The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham^(A) near the great trees of Mamre^(B) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent^(C) in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up^(D) and saw three men^(E) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.^(F)

³ He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(G) my lord,^[a] do not pass your servant^(H) by. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet^(I) and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat,^(J) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs^[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”^(K)

⁷ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf^(L) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ He then brought some curds^(M) and milk^(N) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.^(O) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?”^(P) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(Q)” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(R) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(S)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(T) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(U) 12} So Sarah laughed^(V) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(W) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(X) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(Y) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(Z) and Sarah will have a son.”^(AA)

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

¹⁶ When the men^(AB) got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham^(AC) what I am about to do?^{(AD) 18} Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,^(AE) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.^{[c] 19} For I have chosen him^(AF), so that he will direct his children^(AG) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord^(AH) by doing what is right and just,^(AI) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”^(AJ)

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom^(AK) and Gomorrah is so great^(AL) and their sin so grievous^{(AM) 21} that I will go down^(AN) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men^(AO) turned away and went toward Sodom,^(AP) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.^{[d](AQ) 23} Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?^{(AR) 24} What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[e] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?^{(AS) 25} Far be it from you to do such a thing^(AT)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous^(AU) and the wicked alike.^(AV) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge^(AW) of all the earth do right?”^(AX)

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.^(AY)”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,^{(AZ) 28} what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

³⁰ Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,^(BA) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹ Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

³² Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.^(BB) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,^(BC) I will not destroy it.”

³³ When the Lord had finished speaking^(BD) with Abraham, he left,^(BE) and Abraham returned home.^(BF)

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19 The two angels^(BG) arrived at Sodom^(BH) in the evening, and Lot^(BI) was sitting in the gateway of the city.^(BJ) When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.^{(BK) 2} “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet^(BL) and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”^(BM)

³ But he insisted^(BN) so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house.^(BO) He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast,^(BP) and they ate.^{(BQ) 4} Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom^(BR)—both young and old—surrounded the house. ⁵ They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”^(BS)

⁶ Lot went outside to meet them^(BT) and shut the door behind him ⁷ and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. ⁸ Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”^(BU)

⁹ “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner,^(BV) and now he wants to play the judge!^(BW) We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

¹⁰ But the men^(BX) inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness^(BY) so that they could not find the door.

¹² The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?^(BZ) Get them out of here, ¹³ because we^(CA) are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great^(CB) that he has sent us to destroy it.”^(CC)

¹⁴ So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry^[f] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!^(CD)” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.^(CE)

¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away^(CF) when the city is punished.^(CG)”

¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters^(CH) and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.^{(CI) 17} As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives!^(CJ) Don’t look back,^(CK) and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!^(CL) Flee to the mountains^(CM) or you will be swept away!”

¹⁸ But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,^[g] please! ¹⁹ Your^[h] servant has found favor in your^[i] eyes,^(CN) and you^[j] have shown great kindness^(CO) to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains;^(CP) this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. ²⁰ Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

²¹ He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request^(CQ) too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. ²² But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.^[k](CR))

²³ By the time Lot reached Zoar,^(CS) the sun had risen over the land. ²⁴ Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur^(CT) on Sodom and Gomorrah^(CU)—from the Lord out of the heavens.^{(CV) 25} Thus he overthrew those cities^(CW) and the entire plain,^(CX) destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.^{(CY) 26} But Lot’s wife looked back,^(CZ) and she became a pillar of salt.^(DA)

²⁷ Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord.^{(DB) 28} He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.^(DC)

²⁹ So when God destroyed the cities of the plain,^(DD) he remembered^(DE) Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe^(DF) that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.^(DG)

Lot and His Daughters

³⁰ Lot and his two daughters left Zoar^(DH) and settled in the mountains,^(DI) for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. ³¹ One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. ³² Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line^(DJ) through our father.”^(DK)

³³ That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.^(DL)

³⁴ The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”^{(DM) 35} So they got their father to drink wine^(DN) that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.^(DO)

³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.^{(DP) 37} The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab^[l];^(DQ) he is the father of the Moabites^(DR) of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi^[m]; he is the father of the Ammonites^[n](DS) of today.

Abraham and Abimelek^(DT)

20 Now Abraham moved on from there^(DU) into the region of the Negev^(DV) and lived between Kadesh^(DW) and Shur.^(DX) For a while^(DY) he stayed in Gerar,^{(DZ) 2} and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.^(EA)” Then Abimelek^(EB) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.^(EC)

³ But God came to Abimelek^(ED) in a dream^(EE) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead^(EF) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”^(EG)

⁴ Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?^{(EH) 5} Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,^(EI)’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience^(EJ) and clean hands.^(EK)”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept^(EL) you from sinning against me.^(EM) That is why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,^(EN) and he will pray for you^(EO) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”^(EP)

⁸ Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.^(EQ)” ¹⁰ And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God^(ER) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’^{(ES) 12} Besides, she really is my sister,^(ET) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God had me wander^(EU) from my father’s household,^(EV) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelek^(EW) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham,^(EX) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”^(EY)

¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels^[o] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God,^(EZ) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, ¹⁸ for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.^(FA)

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah^(FB) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^{(FC) 2} Sarah became pregnant and bore a son^(FD) to Abraham in his old age,^(FE) at the very time God had promised him.^{(FF) 3} Abraham gave the name Isaac^[p](FG) to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,^(FH) as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old^(FI) when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,^(FJ) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷ And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”^(FK)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸ The child grew and was weaned,^(FL) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹ But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham^(FM) was mocking,^{(FN) 10} and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman^(FO) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”^(FP)

¹¹ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.^{(FQ) 12} But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring^[q] will be reckoned.^{(FR) 13} I will make the son of the slave into a nation^(FS) also, because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.^(FT) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.^(FU)

¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she^[r] began to sob.^(FV)

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying,^(FW) and the angel of God^(FX) called to Hagar from heaven^(FY) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;^(FZ) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.^(GA)”

¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes^(GB) and she saw a well of water.^(GC) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰ God was with the boy^(GD) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹ While he was living in the Desert of Paran,^(GE) his mother got a wife for him^(GF) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

²² At that time Abimelek^(GG) and Phicol the commander of his forces^(GH) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.^{(GI) 23} Now swear^(GJ) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.^(GK) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”^(GL)

²⁴ Abraham said, “I swear it.”

²⁵ Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.^{(GM) 26} But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

²⁷ So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.^{(GN) 28} Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, ²⁹ and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

³⁰ He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness^(GO) that I dug this well.^(GP)”

³¹ So that place was called Beersheba,^[s](GQ) because the two men swore an oath^(GR) there.

³² After the treaty^(GS) had been made at Beersheba,^(GT) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces^(GU) returned to the land of the Philistines.^{(GV) 33} Abraham planted a tamarisk tree^(GW) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,^(GX) the Eternal God.^{(GY) 34} And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines^(GZ) for a long time.

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested^(HA) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”^(HB) he replied.

² Then God said, “Take your son^(HC), your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.^(HD) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering^(HE) on a mountain I will show you.^(HF)”

³ Early the next morning^(HG) Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.^(HH)”

⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,^(HI) and he himself carried the fire and the knife.^(HJ) As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb^(HK) for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide^(HL) the lamb^(HM) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about,^(HN) Abraham built an altar^(HO) there and arranged the wood^(HP) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,^(HQ) on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife^(HR) to slay his son.^{(HS) 11} But the angel of the Lord^(HT) called out to him from heaven,^(HU) “Abraham! Abraham!”^(HV)

“Here I am,”^(HW) he replied.

¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,^(HX) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.^(HY)”

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram^[t] caught by its horns.^(HZ) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.^{(IA) 14} So Abraham called^(IB) that place The Lord^(IC) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.^(ID)”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord^(IE) called to Abraham from heaven^(IF) a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself,^(IG) declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,^{(IH) 17} I will surely bless you^(II) and make your descendants^(IJ) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(IK) and as the sand on the seashore.^(IL) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,^{(IM) 18} and through your offspring^[u] all nations on earth will be blessed,^[v](IN) because you have obeyed me.”^(IO)

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.^(IP) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

²⁰ Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor:^{(IQ) 21} Uz^(IR) the firstborn, Buz^(IS) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ²² Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.^(IT)” ²³ Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.^(IU) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(IV) 24} His concubine,^(IW) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

Tola

10 After the time of Abimelek,^(A) a man of Issachar^(B) named Tola son of Puah,^(C) the son of Dodo, rose to save^(D) Israel. He lived in Shamir,^(E) in the hill country of Ephraim. ² He led^[a] Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

³ He was followed by Jair^(F) of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. ⁴ He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys.^(G) They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.^{[b](H) 5} When Jair^(I) died, he was buried in Kamon.

Jephthah

⁶ Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.^(J) They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths,^(K) and the gods of Aram,^(L) the gods of Sidon,^(M) the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites^(N) and the gods of the Philistines.^(O) And because the Israelites forsook the Lord^(P) and no longer served him, ⁷ he became angry^(Q) with them. He sold them^(R) into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, ⁸ who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,^(S) the land of the Amorites. ⁹ The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah,^(T) Benjamin and Ephraim;^(U) Israel was in great distress. ¹⁰ Then the Israelites cried^(V) out to the Lord, “We have sinned^(W) against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”^(X)

¹¹ The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,^(Y) the Amorites,^(Z) the Ammonites,^(AA) the Philistines,^{(AB) 12} the Sidonians, the Amalekites^(AC) and the Maonites^[c](AD) oppressed you^(AE) and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? ¹³ But you have forsaken^(AF) me and served other gods,^(AG) so I will no longer save you. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save^(AH) you when you are in trouble!^(AI)”

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

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

11 Jephthah^(AP) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.^(AQ) His father was Gilead;^(AR) his mother was a prostitute.^{(AS) 2} 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.” ³ So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob,^(AT) where a gang of scoundrels^(AU) gathered around him and followed him.

⁴ Some time later, when the Ammonites^(AV) were fighting against Israel, ⁵ the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. ⁶ “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

⁷ Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?^(AW) Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

⁸ 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^(AX) over all of us who live in Gilead.”

⁹ 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;^(AY) we will certainly do as you say.” ¹¹ So Jephthah went with the elders^(AZ) of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated^(BA) all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.^(BB)

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^(BC) to the Jabbok,^(BD) all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”

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

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

²⁹ Then the Spirit^(CD) of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah^(CE) of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.^{(CF) 30} And Jephthah made a vow^(CG) 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^(CH) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.^(CI)”

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,^(CJ) 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^(CK) to the sound of timbrels!^(CL) She was an only child.^(CM) Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes^(CN) 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.^(CO)”

³⁶ “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised,^(CP) now that the Lord has avenged you^(CQ) of your enemies,^(CR) 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.^(CS) They said to Jephthah,^(CT) “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?^(CU) We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”

² 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. ³ When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands^(CV) and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory^(CW) over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”

⁴ Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead^(CX) and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.^(CY)” ⁵ The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan^(CZ) 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,” ⁶ 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.

⁷ Jephthah led^[f] Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

⁸ After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem^(DA) led Israel. ⁹ 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^(DB) in the land of Zebulun.

¹³ After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon,^(DC) led Israel. ¹⁴ He had forty sons and thirty grandsons,^(DD) who rode on seventy donkeys.^(DE) 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.^(DF)

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^(DG) for forty years.^(DH)

² A certain man of Zorah,^(DI) named Manoah,^(DJ) from the clan of the Danites,^(DK) had a wife who was childless,^(DL) unable to give birth. ³ The angel of the Lord^(DM) appeared to her^(DN) and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.^{(DO) 4} Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink^(DP) and that you do not eat anything unclean.^{(DQ) 5} You will become pregnant and have a son^(DR) whose head is never to be touched by a razor^(DS) because the boy is to be a Nazirite,^(DT) dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead^(DU) in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

⁶ Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God^(DV) came to me. He looked like an angel of God,^(DW) very awesome.^(DX) I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. ⁷ But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine^(DY) or other fermented drink^(DZ) and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.^(EA)’”

⁸ Then Manoah^(EB) prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God^(EC) you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

⁹ 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^(ED) 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^(EE) nor eat anything unclean.^(EF) 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^(EG) 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,^(EH) offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize^(EI) that it was the angel of the Lord.)

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

¹⁸ He replied, “Why do you ask my name?^(EK) It is beyond understanding.^[g]” ¹⁹ Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock^(EL) to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: ²⁰ As the flame^(EM) 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.^{(EN) 21} When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized^(EO) that it was the angel of the Lord.

²² “We are doomed^(EP) to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen^(EQ) 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.”^(ER)

²⁴ The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson.^(ES) He grew^(ET) and the Lord blessed him,^{(EU) 25} and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir^(EV) him while he was in Mahaneh Dan,^(EW) between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s Marriage

14 Samson^(EX) went down to Timnah^(EY) and saw there a young Philistine woman. ² 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.”^(EZ)

³ His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people?^(FA) Must you go to the uncircumcised^(FB) Philistines to get a wife?^(FC)”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” ⁴ (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord,^(FD) who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines;^(FE) for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)^(FF)

⁵ 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.