Bible in 90 Days

¹³ So they said to him, “No, we will only tie you up and give you to them. We will not kill you.” So they tied him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

¹⁴ When Samson came to Lehi, the Philistines came with a loud noise to meet him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson with power. The ropes on his arms became as weak as a burning plant, and fell from his hands. ¹⁵ Samson found a jawbone of a donkey and took it in his hand. He killed 1,000 men with it. ¹⁶ Then Samson said, “With the bone of a donkey there are bodies upon bodies. With the bone of a donkey I have killed 1,000 men.” ¹⁷ When he was done speaking, he threw the bone from his hand. And he called that place Ramath-lehi. ¹⁸ Then Samson became very thirsty. He called to the Lord and said, “You have taken us away from trouble by the hand of Your servant. Now must I die of thirst and fall into the hands of those who have not gone through our religious act?” ¹⁹ But God broke open a place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned. He received new life. So he called the place En-hakkore. It is in Lehi to this day. ²⁰ Samson ruled Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

Samson and Delilah

16 Samson went to Gaza and saw a woman who sold the use of her body there. He went in to her. ² The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” So they gathered around the place and waited for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light. Then we will kill him.” ³ But Samson lay until late at night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the pieces that held them. He pulled them up together with the locks and put them on his shoulders. And he carried them up to the top of the mountain beside Hebron.

⁴ After this Samson loved a woman in the valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah. ⁵ The leaders of the Philistines came to her, saying, “Tempt Samson to tell you the secret of his powerful strength. Find out how we can get power over him so we can tie him and hold him. Then we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” ⁶ So Delilah said to Samson, “I beg you. Tell me the secret of your powerful strength. Tell me how one can get power over you and tie you up and hold you.” ⁷ Samson said to her, “They must tie me with seven new ropes that have not been dried. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.” ⁸ So the leaders of the Philistines brought her seven new ropes that had not been dried. And Delilah tied Samson with them. ⁹ She had men hiding and waiting in another room. She said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the ropes like a string breaks when it touches fire. So they did not find the secret of his strength.

¹⁰ Delilah said to Samson, “See, you have fooled me and told me lies. Now tell me, I beg you, how can you be tied?” ¹¹ Samson said to her, “They must tie me with new ropes which have never been used. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.” ¹² So Delilah took new ropes, tied Samson with them, and said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Men were hiding and waiting in another room. But Samson broke the ropes from his arms like a string.

¹³ Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have fooled me and told me lies until now. Tell me how you can be tied.” Samson said to her, “You must work the seven strings of my hair into the cloth you are making and hold it there with a nail. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.” ¹⁴ So while Samson slept, Delilah took the seven strings of his hair and worked them into the cloth. She held it in place with the nail. Then she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the nail, the cloth maker and the cloth.

¹⁵ Delilah said to Samson, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have lied to me these three times. You have not told me the secret of your powerful strength.” ¹⁶ She asked him day after day until his soul was troubled to death. ¹⁷ So he told her all that was in his mind. He said to her, “My hair has never been cut. For I have been a Nazirite to God from the time I was born. If my hair is cut, my strength will leave me. I will become weak and be like any other man.”

¹⁸ Delilah saw that Samson had told her the truth. She sent and called the leaders of the Philistines, saying, “Come once again. For he has told me all he knows.” So the leaders of the Philistines came to her. And they brought the money in their hands. ¹⁹ She made Samson sleep on her knees. Then she called for a man to cut off the seven parts of Samson’s hair. She began to hurt Samson, and his strength left him. ²⁰ She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as I have at other times. I will shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. ²¹ The Philistines took hold of him and cut out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and tied him with brass chains. Samson was made to grind grain in the prison. ²² But the hair of his head started to grow again after it was cut off.

The Death of Samson

²³ Now the leaders of the Philistines gathered to give a large gift to their god Dagon. They were happy, for they said, “Our god has given us Samson, the man who has fought against us.” ²⁴ The people praised their god when they saw Samson. They said, “Our god has given us the one who fought against us, destroyed our country, and killed many of us.” ²⁵ After the people had had much to drink, they said, “Bring Samson here so we can have some fun with him.” So they called Samson out of prison and made fun of him. They made him stand between the stone pillars that held up the building. ²⁶ Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the tall pillars that hold up the building. I want to rest against them.” ²⁷ Now the building was full of men and women. All the leaders of the Philistines were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof looking down and laughing at Samson.

²⁸ Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, I beg You. Remember me. Give me strength only this once, O God. So I may now punish the Philistines for my two eyes.” ²⁹ Samson took hold of the two center pillars that held up the building. He pushed against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. ³⁰ Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his strength so that the building fell on the leaders and all the people in it. He killed more at his death than he killed in his life. ³¹ Then his brothers and all those of his father’s house came and took him. They brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the grave of his father Manoah. Samson had ruled Israel for twenty years.

The False Gods of Micah

17 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. ² He said to his mother, “There were 1,100 pieces of silver taken from you. And I heard you pray that the robber would be cursed. See, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the Lord bring good to you, my son.” ³ He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And she said, “I set apart all the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son. It is to be used in making an object to look like a god. So I will return the silver to you.” ⁴ When he returned the silver to his mother, she gave 200 pieces to the man who works with silver. He made them into an object to look like a god for Micah’s house. ⁵ The man Micah had a special building where gods were worshiped. He made a holy vest and gods for the house. And he set apart one of his sons to be his religious leader. ⁶ There was no king in Israel in those days. Each man did what he thought was right.

⁷ Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite, of the family of Judah, and he was staying there. ⁸ He left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to find a place to live. As he traveled he came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. ⁹ Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” He answered, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to stay where I may find a place.” ¹⁰ Then Micah said to him, “Live with me. Be a father and a religious leader to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, new clothes, and your living.” So the Levite went in. ¹¹ The Levite agreed to live with the man. And the young man was like a son to Micah. ¹² So Micah set apart the Levite. The young man became his religious leader and lived in Micah’s house. ¹³ Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will bring good to me because I have a Levite as my religious leader.”

Micah and the Danites

18 There was no king of Israel in those days. At that time the family of the Danites was looking for their own land to live in. For no land had been given to them yet among the families of Israel. ² So the people of Dan sent five men from all those in their family. They were men with strength of heart, from Zorah and Eshtaol, sent to look over the land. The people of Dan said to them, “Go and look over the land.” And the men came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. They stayed there. ³ When they were near the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young man, the Levite. They knew who he was, and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What do you have here?” ⁴ The Levite said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me. He has hired me. I have become his religious leader.” ⁵ They said to him, “We beg you to ask God if all will go well for us as we travel.” ⁶ The religious leader said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are going is pleasing to the Lord.”

⁷ Then the five men left and came to Laish. They saw how the people lived there, quiet and feeling safe, like the Sidonians. There was no ruler in the land who would put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians and had nothing to do with anyone. ⁸ The five men returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol. Their brothers said to them, “What do you have to say?” ⁹ They answered, “Get ready. Let us go up against them. For we have seen their land and it is very good. Will you sit and do nothing? Do not wait. Go into the land and take it. ¹⁰ When you go in, you will come to people who feel very safe. They have much land, but God has given it to you. It will be a place where you will have all you need on earth.”

¹¹ Then 600 men from the family of Dan, from Zorah and Eshtaol, went out ready for war. ¹² They went to Kiriath-jearim in Judah and set up their tents. They called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is west of Kiriath-jearim. ¹³ They went from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

¹⁴ Then the five men who had gone to look over the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are gods, a holy vest, and objects made to look like gods? So think about what you should do.” ¹⁵ They turned there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, at the home of Micah. They asked him how he was getting along. ¹⁶ The 600 men of the sons of Dan who were ready for war were standing by the gate. ¹⁷ The five men who had gone to look over the land went in the house. They took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods. The religious leader stood by the gate with the 600 men who were ready for war. ¹⁸ When the men went into Micah’s house and took the objects made to look like gods, the holy vest and the other gods, the religious leader said to them, “What are you doing?” ¹⁹ They said to him, “Be quiet. Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be a father and a religious leader to us. Is it better for you to be a religious leader to the house of one man, or to a family in Israel?” ²⁰ The religious leader felt glad in his heart. He took the holy vest, the house gods and objects made to look like gods. And he went among the people.

²¹ Then they turned and left. They put the little ones, the animals and their riches in front of them. ²² They had gone a long way from the house of Micah. And the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and went after them. When they came to the sons of Dan, ²³ they called out to them. The sons of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is wrong with you? Why have you gathered together?” ²⁴ Micah said, “You have taken away my gods which I made. And you go away with the religious leader. What do I have left? How can you say to me, ‘What is wrong with you?’” ²⁵ The sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us. Or angry men will kill you and those of your house.” ²⁶ Then the sons of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he returned to his house.

²⁷ The men of Dan took what Micah had made and the religious leader who had belonged to him. They came to Laish, to people who were quiet and felt safe. And they killed them with the sword. They burned the city with fire. ²⁸ There was no one to take them away from their trouble, because it was far from Sidon and they had nothing to do with anyone. It was in the valley near Beth-rehob. The sons of Dan built the city again, and lived in it. ²⁹ They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel. The name of the city had been Laish before. ³⁰ The people of Dan set up for themselves the object made to look like a god. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were religious leaders to the family of Dan until the day their land was taken. ³¹ They set up the false god that Micah had made, while the house of God was at Shiloh.

The Levite and Woman Who Acted as His Wife

19 There was no king in Israel in those days. And there was a certain Levite staying in a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to act as his wife. ² But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and went to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months. ³ Then her husband got up and went after her. He was gentle in speaking to her, asking her to return with him. He brought his servant and two donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house. When her father saw him, he was glad to meet him. ⁴ His father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there. ⁵ They got up early in the morning on the fourth day to get ready to go. The girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Eat a piece of bread to get your strength. Then you may go.” ⁶ So both of them sat down and ate and drank together. The girl’s father said to the man, “I beg you, agree to stay the night. Let your heart be happy.” ⁷ The man stood up to go. But his father-in-law begged him so that he stayed another night there. ⁸ He got up to go early in the morning on the fifth day. But the girl’s father said, “I beg you, get your strength first. Wait until later in the day.” So both of them ate. ⁹ Then the man stood up to leave with his woman and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Now see, the day is ending. I beg you, stay the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here through the night so your heart may be happy. Get up early tomorrow to go on your way home.”

¹⁰ But the man would not stay the night. He stood up and left and came to a place beside Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had his woman with him and two donkeys to carry them both. ¹¹ The day was almost gone when they were near Jebus. The servant said to his owner, “Come, let us go in and stay the night in this city of the Jebusites.” ¹² But his owner said to him, “We will not go into the city of strangers who are not of the people of Israel. We will go as far as Gibeah.” ¹³ And he said to his servant, “Come, let us go to one of these places. We will stay the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” ¹⁴ So they passed Jebus and went on their way. The sun went down when they were near Gibeah, a city of Benjamin. ¹⁵ They turned to go in and stay at Gibeah. They went in and sat down outside in the center of the city. For no one took them into his house to stay the night.

¹⁶ In the evening an old man came out of the field from his work. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying in Gibeah. But the men of the place were Benjamites. ¹⁷ The old man looked up and saw the traveler in the center of the city, and said, “Where are you going? Where do you come from?” ¹⁸ The Levite said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but am now returning home. But no one will take me into his house. ¹⁹ We have food for our donkeys. And we have bread and wine for me, my woman, and the young man who is with your servants. We have all we need.” ²⁰ The old man said, “Peace to you. Let me take care of all your needs. But do not stay the night in the street.” ²¹ So he took him into his house and gave food to the donkeys. The people washed their feet and ate and drank.

²² While they were having a happy time, certain sinful men of the city gathered around the house. They beat on the door and said to the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house so we can have sex with him.” ²³ The man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said, “No, my brothers. I beg you not to be so sinful. This man has come into my house. Do not do this sinful thing. ²⁴ Here is my daughter who has never had a man. And here is the woman who belongs to the man. Let me bring them out. Put them to shame. Do to them whatever you wish. But do not do such a sinful act against this man.” ²⁵ But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his woman and brought her out to them. The men had sex with her all night until morning. When the sun came up, they let her go. ²⁶ The woman came early in the morning and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her owner was. She lay there until it was light.

²⁷ Her owner got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way and saw his woman lying at the door of the house. Her hands were on the step. ²⁸ He said to her, “Get up. Let us be going.” But there was no answer. He put her body across the donkey and started on his way home. ²⁹ When he went into his house, he took a knife. He took hold of his woman and cut her into twelve pieces, arm by arm, leg by leg. Then he sent her out through all the land of Israel. ³⁰ All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has happened before. Nothing like this has been seen from the day when the people of Israel came from the land of Egypt until now. Think about it. Listen to what is said about it. And say what you think.”

Israel Gets Ready for War

20 Then all the people of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out. The people gathered together as one man to the Lord at Mizpah. ² The leaders of all the people, all the families of Israel, showed themselves in the meeting of the people of God. There were 400,000 soldiers on foot who used the sword. ³ (The people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The people of Israel said, “Tell us. How did this sinful thing happen?” ⁴ The Levite, the husband of the woman who was killed, answered, “I came with my woman to stay the night at Gibeah, a city of Benjamin. ⁵ But the men of Gibeah came against me. They gathered around the house at night because of me. They wanted to kill me. But they did sex with my woman instead, so she died. ⁶ I took my woman and cut her into pieces. I sent her out through all the land that was given to Israel. For they have done a sinful act of shame in Israel. ⁷ All you people of Israel, say what should be done.”

⁸ All the people stood up as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent. Not one of us will return to his house. ⁹ But this is what we will do to Gibeah. We will go against it by drawing names. ¹⁰ We will take ten men of every 100 among the families of Israel, and 100 of every 1,000, and 1,000 of every 10,000. They will take food for the people. So when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the acts of shame they have done in Israel.” ¹¹ All the men of Israel were gathered against the city, together as one man.

¹² The family groups of Israel sent men through the whole family group of Benjamin, saying, “What is this sin that has happened among you? ¹³ Now give us the sinful men of Gibeah. Then we will put them to death and take this sin away from Israel.” But the people of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. ¹⁴ The people of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah. They came to go out to battle against the people of Israel. ¹⁵ Out of the sons of Benjamin, there were 26,000 men who used the sword who came from the cities on that day. And there were 700 chosen men who lived in Gibeah. ¹⁶ There were 700 chosen men of all these people who were left-handed. Each one could use a sling to throw a stone at a hair and not miss.

¹⁷ Apart from Benjamin, there were 400,000 men of Israel who used the sword. All of them were men of war. ¹⁸ The people of Israel went up to Bethel. There they asked God, “Who should go first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah should go first.”

¹⁹ So the people of Israel got up in the morning and went to get ready to fight against Gibeah. ²⁰ The men of Israel went to fight against Benjamin. They dressed themselves for battle against them at Gibeah. ²¹ The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and killed 22,000 men of Israel on that day. ²² But the men of Israel made their hearts strong. They got ready for battle again in the same place they had fought the first day. ²³ The people of Israel went up and cried before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go fight against them.”

²⁴ So the sons of Israel came to fight against the sons of Benjamin the second day. ²⁵ Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day. And they killed 18,000 men of Israel who used the sword. ²⁶ Then all the people of Israel went up to Bethel and cried. They stayed that day before the Lord and would not eat until evening. They gave burnt gifts and peace gifts to the Lord. ²⁷ The people of Israel asked the Lord what to do. (For the special box with the Law of God was there in those days. ²⁸ Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son, served in front of it those days.) The people said, “Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin? Or should we stop?” The Lord said, “Go fight against them. For tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”

²⁹ So Israel sent men to hide around Gibeah. ³⁰ The sons of Israel went to fight against the sons of Benjamin on the third day. They dressed themselves for battle against Gibeah as they had done before. ³¹ The sons of Benjamin went out to fight the people and were taken away from the city. They began to fight and kill some of the people as they had done before. They killed about thirty men of Israel in the open country and on the roads. One road went up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. ³² The sons of Benjamin said, “They are being killed in front of us as they were the first day.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us run away so we can get them away from the city and to the roads.” ³³ Then all the men of Israel left their place and went to fight at Baal-tamar. And the men of Israel who were hiding rushed out of their place in the plain of Geba. ³⁴ When 10,000 chosen men of Israel came against Gibeah, the battle was hard. But the people of Benjamin did not know that such danger was so close to them. ³⁵ The Lord destroyed Benjamin in front of Israel. The sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who used the sword. ³⁶ So the people of Benjamin saw that they had lost the battle.

The men of Israel ran from Benjamin because they trusted in the men who were hiding and waiting to take Gibeah. ³⁷ The men who had been hiding were quick to rush against Gibeah. They destroyed all of the city with the sword. ³⁸ The men of Israel had agreed that the men who had been hiding should make a big cloud of smoke rise from the city. It would be something special for them to see. ³⁹ Then the men of Israel turned around to fight in battle. Benjamin began to fight and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “For sure they are destroyed in front of us as in the first battle.” ⁴⁰ But when the cloud of smoke started to rise from the city, the men of Benjamin looked behind them. They saw the whole city going up in smoke to heaven. ⁴¹ Then the men of Israel turned around. And the men of Benjamin were filled with fear. For they saw that they were in much danger. ⁴² So they turned their backs to the men of Israel and ran toward the desert. But they were caught in the battle. Those who came out of the cities destroyed them. ⁴³ They gathered around the people of Benjamin. They ran after them without stopping to rest and came upon them at the east side of Gibeah. ⁴⁴ So 18,000 men of Benjamin were killed. All of them were powerful soldiers. ⁴⁵ The others turned and ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. But Israel killed 5,000 of them on the roads, and 2,000 at Gidom. ⁴⁶ So 25,000 men of Benjamin were killed that day. All of them were powerful soldiers who used the sword. ⁴⁷ But 600 men ran toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon. They stayed there for four months. ⁴⁸ Then the men of Israel returned to fight the people of Benjamin. They destroyed them, their whole city, the cattle and all they found, with the sword. And they set fire to all the cities they found.

Wives for the Men of Benjamin

21 The men of Israel had made a promise in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin.” ² So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. In loud voices they cried, ³ “O Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel? Why should there be one family group missing in Israel today?” ⁴ The people got up early the next day and built an altar there. They gave burnt gifts and peace gifts on it.

⁵ Then the people of Israel said, “Who among all the family groups of Israel did not come with the people to the Lord?” For they had made a promise about the one who did not come to the Lord at Mizpah, saying, “For sure he will be put to death.” ⁶ The people of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin. They said, “One family is cut off from Israel today. ⁷ What will we do for wives for those who are left? We have promised by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”

⁸ They said, “Who of the families of Israel did not come to the Lord at Mizpah?” And they found that no one had come to the meeting from Jabesh-gilead. ⁹ When the people were called, they saw that not one of the people of Jabesh-gilead was there. ¹⁰ The people sent 12,000 powerful soldiers to go there. They told them, “Go and kill the people of Jabesh-gilead with the sword. Kill the women and the children also. ¹¹ This is what you must do. Destroy every man and every woman who has had a man.” ¹² They found 400 young women who had never had a man. So they brought them to the tents at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan.

¹³ Then all the people sent news to the people of Benjamin at the rock of Rimmon. They told them they wanted to have peace with them. ¹⁴ So the people of Benjamin returned. The people of Israel gave them the women they had saved alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough for them. ¹⁵ The people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had divided the families of Israel.

¹⁶ Then the leaders of the people said, “What will we do for wives for those who are left? All the women of Benjamin were killed.” ¹⁷ And they said, “There must be something that can be given to those of Benjamin who are left. Or a family will be taken out of Israel. ¹⁸ But we cannot give them our daughters for wives.” For the men of Israel had promised, “A curse will come to the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.”

¹⁹ So they said, “See, there is a special supper to the Lord every year in Shiloh. It is north of Bethel, east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” ²⁰ They told the men of Benjamin, “Go and hide in the grape-fields. Wait there ²¹ and watch. The daughters of Shiloh might come out to dance. Then come out of the grape-fields. Each of you will catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin. ²² When their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Give them to us of your own free will. For we did not leave a wife for each of the men of Benjamin in battle. And you did not give them any. You would have been doing wrong.’” ²³ The men of Benjamin did so. They took wives from those who danced, one for each man. They carried them away and returned to their land. Then they built the cities again and lived in them. ²⁴ The people of Israel left there at that time. Each man returned to his family in his own land.

²⁵ There was no king in Israel in those days. Each man did what he thought was right.

Elimelech’s Family Moves to Moab

1 In the days when there were judges to rule, there was a time of no food in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to visit the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. ² The name of the man was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi. And the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the land of Moab and stayed there. ³ But Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. And she was left with her two sons, ⁴ who married Moabite women. The name of one was Orpah. The name of the other was Ruth. After living there about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left without her two children and her husband.

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

⁶ Then Naomi got ready to return from the land of Moab with her daughters-in-law. She had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had brought food to His people. ⁷ So she left with her two daughters-in-law and went on the way toward the land of Judah. ⁸ But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, each one of you return to your own mother’s house. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have done with the dead and with me. ⁹ May the Lord help you to find a home, each in the family of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they cried in loud voices. ¹⁰ They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” ¹¹ But Naomi said, “Return to your people, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I have more sons within me, who could become your husbands? ¹² Return, my daughters. Go. For I am too old to have a husband. If I had hope, if I should have a husband tonight and give birth to sons, ¹³ would you wait until they were grown? Would you not marry until then? No, my daughters. It is harder for me than for you. For the hand of the Lord is against me.” ¹⁴ Then they cried again in loud voices. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law. But Ruth held on to her.

¹⁵ Naomi said, “See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not beg me to leave you or turn away from following you. I will go where you go. I will live where you live. Your people will be my people. And your God will be my God. ¹⁷ I will die where you die, and there I will be buried. So may the Lord do the same to me, and worse, if anything but death takes me from you.” ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth would do nothing but go with her, she said no more to her.

¹⁹ So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. The whole town of Bethlehem was happy because of them. The women said, “Is this Naomi?” ²⁰ She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara. For the All-powerful has brought much trouble to me. ²¹ I went out full. But the Lord has made me return empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has spoken against me. The All-powerful has allowed me to suffer.”

²² So Naomi returned. And her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite woman, returned with her from the land of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley gathering time.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 There was an in-law of the family of Naomi’s husband there whose name was Boaz. He was a very rich man of the family of Elimelech. ² Ruth, the Moabite woman, said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field to gather grain behind someone who might show favor to me.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So Ruth went and gathered in the field behind those who picked the grain. And she happened to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. ⁴ Now Boaz was seen coming from Bethlehem. He said to the people gathering the grain, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bring good to you.” ⁵ Then Boaz said to his servant who was watching over those who gathered grain, “Whose young woman is this?” ⁶ The servant who watched over those who gathered grain said, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. ⁷ She said, ‘Let me gather food behind the others who gather among the grain.’ So she came and has stayed from morning until now. She has rested in the house a short time.”

⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Be careful to listen, my daughter. Do not go to gather grain in another field. Do not leave this one. But stay here with my women who gather grain. ⁹ Keep your eyes upon the field where they gather grain. Go behind them. I have told the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars. Drink the water the servants have put there.” ¹⁰ Then she fell with her face to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes? Why do you care about me? I am a stranger from another land.” ¹¹ Boaz said to her, “I have heard about all you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth to come to a people you did not know before. ¹² May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.” ¹³ Then Ruth said, “Sir, I have found favor in your eyes. For you have brought comfort and have been kind in speaking to your woman servant. And I am not like any of your other women servants.”

¹⁴ When it was time to eat, Boaz said to Ruth, “Come here. Eat of the bread and put sour wine on it.” So she sat beside the people who gathered the grain. And Boaz brought her grain made ready over a fire. She ate and was filled and had some left. ¹⁵ When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told his servants, “Let her gather even among the standing grain. Do not speak against her. ¹⁶ Pull some grain out of the grain that has been gathered together and leave it for her to gather. And do not speak sharp words to her.”

¹⁷ So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gathered. It was enough barley to fill a basket. ¹⁸ She picked it up and went into the city to show her mother-in-law what she had gathered. Ruth gave Naomi what she had left after she was filled. ¹⁹ Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May good come to the man who showed you favor.” So Ruth told her mother-in-law, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.” ²⁰ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he receive good from the Lord, Who has not kept His kindness from the living and the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is near to us. He is of our family.” ²¹ Ruth, the Moabite woman, said, “He told me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished gathering all my grain.’” ²² Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good that you go out with his women servants, my daughter. Then no danger will come upon you in another field.” ²³ So she stayed close to those who worked for Boaz until the end of the time of gathering grain. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth and Boaz at the Grain-Floor

3 Then Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not look for a home for you, so all will be well with you? ² Is not Boaz of our family, with whose women servants you were? See, he is dividing the grain from the waste at his grain-floor tonight. ³ So wash yourself. Pour oil on yourself and wear your best clothes. Then go down to the grain-floor. But do not let the man know who you are until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, watch where he lies. Go in and take the covers off his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.” ⁵ Ruth said to her, “I will do all that you say.”

⁶ So Ruth went down to the grain-floor and did all her mother-in-law had told her to do. ⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and his heart was happy, he went to lie down beside the grain. Then Ruth came in secret. She took the covers off his feet and lay down. ⁸ The man was surprised late in the night. He turned and saw that a woman was lying at his feet. ⁹ He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth, your woman servant. Spread your covering over me. For you are of our family.” ¹⁰ And Boaz said, “May the Lord bring good to you, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than your first by not going after young men, with or without riches. ¹¹ Now my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do for you whatever you ask. For all my people in the city know that you are a good woman. ¹² It is true that I am of your family. But there is one closer than I. ¹³ Stay this night. In the morning, if he will have you for his own, let him take you. But if he does not want to have you, then I will take you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

¹⁴ So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. She got up before the people could see each other. For Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the grain-floor.” ¹⁵ And he said, “Bring the coat you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he loaded her with six jars full of grain. Then she went into the city. ¹⁶ When she came to her mother-in-law, Naomi said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And Ruth told her all that the man had done for her. ¹⁷ She said, “He gave me these six jars full of grain. For he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law with empty hands.’” ¹⁸ Naomi said, “Wait until you know what is going to happen, my daughter. For the man will not rest until the thing is decided upon today.”

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. He saw the in-law of the family that he had spoken about pass by. So Boaz said, “Come here, friend, and sit down.” So the man came and sat down. ² And Boaz took ten of the leaders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then Boaz said to the close in-law, “Naomi has returned from the land of Moab. She is selling the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ I thought I should let you know about it. Buy it in front of those who are sitting here, and in front of the leaders of my people. If you will buy it, then buy it. But if not, tell me you do not want to buy it, so I may know. For you have the right to be the first one to buy it. And I am after you.” The man said, “I will buy it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from Naomi, you must take Ruth, the Moabite woman, also. She is the wife of the dead man. You must keep alive the name of the dead man on his land.” ⁶ Then the close in-law said, “I cannot buy it for myself because it might be that my own children would not be able to own my land later. Take it for yourself. I give you my right to buy it, for I cannot buy it.”

⁷ This is what was done before in Israel to show that the buying or trading of land was decided upon. A man would take off his shoe and give it to another. This would make sure what was decided. ⁸ So he said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he took off his shoe. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You have seen today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, to Chilion and to Mahlon. ¹⁰ And I have taken Ruth, the Moabite woman who was Mahlon’s wife, to be my wife. I will keep alive the name of the dead man on his land. His name will not be forgotten among his brothers or from the gate of his birth-place. You have heard this today.” ¹¹ All the people in the gate and the leaders said, “We have heard it. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you become rich in Ephrathah and be known by all in Bethlehem. ¹² May your house be like the house of Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, because of the children the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

The Families to Follow Ruth and Boaz

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth. She became his wife, and he went in to her. The Lord made it possible for her to have a child and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ The women said to Naomi, “Thanks be to the Lord. He has not

left you without a family this day. May his name become known in all of Israel. ¹⁵ May he bring you new life and strength while you are old. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and held him, and became his nurse. ¹⁷ The neighbor women gave him a name. They said, “A son has been born to Naomi!” And they called him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸ Now these are the children of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. ¹⁹ Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. ²⁰ Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. ²¹ Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. ²² Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.

The Family of Elkanah at Shiloh

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah. The name of the other was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³ This man would go from his city each year to worship and to give gifts on the altar in Shiloh to the Lord of All. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s religious leaders there. ⁴ On the day when Elkanah killed animals on the altar in worship, he would give part of the gift to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But he would give twice as much to Hannah, for he loved Hannah. But the Lord had made it so she could not have children. ⁶ Peninnah would try to make her very angry, because the Lord would not let her have children. ⁷ So it happened, year after year, each time Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would make her angry. Hannah cried and would not eat. ⁸ Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why are you not eating, and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Hannah and Eli

⁹ Then Hannah stood up after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Eli the religious leader was sitting on the seat by the door of the house of the Lord. ¹⁰ Hannah was very troubled. She prayed to the Lord and cried with sorrow. ¹¹ Then she made a promise and said, “O Lord of All, be sure to look on the trouble of Your woman servant, and remember me. Do not forget Your woman servant, but give me a son. If You will, then I will give him to the Lord all his life. And no hair will ever be cut from his head.”

¹² While she kept praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was speaking in her heart. Her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she had drunk too much. ¹⁴ Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put wine away from you.” ¹⁵ But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not drunk wine or strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not think of your woman servant as a woman of no worth. For I have been speaking out of much trouble and pain in my spirit.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel do what you have asked of Him.” ¹⁸ And Hannah said, “Let your woman servant find favor in your eyes.” So she went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born

¹⁹ The family got up early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord. Then they returned to their house in Ramah. Elkanah lay with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ The Lord made it possible for her to have a child, and when the time came she gave birth to a son. She gave him the name Samuel, saying, “I have asked the Lord for him.”

²¹ Then Elkanah went up with all those of his house to give the Lord the gift on the altar in worship as he did each year, and to pay what he had promised. ²² But Hannah did not go. For she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child no longer needs to be nursed. Then I will bring him before the Lord, to stay there forever.” ²³ Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what you think is best. Stay here until he no longer needs to be nursed. Only may the Lord do as He has said.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until he no longer needed to be nursed. ²⁴ When she had finished nursing him, she took him with her to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young. ²⁵ She brought a three year old bull, one basket of flour and a jar of wine also. Then they killed the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶ Hannah said, “O, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me what I asked of Him. ²⁸ So I have given him to the Lord. He is given to the Lord as long as he lives.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart is happy in the Lord. My strength is honored in the Lord. My mouth speaks with strength against those who hate me, because I have joy in Your saving power. ² There is no one holy like the Lord. For sure, there is no one other than You. There is no rock like our God. ³ Speak no more in your pride. Do not let proud talk come out of your mouth. For the Lord is a God Who knows. Actions are weighed by Him. ⁴ The bows of the powerful are broken. But the weak are dressed in strength. ⁵ Those who were full go out to work for bread. But those who were hungry are filled. She who could not give birth has given birth to seven. But she who has many children has become weak. ⁶ The Lord kills and brings to life. He brings down to the grave, and He raises up. ⁷ The Lord makes poor and makes rich. He brings low and He lifts up. ⁸ He lifts the poor from the dust. He lifts those in need from the ashes. He makes them sit with rulers and receive a seat of honor. For what holds the earth belongs to the Lord. He has set the world in its place. ⁹ He watches over the steps of His good people. But the sinful ones will be made quiet in darkness. For a man will not win by strength. ¹⁰ Those who fight with the Lord will be broken to pieces. He will thunder in heaven against them. The Lord will decide about all people to the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king. He will give power to His chosen one.”

¹¹ Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy served the Lord with Eli the religious leader.

Eli’s Sons

¹² The sons of Eli were men of no worth. They did not know the Lord. ¹³ This is the way the religious leaders acted toward the people. When any man brought an animal to give to the Lord, the religious leader’s servant would come with a meat-hook in his hand, while the meat was hot. ¹⁴ Then he would put it in the pot. The religious leader would take for himself all that the meat-hook brought up. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. ¹⁵ And before they burned the fat, the religious leader’s servant would come and say to the man who brought the gift in worship, “Give meat for the religious leader to make ready. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only meat that has just been killed.” ¹⁶ But if the man says to him, “Let them burn the fat first, then take as much as you want,” then the religious leader’s servant would say, “No, give it to me now; and if not, I will take it from you against your will.” ¹⁷ So the sin of the young men was very bad before the Lord. For the men hated the gift of the Lord.

Samuel Serves the Lord at Shiloh

¹⁸ Now Samuel was serving the Lord, even as a boy, wearing a linen vest. ¹⁹ Each year his mother would make him a little coat. She would bring it to him when she came with her husband to bring the gift in worship each year. ²⁰ Then Eli would pray that good would come to Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she gave to the Lord.” Then they would return to their home. ²¹ And the Lord visited Hannah. She gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up to serve the Lord.

The Future of Eli’s Sons

²² Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the door of the meeting tent. ²³ And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the sinful things I hear from all these people? ²⁴ No, my sons, the news is not good which I hear from the Lord’s people. ²⁵ If one man sins against another, God will help make peace for him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who can make peace for him?” Yet they would not listen to what their father said, for it was the Lord’s will to kill them. ²⁶ Now the boy Samuel grew and was in favor both with the Lord and with men.

²⁷ Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Did I not let Myself be known to those of your father’s family when they were in Egypt being made to work for Pharaoh’s house? ²⁸ Did I not choose them from all the families of Israel to be My religious leaders, to go up to My altar, to burn special perfume, and to wear a linen vest before Me? Did I not give all the gifts made by fire of the people of Israel to the family of your father? ²⁹ Why do you show no respect to My gifts which I have asked for, and honor your sons more than Me? You make yourselves fat with the best part of every gift given in worship by My people Israel.’