\NormalFont\ShortTitle{SHOFETIM}

{\MT Shofetim



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now after the mot Yehoshua it came to pass, that the Bnei Yisroel asked
{\ND{Hashem}}, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Kena'ani first, to fight against him?\FTNT{*}{{\FR 1:1 }{\FT{them}}}

\VS{2}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said, Yehudah shall go up; hinei, I have delivered HaAretz into his yad.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}And Yehudah said unto Shim'on his brother, Come up with me into my goral
{\ADD{(lot)}}, and we will fight against the Kena'ani; and I likewise will go with thee into thy goral. So Shim'on went with him.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And Yehudah went up; and
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered the Kena'ani and the Perizzi into their yad; and they struck them down at Bezek ten thousand ish.

\VS{5}And they found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek; and they fought against him, and they struck down the Kena'ani and the Perizzi.

\VS{6}But Adoni-Bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

\VS{7}And Adoni-Bezek said, Threescore and ten melachim, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, picked up their scraps under my shulchan; as I have done, so Elohim hath requited me. And they brought him to Yerushalayim, and there he died.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Now the Bnei Yehudah had fought against Yerushalayim, and had taken it, and put it to the edge of the cherev, and set eish to the Ir.

\VS{9}And afterward the Bnei Yehudah went down to fight against the Kena'ani that dwelt in the har, and in the Negev, and in the western foothills.

\VS{10}And Yehudah went against the Kena'ani that dwelt in Chevron; (now the shem of Chevron formerly was Kiryat-Arba); and they struck down Sheshai, and Achiman, and Talmai.

\VS{11}And from thence Yehudah went against the inhabitants of Devir; and the shem of Devir formerly was Kiryat-Sepher;


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And Kalev said, He that striketh Kiryat-Sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my bat as isha.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And Otniel ben Kenaz, Kalevʼs younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his bat as isha.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask of her av the sadeh; and she dismounted her donkey; and Kalev said unto her, What wilt thou?

\VS{15}And she said unto him, Give me bracha; since thou hast given me eretz hanegev; give me also gullot mayim. And Kalev gave her the upper gullot and the lower gullot.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And the Bnei Keni, khoten Moshe, went up out of the Ir HaTemarim with the Bnei Yehudah into the midbar of Yehudah, which lieth in the Negev of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}And Yehudah went with Shim'on his brother, and they struck down the Kena'ani that inhabited Tzephat, and utterly destroyed it. And the shem of the Ir was called Chormah.

\VS{18}Also Yehudah took Azah
{\ADD{(Gaza)}} and the territory thereof, and Ashkelon and the territory thereof, and Ekron and the territory thereof.

\VS{19}And
{\ND{Hashem}} was with Yehudah; and he possessed the inhabitants of the hill country; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the [broad] valley [areas], because they had chariots of barzel
{\ADD{(iron)}}.

\VS{20}And they gave Chevron unto Kalev, just as Moshe promised; and he expelled from there the three Bnei Anak.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}And the Bnei Binyamin did not drive out the Yevusi that inhabited Yerushalayim; and the Yevusi dwell with the Bnei Binyamin in Yerushalayim unto this day.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And Bais Yosef, they also went up against Beit-El; and
{\ND{Hashem}} was with them.

\VS{23}And Bais Yosef sent shomrim
{\ADD{(spies)}} to Beit-El. (Now the shem of the Ir formerly was Luz.)

\VS{24}And the shomrim saw an ish come forth out of the Ir, and they said unto him, Show us, now, the way to enter into the Ir, and we will show thee chesed.

\VS{25}And when he showed them the way to enter into the Ir, they struck down the Ir with the edge of the cherev; but they spared the ish and all his mishpakhah.

\VS{26}And the ish went into the eretz HaChittim, and built an Ir, and called the shem thereof Luz; which is the shem thereof unto this day.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}Neither did Menasheh drive out the Beit-She'an and her villages, nor Ta'nakh and her villages, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her villages, nor the inhabitants of Yivle'am and her villages, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her villages; so the Kena'ani were determined to dwell in that land.

\VS{28}And it came to pass, when Yisroel was chazak, that they put the Kena'ani to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}Neither did Ephrayim drive out the Kena'ani that dwelt in Gezer; but the Kena'ani dwelt in Gezer among them.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}Neither did Zevulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Kena'ani dwelt among them, and became subject to forced labor.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Akko, nor the inhabitants of Tzidon, nor of Achlav, nor of Akhziv, nor of Chelbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rechov;

\VS{32}But the Asheri dwelt among the Kena'ani, the inhabitants of HaAretz: for they did not drive them out.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beit-Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beit-Anat; but he dwelt among the Kena'ani, the inhabitants of HaAretz: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beit-Shemesh and of Beit-Anat were unto them subject to forced labor.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}And the Emori forced the Bnei Dan into the hill country; for they would not allow them to come down into the [broad] valley [area];

\VS{35}But the Emori would dwell in Mt Cheres in Ayalon, and in Sha'albim: yet the yad Bais Yosef prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.

\VS{36}And the territory of the Emori was from the Akrabbim Ascent and the Rock, upward.




\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} went up from Gilgal to Bokhim, and said, I made you to go up out of Mitzrayim, and have brought you unto HaAretz which I swore unto your avot; and I said, I will never
{\ADD{(l'olam)}} break My brit
{\ADD{(covenant)}} with you.

\VS{2}And ye shall make no brit with the inhabitants of HaAretz HaZot; ye shall throw down their mizbechot. But ye have not obeyed My voice; why have ye done this?

\VS{3}Therefore I said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall flank you in, and their elohim shall be a mokesh unto you.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And it came to pass, when the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} spoke these words unto kol Bnei Yisroel, that HaAm lifted up their voice, and wept.

\VS{5}And they called the shem of that place Bokhim; and they sacrificed there unto
{\ND{Hashem}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And when Yehoshua had let HaAm go, the Bnei Yisroel went every ish unto his nachalah to possess HaAretz.

\VS{7}And HaAm served
{\ND{Hashem}} all the days of Yehoshua, and all the days of the zekenim that outlived Yehoshua, who had seen kol ma'aseh
{\ND{Hashem}} hagadol, that He did for Yisroel.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And Yehoshua ben Nun, the Eved
{\ND{Hashem}}, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

\VS{9}And they buried him in the territory of his nachalah in Timnat-Cheres, in the Har Ephrayim, on the north side of the Har Ga'ash.

\VS{10}And also all that dor were gathered unto their avot; and there arose another dor after them, which had no da'as of
{\ND{Hashem}}, nor yet the ma'aseh which He had done for Yisroel.

\VS{11}And the Bnei Yisroel did harah in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}, and served Ba'alim;

\VS{12}And they forsook
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Avotam, which brought them out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and followed acharei elohim, of the elohei ha'amim that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked
{\ND{Hashem}} to anger.

\VS{13}And they forsook
{\ND{Hashem}}, and served Ba'al and Ashtarot.

\VS{14}And the Af
{\ND{Hashem}} was hot against Yisroel, and He delivered them into the hands of plunderers that plundered them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, that they were not any longer able to stand before their enemies.

\VS{15}Whenever they went out, the yad
{\ND{Hashem}} was against them for ra'ah, just as
{\ND{Hashem}} had said, and just as
{\ND{Hashem}} had sworn unto them; and they were greatly distressed.

\VS{16}Nevertheless
{\ND{Hashem}} raised up Shofetim, which saved them out of the yad of those that plundered them.

\VS{17}And yet they would not pay heed unto their Shofetim, but they went a-whoring after acharei elohim, and bowed themselves unto them; they turned quickly from HaDerech which their Avot walked in, the Way of obedience to the mitzvot
{\ND{Hashem}}; but they did not so.

\VS{18}And when
{\ND{Hashem}} raised them up Shofetim, then
{\ND{Hashem}} was with the Shofet, and saved them out of the yad of their enemies all the days of the Shofet; for it relented
{\ND{Hashem}} because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and afflicted them.

\VS{19}And it came to pass, when the Shofet was dead, that they turned again, and corrupted themselves more than their avot, in following acharei elohim to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their derech hakashah
{\ADD{(stubborn way)}}.

\VS{20}And the Af
{\ND{Hashem}} was hot against Yisroel; and He said, Because this people hath violated My brit
{\ADD{(covenant)}} which I commanded their Avot, and have not paid heed unto My voice;

\VS{21}I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the Goyim which Yehoshua left when he died;

\VS{22}That through them I may test Yisroel, whether they will be shomrim Derech
{\ND{Hashem}} to walk therein, just as their Avot were shomer, or no.

\VS{23}Therefore
{\ND{Hashem}} let those Goyim remain, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered He them into the yad Yehoshua.




\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now these are the Goyim which
{\ND{Hashem}} let remain, to test Yisroel by them, even as many of Yisroel who had not known all the milchamot Kena'an;

\VS{2}Only so that the dorot of the Bnei Yisroel might have da'as, to teach them milchamah, such as before knew nothing thereof;

\VS{3}Namely, five rulers of the Pelishtim
{\ADD{(Philistines)}}, and all the Kena'ani, and the Tzidoni, and the Chivi that dwelt in Har HaLevanon, from Har Ba'al-Chermon unto the entrance of Chamat.

\VS{4}And they were to test Yisroel by them, to know whether they would pay heed unto the Mitzvot
{\ND{Hashem}}, which He commanded their Avot by the yad Moshe.

\VS{5}And the Bnei Yisroel dwelt among the Kena'ani, Chitti, and Emori, and Perizzi, and Chivi, and Yevusi;

\VS{6}And they took their banot to be their nashim, and gave their banot to their banim, and served their elohim.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And the Bnei Yisroel did evil in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}, and forgot
{\ND{Hashem}} Eloheihem, and served Ba'alim and the Asherot.

\VS{8}Therefore the Af
{\ND{Hashem}} was hot against Yisroel, and He sold them into the yad Kushan Rishatayim Melech Aram Naharayim;\FTNT{*}{{\FR 3:8 }{\FT{i.e., Upper Mesopotamia}}} and the Bnei Yisroel served Kushan Rishatayim eight years.

\VS{9}And when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}},
{\ND{Hashem}} raised up a Moshia
{\ADD{(Deliverer, Savior)}} to the Bnei Yisroel, who saved them, even Otniel ben Kenaz, Kalevʼs younger brother.

\VS{10}And the Ruach\FTNT{†}{{\FR 3:10 }{\FT{Hakodesh}}} of
{\ND{Hashem}} came upon him, and he judged Yisroel, and went out to milchamah; and
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered Kushan Rishatayim Melech Aram into his yad; and his yad prevailed against Kushan Rishatayim.

\VS{11}And the land had rest arba'im shanah. And Otniel ben Kenaz died.

\VS{12}And the Bnei Yisroel did rah again in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}; and
{\ND{Hashem}} strengthened Eglon Melech Moav against Yisroel, because they had done rah in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And he gathered unto him the Bnei Ammon and Amalek, and went and attacked Yisroel, and possessed the Ir HaTemarim.

\VS{14}So the Bnei Yisroel served Eglon Melech Moav eighteen years.

\VS{15}But when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}},
{\ND{Hashem}} raised them up a Moshi'a, Ehud ben Gera, from the tribe of Binyamin, a man left-handed; and by him the Bnei Yisroel sent a minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav.

\VS{16}But Ehud made him a cherev which had two edges of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

\VS{17}And he brought the minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav; and Eglon was an ish bari me'od
{\ADD{(very fat man)}}.

\VS{18}And when he had made an end to offer the minchah, he sent away the people that carried the minchah
{\ADD{(tribute)}}.

\VS{19}But he himself turned back at the pesilim near Gilgal, and said, I have a devar seter
{\ADD{(secret message)}} for thee O melech; he said, Keep silence! And all that stood by attending him went out from him.

\VS{20}And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in an aliyyat hamekerah
{\ADD{(upper room for cooling)}}, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a devar Elohim unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

\VS{21}And Ehud put forth his semol
{\ADD{(left hand)}}, and drew the cherev from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly;

\VS{22}And even the hilt went in after the blade; and the chelev closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the cherev out of his belly; it came out the back.

\VS{23}Then Ehud went forth through the front hall, and shut the daletot of the aliyyah behind him, and locked them.

\VS{24}When he was gone out, his avadim came; and when they saw that, hinei, the daletot of the aliyyah were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 3:24 }{\FT{i.e. relieves himself}}} in the chedar hamekerah
{\ADD{(inner cool room)}}.

\VS{25}And they tarried till bosh
{\ADD{(embarrassed)}}; and, hinei, he opened not the daletot of the aliyyah; therefore they took a mafte'ach
{\ADD{(key)}}, and unlocked them; and, hinei, their adon was fallen on the floor dead.

\VS{26}And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the pesilim, and escaped unto Se'irah.

\VS{27}And it came to pass, when he arrived, that he blew a shofar in the har Ephrayim, and the Bnei Yisroel went down with him from the har, and he before them.

\VS{28}And he said unto them, Follow after me; for
{\ND{Hashem}} hath delivered your enemies Moav into your yad. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Yarden toward Moav, and allowed not an ish to pass over.

\VS{29}And they struck down Moav at that time about ten thousand ish, all strong ish chayil; and there escaped not an ish.

\VS{30}So Moav was subdued that day under the yad Yisroel. And HaAretz had rest fourscore shanah.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}And after him was Shamgar ben Anat, which struck down of the Pelishtim
{\ADD{(Philistines)}} six hundred ish with an ox goad; and he also saved Yisroel.




\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the Bnei Yisroel again did rah in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}, when Ehud was dead.

\VS{2}And
{\ND{Hashem}} sold them into the yad Yavin Melech Kena'an, that reigned in Chatzor; the sar whose tze'va
{\ADD{(army)}} was Sisra, which dwelt in Charoshet HaGoyim.

\VS{3}And the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}}; for he had nine hundred chariots of barzel
{\ADD{(iron)}}; and twenty shanah he oppressed chazakah the Bnei Yisroel.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And isha Devorah, a neviah, the eshet Lapidot, judged Yisroel at that time.

\VS{5}And she held court under the Tomer Devorah between Ramah and Beit-El in har Ephrayim; Bnei Yisroel came up to her for mishpat.

\VS{6}And she sent and called Barak ben Avinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel commanded, saying, Go and take position at Har Tavor, and take with thee ten thousand ish of the Bnei Naphtali and of the Bnei Zevulun?

\VS{7}And I will lure unto thee to the river Kishon the sar Tze'va Yavin, Sisra, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine yad.

\VS{8}And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

\VS{9}And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the derech of thee shall not take thee to thy teferet
{\ADD{(honor)}}; for
{\ND{Hashem}} shall sell Sisra into the yad of an isha. And Devorah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

\VS{10}And Barak summoned Zevulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand ish at his feet; and Devorah went up with him.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Now Chever the Keni, which was of the Bnei Chovav the khoten Moshe, had separated from the Kayin,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 4:11 }{\FT{other Keni}}} and encamped his ohel unto the oak at Tza'anannim, which is near Kedesh.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And they told Sisra that Barak ben Avinoam was gone up to Har Tavor.

\VS{13}And Sisra gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of barzel
{\ADD{(iron)}}, and kol haAm that were with him, from Charoshet HaGoyim unto the river Kishon.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And Devorah said unto Barak, Go! For this is the day in which
{\ND{Hashem}} hath delivered Sisra into thine yad. Is not
{\ND{Hashem}} gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Har Tavor, and ten thousand ish after him.

\VS{15}And
{\ND{Hashem}} routed Sisra, and all his chariots, and kol hamachaneh, with the edge of the cherev before Barak; so that Sisra got down from his merkavah
{\ADD{(chariot)}}, and fled away on foot.

\VS{16}But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the machaneh, as far as Charoshet HaGoyim; and kol machaneh Sisra fell by the edge of the cherev; and there was not a man left.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Howbeit Sisra fled away on foot to the ohel Ya'el the isha of Chever the Keni; for there was shalom between Yavin Melech Chatzor and the Bais Chever Keni.

\VS{18}And Ya'el went out to meet Sisra, and said unto him, Turn in, adoni, stay with me; fear not. And when he had entered with her into the ohel, she covered him with a covering.

\VS{19}And he said unto her, Give me, now, a little mayim to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of cholov, and gave him drink, and covered him.

\VS{20}Again he said unto her, Stand at the petach haohel, and it shall be, when any ish doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any ish here? — thou shalt say, No.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}Then Ya'el eshet Chever took a yetad haohel
{\ADD{(tent peg)}}, and took a makevet
{\ADD{(hammer)}} in her yad, and went softly unto him, and drove the yetad into his temple, and stuck it into the ground; for he was fast asleep exhausted. So he died.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And, hinei, as Barak pursued Sisra, Ya'el came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the ish whom thou seekest. And when he came into her ohel, hinei, Sisra lay dead, and the yetad was in his temple.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}So Elohim subdued on that day Yavin Melech Kena'an before the Bnei Yisroel.

\VS{24}And the yad Bnei Yisroel prospered, and prevailed against Yavin Melech Kena'an, until they had destroyed Yavin Melech Kena'an.




\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then sang Devorah and Barak ben Avinoam on that day, saying,


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{2}Barachu
{\ND{Hashem}} that

\par }{\Q the strong in Yisroel put forth strength,

\par }{\Q that the people willingly offered themselves.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Hear, O ye melachim;

\par }{\Q give ear, O ye rozenim
{\ADD{(princes)}};

\par }{\Q I, even I, will sing unto
{\ND{Hashem}};

\par }{\Q I will make music to
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{4}{\ND{Hashem}}, when Thou wentest out from Se'ir,

\par }{\Q when Thou marchedst out of the sadeh Edom,

\par }{\Q Eretz trembled,

\par }{\Q HaShomayim poured,

\par }{\Q clouds also poured down mayim.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}The harim quaked at the presence of
{\ND{Hashem}},

\par }{\Q this Sinai before
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{6}In the days of Shamgar ben Anat,

\par }{\Q in the days of Ya'el, the roads were abandoned,

\par }{\Q and the travellers walked the byways.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}The warrior ceased, they ceased in Yisroel,

\par }{\Q until I, Devorah, arose,

\par }{\Q I Em B'Yisroel arose.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{8}They chose elohim chadashim

\par }{\Q then was war at the she'arim
{\ADD{(gates)}};

\par }{\Q was there a mogen or spear to be seen

\par }{\Q among forty thousand in Yisroel?


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{9}My lev is toward the ones ruling in Yisroel,

\par }{\Q that offered themselves willingly among the people.

\par }{\Q Barachu
{\ND{Hashem}}.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{10}Reflect,

\par }{\Q ye that ride on white donkeys,

\par }{\Q ye that sit on carpets,

\par }{\Q and you who walk on the derech.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}The voice of the archers

\par }{\Q in the place of drawing mayim,

\par }{\Q there shall they rehearse the Tzidkot
{\ND{Hashem}},

\par }{\Q even the Tzidkot of His warriors in Yisroel;

\par }{\Q then shall HaAm
{\ND{Hashem}}

\par }{\Q go down to the she'arim.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{12}Awake, awake, Devorah;

\par }{\Q awake, awake, break out in song;

\par }{\Q arise, Barak, and lead captive

\par }{\Q thy captives, thou ben Avinoam.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}Then came down a sarid
{\ADD{(remnant)}}

\par }{\Q of the nobles to the nation;

\par }{\Q the people of
{\ND{Hashem}} came down

\par }{\Q to me as gibborim.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{14}Out of Ephrayim was their shoresh against Amalek;

\par }{\Q after thee, Binyamin, among thy people;

\par }{\Q out of Machir came down mekhokekim
{\ADD{(law givers)}},

\par }{\Q and out of Zevulun they that hold the shevet of the sofer
{\ADD{(scribe)}}.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}And the sarim of Yissakhar were with Devorah;

\par }{\Q Yissakhar was with Barak;

\par }{\Q he rushed at his feet into the emek.

\par }{\Q Among the divisions of Reuven

\par }{\Q there were gedolim chikkei lev
{\ADD{(great indecisions of heart)}}.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{16}Why abodest thou among the mishpetayim
{\ADD{(sheepfolds)}},

\par }{\Q to hear the bleatings of the flocks?

\par }{\Q Among the divisions of Reuven

\par }{\Q there were great indecisions of heart.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{17}Gil'ad abode beyond Yarden;

\par }{\Q and why did Dan linger by oniyyot?

\par }{\Q Asher remained on the seacoast,

\par }{\Q and dwelt by his landings.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{18}Zevulun and Naphtali were a people

\par }{\Q that risked their nefesh unto the death

\par }{\Q in the high places of the sadeh.


\par }{\Q \VS{19}The melachim came and fought,

\par }{\Q then fought the melachim of Kena'an

\par }{\Q at Ta'anakh by the waters of Megiddo;

\par }{\Q they took no plunder of kesef.


\par }{\Q \VS{20}They fought from Shomayim;

\par }{\Q the kokhavim in their courses

\par }{\Q fought Sisra.


\par }{\Q \VS{21}The Kishon River swept them away,

\par }{\Q that nachal kedumim, the Kishon River.

\par }{\Q O my nefesh, march on with oz!


\par }{\Q \VS{22}Then were the ikvei sus
{\ADD{(horse hooves)}} galloping,

\par }{\Q the prancings of hooves,

\par }{\Q the prancings of their mighty steeds.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{23}Curse Meroz, said the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}},

\par }{\Q curse bitterly the inhabitants thereof;

\par }{\Q because they came not to the ezrat
{\ND{Hashem}},

\par }{\Q to the help of
{\ND{Hashem}}, against the gibborim.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{24}Blessed above nashim shall Ya'el

\par }{\Q eshet Chever the Keni be,

\par }{\Q blessed shall she be above nashim in the ohel.


\par }{\Q \VS{25}He asked mayim, and she gave him cholov;

\par }{\Q she brought forth curds in a nobleʼs dish.


\par }{\Q \VS{26}She put her yad to the yated,

\par }{\Q and her right hand to the workmanʼs hammer;

\par }{\Q and with the hammer she struck Sisra, she crushed his rosh,

\par }{\Q when she had shattered and pierced his temple.


\par }{\Q \VS{27}At her feet he bowed,

\par }{\Q he fell, he lay down;

\par }{\Q at her feet he bowed, he fell;

\par }{\Q where he bowed, sham
{\ADD{(there)}} he fell down dead.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{28}The Em Sisra looked out through the chalon
{\ADD{(window)}},

\par }{\Q and cried through the lattice,

\par }{\Q Why is his chariot so long in coming?

\par }{\Q Why tarry the wheels of his marekevot
{\ADD{(chariots)}}?


\par }{\Q \VS{29}Her chachemot sarot
{\ADD{(wisest ladies)}} answered her,

\par }{\Q indeed, she repeats to herself her words,


\par }{\Q \VS{30}Are they not finding and dividing the prey;

\par }{\Q to every gever a girl or two;

\par }{\Q for Sisra colorful garments as plunder,

\par }{\Q a plunder of dyed work embroidered, of divers colors of needlework on both sides,

\par }{\Q fit for the necks of them that take the spoil?


\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q \VS{31}So let all thine enemies perish,
{\ND{Hashem}};

\par }{\Q but let them that love Him be

\par }{\Q as the shemesh in its gevurah.

\par }{\BB \par }
{\MM And HaAretz had rest arba'im shanah.




\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the Bnei Yisroel did evil in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}};
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered them into the yad Midyan\FTNT{*}{{\FR 6:1 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{Gn 25:2}}} sheva shanim.

\VS{2}And the yad Midyan prevailed against Yisroel; and because of Midyan the Bnei Yisroel made them dens in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds.

\VS{3}And so it was, when Yisroel had sown, that Midyan came up, and Amalek, and the Bnei Kedem, even they came up against them;

\VS{4}And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of ha'aretz, till thou come unto Azah
{\ADD{(Gaza)}}, and left no sustenance for Yisroel, neither seh, nor ox, nor donkey.

\VS{5}For they came up with their cattle and their ohalim, and they came as a swarm of arbeh for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into ha'aretz to destroy it.

\VS{6}And Yisroel was greatly impoverished because of Midyan; and the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And it came to pass, when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}} because of Midyan,

\VS{8}That
{\ND{Hashem}} sent an ish navi unto the Bnei Yisroel, which said unto them, Thus saith
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel, I brought you up from Mitzrayim, and brought you forth out of the bais avadim
{\ADD{(house of bondage)}};

\VS{9}And I delivered you out of the yad Mitzrayim, and out of the yad of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;

\VS{10}And I said unto you, I am
{\ND{Hashem}} Eloheichem; fear not the elohei HaEmori
{\ADD{(g-ds of the Amorites)}}, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not obeyed My voice.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And there came Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}, and sat under a terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, that belonged unto Yoash the Aviezri; and bno Gid'on threshed chittim
{\ADD{(wheat)}} in the winepress, to hide it from Midyan.

\VS{12}And the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} appeared unto him, and said unto him,
{\ND{Hashem}} is with thee, thou Gibbor HeChayil.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And Gid'on said unto him, Oh Adoni, if
{\ND{Hashem}} be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all His nifla'ot
{\ADD{(miracles)}} which Avoteinu told us of, saying, Did not
{\ND{Hashem}} bring us up from Mitzrayim? But now
{\ND{Hashem}} hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of Midyan.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And
{\ND{Hashem}} turned to him, and said, Go in this thy ko'ach, and thou shalt save Yisroel from the yad Midyan; have not I sent thee?


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And he said unto Him, O Adonoi, wherewith shall I save Yisroel? Hinei, my eleph is poor in Menasheh, and I am the least in the Bais Avi.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt strike down Midyan as ish echad.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}And he said unto Him, If now I have found chen in Thy sight, then show me an ot that Thou speakest with me.

\VS{18}Depart not from here, now, until I come unto Thee, and bring forth my minchah, and set it before Thee. And He said, I will tarry until thou come again.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And Gid'on went in, and made ready a kid, and matzot of an ephah of flour; the basar he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto Him under the terebinth tree, and presented it.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}And the Malach HaElohim said unto him, Take the basar and the matzot, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

\VS{21}Then the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} put forth the tip of the staff that was in his yad, and touched the basar and the matzot; and there rose up eish from the rock, and consumed the basar and the matzot. Then the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} departed out of his sight.

\VS{22}When Gid'on perceived that he was the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}, Gid'on said, Alas, Adonoi
{\ND{Hashem}}! I have seen Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} face to face.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto him, Shalom l'chah; fear not; thou shalt not die.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}Then Gid'on built a Mizbe'ach there unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, and called it
{\ND{Hashem}} Shalom; unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Aviezri.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}And it came to pass the same night, that
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto him, Take thy fatherʼs young bull, even the second bull of sheva shanim, and tear down the mizbe'ach of Ba'al that thy av hath, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;

\VS{26}And build a Mizbe'ach unto
{\ND{Hashem}} Eloheicha upon the top of this rock, in the proper arrangement; take the second bull, offer an olah with the wood of the Asherah pole which thou shalt cut down.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}Then Gid'on took ten men from his avadim, and did just as
{\ND{Hashem}} had said unto him; and so it was, because he feared his Bais Avi, and the men of the Ir, that he could not do it yomam
{\ADD{(by day)}}, that he did it by lailah.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}And when the men of the Ir arose early in the boker, hinei, the mizbe'ach of Ba'al was cast down, and the Asherah was cut down that was beside it, and the second bull was offered upon the Mizbe'ach that was built.

\VS{29}And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gid'on ben Yoash hath done this thing.

\VS{30}Then the men of the Ir said unto Yoash, Bring out thy ben, that he may die; because he hath cast down the mizbe'ach of Ba'al, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was beside it.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}And Yoash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Ba'al? Will ye save him? He that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet boker; if he be Elohim, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his mizbe'ach.

\VS{32}Therefore on that day he called him Yeruba'al, saying, Let Ba'al contend against him, because he hath torn down his mizbe'ach.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}Then kol Midyan and Amalek and the Bnei Kedem were gathered together, and went over, and encamped in the valley of Yizre'el.

\VS{34}But the Ruach\FTNT{†}{{\FR 6:34 }{\FT{Hakodesh}}} of
{\ND{Hashem}} came upon Gid'on; he blew a shofar; and Avi'ezer was summoned to follow after him.

\VS{35}And he sent malachim throughout all Menasheh; who also was gathered after him; and he sent malachim unto Asher, and unto Zevulun, and unto Naphtali; and they went up to meet them.


\par }{\PP \VS{36}And Gid'on said unto HaElohim, If Thou wilt save Yisroel by my yad, as Thou hast said,

\VS{37}Hinei, I will put a fleece of wool in the goren
{\ADD{(threshing floor)}}; and if the tal
{\ADD{(dew)}} be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all ha'aretz, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Yisroel by my yad, as Thou hast said.


\par }{\PP \VS{38}And it was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and squeezed the fleece together, and wrung the tal out of the fleece, a bowl full of mayim.

\VS{39}And Gid'on said unto HaElohim, Let not Thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once; let me test, now, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be tal.


\par }{\PP \VS{40}And Elohim did so that night; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was tal on all the ground.




\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Yeruba'al, who is Gid'on, and kol haAm that were with him, rose up early and encamped by Ein-Charod; so that the Machaneh Midyan was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

\VS{2}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Gid'on, The people that are with thee are too rav
{\ADD{(many)}} for Me to give Midyan into their hands, lest Yisroel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own yad hath saved me.

\VS{3}Now therefore go to, proclaim in the oznei haAm, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Har HaGil'ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Gid'on, HaAm are yet too many; bring them down unto the mayim, and I will sift them for thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}So he brought down haAm unto the mayim; and
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Gid'on, Every one that laps the mayim with his leshon, as a kelev laps, him shalt thou separate by himself; likewise every one that kneels down upon his knees to drink.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And the number of the ones lapping, putting their yad to their mouth, were three hundred ish; but all the rest of haAm kneeled down upon their knees to drink mayim.

\VS{7}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Gid'on, By the three hundred ish that lapped will I save you, and deliver Midyan into thine yad; and let all the other people go every ish unto his makom
{\ADD{(place, home)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}So the [retained] people took provision in their yad, and their shofarot; and he sent kol ish Yisroel every ish unto his ohel, but retained those three hundred haIsh; and the Machaneh Midyan was below him in the valley.

\VS{9}And it came to pass the same lailah, that
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the Machaneh; for I have delivered it into thine yad.

\VS{10}But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy eved down to the machaneh;

\VS{11}And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the machaneh. Then he went down with Purah his eved unto the outposts of the armed men that were in the machaneh.

\VS{12}And Midyan and Amalek and kol Bnei Kedem lay along in the valley like arbeh for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the chol
{\ADD{(sand)}} on the seashore for multitude.

\VS{13}And when Gid'on arrived, hinei, there was an ish that told a chalom unto his re'a, and said, Hinei, I dreamed a chalom, and, hinei, a round loaf of lechem se'orim tumbled into the Machaneh Midyan, and came unto an ohel, and struck it that it fell, and overturned it, that the ohel collapsed.

\VS{14}And his re'a answered and said, This is nothing else but the cherev Gid'on ben Yoash, an ish Yisroel; for into his yad hath HaElohim delivered Midyan, and kol hamachaneh.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And it was so, when Gid'on heard the telling of the chalom, and the shever
{\ADD{(breaking)}}\FTNT{*}{{\FR 7:15 }{\FT{of a dream, i.e., its interpretation}}} thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the machaneh Yisroel, and said, Arise; for
{\ND{Hashem}} hath delivered into your yad the Machaneh Midyan.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And he divided the three hundred haIsh into three companies, and he put a shofar in every manʼs yad, with empty jars, and torches within the jars.

\VS{17}And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise; and, hinei, when I come to the edge of the machaneh, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

\VS{18}When I blow the shofar, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the shofarot also on every side of all the machaneh, and say, “For
{\ND{Hashem}}, and for Gid'on.”


\par }{\PP \VS{19}So Gid'on, and the hundred ish that were with him, came unto the outside of the machaneh in the beginning of the ashmoret hatikhonah
{\ADD{(middle watch)}}; and they had just set the shomrim; and they blew the shofar, and broke the jars that were in their hands.

\VS{20}And the three companies blew the shofar, and broke the jars, and held the torches in their left hands, and the shofarot in their right hands to blow withal; and they cried, A Cherev for
{\ND{Hashem}} and for Gid'on.

\VS{21}And they held every ish his position round about the machaneh; and kol hamachaneh ran, and cried out, and fled.

\VS{22}And the three hundred blew the shofarot, and
{\ND{Hashem}} caused every manʼs cherev to be against his re'a, even throughout all the machaneh; and the machaneh fled to Beit-Sheetah in Tzererah, and to the border of Avel-Mecholah, by Tabat.

\VS{23}And the Ish Yisroel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, out of Asher, and out of all Menasheh, and pursued after Midyan.

\VS{24}And Gid'on sent malachim throughout all Har Ephrayim, saying, Come down against Midyan, and seize ahead of them the mayim as far as Beit Barah and Yarden. Then kol ish Ephrayim gathered themselves together, and took the mayim unto Beit Barah and Yarden.

\VS{25}And they took two sarim
{\ADD{(princes)}} of Midyan, Orer and Ze'ev; and they killed Orev upon the Tzur Orev, and Ze'ev they killed at the Yekev
{\ADD{(winepress)}} of Ze'ev, and pursued Midyan, and brought the heads of Orev and Ze'ev to Gid'on beyond the Yarden.




\par }\Chap{8}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the Ish Ephrayim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midyan? And they did criticize him sharply.

\VS{2}And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephrayim tov
{\ADD{(better)}} than the vintage of Avi'ezer?

\VS{3}Elohim hath delivered into your hands the sarim of Midyan, Orev and Ze'ev; and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And Gid'on came to the Yarden, and passed over, he, and the three hundred haIsh that were with him, exhausted yet pursuing them.

\VS{5}And he said unto the Anshei Sukkot, Give, now, loaves of lechem unto the people that follow me; for they be exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zevach and Tzalmunna, melachim of Midyan.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And the sarei Sukkot said, Are the hands of Zevach and Tzalmunna now in thine yad, that we should give lechem unto thine tz'va
{\ADD{(army)}}?


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And Gid'on said, Therefore when
{\ND{Hashem}} hath delivered Zevach and Tzalmunna into mine yad, then I will tear your basar with the kotz
{\ADD{(thorns)}} of the midbar and with briers.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And he went up from there to Penuel,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 8:8 }{\FT{Peniel}}} and spoke unto them likewise; and the Anshei Penuel\FTNT{†}{{\FR 8:8 }{\FT{Peniel}}} answered him as the men of Sukkot had answered him.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And he spoke also unto the Anshei Penuel, saying, When I come again in shalom, I will break down this migdal.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Now Zevach and Tzalmunna were in Karkor, and their machaneh with them, about 15,000, all that were left of all the machaneh of the Bnei Kedem; for there fell a 120,000 Ish that drew the cherev.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And Gid'on went up by the derech of them that dwelt in ohalim on the east of Novach and Yogbehah, and struck down the machaneh; for the machaneh was unsuspecting, thinking themselves secure.

\VS{12}And when Zevach and Tzalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two melachim of Midyan, Zevach and Tzalmunna, and did rout all the machaneh.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And Gid'on ben Yoash returned from milchamah by the Cheres Pass,

\VS{14}And caught a na'ar of the Anshei Sukkot, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the sarim of Sukkot, and the zekenim thereof, even threescore and seventeen ish.

\VS{15}And he came unto the Anshei Sukkot, and said, Hinei, Zevach and Tzalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zevach and Tzalmunna now in thine yad, that we should give lechem unto thy anashim that are exhausted?


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And he took the zekenim of the Ir, kotz of the midbar and briers, and with them he taught the Anashim of Sukkot.

\VS{17}And he pulled down the migdal of Penuel,\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 8:17 }{\FT{Peniel}}} and put to death the Anshei HaIr.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Then said he unto Zevach and Tzalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slaughtered at Tavor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one with the bearing of Bnei HaMelech.

\VS{19}And he said, They were my brethren, even the Bnei Immi; as
{\ND{Hashem}} liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I should not have put you to death.

\VS{20}And he said unto Yeter his bechor, Up, and slay them. But the na'ar
{\ADD{(youth)}} drew not his cherev; for he feared, because he was yet a na'ar.

\VS{21}Then Zevach and Tzalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the ish is, so is his gevurah. And Gid'on arose, and put to death Zevach and Tzalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camelsʼ necks.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Then the Ish Yisroel said unto Gid'on, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy ben, and the ben of thy ben also; for thou hast delivered us from the yad Midyan.

\VS{23}And Gid'on said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall beni rule over you;
{\ND{Hashem}} shall rule over you.

\VS{24}And Gid'on said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every ish the nezem
{\ADD{(earring)}} of his booty — for they had nizmei zahav
{\ADD{(gold earrings)}}, because they were Yishm'elim.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 8:24 }{\FT{descendants of Ishmael}}}

\VS{25}And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread out a simlah
{\ADD{(upper garment)}}, and did cast therein every ish the nezem of his booty.

\VS{26}And the weight of the nizmei hazahav that he requested was 1,700 shekels of zahav; beside ornaments, and pendants, and purple raiment that was on the melachim of Midyan, and apart from the chains that were about their camelsʼ necks.

\VS{27}And Gid'on made an ephod thereof, and put it in his Ir, even in Ophrah; and kol Yisroel went there a-whoring after it; which thing became a mokesh
{\ADD{(snare)}} unto Gid'on, and to his Bais.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}Thus was Midyan subdued before the Bnei Yisroel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And HaAretz was in quietness arba'im shanah in the days of Gid'on.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}And Yeruba'al ben Yoash went and dwelt in his own bais.

\VS{30}And Gid'on had threescore and ten banim of his own; for he had many nashim.

\VS{31}And his pilegesh
{\ADD{(concubine)}} that was in Shechem, she also bore him a ben, whose shem he called Avimelech.

\VS{32}And Gid'on ben Yoash died in a good old age, and was buried in the kever of Yoash his av, in Ophrah of the Aviezri.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}And it came to pass, as soon as Gid'on was dead, that the Bnei Yisroel turned again, and went a-whoring after Ba'alim, and made Ba'al-Brit their elohim.

\VS{34}And the Bnei Yisroel remembered not
{\ND{Hashem}} Eloheihem, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side;

\VS{35}Neither showed they chesed to the Bais Yeruba'al, namely, Gid'on, according to all the tovah which he had showed unto Yisroel.




\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Avimelech ben Yeruba'al went to Shechem unto achei immo, and spoke with them, and with all the mishpakhat bais avi immo, saying,

\VS{2}Speak, now, in the ears of all the ba'alei Shechem, Which is better for you, either that all the Bnei Yeruba'al, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one man reign over you? Remember also that I am your etzem
{\ADD{(bone)}} and your basar
{\ADD{(flesh)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}And the achei immo spoke of him in the ears of all the ba'alei Shechem all these words; and their lev inclined to follow Avimelech; for they said, He is acheinu.

\VS{4}And they gave him 70 pieces of kesef out of the bais Ba'al-Brit, wherewith Avimelech hired morally empty and reckless persons, which followed him.

\VS{5}And he went unto his bais avi at Ophrah, and slaughtered his brethren the Bnei Yeruba'al, being 70 persons, upon one even
{\ADD{(stone)}}; notwithstanding yet Yotam the youngest ben Yeruba'al escaped; for he hid himself.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And all the ba'alei Shechem gathered together, and all the Bais Millo, and went, and crowned Avimelech melech, by the great tree near the pillar that was in Shechem.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And when they told it to Yotam, he went and stood on top of Mt Gerizim, lifted up his voice, cried out, and said unto them, Pay heed unto me, ye ba'alei Shechem, that Elohim may pay heed unto you.

\VS{8}The etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}} went forth one day to anoint a melech over them; and they said unto the zayit
{\ADD{(olive tree)}}, Reign thou over us.

\VS{9}But the zayit said unto them, Should I leave my oil, wherewith by me they honor Elohim and anashim, and go to be promoted over the etzim?

\VS{10}And the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}} said to the te'enah
{\ADD{(fig tree)}}, Come thou, and reign over us.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}But the te'enah said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}}?

\VS{12}Then said the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}} unto the gefen, Come thou, and reign over us.

\VS{13}And the gefen said unto them, Should I leave my tirosh, which cheereth Elohim and anashim, and go to be promoted over the etzim?

\VS{14}Then said all the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}} unto the thornbush, Come thou, and reign over us.

\VS{15}And the thornbush said unto the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}}, If b'emes ye anoint me melech over you, then come and take refuge in my tzel
{\ADD{(shade)}}: and if not, let eish come out of the thornbush, and devour the cedars of the Levanon.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}Now therefore, if ye have done b'emes and in good faith, in that ye have made Avimelech melech, and if ye have dealt tovah with Yeruba'al\FTNT{*}{{\FR 9:16 }{\FT{Gid'on}}} and his bais, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands —

\VS{17}For avi\FTNT{†}{{\FR 9:17 }{\FT{Gid'on}}} fought for you, and risked his nefesh, and delivered you out of the yad Midyan;

\VS{18}And ye are risen up against bais avi this day, and have slain his banim, threescore and ten persons, upon one even
{\ADD{(stone)}}, and have made Avimelech, ben amah
{\ADD{(son of his slave girl)}}, melech over the ba'alei Shechem, because he is your brother —

\VS{19}If ye then have dealt b'emes and in good faith with Yeruba'al and with his bais this day, then rejoice ye in Avimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;

\VS{20}But if not, let eish come out from Avimelech, and devour the ba'alei Shechem, and the Bais Millo; and let eish come out from the ba'alei Shechem, and from the Bais Millo, and devour Avimelech.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}And Yotam ran away, and escaped, and went to Be'er, and dwelt there, for fear of Avimelech his brother.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}When Avimelech had reigned shalosh shanim over Yisroel,

\VS{23}Then Elohim sent a ruach ra'ah between Avimelech and the ba'alei Shechem; and the ba'alei Shechem dealt treacherously with Avimelech;

\VS{24}That the chamas done to the 70 Bnei Yeruba'al might come, and their dahm be laid upon Avimelech their brother, which slaughtered them; and upon the ba'alei Shechem, which aided him in the slaughter of his brethren.

\VS{25}And the ba'alei Shechem set ambushers in wait for him on top of the hills, and they robbed all that passed along that derech by them; and it was told Avimelech.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}And Gaal ben Eved came with his achim, went over to Shechem; the ba'alei Shechem put their confidence in him.

\VS{27}And they went out into the sadeh, and gathered their kramim, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the bais eloheihem, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avimelech.

\VS{28}And Gaal ben Eved said, Who is Avimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he ben Yeruba'al? And Zevul his pakid? Serve the anshei Chamor avi Shechem. For why should we serve him?

\VS{29}O that this people were under my yad! Then would I remove Avimelech. And he said to Avimelech, Gather thine tze'va
{\ADD{(army)}}, and come out!


\par }{\PP \VS{30}And when Zevul the sar of the Ir heard the words of Gaal ben Eved, his anger was kindled.

\VS{31}And he sent malachim unto Avimelech covertly, saying, Hinei, Gaal ben Eved and his brethren have come to Shechem; and, hinei, they incite the Ir against thee.

\VS{32}Now therefore go up by lailah, thou and the people with thee, and lie in wait in the sadeh:

\VS{33}And it shall be, that in the boker, as soon as the shemesh is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the Ir; and, hinei, when he and the people with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them just as thy hand finds to do.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}And Avimelech rose up, and kol haAm that were with him, by lailah, and they laid wait in ambush against Shechem in four companies.

\VS{35}And Gaal ben Eved went out, and stood in the petach sha'ar haIr; and Avimelech and the people that were with him rose up from lying in wait for ambush.

\VS{36}And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zevul, Hinei, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zevul said unto him, Thou seest the tzel of the mountains as if seeing anashim.

\VS{37}And Gaal spoke again, and said, Hinei, there come people down the middle of the land, and another company come along by the Elon Me'onenim.

\VS{38}Then said Zevul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Avimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out, now, and fight against him.


\par }{\PP \VS{39}And Gaal went out before the ba'alei Shechem, and fought with Avimelech.

\VS{40}And Avimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and chalalim
{\ADD{(wounded)}}, even unto the petach hasha'ar.


\par }{\PP \VS{41}And Avimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zevul thrust out Gaal and his achim, that they should not dwell in Shechem.


\par }{\PP \VS{42}And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went out into the sadeh; and they told Avimelech.

\VS{43}And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait concealed in the sadeh, and looked, and, hinei, the people were come forth out of the Ir; and he rose up against them, and attacked them.

\VS{44}And Avimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the petach sha'ar of the Ir; and the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the sadeh, and slaughtered them.

\VS{45}And Avimelech fought against the Ir all that day; and he took the Ir, and slaughtered the people that was therein, and destroyed the Ir, and sowed it with melach
{\ADD{(salt)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{46}And when all the ba'alei migdal Shechem heard that, they entered into the stronghold of the bais el brit.

\VS{47}And it was told Avimelech, that all the ba'alei migdal Shechem were gathered together.

\VS{48}And Avimelech got him up to Mt Tzalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Avimelech took axes in his yad, and cut down a branch from the etzim
{\ADD{(trees)}}, and lifted it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

\VS{49}And kol haAm likewise cut down every man his branch, and followed Avimelech, and piled them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on eish over them; so that all the anshei migdal Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.


\par }{\PP \VS{50}Then went Avimelech to Tevetz, and encamped against Tevetz, and captured it.

\VS{51}But there was a migdal oz within the Ir, and there fled all the anashim and nashim, and all ba'alei haIr, and locked it after them, and got them up to the top of the migdal.

\VS{52}And Avimelech came unto the migdal, and fought against it, and drew near unto the petach of the migdal to burn it with eish.

\VS{53}And a certain woman dropped an upper millstone upon Avimelechʼs head, and cracked his gulgolet
{\ADD{(skull)}}.

\VS{54}Then he called hastily unto the na'ar his armor-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy cherev, and slay me, that men say not of me, An isha slaughtered him. And his na'ar thrust him through, and he died.


\par }{\PP \VS{55}And when the Ish Yisroel saw that Avimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.


\par }{\PP \VS{56}Thus Elohim repaid the wickedness of Avimelech, which he did unto his av, in slaying his seventy brethren;

\VS{57}And all the evil of the anshei Shechem did Elohim render upon their heads: and upon them came the Kelalat Yotam ben Yeruba'al.




\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And after Avimelech there arose to save Yisroel Tola ben Puah ben Dodo, an ish Yissakhar; and he dwelt in Shamir in har Ephrayim.

\VS{2}And he judged Yisroel twenty and three shanah, and died, and was buried in Shamir.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}And after him arose Yair, a Gil'adi, and judged Yisroel twenty and two shanah.

\VS{4}And he had shloshim banim that rode on shloshim donkeys, and they had shloshim towns, which are called Chavvot Yair unto this day, which are in Eretz Gil'ad.

\VS{5}And Yair died, and was buried in Kamon.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And the Bnei Yisroel did evil again in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}, and served Ba'alim, and Ashtarot, and the elohei Aram, and the elohei Tzidon, and the elohei Moav, and the elohei Bnei Ammon, and the elohei Pelishtim, and forsook
{\ND{Hashem}}, and served Him not.

\VS{7}And the Af
{\ND{Hashem}} was hot against Yisroel, and He sold them into the yad Pelishtim
{\ADD{(Philistines)}}, and into the yad Bnei Ammon.

\VS{8}And that year they oppressed and persecuted the Bnei Yisroel; eighteen shanah, all the Bnei Yisroel that were on the other side of the Yarden in the Eretz Emori, which is in Gil'ad.

\VS{9}Moreover the Bnei Ammon passed over Yarden to fight also against Yehudah, and against Binyamin, and against the Bais Ephrayim; so that Yisroel was greatly distressed.

\VS{10}And the Bnei Yisroel cried unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, saying, We have sinned against Thee, both because we have forsaken Eloheinu, and also served Ba'alim.

\VS{11}And
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto the Bnei Yisroel, Did not I deliver you from Mitzrayim, and from Emori, from the Bnei Ammon, and from the Pelishtim
{\ADD{(Philistines)}}?

\VS{12}The Tzidonim also, and the Amalek, and the Ma'on, did oppress you; and ye cried out to Me, and I saved you out of their yad.

\VS{13}Yet ye have forsaken Me, and served elohim acherim; so I will not continue to save you.

\VS{14}Go and cry unto the elohim which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And the Bnei Yisroel said unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, Chatanu
{\ADD{(we have sinned)}}; do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth hatov unto Thee; only save us, now, this day.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And they put away the elohei hanekhar
{\ADD{(strange, foreign g-ds)}} from among them, and served
{\ND{Hashem}}; and His nefesh was troubled with the amal Yisroel
{\ADD{(misery of Yisroel)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Then the Bnei Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gil'ad. And the Bnei Yisroel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mitzpah.

\VS{18}And HaAm and the Sarei Gil'ad said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the Bnei Ammon? He shall be Rosh over all the inhabitants of Gil'ad.




\par }\Chap{11}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now Yiftach the Gil'adi was a gibbor chayil, and he was the ben of an isha zonah; and Gil'ad fathered Yiftach.

\VS{2}And Gil'adʼs isha bore him banim; and the bnei haisha grew up, and they thrust out Yiftach, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our bais avi; for thou art the ben isha acheret.

\VS{3}Then Yiftach fled from his achim, and dwelt in Eretz Tov; and there were gathered anashim reikim
{\ADD{(outlaws)}} around Yiftach, and went out with him.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And it came to pass in process of time, that the Bnei Ammon made war against Yisroel.

\VS{5}And it was so, that when the Bnei Ammon made war against Yisroel, the ziknei Gil'ad went to fetch Yiftach out of Eretz Tov;

\VS{6}And they said unto Yiftach, Come, and be our katzin
{\ADD{(leader)}}, that we may fight with the Bnei Ammon.

\VS{7}And Yiftach said unto the ziknei Gil'ad, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my bais avi? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

\VS{8}And the ziknei Gil'ad said unto Yiftach, Nevertheless, we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the Bnei Ammon, and be our rosh over all the inhabitants of Gil'ad.

\VS{9}And Yiftach said unto the ziknei Gil'ad, If ye bring me home again to fight against the Bnei Ammon, and
{\ND{Hashem}} deliver them before me, shall I be your rosh?

\VS{10}And the ziknei Gil'ad said unto Yiftach,
{\ND{Hashem}} be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

\VS{11}Then Yiftach went with the ziknei Gil'ad, and the people made him rosh and katzin over them; and Yiftach uttered all his words before
{\ND{Hashem}} in Mitzpah.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And Yiftach sent malachim unto the melech Bnei Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

\VS{13}And the melech Bnei Ammon answered unto the malachim of Yiftach, Because Yisroel took away my land, when they came up out of Mitzrayim, from Arnon even unto Yabbok, and unto Yarden; now therefore give back those lands again b'shalom
{\ADD{(peaceably)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And Yiftach sent malachim again unto the melech Bnei Ammon;

\VS{15}And said unto him, Thus saith Yiftach, Yisroel took not away Eretz Moav, nor the Eretz Bnei Ammon;

\VS{16}But when Yisroel came up from Mitzrayim, and walked through the midbar until Yam Suf, and came to Kadesh;

\VS{17}Then Yisroel sent malachim unto the melech Edom, saying, Let me, now, pass through thy land; but the melech Edom would not pay heed thereto. In like manner they sent unto the melech Moav; but he would not consent; Yisroel abode in Kadesh.

\VS{18}Then they went along through the midbar, skirted the Eretz Edom, and Eretz Moav, and came by the east side of Eretz Moav, encamped on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the territory of Moav; for the Arnon was the boundary of Moav.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And Yisroel sent malachim unto Sichon melech HaEmori, the melech Cheshbon; and Yisroel said unto him, Let us pass, now, through thy land into my makom.

\VS{20}But Sichon trusted not Yisroel to pass through his territory; but Sichon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Yahtzah, and fought against Yisroel.

\VS{21}And
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel delivered Sichon and all his people into the yad Yisroel, and they struck them down; so Yisroel possessed all the Eretz HaEmori, the inhabitants of that country.

\VS{22}And they possessed all the territory HaEmori, from Arnon even unto Yabbok, and from the midbar even unto Yarden.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}So now
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel hath dispossessed HaEmori from before His people Yisroel, and shouldest thou possess it?

\VS{24}Wilt not thou possess that which Kemosh eloheicha giveth thee to possess? So whatever
{\ND{Hashem}} Eloheinu shall take possession of before us, that will we possess.

\VS{25}And now art thou anything better than Balak ben Tzippor, melech Moav? Did he ever strive against Yisroel, or did he ever fight against them,

\VS{26}While Yisroel dwelt in Cheshbon and her towns, and in Aro'er and her settlements, and in all the towns that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred shanah? Why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

\VS{27}Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me;
{\ND{Hashem}} HaShofet be judge this day between the Bnei Yisroel and the Bnei Ammon.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}Howbeit the melech Bnei Ammon paid heed not unto the words of Yiftach which he sent him.

\VS{29}Then the Ruach
{\ND{Hashem}} came upon Yiftach, and he passed over Gil'ad, and Menasheh, passed over Mitzpeh of Gil'ad, and from Mitzpeh of Gil'ad he passed over unto the Bnei Ammon.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}And Yiftach vowed a neder unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the Bnei Ammon into mine hands,

\VS{31}Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the delet of my bais to meet me, when I return b'shalom from the Bnei Ammon, shall surely be
{\ND{Hashem}}ʼs, and I will offer it up for an olah.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}So Yiftach passed over unto the Bnei Ammon to fight against them; and
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered them into his hands.

\VS{33}And he struck them down from Aro'er, even till thou come to Minnit, even 20 towns, unto Avel-Kramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the Bnei Ammon were subdued before the Bnei Yisroel.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}And Yiftach came to Mitzpah unto his bais, hinei, his bat came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances; she was his yechidah
{\ADD{(only one)}}; beside her he had neither ben nor bat.

\VS{35}And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my bat! Thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, and I cannot go back.

\VS{36}And she said unto him, Avi, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as
{\ND{Hashem}} hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the Bnei Ammon.

\VS{37}She said unto her av, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two chodashim, that I may go up and down upon the hills, and bewail betulai
{\ADD{(my virginity)}}, I and my friends.

\VS{38}And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two chodashim; and she went with her companions, and bewailed her betulim
{\ADD{(virginity)}} upon the hills.

\VS{39}And it came to pass at the end of two chodashim, that she returned unto her av, who did with her according to his neder which he had vowed; and she knew no man. And it was a chok in Yisroel,

\VS{40}That the banot Yisroel went yearly to lament the bat Yiftach the Gil'adi arba'at yamim bashanah.




\par }\Chap{12}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the ish Ephrayim gathered themselves together, and went into Tzafon, and said unto Yiftach, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the Bnei Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine bais upon thee with eish.

\VS{2}And Yiftach said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the Bnei Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hands.

\VS{3}And when I saw that you were not my moshi'a, I put my nefesh in my hands, and passed over against the Bnei Ammon, and
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered them into my yad; why then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Then Yiftach gathered together all the Anshei Gil'ad, and fought with Ephrayim; and the anshei Gil'ad struck down Ephrayim, because they said, Ye Gilead are fugitives of Ephrayim among the Ephrayim, and among the Menasheh.

\VS{5}And the Gilead took the fords of the Yarden before the Ephrayim; and it was so, that when those Ephrayim which were escaped said, Let me cross over; that the anshei Gil'ad said unto him, Art thou an Ephrati? If he said, No,

\VS{6}Then said they unto him, Say now Shibbolet; and he said Sibbolet, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slaughtered him at the fords of the Yarden; and there fell at that time of the Ephrayim forty and two thousand.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And Yiftach judged Yisroel shesh shanim. Then died Yiftach the Gil'adi, and was buried in one of the towns of Gil'ad.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And after him Ibtzan of Beit-Lechem judged Yisroel.

\VS{9}And he had shloshim banim, and shloshim banot, whom he gave away in marriage outside [his eleph], and took in sloshim banot from outside for his banim. And he judged Yisroel shevat shanim.

\VS{10}Then died Ibtzan, and was buried at Beit-Lechem.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And after him Elon, a Zevuloni, judged Yisroel; and he judged Yisroel eser shanim.

\VS{12}And Elon the Zevuloni died, and was buried in Ayalon in Eretz Zevulun.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And after him Avdon ben Hillel, a Pir'athoni, judged Yisroel.

\VS{14}And he had arba'im banim and thirty grandsons, that rode on threescore and ten donkeys; and he judged Yisroel shmoneh shanim.

\VS{15}And Avdon ben Hillel the Pir'athoni died, and was buried in Pir'athon in Eretz Ephrayim, in the har HaAmaleki.




\par }\Chap{13}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the Bnei Yisroel did harah again in the sight of
{\ND{Hashem}}; and
{\ND{Hashem}} delivered them into the yad Pelishtim arba'im shanah.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}And there was a certain ish from Tzorah, of the mishpakhat HaDani, whose shem was Manoach; and his isha was barren and bore not.

\VS{3}And the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} appeared unto the isha, and said unto her, Hinei now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear ben.

\VS{4}Now therefore be shomer and drink not yayin nor shechar
{\ADD{(strong drink)}}, and eat not kol tameh;

\VS{5}For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear ben; and no morah
{\ADD{(razor)}} shall come on his rosh; for the na'ar shall be a Nazir Elohim from the beten
{\ADD{(womb)}}; and he shall begin to save Yisroel from the yad Pelishtim.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then the isha came and told her ish, saying, An Ish HaElohim came unto me, and his appearance was like the appearance of a Malach HaElohim, norah me'od; but I asked him not where he came from, neither told he me shmo;

\VS{7}But he said unto me, See thou shalt conceive, and bear ben; and now drink no yayin nor shechar, neither eat any tumah; for the na'ar shall be Nazir Elohim from the beten to the yom moto
{\ADD{(day of his death)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then Manoach prayed entreating
{\ND{Hashem}}, and said, O Adonoi, let the Ish HaElohim which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we must do unto the na'ar that shall be born.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And HaElohim paid heed to the kol Manoach; and the Malach HaElohim came again unto the isha as she sat in the sadeh; but Manoach her ish was not with her.

\VS{10}And the isha made haste, and ran, and told her ish, and said unto him, Hinei, the ish hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

\VS{11}And Manoach arose, and went after his isha, and came to the ish, and said unto him, Art thou the ish that didst speak unto the isha? And he said, I am.

\VS{12}And Manoach said, Now let thy devar come to pass. How shall be the mishpat hana'ar
{\ADD{(proper treatment of the child)}}, and his ma'aseh
{\ADD{(work, [lifeʼs] work}})?

\VS{13}And the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Manoach, Of all that I said unto the isha let her be shomer
{\ADD{(beware, guard, keep watch over)}}.

\VS{14}She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the gefen, neither let her drink yayin or shechar, nor eat any tumah; all that I commanded her let her be shomer to do.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And Manoach said unto the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}, Now, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a young goat for thee.

\VS{16}And the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto Manoach, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy lechem; and if thou wilt offer an olah
{\ADD{(burnt offering)}}, thou must offer it unto
{\ND{Hashem}}. For Manoach knew not that he was Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}.

\VS{17}And Manoach said unto Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}, Mi shmehchah? That when thy devar come to pass we may do thee honor?

\VS{18}And the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my shem, seeing it is FELI
{\ADD{(supremely wonderful)}}?\FTNT{*}{{\FR 13:18 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{Isa 9:6}}{\FT{ [5];
}}{\XT{Ex 15:11}}}

\VS{19}So Manoach took a young goat with a minchah, and offered it upon the tzur unto
{\ND{Hashem}}; and wonderously did He act; and Manoach and his wife looked on.

\VS{20}For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward Shomayim from off the Mizbe'ach, that the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} ascended in the flame of the Mizbe'ach. And Manoach and his wife looked on, and fell on their faces to the ground.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 13:20 }{\FT{cf
}}{\XT{Ac 1:9}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{21}But the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}} did no more appear to Manoach and to his isha. Then Manoach knew that He was the Malach
{\ND{Hashem}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And Manoach said unto his isha, We shall surely die, because we have seen Elohim.

\VS{23}But his isha said unto him, If
{\ND{Hashem}} were pleased to kill us, He would not have received an olah
{\ADD{(burnt offering)}} and a minchah from yadenu
{\ADD{(our hands)}}, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor at this time would have told us such things as these.

\VS{24}And the isha bore ben, and called shmo Shimshon; and the na'ar grew, and
{\ND{Hashem}} blessed him.

\VS{25}And the Ruach
{\ND{Hashem}} began to impel him at times in Machaneh Dan between Tzorah and Eshta'ol.




\par }\Chap{14}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Shimshon went down to Timnah, and saw an isha in Timnah of the banot Pelishtim
{\ADD{(Philistines)}}.

\VS{2}And he came up, and told his av and his em, and said, I have seen an isha in Timnah of the banot Pelishtim; now therefore get her for me as isha.

\VS{3}Then his av and his em said unto him, Is there not among the banot of thy achim, or among kol Ami
{\ADD{(all my people)}} an isha, that thou goest to take an isha of the Pelishtim haArelim? And Shimshon said unto his av, Get her for me; for she is yashrah
{\ADD{(right)}} in my eyes.

\VS{4}But his av and his em knew not that this was from
{\ND{Hashem}}, for He sought an occasion against the Pelishtim; for at that time the Pelishtim had dominion over Yisroel.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then went Shimshon down, and his av and his em, to Timnah, and came to the kramim
{\ADD{(vineyards)}} of Timnah; and, hinei, a young lion roared against him.

\VS{6}And the Ruach
{\ND{Hashem}} came mightily upon him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat, and he had nothing in his yad; but he told not his av or his em what he had done.

\VS{7}And he went down, and talked with the isha; and she was right in the eyes of Shimshon.\FTNT{*}{{\FR 14:7 }{\FT{cf
}}{\XT{Prov 16:25}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And after a time he returned to take her [in marriage], and he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and, hinei, there was a swarm of bees and devash in the geviyah of the lion.

\VS{9}And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his av and em, and he gave them, and they did eat; but he told not them that he had taken the devash out of the geviyah of the lion.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}So his av went down unto the isha; and Shimshon made there a mishteh; for so used the bocherim to do.

\VS{11}And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought shloshim companions to be with him.

\VS{12}And Shimshon said unto them, I will now put forth a khidah
{\ADD{(riddle)}} unto you; if ye can certainly declare it to me within the shivat yemei hamishteh, and find it out, then I will give you shloshim linen garments and shloshim sets of begadim;

\VS{13}But if ye cannot declare it to me, then shall ye give me shloshim linen garments and shloshim begadim. And they said unto him, Put forth thy khidah, that we may hear it.

\VS{14}And he said unto them,

\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q Out of the eater came forth the edible,

\par }{\Q and out of the oz
{\ADD{(strong)}} came forth matok
{\ADD{(sweetness)}}.

\par }{\BB \par }
{\MM And they could not in shloshet yamim expound the khidah.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And it came to pass on the yom hashevi'i, that they said unto the isha of Shimshon, Entice thy ish, that he may declare unto us the khidah, lest we burn thee and thy bais avi with eish; Have ye invited us to make us poor? Is it not so?

\VS{16}And the isha of Shimshon wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not; thou hast put forth a khidah unto the bnei ami, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Hinei, I have not told it avi nor immi, and shall I tell it thee?

\VS{17}And she wept before him the shivat hayamim, while their mishteh lasted; and it came to pass on the yom hashevi'i, that he told her, because of the pressing of her nagging; and she told the khidah to the bnei of her Am
{\ADD{(People)}}.

\VS{18}And the anshei haIr said unto him on the yom hashevi'i before the sun went down,

\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q What is sweeter than devash?

\par }{\Q And what is stronger than an ari?

\par }{\BB \par }
{\PP And he said unto them,

\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q If ye had not plowed with my heifer,

\par }{\Q ye had not hit upon my khidah.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\PP \VS{19}And the Ruach
{\ND{Hashem}} came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down shloshim ish of them and took as spoil their garments and gave unto them which expounded the khidah. And his af
{\ADD{(anger)}} was kindled, and he went up to his bais avi.

\VS{20}But the isha of Shimshon was given to his companion, who had been his best man.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 14:20 }{\FT{i.e., his Shoshvin. See
}}{\XT{Yn 3:29}}}




\par }\Chap{15}{\PP \VerseOne{1}But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of katzir chittim, that Shimshon visited his isha with a young goat; and he said, I will go in to my isha into the cheder. But her av would not allow him to go in.

\VS{2}And her av said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion; is not her younger achot fairer than she? Take her now, instead of her.

\VS{3}And Shimshon said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Pelishtim, though I do them ra'ah.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And Shimshon went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned them tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between two tails.

\VS{5}And when he lit eish to the torches, he let them go into the standing grain of the Pelishtim, and burned up both the harvested grain and also the standing grain, and also olive orchards.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Then the Pelishtim said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Shimshon, the choson of the Timni, because he had taken his isha, and given her to his companion. And the Pelishtim came up, and burned her and her av with eish.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And Shimshon said unto them, Since ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you and after that I will cease.

\VS{8}And he struck them hip and thigh with a makkah gedolah; and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Eitam.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Then the Pelishtim went up and encamped in Yehudah, and spread themselves out in Lechi.

\VS{10}And the ish Yehudah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Shimshon are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Then three thousand men of Yehudah went to the top of the rock Eitam and said to Shimshon, Knowest thou not that the Pelishtim are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

\VS{12}And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the yad Pelishtim. And Shimshon said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

\VS{13}And they spoke unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their yad; but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two avotim chadashim
{\ADD{(new ropes)}}, and brought him up from the rock.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And when he came unto Lechi, the Pelishtim shouted against him; and the Ruach of
{\ND{Hashem}} came mightily upon him, and the avotim that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with eish, and his binding loosed from off his hands.

\VS{15}And he found a new jawbone of a chamor, and put forth his yad and took it and slaughtered a thousand men therewith.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And Shimshon said,

\par }{\BB \par }
{\Q With the lechi
{\ADD{(jawbone)}} of a chamor

\par }{\Q heaps upon heaps,

\par }{\Q with the jaw of a chamor

\par }{\Q have I slain a thousand men.


\par }{\BB \par }
{\PP \VS{17}And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking that he cast away the jawbone out of his yad, and called that place Ramat Lechi
{\ADD{(Jawbone Hill)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}And he was very thirsty, and called on
{\ND{Hashem}}, and said, Thou hast given this teshu'ah hagedolah
{\ADD{(great victory, rescue, salvation)}} into the yad of thy eved; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the yad of the arelim?

\VS{19}But Elohim split open the hollow place that is at Lechi, and there came mayim thereout; and when he had drunk, his ruach came again, and he revived; wherefore he called the shem thereof Ein HaKorei
{\ADD{(Spring of the Caller)}}, which is in Lechi unto this day.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}And he judged Yisroel in the days of the Pelishtim esrim shanah.




\par }\Chap{16}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then went Shimshon to Azah
{\ADD{(Gaza)}}, and saw there a zonah, and went in unto her.

\VS{2}And it was told the Azah people, saying, Shimshon is come here. And they surrounded him, and laid wait for him kol halailah in the sha'ar HaIr, and were quiet kol halailah, saying, In the ohr haboker, we shall kill him.

\VS{3}And Shimshon lay till khatzot halailah, and arose at khatzot halailah, and took the daletot sha'ar HaIr, and the two mezuzot, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Chevron.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And it came to pass afterward, that he fell in love with an isha in the Sorek Valley, whose shem was Delilah.

\VS{5}And rulers of the Pelishtim came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, see wherein his ko'ach gadol lieth, by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of kesef.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And Delilah said to Shimshon, Tell me, now, wherein thy koach gadol lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to subdue thee.

\VS{7}And Shimshon said unto her, If they bind me with shivah fresh bowstrings that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as any adam.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then the rulers of the Pelishtim brought up to her shivah fresh bowstrings which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

\VS{9}Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the cheder. And she said unto him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he broke the bowstrings, as a piece of thread is broken when it toucheth the eish. So his ko'ach was not known.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And Delilah said unto Shimshon, Hinei, thou hast mocked me, and told me kezavim
{\ADD{(lies)}}; tell me, now, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

\VS{11}And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with avotim chadashim that never were used, then shall I be weak, and be as any adam.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Delilah therefore took avotim chadashim, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. For there were ambushers lying in wait abiding in the cheder. And he broke them from off his arms like thread.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And Delilah said unto Shimshon, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me kezavim; tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the sheva braids of my head with the web,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 16:13 }{\FT{fabric on the loom}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And fasten it with the pin… Again she called to him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he awakened out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the loom, and with the web.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine lev is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy ko'ach gadol lieth.

\VS{16}And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his nefesh was vexed unto death;

\VS{17}That he told her all his lev, and said unto her, There hath not come a morah
{\ADD{(razor)}} upon mine head; for I have been a Nazir Elohim from my motherʼs beten; if I be shaven, then my ko'ach will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other adam.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his lev, she sent and called for the rulers of the Pelishtim, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his lev. Then the rulers of the Pelishtim came up unto her, and brought kesef in their yad.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for an ish, and she caused him to shave off the sheva braids of his head; and she began to torment him, and his ko'ach went from him.

\VS{20}And she said, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before and shake myself. And he knew not that
{\ND{Hashem}} was departed from him.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}But the Pelishtim took him, and gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Azah
{\ADD{(Gaza)}}, and bound him with fetters of nechoshet; and he did grind in the prison house.

\VS{22}Howbeit after he was shaven, the hair of his head began l'tzameach\FTNT{†}{{\FR 16:22 }{\FT{to spring up; Tzemach is Moshiach}}} again.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Then rulers of the Pelishtim gathered them together for to offer a zevach gadol unto Dagon eloheihem, and to rejoice; for they said, eloheinu hath delivered Shimshon oyveinu
{\ADD{(our enemy)}} into our yad.

\VS{24}And when the people saw him, they praised eloheihem; for they said, eloheinu hath delivered into our hands oyveinu, and the destroyer of our country, which slaughtered many of us.

\VS{25}And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Shimshon, that he may entertain us. And they called for Shimshon out of the prison house; and he entertained them; and they set him between the ammudim.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}And Shimshon said unto the na'ar that held him by the yad, Put me where I may feel the ammudim whereupon the bais standeth, that I may lean upon them.

\VS{27}Now the bais
{\ADD{(temple)}} was full of anashim and nashim; and all the rulers of the Pelishtim were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand ish and isha, that beheld while Shimshon entertained.

\VS{28}And Shimshon called unto
{\ND{Hashem}}, and said, Adonoi
{\ND{Hashem}}, remember me, now, and strengthen me, now, only this once, O HaElohim that I may be at once avenged of the Pelishtim for my two eyes.

\VS{29}And Shimshon took hold of the two middle ammudim upon which the bais stood and he braced himself against them, one with his right yad, and the other with his left.

\VS{30}And Shimshon said, Let me die with the Pelishtim. And he pushed himself with all his ko'ach; and the bais fell upon the rulers, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slaughtered at his death were more than they which he slaughtered in his life.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}Then his brethren and all the bais of his av came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Tzorah and Eshta'ol in the kever of Manoach his av. And he judged Yisroel esrim shanah.




\par }\Chap{17}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And there was an ish from har Ephrayim, whose shem was Mikhay'hu.

\VS{2}And he said unto his em, The eleven hundred pieces of kesef that were taken from thee, about which thou did utter a curse, and spoke of also in mine ears, Hinei, the kesef is with me; I took it. And his em said, Baruch beni La{\ND{Hashem}}.

\VS{3}And when he had restored the eleven hundred pieces of kesef to his em, his em said, I had wholly set apart as kodesh the kesef unto
{\ND{Hashem}} from my hand for beni
{\ADD{(my son)}}, to make a pesel
{\ADD{(carved image, idol)}}\FTNT{*}{{\FR 17:3 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{Ex 20:4}}} and a masekhah
{\ADD{(an image cast from a mold)}};\FTNT{†}{{\FR 17:3 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{Ex 32:4}}} now therefore I will return it unto thee.

\VS{4}So he restored the kesef unto his em; and his em took two hundred pieces of kesef and gave them to the tzoref
{\ADD{(goldsmith)}}, who made thereof a pesel and a masekhah; and they were in the bais Mikhay'hu.

\VS{5}And the ish Michah had a bais elohim, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and ordained one of his banim, who became his kohen.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}In those yamim there was no melech in Yisroel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Meanwhile there was a na'ar from Beit-Lechem Yehudah of the mishpakhat Yehudah, who was a Levi, and he sojourned there.

\VS{8}And the ish departed out of the Ir from Beit-Lechem Yehudah to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to har Ephrayim to the bais Michah, as he made his derech.

\VS{9}And Michah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levi of Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

\VS{10}And Michah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me an av and a kohen, and I will give thee ten pieces of kesef a year, and a set of begadim, and mikhyah
{\ADD{(maintenance, livelihood)}}. So the Levi went in.

\VS{11}And the Levi agreed to dwell with the ish; and the na'ar was unto him as one of his banim.

\VS{12}And Michah ordained\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 17:12 }{\FT{literally, filled the hands of, consecrated, appointed as his own priest}}} the Levi; and the na'ar became his kohen, and was in the bais Mikhay'hu.

\VS{13}Then said Michah, Now I have da'as that
{\ND{Hashem}} will do me good, seeing I have a Levi as my kohen.




\par }\Chap{18}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In those days there was no melech in Yisroel; and in those days the shevet
{\ADD{(tribe)}} of the Dani sought them a nachalah to dwell in; for unto that day none had fallen for him\FTNT{*}{{\FR 18:1 }{\FT{Dan}}} among the Shivtei Yisroel.

\VS{2}And the Bnei Dan sent of their mishpakhat five anashim out of their whole number, anashim, Bnei Chayil, from Tzorah, and from Eshta'ol, to spy out the land, and to explore it; and they said unto them, Go, explore the land; and when they came to har Ephrayim, to the bais Michah, they lodged there.

\VS{3}When they were at the bais Michah, they recognized the voice of the na'ar the Levi; so they turned in there, and said unto him, Who brought thee here? And what doth thou in this place? And what is thy business here?

\VS{4}And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Michah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his kohen.

\VS{5}And they said unto him, Ask counsel of Elohim, that we may have da'as of whether our derech shall succeed.

\VS{6}And the kohen said unto them, Go in shalom; your derech wherein ye go is nokhach
{\ND{Hashem}}{\ADD{(straight in the sight of
}}{\ND{Hashem}}{\ADD{)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Then the five anashim departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the mishpat of the Tzidonim, quiet and unsuspecting; and there was no one in authority in the land, that might put them to shame for anything; but they were far from the Tzidonim, and had no ties with adam.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And they returned unto their achim to Tzorah and Eshta'ol; and their achim said unto them, Mah atem (What do you [report]?)

\VS{9}And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them; for we have seen ha'aretz, and, hinei, it is tovah me'od; and will ye do nothing? Be not slothful to go, but enter in to possess ha'aretz.

\VS{10}When ye go, ye shall come unto an Am bote'ach
{\ADD{(unsuspecting people)}}, and to ha'aretz rachavat; for Elohim hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no lack of any thing that is in ha'aretz.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And there went from thence of the mishpakhat HaDani, out of Tzorah and out of Eshta'ol, 600 men armed with keli milchamah.

\VS{12}And they went up, and encamped in Kiryat-Ye'arim, in Yehudah; wherefore they called that place Machaneh Dan unto this day; hinei, it is behind Kiryat-Yearim.

\VS{13}And they passed thence unto har Ephrayim, and came unto the bais Michah.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Then answered the five anashim that went to spy out ha'aretz Layish, and said unto their achim, Do ye know that there is in these batim ephod, teraphim, pesel, and maskhah? Now therefore consider what ye have to do.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And they turned thitherward, and came to the bais hana'ar haLevi, even unto the bais Michah, and gave him a shalom greeting.

\VS{16}And the 600 men armed with their keli milchamah, which were of the Bnei Dan, stood by the petach hasha'ar.

\VS{17}And the five anashim that went to spy out ha'aretz went up, and came in thither, and took the pesel, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the masekhah; and the kohen stood in the petach hasha'ar with the 600 men that were armed with keli milchamah.

\VS{18}And these went into bais Michah, and fetched the pesel, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the masakhah. Then said the kohen unto them, What are ye doing?

\VS{19}And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine yad upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us an av and a kohen; is it better for thee to be a kohen unto the bais ish echad, or that thou be a kohen unto a shevet and a mishpakhat in Yisroel?

\VS{20}And the lev hakohen was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the pesel, and went in the midst of the people.

\VS{21}So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the mikneh and the belongings in front of them.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And when they were a good way from the bais Michah, the men that were in the batim
{\ADD{(houses)}} near to bais Michah were gathered together, and overtook the Bnei Dan.

\VS{23}And they cried unto the Bnei Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Michah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

\VS{24}And he said, Ye have taken away my g-ds which I made, and the kohen, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? And what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?


\par }{\PP \VS{25}And the Bnei Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry anashim run upon thee, and thou lose thy nefesh, with the nefesh of thy household.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}And the Bnei Dan went their way; and when Michah saw that they were chazakim, too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his bais.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 18:26 }{\FT{By now we are seeing the point of the story, which is how Dan became infected with apostate religion; see their omission
}}{\XT{Rv 7}}}


\par }{\PP \VS{27}And they took the things which Michah had made, and the kohen which he had, and came unto Layish unto a people that were peaceful and unsuspecting and they struck them with the edge of the cherev, and burnt the ir with eish.

\VS{28}And there was no matzil
{\ADD{(deliverer, rescuer)}}, because it was far from Tzidon, and they had no tie with adam
{\ADD{(any man)}}; and it was in the valley that lieth near Beit-Rechov. And they built an ir, and dwelt therein.

\VS{29}And they called the shem of the Ir Dan, after the shem of Dan their av, who was born unto Yisroel; howbeit the shem of the Ir was Layish previously.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}And the Bnei Dan set up the pesel; and Yehonatan ben Gershom ben Menasheh, he and his banim were kohanim to the shevet haDani until the yom Golus HaAretz.\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 18:30 }{\FT{722 B.C.E.}}}

\VS{31}During all the time that the Bais HaElohim was in Shiloh they set up for them pesel Michah, which he made.




\par }\Chap{19}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass in those days, when there was no melech in Yisroel, that there was a certain Levi sojourning in the remote har Ephrayim country, who took to him a pilegesh out of Beit-Lechem Yehudah.

\VS{2}And his pilegesh played the zonah against him, and went away from him unto her bais av to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and was there four whole months.

\VS{3}And her ish arose, and went after her, to speak unto her lev, and to bring her back, having his na'ar
{\ADD{(servant)}} with him, and a couple of donkeys; and she brought him into her bais av; and when the avi hana'arah saw him, he had simcha to welcome him.

\VS{4}And his khoten
{\ADD{(father-in-law)}}, the avi hana'arah, held him fast; and he abode with him shloshet yamim; so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the boker, that he rose up to depart; the avi hana'arah said unto his choson
{\ADD{(son-in-law)}}, Refresh thine lev with a morsel of lechem, and afterward go your way.

\VS{6}And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together; for the avi hana'arah had said unto the ish, Be pleased, and tarry all night, and let thine lev be content.

\VS{7}And when the ish rose up to depart, his khoten
{\ADD{(father-in-law)}} urged him; therefore he lodged there again.

\VS{8}And he arose early in the boker on the yom hachamishi to depart; and the avi hana'arah said, Refresh now thine lev. Tarry till the yom turns,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 19:8 }{\FT{past midday}}} and they did eat both of them.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And when the ish rose up to depart, he, and his pilegesh, and his na'ar, his khoten
{\ADD{(father-in-law)}}, the avi hana'arah, said unto him, Hinei, now the yom draweth toward erev, tarry the night now; hinei, the yom groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine lev may be content; and makhar
{\ADD{(tomorrow)}} get you early on your derech, that thou mayest go to your ohel.

\VS{10}But the ish would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came to nokhach
{\ADD{(straight before, in the direction of)}} Yevus, which is Yerushalayim; and there were with him two donkeys saddled, his pilegesh also was with him.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And when they were near Yevus, the yom was far spent; and the na'ar said unto his adon, Come, now, and let us turn in into ir haYevusi, and lodge in it.

\VS{12}And his adon said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the ir nochri, that is not of the Bnei Yisroel; we will pass over to Giv'ah.

\VS{13}And he said unto his na'ar, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Giv'ah, or in Ramah.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And they passed on and went their way; and the shemesh went down upon them when they were near Giv'ah, which belongeth to Binyamin.

\VS{15}And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge the night in Giv'ah; and when he went in, he sat him down in the rechov of the ir; for there was no ish that took them into his bais to lodge the night.\FTNT{†}{{\FR 19:15 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{Job 31:32}}{\FT{ regarding the sin here, made more shameful in that it was committed against a Levi}}}

\VS{16}And, hinei, there came an ish zaken from his work out of the sadeh at erev, and the ish was also from har Ephrayim; and he sojourned in Giv'ah; but the anashim of the place were Bnei Yemini
{\ADD{(Benjamites)}}.

\VS{17}And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw haish haoreach
{\ADD{(the wayfaring man, traveling man)}} in the rechov haIr; and the ish hazaken said, Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?

\VS{18}And he said unto him, We are passing from Beit-Lechem Yehudah toward the remote har Ephrayim country; from thence am I; and I went to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, but I am now going to the Bais
{\ND{Hashem}};\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 19:18 }{\FT{See
}}{\XT{18:31}}} but there is no ish that receiveth me into the bais.

\VS{19}Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is lechem and yayin also for me, and for thy amah
{\ADD{(maidservant)}}, and for the na'ar which is with thy avadim; there is no machsor
{\ADD{(want, need)}} of any thing.

\VS{20}And the ish hazaken said, Shalom lach; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the rechov.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}So he brought him into his bais, and mixed fodder for the donkeys; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Now as they were making their hearts content, hinei, the anshei haIr, anshei bnei Beliya'al, surrounded the bais, and pounded incessantly on the delet, and shouted to the ish, the Ba'al HaBayit, the zaken, saying, Bring out the ish that came into thine bais, that we may know him.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 19:22 }{\FT{a thin line drawn between homosexual rape and murder}}}

\VS{23}And the ish, the Ba'al HaBayit, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, do not so wickedly; seeing that this ish is come into mine bais, do not this nevalah
{\ADD{(outrage)}}.

\VS{24}Hinei, here is my bat a betulah, and his pilegesh; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth hatov unto your eyes; but unto this ish do not so devar hanevalah
{\ADD{(vile, wicked a thing)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}But the anashim would not pay heed to him; so the ish took his pilegesh, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her kol halailah until the boker; and when the shachar
{\ADD{(dawn)}} came, they let her go.

\VS{26}Then came the isha at the break of haboker, and fell down at the petach bais haish where her adon was, ad haohr
{\ADD{(until daylight, sunrise)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}And her adon rose up in the boker, and opened the daletot habais, and stepped out to go on his derech; and, hinei, the isha, his pilegesh, was fallen at the petach habais! And her hands were upon the sahf
{\ADD{(threshold)}}.

\VS{28}And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then the ish took [the corpse] upon a donkey, and the ish rose up, and set out for his makom
{\ADD{(place, home)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}And when he was come into his bais, he took a ma'akhelet
{\ADD{(knife)}}, and laid hold on his pilegesh, and divided her, together with her atzmot, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the territory of Yisroel.

\VS{30}And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the yom that the Bnei Yisroel came up out of Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day; give ye heed unto it, make up your minds,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 19:30 }{\FT{about the punishment}}} and speak.




\par }\Chap{20}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then all the Bnei Yisroel came out, and HaEdah was gathered together as ish echad, from Dan even to Be'er-Sheva, including Eretz HaGil'ad, unto
{\ND{Hashem}} at Mitzpah.

\VS{2}And the Pinot
{\ADD{(Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs)}} kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.

\VS{3}(Now the Bnei Binyamin heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gone up to Mitzpah.) Then said the Bnei Yisroel, Tell us, how this ra'ah came to be?


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv'ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.

\VS{5}And the ba'alei haGiv'ah rose against me, and surrounded the bais upon me by lailah, and intended to have murdered me; and my pilegesh have they raped, that she is dead.

\VS{6}And I took my pilegesh, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout kol sedeh nachalat Yisroel; for they have committed zimmah
{\ADD{(lewdness)}} and nevalah
{\ADD{(wickedness, outrage, disgrace)}} in Yisroel.

\VS{7}Hinei, ye are all Bnei Yisroel; give here your advice and etzah
{\ADD{(counsel, verdict)}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And kol haAm arose as ish echad, saying, We will not any of us go to his ohel, neither will we any of us return into his bais.

\VS{9}But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Giv'ah; we will go up bigoral
{\ADD{(by lot)}} against it;

\VS{10}And we will take ten anashim of a hundred throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to supply provisions for the troops, that they may do, when they come to Geva of Binyamin, according to all the nevalah that they have wrought in Yisroel.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}So kol ish Yisroel were gathered against the Ir, k'ish echad chaverim
{\ADD{(comrades as one man, united as one)}}.

\VS{12}And the Shivtei Yisroel sent anashim through all the shivtei Binyamin, saying, What ra'ah is this that is done among you?

\VS{13}Now therefore deliver us the anashim, the Bnei Beliyaal, which are in Giv'ah, that we may put them to death, and purge ra'ah from Yisroel. But the Bnei Binyamin would not pay heed to the voice of their achim the Bnei Yisroel.

\VS{14}But the Bnei Binyamin gathered themselves together out of the towns unto Giv'ah, to go out for milchamah against the Bnei Yisroel.

\VS{15}And the Bnei Binyamin mustered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men armed with cherev, beside the inhabitants of Giv'ah, which mustered seven hundred ish bachur
{\ADD{(chosen men)}}.

\VS{16}Among all this people there were seven hundred ish bachur every one could sling stones at the se'ar
{\ADD{(the hair)}}, and not miss.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}And the ish Yisroel, apart from Binyamin, mustered 400,000 men armed with cherev; all these were ish milchamah.

\VS{18}And the Bnei Yisroel arose, and went up to Beit-El, and asked counsel of Elohim, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the milchamah against the Bnei Binyamin? And
{\ND{Hashem}} said, Yehudah shall go up first.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And the Bnei Yisroel rose up in the boker, and encamped against Giv'ah.

\VS{20}And the Ish Yisroel went out to battle against Binyamin; and the Ish Yisroel put themselves in array to fight against them at Giv'ah.

\VS{21}And the Bnei Binyamin came forth out of Giv'ah, and cut down to the ground that day in Yisroel twenty and two thousand men.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And the HaAm Ish Yisroel took courage, and formed their battle line again in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}(And the Bnei Yisroel went up and wept before
{\ND{Hashem}} until erev, and asked counsel of
{\ND{Hashem}}, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi? And
{\ND{Hashem}} said, Go up against him.)


\par }{\PP \VS{24}And the Bnei Yisroel came near against the Bnei Binyamin the second day.

\VS{25}And Binyamin went forth against them from Giv'ah the second day, and cut down to the ground of the Bnei Yisroel another eighteen thousand men; all these were armed with the cherev.

\VS{26}Then kol Bnei Yisroel, and kol haAm, went up, and came unto Beit-El, and wept, and sat there before
{\ND{Hashem}}, and did a tzom that day until erev, and offered olot and shelamim before
{\ND{Hashem}}.

\VS{27}And the Bnei Yisroel inquired of
{\ND{Hashem}}, for the Aron Brit HaElohim was there in those days,

\VS{28}And Pinchas ben El'azar ben Aharon stood ministering before it in those yamim, saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi, or shall I cease? And
{\ND{Hashem}} said, Go up; for makhar
{\ADD{(tomorrow)}} I will deliver them into thine yad.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}And Yisroel set an ambush in wait round about Giv'ah.

\VS{30}And the Bnei Yisroel went up against the Bnei Binyamin on the Yom HaShelishi, and put themselves in array against Giv'ah, as before.

\VS{31}And the Bnei Binyamin went out against HaAm, and were drawn away from the Ir; and they began to inflict casualties on HaAm, as at other times, in the sadeh and on the roads, of which one road goeth up to Beit-El, and the other road to Giv'ah, killing about sheloshim ish b'Yisroel.

\VS{32}And the Bnei Binyamin said, They are defeated before us, as at the first. But the Bnei Yisroel said, Let us retreat, and draw them from the Ir unto the roads.

\VS{33}And Kol Ish Yisroel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Ba'al-Tamar; meanwhile the ones of Yisroel waiting in ambush came forth out of their places, at Ma'areh Geva.

\VS{34}And there came a frontal assault against Giv'ah by ten thousand ish bachur out of kol Yisroel, and the milchamah was fierce; but they\FTNT{*}{{\FR 20:34 }{\FT{the Bnei Binyamin}}} had no da'as that for them ra'ah
{\ADD{(evil, disaster)}} was near.

\VS{35}And
{\ND{Hashem}} defeated Binyamin before Yisroel; and the Bnei Yisroel struck down from Binyamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred ish, all these armed with cherev.


\par }{\PP \VS{36}So the Bnei Binyamin saw that they were defeated; for the Ish Yisroel gave place before Binyamin, because they relied on the ones ambushing which they had positioned against Giv'ah.

\VS{37}And the ones ambushing hasted, and rushed upon Giv'ah; and the ones ambushing drew themselves along, and struck kol HaIr with the edge of the cherev.


\par }{\PP \VS{38}Now there was a mo'ed
{\ADD{(appointed agreement)}} between the Ish Yisroel and the ones ambushing, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the Ir.

\VS{39}And when the Ish Yisroel turned in the milchamah, Binyamin began to inflict casualties on the Ish Yisroel about sheloshim ish; for they said, Surely they are defeated before us, as in the milchamah harishonah.

\VS{40}But when the smoke cloud began to arise up out of the Ir with an ammud ashan
{\ADD{(pillar of smoke)}}, Binyamin looked behind them, and, hinei, the whole Ir ascended up in smoke to Shomayim.

\VS{41}And when the Ish Yisroel turned again, the Ish Binyamin were terrified; for they saw that ra'ah was come upon them.

\VS{42}Therefore the men of Binyamin turned their backs before the Ish Yisroel (Men of Israel) and fled unto the derech hamidbar; but the milchamah overtook them; and whoever came out of the towns [of Binyamin] they\FTNT{†}{{\FR 20:42 }{\FT{the Bnei Yisroel}}} cut down him\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 20:42 }{\FT{Binyamin}}} in their midst.

\VS{43}Thus surrounding those of Binyamin, they chased them, and trampled them down with ease nokhach Giv'ah
{\ADD{(straight before Giv'ah)}} toward the rising of the shemesh.

\VS{44}And there fell of Binyamin eighteen thousand ish; all these were anshei chayil.


\par }{\PP \VS{45}And they turned and fled toward the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon; and they cut down of them in the roads five thousand ish; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slaughtered two thousand ish of them.

\VS{46}So that all which fell that day of Binyamin were twenty and five thousand ish armed with cherev; all these were anshei chayil.

\VS{47}But six hundred ish turned and fled to the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon, and abode unto the Rock of Rimmon four months.


\par }{\PP \VS{48}And the Ish Yisroel turned back upon the Bnei Binyamin, and struck them with the edge of the cherev, including every town, the people, the behemah, and all that remained; also they burned with eish all the towns that they came to.




\par }\Chap{21}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now the Ish Yisroel had taken an oath in Mitzpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his bat unto Binyamin as isha.

\VS{2}And HaAm went to Beit-El, and abode there till erev before HaElohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept gadol;

\VS{3}And said,
{\ND{Hashem}} Elohei Yisroel, why is this come to pass in Yisroel, that there should be today shevet echad lacking in Yisroel?


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And it came to pass on the next day, that HaAm rose early, and built there a Mizbe'ach, and offered olot and shelamim.

\VS{5}And the Bnei Yisroel said, Who is there among kol Shivtei Yisroel that came not up with the Kahal unto
{\ND{Hashem}}? For they had made the shevuah hagedolah concerning him that came not up before
{\ND{Hashem}} to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And the Bnei Yisroel had compassion for Binyamin their brother, and said, There is shevet echad cut off from Yisroel this day.

\VS{7}How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing we have taken an oath by
{\ND{Hashem}} that we will not give them of our banot as nashim?

\VS{8}And they said, What one is there of the Shivtei Yisroel that came not up to Mitzpah to
{\ND{Hashem}}? And, hinei, there came none to the machaneh from Yavesh-Gil'ad to the Kahal.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}For HaAm were numbered, and, hinei, there were none of the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil'ad there.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And HaEdah sent thither 12,000 ish of the Bnei HeChayil, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil'ad with the edge of the cherev, with the women and the children.

\VS{11}And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every zachar, and every isha that hath da'as of lying with man.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And they found among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil'ad four hundred na'arah betulah, that had known no man by lying with any zachar; and they brought them unto the machaneh at Shiloh, which is in Eretz Kena'an.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And the kol HaEdah sent some to speak to the Bnei Binyamin that were at the Rock of Rimmon, and to proclaim shalom unto them.

\VS{14}And Binyamin came again at that time; and they gave them nashim which they had saved alive of the women of Yavesh-Gil'ad; but they sufficed not for them.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And HaAm had compassion for Binyamin, because
{\ND{Hashem}} had made a breach in the Shivtei Yisroel.

\VS{16}Then the Ziknei HaEdah
{\ADD{(Elders of the Congregation)}} said, How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing the isha are destroyed out of Binyamin?

\VS{17}And they said, There must be yerushah
{\ADD{(heir)}} for them that be survivor of Binyamin, that a shevet be not destroyed out of Yisroel.

\VS{18}Howbeit we may not give them nashim of our banot; for the Bnei Yisroel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth an isha to Binyamin.

\VS{19}Then they said, Hinei, there is chag
{\ND{Hashem}}{\ADD{(feast of
}}{\ND{Hashem}}{\ADD{)}} in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beit-El, on the east side of the road that goeth up from Beit-El to Shechem, and on the south of Levonah.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Therefore they commanded the Bnei Binyamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the kramim
{\ADD{(vineyards)}};

\VS{21}And watch, and, hinei, if the Banot Shiloh come out to join in dances, then come ye out of the kramim
{\ADD{(vineyards)}}, and catch you every ish his isha of the Banot Shiloh, and go to Eretz Binyamin.

\VS{22}And it shall be, when their avot or their achim come unto us for riv
{\ADD{(to complain)}}, we\FTNT{*}{{\FR 21:22 }{\FT{the Ziknei HaEdah}}} will say unto them, Give them to us, for we did not receive every ish his isha through the war; for ye have not given them unto them at this time; now would ye be guilty.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}And the Bnei Binyamin did so and took them nashim, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned unto their nachalah, and repaired the towns, and dwelt in them.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}And the Bnei Yisroel departed from there at that time, every ish to his shevet and to his mishpakhah, and they went out from thence every ish to his nachalah.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}In those days there was no melech in Yisroel; every man did that which was yashar
{\ADD{(right)}} in his own eyes.

\par }