The wickedness of the people.

JUDGES, III. tars: but e ye have not obeyed my B. C. 1406. voice why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will note ver.20. drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns f in your sides, and their gods g shall be a snare h unto you.

4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept.

5 And they called the name of that place 2 Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

6 And when i Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that 3 outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

Ps. 106.3436.

f Jos.23.13.

5 ch.3,6. h Ex.23.33. Deut.7.16. 2 i.e.weepers. Jos.24.28,

&c.

3 prolonged days after. k Jos. 19.50. 21.30, Timnathserah.

Ex.5.2.

1Ch.23.9. Ps.92.5,6. Jer.9.3. 22.16. Gal.4.8. 2Th. 1.S. Tit. 1. 16.

10.7. Ps. 106.4042.

9 And they buried him in the bor-m De.31.16. der of his inheritance in Timnath-n Deut.5.9. heres, k in the mount of Ephraim, 0 ch.3.7,8. on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the P 2Ki.17.20. LORD, nor yet the works which he q ch.4.2. had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

Ps.44.12.
Is.50.1.

r Lev.26.17. De.28.15.

s Acts 13.20. 4 saved.

12 And they forsook m the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of t Ps. 106.43the people that were round about them, and bowed n themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger o of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered p them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold q them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever r they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto thein: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, 8 which 4 delivered t them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

45.

u Ex.34.15,

16. v Jos. 1.5. w Ge.6.6. De.32.36. Ho. 11.8. x ch.4.1.

8.33.

5 were cor

rupt.
let nothing
fall of.

y Jos.23.16.
z Ps.66.10.
7 suffered.

(CHAP. 3.) a Jos. 13.3.

God's anger and pity to Israel. 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring u after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD them out of the hand of their enewas with the judge, and delivered

mies all the days of the judge: (for it repented w the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.)

19 And it came to pass, when æ the judge was dead, that they returned, and 5 corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they 6 ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because y that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove z Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD, to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it,

No

CHAPTER III.

1 The nations which were left to prove Israel: 5 By communion with them, they commit idolatry. TOW these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, (even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;) 3 Namely, five a lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

4 And they were to prove Israel hy them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

Israel judged by Othniel.

JUDGES, IV. 5 And the children of Israel B. C. 1406. dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, b De.7.3,4. and Hivites, and Jebusites:

6 And they took b their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim, and the groves. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of c Chushan-rishathaim king of 1 Mesopotamia and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 And when the children of lsrael d cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a 2 deliverer to the children of Israel, who deli

d 1Sa. 12. 10.
Ne.9.27.
Ps. 107.13,
19.

2 saviour.

e ch. 1.13. f ch.6.34. 11.29.

3 was. Aram.

g ch.1.16.

h De.28.48. 5 or, the son of Jemini. shut of his

6

right hand. Ps.73.7,19.

vered them, even Othniel e the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 And the Spirit f of the LORD 3 came upon him, and he judged Is-i rael, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of 4 Mesopotamia into k Jos.4.20. his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

or, graven images.

11 And the land had rest fortys a parlour years and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

of cooling, Am.3.15.

9 or, it came

out at the

fundament.

10 or, doeth his easement. 1Sam.24.3.

ver.19.

13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the g city of palm-trees. m ch.6.34. 14 So the children of Israel served h Eglon the king of Moab eighteenn Jos. 17.15.

years.

ISa. 13.3.

15 But when the children of Is-o ch.7.9,15. rael cried unto the LORD, the LORD 11 fat. raised them up a deliverer, Ehud Ps. 17. 10. the son of Gera, 5 a Benjamite, ap ch.5.6. man 6 left-handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the pre

sent.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that k were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret er

q ch.5.8.

r

15.15.

1Sa. 17.47.

So part is
called Is-

rael, ch.4.
1,3, &c.
It seems to

concern

only the country next to the

Philistines. (CHAP. 4.) a ch.2.19.

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and 9 the dirt came out.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

24 When he was gone out, his that, behold, the doors of the parservants came; and when they saw lour were locked, they said, Surely he 10 covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries and escaped unto Seirath. 27 And it came to pass when he was come,that he blewm a trumpet in the mountain n of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me for the LORD hath delivered o your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all 11 lusty, and all men of valour: and there escaped not a man.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel: and the land had rest fourscore years.

31 T And after him was Shamgarp the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with q an ox-goad: and he also delivered Israel.r

CHAPTER IV 4, 6 Deborah and Barah deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisera.

ND the children of Israel again

Andid evil in the sight of the

LORD, when Ehud was dead.

b 1Sa. 12.9. Ps.83.9.

It seems to

concern

only North

Israel.

Jael killeth Sisera. down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 And the LORD p discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; q so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet.

4 T And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

d ver. 13,16. e ch. 1.19.

f Ge.35.8. 5 And she dwelt under the palmg Ex.14.4. tree of Deborah, ƒ between Ramah | and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: h ch.5.21. and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go, and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I g will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, h Sisera the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. i And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And k Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

i ver. 18.20. k ch.5.18.

ch.1.16.

m Nu.10.29.

n Zaanan

nim,
Jos. 19.33,

37.

gathered by cry. or, proclamation.

o Deut.9.3. 251.5.24. Ps.68.7.8. Is.52.12.

p Ps.83.9.10.

Jos. 10.10.

9 Heb.11.22.

r Is.43.17.
2 unto one.
$ 2Ki.6.19.

3 or, rug, or, blanket.

put.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, which t ch.5.25,26. vas of the children of Hobab, m the father-in-law of Moses,had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaacaim, n which is by Kedesh.

12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera 1 gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: o is not the LORD gone! out before thee? So Barak went

u Ps.3.7.

v Ps. 18.47.

5 going went and was hard.

(CHAP. 5.) a Ex. 15.1. Ps. 18, title. b De.32.43. Ps. 18.47. c 2Ch.17.16. d Ps.2.10.

Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and r there was not 2 a man left.

17 Howbeit, Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 Ands Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a 3 mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, t and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and 4 took an hammer in her hand, and went

softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, u and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23 Sov God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel 5 prospered and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

T

CHAPTER V.

The song of Deborah and Barak. THEN a sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 Praise ye the LORD for the b avenging of Israel, when the people willingly c offered themselves. 3 Hear,d O ye kings; give ear, O

6 In the days of Shamgari the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, k the highways were unoccupied, and the 2 travellers walked through 3 by-ways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new m gods; then was war in the gates: wasn there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

h Ex.19.18.
i ch.3.31.
k ch.4.17.

Lev.26.22. 2 walkers of paths. 3 crooked

9 My heart is toward the go-s Ps.57.8. vernors of Israel that offered ot Ps.68.18. themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 4 Speak, yep that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse q the 5 righteous acts r of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his

u Ps.75.7. 6draw with. his feet. or, In. 9 impres10 or, In. Ps.4.4. 77.6. La.30,41.

sions.

11 or, port.

a

1Ki. 18.40. Ps.83.9, 10. Ps.44.5.

15 tramplings, or, Ne.3.5. plungings.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people: c 1Sa. 18. 17. out of Machir came down go- d ch.4.19,&c. vernors, and out of Zebulun they 16 she hamthat 6 handle the pen of the mered. writer. 17 Between. 15 And the princes of Issachar 18 destroyed. were with Deborah; even Issachar, e Cant.2.9. and also Barak he was sent on 7 foot into the valley. 8 For the divisions of Reuben there were great 9 thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings

of the flocks? 10 For the divisions Pr.4. 18. of Reuben there were great search-i Ps.19.5. ings v of heart.

Deborah and Barak.

17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the 11 sea-shore, and abode in his 12 breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that 13 jeoparded their lives unto w the death in the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of mo

ney.

20 They fought from heaven; y the stars in their 14 courses fought against Sisera.

21 The river of Kishon z swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast a trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horse-hoofs broken by the means of the 15 pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because b they came not to the c help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25 He d asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand to the nail,and hammer; and 16 with the hammer her right hand to the workman's

she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27 17 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell where he bowed there he fell down 18 dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the e lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned 19 answer to herself,

30 Have they not sped? have f they not divided the prey; 20 to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? 31 So let all thine enemies perish, g O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun h when he goeth forth in his i might. And the land had rest forty years.

AND a the children of Israel did b Hab.3.7.

i was strong.

c 1Sa. 13.6.

evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of b Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian 1 pre-d Lev.26.16. vailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens c which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them:

De.28.30.

2 or, goat. e ch.7.12.

Jer.46.23.

ƒ Ho.5.15. 3 a man, a prophet.

g Ps.44.2,3.

39.

4 And they encamped against h 2Ki.17.35them, and destroyed d the increase of the earth, till thou come unto i Heb.11.32. Gaza; and left no sustenance for Israel, neither 2 sheep, nor ox, nor

ass.

Gedeon. 4 cause it to flee. k ch.13.3.

5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grashopperse for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and Ge.25.22. they entered into the land to de-m Ps.77.7-9. stroy it.

6 And Israel was greatly impo-n verished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried f unto the LORD.

7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midian

ites.

5

89.49.

Heb. 11.32.

my thou

sand is the

meanest,
Mi.5.2.

18a.9.21. p Ex.3.12.

r ver.36.40. 2Ki.20.8. Ps. 86. 17. Is.7.11.

8 That the LORD sent 3 a prophetq Is.41.15, 16. unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave g them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fearh not the gods of the Amorites, in whose Iand ye dwell but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertamed unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideoni threshed wheat by the wine-press, to 4 hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angelk of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh.

8 Ge.18.3,5.

t

Baal's altar destroyed.

my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us! and where m be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, n and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, 5 my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least o in my father's house.

16 And the LORD said unto him, p Surely I will be with thee, and g thou shalt smite the Midianites as

one man.

17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shewr me a sign that thou talkest with me.

18 Depart s not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my 6 present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 And Gideon went in, and made ready 7 a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put into a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 T Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and t there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because u 1 have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou v shalt not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it & Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 T And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bulleek