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Chapter
16
Judges 16 To
listen and read click the version,
KJV or
NIV, then the sound symbol & wait about 30 sec.
16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in
unto her.
2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they
compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the
city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is
day, we shall kill him.
3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with
them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them
up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley
of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto
her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and 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 silver.
6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great
strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs
that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green
withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.
And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the
fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told
me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that
never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said
unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers
in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms
like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and
told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said
unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The
Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine
heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast
not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and
urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her. There hath not
come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from
my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me,
and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent
and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this
once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man,
and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she
began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke
out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before,
and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him
down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in
the prison house.
22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was
shaven.
23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to
offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they
said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said,
Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of
our country, which slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said,
Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson
out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him
between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me
that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may
lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the
Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three
thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me,
I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God,
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house
stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand,
and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed
himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and
upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at
his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and
took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol
in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty
years. |
-
Where
did Samson take the doors of the city of Gaza? (3)
-
Who
was offered money to determine the secret of Samson’s strength?
(4-5)
-
What
was the secret of Samson’s strength? (17)
-
What
did the Philistines do to Samson? (20-21)
-
How
did Samson die? (29-30)
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Chapter
17
Judges 17 To
listen and read click the version,
KJV or
NIV, then the sound symbol & wait about 30 sec.
17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver
that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of
also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his
mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his
mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the
LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two
hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made
thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house
of Micah.
5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and
teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that
which was right in his own eyes.
7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of
Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn
where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house
of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I
am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a
place.
10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and
a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and
a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man
was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his
priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I
have a Levite to my priest. |
-
What
did Micah and his mother have made? (4-5)
-
What
was said about Israel in those days? (6)
-
Who
did Micah hire? (9-10)
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Chapter
18
Judges 18 To
listen and read click the version,
KJV or
NIV, then the sound symbol & wait about 30 sec.
18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the
tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto
that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the
tribes of Israel.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their
coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the
land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land:
who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they
lodged there.
3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the
young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him,
Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what
hast thou here?
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath
hired me, and I am his priest.
5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we
may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your
way wherein ye go.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people
that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the
Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land,
that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the
Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their
brethren said unto them, What say ye?
9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have
seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not
slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large
land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no
want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of
Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of
war.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah:
wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it
is behind Kirjath-jearim.
13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house
of Micah.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of
Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these
houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image?
now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man
the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which
were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in
thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim,
and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate
with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image,
the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the
priest unto them, What do ye?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy
mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it
better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou
be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle
and the carriage before them.
22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that
were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and
overtook the children of Dan.
23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their
faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with
such a company?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the
priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this
that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard
among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life,
with the lives of thy household.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that
they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which
he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and
secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the
city with fire.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they
had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by
Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan
their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city
was Laish at the first.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the
son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to
the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the
time that the house of God was in Shiloh. |
-
In
what condition did the men of Dan find the inhabitants of Laish?
(7)
-
What
did the men of Dan take from Micah? (24)
-
Why
was there no one to rescue Laish? (27-28)
-
What
did the Israelites rename the city of Laish when they rebuilt it?
(29)
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Chapter 19
Judges 19 To
listen and read click the version,
KJV or
NIV, then the sound symbol & wait about 30 sec.
19:1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in
Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of
mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from
him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four
whole months.
3 And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto
her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple
of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the
father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he
abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged
there.
5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the
morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto
his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and
afterward go your way.
6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for
the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee,
and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him:
therefore he lodged there again.
8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and
the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they
tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his
servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him,
Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all
night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart
may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home.
10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and
departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there
were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant
said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this
city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into
the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will
pass over to Gibeah.
13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of
these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon
them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and
when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there
was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field
at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah:
but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the
street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and
whence comest thou?
18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the
side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah,
but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that
receiveth me to house.
19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is
bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young
man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy
wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the
asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the
city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at
the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying,
Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, Nay, my
brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is
come into mine house, do not this folly.
24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I
will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth
good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his
concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and
abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to
spring, they let her go.
26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the
door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the
house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his
concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were
upon the threshold.
28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered.
Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him
unto his place.
29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold
on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into
twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed
done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of
the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and
speak your minds. |
-
With
what phrase does both Chapter 18 and 19 begin? (1)
-
What
did the wicked men of Gibeah do to the Levite’s concubine? (25)
-
What
did the Levite do with his dead concubine? (29)
Back
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Chapter
20
Judges 20 To
listen and read click the version,
KJV or
NIV, then the sound symbol & wait about 30 sec.
20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with
the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel,
presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four
hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were
gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was
this wickedness?
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered
and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my
concubine, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round
about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine
have they forced, that she is dead.
6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her
throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and
counsel.
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us
go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will
go up by lot against it;
10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of
Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten
thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they
come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have
wrought in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit
together as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of
Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are
in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from
Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of
their brethren the children of Israel:
14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of
the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of
Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the
cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the
inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men
lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not
miss.
17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred
thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God,
and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to
the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah
shall go up first.
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped
against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the
men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and
destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two
thousand men.
22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set
their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in
array the first day.
23(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until
even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to
battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said,
Go up against him.)
24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of
Benjamin the second day.
25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day,
and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again
eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and
came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD,
and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the LORD.
27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of
the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it
in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the
children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said,
Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin
on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at
other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were
drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and
kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the
house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men
of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us,
as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and
draw them from the city unto the highways.
33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put
themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel
came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all
Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near
them.
35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of
Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand
and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men
of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the
liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers
in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of
the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the
liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up
out of the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to
smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they
said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar
of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of
the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were
amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the
way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which
came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and
trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were
men of valour.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of
Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men;
and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of
them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five
thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock
Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin,
and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every
city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire
all the cities that they came to. |
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What
did the Israelites ask the men of Benjamin to do? (13)
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What
was unique about the seven hundred chosen men from Benjamin? (16)
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What
military technique did Israel use against Benjamin similar to what
Joshua used against Ai? (29-45)
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How
many of the men of Benjamin fell? (46)
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Chapter
21
Judges 21 To
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21:1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall
not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even
before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel,
that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and
built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes
of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For
they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD
to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother,
and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn
by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came
not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp
from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the
inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.
10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the
valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants
of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the
children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy
every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred
young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they
brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of
Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto
them.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives
which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so
they sufficed them not.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD
had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives
for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be
escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the
children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife
to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh
yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east
side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the
south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and
lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance
in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man
his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us
to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for
our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war:
for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according
to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went
and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and
dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man
to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every
man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which
was right in his own eyes. |
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How
many young women of Jabesh-Gilead were available to be wives for the
remaining Benjamites? (12)
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How
did the rest of the Benjamites obtain their wives? (19-23)
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With
what sad words does the Book of Judges end? (25)
Answers for
Judges Study Questions
Quiz on Judges Chapters 7 - 21
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