they cried, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon! And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host of the Midianites ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and scattered abroad the hosts of the Midianites.

So it was that day, that the Lord delivered Israel from the hosts of the Midianites by the hand of Gideon, and the three hundred men that lapped.

JUDGES VIII, IX

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

Now it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead, that Abimelech went to Shechem, and spake with the men of Shechem, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, and say, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Gideon, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And they spake of Abimelech in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech. Moreover Abimelech hired vain and light persons, who followed him. And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and went and made Abimelech king.

And when it was told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them: Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, and hear ye this parable.

this parable. The trees went forth on

a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the figtree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye 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 ye have done truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: but if not, know of a truth that ye have done foolishly in that ye have made this man to reign

over you.

For thus it is written:

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king committeth wickedness,

And thy rulers are light and treacherous persons!

Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles,

And thy rulers are men of righteousness!

For when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice:

But when the wicked beareth rule, the land mourneth.

JUDGES XV, XVI

Then three thousand of the men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, whither Samson had fled, and said unto Samson, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand. And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

Now as they led Samson toward the city, a band of Philistines met him, and shouted against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that is burnt with fire, and the bands dropped from off his hands.

When the Philistines saw this, they went unto a woman in Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And they said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him; and we will give thee eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and

wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they bind me with seven new bowstrings that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. Then the Philistines brought up to her seven new bowstrings which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he brake the bowstrings, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake the ropes from off his arms like a thread.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies! tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

And Delilah said unto Samson, These three times hast thou mocked me, and hast not told me

wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death. And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, It is because of my vow. There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my birth; but if I break my vow and be shaven, then will my strength go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

And when Delilah saw that Samson had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. And when she had caused Samson to sleep, she called for the men, and shaved off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to afflict him, and said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he wist not that his strength had left him, and that the Spirit of the Lord was departed from him. And the Philistines laid hold on him, and brought him down to Gaza; and Samson did grind in the prisonhouse.