Judges 9 Cross References - ACV

¹ And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, ² Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy men, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. ³ And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words. And their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother. ⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and unstable fellows who followed him. ⁵ And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy men, upon one stone, but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. ⁶ And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. ⁷ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried out, and said to them, Hearken to me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken to you. ⁸ The trees went forth a time to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign thou over us. ⁹ But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. ¹¹ But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ¹² And the trees said to the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. ¹³ And the vine said to them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ¹⁴ Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. ¹⁵ And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. ¹⁶ Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deed of his hands ¹⁷ (for my father fought for you, and ventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian, ¹⁸ and ye have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem because he is your brother), ¹⁹ if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. ²⁰ But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. ²¹ And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. ²² And Abimelech was ruler over Israel three years. ²³ And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, ²⁴ that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. ²⁵ And the men of Shechem set ambushes for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them, and it was told Abimelech. ²⁶ And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. ²⁷ And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. ²⁸ And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him? ²⁹ And would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. ³⁰ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. ³¹ And he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and, behold, they are fortifying the city against thee. ³² Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people who are with thee, and lie in wait in the field. ³³ And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shall rise early, and rush upon the city, and, behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against thee, then thou may do to them as thou shall find occasion. ³⁴ And Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. ³⁵ And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambushment. ³⁶ And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there comes a people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said to him, Thou see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. ³⁷ And Gaal spoke again and said, See, there comes a people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim. ³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou have despised? Go out now, I pray, and fight with them. ³⁹ And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. ⁴⁰ And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. ⁴¹ And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem. ⁴² And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech. ⁴³ And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field. And he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city. And he rose up against them, and smote them. ⁴⁴ And Abimelech, and the companies who were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field, and smote them. ⁴⁵ And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city, and killed the people that were in it, and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. ⁴⁶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El-berith. ⁴⁷ And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ And Abimelech got up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people who were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. ⁴⁹ And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. ⁵⁰ Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. ⁵¹ But there was a strong tower inside the city. And all the men and women fled, and all those of the city, and shut themselves in, and got up to the roof of the tower. ⁵² And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. ⁵³ And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and broke his skull. ⁵⁴ Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, A woman killed him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. ⁵⁵ And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place. ⁵⁶ Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers. ⁵⁷ And God requited all the wickedness of the men of Shechem upon their heads. And the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

¹⁸ And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and encamped before the city.

² And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. And he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.

³¹ And his concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

⁶ And on this manner Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

¹ And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel came to Shechem to make him king.

³ and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

²⁰ And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but only the tribe of Judah.

² For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult, and those who hate thee have lifted up the head. ³ They take crafty counsel against thy people, and consult together against thy hidden ones. ⁴ They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

¹⁸ Then they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah. For the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

¹⁴ And Laban said to him, Surely thou are my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

³⁰ And Gideon had seventy sons begotten from his body, for he had many wives.

¹³ And say ye to Amasa, Are thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou not be captain of the army before me continually in the place of Joab.

¹ Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

³⁰ because we are parts of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.

¹⁴ Since therefore the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might make him who has the power of death impotent, that is, the devil.

¹⁵ And Laban said to Jacob, Because thou are my brother, should thou therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?

³ For the wicked man boasts of his heart's desire. And the greedy man renounces, yea, despises LORD.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us. Let us lay wait for blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause. ¹² Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the pit. ¹³ We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoil. ¹⁴ Thou shall cast thy lot among us. We will all have one bag.

³³ And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

⁴⁶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El-berith. ⁴⁷ And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ And Abimelech got up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people who were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. ⁴⁹ And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

³ Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob. And vain fellows were gathered to Jephthah, and they went out with him.

² And every man who was in distress, and every man who was in debt, and every man who was discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

⁷ And there were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

⁸ They are sons of fools, yea, sons of base men. They were scourged out of the land.

¹¹ He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who pursues vanities is void of understanding.

⁵ But the disobedient Jews having taken along certain evil men of the marketplaces, and having gathered a mob, were rioting the city. And having stood by the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the populace.

²⁴ Then Gideon built an altar there to LORD, and called it LORD-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

² Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy men, rule over you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

¹⁷ And when he came to Samaria, he smote all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke to Elijah.

¹ Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed. ² But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bedchamber. And they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

⁴ Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also various of the rulers of Israel.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was scorned by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and having sent forth, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem, and in all the borders of it, from two years old and under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

²⁰ After rising, take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those seeking the child's life have died.

²⁶ And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. And he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of LORD.

⁹ And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

²⁵ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein. And he went out from there, and built Penuel.

²⁰ And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and smote Joash at the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.

²⁹ And it shall come to pass, when LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land where thou go to possess it, that thou shall set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.

¹² These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye have passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.

³³ And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of LORD, as well the sojourner as the home born, half of them in front of mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

⁴⁰ Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. ⁴¹ They cried, but there was none to save, even to LORD, but he answered them not.

¹⁵ And call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me. ¹⁶ But to the wicked man God says, What have thou to do to declare my statutes, and that thou have taken my covenant in thy mouth, ¹⁷ since thou hate instruction, and cast my words behind thee? ¹⁸ When thou saw a thief, thou consented with him, and have been partaker with adulterers. ¹⁹ Thou give thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frames deceit. ²⁰ Thou sit and speak against thy brother; thou slander thine own mother's son. ²¹ These things thou have done, and I kept silence. Thou thought that I was altogether such a one as thyself. But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

²⁸ Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, ²⁹ because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of LORD.

¹³ He who stops his ears at the cry of a poor man, he also shall cry, but shall not be heard.

⁹ He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁵ And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.

⁶ Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to a hungry man, and that thou bring the poor who are cast out to thy house, when thou see a naked man, that thou cover him, and that thou not hide thyself from thine own flesh? ⁸ Then thy light shall break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily. And thy righteousness shall go before thee. The glory of LORD shall be thy rearward. ⁹ Then thou shall call, and LORD will answer, thou shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou take the yoke away from the midst of thee, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly, ¹⁰ and if thou draw out thy soul to a hungry man, and satisfy an afflicted soul, then thy light shall rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday.

²⁶ The bondman therefore having fallen down, worshiped him, saying, Lord, be patient toward me and I will pay thee all. ²⁷ And having felt compassion, the lord of that bondman released him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But after going out, that bondman found one of his fellow bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having grabbed him, he choked him, saying, Pay me if thou owe anything. ²⁹ So his fellow bondman having fallen down at his feet, besought him, saying, Be patience toward me, and I will pay thee. ³⁰ But he would not, instead, having left him, he cast him into prison until he would pay that which was owed. ³¹ And when his fellow bondmen saw the things that happened, they were extremely sorry. And after coming, they reported to their lord all the things that happened. ³² Then his lord having summoned him, he says to him, Thou evil bondman, I forgave thee all that debt because thou besought me. ³³ Was it not necessary for thee also to be merciful to thy fellow bondman, as I also was merciful to thee? ³⁴ And having become angry, his lord delivered him to the tormentors until he would pay all that was due to him.

²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to worship.

¹³ For the judgment is merciless to him who did no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

²² Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also, for thou have saved us out of the hand of Midian. ²³ And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. LORD shall rule over you.

⁹ And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife. And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled the thistle.

³ and say, Thus says the lord LORD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar. ⁴ He cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of merchandise. He set it in a city of merchants. ⁵ He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree. ⁶ And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots of it were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs. ⁷ There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it. ⁸ It was planted in a good soil by many waters that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit that it might be a goodly vine. ⁹ Say thou, Thus says the lord LORD: Shall it flourish? Shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, that it may wither? It shall wither in all its fresh springing leaves, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots of it. ¹⁰ Yea, behold, being planted, shall it flourish? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.

¹⁰ Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height of it was great. ¹¹ The tree grew, and was strong, and the height of it reached to heaven, and the sight of it to the end of all the earth. ¹² The leaves of it were fine, and the fruit of it much, and food was in it for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches of it. And all flesh was fed from it. ¹³ I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches. Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given to him. And let seven times pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men. ¹⁸ This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. And thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, inasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation. But thou are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

² and unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened mingled with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil, of fine wheaten flour shall thou make them,

⁷ Then thou shall take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.

¹⁴ the lampstand also for the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil for the light,

¹ And when anyone offers an oblation of a meal offering to LORD, his oblation shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense on it.

¹⁵ And LORD said to him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when thou come, thou shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. ¹⁶ And thou shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. And thou shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in thy place.

⁷ And LORD said to Satan, From where do thou come? Then Satan answered LORD, and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.

² And LORD said to Satan, From where did thou come? And Satan answered LORD, and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.

²⁰ I have found David my servant. With my holy oil I have anointed him,

¹⁵ and wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man's heart.

²⁷ For in truth, against thy holy Boy Jesus, whom thou anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,

³⁸ Jesus of Nazareth-how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who passed through doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.

²⁰ And ye have an anointing from the Holy, and ye know all the things.

⁶ And he spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. ⁷ And he said to the vine workman, Behold, three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down, why also waste the ground?

⁵ And wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, thou shall prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

⁷ And for the drink offering thou shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a sweet savor to LORD.

¹⁰ And thou shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to LORD.

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes glad the life, and money answers all things.

²⁸ For a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of the Arnon.

²⁰ But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

⁴⁹ And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

¹⁶ The trees of LORD are full, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,

³¹ And the strong man shall be as flax, and his work as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

¹³ and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

² who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!

²⁴ By thy servants thou have defied the Lord, and have said, With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. And I will cut down the tall cedars of it, and the choice fir trees of it, and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.

¹⁴ And fire has gone out of the twigs of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is no strong twig in it to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

³ Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature, and its top was among the thick boughs.

¹² The leaves of it were fine, and the fruit of it much, and food was in it for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches of it. And all flesh was fed from it.

⁷ Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive as the grain, and blossom as the vine. The scent of it shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

³² Which indeed is smaller than all seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the plants, and becomes a tree, so as for the birds of the sky to come and lodge in the branches of it.

³⁵ neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

¹ Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. ² And LORD said to Gideon, The people who are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me. ³ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and there remained ten thousand. ⁴ And LORD said to Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to thee, This man shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee, and of whomever I say to thee, This man shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. ⁵ So he brought down the people to the water. And LORD said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him thou shall set by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink. ⁶ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. ⁷ And LORD said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand. And let all the people go every man to his place. ⁸ So the people took provision in their hand, and their trumpets. And he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley. ⁹ And it came to pass the same night, that LORD said to him, Arise, get thee down into the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand. ¹⁰ But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp. ¹¹ And thou shall hear what they say, and afterward thy hands shall be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp. ¹² And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude. ¹³ And when Gideon came, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. And he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream. And, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat. ¹⁴ And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the army. ¹⁵ And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation of it, that he worshiped. And he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise, for LORD has delivered the army of Midian into your hand. ¹⁶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers. ¹⁷ And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise, and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so ye shall do. ¹⁸ When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For LORD and for Gideon. ¹⁹ So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch when they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. ²⁰ And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow. And they cried out, The sword of LORD and of Gideon. ²¹ And they stood every man in his place round about the camp. And all the army ran, and they shouted, and put them to flight. ²² And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. ²³ And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian. ²⁴ And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. ²⁵ And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

⁴ And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing. ⁵ And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. ⁶ And the rulers of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we should give bread to thine army? ⁷ And Gideon said, Therefore when LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. ⁸ And he went up from there to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. ⁹ And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. ¹⁰ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east, for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew a sword.

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast in like manner. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish.

⁸ But God commends his love toward us, that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁴ (who laid down their own neck for my life, to whom not only I thank, but also all the congregations of the Gentiles), and the congregation associated with their house.

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. And they loved not their life to the point of death.

³⁰ And Gideon had seventy sons begotten from his body, for he had many wives. ³¹ And his concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

⁵ And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy men, upon one stone, but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. ⁶ And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.

¹⁴ Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

⁴ For my love they are my adversaries, but I make prayer.

⁶ Inasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son,

³ For we are the circumcision, men who worship in spirit to God, and who boast in Christ Jesus, and not being confident in flesh.

¹⁶ But now ye boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

²² And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

¹⁵ And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

²³ And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

⁵⁶ Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers. ⁵⁷ And God requited all the wickedness of the men of Shechem upon their heads. And the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

²² And when they began to sing and to praise, LORD set an ambushment against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir who came against Judah, and they were smitten. ²³ For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to slay and destroy them utterly. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another of themselves.

⁹ Thou will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger. LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. ¹⁰ Thou will destroy their fruit from the earth, and their seed from among the sons of men.

⁴ Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them after the operation of their hands. Render to them their recompense,

¹ Why boast thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The loving kindness of God is continual. ² Thy tongue devises wickedness, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. ³ Thou love evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. ⁴ Thou love all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. ⁵ God will likewise destroy thee forever. He will take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

³ What shall be given to thee, and what shall be done more to thee, thou deceitful tongue? ⁴ Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them. Let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, from where they shall not rise.

¹⁶ And from there they journeyed to Beer. That is the well of which LORD said to Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

⁸ and all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families.

¹⁴ And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites. And they were gathered together, and also went after him.

¹⁵ And the bramble said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. ¹⁶ Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deed of his hands

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from LORD troubled him. ¹⁵ And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp. And it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shall be well.

⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ¹⁰ And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as he did day by day, and Saul had his spear in his hand.

¹⁵ So the king did not hearken to the people, for it was a thing brought about by LORD, that he might establish his word, which LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

²² And LORD said to him, With what? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so. ²³ Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and LORD has spoken evil concerning thee.

¹⁵ So the king did not hearken to the people. For it was brought about by God, that LORD might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁹ And LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. ²⁰ And there came forth a spirit, and stood before LORD, and said, I will entice him. And LORD said to him, With what? ²¹ And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shall entice him, and shall also prevail. Go forth, and do so. ²² Now therefore, behold, LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets. And LORD has spoken evil concerning thee.

² And I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they shall fight each one against his brother, and each one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

¹⁴ LORD has mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst of her, and they have caused Egypt to go astray in every work of it, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

¹ Woe to thee who destroys, and thou were not destroyed, and deal treacherously, and they did not deal treacherously with thee! When thou have ceased to destroy, thou shall be destroyed, and when thou have made an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

² For by what criticism ye criticize, ye will be criticized, and by what measure ye measure, it will be measured to you.

¹¹ And because of this God will send them the force of a delusion, for them to believe a lie, ¹² so that they might be condemned-all those who did not believe the truth, but who delighted in unrighteousness.

³³ So ye shall not pollute the land in which ye are, for blood, it pollutes the land. And no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

²⁵ Cursed be he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent man. And all the people shall say, Truly.

³³ And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before LORD in Gilgal.

³² And LORD will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it, namely, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.

²⁵ But when the matter came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

¹⁶ His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violence shall come down upon his own scalp.

³⁴ Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scholars. And some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city, ³⁵ so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation.

⁴ And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready,

¹² And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. ¹³ So they set the people, even all the army that was on the north of the city, and their ambushment that were on the west of the city, and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us. Let us lay wait for blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause. ¹² Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the pit.

⁸ And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we are brothers.

⁷ And he said, I pray you, my brothers, do not so wickedly.

⁶ And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to revel.

¹⁹ And it came to pass, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses' anger grew hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.

¹¹ and the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.

⁴ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and unstable fellows who followed him.

⁴⁶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El-berith.

²³ And the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

⁴³ And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

¹⁷ Yea, he loved cursing, and it came to him. And he did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

⁹ Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh. for upon thy summer fruits and upon thy harvest the battle shout has fallen. ¹⁰ And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field. And in the vineyards there shall be no singing nor joyful noise. No treader shall tread out wine in the presses. I have made the vintage shout to cease.

¹² And in that day the Lord, LORD of hosts, called for weeping, and for mourning, and for baldness, and for girding with sackcloth. ¹³ And, behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. ¹⁴ And LORD of hosts revealed himself in my ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, says the Lord, LORD of hosts.

⁷ The new wine mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted do sigh. ⁸ The mirth of tambourine ceases. The noise of those who rejoice ends. The joy of the harp ceases. ⁹ They shall not drink wine with a song. Strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.

³⁰ Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say to them, LORD will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation. He will mightily roar against his fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

¹ Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. ² Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from there. ³ Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem. And the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

²³ but have lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them. And thou have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, thou have not glorified.

³ Ye who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near, ⁴ who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, ⁵ who sing idle songs to the sound of the viol, who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David, ⁶ who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief oils, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou have many goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. ²⁰ But God said to him, Thou foolish man, they demand thy soul from thee this night, and the things that thou prepared, whose will they be?

²⁶ And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ And likewise as it happened in the days of Lot. They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. ²⁹ But in that day Lot went out from Sodom he rained fire and brimstone from the sky, and destroyed them all.

⁶ And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to converse with him.

¹⁰ And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants now-a-days who break away every man from his master.

¹ And there happened to be there a base fellow whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel.

¹⁶ And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents.

¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. ¹⁵ Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ And each man caught his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ And the battle was very severe that day. And Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

⁴ Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or case might come to me, and I would do for him justice!

¹¹ And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him who girds on his armor boast himself as he who puts it off.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look each other in the face.

²³ Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

⁸ Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. ⁹ How then can thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

³⁰ being gossips, slanderous, God-hating, aggressors, arrogant boasters, contrivers of evil things, disobedient to parents; ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.

¹⁴ The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. And in the night he is as a thief. ¹⁵ The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. And he disguises his face. ¹⁶ In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light. ¹⁷ For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness. For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.

⁴ He devises iniquity upon his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He does not abhor evil.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us. Let us lay wait for blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause. ¹² Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those who go down into the pit. ¹³ We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoil. ¹⁴ Thou shall cast thy lot among us. We will all have one bag. ¹⁵ My son, walk not thou in the way with them. Restrain thy foot from their path. ¹⁶ For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

¹⁶ For they do not sleep unless they do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause to fall.

¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood.

²⁶ And if a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes rich and finds sufficient to redeem it,

⁷ And let it be, when these signs have come to thee, that thou do as occasion shall serve thee, for God is with thee.

⁸ Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee. Therefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray thee, whatever comes to thy hand to thy servants, and to thy son David.

¹⁰ Whatever thy hand finds to do, do with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where thou go.

⁷ Thy doom has come to thee, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come. The day is near, tumult, and not joyful shouting, upon the mountains.

²⁴ And having looked up, he said, The men that I see, I see as trees walking.

¹⁴ For these nations, that thou shall dispossess, hearken to those who practice augury, and to psychics. But as for thee, LORD thy God has not allowed thee to do so.

²⁸ And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him? ²⁹ And would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Know thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before thou bid the people return from following their brothers? ²⁷ And Joab said, As God lives unless thou had spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone up every man from following his brother.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look each other in the face. ⁹ And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife. And a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled the thistle. ¹⁰ Thou have indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart has lifted thee up. Glory by it, and abide at home, for why should thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou should fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? ¹¹ But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up. And he and Amaziah king of Judah looked each other in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹² And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. ¹³ And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. ¹⁴ And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

²⁸ But where are thy gods that thou have made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble. For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

¹⁸ And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, take them alive. ¹⁹ So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. ²⁰ And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. ²¹ And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

³⁰ But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

²⁸ And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?

³⁰ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour each other, watch out that ye be not consumed by each other.

²³ The whole land of it is brimstone, and salt, a burning. It is not sown, nor bears, nor any grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath,

²⁵ And they beat down the cities. And on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it. And they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones of it. However the slingers went about it, and smote it.

³⁴ a fruitful land into a salt desert, for the wickedness of those who dwell therein.

¹¹ But the miry places of it, and the marshes of it, shall not be healed. They shall be given up to salt.

⁹ Therefore as I live, says LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.

²⁷ And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

²⁶ Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spoke to thy servant David my father.

² And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness. ³ But the agent of LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ⁴ Now therefore thus says LORD, Thou shall not come down from the bed where thou have gone up, but shall surely die. And Elijah departed.

⁸ Those who make them shall be like them. Yea, everyone who trusts in them.

¹⁵ Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and we are at agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hid ourselves under falsehood. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the lord LORD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation. He who believes in him shall, no, not be shamed. ¹⁷ And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet. And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. ¹⁸ And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

³⁸ And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

¹⁷ And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise, and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so ye shall do. ¹⁸ When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For LORD and for Gideon.

¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was as it snows in Zalmon.

¹⁶ For where envy and selfish ambition are, there is instability and every evil deed.

¹⁰ Thou have indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart has lifted thee up. Glory by it, and abide at home, for why should thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou should fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

¹⁶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders of it, from Tirzah, because they did not open to him, therefore he smote it. And all the women in it who were with child he ripped up.

²¹ Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did ye go so near the wall? Then thou shall say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

²¹ The matter is not so, but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

³ Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

²⁰ Therefore hear ye the counsel of LORD that he has taken against Edom, and his purposes, that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock. Surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

⁴⁵ Therefore hear ye the counsel of LORD, that he has taken against Babylon, and his purposes, that he has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock. Surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. ⁵ And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.

¹⁶ And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.

²¹ The matter is not so, but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. ²² Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

³⁵ And the battle increased that day. And the king was propped up in his chariot against the Syrians. And he died at evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. ³⁶ And there went a cry throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country.

¹⁰ Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out, yea, strife and reproach will cease.

²⁴ that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

¹² For he who makes inquiry for blood remembers them. He does not forget the cry of the poor.

⁶ He will rain snares upon sinners. Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.

¹⁰ A righteous man shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, ¹¹ so that men shall say, Truly there is a reward for the righteous man. Truly there is a God who judges in the earth.

²³ And he has brought upon them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. LORD our God will cut them off.

²² His own iniquities shall take a wicked man, and he shall be held with the cords of his sin.

⁴ And when the foreigners saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to each other, Certainly this man is a murderer, whom, though saved from the sea, Justice did not allow to live.

⁷ Be not misled, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows this he will also reap.

²⁰ And the beast was taken, and the false prophet with it who did the signs in its sight by which he led astray those who received the mark of the beast and those who worship its image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. ²¹ And the others were killed by the sword that comes forth out of his mouth (of him who sits upon the horse), and all the birds were filled from their flesh.

²⁶ And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he shall lay the foundation of it, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up the gates of it.

⁴⁵ And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city, and killed the people that were in it, and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

³⁴ In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho. He laid the foundation of it with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates of it with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.