06 April - Judges 19-21

Jude Sat Dec 08, 2018 11:21 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

JUDGES 19

1And it came to be in those days, when there was no sovereign in Yisra’ĕl, that there was a certain Lĕwite sojourning on the further side of the mountains of Ephrayim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bĕyth Leḥem in Yehuḏah.

2And his concubine committed whoring against him, and went away from him to her father’s house at Bĕyth Leḥem in Yehuḏah, and was there four months.

3And her husband arose and went after her, to speak to her heart and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. And she brought him into her father’s house. And the father of the young woman saw him, and he was glad to meet him.

4And his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, detained him, and he dwelt with him three days. And they ate and drank and spent the nights there.

5And it came to be on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning. And he prepared to leave, but the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a piece of bread, and afterward go your way.”

6So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. And the young woman’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay all night, and let your heart be glad.”

7And when the man arose to go, his father-in-law urged him. So he spent the night there again.

8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to go. But the young woman’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they delayed until afternoon, and both of them ate.

9And the man arose to go, he and his concubine and his servant. But his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, “See, the day is now drawing toward evening. Please spend the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here, and let your heart be glad. And you shall rise early tomorrow for your journey, and you shall go to your tent.”

10But the man would not stay that night. And he arose and left, and came to a place opposite Yeḇus, that is Yerushalayim. And with him were the two saddled donkeys, and his concubine with him.

11They were near Yeḇus, and the day was far spent. And the servant said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Yeḇusites and spend the night in it.”

12And his master said to him, “Let us not turn aside here into a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Yisra’ĕl. But we shall pass over to Giḇ‛ah.”

13And he said to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night in Giḇ‛ah or in Ramah.”

14And they passed over and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Giḇ‛ah, which belongs to Binyamin,

15and they turned off there to go in to spend the night in Giḇ‛ah. So he went in, and he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into his house to spend the night.

16But see, an old man came in from his work in the field at evening, who also was from the mountains of Ephrayim. And he was sojourning in Giḇ‛ah, whereas the men of the place were Binyamites.

17And when he lifted up his eyes, he saw the traveller in the open square of the city. And the old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”

18And he said to him, “We are passing over from Bĕyth Leḥem in Yehuḏah to the other side of the mountains of Ephrayim. I am from there, and I went to Bĕyth Leḥem in Yehuḏah, and I am going to the House of יהוה. But there is no one taking me into his house,

19yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and bread and wine for myself, and for your female servant, and for the young man who is with your servant; there is no lack of any matter.”

20And the old man said, “Peace be with you! However, let all your needs be on me, only do not spend the night in the open square.”

21And he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22They were making their hearts glad, and see, men of the city, sons of Beliya‛al, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so that we know him!”

23But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers! I beg you, do no evil! Since this man has come into my house, do not do this folly.

24“Look, here is my maiden daughter and the man’s concubine. Let me bring them out now, and humble them, and do with them what is good in your eyes, but do not do such a foolish matter to this man!”

25But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and rolled themselves on her all night until morning, and let her go when the day began to break.

26And as morning appeared the woman came back and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.

27And her master rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and saw his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold.

28And he said to her, “Rise up and let us go.” But there was no answer. Then he took her on the donkey, and the man rose and went to his place,

29and came into his house and took a knife, then laid hold of his concubine, and cut her up limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Yisra’ĕl.

30And it came to be that all who saw it said, “There has never been, and there has not been seen the like of this, from the day that the children of Yisra’ĕl came up from the land of Mitsrayim until this day. Set your heart on it, take counsel, and speak up!”

JUDGES 20

1And all the children of Yisra’ĕl came out, from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa, and from the land of Gil‛aḏ, and the congregation assembled as one man before יהוה at Mitspah.

2And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of Elohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.

3And the children of Binyamin heard that the children of Yisra’ĕl had gone up to Mitspah. And the children of Yisra’ĕl said, “Speak up, how did this evil come about?”

4And the man, the Lĕwite, husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and I went into Giḇ‛ah, which belongs to Binyamin, to spend the night.

5“And the masters of Giḇ‛ah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They thought to kill me, but instead they humbled my concubine, and she died.

6“Then I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the land of the inheritance of Yisra’ĕl, because they committed wickedness and folly in Yisra’ĕl.

7“Look, you are all children of Yisra’ĕl, speak and give your counsel here!”

8And all the people rose as one man, saying, “Let not one of us go to his tent, nor any of us turn back to his house.

9“And now, this is what we do to Giḇ‛ah: go against it by lot.

10“And we shall take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make food for the people, to prepare for their going to Giḇ‛ah in Binyamin, for all the folly they did in Yisra’ĕl.”

11And all the men of Yisra’ĕl were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12And the tribes of Yisra’ĕl sent men through all the tribe of Binyamin, saying, “What is this evil that has come about among you?

13“And now, give us the men, the sons of Beliya‛al who are in Giḇ‛ah, so that we put them to death and put away evil from Yisra’ĕl!” But the children of Binyamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Yisra’ĕl.

14So the children of Binyamin gathered together from their cities to Giḇ‛ah, to go to battle against the children of Yisra’ĕl.

15And from their cities at that time the children of Binyamin registered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Giḇ‛ah, who registered seven hundred chosen men.

16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.

17And besides Binyamin, the men of Yisra’ĕl registered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword, all of these were men of battle.

18And the children of Yisra’ĕl rose and went up to Bĕyth Ěl to ask of Elohim, and they said, “Who of us go up first to battle against the children of Binyamin?” And יהוה said, “Yehuḏah first.”

19And the children of Yisra’ĕl rose in the morning and encamped against Giḇ‛ah.

20And the men of Yisra’ĕl went out to battle against Binyamin, and the men of Yisra’ĕl put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Giḇ‛ah.

21And the children of Binyamin came out of Giḇ‛ah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Yisra’ĕlites.

22But the people, the men of Yisra’ĕl, strengthened themselves and again formed the battle line at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day.

23And the children of Yisra’ĕl went up and wept before יהוה until evening, and asked of יהוה, saying, “Should I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Binyamin?” And יהוה said, “Go up against him.”

24And the children of Yisra’ĕl drew near to the children of Binyamin on the second day.

25And Binyamin went out against them from Giḇ‛ah on the second day, and cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Yisra’ĕl – all these drew the sword.

26And all the children of Yisra’ĕl, even all the people, went up and came to Bĕyth Ěl and wept, and sat there before יהוה and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before יהוה.

27And the children of Yisra’ĕl asked of יהוה – the ark of the covenant of Elohim was there in those days,

28and Pineḥas son of El‛azar, son of Aharon, stood before it in those days – saying, “Should I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Binyamin, or should I cease?” And יהוה said, “Go up, for tomorrow I give them into your hand.”

29And Yisra’ĕl set ambushers all around Giḇ‛ah.

30And the children of Yisra’ĕl went up against the children of Binyamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Giḇ‛ah as at the other times.

31And the children of Binyamin came out to meet the people – drawn away from the city. And they began to smite some of the people, slaying, as at the other times, in the highways, of which one went up to Bĕyth Ěl and the other to Giḇ‛ah in the field, about thirty men of Yisra’ĕl.

32And the children of Binyamin said, “They are going to be smitten before us, as previously.” But the children of Yisra’ĕl said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.”

33And all the men of Yisra’ĕl rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Ba‛al Tamar. And the ambush of Yisra’ĕl broke forth from their position at Ma‛areh Ìeḇa.

34And ten thousand chosen men from all Yisra’ĕl came against Giḇ‛ah, and the battle was fierce. But they did not know that calamity was close to them.

35And יהוה smote Binyamin before Yisra’ĕl. And the children of Yisra’ĕl destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men on that day in Binyamin – all these drew the sword.

36And the children of Binyamin saw that they were smitten. And the men of Yisra’ĕl had given ground to the Binyamites, because they trusted in the ambush that they had set against Giḇ‛ah,

37and the ambush hurried and came against Giḇ‛ah, and the ambush spread out and smote the entire city with the edge of the sword.

38And the appointed signal between the men of Yisra’ĕl and the ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,

39then the men of Yisra’ĕl would turn in battle, and Binyamin began to smite dead about thirty of the men of Yisra’ĕl. For they said, “They are indeed smitten before us, as at the first battle.”

40Then the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, and the Binyamites looked behind them, and saw the entire city going up in smoke to the heavens.

41And when the men of Yisra’ĕl turned back, the men of Binyamin were troubled, for they saw that calamity was close to them.

42And they turned their backs before the men of Yisra’ĕl toward the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, while those who had come out of the cities were destroying them in their midst.

43They surrounded the Binyamites and pursued them, and with ease trampled them down as far as the front of Giḇ‛ah toward the east.

44And there fell of Binyamin eighteen thousand men – all of these were mighty men.

45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. And they cut down five thousand of them on the highways, and followed after them up to Giḏom, and smote two thousand of them.

46And all who fell of Binyamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword, all of these were mighty men.

47But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they dwelt at the rock of Rimmon for four months.

48And the men of Yisra’ĕl turned back against the children of Binyamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword from every city, men and beasts, all who were found. And they set fire to all the cities they came to.

JUDGES 21

1And the men of Yisra’ĕl had sworn an oath at Mitspah, saying, “Not one of us shall give his daughter to Binyamin as a wife.”

2So the people came to Bĕyth Ěl, and sat there until evening before Elohim, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

3and said, “O יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, why has this come about in Yisra’ĕl, that today there should be one tribe missing in Yisra’ĕl?”

4And it came to be on the morrow, that the people rose early and built an altar there, and brought burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5And the children of Yisra’ĕl said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl who did not come up with the assembly to יהוה?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to יהוה at Mitspah, saying, “He shall certainly be put to death.”

6And the children of Yisra’ĕl were sorry for Binyamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Yisra’ĕl today.

7“What do we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by יהוה not to give them our daughters as wives?”

8And they said, “Which one of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl did not come up to Mitspah to יהוה?” And see, no one had come to the camp from Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ to the assembly.

9For when the people called a roll, see, not one of the inhabitants of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ was there.

10And the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their bravest men, and commanded them, saying, “Go, and you shall smite the inhabitants of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ with the edge of the sword, even the women and children.

11“And this is what you do: Put under the ban every male, and every woman who has known a man by lying with him.”

12And they found among the inhabitants of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ four hundred young maidens who had not known a man. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Kena‛an.

13Then all the congregation sent, and spoke to the children of Binyamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them.

14And Binyamin turned back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ. But even so there were not enough for them.

15And the people were sorry for Binyamin, because יהוה had made a breach in the tribes of Yisra’ĕl.

16And the elders of the congregation said, “What do we do for wives for those who remain, since the women have been destroyed out of Binyamin?”

17And they said, “There is an inheritance for the survivors of Binyamin, and no tribe is to be destroyed from Yisra’ĕl.

18“But we are unable to give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Yisra’ĕl have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Binyamin.’ ”

19So they said, “See, there is a yearly festival of יהוה in Shiloh, which is north of Bĕyth Ěl, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bĕyth Ěl to Sheḵem, and south of Leḇonah.”

20And they commanded the children of Binyamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,

21“and watch. And see, when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then you shall come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Binyamin.

22“And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we shall say to them, ‘Favour us with them, because we did not take a wife for any of them in battle, neither have you given them to them, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’ ”

23And the children of Binyamin did so, and took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

24And the children of Yisra’ĕl went from there at that time, each one to his tribe and clan. And they went from there, each one to his inheritance.

25In those days there was no sovereign in Yisra’ĕl – everyone did what was right in his own eyes.