Israel's war with Benjamin.

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 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.

Many Benjamites are slain.

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.

5

They are smitten down before us, as at the 32 And the children of Benjamin said, 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 a hundred men: all these drew the sword.

c

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they

Heb. to smite of the people wounded as at, de. 8. 14. Is. 47. 11. © Josh. 8. 15.

• Or, Beth-el.

b Josh.

8

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 10 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.

12

Benjamin b

47 But six hundred men turned ar to the wilderness unto the rock Rimm abode in the rock Rimmon four mont

48 And the men of Israel turned upon the children of Benjamin, and them with the edge of the sword, a the men of every city, as the beast, a that 15 came to hand: also they set all the cities that "they came to.

• Heb. with.

e Josh. 8. 20.

Or, made a long sound with the trumpet, Josh. 6. 5. 9 Heb. eleration. 10 Heb. to smile the 11 Heb. the whole consumption. 13 Or, from Menuchah, &c. 14 Heb. unto over against.

12 Heb.

no

16 II

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.

h

13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin 'that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peace

Iably unto them.

14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead 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.

are provided with wives.

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.

8

22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable served not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.

unto them for our sakes: because we re

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: Pevery man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Heb. from year to year. m See Ex. 15. 20. ch. 11. 34. in them. n See ch. 20. 48. ch. 17. 6.

CHAPTER I.

sons, having married wives of Moab, die also.

6 Naomi re

Elimelech driven by famine into Moab, dieth there. 4 His two turning homeward, 8 dissuadeth her two daughters in law from going with her. 14 Orpah leaveth her, but Ruth cleaveth unto her. 19 They two come to Beth-lehem. [B. c. 1322.]

NOW it came to pass in the days when the judges 'ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of * Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

c

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had 'visited his people in giving them bread.

7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

h

J

k

8 And Naomi said unto her two ters in law, Go, return each to her n house: the LORD deal kindly with ye have dealt with the dead, and w 9 The LORD grant you that ye m rest, each of you in the house of b band. Then she kissed them; an lifted up their voice, and wept.

1

10 And they said unto her, Su will return with thee unto thy peop

aga

11 And Naomi said, Turn daughters: why will ye go with n there yet any more sons in my wom they may be your husbands?

3

12 Turn again, my daughters, way; for I am too old to have a If I should say, I have hope, 3if have a husband also to night, and also bear sons;

13 Would ye 'tarry for them were grown? would ye stay for th having husbands? nay, my daugh 'it grieveth me much for your sa "the hand of the LORD is gone out me.

I have much bitterness.

• Heb. hope. 32. 4. & 38. 2. & 39. 9, 10. q See Josh. 24, 15, 19. r 2 Kings 2. 2, 4, 6.

n Judg. 2. 15.

o Prov. 17. 17. & 18, 24. 2 Kings 2. 2. Luke 24. 28. 8 ch. 2. 11, 12.

Or,

Ruth gleaneth in the fields of Boaz. 4 Boaz inquireth concerning her, & and showeth her great favour. 18 That which she gleaneth she carrieth to Naomi. [B. c. 1312.]

AND Naomi had a "kinsman of her hus

band's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was b1 Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her 2 hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

t 1 Sam. 3. 17. & 25. 22. 2 Sam. 19. 13. 2 Kings 6. 31. 'Heb. strengthened herself. That is, Pleasant.

His great kindness to her.

d

4 ¶ And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

e

7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou.not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her,

It hath fully been showed me, all that thou

hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people. which thou knowest not heretofore.

12 h The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

i

13 Then she said, 3k Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, 'though

4

2 Thess. 3. 16, h1 Sam. 24. 19.

u Acts 21. 14. x Matt. 21. 10. y See Is. 23. 7. Lam. 2. 15. That is, Bitter. z Job 1. 21. a Ex. 9. 31, 32.

c Lev. 19. 9. Luke 1. 28. 16, 17.

Deut. 24. 19.

ch. 2. 23. 2 Sam. 21. 9. CHAP. II. — a ch. 3. 2, 12.

Or, I find favour. Gen. 31. 3. Judg. 19. 3.

i ch. 1. 16. Ps. 17. 8. & 36. 7. & 57. 1. & 63. 7. k Gen. 33. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 18.

11 Sam. 25. 41.

Heb. to the heart,