Before gone away and what have I more? and what Christ is this that ye fay unto me, What aileth thee? 1406. 25 And the children of Dan faid unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, left angry bitter of fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy houfhold.

+ Heb.

19.

26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah faw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laifh, unto a people that were at quiet, and fecure and they fmote them with the edge of the fword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that Numb. lieth by Beth-rehob: and they built a city, and dwelt therein.

13 21.

his concubinė.

rofe up to depart: and the damfels father faid unto Before his fon in law, +Comfort thine heart with a mor- Chrift fel of bread, and afterward go your way.

circa

+ Heb.

1406. 6 And they fat down and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damfels father had Strengthen. faid unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.

7 And when the man rofe up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.

8 And he arofe early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damfels father said, Comfort thine heart,I pray thee. And they tarried until after noon, and they did cat both + Heb. of them.

till the day

declined.

9 And when the man rofe up to depart, he and his concubine, and his fervant; his father in law, the damfels father faid unto him, Behold, now the day + draweth towards evening, I pray you, † Heh. tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an + Heb.itis end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; the pitching and to morrow get you early on your way, thou mayft go home.

that

is weak.

time of the day.

+ Heb.

10 But the man would not tarry that night, thy tent. but he rofe up and departed, and came over + Heb. bagainst Jebus, (which is Jerufalem) and there or a were with him two affes faddled, his concubine & Ch.1.21. alfo was with him.

11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far fpent, and the fervant faid unto his mafter, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in unto this 1 city of the Jebufites, and lodge in it.

12 And his mafter faid unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Ifrael; we will pafs

over to Gibeah.

e Josh. 13 And he faid unto his fervant, Come, and 18.23.

let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14. And they paffed on and went their way, and the fun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

15 And they turned afide thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he fat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his houfe to lodging.

16 And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he fojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And when he had lift up his eyes, he faw a way-faring man in the ftreet of the city: and the old man faid, Whither goest thou?and whence comeft thou?

18 And he faid unto him, We are paffing from Beth-lehem-judah, toward the fide of mount Ephraim, from thence am I: and I went

Р 4

to

Gen. 19. howfoever, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

John 13.5.

4.

Hof. 9.9.

21 So he brought him into his houfe,and gave provender unto the affes: f and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

22 Now as they were making their hearts g Gen. 19. merry, behold, & the men of the city, certain h fons of Belial, befet the house round about, & 10. 9. and beat at the door, and fpake to the mafter of the house, the old man, faying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

6.

Gen. 19.

Gen. 19. 7, 8.

23 And the man the mafter of the house went out unto them, and faid unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not fo wickedly; feeing that this man is come into mine houfe, do not this folly.

24 k Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine, them I will bring out now, Deut. 21.1 and humble ye them, and do with them what feemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not fo vile a thing.

14.

+ Heb. The matter

of this folly.

25 But the men would not hearken to him: fo the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to fpring, they let her go.

26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the mans houfe, where her lord was till it was light.

27 And her lord rofe 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 houfe,and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 And he faid unto her, Up, and let us be going: but none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rofe up, and gat him unto his place.

1

29 And when he was come into his houfe, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and m divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and fent her into all the coafts of Ifraél.

30 And it was fo, that all that faw it, faid, There was no fuch deed done nor feen, from the day that the children of Ifrael came up out of the

CHAP. XX.

1 The Levite in a general affembly declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the affembly. 12 The Benjamites being cited, make head against the Ifraelites. 18 The Ifraelites in two battles lofe forty thousand. 26 They deftroy by a ftratagem all the Benjamites, except fix hundred.

T

circa

1406.

the congregation was gathered together, ch. 21. s. as one man, from b Dan even to Beersheba, & Chap. with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in 18.29. Mizpeh.

Hen a all the children of Ifrael went out, and a Deut.

1 Sam. 3.20.

10.824.2. C1 Sam. 7.

2 And the chief of all the people, even of all 2 Sam. 3. the tribes of Ifrael, prefented themselves in the affembly of the people of God, four hundred 5.10.17. thousand footmen that drew fword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Ifrael were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then faid the children of Ifrael, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

Levite.

4 And the Levite the husband of the woman + Heb. that was flain, answered and faid, d I came into the man the Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my a Chap. d concubine, to lodge.

5 And the men of Gibeah rofe against me, and befet the houfe round about upon me by night, and thought to have flain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

19.120

+ Heb.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in humbled. pieces, and fent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Ifrael: for they have com- Joh. 7. mitted lewdnefs and folly in Ifrael.

e

7 Behold, ye are all children of Ifrael, give here your advice and counsel.

8 And all the people arofe as one man, faying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

9 But now, this fhall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go up by lot against it :

10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Ifrael, and an hundred of a thoufand, and a thousand out of ten thoufand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Ifrael.

1 Chron. 12. 2.

1.

mifs.

17 And the men of Ifrael, befide Benjamin, were numbred four hundred thousand men that drew fword; all these were men of war.

18 And the children of Ifrael arose, and ¡Chap. 1. went up to the house of God, and i asked counsel of God, and faid, Which of us fhall go up firft to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD faid, Judah fhall go up 19 And the children of Ifrael rofe up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

Joh. 24.

33.

firit.

20 And the men of Ifrael went out to battle against Benjamin,and the men of Ifrael put themfelves in aray to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and deftroyed down to the ground of the Ifraelites that day, twenty and two thoufand men.

22 And the people the men of Ifrael encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in aray in the place where they put themselves in aray the first day.

23 (And the children of Ifrael went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counfel of the LORD, faying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD faid, Go up againft him.)

24 And the children of Ifrael came near againft the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day,and deftroyed down to the ground of the children of Ifrael again, eighteen thousand men; all these drew the fword.

26 Then all the children of Ifrael, and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and fat there before the LORD, and fafted that day until even, and offered burntofferings, and peace-offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Ifrael enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28k And Phinehas the fon of Eleazar, the

circa

1406.

times.

8. 4.

31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city, and they began to fmite of the people, + Heb. and kill as at other times, in the high-ways, of comf which one goeth up to the houfe of God, and wounded the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men

of Ifrael.

32 And the children of Benjamin faid, They are fmitten down before us as at the first. But the children of Ifrael faid, Let us flee, and draw them from the city, unto the high-ways.

33 And all the men of Ifrael rose up out of their place, and put themselves in aray at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Ifrael came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thoufand chofen men out of all Ifrael, and the battle was fore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

-35 And the LORD fmote Benjamin before Ifrael: and the children of Ifrael deftroyed of the Benjamites that day, twenty and five thoufand and an hundred men; all thefe drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin faw that they were fmitten: for the men of Ifrael gave place to the Benjamites, because they trufted unto the liers in wait which they had fet befide Gibeah.

to fmite

the people

as at, &c.

|| Or,

Beth el.

37 And the liers in wait hafted, and rushed upon Gibeah, and the liers in wait | drew them- Or, felves along, and fmote all the city with the edge long of the fword.

• make a

found

with the trumpets

38 Now there was an appointed fign between the men of Ifrael + and the liers in wait,that they Or, fhould make a great + flame with smoke to rife +H up out of the city.

time.

†Heb. †Heb.

with.

to fmite the

39 And when the men of Ifrael retired in the elevation. battle, Benjamin began † to fmite and kill of the † Heb. men of Ifrael about thirty perfons; for they faid, wounded. Surely they are fmitten down before us, as in the first battle.

40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city, with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the flame Heb of the city afcended up to heaven.

the whole confumріст

41 And when the men of Ifrael turned again, pien

Pr

the

The defolation

circa

lamented.

circa

1406. + Heb. touched them.

| Or,

from Memukha, &c. + Heb.

anto over

against.

m Chap.

21. 13.

+ Heb.

soas found. + Heb.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Ifrael, unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them: and them which came out of the cities, they destroyed in the midst

of them.

43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chafed them, and trode them down with eafe + over against Gibeah toward the fun-rifing.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thoufand men; all these were men of valour.

45 And they turned and fled toward the wildernefs unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the high-ways five thousand men, and purfued hard after them unto Gidom, and flew two thoufand men of them.

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin, were twenty and five thousand men that drew the fword; all these were men of valour.

47 m But fix hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 And the men of Ifrael turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and fmote them with the edge of the fword, as well the men of every city, as the beaft, and all that † came to hand: allo they fet on fire all the cities that they

were found. came to.

NOW

CHAP. XXI.

1 The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin. 8 By the destruction of Fabejb-gilead, they provide them four hundred wives. 16 They advise them to furprife the virgins that danced at Shiloh. aChap.20. Ow the men of Ifrael had fworn in Mizpeh, faying, There fhall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. 2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lift their voices, and wept fore:

I.

up

3 And faid, O LORD God of Ifrael, why is this come to pass in Ifrael, that there fhould be to day one tribe lacking in Ifrael.

4 And it came to pafs on the morrow,that the people rofe early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings.

5 And the children of Ifrael faid, Who is there among all the tribes of Ifrael, that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? for they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, faying, He fhall furely be put death.

6 And the children of Ifrael repented them for Benjamin their brother, and faid, There is one tribe cut off from Ifrael this day:

7 How fhall we do for wives for them that re

12 And they found among the inhabitants of knoweth Jabefh-gilead, four hundred young virgins that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, young wo which is in the land of Chanan.

+ Heb.

men vir

gins.

to + Heb. in and pake

and called.

13 And the wole congregation fent fome + fpeak to the children of Benjamin that were the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto or, them.

14 And Benjamin came again at that time;and they gave them wives which they had faved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet fo they fuffifed them not.

15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, becaule that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Ifrael.

How hall we do for wives for them that remain, 16 Then the elders of the congregation faid, feeing the women are deftroyed out of Benjamin.

17 And they faid, There must be an inheritance for them that be of Benjamin, that a tribe be not deftroyed out of Ifrael.

18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Ifrael have fworn, faying, Curfed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two fons Mahlon and Chilion, & Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah: and they came into See Judg. the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and fhe was left, and her two fons.

3. 30. + Heb.

were.

с

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died alfo both of them; and the woman was left of her two fons, and her husband.

6 Then the arofe with her daughters in law, that the might return from the country of Moab: for fhe had heard in the country of Moab, how that the LORD had vifited his people in giving

them bread.

7 Wherefore fhe went forth out of the place where fhe was, and her two daughters in law

TH.

T

6. & 18.1.

with her and they went on the way to return circa unto the land of Judah.

1312.

8 And Naomi faid unto her two daughters in See Jofh. law, d Go, return each to her mothers houfe: the 240 150 LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9

The LORD grant you that you may find reft, each of you in the house of her husband. Then fhe kiffed them: and they lift up their voice and wept.

10 And they faid unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11 And Naomi faid, Turn again, my daughters, why will ye go with me? are there yet any more fons in my womb, that they may be your Deut.25. husbands?

e

e

5.

12 Turn again my daughters, go your way for I am too old to have an husband: if I fhould fay, I have hope, if I fhould have a husband alfo to Or night, and fhould alfo bear fons:

if I were

with an

+ Heb.

13 Would yet tarry for them till they were husband. grown? would husbands? nay, my daughters: for it grieveth + Heb. ye ftay for them from having hope. LORD is gone out against me. me much for your fakes, that f the hand of the have

14 And they lift up their voice, and wept gain: and Orpah kiffed her mother in law, Ruth clave unto her.

I

much bitterness. f Job 19.

a-21. but

gone back unto her people, and unto her gods, 15 And the faid, Behold, thy fifter in law return thou after thy fifter in law.

g See Job.. 24.15,19.

2.

Luke 24. is 2 Kings 2.

28.

|| Or,

16 And Ruth faid, Intreat me not to leave Be not thee, or to return from following after thee: for 4 Chap. 2 whither thou goeft, I will go, and where thou 11, 22. lodgeft, I will lodge: h thy people shall be my 17. & 25. people, and thy God my God:

i 1 Sam. 3.

22.

13.

17 Where thou dieft, will I die, and there 2 Sam. 19. will I be buried: the LORD do fo to me, and 2 Kirg