¹ Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.² And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.³ And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.⁴ And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.⁵ And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.⁶ And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.⁷ And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.⁸ Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.⁹ Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.¹⁰ And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.¹¹ And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.¹² Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.¹³ And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.¹⁴ And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.¹⁵ And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.¹⁶ And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;¹⁷ That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.¹⁸ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.²⁰ And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.²¹ But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.²² Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.²³ Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.²⁴ And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.²⁵ And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.²⁶ And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.²⁷ Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.²⁸ And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.²⁹ And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.³⁰ And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.³¹ Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

¹ Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;² It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.³ And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.⁴ And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.⁵ And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?⁶ And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.⁷ And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.⁸ And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.⁹ He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.¹⁰ So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.¹¹ Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:¹² And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.¹³ And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.¹⁴ And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?¹⁵ And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.¹⁶ And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.¹⁷ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:¹⁸ (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)¹⁹ The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!²⁰ Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.²¹ Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.²² From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.²³ Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.²⁴ Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.²⁵ How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.²⁶ I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.²⁷ How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

¹ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.² And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:³ And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.⁴ And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.⁵ And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.⁶ And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.⁷ And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.⁸ And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.⁹ And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.¹⁰ And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.¹¹ Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.¹² Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.¹³ And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.¹⁴ For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.¹⁵ Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.¹⁶ For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.¹⁷ Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.¹⁸ Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.¹⁹ And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:²⁰ To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.²¹ And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.²² And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.²³ So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.²⁴ And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.²⁵ But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.²⁶ And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.²⁷ And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.²⁸ So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.²⁹ Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.³⁰ Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.³¹ Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?³² And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.³³ So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

¹ Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.² And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.³ Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.⁴ And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.⁵ But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.⁶ And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.⁷ And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.⁸ And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.⁹ So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.¹⁰ And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.¹² And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.¹³ And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.¹⁴ And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.¹⁵ But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.¹⁶ And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.¹⁷ For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.¹⁸ And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.¹⁹ And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.²⁰ And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.²¹ And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.²² And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:²³ And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.²⁴ And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.²⁵ And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.²⁶ And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.²⁷ Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

¹ And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.² And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:³ And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.⁴ And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.⁵ So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.⁷ And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.⁸ And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.⁹ And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.¹⁰ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.¹¹ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?¹³ So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.

¹ Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house.² And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.³ And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters.⁴ Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,⁵ And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet,⁶ And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,⁷ And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.⁸ And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them.⁹ And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁰ And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.¹¹ So they came up to Baalperazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim.¹² And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.¹³ And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.¹⁴ Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.¹⁵ And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.¹⁶ David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.¹⁷ And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

¹ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.² For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.³ For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.⁴ And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.⁵ So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.⁶ So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.⁷ And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.⁸ Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.⁹ For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.¹⁰ So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.¹¹ Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.¹² Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.¹³ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.¹⁴ And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.¹⁵ Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.¹⁶ And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.¹⁷ For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one¹⁹ That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.²⁰ And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.²¹ And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.²² And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.²³ And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.²⁵ And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.²⁷ Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

¹ After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.² And Job spake, and said,³ Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.⁴ Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.⁵ Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.⁶ As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.⁷ Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.⁸ Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.⁹ Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:¹⁰ Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.¹¹ Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?¹² Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?¹³ For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,¹⁴ With kings and counsellors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves;¹⁵ Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:¹⁶ Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.¹⁷ There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.¹⁸ There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.¹⁹ The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.²⁰ Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;²¹ Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;²² Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?²³ Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?²⁴ For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.²⁵ For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.²⁶ I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,² If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?³ Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.⁴ Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.⁵ But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.⁶ Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?⁷ Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?⁸ Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.⁹ By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.¹⁰ The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.¹¹ The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.¹² Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.¹³ In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.¹⁵ Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:¹⁶ It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,¹⁷ Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?¹⁸ Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:¹⁹ How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?²⁰ They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.²¹ Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

¹ And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.² And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?³ And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.⁴ And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.⁵ And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.⁶ And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.⁷ And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.⁸ And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.⁹ When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.¹⁰ And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.¹¹ And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.¹² And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.¹³ And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.¹⁴ And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.¹⁵ And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.¹⁶ And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.¹⁷ And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.¹⁸ And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.¹⁹ And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.²⁰ And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.²¹ And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.²² And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.²³ And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:²⁴ And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.²⁵ And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.²⁶ Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.²⁷ And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.²⁸ And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.²⁹ And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.³⁰ For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?³¹ And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.³² I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.³³ So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.³⁴ And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.³⁵ And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.³⁶ And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.³⁷ And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.³⁸ And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.³⁹ And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.⁴⁰ And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.⁴¹ And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.⁴² But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.⁴³ And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

¹ And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,² And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.³ And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.⁴ And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.⁵ And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:⁶ And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.⁷ Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.⁸ And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.⁹ And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.¹⁰ And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.¹¹ And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.¹² And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.¹³ And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.¹⁴ But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.¹⁵ Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.¹⁶ And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.¹⁷ And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.¹⁸ And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.¹⁹ And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.²⁰ Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.²¹ And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.²² Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:²³ And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:²⁴ And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.²⁵ And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.²⁶ And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.²⁷ And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:²⁸ And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.²⁹ And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.³⁰ And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.³¹ And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.³² And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.³³ And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.³⁴ And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.³⁵ And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.³⁶ And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.³⁷ Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.³⁸ Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.³⁹ The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:⁴⁰ And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.⁴¹ And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.⁴² This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.⁴³ And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.⁴⁴ And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.⁴⁵ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.⁴⁶ And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

¹ These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.² And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.³ These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.⁴ And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.⁵ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,⁶ Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.⁷ And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.⁸ And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.⁹ And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.¹⁰ And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.¹¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,¹² And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;¹³ Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.¹⁴ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,¹⁵ Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.¹⁶ And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.¹⁷ And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.¹⁸ And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.¹⁹ And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.²⁰ And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.²¹ Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.²² Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.²³ The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.²⁴ And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.²⁵ And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,²⁶ And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.²⁷ And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.²⁸ In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.²⁹ The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.³⁰ And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.³¹ And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.³² And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.³³ Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.³⁴ And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.³⁵ And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.³⁶ And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,³⁷ And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.³⁸ But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.³⁹ All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.⁴⁰ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.⁴¹ And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.⁴² And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.⁴³ And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.⁴⁴ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,⁴⁵ Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.⁴⁶ And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;⁴⁷ Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)⁴⁸ And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.⁴⁹ And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:⁵⁰ Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:⁵¹ And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.