April
1st Judges 19 The Levite and his concubine
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.
Judges
20 Israel punishes Benjamin for sin
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.
Judges
21 Wives for the Tribe of Benjamin
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.
The book of Judges comes to an end with three incidents all
of which are related with marriage. The first being a Levite who takes a
concubine to wife, the second is that the Lord judges Israel for their sin and
lastly the men of the Tribe of Benjamin take wives. But first, we see the
interesting story of a man that is of the tribe of Levi who takes a wife who is
a concubine. Again the writer is at pains to point out that there is no king in
Israel. In other words there was no authority to regulate the lives of the
Israelites. The incident is as follows a Levite married to a young slave woman
of Bethlehemjudah and she was unfaithful to him and then she went home to her
father for four months. She deserted him for 4 months. So he decided to go
after her and he spoke kindly to her trying to bring her home. The father was
pleased to see him and he gave him hospitality for three days. However every
day the Levite got up ready to go home the Father persuaded him to stay a while
and fed him. After five days of delay the Levite decided to go even though it
was getting late in the day. So he set out and got as far as Jerusalem, then
the servant said lets stay here but the Levites said no lets move on to find a
place to say with the people of God. (Jerusalem was called Jebus in those days
and it was occupied by the Jebusites) Eventually they arrived at Gibeah (of
the Benjamiites) but they found no lodgings so they slept in the street. Then
they met an old man in the streets who offered them provision but no room or
bed. Then when they were eating in his house the men of the city surrounded the
house demanding that the man be given to them so that they might rape him. The
old man refused and offered his daughter and the Levites concubine to them, but
he said do not do this vile thing to him. In the end the Levite brought his
wife to them and they raped her all night and then released her in the morning.
She came a fell down at the door with her hands on the threshold of the old man
until the breaking of the day. In the morning the Levite found her and said get
up we need to leave this place. They departed but then he took a knife and
killed her separating her body into twelve pieces and he sent the pieces to the
twelve distant parts of Israel. The men of Israel said that they had never
heard of such a thing in all of their history. Then the children of Israel
gathered as one man 400,000 of them. They questioned the Levite and he stood an
explained it all to them. He said l did all this because they committed
lewdness and folly in Israel. The men of Israel cast lots so that 10% went up
to fight against this city. They came to the city and demanded that the people
give up these wicked men but they refused. The Benjaminites were 26,000 and of
Gibeah 700 chosen men – all left handed. (This made them difficult to fight)
Everyone was an expert sling thrower who could hit a thread with a stone
everytime. But the men of Israel were 400,000. They inquired of the Lord who
should go to battle first and the LORD said. Judah. 22,000 fell that day of the
children of Israel. They returned to the Lord and wept before the Lord asking
what to do next. The LORD said, go again to battle. 18,000 died of the children
of Israel. When they went back to the LORD they wept and fasted and offered
sacrifice and they inquired of the Lord again. The LORD said go and l will give
you victory. So they attacked the third day and at first it seemed as if the
Benjaminites were winning again they killed 30 men but the Children of Israel
retreated to draw them into open field. 10,000 men of Gibeah went to battle not
knowing that they would be defeated. Then the battle went against Benjamin and
25,100 died and there were men in the rear entered the city and killed everyone
and burnt the city. The rising of the smoke was a signal that those retreating
should turn and in the battle 18,000 men of Benjamin fell in battle. The men of
Benjamin gathered 5,000 to fight for them but in the end 25,000 men fell in the
battle of Benjamin. 600 men fled to the Rock Rimmon and stayed there four
months. The children of Israel carried on bringing the judgment of God on the
cites of Benjamin. All this because of a slave woman? Not really the death of
the slave woman was just the spark that set the children of Israel on a path of
destroying of the sin of the tribe of Benjamin. Then we find that the rest of
the children of Israel vowed before the Lord to humble Benjamin by refusing to
give wives to them for marriage. But the tribe of Benjamin appealed to the
Lord. However Israel repented of their vow and found that they had no wives to
give to Benjamin so they sent 12,000 men and fought against the men of
Jabesh-gilead and took 400 virgins for the men of Benjamin. Then they sent some
men to speak peaceably to the men of Benjamin at the Rock and they offered them
wives yet there were not enough virgins. So they advised them to go to the
yearly celebrations at Shiloh and they were to take virgins from there. And so
Benjamin was prevented from being totally wiped out from Israel. They returned
to their cities and rebuilt them. Again the writer states that there was no
cohesive authority in a king in those days. Men did whatever they wanted
without a unifying plan.
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