Abimelek

Abimelek(A) son of Jerub-Baal(B) went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.(C)

When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” They gave him seventy shekels[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,(D) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,(E) who became his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,(F) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,(G) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.(H) Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo(I) gathered beside the great tree(J) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

When Jotham(K) was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim(L) and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

10 “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

11 “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

13 “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine,(M) which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

14 “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

15 “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;(N) but if not, then let fire come out(O) of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’(P)

16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? 17 Remember that my father fought for you and risked(Q) his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. 18 But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons(R) on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. 19 So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today?(S) If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! 20 But if you have not, let fire come out(T) from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem(U) and Beth Millo,(V) and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”

21 Then Jotham(W) fled, escaping to Beer,(X) and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.

22 After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, 23 God stirred up animosity(Y) between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. 24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons,(Z) the shedding(AA) of their blood, might be avenged(AB) on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him(AC) murder his brothers. 25 In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.

26 Now Gaal son of Ebed(AD) moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. 27 After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden(AE) them, they held a festival in the temple of their god.(AF) While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed(AG) said, “Who(AH) is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor,(AI) Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek? 29 If only this people were under my command!(AJ) Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’”[b](AK)

30 When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. 31 Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. 32 Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait(AL) in the fields. 33 In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.(AM)

34 So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. 35 Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate(AN) just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.(AO)

36 When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”

Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.”

37 But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill,[c] and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”

38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed?(AP) Go out and fight them!”

39 So Gaal led out[d] the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. 40 Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. 41 Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.

42 The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. 43 So he took his men, divided them into three companies(AQ) and set an ambush(AR) in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. 44 Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. 45 All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city(AS) and scattered salt(AT) over it.

46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple(AU) of El-Berith. 47 When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon.(AV) He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

50 Next Abimelek went to Thebez(AW) and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.(AX)

54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me,(AY) so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.

56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness.(AZ) The curse of Jotham(BA) son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

Tola

10 After the time of Abimelek,(BB) a man of Issachar(BC) named Tola son of Puah,(BD) the son of Dodo, rose to save(BE) Israel. He lived in Shamir,(BF) in the hill country of Ephraim. He led[e] Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

He was followed by Jair(BG) of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys.(BH) They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.[f](BI) When Jair(BJ) died, he was buried in Kamon.

Jephthah

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.(BK) They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths,(BL) and the gods of Aram,(BM) the gods of Sidon,(BN) the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites(BO) and the gods of the Philistines.(BP) And because the Israelites forsook the Lord(BQ) and no longer served him, he became angry(BR) with them. He sold them(BS) into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,(BT) the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah,(BU) Benjamin and Ephraim;(BV) Israel was in great distress. 10 Then the Israelites cried(BW) out to the Lord, “We have sinned(BX) against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”(BY)

11 The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,(BZ) the Amorites,(CA) the Ammonites,(CB) the Philistines,(CC) 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites(CD) and the Maonites[g](CE) oppressed you(CF) and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken(CG) me and served other gods,(CH) so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save(CI) you when you are in trouble!(CJ)

15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best,(CK) but please rescue us now.” 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.(CL) And he could bear Israel’s misery(CM) no longer.(CN)

17 When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.(CO) 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be head(CP) over all who live in Gilead.”

11 Jephthah(CQ) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.(CR) His father was Gilead;(CS) his mother was a prostitute.(CT) Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob,(CU) where a gang of scoundrels(CV) gathered around him and followed him.

Some time later, when the Ammonites(CW) were fighting against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?(CX) Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head(CY) over all of us who live in Gilead.”

Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me—will I really be your head?”

10 The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness;(CZ) we will certainly do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders(DA) of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated(DB) all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.(DC)

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”

13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon(DD) to the Jabbok,(DE) all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”

14 Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, 15 saying:

“This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab(DF) or the land of the Ammonites.(DG) 16 But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea[h](DH) and on to Kadesh.(DI) 17 Then Israel sent messengers(DJ) to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’(DK) but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab,(DL) and he refused.(DM) So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

18 “Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom(DN) and Moab, passed along the eastern side(DO) of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon.(DP) They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.

19 “Then Israel sent messengers(DQ) to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,(DR) and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’(DS) 20 Sihon, however, did not trust Israel[i] to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.(DT)

21 “Then the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.(DU)

23 “Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh(DV) gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us,(DW) we will possess. 25 Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor,(DX) king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them?(DY) 26 For three hundred years Israel occupied(DZ) Heshbon, Aroer,(EA) the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time? 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge,(EB) decide(EC) the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.(ED)

28 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.

29 Then the Spirit(EE) of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah(EF) of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.(EG) 30 And Jephthah made a vow(EH) to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph(EI) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.(EJ)

32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith,(EK) as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing(EL) to the sound of timbrels!(EM) She was an only child.(EN) Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes(EO) and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.(EP)

36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised,(EQ) now that the Lord has avenged you(ER) of your enemies,(ES) the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

From this comes the Israelite tradition 40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

Jephthah and Ephraim

12 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon.(ET) They said to Jephthah,(EU) “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?(EV) We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”

Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands(EW) and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory(EX) over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”

Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead(EY) and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.(EZ) The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan(FA) leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

Jephthah led[j] Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem(FB) led Israel. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon(FC) in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon,(FD) led Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons,(FE) who rode on seventy donkeys.(FF) He led Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.(FG)

The Birth of Samson

13 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines(FH) for forty years.(FI)

A certain man of Zorah,(FJ) named Manoah,(FK) from the clan of the Danites,(FL) had a wife who was childless,(FM) unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord(FN) appeared to her(FO) and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.(FP) Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink(FQ) and that you do not eat anything unclean.(FR) You will become pregnant and have a son(FS) whose head is never to be touched by a razor(FT) because the boy is to be a Nazirite,(FU) dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead(FV) in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God(FW) came to me. He looked like an angel of God,(FX) very awesome.(FY) I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine(FZ) or other fermented drink(GA) and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.(GB)’”

Then Manoah(GC) prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God(GD) you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me(GE) the other day!”

11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”

“I am,” he said.

12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”

13 The angel of the Lord answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink(GF) nor eat anything unclean.(GG) She must do everything I have commanded her.”

15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat(GH) for you.”

16 The angel of the Lord replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering,(GI) offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize(GJ) that it was the angel of the Lord.)

17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name,(GK) so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”

18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name?(GL) It is beyond understanding.[k] 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock(GM) to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame(GN) blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.(GO) 21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized(GP) that it was the angel of the Lord.

22 “We are doomed(GQ) to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen(GR) God!”

23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”(GS)

24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson.(GT) He grew(GU) and the Lord blessed him,(GV) 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir(GW) him while he was in Mahaneh Dan,(GX) between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s Marriage

14 Samson(GY) went down to Timnah(GZ) and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”(HA)

His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people?(HB) Must you go to the uncircumcised(HC) Philistines to get a wife?(HD)

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord,(HE) who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines;(HF) for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)(HG)

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him(HH) so that he tore the lion apart(HI) with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.

Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.

10 Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast,(HJ) as was customary for young men. 11 When the people saw him, they chose thirty men to be his companions.

12 “Let me tell you a riddle,(HK)” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast,(HL) I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.(HM) 13 If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.”

“Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”

14 He replied,

“Out of the eater, something to eat;
    out of the strong, something sweet.”(HN)

For three days they could not give the answer.

15 On the fourth[l] day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax(HO) your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death.(HP) Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

16 Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me.(HQ) You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.”

“I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?” 17 She cried the whole seven days(HR) of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”(HS)

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.(HT) He went down to Ashkelon,(HU) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,(HV) he returned to his father’s home. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to one of his companions(HW) who had attended him at the feast.

Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines

15 Later on, at the time of wheat harvest,(HX) Samson(HY) took a young goat(HZ) and went to visit his wife. He said, “I’m going to my wife’s room.”(IA) But her father would not let him go in.

“I was so sure you hated her,” he said, “that I gave her to your companion.(IB) Isn’t her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead.”

Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” So he went out and caught three hundred foxes(IC) and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch(ID) to every pair of tails, lit the torches(IE) and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks(IF) and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.

When the Philistines asked, “Who did this?” they were told, “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion.(IG)

So the Philistines went up and burned her(IH) and her father to death.(II) Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.” He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock(IJ) of Etam.(IK)

The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi.(IL) 10 The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?”

“We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.”

11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us?(IM) What have you done to us?”

He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.”

12 They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.”

Samson said, “Swear to me(IN) that you won’t kill me yourselves.”

13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes(IO) and led him up from the rock. 14 As he approached Lehi,(IP) the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.(IQ) The ropes on his arms became like charred flax,(IR) and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.(IS)

16 Then Samson said,

“With a donkey’s jawbone
    I have made donkeys of them.[m](IT)
With a donkey’s jawbone
    I have killed a thousand men.”

17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi.[n](IU)

18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord,(IV) “You have given your servant this great victory.(IW) Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived.(IX) So the spring(IY) was called En Hakkore,[o] and it is still there in Lehi.

20 Samson led[p] Israel for twenty years(IZ) in the days of the Philistines.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:4 That is, about 1 3/4 pounds or about 800 grams
  2. Judges 9:29 Septuagint; Hebrew him.” Then he said to Abimelek, “Call out your whole army!”
  3. Judges 9:37 The Hebrew for this phrase means the navel of the earth.
  4. Judges 9:39 Or Gaal went out in the sight of
  5. Judges 10:2 Traditionally judged; also in verse 3
  6. Judges 10:4 Or called the settlements of Jair
  7. Judges 10:12 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts Midianites
  8. Judges 11:16 Or the Sea of Reeds
  9. Judges 11:20 Or however, would not make an agreement for Israel
  10. Judges 12:7 Traditionally judged; also in verses 8-14
  11. Judges 13:18 Or is wonderful
  12. Judges 14:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew seventh
  13. Judges 15:16 Or made a heap or two; the Hebrew for donkey sounds like the Hebrew for heap.
  14. Judges 15:17 Ramath Lehi means jawbone hill.
  15. Judges 15:19 En Hakkore means caller’s spring.
  16. Judges 15:20 Traditionally judged

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