Old/New Testament
16 ¶ Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there and went in unto her.
2 And it was told unto those of Gaza, Samson is come here. And they compassed him in and laid in wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were quiet all that night, saying, In the morning when it is light, we shall kill him.
3 And Samson slept until midnight and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
4 ¶ And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, Entice him and see what gives him his great strength and by what means we may overcome him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and each one of us will give thee eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, what gives thee thy great strength and how might thou be bound to afflict thee.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green wicker strands that were never dried, then I shall become weak and be as any other man.
8 Then the cardinals of the Philistines brought up to her seven green wicker strands which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now there were men lying in wait in a chamber of her house. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the wicker strands as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
10 Then Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, how thou might be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then I shall become weak and be as any other man.
12 Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him with them and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And there were men lying in wait abiding in a chamber. But he broke them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Until now thou hast mocked me, and told me lies. Tell me, therefore, now, how thou might be bound. Then he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the cloth.
14 And she fastened it with the stake and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the stake of the loom and with the cloth.
15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not yet told me what gives thee thy great strength.
16 And it came to pass that, pressing and grinding him daily with her words, his soul was reduced unto mortal anguish.
17 Therefore, he told her all his heart and said unto her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.
18 ¶ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the cardinals of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and brought the money in their hand.
19 And she caused him to sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, This time I will go out like before and escape; not knowing that the LORD had departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took hold of him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of iron that he should grind in the prison house.
22 ¶ And the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
23 Then the cardinals of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the destroyer of our country, who slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson that he may make us laugh. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport, and they set him between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Bring me near and let me feel the pillars upon which the house stands that I may lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the cardinals of the Philistines were there, and upon the roof there were about three thousand men and women that beheld while Samson was mocked.
28 Then Samson called unto the LORD and said, O Lord GOD, remember me now and strengthen me now only this once, O God, that I may take vengeance at once of the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 Then Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was borne up, and leaned upon them, on the one with his right hand and on the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he pushed with all his might, and the house fell upon the cardinals and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than those which he slew in his life.
31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the sepulchre of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
17 ¶ And there was a man of Mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were stolen from thee, about which thou didst curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had completely dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for thee, my son, to make thee a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it unto thee.
4 After the money was restored unto her, his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image, which was set up in the house of Micah.
5 And the man Micah had a brothel of idolatry, {Heb. house of gods} and made an ephod and teraphim {the vessels, clothing and instruments pertaining to idol worship} and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 ¶ And there was a young man out of Bethlehem of Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man had departed out of the city from Bethlehem of Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah as he journeyed.
9 And Micah said unto him, From where hast thou come? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem of Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 Then Micah said unto him, Dwell with me and be a father and a priest unto me, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year and the ordinary apparel and thy food. So the Levite went in.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then Micah said, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.
18 ¶ In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Dan sought a possession for themselves to dwell in, for unto that day their lot had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel for an inheritance.
2 And the sons of Dan sent five men from their family of their borders, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it, and they said unto them, Go, search the land. These came unto Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, and they lodged there.
3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the accent of the voice of the young man the Levite, and they turned in there and said unto him, Who brought thee here? And what doest thou in this place? And what hast thou here?
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus Micah has done with me and has hired me that I may be his priest.
5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel now, therefore, of God, that we may know whether he shall prosper our journey which we do.
6 And the priest replied unto them, Go in peace. Your journey which ye do is before the LORD.
7 ¶ Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw that the people that dwelt there were secure, idle, and confident after the manner of the Zidonians; and there was no one in that land that might hinder them in any way from possessing that land; furthermore they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with anyone.
8 And they returned unto their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 And they said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good; and are ye to remain still? Do not be slothful to go and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure and to a large land, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 And there went from there of the family of Dan, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
12 And they went up and pitched camp in Kirjathjearim in Judah; therefore, they called that place the camp of Dan unto this day; it is behind Kirjathjearim.
13 And they passed from there unto Mount Ephraim and came unto the house of Micah.
14 ¶ Then the five men that had gone to spy out the land of Laish said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim and a graven image and a molten image? Now, therefore, consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned in there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and greeted him. {Heb. asked him of peace}
16 And the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up and went in there and took the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim and the molten image while the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were armed with weapons of war.
18 So they entered into Micah’s house and took the graven image the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. Then the priest said unto them, What are you doing?
19 And they said unto him, Silence, lay thy hand upon thy mouth and go with us to be our father and priest; is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family of Israel?
20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and departed and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them.
22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together and overtook the sons of Dan.
23 And they cried unto the sons of Dan. And these turned their faces and said unto Micah, What ails thee that thou dost come with such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what is left to me? And why do ye say unto me, What ails thee?
25 And the sons of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us lest peradventure angry fellows run upon thee and thou lose thy life with the lives of thy household.
26 And the sons of Dan went their way, and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 ¶ And they took the things which Micah had made together with the priest which he had and came unto Laish unto a people that were at quiet and secure, and they smote them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with anyone; and it was in the valley that lies by Bethrehob. Then they rebuilt the city and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel; however, the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 And the sons of Dan set up the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
7 ¶ Now when he had ended all his words in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion’s slave, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and free his slave.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he is worthy that this should be done for him,
5 for he loves our nation and he has built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof;
7 therefore neither did I think myself worthy to come unto thee but say the word, and my slave shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man set under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say unto one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him and turned about and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you that not even in Israel have I found such great faith.
10 And those that had been sent, returning to the house, found the slave that had been sick whole.
11 ¶ And it came to pass the day after that he went into a city called Nain, and many of his disciples went with him, and many people.
12 Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and many people from the city were with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier, and those that bore him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all, and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us, and, That God has visited his people.
17 And this word of him went forth throughout all Judaea and throughout all the region round about.
18 And the disciples of John showed him of all these things.
19 ¶ And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go and tell John the things ye have seen and heard: how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached;
23 and blessed is whoever shall not be offended in me.
24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25 But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those that are gorgeously apparelled and live delicately are in kings’ courts.
26 But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International