nor of Akzib, nor of Helba, nor of Afik, nor of Rehab, but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out. Naftali didn't drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-Anath, but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, and of Beth-Anath, became subject to forced labor. The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley, but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Hares, in Aijalan, and in Shalbum, yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor. The border of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akhrabim, from the rock and upward. CHAPTER 2 The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers, and I said, I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land, you shall break down their altars. But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. It happened when the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept. They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh. Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Hares, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gash. Also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them, who didn't know Yahweh, nor yet the work which he had worked for Israel. The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals, and they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them, and they provoked Yahweh to anger. They forsook Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers who despoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them, and they were very distressed. Yahweh raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them, yet they didn't listen to their judges, for they played the prostitute after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Yahweh. They didn't do so. When Yahweh raised them up judges, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them. But it happened, when the judge was dead, that they turned back and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn't cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to my voice, I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died, that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yahweh to walk therein as their fathers kept it or not. So Yahweh left those nations without driving them out hastily, neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. CHAPTER III. Now these are the nations which Yahweh left to prove Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan, only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing of it, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Herman to the entrance of Hamath. They were left to test Israel by them to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh which he commanded their fathers by Moses. The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Parasites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Kushan Rishatame, king of Mesopotamia, and the children of Israel served Kushan Rishatame eight years. When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel who saved them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. The spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Kushan Rishatame, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Kushan Rishatame. The land had rest forty years. Othniel the son of Kenaz died. The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. The children of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, eighteen years, but when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud, the son of Gerah, the Benjaminite, a man left handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cuban and length, and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute, but he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, king. The king said, Keep silence! All who stood by him went out from him. Ehud came to him, and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. He arose out of his seat. Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body, and the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body, and it came out behind. Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him and locked them. Now when he was gone out his servants came, and they saw, and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked, and they said, surely he is covering his feet in the upper room. They waited until they were ashamed, and behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room, therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord was fallen down, dead on the earth. Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries and escaped to Sera. It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them. He said to them, Follow me, for Yahweh has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow any man to pass over. They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of Valor, and they escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. The land had rest eighty years. After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goat, and he also saved Israel. CHAPTER IV The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, when Ehud was dead. Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The captain of Uzarmie was Cicera, who lived in Harisheth of the Gentiles. The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. She lived under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and called Baruch, the son of Abinoham, out of Kadesh naftily, and said to him, Hasn't Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, go and draw to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of naftily and of the children of Zebulun? I will draw to you to the river Kishon, Cicera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand. Baruch said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go. She said, I will surely go with you. Nevertheless the journey that you take shall not be for your honor, for Yahweh will sell Cicera into the hand of a woman. Deborah rose and went with Baruch to Kadesh. Baruch called Zebulun and naftily together to Kadesh, and there went up ten thousand men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zananim, which is by Kadesh. They told Cicera that Baruch, the son of Abinoham, was gone up to Mount Tabor. Cicera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harisheth of the Gentiles to the river Kishan. Deborah said to Baruch, Go, for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Cicera into your hand. Hasn't Yahweh gone out before you? So Baruch went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him. Yahweh confused Cicera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Baruch, and Cicera alighted from his chariot and fled away on his feet. But Baruch pursued after the chariots and after the army to Harisheth of the Gentiles, and all the army of Cicera fell by the edge of the sword, there was not a man left. However, Cicera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jail, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. Jail went out to meet Cicera and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn into me, don't be afraid. He came into her into the tent and she covered him with a rug. He said to her, Please, give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. He said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be when any man comes and inquires of you and says, Is there any man here that you shall say, No. Then Jail, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep, so he swooned and died. Behold, as Barak pursued Cicera, Jail came out to meet him and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek. He came to her and, behold, Cicera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan. CHAPTER V Then Debra and Barak the son of Abinoham sang on that day, saying, Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh. Here you kings, give ear you princes. I, even I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel. Yahweh, when you went forth out of Sair, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. The clouds dropped water, the mountains quaked at the presence of Yahweh, even Sinai, at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jail the highways were unoccupied, the travelers walked through byways, the rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased until I, Debra, arose, until I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods, then war was in the gates, was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh. Speak you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way, far from the noise of archers, in the places of drying water, there they will rehearse the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates, awake, awake, Debra, awake, awake, utter a song, arise, Berek, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoham. Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty. Those who's rude as an amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors came down out of Makir. Those who handle the marshals staff came out of Zebulun. The princes of Issachar were with Debra, as was Issachar, so was Berek. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Rubin there were great resolves of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Rubin there were great searchings of heart. Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks. Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the deaths, naftily also on the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Tanak, by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver. From the sky the stars fought from their courses. They fought against Cicera. The river Kishon swept them away. That ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, Marchon, was strength. Then the horse hooves stamped because of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones. Kurs Miraz, said the angel of Yahweh, cursed bitterly its inhabitants because they didn't come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the mighty. Jail shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer. With the hammer she struck Cicera, she struck him through the head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. Through the window she looked out and cried, Cicera's mother looked through the lattice. Why is this chariot so long and coming? Why did the wheels of his chariots wait? Her wise ladies answered her. Yes, she returned to answer to herself. Have they not found? Have they not divided the spoil? A lady, two ladies to every man. To Cicera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil. So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love Him be as the sun when it rises forth in its strength. Then the land had rest forty years. End of chapters one through five. Chapter six to twelve 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 volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This reading by Anna Roberts. Judges from the World English Bible. Chapter six to twelve. Chapter six. The children of Israel did that which was evil in the site of Yahweh, and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. So it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east, they came up against them and they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth until you come to Gaza and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey, for they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude, both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it. Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh. It happened when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian that Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel, and he said to them, thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel. I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you and drove them out from before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, I am Yahweh your God, you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, but you have not listened to my voice. The angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak, which is in Ofra, that pertained to Joash, the Abiyah's right, and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of Valor. Gideon said to him, oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, didn't Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? But now Yahweh has cast us off and delivered us into the hand of Midian. Yahweh looked at him and said, go in this your might and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven't I sent you? He said to him, oh, lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. Yahweh said to him, surely I will be with you and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. He said to him, if now I have found favoring your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me. Please, don't go away until I come to you and bring out my present and lay it before you. He said, I will wait until you come back. Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an eef of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot and brought it out to him under the oak and presented it. The angel of God said to him, take the meat and the unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock and pour out the broth. He did so. The angel of Yahweh stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes and the angel of Yahweh departed out of his sight. Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh and Gideon said, alas, Lord Yahweh, because I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face. Yahweh said to him, peace be to you, don't be afraid, you shall not die. Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and called it Yahweh is peace. To this day it is still an ophra of the Abiyaz writes. It happened the same night that Yahweh said to him, take your father's bull, even the second bull seven years old and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the ashrah that is by it and build an altar to Yahweh, your God, on the top of the stronghold in an orderly way and take the second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the ashrah which you shall cut down. Then Gideon took 10 men of his servants and did as Yahweh had spoken to him and it happened because he feared his father's household and the men of the city so that he could not do it by day that he did it by night. When the men of the city arose early in the morning behold, the altar of Baal was broken down and the ashrah was cut down that was by it and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built. They said to one another, who has done this thing? When they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing. Then the men of the city said to Joash, bring out your son that he may die because he has broken down the altar of Baal and because he has cut down the ashrah that was by it. Joash said to all those who stood against him, will you contend for Baal or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning. If he is a God, let him contend for himself because someone has broken down his altar. Therefore, on that day he named him Jerob Baal, saying, let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar. Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together and they passed over and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. But the spirit of Yahweh came on Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abbeazer was gathered together after him. He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh and they also were gathered together after him and he sent messengers to Asher and to Zebulun and to Naftali and they came up to meet him. Gideon said to God, if you will save Israel by my hand as you have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand as you have spoken. It was so for he rose up early on the next day and pressed the fleece together and rung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. Gideon said to God, don't let your anger be kindled against me and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Now let it be dry only on the fleece and on all the ground let there be dew. God did so that night, for it was dry on the fleece only and there was dew on all the ground. Chapter 7. Then Jerab Bell, who is Gideon and all the people who were with him rose up early and encamped beside the spring of Herod and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Mora in the valley. Yahweh said to Gideon, the people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me saying my own hand has saved me. Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people saying whoever is fearful and trembling let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. 22,000 of the people returned and 10,000 remained. Yahweh said to Gideon, the people are still too many. Bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. It shall be that of whom I tell you this shall go with you, the same shall go with you and of whomever I tell you this shall not go with you, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people to the water and Yahweh said to Gideon, everyone who laps of the water with his tongue like a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, everyone who bows down on his knees to drink. The number of those who lapped putting their hand to their mouth was 300 men but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. Yahweh said to Gideon, by the 300 men who lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go each to his own place. So the people took food in their hand and their trumpets and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent but retained the 300 men and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley. It happened the same night that Yahweh said to him, arise go down into the camp for I have delivered it into your hand but if you are afraid to go down go with Pura your servant down to the camp and you shall hear what they say and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then he went down with Pura his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who are in the camp. The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the East lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude and their camels were without number as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude. When Gideon had come behold there was a man telling a dream to his fellow and he said, behold I dreamed a dream and behold a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and it turned upside down so that the tent lay flat. His fellow answered, this is nothing other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian into his hand with all the army. It was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation that he worshiped and he returned into the camp of Israel and said arise for Yahweh has delivered the army of Midian into your hand. He divided the 300 men into three companies and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets and empty pitchers with torches within the pitchers. He said to them, watch me and do likewise. Behold when I come to the outermost part of the camp it shall be that as I do so you shall do. When I blow the trumpet I and all who are with me then blow the trumpets also on every side of the camp and shout for Yahweh and for Gideon. So Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch when they had but newly set the watch and they blew the trumpets and broken pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow and they shouted the sword of Yahweh and of Gideon. They each stood in his place around the camp and all the army ran and they shouted and put them to flight. They blew the 300 trumpets and Yahweh set every man's sword against his fellow and against all the army and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah towards Zerirah as far as the border of Abel Mehola by Tebeth. The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naftali and out of Asher and out of Al Manasseh and pursued after Midian. Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim saying come down against Midian and take before them the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan. They took the two princes of Midian, Orib and Zeb and they killed Orib at the rock of Orib and Zeb they killed at the wine-press of Zeb and pursued Midian and they brought the heads of Orib and Zeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. Chapter eight, the men of Ephraim said to him why have you treated us this way that you didn't call us when you went to fight with Midian? They rebuked him sharply. He said to them, what have I now done in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abbeezer? God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian Orib and Zeb. What was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that. Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over. He and the three hundred men who were with him faint yet pursuing. He said to the men of Sukkoth, please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint and I am pursuing after Zeba and Zalmanna, the kings of Midian. The princes of Sukkoth said, are the hands of Zalmanna now in your hand that we should give bread to your army? Gideon said, therefore when Yahweh has delivered Zeba and Zalmanna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars. He went up there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Sukkoth had answered him. He spoke also to the men of Penuel saying, when I come again in peace I will break down this tower. Now Zeba and Zalmanna were in Karkor and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the army of the children of the east, for there fell 120,000 men who drew sword. Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nova and Dagbihah and struck the army, for the army was secure. Zeba and Zalmanna fled and he pursued after them and he took the two kings of Midian, Zeba and Zalmanna and confused all the army. Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Harry's. He caught a young man of the men of Sukkoth and inquired of him and he described for him the princes of Sukkoth and its elders, 77 men. He came to the men of Sukkoth and said, see Zeba and Zalmanna concerning whom you taunted me saying are the hands of Zeba and Zalmanna now in your hand that we should give bread to your men who are weary? He took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briars and with them he taught the men of Sukkoth. He broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. Then he said to Zeba and Zalmanna, what kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor? They answered, they were like you, each one resembled the children of a king. He said, they were my brothers, the sons of my mother, as Yahweh lives if you had saved them alive I would not kill you. He said to Jithar, his firstborn, get up and kill them, but the youth didn't draw his sword for he was afraid because he was yet a youth. Then Zeba and Zalmanna said, rise and fall on us, for as the man is so is his strength. Gideon arose and killed Zeba and Zalmanna and took the crescents that were on their camels next. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, rule over us, both you and your son and your son's son also, for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian. Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, Yahweh shall rule over you. Gideon said to them, I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of his spoil, for they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites. They answered, we will willingly give them. They spread a garment and every man threw the earrings of his spoil into it. The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian and besides the chains that were about their camels next. Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel played the prostitute after it there and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. Dara Bell, the son of Joash, went and lived in his own house. Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives. His concubine, who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son and he named him Abimelech. Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash's father in Ophrah of the Abyezites. It happened, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute after the Baals and made Bell Barath their god. The children of Israel didn't remember Yahweh their god, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side, neither did they show kindness to the house of Dara Bell, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel. Chapter nine, Abimelech, the son of Dara Bell, went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, is it better for you that all the sons of Dara Bell, who are seventy persons, rule over you or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. His mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem, all these words, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, he is our brother. They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Barath, with which Abimelech hired vein and light fellows who followed him. He went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Dara Bell, being seventy persons on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Dara Bell, was left, for he hid himself. All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together and all the house of Milo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and cried and said to them, listen to me, you man of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them and they said to the olive tree, rain over us. But the olive tree said to them, should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man and go to wave back and forth over the trees? The trees said to the fig tree, come and rain over us. But the fig tree said to them, should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave back and forth over the trees? The trees said to the vine, come and rain over us. The vine said to them, should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees? Then all the trees said to the Bramble, Come and reign over us. The Bramble said to the trees, If in truth you anoint me king over you, Then come and take refuge in my shade, And if not, let fire come out of the Bramble, And devour the cedars of Lebanon. Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, And that you have made a bimolette king, And if you have dealt with Jerobel in his house, And have done to him according to the deserving of his hands, For my father fought for you, And risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian, And you have risen up against my father's house this day, And have slain his son seventy persons on one stone, And have made a bimolette the son of his female servant, King over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother. If you then have dealt truly and righteously with Jerobel, And with his house this day, then rejoice in a bimolette, And let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from a bimolette, And devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Milo, And let fire come out from the men of Shechem, And from the house of Milo, and devour a bimolette. Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beir, And lived there, for fear of a bimolette his brother. A bimolette was prince over Israel three years. God sent an evil spirit between a bimolette and the men of Shechem, And the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with a bimolette, That the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerobel might come, And that their blood might be laid on a bimolette their brother, Who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, Who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. The men of Shechem said an ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, And they robbed all who came along that way by them, And it was told to bimolette. Gal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, And went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. They went out into the field, and harvested their vineyards, And trod the grapes, and held festival, And went into the house of their God, and ate and drank, And cursed a bimolette. Gal the son of Ebed said, Who is a bimolette, And who is Shechem that we should serve them? Isn't he the son of Jerobel, and Zebel his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, But why should we serve him? Would that this people were under my hand, Then I would remove a bimolette. He said to a bimolette, Increase your army, and come out. When Zebel the ruler of the city heard the words of Gal the son of Ebed, His anger was kindled. He sent messengers to a bimolette craftily, saying, Behold, Gal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, And behold, they incite the city against you. Now therefore go up by night, you and the people who are with you, And lie and wait in the field, and it shall be that in the morning, As soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, And rush on the city, and behold, when he and the people who are with him Come out against you, then may you do to them, As you shall find occasion. A bimolette rose up and all the people who are with him by night, And they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. Gal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, And a bimolette rose up and the people who are with him from the ambush. When Gal saw the people, he said to Zebel, Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. Zebel said to him, You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. Gal spoke again and said, Behold, people are coming down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonennim. Then Zebel said to him, Now where is your mouth that you said, Who is a bimolette that we should serve him? Isn't this the people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them. Gal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with a bimolette. A bimolette chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. A bimolette lived at Arama, and Zebel drove out Gal and his brothers, said they should not dwell in Shechem. It happened on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told a bimolette. He took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid weight in the field, and he looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city. He rose up against them, and struck them. A bimolette and the companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them. A bimolette fought against the city all that day, and he took the city, and killed the people who were therein, and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. When all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El Bereth. It was told a bimolette that all the men of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. A bimolette went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him, and a bimolette took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bow from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder, and he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. All the people likewise each cut down his bow, and followed a bimolette, and put them at the base of the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. Then went a bimolette to Thebes, and encamped against Thebes, and took it. But there was a strong tower within the city, and there fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower. A bimolette came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. A certain woman cast an upper millstone on a bimolette's head, and broke his skull. Then he called hastily to the young man his armor-bearer, and said to him, Dry your sword, and kill me, that men may not say of me a woman killed him. His young man thrust him through, and he died. When the men of Israel saw that a bimolette was dead, they departed every man to his place. Thus God requited the wickedness of a bimolette, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers, and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerob Baal. CHAPTER X After a bimolette there arose to save Israel Tola, the son of Pua, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim. He judged Israel twenty-three years, and died and was buried in Shamir. After him arose Jair, the Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years. He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey-colts, and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. Jair died and was buried and came on. The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook Yahweh and didn't serve him. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon. They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed. The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals. Yahweh said to the children of Israel, Didn't I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Moabites oppressed you, and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of distress. The children of Israel said to Yahweh, We have sinned, do you to us whatever seems good to you, only deliver us, please, this day. They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahweh, and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah. The people, the princes of Gilead, said to one another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. CHAPTER XI. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of Valor, and he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead became the father of Jephthah. Gilead's wife bore him sons, and when his wife's sons grew up they drove out Jephthah and said to him, You shall not inherit in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him. It happened, after a while, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. It was so that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob, and they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief that we may fight with the children of Ammon. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Didn't you hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress? The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon, and you shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them before me, shall I be your head? The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Yahweh shall be witness between us surely according to your words so will we do. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them, and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh and Mizpah. Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have you to do with me that you have come to me to fight against my land? The king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Aranon even to the Jabbaq, and to the Jordan, now therefore restore that territory again peaceably. Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon, and he said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel didn't take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon. But when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh, then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Please let me pass through your land. But the king of Edom didn't listen. In the same way he sent to the king of Moab, but he would not, and Israel stayed in Kadesh. Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Aranon, but they didn't come within the borders of Moab, for the Aranon was the border of Moab. Israel sent messengers to Sion, king of the Amorites, the king of Hashban, and Israel said to him, Please let us pass through your land to my place. But Sion didn't trust Israel to pass through his border, but Sion gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jehaz, and fought against Israel. Yahweh, the God of Israel, delivered Sion and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Aranon even to the Jabbaq, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan. So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel. And should you possess them? Won't you possess that which Chamosh, your God, gives you to possess? So whoever Yahweh, our God, has dispossessed from before us, then we will possess. Now are you anything better than Balak, the son of Zippur, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them? While Israel lived in Hashban and its towns, and in Aror and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Aranon, 300 years, why didn't you recover them within that time? I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to wage war against me. Yahweh, the judge, be judged this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. However, the king of the children of Ammon didn't listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him. Then the spirit of Yahweh came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon. Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, if you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them, and Yahweh delivered them into his hand. He struck them from Aror until you come to Minneth, even twenty cities, and to Abel Charimim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances, and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. It happened when he saw her, that he tore his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter, you have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me, for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can't go back. She said to him, my father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh, due to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon. She said to her father, let this thing be done for me, let me alone two months that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions. He said, go. He sent her away for two months, and she departed she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains. It happened at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she was a virgin. It was a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in a year. CHAPTER XII. The men of Ephraim were gathered together and passed northward, and they said to Jephthah, why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and why didn't you call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire. Jephthah said to them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, you didn't save me out of their hand. When I saw that you didn't save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, you are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh. The Gileadites took the Fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. It was so that when the fugitives of Ephraim said, let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, are you an Ephraimite? If he said no, then they said to him, now say Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth, for he couldn't manage to pronounce it right. Then they seized him, and killed him at the Fords of the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 of Ephraim fell. Jephthah judged Israel six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead. After him, Ibn Zan of Bethlehem judged Israel. He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. Ibn Zan died, and was buried at Bethlehem. After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalan, in the land of Zebulun. After him, Abdon the son of Hillel, the Parathonite, judged Israel. He had forty sons, and thirty sons' sons, who rode on seventy donkey-colds, and he judged Israel eight years. Abdon the son of Hillel, the Parathonite, died, and was buried in Perathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.