Bible in 90 Days

¹³ And they said, We shall not slay thee, but we shall betake thee bound to them. And (so) they bound him with two new cords, and took him from the stone of Etam.

¹⁴ And when they had come to the place that is called Cheek[bone], and the Philistines crying high had run (out) to him, the spirit of the Lord felled into him, and as sticks be wont to be wasted at the hot tasting of fire, so and the bonds, with which he was bound, were scattered and loosed. (And when they had come to the place that now is called Lehi, or Jawbone, and the Philistines came running toward him, and shouting, the spirit of the Lord fell upon him, and as sticks be wont to be wasted with the hot tasting of the fire, so the bonds, with which he was bound, were scattered and loosed from off his hands.)

¹⁵ And when he had found a cheek[bone], that is, the nether cheekbone, of an ass, that there lay, he took it, and killed therewith a thousand men; (And when he had found a jawbone, that is, the lower jawbone, of a donkey, that lay there, he took it, and killed a thousand men with it;)

¹⁶ and he said, With the cheek[bone] of an ass, that is, with the nether cheek[bone] of a colt of she-asses, I have done away Philistines, and I have killed therewith a thousand men. (and he said, With the jawbone of a donkey, that is, with the lower jawbone of the colt of a female donkey, I have done away the Philistines, and I have killed a thousand men with it.)

¹⁷ And when he had high cried these words, and had fully ended them, he threw away from his hand the nether cheekbone; and he called the name of that place Ramathlehi, that is to say, the Raising (up) of a cheekbone. (And after that he had sung these words, and had finished them, he threw away the lower jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramathlehi, that is to say, the Raising up of a jawbone.)

¹⁸ And (then) he thirsted greatly, and cried to the Lord, and said, Thou, Lord, hast given into the hand of thy servant this greatest health and victory (Thou, Lord, hast given thy servant this great victory); and lo! I die for thirst, and I shall fall into the hands of uncircumcised men.

¹⁹ Therefore the Lord opened a wang tooth in the cheekbone of the ass, and waters went out thereof, and when he had drunken he refreshed his spirit, and received strengths; therefore the name of that place was called the Well of the inwardly caller of the cheekbone, unto this present day. (And so the Lord opened a molar tooth in the jawbone of the donkey, and water went out of it, and when he had drunk, it refreshed his spirit, and he received strength; and so the name of the spring there in Lehi is called Enhakkore, or the Spring of the Caller, unto this present day).

²⁰ And Samson deemed Israel in the days of [the] Philistines (for) twenty years.

16 Also Samson went into Gaza, and he saw there a woman whore, and he entered to her. (And one day Samson went to Gaza, and he saw a whore-woman there, and he slept with her.)

² And when the Philistines had seen this, and it was published among them, that Samson had entered into the city, they compassed him (about), (and with) the keepers set in the gates of the city; and the Philistines (were) abiding there all that night privily, that in the morrowtide they should kill Samson going out. (And when the Philistines had seen this, and it was published among them, that Samson had come into the city, they surrounded him, and had guards set at the city gates; for the Philistines had decided to secretly wait there all that night, so that in the morning they could kill Samson when he came out.)

³ And Samson slept till to midnight (But Samson stayed only until midnight); and (then) he rose up to go (from) thence, and he took both the closings, or the leaves, of the (city) gate, with the posts and the lock; and he bare those gates upon his shoulders, to the top of the hill that beholdeth Hebron.

⁴ (And) After these things Samson loved a woman that dwelled in the valley of Sorek, and she was called Delilah.

⁵ And the princes of the Philistines came to her, and said, Deceive thou him, and learn thou of him, in what thing he hath so great strength, and how we may overcome him, and torment him when he is bound; the which thing if thou doest, we shall give to thee, each man, a thousand and an hundred pieces of silver. (And the rulers of the Philistines came to her, and said, Deceive thou him, and learn thou from him, by what thing he hath so great strength, and how we can overcome him, and torment him when he is bound; and if thou doest that, each one of us shall give thee a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver.)

⁶ Then Delilah spake to Samson, (and said,) I beseech thee, say thou to me, wherein is thy greatest strength, and what is that thing, with which if thou were bound, thou mayest not break (it)?

⁷ To whom Samson answered, If I be bound with seven cords of moist sinews not yet dry, I shall be (made as) feeble as other men.

⁸ And the princes of [the] Philistines brought to her seven cords, as he had said; with which she bound him,

⁹ while ambushments were hid at her, and abided in a closet the end of the thing. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he brake those bonds, as if a man breaketh a thread of hards (of flax), thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of fire; and (so) it was not yet known wherein his strength was. (while the ambushers were hid with her, and waited in a closet for the end of it all. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he broke those bonds, like a man breaketh a flaxen thread, thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of the fire; and so it was not yet known where his strength lay.)

¹⁰ And Delilah said to Samson, Lo! thou hast scorned me, and thou hast spoken false(ly); nevertheless now show thou to me, with what thing thou shouldest be bound.

¹¹ To whom he answered, If I be bound with new cords, that were not yet in work, I shall be feeble, and like other men (I shall be made as feeble as other men).

¹² With the which Delilah bound him again, and she cried, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! the while ambushments were made ready in a closet (while the ambushers were waiting in the closet). And Samson brake his bonds as (if they were the) threads of (spider) webs.

¹³ And Delilah said again to him, How long shalt thou deceive me, and speak false(ly)? Show thou to me, with what thing thou shalt be bound. To whom Samson answered, he said, If thou pleatest (the) seven gobbets of (the) hair of mine head with a strong bond (To whom Samson answered, and said, If thou pleatest the seven locks of the hair of my head into thy loom),

¹⁴ and fastenest (in)to the earth a nail bound about with these hairs, I shall be (made) feeble. And when Delilah had done this, she said to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he rose from sleep, and he drew out the nail, with the hairs and a strong bond tied thereto. (and tightenest the hair, bound in the loom, with a peg, I shall be made as feeble as other men. And when Delilah had done this, she said to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he arose from sleep, and he drew out the peg, with his hair tightly tied to it, in a strong bond.)

¹⁵ And Delilah said to him, How sayest thou, that thou lovest me, since thine inward affection is not with me? By three times thou hast lied to me, and wouldest not say to me, wherein is thy most strength (where thy great strength lieth).

¹⁶ And when she was dis-easeful to him, and cleaved to him continually by many days, and to him gave no space to rest, his life failed, and was made weary unto the death. (And when she had made his life miserable, and continually cleaved to him for many days, and gave him no time for any rest, his strength, or his resolve, failed, and he was made weary unto the death.)

¹⁷ (And) Then he opened the truth of the thing, and said to her, Iron came never yet upon mine head (No iron hath ever yet touched my head), for I am a Nazarite, that is, hallowed to the Lord, from my mother’s womb; if mine head be shaven, my strength shall go away from me, and I shall fail, and I shall be (made as feeble) as other men.

¹⁸ And she saw that he [had] acknowledged to her all his will, either heart; and she sent to the princes of Philistines, and commanded, Go ye up yet (at) once, for now he hath opened his heart to me. The which went up, the money taken with them that they promised. (And she saw that he had spoken to her with all his heart; and she sent for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, Come ye up at once, for he hath now opened up all his heart to me. And they came to her immediately, bringing the money that they had promised.)

¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees, and to lay his head in her bosom; and (then) she called (for) a barber, and he shaved (the) seven (locks of the) hairs of him; and (then) she began to shove him away, and to put him (off) from her; for at once the strength went away from him.

²⁰ And she said, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he rose (up) from sleep, and said in his soul, I shall go out, as I did before, and I shall shake me from these bonds; and he knew not, that the Lord had gone away from him.

²¹ And when the Philistines had taken him, anon they put out his eyes, and led him bound with chains to Gaza, and they closed him in prison, and made him to grind. (And when the Philistines had taken hold of him, at once they put out his eyes, and led him bound with chains to Gaza, and there they enclosed him in prison, and made him to grind with a wheel.)

²² And then his hairs began to grow again;

²³ and [the] princes of (the) Philistines came together to offer great sacrifices to Dagon, their god, and they made feasts and ate, saying, Our god hath betaken Samson, our enemy, into our hands.

²⁴ And the people seeing also this thing praised their god (And the people seeing this thing also praised their god), and said the same things, (Yea,) Our god hath betaken our adversary into our hands, which did away our land, and killed full many men.

²⁵ And they were glad(dened) by (the) making of feasts, and then when they had eaten, they commanded that Samson should be called, and (to) play before them; the which was led out of (the) prison, and played before them; and they made him stand betwixt two pillars.

²⁶ And Samson said to the boy that governed his steps, Suffer thou me, that I touch the pillars on which all the house standeth (Allow me to touch the pillars on which the whole house standeth), (so) that I (may) be bowed upon those, and rest a little.

²⁷ And the house was full of men and of women, and (all) the princes of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand of men and of women (and also about three thousand men and women), beholding from the roof, and from the solar, (while) Samson (was) playing.

²⁸ And he called inwardly the Lord, and said, My Lord God, have mind on me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, that I venge me of mine enemies, and that I take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes. (And he inwardly called upon the Lord, and said, Lord my God, remember me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, so that I can avenge myself on my enemies, and so that I can now take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes.)

²⁹ And he took both [the] pillars, on which the house stood, and he held the one of those in his right hand, and the tother in his left hand; (And he took hold of both of the pillars, on which the house stood, and he held onto one of them with his right hand, and the other one with his left hand;)

³⁰ and he said, My life die with the(se) Philistines! And when the pillars were shaken (al)together strongly, the house felled upon all the princes, and upon the multitude that was there; and Samson dying killed many more, than he alive had slain before. (and he said, Let me die with these Philistines! And when the pillars were altogether strongly shaken, the house fell on all the rulers, and on all the multitude of people who were there; and in dying, Samson killed many more than he had killed when he was alive.)

³¹ And his brethren and all his kindred came down, and took his body, and they buried it betwixt Zorah and Eshtaol, in the sepulchre of Manoah, his father; and he deemed Israel twenty years (and he had ruled Israel for twenty years).

17 In that time was a man, that was called Micah, of the hill of Ephraim. (At that time there was a man, who was called Micah, of the hill country of Ephraim.)

² And he said to his mother, Lo! I have a thousand and an hundred pieces of silver, which thou separatedest to thee, and on which thou cursedest, while I heard; and those be with me. To whom she answered, Blessed be my son of the Lord. (And he said to his mother, Thou haddest a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, and I heard thou curse him who robbed thee; lo! I was the one who took them. And she quickly said, May the Lord bless my son!)

³ Therefore he yielded those to his mother; and she said to him, I hallowed and avowed this silver to the Lord, that my son receive (it out) of mine hand, and make (with it) a graven image and a molten image; and now I give it to thee. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she said, I now hallow and vow this silver to the Lord, to protect my son from the curse, and I ask that ye, my son, have a carved idol, and a cast image, made from it; and now I give it to thee.)

⁴ Therefore he yielded to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of (the) silver, and gave those to a workman of silver, that he should make of those a graven image and (a) molten (image), that was (to be put) in the house of Micah. (And so he gave the silver back to his mother; and she took two hundred pieces of the silver, and gave them to a craftsman of silver, so that he could make them into a carved idol, and a cast image; and they were put in Micah’s house.)

⁵ And Micah also separated a little house, or an oratory, therein to God; and made (an) ephod, and teraphim, that is, a priest’s cloak, and idols; and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he was made a priest to him (and he consecrated, or dedicated, one of his sons, and he became his priest).

⁶ In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)

⁷ Also another young waxing man was of Bethlehem of Judah, of the kindred of Judah, and he was a deacon, and dwelled there. (And there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the tribe of Judah, and he was a Levite, and lived there.)

⁸ And he went out of the city of Bethlehem, and would be a pilgrim, wherever he found (it) profitable to himself. And when he made journey, and had come into the hill of Ephraim, and had bowed [down] a little into the house of Micah, (And he went out of the city of Bethlehem, and would be a visitor, wherever he found it profitable for himself. And when he had made a journey, and had come to the hill country of Ephraim, and had rested a little at Micah’s house,)

⁹ Micah asked him, From whence comest thou? Which answered, I am a deacon of Bethlehem of Judah, and I go, that I dwell where I may, and where I see that it is profitable to me. (Micah asked him, Where comest thou from? And he answered, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go, so that I can live where I may, and where I see that it is profitable for me.)

¹⁰ And Micah said, Dwell thou with me, and be thou to me a father and priest; and I shall give to thee by each year ten pieces of silver, and a double clothing, and those things that be necessary to lifelode. [And] He assented, (And Micah said, Stay thou with me, and be thou a father and a priest to me; and each year I shall give thee ten pieces of silver, and thy clothes, and thy food, or sustenance. And he agreed,)

¹¹ and dwelled with that man; and he was to that man as one of his sons. (and lived with that man; and he was like one of his sons to that man.)

¹² And Micah filled his hand (And Micah consecrated, or dedicated, him), and he had the young man (become his) priest, (and abide) with him,

¹³ and he said, Now I know, that God shall do well to me, having a priest of the kin of Levi. (and he said, Now I know that God shall make things go well for me, for I have my own priest of the tribe of Levi.)

18 In those days was no king in Israel; and the lineage of Dan sought (a) possession to itself, to dwell therein; for till to that day it had not taken heritage among other lineages. (In those days there was no king in Israel; and the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves to live in; for unto that day they had not taken their inheritance among the other tribes.)

² Therefore the sons of Dan sent five (of) the strongest men of their generation, and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, that they should espy the land, and behold diligently (so that they could spy out the land, and carefully look it over). And they said to them, Go ye, and behold the land. And when they going forth had come into the hill (country) of Ephraim, and had entered into the house of Micah, they rested there.

³ And they knew the voice of the young waxing deacon; and they rested in his place, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? What doest thou here? For what cause wouldest thou come hither? (And they knew the voice of the young Levite; and they rested there before him, and said to him, Who hath brought thee here? What doest thou here? For what reason wouldest thou come here?)

⁴ The which answered, Micah hath given to me these things and these, and he hath hired me for meed, that I be priest to him. (And he answered, Micah hath given these things, and other things to me, and he hath hired me for money, to be his priest.)

⁵ And they prayed him, that he should counsel with the Lord, and that they might know (so that they could know), whether they went in the way of prosperity, and that the thing of their purpose should have effect.

⁶ Which answered to them, Go ye with peace, the Lord beholdeth your way, and the journey whither ye go. (And he answered to them, Go ye in peace, the Lord watcheth over your way, and the journey on which ye go/and where ye go on the journey.)

⁷ Then those five men went forth, and came to Laish; and they saw the people dwelling therein without any dread, by the custom of Sidonians, secure and restful, for no man utterly against-stood them, and they were full rich, and dwelled far from Sidon, and were parted from all men. (Then those five men went forth, and came to Laish; and they saw the people living there without any fear, by the custom of the Sidonians, secure and at rest, for there was utterly no one who stood against them, and they were very rich, and lived far away from Sidon, and were separated from all people.)

⁸ And they turned again to their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol; and they answered to (their) brethren, asking what they had done, (And they returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Eshtaol; and they answered to their kinsmen, who were asking what they had done,)

⁹ and said, Rise ye, and go we up to them of Laish, for we have seen the land full rich and plenteous; do not ye be negligent, do not ye cease, (but) go we forth, and have we it into possession (and let us take the land);

¹⁰ no travail shall be to us; we shall enter to secure men, into a full large country; and the Lord shall betake to us a place, wherein is not poverty of anything of those things that be brought forth in (all) [the] earth. (it shall not be any great effort for us; for we shall go to a people who be very complacent and naive, and into a very large country; and the Lord shall deliver a place to us, where nothing is lacking of anything, of that which be brought forth in all the earth.)

¹¹ Therefore six hundred men girded with armours of battle went forth of the kindred of Dan, that is, from Zorah and Eshtaol. (And so six hundred men of the Danites, girded with arms, or with weapons, for battle, went forth from Zorah and Eshtaol.)

¹² And they went up, and dwelled in Kiriathjearim of Judah, the which place took from that time the name of [the] Tents of Dan (the which place from that time took the name of Mahanehdan), and it is behind the back of Kiriathjearim.

¹³ From thence they passed into the hill (country) of Ephraim; and when they had come to the house of Micah,

¹⁴ the five men, that were sent before to behold the land of Laish, said to their other brethren, Know ye, that ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image is in (one of) these houses; see ye what pleaseth you. (the five men, who were sent before to spy out the land of Laish, said to their other kinsmen, Know ye, that an ephod, and teraphim, and a carved idol, and a cast image be in one of these houses? see ye what pleaseth you.)

¹⁵ And when they had bowed a little aside, they entered into the house of the young deacon, that was in the house of Micah (they entered into the young Levite’s home, that is, into Micah’s house), and they greeted him with peaceable words.

¹⁶ And six hundred men stood before the door, so as they were armed. (And the six hundred armed men stood outside, in front of the door.)

¹⁷ And they, that entered into the house of the young man, enforced to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood before the door, while six hundred full strong (armed) men abode not far (from) thence. (And they, who had entered into the young man’s home, that is, into Micah’s house, endeavoured to take away the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the cast image; and the priest stood outside the door, with the six hundred very strong armed men, who waited not far from there.)

¹⁸ Therefore they that entered took the graven image, ephod, and idols, and the molten image; to whom the priest said, What do ye? (And so they who entered took the carved idol, and the ephod, and the teraphim, or the other idols, and the cast image; and the priest said to them, What be ye doing?)

¹⁹ To whom they answered, Be thou still, and put thy finger on thy mouth, and come with us, that we have thee (for a) father and (a) priest. What is better to thee, that thou be priest in the house of one man, either (a priest) in a lineage and (a) family of Israel? (What is better for thee, that thou be a priest in the house of one man, or a priest in a tribe and a family of Israel?)

²⁰ And when he had heard this, he assented to their words, and he took the ephod, and idols, and the graven image, and went forth with them. (And when he had heard this, he agreed with what they said, and he himself took hold of the ephod, and the carved idol, and the teraphim, and the cast image, and went away with them.)

²¹ And when they went forth, and had made their little children, and their work beasts, and all thing that was precious, to go before them; (And so they all went forth, and made their little children, and their work beasts, and all the things that were precious to them, to go before them;)

²² and when they were now far from the house of Micah, [the] men that dwelled in the houses of Micah cried together, and followed (after them), (and when they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, Micah gathered together the men who lived in the houses nearby; and they followed after the Danites,)

²³ and began to cry after the back(s) (of them). Which when they had beheld, [they] said to Micah, What wilt thou to thee? why criest thou? (and shouted at them behind their backs. And when the Danites had seen them, they said to Micah, What is the matter with thee? why shoutest thou at us?)

²⁴ Which answered, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made to me, and the priest, and what dwelleth over? and ye say, What is (it) to thee? (And Micah answered, Ye have taken away my gods, which I had made for me, and my priest, and now what do I have left? and ye say, What is the matter with thee?)

²⁵ And the sons of Dan said to him, Beware, lest thou speak [any] more to us, and men stirred in soul come to thee, and thou perish with all thine house.

²⁶ And so (the sons of) Dan went forth in the journey begun. And Micah saw, that they were stronger than he, and [he] turned again into his house (and so he returned to his house, along with all of his neighbours).

²⁷ Forsooth six hundred men took the priest, and the things which we before-said, and came into Laish to the people resting and secure; and they smited them by the sharpness of sword, and betook the city to burning, (And the six hundred men took the priest, and all the things which we spoke of, and came into Laish to the people there, who were secure and at rest, yea, without a care in the world; and they struck them down with their sharp swords, and burned down the city,)

²⁸ while no man utterly gave help (to them), for they dwelled far from Sidon, and had not anything of fellowship and cause with any men. And the city was set in the country(side) of Bethrehob; the which city Dan builded again, and dwelled therein; (while utterly no one gave them any help, for they lived far from Sidon, and the city was set in the countryside of Bethrehob, and they had nothing of fellowship, or dealings, with anyone. And then the Danites rebuilt the city, and lived there;)

²⁹ and the name of the city was called Dan, by the name of their father (after the name of their father), whom Israel had begat, the which city was called Laish before.

³⁰ And Dan setted there the graven image (And the Danites set up Micah’s idol), and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, [the] son of Moses, and Jonathan’s sons, (were) the priests, in the lineage of Dan, till into the day of their captivity.

³¹ And the idol of Micah dwelled with them, in all [the] time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (And Micah’s idol stayed with them, all the time that the House of God was in Shiloh.)

19 In those days was no king in Israel. A man was a deacon, dwelling in the side of the hill of Ephraim, the which took a (secondary) wife of Bethlehem of Judah. (In those days there was no king in Israel. And there was a man who was a Levite, living far back, or deep, in the hill country of Ephraim, who took a secondary wife, or a concubine, of Bethlehem in Judah.)

² And she did fornication on him, and turned again into the house of her father in Bethlehem, and she dwelled at him four months. (And she did fornication against him/And she was angry with him, and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem, and she stayed with him for four months.)

³ And her husband followed her, and he would be reconciled to her, and to speak fair with her, and to lead her again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and twain asses (And then her husband came to her, to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her home again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and two donkeys). And she received him, and brought him into her father’s house; and when his wife’s father had heard this, and saw him, he ran gladly to him, and embraced the man.

⁴ And the husband of the daughter dwelled in the house of his wife’s father (for) three days, and ate and drank at home with him.

⁵ And the fourth day, the deacon rose by night, and would have gone forth; whom his wife’s father held, and said to him, Taste thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and so thou shalt go forth. (And on the fourth day, the Levite rose early, and desired to go home; but his wife’s father took hold of him, and said to him, Eat thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and then thou shalt go forth.)

⁶ And they sat together, and ate, and drank. And the father of the damsel said to his daughter’s husband, I beseech thee, that thou dwell here today (I beseech thee, that thou stay here today), and that we be glad together.

⁷ And he rose, and began to desire to go; and nevertheless, his wife’s father held him again meekly, and made him to dwell with him. (And the Levite rose up, and desired to go; but his wife’s father meekly held onto him again, and made him stay there with him.)

⁸ And when the morrowtide was made, the deacon made him(self) ready to go (on) his way; to whom his wife’s father said again, I beseech thee, that thou take a little meat, and make thee strong till the day increase, and afterward go thou forth. Then they ate together (And so they ate together again).

⁹ And the young man rose to go forth with his wife, and with the servant; to whom the father of his wife spake again, Behold thou, that the day is far forth gone toward the [sun] going down, and it nigheth to the eventide; dwell thou with me also today, and lead thou with me a glad day, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, that thou go into thine house. (And then the young man rose up to go forth with his concubine, and with his servant; but his wife’s father spoke to him again, and said, See thou, that the day hath gone far toward the sun going down, and it nigheth to the evening; stay thou here with me also this night, and have thou a happy evening with me, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, and go to thy house.)

¹⁰ (But) The daughter’s husband would not assent to his words; but he went forth at once, and came (over) against Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem; and he led with him two asses charged, and his [secondary] wife (and he went with his two laden donkeys, and his concubine, and his servant).

¹¹ And now they were beside Jebus, and the day was changed into night. And the servant said to his lord, Come thou, I beseech thee, bow we [down] to the city of Jebus, and dwell we therein (let us turn in to the city of Jebus, and stay we there).

¹² To whom his lord answered, I shall not enter into the city of an alien folk, which is not of the sons of Israel, but I shall pass forth into Gibeah; (To whom his lord answered, I shall not go into the city of a foreign people, who be not Israelites, but I shall go forth to Gibeah;)

¹³ and when I shall come thither, we shall dwell therein, or else in the city of Ramah.

¹⁴ Therefore they passed Jebus, and took the way begun. And the sun went down to them beside Gibeah, which is in the lineage of Benjamin (And the sun went down on them when they reached Gibeah, which is in the tribe of Benjamin);

¹⁵ and (so) they turned (in) to Gibeah, that they would dwell there. Whither when they had entered, they sat in the street of the city, and no man would receive them to harbour (but no one would give them any lodging).

¹⁶ And lo! an eld man turned again from the field, and from his work in the eventide, and appeared to them, which also himself was of the hill of Ephraim, and he dwelled a pilgrim in Gibeah. And men of that country were of the sons of Benjamin. (And lo! an old man returned from the field, from his work in the evening, and appeared before them, and he was also from the hill country of Ephraim, but now he lived in Gibeah. But men of that place were Benjaminites.)

¹⁷ And when the eld man raised up his eyes, he saw a man sitting with his fardels in the street of the city; and he said to him, From whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?

¹⁸ Which answered to him, We went forth from Bethlehem of Judah, and we go to our place, which is in the side of the hill of Ephraim (which is deep in the hill country of Ephraim), from whence we went (out) to Bethlehem; and now we go to the house of God, and no man will receive us under his roof,

¹⁹ and we have provender and hay into meat of our asses, and bread and wine into mine uses, and of thine handmaid, and of the servant which is with me; we have no need to anything, but to harbour. (and we have provender and hay for food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for my use, and for my concubine, and for the servant who is with me; yea, we have no need of anything, except lodging.)

²⁰ To whom the eld man answered, Peace be with thee; I shall give (thee) all things, that be needful; only, I beseech, dwell thou not in the street (only, I beseech thee, do not thou stay in the street).

²¹ And he brought him into his house, and gave meat to the asses; and after that they washed their feet, he received them into feast. (And he brought them into his house, and gave him food for the donkeys; and after that they had washed their feet, he gave them dinner.)

²² (And) While they ate, and refreshed their bodies with meat and drink after the travail of their way, men of that city came, the sons of Belial, that is, (them) without (a) yoke, and they compassed the old man’s house (and they surrounded the old man’s house), and began to knock on the doors; and they cried to the lord of the house, and said, Lead out the man that entered into thine house, (so) that we (can) misuse him.

²³ And the eld man went out to them, and said, Do not ye, brethren, do not ye do this evil; for the man hath entered into mine harbour (for the man hath only entered into my house for lodging); and cease ye of this folly.

²⁴ I have a daughter virgin, and this man hath a [secondary] wife; and I shall bring out them to you, that ye make low them, and fulfill your lust (I have a daughter who is a virgin, and this man hath a concubine; and I shall bring them out to you, so that ye can make them low, and fulfill your lust); only, I beseech you, that ye work not this cursedness against kind with this man.

²⁵ (But) They would not assent to his words; the which thing the man seeing, he led out his [secondary] wife to them, and he betook to them her to be defouled. And when they had misused her all night, they let go her in the morrowtide. (But they would not assent to his words; and the Levite seeing that, he brought out his concubine to them, and he gave her over to them to be defiled. And when they had misused her all that night, they let her go in the morning.)

²⁶ And when the darknesses of night departed, the woman came to the door of the house, where her lord dwelled, and there she felled down.

²⁷ And when the morrowtide was made, the man (a)rose, and opened the door, for to go forth (on) his journey; and lo! his [secondary] wife lay at the door, her hands spread abroad in the threshold (and lo! his concubine lay at the door, with her hands spread abroad on the threshold).

²⁸ And he guessed her to rest (there), and spake to her, (and said,) Rise thou, and go we. And when she answered nothing, he understood that she was dead; and he took her, and put on the ass, and turned again into his house (and he took her, and put her on the donkey, and returned to his house).

²⁹ And when he entered into that house, he took a sword, and parted into twelve parts and gobbets, the dead body of the (secondary) wife, (together) [with her bones,] and sent (them) into all the terms of Israel. (And when he had entered into his house, he took a sword, or a knife, and cut the flesh and bones of the dead body of his concubine into twelve parts, or pieces, and then he sent them into all the corners of Israel.)

³⁰ And when all men had heard this, they cried, Never such a thing was done in Israel (And when all the people had heard of this, they cried, Such a thing was never done in Israel), from that day in which our fathers ascended from Egypt, till into [the] present time; say ye (the) sentence, and deem ye in common, what is needed to be done (to avenge this horrible deed).

20 Therefore all the sons of Israel went [out], and were gathered together as one man, from Dan till to Beersheba, and (also) from the land of Gilead, to the Lord in Mizpeh (before the Lord at Mizpeh);

² and all the corners of peoples, and all the lineages of Israel, came together into the church of the people of God, four hundred thousand of footmen fighters. (and all the chief men of the people, of all the tribes of Israel, came together to a gathering of the people of God, yea, to four hundred thousand footmen who were ready to fight.)

³ And it was not hid from the sons of Benjamin, that the sons of Israel had gone up into Mizpeh.

⁴ And the deacon, [the] husband of the (secondary) wife that was slain, was asked, how so great felony was done; and he answered, I came with my (secondary) wife into Gibeah of Benjamin, and I turned thither. (And the Levite, the husband of the concubine who was murdered, was asked, How was this great felony done? and he answered, I came with my concubine to Gibeah in Benjamin, and I turned in there.)

⁵ And lo! [the] men of that city compassed in the night the house, in which I dwelled (And lo! the men of that city surrounded the house where I stayed that night), and they would slay me, and they travailed my (secondary) wife with unbelieveful madness of lechery; and at the last she was dead.

⁶ And I took, and cut her into gobbets (And I took her, and I cut her into pieces), and I sent those parts of her into all the terms of your possession; for so great (a) felony and so grievous (a) sin/and so great (a) sin was never done in Israel.

⁷ Now all ye sons of Israel (who) be present; deem ye, what ye ought to do.

⁸ And all the people stood, and answered as by the word of one man, (and said,) We shall not go hence into our tabernacles (We shall not go back to our tents), neither any of us shall enter into his house;

⁹ but we shall do this thing in common against Gibeah.

¹⁰ Ten men be chosen of an hundred, of all the lineages of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, that they bear meats to the host, and that we, fighting against Gibeah of Benjamin, may yield to it for the trespass that that it deserveth. (Let ten men be chosen out of a hundred, out of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to carry food for the army, and the rest of us, fighting against Gibeah in Benjamin, yield to them what they deserve for this trespass.)

¹¹ And (so) all the people, as one man, came together to the city (came together against the city of Gibeah), by the same thought and (of) one counsel.

¹² And (the sons of) Israel sent messengers to all the lineage of Benjamin, and they said, Why so great felony is found in you? (And the Israelites sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, and they said, Why is so great a felony found among you?)

¹³ Betake ye the men of Gibeah, that did this wickedness, that they die, and evil be done away from Israel. Which would not hear the commandment of their brethren, the sons of Israel, (Deliver ye unto us the men of Gibeah, who did this wickedness, so that they can die, and that this evil be done away from Israel. But they would not listen to the command of their kinsmen, the Israelites,)

¹⁴ but men of all the cities, that were of the part of Benjamin, came together into Gibeah, to help them, and to fight against all the people of Israel.

¹⁵ And twenty-six thousand were found of Benjamin, of men drawing out sword, besides the dwellers of Gibeah, which were seven hundred strongest men, (And there were twenty-six thousand Benjaminites, men drawing out the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were seven hundred of the strongest men,)

¹⁶ fighting so with the left hand as with the right hand, and casting so stones with slings at a certain thing, that they might smite also an hair, and the stroke of the stone should not be borne [away] into the tother part. (fighting with their left hand like with their right hand, and throwing stones with slings with such certainty, that they could strike a hair, and yet the stroke of the stone would never be borne aside into some other place.)

¹⁷ Also of the men of Israel, without the sons of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand drawing out sword, and ready to battle. (And the Israelites, without the Benjaminites, were four hundred thousand men drawing out swords, and ready for battle.)

¹⁸ Which rose, and came into the house of God, that is in Shiloh; and they counselled with God, and said, Who shall be prince in our host of the battle against the sons of Benjamin? To whom the Lord answered, Judah be your duke. (And they rose up, and came into the House of God, that was in Bethel; and they counselled with God, and said, Who should be the leader of our army in the battle against the Benjaminites? To whom the Lord answered, Judah should be your leader.)

¹⁹ And anon the sons of Israel rose early, and setted tents against Gibeah. (And so early in the morning the Israelites rose up, and then pitched their tents opposite Gibeah.)

²⁰ And from thence they went out to battle against Benjamin, and Israel began to fight against Gibeah.

²¹ And the sons of Benjamin went out of Gibeah, and killed of the sons of Israel in that day two and twenty thousand men.

²² And again (the next day,) the sons of Israel trusted in their own strength, and in (the) number of (their) people, and they dressed [the] battle array, in the same place in which they (had) fought before;

²³ so nevertheless that they went up before to the house (of God), and they wept before the Lord unto [the] night, and they counselled with him, and said, Shall I go forth more to fight against the sons of Benjamin, my brethren, either nay? To whom he answered, Ascend ye to them, and begin ye the battle. (for they had gone up the evening before to the House of God, and they had wept before the Lord into the night, and had counselled with him, and had said, Should we go forth again to fight against our kinsmen, the Benjaminites, or not? To whom he answered, Go ye up to them, and make ye the battle.)

²⁴ And (so) when the sons of Israel had gone forth to battle in the tother day against Benjamin,

²⁵ the sons of Benjamin brake out from the gates of Gibeah, and came to (the sons of) Israel; and the sons of Benjamin were wild against Israel by so fierce slaying (and the Benjaminites were so wild against the Israelites with such fierce slaughter), that they threw down eighteen thousand men of Israel drawing out (the) sword.

²⁶ Wherefore all the sons of Israel came (again) into the house of God, and they sat, and wept before the Lord, and they fasted in that day unto the eventide; and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices (and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings),

²⁷ and they asked the Lord of their state. In that time, the ark of the bond of peace of God was there (For at that time, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there);

²⁸ and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was sovereign of the Lord’s house. Then they counselled (with) the Lord, and said, Shall we go out more to battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brethren, either shall we rest? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall betake (the sons of) Benjamin into your hands. (and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the ruler of the Lord’s House. And again they counselled with the Lord, and said, Should we go out again to do more battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or should we cease? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall deliver the Benjaminites into your hands.)

²⁹ And the sons of Israel setted ambushments by compass of the city of Gibeah; (And so the Israelites set men in ambush all around the city of Gibeah;)

³⁰ and the third time, as once and twice before, they brought forth the host against (the sons of) Benjamin.

³¹ But also then the sons of Benjamin brake out from the city boldly, and they pursued further the adversaries fleeing, so that they wounded of Israel, as they did in the first day, and the second, and they killed by two paths Israel turning (their) backs; of the which paths one was straight out into Bethel, and the tother into Gibeah. And Benjamin threw down about thirty men of Israel; (And then the Benjaminites broke out boldly from the city, and again they pursued their adversaries, and made them to flee; and they struck the Israelites, like they did on the first day, and on the second; and on two paths they killed the Israelites who had turned their backs to them; of the which paths one went straight out to Bethel, and the other into Gibeah. And so the Benjaminites threw down about thirty more men of Israel;)

³² for they guessed to destroy Israel as they did before; and by craft, Israel took counsel, feigning them to flee (but the Israelites had taken counsel, and by a carefully thought-out plan, feigned themselves to flee), (so) that they should draw (away the sons of) Benjamin from the city, and that they as fleeing should bring forth (the sons of) Benjamin to the foresaid paths.

³³ Therefore all the sons of Israel rose (up out) of their seats, and setted battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the ambushments, that were about the city, began to open themselves little and little, and to go forth from the west part of the city. (And so all the Israelites rose up out of their places, and made the battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the men in ambush, who were all around the city, began to open themselves up little by little, and to go forth from the west part of the city.)

³⁴ But also other ten thousand of men of all Israel excited the dwellers of the city to battles; and the battle was made grievous against the sons of Benjamin, and they understood not, that perishing nighed to them on each part. (And another ten thousand Israelites attacked the inhabitants of the city; and the battle was made grievous, or very hard, against the Benjaminites, and they did not understand, that death nighed to them on every side.)

³⁵ And the Lord smote Benjamin in the sight of the sons of Israel, and Israel killed of them in that day five and twenty thousand and an hundred men, and all these were warriors and men drawing out sword. (And the Lord struck down the Benjaminites before the Israelites, and on that day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand and a hundred men of them, and they were all warriors and men drawing out the sword.)

³⁶ Soothly the sons of Benjamin began to flee, when they saw, that they were the lower. And the sons of Israel saw this, and gave to them place to flee, that they should come to the ambushments made ready, which they had set beside the city. (And the Benjaminites began to flee, when they saw, that they were losing. And the Israelites saw this, and gave them a place to which to flee, so that they would come to the men who were waiting in ambush, that they had positioned outside the city.)

³⁷ And when these ambushments had risen up suddenly from [the] hid places, and Benjamin gave (their) backs to the slayers, they entered into the city, and they smote it by sharpness of sword. (And when those set in ambush had suddenly risen up from their hiding places, and the Benjaminites had given their backs to the killers, the Israelites entered into the city, and struck down the people with their sharp swords.)

³⁸ Soothly the sons of Israel had given a sign to them which they had set in ambushments, that after that they had taken the city, they should kindle (a) fire, and that by smoke ascending on high, they should show the city (to be) taken. (And the Israelites had arranged a sign, or a signal, from those whom they had set in ambush, which was that after they had taken the city, they would kindle a fire, and that by the smoke going up on high, they would show that the city had been taken.)

³⁹ And when the sons of Israel set in that battle saw this; for the sons of Benjamin guessed them to flee, and they followed busilier, when thirty men of their host were slain; (And so the Israelites set in the battle saw this; but the Benjaminites guessed them to flee, and they followed them more busily, for they had already killed thirty Israelites;)

⁴⁰ and they saw as a pillar of smoke go up from the city. And also Benjamin beholding behind, when he saw his city taken, and the flames be borne on high, (yea, the Israelites saw the pillar of smoke go up from the city. And then the Benjaminites looking behind, also saw that their city had been taken, and the flames of it to be borne up on high.)

⁴¹ they that feigned to flee before, turned their face to Benjamin, and more strongly withstood him. And when the sons of Benjamin had seen this thing, (And then they who had feigned to flee before, now turned their faces to the Benjaminites/now turned to face the Benjaminites, and strongly stood against them. And when the Benjaminites had seen this,)

⁴² they were turned into flight, and they began to go to the way of desert; while also adversaries pursued them there; but also they, that had burnt the city, came against them. (they turned to flight, yea, to run away, and they started on the way to the wilderness; but their adversaries pursued them there; and then also they, who had burned down the city, came out against them.)

⁴³ And so it was done, that Benjamin was slain of enemies on each part, neither there was any rest of men dying; and they felled, and were cast down at the east coast of the city of Gibeah. (And so it was done, that the Benjaminites were killed by their enemies on every side, nor was there any ceasing of men dying; and they fell, and were thrown down on the east side of the city of Gibeah.)

⁴⁴ Forsooth they (of Benjamin), that were slain in the same place, were eighteen thousand of men, all strongest fighters. (And the Benjaminites, who were killed at that place, were eighteen thousand, very strong fighting men.)

⁴⁵ And when they that (were) left alive of Benjamin had seen this, they fled into (the) wilderness, and they went to the stone, whose name is Rimmon (and they went to the Rock of Rimmon). And in that flight the sons of Israel went openly after (them), into diverse places (unto Gidom), and they killed of them five thousand men; and when (the sons of) Benjamin fled further, they pursued them, and killed also of them (an)other two thousand men.

⁴⁶ And so it was done, that all that felled down of (the sons of) Benjamin in diverse places, were five and twenty thousand, fighters most ready to battles. (And so it was done, that all of the Benjaminites who fell down in diverse places that day, were twenty-five thousand fighting men, all ready for battle.)

⁴⁷ And so six hundred men (were) left of all the number of Benjamin, that might escape, and flee into wilderness; and they sat in the stone of Rimmon four months. (And so only six hundred men escaped, and were left alive, of all the number of Benjamin, and they fled into the wilderness; and they sat at the Rock of Rimmon for four months.)

⁴⁸ And the sons of Israel went out, and they smote with sword all the remnants of the city, from men unto work beasts; and (then) devouring flame wasted all the cities and (the) towns of Benjamin.

21 Also the sons of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, and said, None of us shall give to the sons of Benjamin a wife of his daughters. (At Mizpeh the Israelites had sworn, and said, None of us shall give any of his daughters for a wife to the Benjaminites.)

² And all came to the house of God in Shiloh, and they sat in the sight of him till to eventide, and they raised their voice, and began to weep with great yelling, (And now when they all came to Bethel in the presence of God, they sat before him until the evening, and they raised up their voices, and began to weep with great yelling,)

³ and said, Lord God of Israel, why is this evil done in thy people, that today one lineage be taken away of us? (and they said, Lord God of Israel, why is this evil done among thy people, that today one tribe was taken away from us?)

⁴ Soothly in the tother day they rised early, and builded an altar, and offered there burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, (And the next day they rose up early, and built an altar there, and offered burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings,)

⁵ and said, Who of all the lineages of Israel went not up into the host of the Lord? For when they were in Mizpeh, they had bound themselves with a full great oath, that they that failed (to go up) thence should be (made) dead. (and they said, Who out of all the tribes of Israel did not go up to the gathering unto the Lord? For when they were in Mizpeh, they had bound themselves with a very great, or a very solemn, oath, that anyone who failed to go up there should be put to death.)

⁶ And the sons of Israel were led by penance on their brother Benjamin, and began to say, One lineage of Israel is taken away; (And the Israelites felt great remorse, or regret, over their kinsmen the Benjaminites, and said again, Today one of Israel’s tribes was taken from us;)

⁷ whereof shall they take wives? certainly all we have sworn in common, that we shall not give our daughters to them. (where shall they get wives? for we have all sworn in common, that we shall not give any of our daughters to them.)

⁸ Then they said, Who is it of all the lineages of Israel, that went not up to the Lord in Mizpeh? And lo! the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead were found, that they were not in that host. (And again they said, Who is it out of all of Israel’s tribes, who did not go up unto the Lord at Mizpeh? And lo! the inhabitants of Jabesh of Gilead were found, that they had not been in that gathering.)

⁹ Also in that time, when they were in Shiloh, none of them was found there. (And there at Bethel, when the men were numbered, or were listed, none of the sons of Jabesh of Gilead was found to be there.)

¹⁰ Therefore they sent ten thousand (of the) strongest men, and commanded to them, Go ye, and smite the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead by the sharpness of sword, as well the wives as the little children of them. (And so they sent twelve thousand of their strongest men, and commanded to them, Go ye, and strike down the people of Jabesh of Gilead with thy sharp swords, and their wives as well as their little children.)

¹¹ And this thing shall be to you, that ye shall keep; slay ye all of male kind, and the women that have known men fleshly; reserve ye the virgins/but keep ye the maidens. (And this word shall be to you, that ye shall obey; kill ye all the males, and the women who have fleshly known men; but reserve ye the virgins/but keep ye the maidens.)

¹² And four hundred virgins, that knew not the bed of (a) man, were found (among the people) of Jabesh of Gilead; and they brought them to the tents in Shiloh, into the land of Canaan.

¹³ And Israel sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, that were in the stone of Rimmon; and they commanded to them, that they should receive those women in peace. (And then the Israelites sent messengers to the Benjaminites, who were at the Rock of Rimmon; and they agreed to make peace.)

¹⁴ And the sons of Benjamin came (back) in that time, and the daughters of Jabesh of Gilead were given to them to wives; for they found none other women, which they should give to them in like manner. (And then the Benjaminites came back, and the daughters of Jabesh of Gilead were given to them for wives; but they found no other women, whom they could give to them in like manner.)

¹⁵ And all Israel sorrowed greatly, and did penance on the slaying of one lineage of Israel. (And all Israel greatly sorrowed, and had great remorse, or regret, over the killing of one of the tribes of Israel.)

¹⁶ And the greater men in birth said, What shall we do to the other men, that have not taken wives? All the women in the lineage of Benjamin have fallen down, (And the men of great age, that is, the elders, said, What shall we do for the other men who have not received wives? For all the women in the tribe of Benjamin have been killed,)

¹⁷ and it is to us to purvey with great care and great study, that one lineage be not done away from Israel. (and it is for us to find a way, so that one tribe be not done away from Israel.)

¹⁸ We may not give our daughters to them, for we be bound with an oath and cursing, by which we said, Be he cursed that giveth of his daughters (for) a wife to Benjamin.

¹⁹ And they took counsel, and said, Lo! the solemnity of the Lord is in Shiloh, (after) the year’s turning about, that is set at the north coast of the city of Bethel, and at the east coast of the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem, and at the south of the city of Lebonah. (And they took counsel, and said, Lo! the Feast of the Lord shall soon be in Shiloh, after the year’s turning about, yea, that city which is north of the city of Bethel, and to the east on the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the city of Lebonah.)

²⁰ And they commanded to the sons of Benjamin, and said, Go ye, and be ye hid in [the] vineries; (And they commanded to the Benjaminites, and said, Go ye, and be ye hid there in the vineyards;)

²¹ and when ye see [the] daughters of Shiloh go forth by custom to lead dances, go ye out of the vineries suddenly, and ravish ye them, each man one wife, and go ye into the land of Benjamin. (and when ye see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance, quickly go ye out of the vineyards, and seize ye them, each man one wife, and then go ye back to the land of Benjamin.)

²² And when the fathers and brethren of them shall come, and begin to complain and plead against you, we shall say to them, Have ye mercy of them; for we took not from a man his wife in battle, neither ye gave (them) to them, (so) why ye shall be blamed in time. (And when their fathers and their brothers shall come to you, and begin to complain and plead against you, ye shall say to them, Have ye mercy on us; for we did not take a wife from any man in battle, nor did ye give them to us, and so ye shall not be blamed for breaking the oath.)

²³ And the sons of Benjamin did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they ravished wives to them, each man one wife, of them that led (the) dances. And they went into their possession, and builded cities, and dwelled in those. (And the Benjaminites did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they seized wives for themselves, each man one wife, out of those who led the dances. And then they went back to their possessions, and builded cities, and lived in them.)

²⁴ And the sons of Israel turned again, by their lineages and families, into their tabernacles. (And the Israelites returned, by their tribes and families, to their inheritances, or their possessions.)

²⁵ In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that thing, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)

1 In the days of one judge, when judges were sovereigns in Israel, hunger was made in the land; and a man of Bethlehem of Judah went to be a pilgrim in the country of Moab, with his wife and [his] two free sons. (In the days of the judges, when they were the rulers in Israel, there was hunger in the land; and a man of Bethlehem of Judah went to live in the country of Moab, with his wife and their two sons.)

² He was called Elimelech, and his wife (was) Naomi, and his two sons, the one was called Mahlon, and the tother Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah; and they entered into the country of Moab, and they dwelled there (and they went to the country of Moab, and they lived there).

³ And Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she (was) left with her sons;

⁴ and they took wives of Moab, of which wives one was called Orpah, the tother Ruth. And the sons dwelled there ten years (And the sons lived there for ten years),

⁵ and both died, that is, Mahlon and Chilion; and the woman (was) left, and was made bare of her two free sons, and her husband. (and then both of them died, that is, Mahlon and Chilion; and so the woman was bereaved of her two sons, and her husband.)

⁶ And she rose to go with ever either wife of her sons into her country from the country of Moab; for she had heard, that the Lord had beheld his people, and had given meats to them. (And she rose up to go with the wives of both of her sons back to her country from the country of Moab; for she had heard, that the Lord had looked kindly again upon his people, and had given them food.)

⁷ And so she went out from the place of her pilgrimage with ever either wife of her sons; and now when she was set in the way of turning again into the land of Judah, (And so she went out from the place where she lived with the wives of both of her sons; and now when she was set on the way, returning to the land of Judah,)

⁸ she said to them, Go ye (again) into the house of your mother; the Lord do mercy with you, as ye did with the dead men, and with me;

⁹ the Lord give to you to find rest in the houses of [the] husbands which ye shall take. And she kissed them. And they began to weep with (a) high voice,

¹⁰ and to say, We shall go with thee to thy people.

¹¹ To whom she answered, My daughters, turn ye again, why come ye with me? I have no more sons in my womb, that ye may hope husbands of me (To whom she answered, My daughters, return ye home, why come ye with me? I have no more sons in my womb, that ye may have any hope of husbands from me;)

¹² my daughters of Moab, turn ye again, and go (my daughters of Moab, return ye, and go home); for now I am made eld, and I am not able to the bond of marriage; yea, though I might conceive in this night, and bear sons,

¹³ though ye will abide till they waxed, and [ful]fill the years of marriage, ye shall sooner be eld women than ye shall be wedded; I beseech (thee), my daughters, mourn ye not, for your anguish oppresseth me the more, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

¹⁴ Therefore, when the voice was raised (up), again they began to weep. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and turned again, and Ruth abode with her mother-in-law (And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and returned home, but Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law).

¹⁵ To whom Naomi said, Lo! thy kinswoman turned again to her people, and to her gods; go thou with her.

¹⁶ And Ruth answered, Be thou not against me, that I forsake thee, and go away; whither ever thou shalt go, I shall go, and where thou shalt dwell, I shall dwell together (with thee); thy people is my people, and thy God is my God; (And Ruth answered, Be thou not against me, that I should desert thee, and go away from thee; wherever thou shalt go, I shall go, and where thou shalt live, I shall live with thee; thy people is my people, and thy God is my God;)

¹⁷ what land shall receive thee dying, I shall die therein also, and there I shall take place of burying; God do to me these things, and add these things, if death alone shall not part me and thee. (whatever land shall receive thee when thou diest, I shall die there also, and that shall be the place where I am buried; yea, God do to me terrible things, and add other things as well, if anything but death separate me and thee.)

¹⁸ Therefore Naomi saw, that Ruth had deemed with steadfast soul to go with her, and she would not be against her, neither counsel further turning again to her countrymen (and so she would not be against her, nor further counsel her to return to her own people).

¹⁹ And (so) they went forth together, and came into Bethlehem; and when they entered into the city, swift fame (a)rose with all men, and women said, This is that Naomi.

²⁰ To whom she said, Call ye not me Naomi, that is, fair, but call ye me Mara, that is, bitter; for Almighty God hath filled me greatly with bitterness. (To whom she said, Do not ye call me Naomi, or Delightful, or Pleasant, but call ye me Mara, or Bitter; for Almighty God hath filled me with great bitterness.)

²¹ I went out full, and the Lord led me again void; why therefore call ye me Naomi, whom the Lord hath made low, and (whom) Almighty God hath tormented?

²² Therefore Naomi came with Ruth of Moab, the wife of her son, from the land of her pilgrimage, and turned again into Bethlehem, when barley was reaped first. (And so Naomi came with Ruth the Moabite, her son’s wife, from the land where she had lived, and returned to Bethlehem with her, when the barley was first harvested.)

2 Forsooth (there was) a mighty man and a man of great riches, Boaz by name, (who) was (a) kinsman of Elimelech.

² And Ruth of Moab said to her mother-in-law, If thou commandest, I shall go into the field, and I shall gather ears of corn that flee the hands of (the) reapers, wherever I shall find grace of an husbandman merciful in me (wherever I shall find favour from a farmer, who is merciful to me). To whom she answered, Go, my daughter.

³ Therefore she went, and gathered ears of corn after the backs of (some) reapers. And it befelled, that Boaz was (the) lord of that field, (he) that was of the kindred of Elimelech.

⁴ And lo! (one day) Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to his reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered to him, The Lord bless thee.

⁵ And Boaz said to the young man that was chief over the reapers, Who is this damsel?

⁶ And he answered, This is the woman of Moab, that came with Naomi from the country of Moab;

⁷ and she prayed, that she should gather ears of corn leaving behind, and follow the steps of [the] reapers; and from the morrowtide till now she standeth in the field, and soothly neither at a moment she turned again home. (and she prayed us, that she could gather some ears of corn that were left behind, and follow the steps of the reapers; and so from the morning until now she standeth in the field, and not for a moment hath she purposed to return home.)

⁸ And Boaz said to Ruth, Daughter, hear thou; go thou not into another field to gather, neither go (thou) away from this place, but be thou joined to my damsels,

⁹ and follow thou where they reap; for I [have] commanded to my young men, that no man be dis-easeful to thee; but also if thou thirstest, go to the fardels, and drink waters, of which my young men drink (and if thou thirstest, go and drink from the water jars, which my young men have filled).

¹⁰ And she felled on her face, and worshipped on the earth; and she said to him, Whereof is this to me, that I should find grace before thine eyes, that thou wouldest know me, a strange woman? (And she fell on her face, and honoured him on the ground; and she said to him, Whereof is this to me, that I should find favour in thine eyes, and that thou wouldest acknowledge me, who is but a stranger?)

¹¹ To whom Boaz answered, All things be told to me, that thou hast done to thy mother-in-law after the death of thine husband (All things have been told to me, what thou hast done for thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband), and that thou hast forsaken thy father and thy mother, and the land that thou were born in, and thou art come to a people, that thou hast not known before.

¹² The Lord yield to thee for thy work, and receive thou full meed of the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou camest, and under whose wings thou fleddest. (May the Lord reward thee for thy good deeds, yea, may thou receive thy full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou hast come, and under whose wings thou hast fled.)

¹³ And she said, My lord, I have found grace before thine eyes, and thou hast comforted me, and thou hast spoken to the heart of thine handmaid, which am not like one of thine handmaids. (And she said, My lord, for I have found favour in thine eyes, and thou hast spoken to the heart of thy servantess, though I am not equal to one of thy servantesses, yea, thou hast greatly comforted me.)

¹⁴ And Boaz said to her, When the hour of eating is, come thou hither, and eat bread, and wet thy morsel in vinegar. Therefore she sat at the side of [the] reapers; and he directed to her pottage, and she ate, and was filled; and she took the remnants. (And Boaz said to her, When it is time to eat, come thou here, and eat bread, and wet thy morsel in the vinegar. And so she sat beside the reapers; and Boaz passed her some roasted grain, and she ate, and was fulfilled; and she took up the remnants.)

¹⁵ And she rose from thence to gather the ears of corn, by custom. And Boaz commanded to his young men, and said, Also if she will reap with you, forbid ye not her, (And then she rose up from there to gather the ears of corn again, as was her custom. And Boaz commanded to his young men, and said, Yea, if she will reap with you, forbid ye her not,)

¹⁶ and also cast ye forth to her handfuls of purpose (and also throw ye forth to her some handfuls on purpose), and suffer ye those to abide, that she gather those without shame; and no man reprove her gathering them.

¹⁷ Therefore she gathered in the field till to eventide; and she beat with a rod, and shook out those things that she had gathered; and she found of barley as the measure of (an) ephah (and she found that she had about a bushel of barley).

¹⁸ Which she bare, and turned again into the city, and showed to her mother-in-law; furthermore she brought forth, and gave to her the remnants of her meat, with which meat she was (ful)filled. (Which she carried, and returned to the city, and showed to her mother-in-law; and she also brought forth, and gave her the remnants of her food, with which food she was fulfilled.)

¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, Where hast thou gathered this today, and where hast thou done (all) this work? Blessed be he, that had mercy on thee. And Ruth told to her mother(-in-law) with whom she (had) wrought; and she said that the man’s name was called Boaz.

²⁰ To whom Naomi answered, Blessed be he of the Lord, for he [hath] kept also to dead men the same grace, which he gave to the quick. And again she said, He is our kinsman. (To whom Naomi answered, May the Lord bless him; yea, the Lord hath given the same favour to the living, as to the dead. And she said to Ruth, He is our kinsman.)

²¹ And Ruth said, Also he commanded this thing to me, that so long I should be joined to his reapers, till all his corns were reaped. (And Ruth said, And he also commanded this to me, that I should be joined to his reapers, until all his grain was harvested.)

²² To whom her mother-in-law said, My daughter, it is better, that thou go out to reap with his damsels, lest in another field any man against-stand thee.

²³ And so Ruth was joined to the damsels of Boaz; and so long she reaped with them, till both the barley and the wheat were closed in the barns. (And so Ruth was joined to Boaz’s young women; and she worked with them, until all the barley and the wheat were harvested, and enclosed in the barns.)

3 And after that Ruth had turned (again) to her mother-in-law, she heard of her, My daughter, I shall seek rest to thee, and I shall purvey that it be well to thee. (And sometime later, when Ruth had returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi said to her, My daughter, I shall seek rest for thee, and I shall purvey that it be well with thee.)

² This Boaz, to whose damsels thou were joined (to) in the field, is our kinsman, and in this night he winnoweth the cornfloor of barley (and tonight he thresheth barley at his threshing floor).

³ Therefore be thou washed, and anointed, and be thou clothed with more honest clothes, and go thou down into the cornfloor; the man see not thee, till he have ended to eat and to drink. (And so be thou washed, and anointed, and be thou clothed with more honourable, or more decent, clothes, and then go thou down to the threshing floor; but do not let the man see thee until he hath finished eating and drinking.)

⁴ Forsooth when he goeth to sleep, mark thou the place in which he sleepeth; and thou shalt come, and uncover the cloak, with which he is covered, from the part of the feet, and thou shalt cast thee down, and thou shalt lie there. Forsooth he shall say to thee, what thou oughtest to do.

⁵ And Ruth answered, Whatever thing thou commandest to me, I shall do.

⁶ And she went down into the cornfloor (And she went down to the threshing floor), and did all things which her mother-in-law commanded to her.

⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and (had) drunk, and was made more glad, and had gone to sleep beside the mound of sheaves, Ruth came, and hid herself; and when the cloth was uncovered from his feet, she casted down herself (and she turned back the cloak over his feet, and lay herself down).

⁸ And lo! now at midnight, the man dreaded, and was troubled (And lo! at midnight, the man was startled, or was afraid, and he woke up from his sleep); and he saw a woman lying at his feet;

⁹ and he said to her, Who art thou? She answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid; stretch forth thy cloth on thy servantess, for thou art nigh of kin. (and he said to her, Who art thou? She answered, I am Ruth, thy servantess; stretch forth thy cloak over thy servantess, for thou art my next of kin.)

¹⁰ And he said, Daughter, thou art blessed of the Lord, and thou hast overcome the former mercy with the latter (and now thou hast surpassed thy earlier proof of family devotion, or loyalty, with this one); for thou followedest not young men, poor either rich.

¹¹ Therefore, do not thou dread, but whatever thing thou shalt say to me, I shall do to thee; for all the people that dwelleth within the gates of my city know, that thou art a woman of virtue. (And so, do not thou fear, but whatever that thou shalt ask of me, I shall do for thee; for all the people who liveth within the gates of my city know, that thou art a woman of virtue.)

¹² And I forsake not, that I am of nigh kin, but another man is nearer kin than I; (And I do not deny, that I am your close kin, but another man is a closer kin than I;)

¹³ (so) rest thou here this night, and when the morrowtide is made, if the man will hold thee to wife by right of nigh kin (if the man will make thee his wife by right of next of kin), (then) the thing is well done; and if he will not, (then) I shall take thee without any doubt, (as) the Lord liveth; (so) sleep thou till the morrowtide.

¹⁴ Therefore she slept at his feet till to the going away of [the] night, and then she rose (up), before that men should know each other. And Boaz said to her, Be thou ware lest any man know, that thou camest hither.

¹⁵ And again he said, Stretch forth thy mantle with which thou art covered, and hold thou with ever either hand. And while she stretched forth and held, he meted six measures of barley, and putted on her; and she bare, and entered into the city, (And then he said, Stretch forth thy mantle with which thou art covered, and hold thou it with both hands. And while she stretched it forth and held it, he measured, or counted, out six measures of barley, and put it on her mantle; and she carried it, and went into the city,)

¹⁶ and came to her mother-in-law. Which said to Ruth, What hast thou done, daughter? And Ruth told to her all things, which the man had done to her. (and came home to her mother-in-law. And Naomi said to Ruth, What happened, my daughter? And Ruth told her all the things, that the man had done for her.)

¹⁷ And Ruth said, Lo! he gave to me six measures of barley; and he said, I will not that thou turn again void to thy mother-in-law. (And Ruth added, Lo! he gave me six measures of barley; for he said, I will not have it that thou return empty-handed to thy mother-in-law.)

¹⁸ And Naomi said, Abide, daughter, till we see what issue the thing shall have (And Naomi said, Just wait, or have patience, daughter, until we see what shall happen); for the man shall not cease, no but he [ful]fill those things which he spake.

4 Therefore Boaz ascended to the gate, and sat there (And so Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there); and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned (back), and sat (down).

² And Boaz took ten elder men of the city, and he said to them, Sit ye down here. And while they sat (And when they had sat down),

³ Boaz spake to the kinsman, (and said,) Naomi, that turned again from the country of Moab, sold, that is, is in purpose to sell, for it was not yet sold, the part of the field of our brother Elimelech, (Boaz said to his kinsman, Our kinswoman Naomi, who hath returned from the country of Moab, is selling the portion of the field, that was Elimelech’s, our kinsman,)

⁴ which thing I would that thou hear; and I would say to thee before all men sitting, and greater in birth of my people. If thou wilt have in possession the field by right of nigh kin, buy thou, and have thou in possession; soothly if it displeaseth thee, show thou this same thing to me, that I know what I ought to do; for none is nigh in kin, besides thee which art the former, and besides me which am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field. (which thing I desire that thou hear about; and I say it to thee before all the men sitting here, and of great age, that is, the elders, of my people. If thou wilt have the field for a possession by right of next of kin, buy thou it, and have thou it for a possession; but if it displeaseth thee, tell thou this to me, so that I know what I ought to do; for no one is next of kin, besides thee, who art the first by right, and I, who am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field.)

⁵ To whom Boaz said, When thou hast bought the field (out) of the hand of the woman, thou oughtest also to take to wife Ruth of Moab, that was the wife of the dead man, that thou raise the name of thy kinsman in his heritage. (To whom Boaz then said, And when thou hast bought the field from the hand of the woman, thou ought also to take for a wife Ruth the Moabite, who was the wife of the dead man, so that thou can raise up the name of thy kinsman on his inheritance, that is, on his land.)

⁶ And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)

⁷ Forsooth this was the custom by eld time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was (the) witnessing of (such) a gift in Israel.

⁸ Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot (and at once he unlaced his shoe and took it off his foot).

⁹ And Boaz said to the greater men in birth, and to all the people, Ye be witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all things that were of Elimelech, and of Chilion, and of Mahlon, by the gift of Naomi; (And Boaz said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, and to all the people there, Ye be my witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all the things that were Elimelech’s, and Chilion’s, and Mahlon’s, by purchasing them from Naomi;)

¹⁰ and that I have taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, that I raise up the name of the dead man in his heritage; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his brethren, and his people. Ye, he said, be witnesses of this thing. (and that I have also taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, so that I can raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, that is, on his land; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his kinsmen, and from his people. Ye be my witnesses of this, he said.)

¹¹ All the people, that was in the gate, answered, and the greater men in birth, (and said,) We be witnesses; the Lord make this woman, that entereth into thine house, as Rachel and Leah, that builded the house of Israel, that she be ensample of virtue in Ephratah, and have a solemn name in Bethlehem; (And all the people, and the men of great age, or the elders, who were there at the city gate, answered, We be thy witnesses; may the Lord make this woman, who entereth into thy house, like Rachel and Leah, who built the house of Israel, and may she be an example of virtue in Ephratah, and have a famous name in Bethlehem;)

¹² and thine house be made as the house of Pharez, whom Tamar childed to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give to thee of this damsel. (and may thy house be made like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore for Judah, through the children, or the descendants, whom the Lord shall give thee by this young woman.)

¹³ Then Boaz took Ruth, and he took her to wife (and he made her his wife); and he entered to her, and the Lord gave to her, that she conceived, and childed a son.

¹⁴ And women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which suffered not, that an heir failed to thy family, and his name were called in Israel; (And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left thy family without an heir; may his name be known in all of Israel;)

¹⁵ and that thou have (him), that shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thine eld age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, that shall love thee, and he is better to thee, than if thou haddest seven sons. (and that thou have him, who shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thy old age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, yea, she hath done more for thee than if thou haddest seven sons.)

¹⁶ And Naomi putted the child, whom she received, in her bosom (And Naomi took the child, and put him in her bosom); and she did the office of a nurse, and of a bearer-about.

¹⁷ And [the] women neighbours thanked her, or joyed together with her, and said, A son is born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed. This is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸ These be the generations of Pharez; Pharez begat Hezron; (For these be the descendants of Perez; Perez begat Hezron;)

¹⁹ Hezron begat Ram; Ram begat Amminadab;

²⁰ Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon;

²¹ Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed;

²² Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David the king. (Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David, the king of Israel.)

1 There was a man of Ramathaim in Zophim, of the hill (country) of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihi, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.

² And Elkanah had two wives; the name to the one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and sons were to Peninnah; but Hannah had none free children. (And Elkanah had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.)

³ And that man went up from his city in the days that were ordained, to worship and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And [the] two sons of Eli were there, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord.

⁴ Then the day came, and Elkanah offered, and he gave parts to Peninnah, his wife (and he gave portions to his wife Peninnah), and to all his sons and daughters;

⁵ forsooth he gave sorrowfully one part, either double, to Hannah, for he loved Hannah; forsooth the Lord had closed her womb. (and sorrowfully he gave only one special portion to Hannah; for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed up her womb.)

⁶ And (Peninnah,) her enemy tormented her, and anguished (her) greatly, in so much that she upbraided her, that the Lord had closed (up) her womb.

⁷ And so Peninnah did each year, when the time came that they went up into the house of the Lord; and so she stirred Hannah. And then she wept, and took no meat. (And Peninnah did so each year, when the time came that they went up to the House of the Lord; and so she tormented Hannah. And then Hannah wept, and ate no food.)

⁸ Therefore Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and why is thine heart tormented? Whether I am not better to thee than be ten sons? (Am I not better to thee than ten sons?)

⁹ Soothly Hannah rose, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And the while Eli [the priest] was on his great seat before the posts of the house of the Lord, (And Hannah rose up, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And while Eli the priest was on his great throne, beside the door of the House of the Lord,)

¹⁰ and when she was in bitter sorrow of soul, she prayed (to) the Lord, and wept largely (and greatly wept);

¹¹ and she made a vow to the Lord, and said, Lord God of hosts, if thou beholdest, and seest the torment of thy servantess, and if thou hast mind of me, and forgettest not thine handmaid, and givest a son to thy servantess, I shall give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come upon his head.

¹² And it was done, when she multiplied her prayers before the Lord, that Eli espied her mouth.

¹³ Forsooth Hannah spake in her heart, and only her lips were moved, and utterly her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli guessed her drunken, (And Hannah spoke in her heart, so that only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And so Eli guessed that she was drunk.)

¹⁴ and he said to her, How long shalt thou be drunken? Avoid thou a little the wine, by which thou art moist (Be thou done with the wine, by which thou art made drunk).

¹⁵ Hannah answered, and said, Nay, my lord, for I am an unhappy woman; I have not drunk wine, neither anything that may make drunken, but I have poured out my soul in the Lord’s sight (but I have poured out my soul before the Lord);

¹⁶ guess thou not thine handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial, for of the multitude of my sorrow and of my mourning I have spoken unto this present time. (think thou not that thy servantess is one of the daughters of Belial, for until this present time I have spoken out of the multitude of my sorrow, and of my mourning.)

¹⁷ Then Eli said to her, Go thou in peace, and (the) God of Israel give to thee the asking that thou hast prayed him (for).

¹⁸ And she said, I would that thine handmaid find grace in thine eyes. And the woman went into her way, and ate, and her cheers were no more changed diversely. (And she said, I desire that thy servantess find favour in thine eyes. And the woman went her way, and ate, and her face was no longer sad.)

¹⁹ And they rised (up) early, and worshipped before the Lord; and they turned again, and came into their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife; and the Lord thought on her (and the Lord remembered her).

²⁰ And it was done after the compass of days, Hannah conceived, and childed a son, and called his name Samuel; for she had asked him of the Lord (for she had asked for him from the Lord).

²¹ And her husband Elkanah went up, and all his house, to offer a solemn sacrifice, and his avow to the Lord. (And then as before, her husband Elkanah, and all his household, or his family, went up to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord, and to renew his vow.)

²² And Hannah went not up to that solemnity (But Hannah did not go up to that feast), for she had said to her husband, I shall not go (up), till the young child be weaned, and till I lead him thither, and he appear before the sight of the Lord, and dwell there continually.

²³ And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Do thou that that seemeth good to thee, and dwell thou still till thou have weaned him; and I beseech, that the Lord [ful]fill his word. Therefore the woman abode, and gave milk to her son, till the time (that) she removed him from the milk.

²⁴ And (then) she brought him with her, after that she had weaned him, with three calves, and three bushels of meal, and an amphora, either a pot, of wine; and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was yet full young.

²⁵ And they sacrificed a calf, and they offered the child to Eli.

²⁶ And Hannah said, My lord, I beseech thee, (as) thy soul liveth; I am the woman, that stood before thee here, and prayed (to) the Lord;

²⁷ for this child I prayed (I prayed for this child), and the Lord gave to me mine asking which I asked (of) him;

²⁸ therefore and I have given him to the Lord in all [the] days, in which he is given to the Lord. And they worshipped there the Lord. (and so I am lending him to the Lord; yea, for all his days, he shall be lent to the Lord. And then they worshipped the Lord there.)

2 And Hannah worshipped, and said, Mine heart fully joyed in the Lord, and mine horn is raised in my God; my mouth is alarged on mine enemies, for I was glad in thine health. (And Hannah worshipped, and said, My heart full out joyeth in the Lord, and my head is raised up to my God; my mouth is enlarged upon my enemies, or harshly speaketh about them, and I am happy for thy help.)

² None is holy as the Lord is; for none other is, except thee, and none is strong as our God. (No one is as holy as the Lord is; for there is no other, except thee, and no one is as strong as our God.)

³ Do not ye multiply to speak high things, and have glory therein; eld things go away from your mouth; for God is Lord of knowings, and thoughts be made ready to him. (Do not ye continue to speak proud things, and have glory in it; let not proud words come out of your mouth; for God is the Lord of all knowledge, and he judgeth all that people do.)

⁴ The bow of strong men is overcome, and feeble men be girded with strength.

⁵ Men full-filled before, setted themselves to hire for loaves, and hungry men be filled; while the barren woman childed full many, and she that had many sons, was made sick. (Men filled full before, now hire themselves out to work for loaves, and hungry men be filled; while the barren woman bare a great many, and she who had many sons, was made feeble, or weak.)

⁶ The Lord slayeth, and quickeneth; he leadeth forth to hells, and bringeth again. (The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he leadeth down to Sheol, or into the grave, and bringeth up again.)

⁷ The Lord maketh poor, and he maketh rich; he maketh low, and he raiseth up.

⁸ He raiseth a needy man from powder, and he raiseth a poor man from drit, that he sit with princes, and hold the seat of glory; for the ends of [the] earth be of the Lord, and he hath set the world on those. (He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and he raiseth up the poor from the dirt, so that they sit with princes, and have seats, or places, of honour; for the ends of the earth be the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.)

⁹ He shall keep the feet of his saints, and wicked men shall be still (al)together in darknesses; for a man shall not be made strong in his own strength. (He shall guard the footsteps of his saints, and the wicked shall be still, or shall be silent, in the darkness; for no one shall be made strong by their own strength.)

¹⁰ [The] Adversaries of the Lord shall dread him, and from (the) heavens he shall thunder upon them; the Lord shall deem the ends of [the] earth, and he shall give lordship to his king, and he shall enhance the horn, that is, (the) power, of his Christ. (The Lord’s adversaries shall fear him, and he shall thunder upon them from heaven; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give lordship to his king, yea, he shall enhance the horn, that is, the power, of his anointed king.)

¹¹ And Elkanah went into Ramah, into his house; and the child was (a) servant in the sight of the Lord before the face of Eli the priest.

¹² Forsooth the sons of Eli were the sons of Belial, and they knew not the Lord,

¹³ neither the office of (the) priests to the people; but whoever had offered sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the fleshes were in seething, and he had a fleshhook with three teeth in his hand;

¹⁴ and he sent it into the great vessel of stone, either into the cauldron, either into the pot, either into the pan; and whatever thing the fleshhook raised, the priest took that to himself; so they did to all Israel of men coming into Shiloh. (and he sent it into the great stone vessel, or the cauldron, or the pot, or the pan; and whatever thing the fleshhook raised up, or caught hold of, the priest took that for himself; and so they did to all Israel who came to Shiloh.)

¹⁵ Yea, before that they burnt the inner fatness, the priest’s servant came, and said to the offerer, Give thou flesh to me/Give to me the flesh, that I seethe it to the priest; for I shall not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw. (Yea, before that they burned the inner fatness, the priest’s servant came, and said to the offerer, Give thou to me the flesh, so that I can roast it for the priest; for I shall not take boiled flesh from thee, but only raw meat.)

¹⁶ And he that offered said to him, Be first the inner fatness burnt today after the custom, and take thou then to thee how much ever thy soul desireth. The which answered, and said to him, Nay, but thou shalt give it now; for else I shall take it by violence. (And if he who offered said to him, First let the inner fatness be burned today, after the custom, and then take thou for thyself however much thy soul desireth, the servant would answer, and say, No, thou shalt give it to me now; or else I shall take it by force.)

¹⁷ Therefore the sin of the young men was full grievous before the Lord; for they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord (for they drew people away, or discouraged them, from sacrificing to the Lord).

¹⁸ Forsooth Samuel, a child girded with a linen cloth (a boy wearing a linen cloak), ministered before the face of the Lord.

¹⁹ And his mother made to him a little coat, the which (s)he brought to him in the days ordained to offer, and she went up with her husband, that he would offer a solemn offering, and his avow. (And his mother made a little coat for him, which she brought to him in the days ordained for offering, when she went up each year with her husband, when he offered a solemn sacrifice, and renewed his vow.)

²⁰ And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife; and said, The Lord yield to thee seed of this woman, for the gift which thou hast given to the Lord. And they went into their place again. (And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife; and said, May the Lord give thee children from this woman, for the loan which thou hast lent to the Lord. And then they went home again.)

²¹ Therefore the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived, and childed three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel was magnified at the Lord (But their boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord).

²² And Eli was full eld, and he heard all the things that his sons did in all Israel, and how they slept with women, that waited at the door of the tabernacle. (And Eli grew very old, and he heard of all the improper things that his sons did to all Israel, and how they slept with the women, who served at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)

²³ And he said to them, Why do ye such things, (yea,) the worst things, which I hear of (from) all the people?

²⁴ Do not ye, my sons; it is not a good fame, that I hear, that ye make the Lord’s people to do trespass. (Do not ye do this, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear, that ye make the Lord’s people to trespass.)

²⁵ If a man sinneth against a man, God may be pleased to him by prayers and sacrifices; but if a man sinneth against the Lord, who shall pray for him? And they heard not the voice of their father, for God would slay them. (If a man sinneth against another man, God may make him appeased by prayers and sacrifices; but if a man sinneth against the Lord, who shall pray for him? But they would not listen to their father, for God had decided to kill them.)

²⁶ Forsooth the child Samuel profited, and increased, and pleased both God and men. (And the boy Samuel grew, and learned, and pleased both God and men.)

²⁷ Soothly a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Whether I was not showed apertly to the house of thy father, when he was in Egypt, in the house of Pharaoh? (And a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Was I not openly showed to thy father’s family, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house?)

²⁸ And I chose him of all the lineages of Israel to be a priest to me, that he should go up to mine altar, and should burn incense to me, and that he should bear before me a priest’s cloak; and I gave to the house of thy father all things of the sacrifices of the sons of Israel. (And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, so that he could go up to my altar, and burn incense to me, and that he would wear the ephod; and I gave to thy father’s family all of the sacrifices of the Israelites.)

²⁹ Why hast thou cast away with the heel my sacrifice, and my gifts, which I [have] commanded to be offered in the temple; and thou honouredest more thy sons than me, that ye eat the principal parts of each sacrifice of Israel my people? (Why hast thou kicked away my sacrifice, and my gifts, which I commanded to be offered in the Temple; and why hast thou honoured thy sons more than me, so that ye eat the principal, or the choicest, parts of each offering from my people Israel?)