hold, the doors of the parlour inert locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

*5 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key and opened them: and, be. hold, their lord tuas fallen down dead on the earth.

s6 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

zy And it came to pass, when he was come, that.he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. _ 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men os valour; and there escaped not a man.

30 So Moab was suhdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had reft fourscore years.

31 fl And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which stew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

CHAP. IV. j Deborah an.i Barak deli-ver Israel from 'Jabin and Sisera. 1S Jael killeth Sifira.

AN D the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lo R D , when Ehud was dead.

2 And the Lo R D fold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host <uuas Sisera, which dwelt in Haroflieth of the Gentiles.

:3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord : for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children oslsrael. 4. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, (he judged Israel at that time.

5 And slie dweltunder the palm tree of Deborah, betweenRamah andBeth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Jsracl came up to her for judgement.

6 And lie lent and called Barak the son of Abinoajnout osKedesh-Naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, frying, Go, and draw toward rao'.iut Tabgr, and

children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto.thee to the river Kilhon Sisera,^*he captain of Ja.bin's army, with his dianots urid /its multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wist go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And (he said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest (hall not be for thine honour; for the Lord (hall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh .

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedelh; and he went up with, ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, ivfiich iv4u '%?; of the children of Hobab the father 10 <««^ law of Moses, had severed himself from

the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the Xi^ plain of Zaanaim, which it by Kedelh. t-^

i2 And they shewed Sisera that Ba» '<, ft rak the son of Abinoam was gone up to <j-^i mount Tabor. '■} *

13 And Sisera gathered together all ^' his chariots, e<ven nine hundred chariots -i-j.

mitt, zad gave him drink, and' covered bis.

» Again he said unto her, Stand in tie door of the tent, and it (hall be, «ien any man doth come and enquire as thee, and sey, Is there any man here* that thou (halt lay, No.

Ji Then Jael Hebor's wife took a nail of [be tent, and took an hammer in her had, and went softly unto him, and finott the nail into his temples, and seftoied it into the ground: for he was ftiafleep and weary. So he died.

:i And, behold, as Barak pursued S_iira, Jæl came out to meet him, and said «to him, Come, and I will (hew thee the nun whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail ivas in his temples.

13 Sc God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

14 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed againit JaWn the king of Canaan, until they had (iercroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

CHAP. V.
she fane of Deborah and Barak.

THEN fang Deborah and Barak the
son of Abinoam on that day,laying,
i Praise ye the Lor D for the aveng-
ing of Israel, when the people willingly
ottered themselves.
} Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye

princes; I, evert I, will sing unto trie Lord; swill sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the fidd os Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 The mountains melted from before the Lo R D , even that Sinai from before the Lor o God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days ,of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the traveller* walked through byways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Ifrael.

t They chose new gods $ then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear feen among forty thousand it) Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of lirael, that offered themselves willingly saong the people. Bless ye the Lor D.

Io Speak, yc that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgement, and walk by the my.

Ii They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toivard the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lor D' go down to the gates.

n Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou lbn of Abinoam.

13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

14. Out of Ephraim ivas there a root of them againit Amalek; after tlu-e, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Issachar ivere with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there •were great thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodelt thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there ivere great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in mips? Alher continued on the sea sliore, and abode in his breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali ivere a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

11 The river of iCislion swept them away, that ancient river, the river Ki(hon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lor D, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women fliall Jacl the wife of Heber the Kcnite; be blessed (hall fhe.be above women in the tent.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; {he brought forth butter in u lordly dish." • * ••■''•

26 She put her hand to the nail, and P*. her her fight hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer (lie smote Sisera, (he smote off his head, when she had pierc ed and stricken through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet lie bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wife ladies answered her, yea, Ihe returned answer to herself,

jo Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel er two? to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey °f divers colours of needlework, of divers colours, of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lo k D : but' let them that love him he as the fun when he goetli forth irt his might. And the land had rest forty years.

C H A P. VI. 1 The Israelites for theirsm are oppressed

by Midian. 7 A prophet rebukctk them.

11 Gideon delivereth them.

AND the children of Israel did evil in the light of the Lord: and the Lo'R D delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

1 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

. 3. Andyi it was, when Israel had sown, that the_ Midjanitcs came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither slieep, nor ox, nor ass.

5 For they came- up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grafhoppers for multitude ;/»rboth they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy \l.

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because qf the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lor o.

7 % And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lor D because of the Midianites,

-.. 8 That the Lo R D sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus faith the Lord God of IsnacL I brought you up from Egypt, and

Gideon, and the rrrtjg&Z.

brought.you forth out of the house of bondage;

, 9 And I delivered you out of the Iiancf of the Egyptians, and out of the h.uul of all that oppressed you, and drave them out' from before you, and gave you their land;

10 And I said unto you, I ant -the Lord your God; fear.not the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11 «tf And there came an angel of -the Lord, and sat under an oak which ivas in Oplirah, that pertained unto Joa/h the' Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepiess, to hide it h 0111 the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the Lor D appeared unto him, and laid unto him. The Lord is with, thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lo R D be with us, why then ^si is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us off

saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, ana thou (halt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

> 5 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith mall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manassehyand I am the least in my father's house.

16 And the Lo R D said unto him, Surely I will be with thep, and thou sttalf (mite the Midianites, as one man.

17 And he said unto him, If now I

have found grace in thy sight, then Shew me a sign that thou talkelt with nit.

18 Depart not hence, I.pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

10 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flefli he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

ao And the angel of God said unto ^1^ him, Take the stem, and the unleaventd ^ cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and U'irfc

pour out the broth. "And he did so.

a 1 Then the angel of the Losd put forth the end of the staff that ■wv'aha hand, and touched the flelh and theiui' leavened cakes; and there arose up f>>* out of the rock, and consumed ttefl'*

ami

and tie anleavened cakes. Then the angdci theLo R D departed out of his sight. ijAndwhenGjdeoii perceived thit he ■sur an angel of the Lord, Gideon laid, .AJas, O Lo s D God! for because I have feea in angel of the Lo R D face to face.

13 And the Lo R. D .'aid unto him, Pence feuitothee: sear not j thoulhaltnotdie.

14 Then Gideon built an altar there caio the Lo to, and called it Jehovahftalam: onto this day it is yet in Ophnh of the Abi-exrites.

15 And it came to pals the fame night, tint the Lo a. D said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw douro the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

16 And build an altar unto the Lo R o thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bollock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou (halt cat down.

*7 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's houfhold and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night,

it And when die men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that <was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that ives built.

, M And they laid one to another, Who hath done this thing? and when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

33 Then the men of the city said unto joasti, Bring out thy son that he may die: because he bath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

31 And Joalh said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal ? will vt lave him i he that will plead for him, Ut him be put to death, whilst it is yet rsorning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

3» Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, laying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown (Sown his altar.

33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

li But the Spirit of the Lord came

upon G'dcon, and he blew a.trumpet} aud Abi-ezei was gathered after him.

35 And he lent mellengers throughout all Mauasseh; who also w.is gathered after him: and he.lent mellengers unto Asher,anduntoZebulun,anduntoNaphtali; aud they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon laid unto God, If thou wilt (ave ilrael by mine hand, as thou hast said,

37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the7 earth beside; then (hall I know that then wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou halt said.

38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full ot' water.

39 And Gideon (aid untoGod, Let not thine anger be hpt against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray tliee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

CHAP. VII. 1 Gideon's army. 9 He is encouraged by the dream, and interpretation of the barley cake. z+Oreb and Zccb.

THEN Jerubbaal, whow Gideon, and all the people that -were wjth him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

» And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, faying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, faying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount. Gilead, And there returned of the people twenty.and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many, bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it (hall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This (hall go with thee, the lame shall go with thee j and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same (hall not go.

5 So he broughtdown the people unto

the