Category: Judges

Jerusalem Is Captured

1 Now it came about after the death of Joshua, that thesons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) asked the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

2 And the Lordsaid, “Judah shall go up [first]; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

3 And [the tribe of the sons of] Judah said to [the tribe of the sons of] Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your allotted territory.” So Simeon went with him.

4 Then Judah went up, and the Lordgave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they struck down in defeat ten thousand men at Bezek.

5 Then they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they struck down in defeat the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

7 Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather upscraps of foodunder my table; as I have done [to others], so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 Then the sons of Judah fought against [Jebusite] Jerusalem andcaptured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

9 Afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negev (South country) and in the lowland.

10 So Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba); and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

Capture of Other Cities

11 From there [the tribe of] Judah went against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher [city of books and scribes]).

12 And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will even give him my daughter Achsah as a wife.”

13 Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife.

14 When she cameto Othniel,she persuaded him to [allow her to] ask her father [Caleb] for a field. Then she [rode up to Caleb and] dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”

15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev (South country), give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 The sons of [Jethro] the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms (Jericho) with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the Negev (South country)nearArad; and they went and lived with the people.

17 Then [the warriors of the tribe of] Judah went with [the warriors of the tribe of] Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah (destruction).

18 Also [the warriors of] Judah captured Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory.

19 The Lordwas with Judah, and [the tribe of] Judah took possession of the hill country, but they could not dispossessanddrive out those inhabiting the valley because they had iron chariots.

20 Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.

21 But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 Thehouse of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lordwas with them.

23 The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city and we will treat you kindly.”

25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free.

26 The man went into theland of the Hittites and built a city and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.

Places Not Conquered

27 But [the tribe of] Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; so the Canaanites remained in that land.

28 It happened when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

29 Neither did [the warriors of] Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 [The warriors of the tribe of] Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and were put to forced labor.

31 [The warriors of the tribe of] Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob.

32 So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.

33 Neither did [the warriors of] Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became forced labor for them.

34 Then theAmorites forced the sons of Dan [back] into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down into the valley;

35 yet the Amorites persisted in living on Mount Heres (the mountain of the sun), in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house (descendants) of Joseph became strongandprevailed, they became forced labor.

36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, fromSela (rock) and upward.

Israel Rebuked

1 Now theAngel of the Lordcame up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,

2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have notobeyed Me; what is this that you have done?

3 So I also said, ‘I will not drive your enemies out before you; but they will belike thornsin your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’ ”

4 When the Angel of the Lordhad spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.

5 So they named that place Bochim (weepers); and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Joshua Dies

6 And when Joshua had sent the people away, the [tribes of the] Israelites went each to his inheritance, to take possession of the land.

7 The people served the Lordall the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lordwhich He had done for Israel.

8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 Also, all [the people of] that generation were gathered to their fathers [in death]; and another generation arose after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel Serves Baals

11 Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lordand worshipedandserved the Baals,

12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them, and offendedandprovoked the Lordto anger.

13 So they abandoned the Lordand served Baal [the pagan god of the Canaanites] and theAshtaroth.

14 So the anger of the Lordburned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands (power) of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer stand [in opposition] before their enemies.

15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lordwas against them for evil (misfortune), as the Lordhad spoken, and as the Lordhad sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.

16 Then the Lordraised upjudges who rescued them from the hands of those who robbed them.

17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the prostitute after other gods and they bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do astheir fathers.

18 When the Lordraised up judges for them, He was with the judge and He rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lordwas moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.

19 But when the judge died, they turned back and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, in following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them. They did notabandon their practices or their stubborn ways.

20 So the anger of the Lordburned against Israel, and He said, “Because thisnation has transgressed (violated) My covenant (binding agreement) which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice,

21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left [to be conquered] when he died,

22 in order to test [the loyalty of] Israel by them, whether Israel will keep the way of the Lordto walk in it, as their fathers did, or not.”

23 So the Lordallowed those nations to remain, not driving them out at once; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

1 Now these are the nations which the Lordleft [in order] to test Israel by them (that is,all [the people of Israel] who had not [previously] experienced any of the wars in Canaan;

2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, at least those who had not experienced it previously).

3 The remaining nations are:the five lords (governors) of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

4 They were [allowed to remain] for the testing of Israel, to determine whether Israel would listen toandobey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers (ancestors) through Moses.

5 And the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites;

6 and they took their daughters for themselves as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their [pagan] gods.

7 And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lordtheir God and served the Baals and theAsheroth.

8 So the anger of the Lordwas kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king ofMesopotamia; and the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

The First Judge Rescues Israel

9 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord[for help], the Lordraised up aman to rescue the people of Israel,Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10 The Spirit of the Lordcame upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lordgave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

11 And the land was at rest [from oppression for] forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 Now the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lordstrengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, since they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

13 And Eglon gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and went and struck down Israel [in defeat], and they took possession of the City of Palm Trees (Jericho).

14 And the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

Ehud Rescues Israel from Moab

15 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord[for help], the Lordraised up aman to rescue them, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite,a left-handed man. And the Israelites senta giftof tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab.

16 Now Ehud made for himself a sword acubit long, which had two edges, and he bound it on hisright thigh under his robe.

17 And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when Ehud had finished presenting thetribute, he sent away the people who had carried it.

19 But Ehud himself turned back from thesculptured stones at Gilgal, [and he returned to Eglon] and said [to him], “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him.

20 Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat.

21 Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

22 And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because Ehud did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out.

23 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and lockedthem.

24 When Ehud departed, Eglon’s servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, “He is onlyrelieving himself in the cool room.”

25 They waited [a very long time] until they became embarrassedanduneasy, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. So [finally] they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor, dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they lingered, and he passed beyond the sculptured stones and escaped to Seirah.

27 When he had arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.

28 And he said to them, “Pursuethem,for the Lordhas handed over your enemies the Moabites to you.” So they went down after him and seized thefords of the Jordan opposite Moab and did not allow anyone to cross.

29 They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped.

30 So Moab was subduedandhumbled that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was at rest for eighty years.

Shamgar Rescues from Philistines

31 After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistine men with anoxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Deborah and Barak Rescue from Canaanites

1 But the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died.

2 So the Lordsold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived inHarosheth-hagoyim.

3 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord[for help], for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressedandtormented the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

5 She used to sit [to hear and decide disputes] under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

6 Now she sentwordand summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men [of war] from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.

7 I will draw out Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his infantry to meet you at the river Kishon, and I will hand him over to you.’ ”

8 Then Barak 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.”

9 She said, “I will certainly go with you; nevertheless,the journey that you are about to take will not be for your honorandglory, because the Lordwill sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak summoned [the fighting men of the tribes of] Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went upunder his command; Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab thefather-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as theterebinth tree in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

12 When someone told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,

13 Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.

14 Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day when the Lordhas given Sisera into your hand. Has the Lordnot gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

15 And the Lordrouted Sisera and all his chariots and [confused] all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled away on foot.

16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and the entire army of Sisera fell by the sword; not even one man was left.

17 But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me! Have no fear.” So he turned aside to her [and went] into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink because I am thirsty.” And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.

20 And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is there anyone here?’ tell him, ‘No.’ ”

21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and came up quietly to him and drove the peg through his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered [her tent] with her, and behold Sisera lay dead with the tent peg in his temple.

23 So on that day God subduedandhumbled Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.

24 And the hand of the sons of Israel pressed down heavier and heavier on Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.

The Song of Deborah and Barak

1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

2 “For the leaders who took the lead in Israel,

For the people who volunteered [for battle],

Bless the Lord!

3 Hear, O kings; listen, O rulers!

I will sing to the Lord,

I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 Lord, when You went out from Seir,

When You marched from the field of Edom,

The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped,

Yes, the clouds dripped water.

5 The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord,

Yes,this Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,

In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted,

And travelers went by roundabout ways.

7 The villagers ceasedto be;they ceased in Israel

Until I, Deborah, arose,

Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods;

Then war was in the gates.

Was there a shield or spear seen

Among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heartgoes outto the commanders of Israel,

The volunteers among the people;

Bless the Lord!

10 Sing of it, you who ride on white donkeys,

You who sit onrichcarpets,

And you who walk by the way.

11 At the sound of those who divideflocksamong the watering places,

There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord,

The righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel.

Then the people of the Lordwent down to the gates.

12 “Awake, awake, Deborah;

Awake, awake, sing a song!

Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.

13 Then down marched the survivors to the nobles;

The people of the Lordmarched down for Me against the mighty.

14 From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalekcame down,

After you, Benjamin, with your relatives;

From Machir came down commandersandrulers,

And from Zebulun those whohandle the scepter of the [office of] scribe.

15 And the heads of Issacharcamewith Deborah;

As Issachar, so was Barak;

Into the valley they rushed at his heels;

Among the divisions of Reuben

There were great searchings of heart.

16 Why [Reuben] did you linger among thesheepfolds,

To hear the piping for the flocks?

Among the divisions of Reuben

There were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan;

And why did Dan live as an alien on ships?

Asher sat [still] on the seacoast,

And remained by its landings.

[These did not come to battle for God’s people.]

18 But Zebulun was a people who risked their lives to the [point of] death;

Naphtali also, on the heights of the field.

19 “The kings came and fought;

Then the kings of Canaan fought

At Taanach by the waters of Megiddo.

Spoils of silver they did not obtain.

20 From the heavens the stars fought,

From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The torrent Kishon swept the enemy away,

The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.

O my soul, march on with strength.

22 Then the horses’ hoofs beat [loudly]

Because of the galloping—the galloping of his valiantandpowerful steeds.

23 ‘CurseMeroz,’ said the messenger of the Lord,

‘Utterly curse its inhabitants;

Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,

To the help of the Lordagainst the mighty.’

24 “Most blessed of women is Jael,

The wife of Heber the Kenite;

Most blessed is she of women in the tent.

25 Sisera asked for water and she gave him milk;

She brought him curds in a magnificent bowl.

26 She reached out her [left] hand for the tent peg,

And her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.

Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head;

And she shattered and pierced his temple.

27 He bowed, he fell, he lay [still] at her feet;

At her feet he bowed, he fell;

Where he bowed, there he fell dead.

28 “Out of the window she looked down and lamented (cried out in a shrill voice),

The mother of Sisera through the lattice,

‘Why is his chariot delayed in coming?

Why have the hoofbeats of his chariots delayed?’

29 Her wise ladies answered her,

Indeed, she repeated her words to herself,

30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil?

A maiden (concubine) or two for every man;

A spoil of dyed garments for Sisera,

A spoil of dyed garments embroidered,

Two pieces of dyed garments embroidered for the neck of the plunderer?’

31 So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord;

But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.”

And the land was at rest for forty years.

Israel Oppressed by Midian

1 Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lordgave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.

2 The [powerful] hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens (hideouts) which were in the mountains, and the caves and the [mountain] strongholds.

3 For it was whenever Israel had sown [their seed] that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the people of the east and go up against them.

4 So they would camp against them and destroy the crops of the land as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.

5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, and they would come in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were innumerable. So they came into the land to devastate it.

6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord[for help].

7 Now it came about when they cried out to the Lordbecause of Midian,

8 that the Lordsent a prophet to the Israelites, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery.

9 And I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land,

10 and I said to you, “I am the Lordyour God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not listened toandobeyed My voice.’ ”

Gideon Is Visited

11 Now theAngel of the Lordcame and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the wine press [instead of the threshing floor] to [hide it and] save it from the Midianites.

12 And the Angel of the Lordappeared to him and said to him, “The Lordis with you, O brave man.”

13 But Gideon said to him, “Please my lord, if the Lordis with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lordbring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lordhas abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

14 The Lordturned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

15 But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.”

16 The Lordanswered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.”

17 Gideon replied to Him, “If I have found any favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speaks with me.

18 Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”

19 Then Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket and the broth in a pot, and he broughtthe foodto Him under the oak (terebinth) and presented it.

20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth [over them].” And he did so.

21 Then the Angel of the Lordput out the end of the staff that was in His hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the Lordvanished from his sight.

22 When Gideon realized [without any doubt] that He was the Angel of the Lord, he declared, “Oh no, Lord God! For now I have seen the Angel of the Lordface to face [and I am doomed]!”

23 The Lordsaid to him, “Peace to you, do not be afraid; you shall not die.”

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lordand named it The Lordis Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.

25 Now on that same night the Lordsaid to Gideon, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut downthe Asherah that is beside it;

26 and build an altar to the Lordyour God on top of this mountain stronghold [with stones laid down] in an orderly way. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice using the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did just as the Lordhad told him; but because he was too afraid of his father’s household (relatives) and the men of the city to do it during daylight, he did it at night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

28 Early the next morning when the men of the city got up, they discovered that the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.

29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they searched about and inquired, they were told, “Gideon the son of Joash did it.”

30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so that he may be executed, because he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah which was beside it.”

31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will youplead for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads for Baal shall be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself, because someone has torn down his altar.”

32 Therefore on that day he named Gideon Jerubbaal,meaning, “Let Baal plead,” because he had torn down his altar.

33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over [the Jordan] and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 So the Spirit of the Lordclothed Gideon [and empowered him]; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together [as a militia] to follow him.

35 He sent messengers throughout [the tribe of] Manasseh, and the fighting men were also called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to [the tribes of] Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

Sign of the Fleece

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to rescue Israel through me, as You have spoken,

37 behold, I will put a fleece of [freshly sheared] wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground [around it], then I will know that You will rescue Israel through me, as You have said.”

38 And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and squeezed the dew out of the fleece, he wrung from it a bowl full of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, so that I may speak once more. Please let me make a test once more with the fleece; now let only the fleece be dry, and let there be dew on all the ground.”

40 God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and there was dew on all the ground [around it].

Gideon’s 300 Chosen Men

1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

2 Then the Lordsaid to Gideon, “There are too many people with you for Me to hand over Midian to them, otherwise Israel will boast [about themselves] against Me, saying, ‘My ownpower has rescued me.’

3 So now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men returned [home], but ten thousand remained.

4 Then the Lordsaid to Gideon, “There are still too many people; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lordsaid to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels down to drink.”

6 Now the number of those who lapped [the water], putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water.

7 And the Lordtold Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will rescue you, and will hand over the Midianites to you. Let all theotherpeople go, each man to his home.”

8 So the three hundred men took people’s provisions [for the journey] and their trumpets [made of rams’ horns] in their hands. And Gideon sent [away] all theothermen of Israel, each to his tent, but kept the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

9 Now on that same night the Lordsaid to Gideon, “Arise, go down against their camp, for I have given it into your hand.

10 But if you are afraid to go down [by yourself], go with Purah your servant down to the camp,

11 and you will hear what they say; and afterwardyou will have the courage to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to theoutposts of the army that was in the camp.

12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying [camped] in the valley, as countless as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

13 When Gideon arrived,there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, “Listen carefully, I had a dream: there was a loaf ofbarley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

14 And his friend replied, “This [dream] is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Midian and the entire camp into his hand.”

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lordhas given the camp of Midian into your hand.”

16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.

17 And he said to them, “Look at me, then do likewise. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.

18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet (ram’s horn), then all around the camp you also blow the trumpets and shout, ‘For the Lordand for Gideon!’ ”

Confusion of the Enemy

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of themiddle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 When three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow, and they shouted, “A sword for the Lordand for Gideon!”

21 Then each stood in his place around the camp; and the entire [Midianite] army ran, crying out as they fled.

22 When Gideon’s men blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lordset the sword of one [Midianite] against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

23 The men of Israel were summoned together from [the tribes of] Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of [the tribe of] Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and take [control of] the waters before them [thereby cutting off the Midianites], as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan [River].” So all the men of Ephraim were assembled together and they tookcontrol ofthe waters, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.

25 Then the men of Ephraim took the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.

Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

1 And the men of [the tribe of] Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they quarreled with him vehemently.

2 But he said to them, “What have I done now [that is so significant] in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning (leftovers)of the grapesof [your tribe of] Ephraim better than the vintage (entire harvest) of [my clan of] Abiezer?

3 God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he made this statement.

4 So Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over [the river], he and the three hundred men who were with him—exhausted, yet [still] pursuing [the enemy].

5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me since they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”

6 But the leaders of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?”

7 Gideon said, “For that [response], when the Lordhas handed over Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will thrash your bodies with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.”

8 He went from there up to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 So Gideon said also to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand [fighting] men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.

11 Gideon went up by the route of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their camp when the camp was unsuspecting.

12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and terrified the entire army.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres.

14 He captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. Andthe youthwrote down for him [the names of] the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.

15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look here, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’ ”

16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them hepunished the men of Succoth.

17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they replied, “They were like you, each one of them resembled the son of a king.”

19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lordlives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

20 So [to humiliate them] Gideon said to Jether his firstborn, “Stand up, and kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, because he was afraid, for he was still [just] a boy.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself and strike us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent amulets that were on their camels’ necks.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule [as king] over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have rescued us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lordshall rule over you.”

24 And Gideon said to them, “I would make a request of you, that each one of you give me an earring from his spoil.” For the Midianites had gold earrings, because they wereIshmaelites [who customarily wore them].

25 They answered, “We will certainly give themto you.” And they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested wasseventeen hundredshekelsof gold, apart from the crescent amulets and pendants and the purple garments which were worn by the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains that were on their camels’ necks.

27 Gideon made [all the golden earrings into] an ephod [a sacred, high priest’s garment], and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israelworshiped it as an idol there, andit became a trap for Gideon and his household.

Forty Years of Peace

28 So Midian was subduedandhumbled before the sons of Israel, and they no longer lifted up their heads [in pride]. And the land was at rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Jerubbaal (Gideon) the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

30 Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, because he had many wives.

31 And hisconcubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech.

32 Gideon the son of Joash died at a good advanced age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Israelites again played the prostitute with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god.

34 And the Israelites did not remember the Lordtheir God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35 nor did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal (that is,Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done for Israel.

Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1 Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives, and said to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father,

2 “Speak now in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that seventy men, all of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am yourownbone and flesh.”

3 So his mother’s relatives spoke all these words concerning him so that all the leaders of Shechem could hear; and their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our relative.”

4 And they gave him seventypiecesof silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and undisciplined men, and they followed (supported) him.

5 Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and murdered his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, [in a public execution] on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was leftalive, because he had hidden himself.

6 All the men of Shechem and all ofBeth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar (memorial stone) at Shechem.

7 When they told Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Hear me, O men of Shechem, so that God may hear you.

8 Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’

9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my fatness by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’

10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’

11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’

13 And the vine replied, ‘Should I give up my new wine, which makes God and men happy, and go to wave over the trees?’

14 Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’

15 So the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16 “Now then, if you acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—

17 for my father fought for you and risked his life and rescued you from the hand of Midian;

18 but you have risen against my father’s house today and have murdered his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem, because he is your relative—

19 if then you have acted in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

20 But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the people of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.”

21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and lived there because of Abimelech his brother.

Shechem and Abimelech Fall

22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.

23 Then God sent anevil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech,

24 so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon) might come [on the guilty], and that their [innocent] blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who had killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands (encouraged him) to kill his brothers.

25 The leaders of Shechem set men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along the road; and it was reported to Abimelech.

26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and moved into Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem trusted him.

27 They went out into the field, gathered the grapes of their vineyard and trod them, and held a festival; and they entered the house of their god, and they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

28 Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not [merely] the son of Jerubbaal and is Zebul not his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father (founder) of Shechem. Why then should we serve Abimelech?

29 If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech and say to him, ‘Increase [the size of] your army and come out [to fight].’ ”

30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.

31 He sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and they are stirring up the city against you.

32 Now then, get up during the night, you and the people who are with you, and set up an ambush in the field.

33 Then in the morning, at sunrise, you will get up early and rush uponandattack the city; and when Gaal and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to themwhatever you can.”

34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up during the night, and set up an ambush against Shechem, in four companies.

35 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; then Abimelech and the people who were with him got up from the ambush.

36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops.” But Zebul said to him, “You areonlyseeing the shadow of the mountains asif they weremen.”

37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Look! People are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company is coming by way of the sorcerers’ oak tree.”

38 Then Zebul said to Gaal, “Where is your [boasting] mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!”

39 So Gaal went out ahead of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate.

41 Then Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.

42 The next day the people went out to the field, and it was reported to Abimelech.

43 So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the field; and he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and struck them down.

44 Then Abimelech and the company with him advanced forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the two other companies attacked all who were in the field and killed them.

45 Abimelech fought against the city that entire day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it; he demolished the city andsowed it with salt.

46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard about it, they entered the inner chamber (stronghold) of thetemple of El-berith (the god of a covenant).

47 Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were assembled together.

48 So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, picked it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do just as I have done.”

49 So everyone of the people also cut down his branch and followed Abimelech, and they putthe brancheson top of the inner chamber and set it on fire over thoseinside, so that all the people in the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and camped against Thebez and took it.

51 But there was a strong (fortified) tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower.

52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire.

53 But a certain woman threw an upper millstone [down] on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.

54 Then he called quickly to the young man who was his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So the young man pierced him through, and he died.

55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home.

56 In this way God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father [Jerubbaal] by killing his seventy brothers.

57 Also God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) came upon them.

Oppression of Philistines and Ammonites

1 After Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 Tola judged Israel for twenty-three years; then he died and was buried in Shamir.

3 After him, Jair the Gileadite arose, and he judged Israel for twenty-two years.

4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair (towns of Jair) to this day.

5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

6 Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; they served the Baals, the Ashtaroth (female deities), the gods of Aram (Syria), the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the Lordand did not serve Him.

7 So the anger of the Lordwas kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,

8 and they oppressed and crushed Israel that year. For eighteen years theyoppressedall the Israelites who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9 The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.

10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord[for help], saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have abandoned (rejected) our God and have served the Baals.”

11 The Lordsaid to the Israelites, “Did Inotrescue youfrom the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines?

12 Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressedandcrushed you, you cried out to Me, and I rescued you from their hands.

13 Yet you have abandoned (rejected) Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer rescue you.

14 Go, cry out to the gods you have chosen; let them rescue you in your time of distress.”

15 The Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please rescue us this day.”

16 So they removed the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

17 Then the Ammonites were assembled together and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah.

18 The people, the leaders of Gilead (Israel) said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”