Bible in 90 Days
13 They said to him, “We promise![a] We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you.” They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff. 14 When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the Lord’s Spirit empowered[b] him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in[c] fire, and they[d] melted away from his hands. 15 He happened to see[e] a solid[f] jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed it[g] and struck down[h] 1,000 men. 16 Samson then said,
“With the jawbone of a donkey
I have left them in heaps;[i]
with the jawbone of a donkey
I have struck down a thousand men!”
17 When he finished speaking, he threw the jawbone down[j] and named that place Ramath Lehi.[k]
18 He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given your servant[l] this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into the hands of these uncircumcised Philistines?”[m] 19 So God split open the basin[n] at Lehi and water flowed out from it. When he took a drink, his strength[o] was restored and he revived. For this reason he named the spring[p] En Hakkore.[q] It remains in Lehi to this very day. 20 Samson led[r] Israel for twenty years during the days of Philistine prominence.[s]
Samson’s Downfall
16 Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and slept with her.[t] 2 The Gazites were told,[u] “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town[v] and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave.[w] They relaxed[x] all night, thinking,[y] “He will not leave[z] until morning comes;[aa] then we will kill him!” 3 Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left.[ab] He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all.[ac] He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron.[ad]
4 After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate[ae] him. Each one of us will give you 1,100 silver pieces.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.”[af] 7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh[ag] bowstrings[ah] that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them. 9 They hid[ai] in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here,[aj] Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire.[ak] The secret of his strength was not discovered.[al]
10 Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived[am] me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” 11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used,[an] I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here,[ao] Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.)[ap] But he tore the ropes[aq] from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair[ar] into the fabric on the loom[as] and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are here,[at] Samson!”[au] He woke up[av] and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.
15 She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you will not share your secret with me?[aw] Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong.” 16 She nagged him[ax] every day and pressured him until he was sick to death of it.[ay] 17 Finally he told her his secret.[az] He said to her, “My hair has never been cut,[ba] for I have been dedicated to God[bb] from the time I was conceived.[bc] If my head[bd] were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak and be just like all other men.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret,[be] she sent for[bf] the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me[bg] his secret.”[bh] So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands. 19 She made him go to sleep on her lap[bi] and then called a man in to shave off[bj] the seven braids of his hair.[bk] She made him vulnerable[bl] and his strength left him. 20 She said, “The Philistines are here,[bm] Samson!” He woke up[bn] and thought,[bo] “I will do as I did before[bp] and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him. 21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison. 22 His hair[bq] began to grow back after it had been shaved off.
Samson’s Death and Burial
23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.” 24 When the people saw him,[br] they praised their god, saying, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, the one who ruined our land and killed so many of us!”[bs]
25 When they really started celebrating,[bt] they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them.[bu] They made him stand between two pillars. 26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple.[bv] Then I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple[bw] was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were 3,000 men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain. 28 Samson called to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord,[bx] remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge[by] against the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple[bz] and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard,[ca] and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life.[cb] 31 His brothers and all his family[cc] went down and brought him back.[cd] They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led[ce] Israel for twenty years.
Micah Makes His Own Religion
17 There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country. 2 He said to his mother, “You know[cf] the 1,100 pieces of silver which were stolen[cg] from you, about which I heard you pronounce a curse? Look here, I have the silver. I stole[ch] it, but now I am giving it back to you.”[ci] His mother said, “May the Lord reward[cj] you, my son!” 3 When he gave back to his mother the 1,100 pieces of silver, his mother said, “I solemnly dedicate[ck] this silver to the Lord. It will be for my son’s benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image.”[cl] 4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she[cm] took 200 pieces of silver[cn] to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house.[co] 5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine.[cp] He made an ephod[cq] and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest.[cr] 6 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.[cs]
Micah Hires a Professional
7 There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah.[ct] 8 This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah’s house.[cu] 9 Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” He replied, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a new place to live.”[cv] 10 Micah said to him, “Stay with me. Become my adviser[cw] and priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, plus clothes and food.”[cx] 11 So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah.[cy] 12 Micah paid[cz] the Levite; the young man became his priest and lived in Micah’s house. 13 Micah said, “Now I know the Lord will make me rich,[da] because I have this Levite as my priest.”
The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance
18 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place[db] to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.[dc] 2 The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives,[dd] capable men[de] from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.[df] 3 As they approached[dg] Micah’s house, they recognized the accent[dh] of the young Levite. So they stopped[di] there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”[dj] 4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,[dk] “He hired me, and I became his priest.” 5 They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us,[dl] so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”[dm] 6 The priest said to them, “Go with confidence.[dn] The Lord will be with you on your mission.”[do]
7 So the five men journeyed on[dp] and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there[dq] were living securely, like the Sidonians do,[dr] undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way.[ds] They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.[dt] 8 When the Danites returned to their tribe[du] in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen[dv] asked them, “How did it go?”[dw] 9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them,[dx] for[dy] we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic,[dz] but don’t hesitate[ea] to invade and conquer[eb] the land. 10 When you invade,[ec] you will encounter[ed] unsuspecting people. The land is wide![ee] God is handing it over to you—a place that lacks nothing on earth!”[ef]
11 So 600 Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.[eg] 12 They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan.[eh] It is west[ei] of Kiriath Jearim.) 13 From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house. 14 The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish[ej] said to their kinsmen,[ek] “Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do.” 15 They stopped[el] there, went inside the young Levite’s house (which belonged to Micah),[em] and asked him how he was doing.[en] 16 Meanwhile the 600 Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.[eo] 17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole[ep] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the 600 fully armed men.[eq] 18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole[er] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser[es] and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?”[et] 20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.[eu]
21 They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.[ev] 22 After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors[ew] gathered together and caught up with the Danites. 23 When they called out to the Danites, the Danites[ex] turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?” 24 He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’”[ey] 25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men[ez] will attack you, and you and your family will die.”[fa] 26 The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized[fb] they were too strong to resist,[fc] he turned around and went home.
27 Now the Danites[fd] took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.[fe] 28 No one came to the rescue because the city[ff] was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone.[fg] The city[fh] was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites[fi] rebuilt the city and occupied it. 29 They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons.[fj] But the city’s name used to be Laish. 30 The Danites worshiped[fk] the carved image. Jonathan, descendant[fl] of Gershom, son of Moses,[fm] and his descendants[fn] served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. 31 They worshiped[fo] Micah’s carved image[fp] the whole time God’s authorized shrine[fq] was in Shiloh.
Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited
19 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite[fr] living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine[fs] from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 However, she[ft] got angry at him[fu] and went home[fv] to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, 3 her husband came[fw] after her, hoping he could convince her to return.[fx] He brought with him his servant[fy] and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.[fz] 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.[ga] But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,[gb] then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.[gc] Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time?”[gd] 7 When the man got ready to leave,[ge] his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.[gf] 8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy![gg] Wait until later in the day to leave.”[gh] So they ate a meal together. 9 When the man got ready to leave[gi] with his concubine and his servant,[gj] his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over.[gk] Stay another night! Since the day is over,[gl] stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”[gm] 10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He left[gn] and traveled as far as[go] Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.[gp]
11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late[gq] and the servant[gr] said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at[gs] this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.[gt] We will travel on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant,[gu] “Come on, we will go into one of the other towns[gv] and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they traveled on,[gw] and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.[gx] 15 They stopped there and decided to spend the night[gy] in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.[gz]
16 But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.[ha] The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)[hb] 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler[hc] in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?” 18 The Levite[hd] said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.[he] But no one has invited me into their home. 19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant,[hf] and the young man who is with your servants.[hg] We lack nothing.” 20 The old man said, “Everything is just fine.[hh] I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.[hi]
22 They were having a good time,[hj] when suddenly[hk] some men of the city, some good-for-nothings,[hl] surrounded the house and kept beating[hm] on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can take carnal knowledge of him.”[hn] 23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing! 24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s[ho] concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like.[hp] But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!” 25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite[hq] grabbed his concubine and made her go outside.[hr] They raped[hs] her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn. 26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master[ht] was staying until it became light.[hu] 27 When her master[hv] got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave.” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home.[hw] 29 When he got home, he took a knife, grasped his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces.[hx] Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.[hy] 30 Everyone who saw the sight[hz] said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since[ia] the Israelites left the land of Egypt![ib] Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”
Civil War Breaks Out
20 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba[ic] and from the land of Gilead[id] left their homes[ie] and assembled together[if] before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders[ig] of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered[ih] 400,000 sword-wielding foot soldiers. 3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!” 4 The Levite,[ii] the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in[ij] Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin[ik] to spend the night. 5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying.[il] They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died. 6 I took hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces[im] throughout the territory occupied by Israel,[in] because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity[io] in Israel. 7 All you Israelites,[ip] make a decision here!”[iq]
8 All Israel rose up in unison[ir] and said, “Not one of us will go home![is] Not one of us will return[it] to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.[iu] 10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army.[iv] When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin, they will punish them for the atrocity that they committed in Israel.”[iw] 11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.[ix]
12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe[iy] of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?[iz] 13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings[ja] in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.”[jb] But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah[jc] to make war against the Israelites. 15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities 26,000 sword-wielding soldiers, besides 700 well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.[jd] 16 Among this army[je] were 700 specially trained left-handed soldiers.[jf] Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.[jg] 17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered 400,000 sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.[jh]
18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,[ji] “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?”[jj] The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved[jk] against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they[jl] arranged their battle lines against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down 22,000 Israelites that day.[jm]
22 The Israelite army[jn] took heart[jo] and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we[jp] again march out to fight[jq] the Benjaminites, our brothers?”[jr] The Lord said, “Attack them.”[js] 24 So the Israelites marched toward[jt] the Benjaminites the next day. 25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down 18,000 sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.[ju]
26 So all the Israelites, the whole army,[jv] went up to[jw] Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything[jx] that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace[jy] to the Lord. 27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord[jz] in those days), “Should we[ka] once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers,[kb] or should we[kc] quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them[kd] over to you.”
29 So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. 30 The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;[ke] they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites attacked[kf] the army, leaving the city unguarded.[kg] They began to strike down their enemy[kh] just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down[ki] about thirty Israelites. 32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat[kj] and lure them[kk] away from the city into the main roads.” 33 [kl] All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. 34 Then 10,000 men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, made a frontal assault against Gibeah; the battle was fierce.[km] But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.[kn] 35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.[ko] 36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.
The Israelites retreated before[kp] Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hidden in ambush outside Gibeah. 37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash[kq] to Gibeah. They[kr] attacked[ks] and put the sword to the entire city. 38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush[kt] sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked.[ku] Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites;[kv] they struck down[kw] about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.” 40 But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.[kx] 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked[ky] because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.[kz] 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook[la] them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.[lb] 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah,[lc] and annihilated[ld] them all the way to a spot east of Geba.[le] 44 So 18,000 Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest[lf] turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites[lg] caught[lh] 5,000 of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels[li] all the way to Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. 46 That day 25,000[lj] sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.[lk] 47 But 600 survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns[ll] and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities,[lm] the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.[ln]
Six Hundred Brides for Six Hundred Brothers
21 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.[lo] 3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel? An entire[lp] tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”
4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace.[lq] 5 The Israelites asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?”They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed.[lr] 6 The Israelites regretted what had happened to[ls] their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire[lt] tribe from Israel! 7 How can we find wives for those who are left?[lu] After all, we took an oath in the Lord’s name not to give them our daughters as wives.” 8 So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering.[lv] 9 When they took roll call,[lw] they noticed[lx] none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there. 10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors[ly] against Jabesh Gilead.[lz] They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords[ma] the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. 11 Do this:[mb] Exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has experienced a man’s bed.[mc] But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed.[md] 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 400 young girls who were virgins who had never been intimate with a man in bed.[me] They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.[mf] 14 The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites[mg] gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.[mh]
15 The people regretted what had happened to[mi] Benjamin because the Lord had weakened[mj] the Israelite tribes. 16 The leaders[mk] of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left?[ml] After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out. 17 The[mm] remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.[mn] 18 But we can’t allow our daughters to marry them,[mo] for the Israelites took an oath, saying, ‘Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed.’[mp] 19 However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.” 20 So they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards, 21 and keep your eyes open.[mq] When you see[mr] the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration,[ms] jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us,[mt] we’ll say to them, ‘Do us a favor and let them be,[mu] for we could not get each one a wife through battle.[mv] Don’t worry about breaking your oath![mw] You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’”[mx]
23 The Benjaminites did as instructed.[my] They abducted 200 of the dancing girls to be their wives.[mz] They went home[na] to their own territory,[nb] rebuilt their cities, and settled down.[nc] 24 Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property.[nd] 25 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.[ne]
A Family Tragedy: Famine and Death
1 During the time of the judges,[nf] there was a famine in the land of Judah.[ng] So a man from Bethlehem[nh] in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner[ni] in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.[nj] 2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech,[nk] his wife was Naomi,[nl] and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.[nm] They were of the clan of Ephrath[nn] from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there.[no] 3 Sometime later[np] Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. 4 Both her sons[nq] married[nr] Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.)[ns] And they continued to live there about ten years. 5 Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died.[nt] So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children[nu] as well as her husband! 6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law,[nv] because while she was living in Moab[nw] she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for[nx] his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops.[ny]
Ruth Returns with Naomi
7 Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah,[nz] 8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home.[oa] May the Lord show[ob] you[oc] the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands[od] and to me.[oe] 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find[of] security[og] in the home of a new husband.”[oh] Then she kissed them goodbye, and they wept loudly.[oi] 10 But they said to her, “No![oj] We will[ok] return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me.[ol] I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands![om] 12 Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again.[on] Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons,[oo] 13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry.[op] Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time![oq] No,[or] my daughters, you must not return with me.[os] For my intense suffering[ot] is too much for you to bear.[ou] For the Lord is afflicting me!”[ov]
14 Again they wept loudly.[ow] Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye,[ox] but Ruth[oy] clung tightly to her.[oz] 15 So Naomi[pa] said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god.[pb] Follow your sister-in-law back home!” 16 But Ruth replied,
“Stop urging me to abandon you![pc]
For wherever you go, I will go.
Wherever you live, I will live.
Your people will become my people,
and your God will become my God.
17 Wherever you die, I will die—and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise![pd]
Only death will be able to separate me from you!”[pe]
18 When Naomi[pf] realized that Ruth[pg] was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her.[ph] 19 So the two of them[pi] journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem.
Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem
When they entered[pj] Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival.[pk] The women of the village said,[pl] “Can this be Naomi?”[pm] 20 But she replied[pn] to them,[po] “Don’t call me ‘Naomi’![pp] Call me ‘Mara’[pq] because the Sovereign One[pr] has treated me very harshly.[ps] 21 I left here full,[pt] but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed.[pu] Why do you call me ‘Naomi,’ seeing that[pv] the Lord has opposed me,[pw] and the Sovereign One[px] has caused me to suffer?”[py] 22 So Naomi returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab.[pz] (Now they[qa] arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.)[qb]
Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz
2 Now Naomi[qc] had a relative[qd] on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.[qe] 2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go[qf] to the fields so I can gather[qg] grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”[qh] Naomi[qi] replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 3 So Ruth[qj] went and gathered grain in the fields[qk] behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up[ql] in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
Boaz and Ruth Meet
4 Now at that very moment,[qm] Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted[qn] the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,[qo] “May the Lord bless you!” 5 Boaz asked[qp] his servant[qq] in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”[qr] 6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. 7 She asked,[qs] ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain[qt] among the bundles?’[qu] Since she arrived she has been working hard[qv] from this morning until now[qw]—except for[qx] sitting[qy] in the resting hut[qz] a short time.”[ra]
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,[rb] my dear![rc] Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not[rd] go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside[re] my female workers.[rf] 9 Take note of[rg] the field where the men[rh] are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers.[ri] I will tell the men[rj] to leave you alone.[rk] When you are thirsty, you may go to[rl] the water jars[rm] and drink some of the water[rn] the servants draw.”[ro]
10 Ruth[rp] knelt before him with her forehead to the ground[rq] and said to him, “Why are you so kind[rr] and so attentive to me,[rs] even though[rt] I am a foreigner?”[ru] 11 Boaz replied to her,[rv] “I have been given a full report of[rw] all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left[rx] your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.[ry] 12 May the Lord reward your efforts![rz] May your acts of kindness be repaid fully[sa] by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection.”[sb] 13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,[sc] sir,[sd] for you have reassured[se] and encouraged[sf] me, your servant,[sg] even though I will[sh] never be like[si] one of your servants.”[sj]
14 Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have[sk] some food! Dip your bread[sl] in the vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed[sm] her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.[sn] 15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told[so] his male servants, “Let her gather grain even among[sp] the bundles. Don’t chase her off![sq] 16 Make sure you pull out[sr] ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”[ss] 17 So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed[st] what she had gathered, it came to about thirty pounds[su] of barley.
Ruth Returns to Naomi
18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw[sv] how much grain[sw] she had gathered. Then Ruth[sx] gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.[sy] 19 Her mother-in-law asked her,[sz] “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”[ta] So Ruth[tb] told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he[tc] has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”[td] Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”[te] 21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even[tf] told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants[tg] until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’”[th] 22 Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants.[ti] That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”[tj] 23 So Ruth[tk] worked beside[tl] Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest.[tm] After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.[tn]
Naomi Instructs Ruth
3 At that time,[to] Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you so you will be secure.[tp] 2 Now Boaz, with whose female servants you worked, is our close relative.[tq] Look, tonight he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor.[tr] 3 So bathe yourself,[ts] rub on some perfumed oil,[tt] and get dressed up.[tu] Then go down[tv] to the threshing floor. But don’t let the man know you’re there until he finishes his meal.[tw] 4 When he gets ready to go to sleep,[tx] take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs,[ty] and lie down[tz] beside him.[ua] He will tell[ub] you what you should do.” 5 Ruth replied to Naomi,[uc] “I will do everything you have told[ud] me[ue] to do.”[uf]
Ruth Visits Boaz
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.[ug] 7 When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap.[uh] Then Ruth[ui] crept up quietly,[uj] uncovered his legs,[uk] and lay down beside him.[ul] 8 In the middle of the night he was startled[um] and turned over.[un] Now[uo] he saw a woman[up] lying beside him![uq] 9 He said, “Who are you?”[ur] She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant.[us] Marry your servant,[ut] for you are a guardian of the family interests.”[uu] 10 He said, “May you be rewarded[uv] by the Lord, my dear![uw] This act of devotion[ux] is greater than what you did before.[uy] For you have not sought to marry[uz] one of the young men, whether rich or poor.[va] 11 Now, my dear, don’t worry![vb] I intend to do for you everything you propose,[vc] for everyone in the village[vd] knows that you are a worthy woman.[ve] 12 Now yes, it is true that[vf] I am a guardian,[vg] but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am. 13 Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you,[vh] fine,[vi] let him do so.[vj] But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you.[vk] Sleep here until morning.”[vl] 14 So she slept beside him[vm] until morning. She woke up while it was still dark.[vn] Boaz thought,[vo] “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.”[vp] 15 Then he said, “Hold out the shawl[vq] you are wearing[vr] and grip it tightly.” As she held it tightly, he measured out about sixty pounds[vs] of barley into the shawl[vt] and put it on her shoulders. Then he[vu] went into town, 16 and she returned to her mother-in-law.
Ruth Returns to Naomi
When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi[vv] asked,[vw] “How did things turn out for you,[vx] my daughter?” Ruth[vy] told her about all the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these sixty pounds of barley, for he said to me,[vz] ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”[wa] 18 Then Naomi[wb] said, “Stay put,[wc] my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”
Boaz Settles the Matter
4 Now Boaz went up[wd] to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian[we] whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth.[wf] Boaz said, “Come[wg] here, what’s-your-name,[wh] and sit down.” So he came[wi] and sat down. 2 Boaz chose ten of the village leaders[wj] and said, “Sit down here!” So they sat down. 3 Then Boaz said to the guardian,[wk] “Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling[wl] the portion of land that belongs to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I am legally informing you:[wm] Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people.[wn] If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so.[wo] But if not, then tell me[wp] so I will know.[wq] For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.”[wr] He replied, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “When[ws] you acquire the field[wt] from Naomi,[wu] you must also[wv] acquire Ruth the Moabite,[ww] the wife of our deceased relative,[wx] in order to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property.”[wy] 6 The guardian said, “Then I am unable to redeem it, for I would ruin my own inheritance[wz] in that case. You may exercise my redemption option, for I am unable to redeem it.”[xa] 7 (Now this used to be the customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel:[xb] A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party.[xc] This was a legally binding act[xd] in Israel.) 8 So the guardian said to Boaz, “You may acquire it,” and he removed his sandal.[xe] 9 Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property[xf] so the name of the deceased might not disappear[xg] from among his relatives and from his village.[xh] You are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May[xi] you prosper[xj] in Ephrathah and become famous[xk] in Bethlehem. 12 May your family[xl] become like the family of Perez[xm]—whom Tamar bore to Judah—through the descendants[xn] the Lord gives you by this young woman.”
A Grandson is Born to Naomi
13 So Boaz married Ruth and slept with her.[xo] The Lord enabled her to conceive[xp] and she gave birth to a son. 14 The village women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be praised because he has not left you without a guardian[xq] today! May he[xr] become famous in Israel![xs] 15 He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old,[xt] for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She[xu] is better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap;[xv] she became his caregiver.[xw] 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed.[xx] Now he became the father of Jesse—David’s father.
Epilogue: Obed in the Genealogy of David
18 These are the descendants[xy] of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab was the father of Nachshon, Nachshon was the father of Salmah, 21 Salmon[xz] was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed, 22 Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.[ya]
Hannah Is Childless
1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim,[yb] from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives;[yc] the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man would go up from his city year after year[yd] to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at Shiloh.[ye] (It was there that the two sons of Eli,[yf] Hophni and Phinehas, served as the Lord’s priests.) 4 The day came, and Elkanah sacrificed.
(Now[yg] he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double[yh] portion because he loved Hannah,[yi] although[yj] the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 6 Her rival used to aggravate her to the point of exasperation,[yk] just to irritate her,[yl] since the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 7 This is how it would go[ym] year after year. As often as she went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah[yn] would offend her in that way.)[yo]
So she cried and refused to eat. 8 Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why won’t you eat? Why are you so upset?[yp] Am I not better to you than ten[yq] sons?” 9 So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh.[yr]
At the time[ys] Eli the priest was sitting in his chair[yt] by the doorpost of the Lord’s sanctuary.[yu] 10 As for Hannah, she was very distressed.[yv] She prayed to the Lord and was, in fact, weeping.[yw] 11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look[yx] on the suffering of your servant,[yy] and would keep me in mind and not neglect[yz] your servant, and give your servant a male child,[za] then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”[zb]
12 It turned out[zc] that she did a great deal[zd] of praying before the Lord. Meanwhile[ze] Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her mind.[zf] Only her lips were moving; her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was a drunkard.[zg]
14 Then he[zh] said to her, “How much longer do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”[zi] 15 But Hannah replied, “Not so, my lord! I am a woman under a great deal of stress.[zj] I haven’t drunk wine or beer. But I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman.[zk] It’s just that,[zl] to this point, I have spoken from my deep pain[zm] and anguish.”[zn]
17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.”[zo] So the woman went her way and got something to eat.[zp] Her face no longer looked sad.[zq]
19 They got up early the next morning. Then they worshiped[zr] the Lord and returned to their home at Ramathaim.[zs] Elkanah was intimate with[zt] his wife Hannah, and the Lord called her to mind.[zu] 20 Then Hannah became pregnant.
Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord
In the course of time she gave birth to a son.[zv] And she named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him.”[zw] 21 Then the man Elkanah and all his family went up to make the yearly sacrifice[zx] to the Lord and to keep his vow.[zy] 22 But Hannah did not go up with them,[zz] because she had told[aaa] her husband, “Not[aab] until the boy is weaned. Then I will bring him so that he may appear before the Lord. And he will remain there from then on.”[aac]
23 Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best.[aad] Stay until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his promise.”[aae]
So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 Then she took him up with her[aaf] as soon as she had weaned him, along with three bulls,[aag] an ephah[aah] of flour, and a container[aai] of wine. She came to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, and the boy was with them.[aaj] 25 They slaughtered the bull, then brought the boy to Eli.[aak] 26 She said, “My lord. Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. 28 So I also dedicate[aal] him to the Lord. For all the days of his life[aam] he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then he[aan] bowed down there in worship[aao] to the Lord.
Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer
2 Hannah prayed,[aap]
“My heart has rejoiced[aaq] in the Lord;
my horn[aar] has been raised high because of the Lord.
I have loudly denounced[aas] my enemies.
Indeed I rejoice in your deliverance.
2 No one is holy[aat] like the Lord!
There is no one other than you!
There is no rock[aau] like our God!
3 Don’t keep speaking[aav] so arrogantly.[aaw]
Proud talk should not[aax] come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God who knows;
he[aay] evaluates what people do.
4 The bows of warriors are shattered,
but those who stumbled have taken on strength.[aaz]
5 The well fed hire themselves out to earn food,
but the hungry no longer lack.[aba]
Even[abb] the barren woman has given birth to seven,[abc]
but the one with many children has declined.[abd]
6 The Lord both kills and gives life;
he brings down to the grave[abe] and raises up.[abf]
7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He lifts the weak[abg] from the dust;
he raises[abh] the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes—
he bestows on them an honored position.[abi]
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord—
he placed the world on them.
9 He watches over[abj] his holy ones,[abk]
but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,[abl]
for it is not by one’s own[abm] strength that one prevails.
10 The Lord shatters[abn] his adversaries;[abo]
he thunders against them from[abp] the heavens.
The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.
He will strengthen[abq] his king
and exalt the power[abr] of his anointed one.”[abs]
11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah.
Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office
The boy[abt] Samuel[abu] was serving the Lord with the favor of[abv] Eli the priest.[abw] 12 But the sons of Eli were wicked men.[abx] They did not acknowledge the Lord’s authority.[aby] 13 This was the priests’ routine with the people. Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice,[abz] the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork[aca] in his hand, just as the meat was boiling. 14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, cauldron, or pot. Everything that the fork would bring up the priest would take for himself. This is how they used to treat all the Israelites[acb] who came there[acc] to Shiloh.
15 Also, before they burned the fat the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Give some meat for the priest to roast! He[acd] won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”[ace] 16 If[acf] the individual said to him, “They should certainly burn[acg] the fat away first, then take for yourself[ach] whatever you wish,”[aci] then he would say, “No![acj] Give it now! If not, I’ll take it by force!”[ack] 17 The sin of these young men[acl] was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[acm] treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
18 Now[acn] Samuel was ministering with the favor of the Lord.[aco] The boy[acp] was dressed in a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it to him from time to time when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord establish[acq] descendants[acr] for you from this woman in place of the one that she dedicated[acs] to the Lord.” Then they[act] would go to their[acu] home. 21 And indeed the Lord attended to[acv] Hannah. She got pregnant and gave birth to[acw] three sons and two daughters. But the boy[acx] Samuel grew up before the Lord.[acy]
22 Eli was very old. And he would hear about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel[acz] and[ada] how they used to go to bed with[adb] the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do these things, these evil things that I hear about from all these people?[adc] 24 No, my sons! For the report that I hear circulating[add] among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf.[ade] But if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons[adf] would not listen to their father.[adg] Indeed[adh] the Lord had decided[adi] to kill them. 26 However, the boy[adj] Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.[adk]
The Lord Judges the House of Eli
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I plainly[adl] revealed[adm] myself to your ancestor’s house when they were slaves to the house of Pharaoh in Egypt.[adn] 28 I chose[ado] your ancestor[adp] from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear[adq] the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 29 Why are you[adr] scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place?[ads] You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
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