¹ Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with 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.² 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, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.³ Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 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 shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.⁵ So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.⁶ And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.⁷ And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.⁸ So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.⁹ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.¹⁰ But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:¹¹ And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.¹² And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.¹³ And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.¹⁴ And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.¹⁵ And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.¹⁶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.¹⁷ And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.¹⁸ When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.¹⁹ So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.²⁰ And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.²¹ And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.²² And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.²³ And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.²⁴ And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.²⁵ And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

¹ And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.² And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?³ God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.⁴ And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.⁵ And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.⁶ And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?⁷ And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.⁸ And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.⁹ And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.¹⁰ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.¹¹ And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.¹² And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.¹³ And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,¹⁴ And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.¹⁵ And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?¹⁶ And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.¹⁷ And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.¹⁸ Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.¹⁹ And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.²⁰ And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.²¹ Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.²² Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.²³ And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.²⁴ And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)²⁵ And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.²⁶ And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.²⁷ And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.²⁸ Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.²⁹ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.³⁰ And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.³¹ And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.³² And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.³³ And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.³⁴ And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:³⁵ Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

¹ And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.² And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.³ David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.⁴ And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.⁸ And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,¹⁰ Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:¹¹ Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;¹² Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.¹³ And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.¹⁴ And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.¹⁶ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;¹⁷ And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;¹⁸ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

¹ And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?² And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.³ And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.⁴ And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.⁵ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.⁶ Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!⁷ And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.⁸ And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?⁹ Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.¹⁰ Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.¹¹ Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

¹ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.² Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.³ And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.⁴ But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.⁵ And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.⁶ And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.⁷ And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.⁸ And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.⁹ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?¹⁰ And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.¹¹ And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:¹² And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.¹³ And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?¹⁴ And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.¹⁵ And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:¹⁶ And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.¹⁷ And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.¹⁸ Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.¹⁹ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.²⁰ And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?²¹ And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

¹ Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,² Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.³ And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,⁴ And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,⁵ And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.⁶ And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:⁷ And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.⁸ And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.⁹ And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,¹⁰ And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.¹¹ And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.¹² The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:¹³ Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:¹⁴ And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,¹⁵ And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,¹⁶ And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;¹⁷ And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,¹⁸ Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;¹⁹ And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,²⁰ And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,²¹ And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;²² And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,²³ And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,²⁴ And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,²⁵ And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;²⁶ And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,²⁷ And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.²⁸ These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.²⁹ And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife's name was Maachah:³⁰ And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,³¹ And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher.³² And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.³³ And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.³⁴ And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.³⁵ And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.³⁶ And Ahaz begat Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,³⁷ And Moza begat Binea: Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:³⁸ And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.³⁹ And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.⁴⁰ And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.

¹ Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.² And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.³ And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.⁵ And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.⁶ And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?⁷ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.⁸ And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.⁹ And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.¹¹ Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.¹² And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.¹³ So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.¹⁴ And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.¹⁵ But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.¹⁶ And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.¹⁸ And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.¹⁹ Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.²⁰ And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.²² Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.²³ And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.²⁴ For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.²⁵ And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.²⁶ And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.²⁷ Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

¹ After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.² And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.³ Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?⁴ Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.⁶ And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.⁷ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.⁸ And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.⁹ If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.¹⁰ And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.¹¹ And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.¹² Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.¹³ And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.¹⁴ The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.¹⁵ The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

¹ When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;² And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.³ And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.⁴ So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.⁵ Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.⁶ So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.⁷ And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.⁸ Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.⁹ And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.¹⁰ Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;¹¹ All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.¹² And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.¹³ Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.¹⁴ For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?¹⁵ Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.¹⁷ So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

¹ Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,² Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.³ Then Job answered the LORD, and said,⁴ Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.⁵ Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.⁶ Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,⁷ Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.⁸ Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?⁹ Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?¹⁰ Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.¹¹ Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.¹² Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.¹³ Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.¹⁴ Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.¹⁵ Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.¹⁶ Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.¹⁷ He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.¹⁸ His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.¹⁹ He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.²⁰ Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.²¹ He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.²² The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.²³ Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.²⁴ He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

¹ And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.² And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.³ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.⁴ Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.⁵ And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.⁶ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.⁷ And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?⁸ And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.⁹ And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.¹⁰ And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.¹¹ And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.¹² And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.¹⁵ And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,¹⁶ And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:¹⁷ That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;¹⁸ And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.¹⁹ So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.²⁰ And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;²¹ Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,²² And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.²³ And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.²⁴ And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

¹ And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.² And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.³ And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,⁴ I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.⁵ And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,⁶ Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.⁷ And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.⁸ And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,⁹ That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.¹⁰ And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,¹¹ Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.¹² And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.¹³ And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.¹⁴ And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,¹⁵ My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.¹⁶ And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.¹⁷ And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure¹⁸ Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.¹⁹ And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.²⁰ And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

¹ Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.² Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:³ Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.⁴ If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.⁵ If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.⁶ Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.⁷ Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.⁸ And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.⁹ Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.¹⁰ And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:¹¹ But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.¹² Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.¹³ And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.¹⁴ Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.¹⁵ Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)¹⁶ And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.¹⁷ Three items in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God.¹⁸ Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.¹⁹ The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.²⁰ Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.²¹ Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.²² But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.²³ For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.²⁴ Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.²⁵ And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.²⁶ There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.²⁷ I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.²⁸ And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.²⁹ I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.³⁰ By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.³¹ And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.³² Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.³³ They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,² Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.³ Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;⁴ But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.⁵ That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.⁶ And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee.⁷ And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.⁸ And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.⁹ Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.¹⁰ And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.¹¹ A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.¹² For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.¹³ In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.¹⁴ And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:¹⁵ According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:¹⁶ According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.¹⁷ Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God:for I am the LORD your God.¹⁸ Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.¹⁹ And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.²⁰ And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:²¹ Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.²² And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.²³ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.²⁴ And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.²⁵ If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.²⁶ And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;²⁷ Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.²⁸ But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.²⁹ And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.³⁰ And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile.³¹ But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.³² Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.³³ And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.³⁴ But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.³⁵ And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.³⁶ Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.³⁷ Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.³⁸ I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.³⁹ And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:⁴⁰ But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile.⁴¹ And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.⁴² For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.⁴³ Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.⁴⁴ Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.⁴⁵ Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.⁴⁶ And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.⁴⁷ And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:⁴⁸ After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:⁴⁹ Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.⁵⁰ And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.⁵¹ If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.⁵² And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.⁵³ And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.⁵⁴ And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.⁵⁵ For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.