¹ Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,² Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?³ Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?⁴ For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.⁵ But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;⁶ And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.⁷ Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?⁸ It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?⁹ The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.¹⁰ If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?¹¹ For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?¹² For vain men would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.¹³ If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;¹⁴ If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.¹⁵ For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:¹⁶ Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:¹⁷ And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.¹⁸ And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.¹⁹ Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

¹ And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.² And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.³ And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.⁵ And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.⁷ And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.⁹ And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.¹¹ Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.¹² And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.¹³ And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.¹⁴ And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.¹⁶ And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?¹⁷ And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?¹⁸ And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.¹⁹ And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.²⁰ And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.²² And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.²³ And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.²⁴ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.²⁶ And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.²⁷ And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.²⁸ And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.²⁹ And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.³⁰ And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

¹ And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:² And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.³ And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.⁴ And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.⁵ And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.⁶ And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.⁷ And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;⁸ One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.⁹ And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.¹⁰ And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:¹¹ And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.¹² Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.¹³ And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.¹⁴ Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.¹⁵ And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.¹⁶ And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.¹⁷ And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:¹⁸ And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:¹⁹ Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.²⁰ And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:²¹ And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.²² Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.²³ And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.²⁴ Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.²⁵ And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.²⁶ And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.²⁷ And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.²⁸ And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,² Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.³ And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.⁴ And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.⁵ When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.⁶ When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.⁷ But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.⁸ And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.⁹ And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.¹⁰ Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.¹¹ And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.¹² And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.¹³ And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.¹⁴ In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.¹⁵ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.¹⁶ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.¹⁷ And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.¹⁸ And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.¹⁹ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.²⁰ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.²¹ And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.²² And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.²³ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.²⁴ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.²⁵ And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.²⁶ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.²⁷ And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.²⁸ Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.²⁹ And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.³⁰ And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.³¹ And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.³² And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.³³ And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.³⁴ And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.³⁵ And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.³⁶ And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

¹ Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.² Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.³ Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.⁴ And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.⁵ Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:⁶ But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.⁷ And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.⁸ Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.⁹ Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.¹⁰ And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:¹¹ And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.¹² And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.¹³ Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:¹⁴ And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.¹⁵ Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.¹⁶ Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:¹⁷ Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.¹⁸ Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.¹⁹ Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.²⁰ That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.²¹ Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.²² Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

¹ And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.² And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:³ And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.⁴ Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.⁵ And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.⁶ Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:⁷ And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.⁸ And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.⁹ And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.¹⁰ Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.¹¹ And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,¹² These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:¹³ And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.¹⁴ And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,¹⁵ Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.¹⁶ Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁷ Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁸ Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁹ Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁰ Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.²¹ Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.²² Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.²³ Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁴ Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁵ Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁶ Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

¹ And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,² Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.³ And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.⁴ And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.⁵ And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.⁶ And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.⁷ And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.⁸ The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.⁹ But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.¹¹ But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?¹² Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.¹³ And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?¹⁴ Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.¹⁵ And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.¹⁶ Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;¹⁷ (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:¹⁸ And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)¹⁹ If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:²⁰ But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.²¹ And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.²² When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,²³ Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:²⁴ That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.²⁵ And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.²⁶ And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.²⁷ And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.²⁸ And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?²⁹ And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.³⁰ And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.³¹ And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.³² Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:³³ And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.³⁴ And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.³⁵ And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.³⁶ And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.³⁷ And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.³⁸ Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.³⁹ And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.⁴⁰ And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.⁴¹ And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.⁴² And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.⁴³ And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.⁴⁴ And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.⁴⁵ And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.⁴⁶ And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.⁴⁷ And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.⁴⁸ And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.⁴⁹ And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.⁵⁰ Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.⁵¹ But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.⁵² And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.⁵³ And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.⁵⁴ Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.⁵⁵ And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.⁵⁶ Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:⁵⁷ And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

¹ And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?² Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.³ And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.⁴ David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.⁵ And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.⁶ Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.⁸ Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.⁹ And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?¹⁰ David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.¹² So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.¹³ Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:¹⁴ And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?¹⁵ And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.¹⁶ This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.¹⁷ And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.¹⁸ And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.²⁰ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.²¹ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.²² And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.²³ The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.²⁴ And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.²⁵ Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

¹ And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.² And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.³ And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.⁴ And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.⁵ And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?⁶ Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.⁷ And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.⁸ And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.⁹ And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.¹⁰ And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.¹¹ And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.¹² And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.

¹ And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,² That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.³ And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.⁴ And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:⁵ Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.⁶ But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:⁷ Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:⁸ And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?⁹ And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.¹⁰ And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king's house,¹¹ (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.¹² And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.¹³ And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.¹⁴ And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.¹⁵ And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.¹⁶ For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.¹⁷ And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether,¹⁸ And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,¹⁹ And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.²⁰ And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,²¹ Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.²² But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.²³ These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.²⁴ But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.²⁵ And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.²⁶ And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.²⁷ And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.²⁸ And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

¹ Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.² And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.³ For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.⁴ And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.⁶ And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.⁷ And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:⁸ Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.⁹ But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.¹⁰ And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,¹¹ Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:¹² Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.¹³ And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.¹⁴ And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;¹⁵ Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.¹⁶ Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.¹⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?¹⁸ And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.¹⁹ Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.²⁰ And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.²¹ And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:²² And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.²³ And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.²⁴ And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.²⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?²⁶ And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.