Pfal. 1xxxiii. 2 Thine Enemies 3 They have taken crafty Counsel 4 They have faid, Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation: that the Name of Ifrael may be no more in Remembrance. 5 For they have confulted together with one Confent: they are confederate against thee. 6 The Tabernacles of Edom, and the lfhmaelites: of Moab, and the Hagarenes. 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines, with the Inhabitants of Tyre. 9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the Brook of Kifon. to Which perished at En dor: they became as Dung for the Earth. 11 Make their Nobles like OREB, and like ZEEB: yea, all their Princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: 12 Who faid, Let us take to ourselves the Houfes of God in poffeffion. 13 O my GoD, make them like a Wheel: as the Stubble before the Wind. CHAP. VIII. 1 Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 4 Succoth and Penuel re- Ver.32 ND Gideon died in a good old Age. 34 And the Children of Ifrael remembred not the LORD their GOD, who had delivered them out of the Hands of all their Enemies on every fide. 35 Neither fhewed they Kindness to the Houfe of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the Goodness which he had fhewed unto Ifrael. 1 Uu2 СНАР. CHA P. IX. 1 Abimelech by Confpiracy with the Shechemites, and Murder of his Brethren, is made King: 7 Jotham by a Parable rebuketh them, and foretelleth their Ruin. 22 Gaal confpireth with the Shechemites against him: 30 Zebul revealeth it. 34 Abimelech overcometh them, and foweth the City with Salt: 46 He burneth the Hold of the God Berith: 50 At Thebaz he is flain by a piece of a Milftone. 57 fo tham's Curfe is fulfilled. СНАР. Х. Tola judgeth Ifrael. 3 fair fucceedeth him, whose thirty Sons had thirty Cities. 7 The Philistines and Ammonites oppreffing Ifrael, 15 upon their Repentance, GOD pitieth them. Ver. 10 A ND the Children of Ifrael cried unto the LORD, faying, We have SINNED against thee, both because we have FORSAKEN Our GOD, and alfo SERVED BA ALIM. II And the LORD faid unto the Children of Ifrael, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the Children of Ammon, and from the Philiftines. 12 The Zidonians alfo, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did opprefs you, and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their Hand. 13 Yet ye have forfaken me, and ferved other Gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry unto the Gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation. 15 And the Children of Ifrael faid unto the LORD, We have finned, do thou unto us what foever feemeth good unto thee, deliver us only, we pray thee, this Day. 16 And they put away the ftrange Gods from among them, and ferved the LORD: k Pfal. Ixxviii. 34 When he flew them, then they SOUGHT him and they returned and enquired early af ter God. 35 And they remembred that GOD was their ROCK, and the HIGH GOD their REDEEMER, 36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their Mouth, and they lied unto him with their Tongues. 37 For their HEART was not RIGHT and and his Soul was grieved for the Mifery of Ifrael. 38 But he being full of COMPASSION, forgave their Iniquity, and deftroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his Anger away, and did not ftir up all his Wrath. 39 For he remembred that they were but Flesh; a WIND that paffeth away and cometh not again. 40 How oft did they provoke him in the Wilderness, and grieve him in the Defert ? 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted GOD, and limited the HOLY ONE of Ifrael 42 They remembred not his Hand, nor the Day when he delivered them from the Enemy, 43 How he had wrought his Signs in Egypt, and his Wonders in the Field of Zoan. CHA P. XI. Jepthah's Covenant with the Gileadites: 29 His Vow: 32 His Conqueft of the Ammonites: 34 He performeth his Vow on bis Daughter. Ver. 1 NOW Jepthah the Gileadite was a mighty Man of Valour, and he was the Son of an Harlot : and Gilead begat Jepthah. 2 And Gilead's Wife bare him Sons, and his Wife's Sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and faid unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our Father's House, for thou art the Son of a strange Woman. 3 Then Jephthah fled from his Brethren, and dwelt in the Land of Tob: and there were gathered vain Men to Jephthah, and went out with him. 4 And it came to pafs in procefs of time, that the Children of Ammon made War against Ifrael. 5 And it was fo, that when the Children of Ammon made War against Ifrael, the Elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the Land of Tob : 6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our Captain, that we may fight with the Children of Ammon. 7 And Jephthah said unto the Elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my Father's House? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in Distress? 8 And the Elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayeft go with us, and fight against the Children of Ammon, and be our Head over all the Inhabitants of Gilead. 9 And Jephthah faid unto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the Children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me; shall I be your Head? 10 And the Elders of Gilead faid unto Jephthah, The LORD be Witnefs between us, if we do not fo according to thy Words. 11 Then Jephthah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the People made him Head and Captain over them and Jephthah uttered all his Words before the LORD in Mizpeh. 12 And Jephthah fent Meffengers unto the King of the Children of Ammon, faying, What haft thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my Land? 13 And the King of the Children of Ammon answered unto the Messengers of Jephthah, Because Ifrael took away my Land when they came up out of Egypt: now therefore reftore thofe Lands again peaceably. 14 And Jephthah fent Meffengers again unto the King: 15 And faid unto him, Thus faith Jephthah, Ifrael took not away the Land of Moab, nor the Land of the Children of Ammon: 16 But when Ifrael came up from Egypt, and walked through the Wilderness, unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh. 17 Then Ifrael fent Meflengers unto the King of Edom, faying, Let me, I pray thee, país through thy Land: but the King of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they fent unto the King of Moab; but he would not confent. 23 The LORD GOD of Ifrael hath difpoffeffed the Amorites from before his People Ifrael, and shouldst thou poflefs it? 24 Wilt not thou poffefs that which Chemofh thy GoD giveth thee to poffefs? So whomfoever the LORD our GOD fhall drive out from before us, them will we poffefs. 25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the Son of Zippor King of Moab? did he ever ftrive against Ifrael, or did he ever fight against them, 26 While Ifrael dwelt in Hefhbon and her Towns, and in Aroer and her Towns, and in all the Cities that be along by the Coafts of Arnon, three hundred Years? Why therefore did ye not recover them within that Time? 27 Wherefore 27 Wherefore I have not finned against thee, but thou doft me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge, be Judge this Day, between the Children of Ifrael, and the Children of Ammon. 28 Howbeit, the King of the Children of Ammon hearkned not unto the Words of Jephthah which he sent him. 29 Then the SPIRIT of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he pafled over unto the Children of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah vowed a Vow unto the LORD, and faid, If thou fhalt without fail deliver the Children of Ammon into mine Hands, 31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the Doors of my House to meet me, when I return in Peace from the Children of Ammon, fhall furely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a Burnt-offering. 32 So Jephthah paffed over unto the Children of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his Hands. 33 And he fmote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty Cities, and unto the Plain of the Vineyards, with a very great Slaughter. Thus the Children. of Ammon were fubdued before the Children of Ifrael. 34 And Jepthah came to Mizpeh, unto his Houfe, and behold, his Daughter came out to meet him with Timbrels and with Dances, and fhe was his only Child: befide her he had neither Son nor Daughter. 35 And it came to pafs when he faw her, that he rent his Clothes, and faid, Alas, my Daughter, thou haft brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me : for I have opened my Mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back. 36 And she said unto him, My Father, if thou hast opened thy Mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy Mouth; forafinuch as the LORD hath taken Vengeance for thee of thine Enemies, even of the Children of Ammon. 37 And the faid unto him, Father, Let this Thing be done for me: Let me alone two Months, that I may go up and down upon the Mountains, and bewail my Virginity, I and my Fellows. 38 And he faid, Go. And he fent her away for two Months and she went with her Companions, and bewailed her Virginity upon the Mountains. |