Bible in 90 Days
13 The men from Judah said, “·We agree [L No; C meaning they wouldn’t hurt him]. We will just ·tie you up [bind you] and give you to the Philistines. We will not kill you.” So they tied Samson with two new ropes and led him up from the cave in the rock. 14 When Samson came to the Lehi, the Philistines came to meet him, ·shouting for joy [or with shouts of triumph; L shouting]. Then the Spirit of the Lord ·entered Samson and gave him great power [came upon/rushed upon/empowered him; 14:19]. The ropes on him weakened like burned ·strings [flax] and [L his bonds] fell off his hands! 15 Samson found the ·jawbone [L fresh jawbone; C not yet decayed] of a ·dead donkey [T ass], took it, and ·killed [L struck down] a thousand men with it!
16 Then Samson said,
“With a donkey’s jawbone
I ·made donkeys out of them [or have piled them in heaps].
With a donkey’s jawbone
I ·killed [L struck down] a thousand men!”
17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone. So that place was named Ramath Lehi [C Jawbone Hill].
18 Samson was very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord, “You gave me, your servant, this great victory. Do I have to die of thirst now? Do I have to be captured by ·people who are not circumcised [or these pagans; L the uncircumcised]?” 19 Then God ·opened up a hole in the ground [L split open the basin/hollow place] at Lehi, and water came out. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he ·felt better [revived]. So he named that spring ·Caller’s Spring [or Spring of the One Who Cries Out; L En Hakkore], which is still in Lehi.
20 Samson ·judged [led] Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Samson Goes to the City of Gaza
16 One day Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. He went in ·to spend the night with her [L to her; C a euphemism for sexual relations]. 2 When the people of Gaza heard, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and ·waited for him [set an ambush; lay in wait] near the city gate all night. They whispered to each other, “·When dawn comes [At the morning light], we will kill Samson!”
3 But Samson only stayed with the prostitute until midnight. Then he got up and took hold of the doors and the two posts of the city gate and tore them loose, along with the bar. He put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces the city of Hebron.
Samson and Delilah
4 After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek. 5 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] went to Delilah and said, “Find out what makes Samson so strong. ·Trick [Seduce; Entice] him into telling you how we can overpower him and tie him up and ·capture [subdue] him. If you do this, each one of us will give you ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me why you are so strong. How can someone tie you up and ·capture [subdue] you?”
7 Samson answered, “Someone would have to tie me up with seven ·new [fresh] bowstrings that have not been dried. Then I would be as weak as any other man.”
8 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] brought Delilah seven ·new [fresh] bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson with them. 9 Some men were ·hiding [lying in wait] in ·another [an inner; or their] room. Delilah said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But Samson broke the bowstrings like pieces of burned ·string [flax]. So the Philistines did not find out the secret of Samson’s strength.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You lied to me. Now tell me how someone can ·tie you up [subdue you].”
11 Samson said, “They would have to tie me with new ropes that have not been used before. Then I would become as weak as any other man.”
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied Samson. Some men were hiding in ·another [an inner; or their] room. She called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he broke the ropes from his arms as easily as if they were threads.
13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “·Again [L Until now] you have ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You lied to me. Tell me how someone can tie you up.”
He said, “Using the loom, weave the seven braids of my hair into the ·cloth [woven fabric; web], and tighten it with a pin. Then I will be as weak as any other man.”
While Samson slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the ·cloth [woven fabric; web]. 14 Then she fastened it with a pin.
Again she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” Samson woke up and pulled out the pin and the loom with the ·cloth [woven fabric; web].
15 Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when ·you don’t even trust me [L your heart is not with me]? This is the third time you have ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” 16 She ·kept bothering [nagged; pressed] Samson about his secret day after day until ·he felt he was going to die [L his soul was annoyed to death]!
17 So he told her ·everything [L all his heart]. He said, “·I have never had my hair cut [L A razor has never come upon my head], because I have been set apart to God as a Nazirite ·since I was born [L from my mother’s womb; 13:5, 7; Num. 6:1–12]. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength and be as weak as any other man.”
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her ·everything sincerely [L all his heart], she sent a message to the Philistine ·rulers [lords]. She said, “Come back one more time, because he has told me ·everything [L all that is in his heart].” So the Philistine rulers came back to Delilah and brought the silver ·with them [L in their hands]. 19 Delilah got Samson to sleep, lying in her lap. Then she called in a man to shave off the seven braids of Samson’s hair. In this way she began to ·make him weak [subdue him; make him vulnerable], and his strength left him.
20 Then she said, “Samson, the Philistines are here!”
He woke up and thought, “I’ll leave as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 Then the Philistines captured Samson and ·tore [gouged] out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they put bronze ·chains [shackles] on him and made him grind grain in the prison. 22 But his hair began to grow again after it was shaved off.
Samson Dies
23 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] gathered to celebrate and to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They said, “Our god has handed Samson our enemy ·over to us [into our hand].” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,
“This man ·destroyed [laid waste; ravaged] our country.
He ·killed many of us [L multiplied our dead]!
But our god handed over
our enemy to us.”
25 ·While the people were enjoying the celebration [When they were in high spirits; L When their heart was good], they said, “Bring Samson out to ·perform for [entertain; amuse] us.” So they brought Samson from the prison, and he ·performed for [entertained; amused] them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26 Samson said to the ·servant [youth; young man] holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars that hold up the ·temple [house] so I can lean against them.” 27 Now the ·temple [house] was full of men and women. All the Philistine ·rulers [lords] were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “·Lord God [Sovereign Lord], remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I ·can pay these Philistines back [avenge the Philistines] for putting out my two eyes!” 29 Then Samson ·turned to [grasped] the two center pillars ·that supported the whole temple [L on which the house rested]. He braced himself between the two pillars, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 30 Samson said, “Let me die with these Philistines!” Then he pushed ·as hard as he could [with all his strength], causing the temple to fall on the ·rulers [lords] and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than ·when he was alive [during his lifetime].
31 Samson’s brothers and ·his whole family [L all the house of his father] went down to get his body. They brought him back and buried him in the tomb of Manoah, his father, between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson had ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty years.
Micah’s Idols
17 There was a man named Micah who lived in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 2 He said to his mother, “I heard you speak a curse [C uttered against the thief] about the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver that were taken from you. I have the silver with me; I took it.”
His mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son [C for confessing the crime]!”
3 Micah gave the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver to his mother. Then she said, “I will ·give [dedicate] this silver [L from my hand] to the Lord. ·I will have my son make [or For the benefit of my son I will make] ·an idol and a statue [a carved image and a cast-metal image; or a carved image overlaid with silver]. So I will give the silver back to you.”
4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took about ·five pounds [L two hundred pieces of silver] and gave it to a ·silversmith [or idol-maker; Acts 19:24]. With it he made an ·idol and a statue [or carved image overlaid with silver; C an abomination and violation of the law; Deut. 27:15], which stood in Micah’s house. 5 Micah had a ·special holy place [shrine], and he made a ·holy vest [ephod] and some ·household idols [L teraphim; Gen. 31:19]. Then Micah ·chose [ordained; installed; or paid; L filled the hand of] one of his sons to be his priest. 6 At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes [C the common refrain through the rest of Judges, referring both to the lack of a human king and the rejection of God’s sovereignty; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25].
7 There was a young man who was a Levite [C the priestly tribe of Israel; Num. 1:47–53] from the city of Bethlehem in Judah who was ·from [or living among] the people of Judah. 8 He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, and ·on his way [or to carry on his vocation] he came to Micah’s house in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
He answered, “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m looking for a place to live.”
10 Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; Gen. 45:8] and my priest. I will give you ·four ounces [L ten pieces] of silver each year and clothes and food.” So the Levite went in. 11 He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of Micah’s own sons. 12 Micah ·made him [installed/ordained him as; or paid him to be; L filled his hand to be] a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know the Lord will ·be good to [prosper] me, because I have a Levite as my priest.”
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
18 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6]. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still ·looking for a land [L seeking an inheritance] where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet ·been given their own land [moved into their land; received their allotment] among the tribes of Israel. 2 So, from their family groups, they chose five ·soldiers [valiant men; L men, sons of strength] from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”
They came to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night. 3 When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the ·voice [or accent] of the young Levite [17:7]. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? ·Why are you here [What is your business here]?”
4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please ask God if ·our journey [our mission; L the way we are going] will be successful.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord ·is pleased with [approves of; watches over] your journey.”
7 So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, ·like [L according to the custom of] the people of Sidon. They ·thought they were safe [were quiet and secure/unsuspecting] and ·had plenty of everything [or no ruler was humiliating them]. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their ·relatives [brothers] asked them, “What did you find?”
9 They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. ·We should attack [L Arise, let us go up against] them. ·Aren’t you going to do something [Are you just going to sit there]? Don’t ·wait [hesitate; or be lazy]! Let’s go and take that land! 10 When you go, you will see there is ·plenty of [a wide/spacious] land—·plenty of everything [lacking nothing]! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”
11 So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ·ready for [armed with weapons of] war. 12 On their way they set up camp near the city of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is named Mahaneh Dan [C “Camp of Dan”] to this day. 13 From there they traveled on to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.
14 The five men who had explored the land around Laish said to their ·relatives [L brothers], “Do you know in one of these houses there are a ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14], household gods [17:5], an ·idol, and a statue [or image overlaid with silver; 17:3]? ·You know [or Decide now] what to do.” 15 So they stopped at the Levite’s house, which was also Micah’s house, and ·greeted the Levite [or asked how he was doing]. 16 The six hundred ·Danites [L men who were of the sons/descendants of Dan] stood at the entrance gate, wearing their weapons of war. 17 The five spies went into the house and took the ·idol [carved image], the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image]. The priest and the six hundred men armed ·for [L with weapons of] war stood by the entrance gate.
18 When the spies went into Micah’s house and took the [carved] image, the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image], the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered, “Be quiet! ·Don’t say a word [L Put your hand over your mouth]. Come with us and be our father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; 17:10; Gen. 45:8] and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe and ·family group [clan] in Israel?” 20 This ·made the priest happy [L pleased the heart of the priest]. So he took the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols [17:5], and the ·idol [carved image] and went with the ·Danites [people]. 21 They left Micah’s house, putting their little children, their animals, and everything they owned in front of them [C for protection in case of attack; Gen. 33:2–3].
22 When they had gone a little way from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah ·were called out [assembled] and caught up with them. 23 The men with Micah shouted at the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan], who turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you? Why have you ·been called out to [assembled for a] fight?”
24 Micah answered, “You took my gods that I made and my priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, ‘What’s the matter?’”
25 The ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] answered, “·You should not argue with [or Don’t say another word to; L Don’t let your voice be heard among] us. Some of our ·angry [bitter] men might attack you, ·killing you [and you will lose your life] and your ·family [L household].” 26 Then the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.
27 Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those ·peaceful [quiet] and ·unsuspecting [secure] people and killed them with their swords and then burned the city. 28 There was no one to ·save [rescue; T deliver] the people of Laish. They lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob.
The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there. 29 They named the city Dan after their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel; the city’s original name was Laish.
30 The ·people [L sons; descendants] of Dan set up the ·idol [carved image] in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses’ son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the ·land was captured [captivity of the land; time of the exile]. 31 The people of Dan set up the ·idols [carved images] Micah had made as long as the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle; L House] of God was in Shiloh.
A Levite and His Servant
19 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6].
There was a Levite who lived in the ·faraway [remote] ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. He had taken a ·slave woman [concubine; 8:31] from the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah to live with him, 2 but she ·was unfaithful to [or became angry with] him. She left him and went back to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah and stayed there for four months. 3 Then her husband went to ·ask her [persuade her; L speak to her heart] to come back to him, taking with him his servant and two donkeys. When the Levite came to her father’s house, she invited him to come in, and her father was happy to ·see [welcome; meet] him. 4 The father-in-law, the young woman’s father, ·asked [urged; persuaded] him to stay. So he stayed for three days and ate, drank, and slept there [C hospitality was (and is) a very high cultural value in the Middle East].
5 On the fourth day they got up early in the morning. The Levite was getting ready to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “·Refresh [Strengthen] yourself by eating something. Then go.” 6 So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. After that, the father said to him, “Please stay tonight. Relax and enjoy yourself.” 7 When the man got up to go, his father-in-law ·asked [urged; persuaded] him to stay. So he stayed again that night. 8 On the fifth day the man got up early in the morning to leave. The woman’s father said, “·Refresh [Strengthen] yourself. Wait until this afternoon.” So the two men ate together.
9 When the Levite, his ·slave woman [concubine; v. 1], and his servant got up to leave, the father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said, “It’s almost night. The day is almost gone. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and go home.” 10 But the Levite did not want to stay another night. So he took his two saddled donkeys and his ·slave woman [concubine] and ·traveled toward [L arose and went and came opposite] the city of Jebus (also called Jerusalem).
11 As the day was almost over, they came near Jebus. So the servant said to his master, “Let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites, and spend the night here.”
12 But his master said, “No. We won’t go inside a foreign city. Those people are not ·Israelites [L of the sons/T children of Israel]. We will go on to the city of Gibeah.” 13 He said, “Come on. Let’s try to make it to Gibeah or Ramah so we can spend the night in one of those cities.” 14 So they went on. The sun went down as they came near Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin. 15 They stopped there to spend the night. They came to the public square [C an open area inside the city gate, the hub for business, government, and social interaction] of the city and sat down, but no one invited them home to spend the night [C a mark of shame for the city, since hospitality was of great importance; contrast this with vv. 3–9].
16 Finally, in the evening an old man came in from his work in the fields. His home was in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, but now he was ·living [residing; staying] in Gibeah. (The people of Gibeah were from the tribe of Benjamin.) 17 He saw the traveler in the public square and asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18 The Levite answered, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to my home in a remote area of the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah, but now I am going to the ·Holy Tent [L House] of the Lord [C probably the shrine at Shiloh; 18:31; Josh. 18:1].[a] No one has invited me to stay in his house. 19 We already have straw and food for our donkeys and bread and wine for me, ·the young woman [L your maidservant], and my ·servant [L the young man with your servants; C politely referring to himself and his servants as the old man’s servants]. We don’t need anything.”
20 The old man said, “You are welcome to stay at my house. Let me give you anything you need, but don’t spend the night in the public square.” 21 So the old man took the Levite into his house, and he fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and had something to eat and drink.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, [L look; T behold] some ·wicked [worthless; troublemaking] men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to ·have sexual relations with [L know; C a euphemism for sex] him.” [C The Benjamites had become as evil as the men of Sodom; Gen. 19:1–11.]
23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my ·friends [brothers]. Don’t be so evil. This man is a guest in my house. Don’t do this ·terrible [outrageous; disgraceful; vile] thing! 24 Look, here are my ·daughter, who has never had sexual relations before [L virgin daughter], and the man’s ·slave woman [concubine; v. 1]. I will bring them out to you now. You can ·abuse [violate] them and do ·anything you want [L what is good in your eyes] with them, but don’t do such a ·terrible [outrageous; disgraceful; vile] thing to this man.”
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his ·slave woman [concubine; v. 1] and sent her outside to them. They ·forced her to have sexual relations with them [raped her], and they abused her all night long. Then, at dawn, they let her go. 26 She came back to the house where her master was staying and fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
27 In the morning when the Levite got up, he opened the door of the house and went outside to go on his way. But his slave woman was lying at the doorway of the house, with her hands on the ·doorsill [threshold]. 28 The Levite said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But she did not answer. So he put her on his donkey and went home.
29 When the Levite got home, he took a knife and cut his ·slave woman [concubine; v. 1] into twelve parts, limb by limb. Then he sent a part to each area of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw this said, “Nothing like this has ever happened before, not since the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel came out of Egypt. Think about it [Consider this; or Just imagine!]. Discuss it [Take counsel; or Make a plan]. Tell us what to do [or Speak out against this!].”
The War Between Israel and Benjamin
20 So all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] from Dan to Beersheba [C from the farthest north to the farthest south], including the land of Gilead [C on the east side of the Jordan River], ·joined together [assembled] before the Lord in the city of Mizpah. 2 The ·leaders [L cornerstones; Is. 19:13] of all the tribes of Israel took their places in the ·meeting [assembly] of the people of God. There were 400,000 soldiers ·with swords [L who drew the sword]. 3 (The ·people [L sons; descendants] of Benjamin heard that the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] said to the Levite, “Tell us how this evil thing happened.”
4 So the husband of the murdered woman answered, “My ·slave woman [concubine; 8:31] and I came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 During the night the ·men [leaders; lords] of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house and wanted to kill me. They ·forced my slave woman to have sexual relations [abused/raped my concubine] and she died. 6 I took her and cut her into parts and sent ·one part [L her] to ·each area [every region of the inheritance] of Israel because the people of Benjamin did this ·wicked [lewd; abominable] and ·terrible [outrageous; shameful] thing in Israel. 7 Now, all you ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], speak up. What is your decision?”
8 Then all the people stood up at the same time, saying, “None of us will go ·home [L to his tent]. Not one of us will go back to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah. We will ·throw lots [L go against it by lot]. 10 That way we will choose ten men from every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel, and we will choose a hundred men from every thousand, and a thousand men from every ten thousand. These will find ·supplies [provisions; food] for the army. Then the army will go to the city of Gibeah of Benjamin to ·repay [punish] them for the ·terrible [outrageous; shameful] thing they have done in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel were united and gathered against the city.
12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin demanding, “What is this ·evil [wicked; terrible] thing ·some of your men have done [that has taken place among you]? 13 Hand over the ·wicked [worthless; troublemaking] men in Gibeah so that we can put them to death. We must ·remove [purge] this evil from Israel.”
But the ·Benjaminites [L sons of Benjamin] would not listen to their ·fellow Israelites [L brothers, the sons of Israel]. 14 The ·Benjaminites [L sons of Benjamin] left their own cities and met at Gibeah to fight the Israelites. 15 In only one day the ·Benjaminites [L sons of Benjamin] ·got [mobilized; mustered] 26,000 soldiers together who ·were trained with swords [L drew the sword]. They also had 700 ·chosen [elite; well-trained] men from Gibeah. 16 Among all these trained soldiers, seven hundred were left-handed [3:15], each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss [1 Sam. 17:49]!
17 The Israelites, except for the Benjaminites, gathered 400,000 ·soldiers with swords [men who drew the sword, all of them men of war].
18 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] went up to the ·city of Bethel [or house of God; C the meaning of the name “Bethel”] and asked God, “·Which tribe [L Who] shall be first to attack the Benjaminites?”
The Lord answered, “Judah shall go first.”
19 The next morning the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] got up and ·made a camp near [or encamped against] Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjaminites and took their battle position at Gibeah. 21 Then the ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] came out of Gibeah and killed 22,000 Israelites during the battle that day.
The Lord answered, “Go up and fight them.” The men of Israel encouraged each other. So they took the same battle positions they had taken the first day.
24 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] ·came to fight [L drew near to] the ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] the second day. 25 The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah to attack the Israelites. This time, the Benjaminites killed 18,000 ·Israelites [L men of the sons/T children of Israel], all of whom ·carried swords [drew the sword].
26 Then all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], the whole army, went up to Bethel [v. 18]. There they sat down and cried to the Lord and fasted all day until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace] offerings to the Lord. 27 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] asked the Lord a question. (In those days the Ark of the ·Agreement with God [Covenant; Treaty] was there. 28 A priest named Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before ·the Ark of the Agreement [L it].) They asked, “Shall ·we [L I] go to fight ·our relatives [L my brother], the Benjaminites, again, or shall we stop fighting?”
The Lord answered, “Go, because tomorrow I will ·hand them over to you [give them into your hand].”
29 Then the Israelites set up ambushes all around Gibeah. 30 They went to fight against the Benjaminites at Gibeah on the third day, getting into position for battle as they had done before. 31 When the Benjaminites came out to fight them, the ·Israelites [L people] backed up and drew them away from the city. The ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] began to kill some of the ·Israelites [L people] as they had done before. About thirty Israelites were killed—some in the fields and some on the roads leading to Bethel and to Gibeah.
32 The ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] said, “We are winning as before!”
But the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] said, “Let’s ·run [retreat; flee]. Let’s ·trick them into going farther away [L draw/lure them away] from their city and onto the roads.”
33 All the Israelites moved from their places and got into battle positions at a place named Baal Tamar. Then the Israelites ·ran out [charged; jumped up] from their hiding places ·west of Gibeah [or from Maareh-geba]. 34 Ten thousand of the ·best trained [elite; chosen] soldiers from all of Israel attacked Gibeah. The battle was very hard. The Benjaminites did not know disaster was ·about to come to them [close at hand; L touching against them]. 35 The Lord ·used the Israelites to defeat the Benjaminites [L struck Benjamin in front of Israel]. On that day the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] killed 25,100 Benjaminites, ·all armed with swords [L who drew the sword]. 36 Then the ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] saw that they were defeated.
The Israelites had ·moved back [retreated] because they were depending on the ·surprise attack [ambush] they had set up near Gibeah [C verses 36b–45 now detail the account summarized in verses 29–36a)]. 37 The men in ·hiding [ambush] rushed into Gibeah, spread out, and killed everyone in the city with ·their swords [L the edge of the sword]. 38 Now the Israelites had set up a signal with the men in hiding. The men in the ·surprise attack [ambush] were to send up a cloud of smoke from the city. 39 Then the army of Israel ·turned around in the battle [counterattacked; C a similar strategy was used against Ai; Josh. 8].
The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, “·We are winning [They are defeated], as in the first battle!” 40 But then a cloud of smoke began to rise from the city. The Benjaminites turned around and ·saw that [L look; T behold] the whole city was going up ·in smoke [L into the sky/heavens]. 41 Then the Israelites turned and began to fight. The Benjaminites were terrified because they knew that disaster was ·coming to them [close at hand; L touching against them]. 42 So the Benjaminites ran away from the Israelites toward the ·desert [wilderness], but ·they could not escape the battle [the battle pursued/overtook them]. And the Israelites who came out of the cities ·killed [struck; destroyed] them. 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites and chased them and ·caught [overtook; stomped on] them in the area east of ·Gibeah [or Geba]. 44 So 18,000 ·brave [valiant; capable] Benjaminite fighters were killed. 45 The Benjaminites ·ran [fled; retreated] toward the ·desert [wilderness] to the rock of Rimmon, but the Israelites ·killed [cut down; L gleaned] 5,000 Benjaminites along the roads. They chased them as far as Gidom and ·killed [struck down] 2,000 more Benjaminites there.
46 On that day 25,000 Benjaminites were killed, ·all of whom had fought bravely with swords [L valiant/capable men who drew the sword]. 47 But 600 Benjaminites ran to the rock of Rimmon in the ·desert [wilderness], where they stayed for four months. 48 Then the Israelites went back to the ·land [L sons] of Benjamin and killed the people in every city and also the animals and everything they could find. And they burned every city they ·found [came to].
Wives for the Men of Benjamin
21 At Mizpah the men of Israel had sworn, “Not one of us will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin.”
2 The people went to the city of Bethel and sat before God until evening, ·crying loudly [L lifting their voices weeping greatly]. 3 They said, “Lord, God of Israel, why has this terrible thing happened to us so that one tribe ·of Israel is missing [has disappeared from Israel] today?”
4 Early the next day the people built an altar and put burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] to God on it.
5 Then the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] asked, “Did any tribe of Israel not ·come here to meet [assemble] with us ·in the presence of [before] the Lord?” They asked this question because they had ·sworn [taken a solemn oath] that anyone who did not meet with them at Mizpah would be ·killed [put to death].
6 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] felt sorry for ·their relatives, the Benjaminites [L Benjamin, their brother]. They said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel. 7 We swore before the Lord that we would not ·allow our daughters to marry a Benjaminite [give our daughters to them for wives]. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives?” 8 Then they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel did not ·meet with us [assemble] ·in the presence of [before] the Lord at Mizpah?” ·They found that [L And look/T behold] no one from the city of Jabesh Gilead had come. 9 The people of Israel counted everyone, but there was no one from Jabesh Gilead.
10 So the ·whole group of Israelites [assembly; congregation] sent twelve thousand ·soldiers [L men, sons of strength] to Jabesh Gilead to kill the people with ·their swords [the edge of the sword], even the women and children.
11 “This is what you must do: Kill every man in Jabesh Gilead and every ·married woman [L woman who has known the bed of a male].”[b] 12 The soldiers found four hundred young ·unmarried women [virgins; Num. 31:17–18] among the residents of Jabesh Gilead, so they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole ·group of Israelites [assembly; congregation] sent a message to the ·men [L sons; descendants] of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, ·offering to make peace with [L calling/proclaiming peace to] them. 14 So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. The Israelites gave them the women from Jabesh Gilead who had ·not been killed [been spared/kept alive], but there were not enough women.
15 The people of Israel ·felt sorry [had compassion; grieved] for the Benjaminites because the Lord had ·separated [made a gap/breach in] the tribes of Israel. 16 The elders of the ·Israelites [L assembly; congregation] said, “The women of Benjamin have been ·killed [destroyed; wiped out]. ·Where can we get wives [L What shall we do] for the men of Benjamin who are still alive? 17 ·These men must have children to continue their families [L The survivors of Benjamin must have heirs/an inheritance] so a tribe in Israel will not ·die [be wiped/blotted] out. 18 But we cannot allow our daughters to marry them, because ·we swore [L the sons/T children of Israel had sworn], ‘Anyone who gives a wife to ·a man of Benjamin [L Benjamin] is cursed.’ 19 ·We have an idea [L Look; T Behold]! There is a yearly festival of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of the city of Bethel, east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of the city of Lebonah.”
20 So ·the elders [L they] told the men of Benjamin, “Go and ·hide [lie in wait/ambush] in the vineyards. 21 Watch for the young women from Shiloh to come out to join the dancing. Then run out from the vineyards and ·take [seize; catch] ·one of the young Shiloh women [L each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh] and return to the land of Benjamin. 22 ·If [or When] their fathers or brothers come to us and complain, we will say: ‘·Be kind to the men of Benjamin [or Do us a favor], because we did not get wives for Benjamin during the war. And you are not guilty [C of breaking your oath; v. 18] because you did not [C voluntarily] give the women to the men from Benjamin.’”
23 So that is what the ·Benjaminites [L sons/descendants of Benjamin] did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one of them [L according to their number], ·took her away, and married her [L and carried her off]. Then they went back to ·the land God had given them [their inheritance] and rebuilt their cities and lived there.
24 Then the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] went home to their own tribes and ·family groups [clans], to their own ·land that God had given them [inheritance].
25 In those days Israel did not have a king. All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes [17:6; 18:1; 19:1].
1 Long ago when the ·judges [leaders; C not courtroom judges, but leaders who guided the nation through difficult times; Judg. 2:16; a very dark time in Israel’s history] ruled Israel, there was a ·shortage of food [famine] in the land. So a man from the town of Bethlehem in Judah left to ·live [sojourn; reside as a resident alien] in the ·country [region] of Moab [C east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea; Gen. 19:37] with his wife and his two sons. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife was named Naomi, and his two sons were named Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathahites from Bethlehem in Judah. When they came to Moab, they settled there.
3 Then Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These sons married women from Moab. One was named Orpah, and the other was named Ruth. Naomi and her sons had lived in Moab about ten years 5 when Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left alone without her husband or her two ·sons [offspring; 4:16].
6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had ·come to help [L visited] his people and had given them food again. So she and her daughters-in-law ·got ready [L arose] to leave Moab and return home. 7 Naomi and her daughters-in-law left the place where they had lived and ·started back [set off on the road to return] to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back home, each of you to your own mother’s house. May the Lord ·be as kind [show mercy/lovingkindness] to you as you have been to me and ·my sons who are now dead [L with the dead]. 9 May the Lord give you ·another happy home and a new [L to find rest/security, each in the house of her] husband.”
When Naomi kissed the women good-bye, they ·began to cry out loud [L raised their voices and wept]. 10 They said to her, “No, we ·want to go [will return] with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “My daughters, ·return to your own homes [L return]. Why ·do you want to [should you] go with me? ·I cannot give birth to more sons [L Do I have sons in my womb…?] to give you new husbands; 12 go back, my daughters, to your own homes. [L …because] I am too old to have another husband. Even if I told myself, ‘I still have hope’ and had another husband tonight, and even if I had more sons, 13 ·should [or would] you wait until they were grown into men [Deut. 25:5–10]? ·Should [or Would] you ·live for so many years without husbands [remain unmarried]? Don’t do that, my daughters. ·My life is much too sad for you to share [or It is more bitter for me than for you], because the Lord has been against me!”
14 The women ·cried together out loud [L raised their voices and wept] again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law Naomi good-bye, but Ruth ·held on [clung] to her tightly.
15 Naomi said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and her own ·gods [or god; C Chemosh was the chief god of the Moabites; 1 Kin. 11:33]. Go back with her.”
Ruth Stays with Naomi
16 But Ruth said, “Don’t ·beg [urge] me to ·leave [abandon] you or to ·stop following [L turn back from] you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord ·punish me terribly [L do to me and even more] if I do not keep this promise: ·Not even [or Nothing but] death will separate us.”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth ·had firmly made up her mind [was resolved/determined] to go with her, she stopped ·arguing with [urging; talking to] her. 19 So Naomi and Ruth went on until they came to the town of Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, ·all the people became very excited [the whole town was abuzz/stirred up]. The women of the town said, “Is this really Naomi?”
20 Naomi answered the people, “Don’t call me Naomi [C “pleasant” or “happy”]. Call me Mara [C “bitter” or “sad”], because ·the Almighty [L Shaddai] has ·made my life very sad [dealt bitterly/harshly with me]. 21 ·When I left, I had all I wanted [L I went out full], but now, the Lord has brought me home ·with nothing [empty]. Why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has ·spoken against [testified against; or afflicted; opposed] me and the Almighty [1:20] has ·given me so much trouble [brought calamity/misfortune/evil on me]?”
22 So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite, returned from the land of Moab and arrived at Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest [C April or May].
Ruth Meets Boaz
2 Now Naomi had a ·rich [or influential; L man of great wealth/standing] relative named Boaz, from Elimelech’s ·family [clan].
2 One day Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi, “[L Please] Let me go to the fields. Maybe someone ·will be kind enough to [L in whose eyes/sight I find grace/favor will] let me ·gather the grain he leaves behind [L glean among the sheaves/bundles; Deut. 24:21–22].”
Naomi said, “Go, my daughter.”
3 So Ruth went ·to the fields and gathered the grain that the workers cutting the grain had left behind [L and gleaned in the field behind the reapers/harvesters]. It just so happened that the field belonged to Boaz, from Elimelech’s ·family [clan; C a chance event from Ruth’s perspective, but part of God’s plan].
4 ·Soon [or Just then; L And look/T behold] Boaz came from Bethlehem and greeted his ·workers [reapers; harvesters], “The Lord be with you!”
And the workers answered, “May the Lord bless you!”
5 Then Boaz asked his ·servant [young man; foreman] in charge of the ·workers [reapers; harvesters], “·Whose girl is that [To whom does that young woman belong; C referring, in this patriarchal culture, to her husband or father]?”
6 The ·servant [young man; foreman] answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the ·country [land] of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me follow the ·workers cutting grain [reapers; harvesters] and ·gather what they leave behind [L glean among the sheaves/bundles].’ She came and has remained here, from morning until just now. She ·has stopped only a few moments [or just now stopped for a moment] to rest in the ·shelter [hut; house].”
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “·Listen [L Have you not heard…?], my daughter. Don’t go to ·gather grain for yourself [glean] in another field. Don’t even leave this field at all, but ·continue following closely behind [stay close to; cling to] my ·women workers [servant girls; young women]. 9 Watch to see into which fields ·they [the men reaping; C the Hebrew pronoun is masculine] go to ·cut grain [reap] and follow ·them [the women gathering; C the Hebrew pronoun is feminine]. I ·have warned [or will warn] the young men not to ·bother [harass; touch] you. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the water jugs that the young men have ·filled [L drawn (from the well)].”
10 Then Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground and said to him, “I am ·not an Israelite [L a foreigner]. Why have ·you been so kind to notice me [L I found favor/grace in your eyes]?”
11 Boaz answered her, “I ·know [have been fully informed] about all ·the help you have given [that you have done for] your mother-in-law after your husband died. You left your father and mother and your ·own country [native land] to come to a ·nation [people] where you did not know anyone. 12 May the Lord reward you for all you have done. May your wages be paid in full by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for shelter [C like a protective mother bird].”
13 Then Ruth said, “·I hope I can continue to please you [May I continue to find grace/favor in your eyes; or I have found favor/grace in your eyes], ·sir [my lord]. [L Because] You have ·said kind and encouraging words to [L comforted and spoken to the heart of] me, your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
14 At mealtime Boaz told Ruth, “Come here. Eat some of our bread and dip it in ·our sauce [the vinegar/wine-vinegar].”
So Ruth sat down beside the ·workers [reapers; harvesters]. Boaz ·handed [offered; served] her some roasted grain, and she ate until she was ·full [satisfied]; she even had some food left over. 15 When Ruth rose and went back to work, Boaz commanded his ·workers [young men], “Let her ·gather [glean] even around the ·piles of cut grain [sheaves]. Don’t ·tell her to go away [reprimand/insult/humiliate her]. 16 In fact, pull out some full heads of grain for her from the bundles and let her gather them. Don’t ·tell her to stop [rebuke/scold her].”
17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she ·separated the grain from the chaff [threshed/beat out what she had gleaned], and there was about ·one-half bushel [L an ephah; C about 30 pounds] of barley. 18 Ruth carried the grain into town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had ·gathered [gleaned]. Ruth also took out the food that was left over ·from lunch [L after she was full/satisfied] and gave it to Naomi.
19 ·Naomi [L Her mother-in-law] asked her, “Where did you ·gather all this grain [glean] today? Where did you work? Blessed be whoever noticed you!”
Ruth told her mother-in-law in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 Naomi told her daughter-in-law, “The Lord bless him! ·He continues to be kind to us—both [L …who has not abandoned] the living and the dead!” Then Naomi told Ruth, “Boaz is one of our close relatives, one ·who should take care of us [of our guardians/T kinsmen-redeemers; C a relative who would care for a bereaved family in various ways: looking after destitute members (Lev. 25:35); avenging a murdered relative (Num. 35:19); marrying a sister-in-law to raise up children for her deceased husband (Deut. 25:5–10; called “levirate” marriage); buying back family land (Lev. 25:25) or redeeming family members who had been sold as slaves (Lev. 25:47–49)].”
21 Then Ruth, the Moabite, said, “Boaz ·also [even] told me, ‘Keep close to my ·workers [young men] until they have finished my whole harvest.’”
22 But Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is better for you to continue working with his ·women workers [female servants; young women]. If you work in another field, someone might ·hurt [harm; or harass] you.” 23 So Ruth continued working closely with the ·workers [female workers; young women] of Boaz, gathering grain until the barley harvest [C March-April] and the wheat harvest [C April-May] were finished. And she continued to live with Naomi, her mother-in-law.
Naomi’s Plan
3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, ·I must [L Should I not…?] find ·a suitable home [L rest; C a husband and a home to provide security] for you, ·one that will be good for you [or so you will be secure; L that it will go/be well for you]. 2 Now Boaz, whose ·young women [female servants] you worked with, is our close relative [C and so an appropriate guardian/kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth; 2:20]. [L Look; T Behold] Tonight he will be ·working [L winnowing barley] at the threshing floor. 3 Wash yourself, put on perfume, ·change your clothes [or get dressed up; or put on your cloak], and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished ·his dinner [L eating and drinking]. 4 Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and ·lift the cover off [uncover] his ·feet [or legs; C evidently an appeal for marriage] and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”
5 Then Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”
6 So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law ·told [instructed; commanded] her to do. 7 After ·his evening meal [L he had eaten and drunk], ·Boaz felt good [L his heart was good/pleased] and went to sleep lying ·beside [at the end of] the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.
8 About midnight Boaz ·was startled [or shuddered] and rolled over. [L And look/T behold] There was a woman lying near his feet! 9 Boaz asked, “Who are you?”
She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread ·your cover [or the corner of your garment; or your wings; 2:12] over me [C a request for the provision and protection of marriage], because you are a ·relative who is supposed to take care of me [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20].”
10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This [second; L last] act of kindness is greater than the ·kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning [L first]. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a ·good [worthy; noble] woman [Prov. 31:10]. 12 It is true that I am a ·relative who is to take care of you [guardian; kinsmen-redeemer; 2:20], but you have a closer relative than I. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if he will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you. If he decides to ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So ·stay here [L lie down] until morning.”
14 So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, “People in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing floor.” 15 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring me your ·shawl [cloak] and hold it open.”
So Ruth held her ·shawl [cloak] open, and Boaz poured six portions of barley into it. Boaz then put it on ·her head [or her back; L her] and went[c] back to the city.
16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did ·you do [things go], my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything that ·Boaz [L the man] did for her. 17 She said, “Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, saying, ‘You must not go home ·without a gift for [L empty to] your mother-in-law.’”
18 Naomi answered, “·Wait [Stay here; or Be patient], my daughter, until you see what happens. ·Boaz [L The man] will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today.”
Boaz Marries Ruth
4 Boaz went to the city gate [C the hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction] and sat there until the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20] he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “·Come here [L Turn aside], ·friend [or so-and-so; C the man is not named, perhaps ironically because he refused to preserve Naomi’s family name], and sit down.” So the man ·came over [turned aside] and sat down. 2 Boaz gathered ten of the elders of the city and told them, “Sit down here!” So they sat down.
3 Then Boaz said to the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer], “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, ·wants to sell [is selling] the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech [C it was important in Israel to keep property in the family]. 4 So I ·decided [or thought it my obligation] to tell you about it: If you want to ·buy back the land [redeem it], then ·buy it [redeem] in front of the people who are sitting here and in front of the elders of my people. But if you don’t want to buy it, tell me, because you are the ·only one [or first in line] who can buy it, and I am next after you.”
The close relative answered, “I will ·buy back the land [redeem it].”
5 Then Boaz explained, “When you ·buy [acquire] the land from [L the hand of] Naomi, you must also ·marry [acquire] Ruth, the Moabite, the dead man’s wife. ·That way, the land will stay in the dead man’s name [L …to raise up a name for the dead man upon his inheritance].”
6 The ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] answered, “I can’t ·buy back the land [redeem it]. If I did, I might ·harm [destroy; endanger; put in jeopardy] ·what I can pass on to my own sons [my inheritance]. I cannot ·buy the land back [redeem it], so ·buy it [redeem it for] yourself.”
7 Long ago in Israel ·when people traded or bought back [for the redemption and transfer of] something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was the ·proof of ownership [or validation of the transaction] in Israel.
8 So the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] said to Boaz, “Buy the land yourself,” and he took off his sandal.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today. I ·am buying [have bought] from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I ·am also taking [have also acquired] Ruth, the Moabite, who was the wife of Mahlon, as my wife. ·I am doing this so her dead husband’s property will stay in his name and his name will not be separated [L …so that his name will not be cut off] from his ·family [L brothers] and ·his hometown [L the gate of his place]. You are witnesses today.”
11 So all the people and elders who were at the city gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the ·people [L house] of Israel [C the twelve sons of Israel were born to Leah, Rachel and their servant girls; Gen. 29:31—30:24]. May you become ·powerful [or wealthy; or renowned] in the district of Ephrathah and ·famous [renowned] in Bethlehem. 12 As Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez [C an ancestor of Boaz (v. 18) whose birth resulted from a levirate union (2:20; Gen. 38:27–30; Deut. 25:5–10) and so was parallel to this situation], may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. May your family be great like his.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife and ·had sexual relations with [L went in to] her. The Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women told Naomi, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord who ·gave you this grandson [L has not left you today without a guardian/kinsman-redeemer]. May ·he [L his name] become ·famous [renowned] in Israel. 15 He will ·give you new [restore/renew your] life and will take care of you in your old age because of your daughter-in-law who loves you. She is better for you than seven sons, because she has given birth to ·your grandson [L him].”
16 Naomi took the boy, ·held him in her arms [or put him on her lap; or took him to her breast], and ·cared for him [or became his nurse/caregiver]. 17 The neighbors gave the boy his name, saying, “·This boy was [L A son has been] born for Naomi.” They named him Obed [C “servant”]. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [C Israel’s greatest king, through whom the Messiah would come; 2 Sam. 7:11–17; Matt. 1:1, 5–6; Luke 3:32].
18 This is the family history of Perez, the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram, who was the father of Amminadab. 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, who was the father of Salmon. 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz, who was the father of Obed. 22 Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [Matt. 1:3–6; Luke 3:31–33].
Samuel’s Birth
1 There was a [certain] man named Elkanah son of Jeroham from ·Ramathaim [Ramah; C just north of Jerusalem] in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Elkanah was from the ·family [or region] of Zuph. (Jeroham was Elihu’s son. Elihu was Tohu’s son, and Tohu was the son of Zuph ·from the family group of Ephraim [an Ephraimite].) 2 Elkanah had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none [C childlessness carried a serious social stigma].
3 Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and ·went up [traveled] to Shiloh [C the central worship place at that time, 30 miles north of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle was located] to worship the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts] and to offer sacrifices to him. Shiloh was where Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, served as priests of the Lord. 4 ·When [L On the day] Elkanah offered sacrifices, he always gave ·a share of the meat [portions] to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But Elkanah always gave Hannah ·a double portion of the meat because he loved her and the Lord had kept her from having children [or only one portion of the meat even though he loved her, because the Lord had kept her from having children; C only one portion would be needed since there was no child to feed]. 6 ·Peninnah [L Her rival/foe] would ·tease [taunt] Hannah and ·upset [provoke; irritate; make fun of] her, because the Lord had ·made her unable to have children [L closed her womb]. 7 This happened ·every year [L year after year] ·when [whenever] they went up to the house of the Lord at Shiloh [1:3]. Peninnah would ·upset [taunt; provoke] Hannah until Hannah would cry and not eat anything. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why won’t you eat? Why are you ·sad [downhearted]? ·Don’t I mean more [or Am I not better] to you than ten sons?”
9 Once, after ·they had eaten their meal [L eating and drinking] in Shiloh [1:3], Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on ·a chair [the seat] ·near the entrance to [by the doorpost of] the Lord’s ·house [temple; Tabernacle]. 10 Hannah was so ·sad [anguished; deeply distressed; L bitter] that she cried bitterly ·and [as she] prayed to the Lord. 11 She made this ·promise [vow], saying, “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts], if you will look on the ·sorrow [affliction; misery; humiliation] of your maidservant, and will ·remember [L remember and not forget] me, and will give ·me [L your maidservant] a son, I will give him back to ·you [L the Lord] all the days of his life, and no one will ever ·cut his hair [L touch his head] with a razor [C indicating consecration to the Lord as a Nazirite; Num. 6:1–5].”
12 While Hannah kept praying [L before the Lord], Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying ·in her heart [silently]; her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “·Stop getting [L How long are you going to stay…?] drunk! ·Throw away [Get rid of; Put away] your wine!”
15 Hannah answered [L and said], “No, sir, I have not drunk any wine or ·beer [T strong drink; C an alcoholic beverage made of grain]. I am ·a deeply troubled woman [very discouraged; oppressed in spirit], and I was ·telling the Lord about all my problems [L pouring out my heart/soul to/before the Lord]. 16 Don’t think ·I am [your maidservant is] an ·evil [worthless] woman. I have been praying all this time ·because I have many troubles and am very sad [L out of great anguish/anxiety and sorrow/resentment].”
17 Eli answered, “·Go! I wish you well [Go in peace!]. May the God of Israel ·give you what [L grant the request/petition] you asked of him.”
18 Hannah said, “May ·I always please you [your servant find favor in your sight].” So she left and ate something, and ·she [L her face/countenance] was not sad anymore.
19 Early the next morning they got up and worshiped [L before] the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah ·had sexual relations with [L knew] his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So Hannah ·became pregnant [L conceived], and in time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [C sounds like “God heard” in Hebrew], saying, “His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.”
Hannah Gives Samuel to God
21 ·Every [or The next] year Elkanah went with his whole family to Shiloh [1:3] to offer sacrifices and to keep the ·promise [vow] he had made to ·God [L the Lord]. 22 ·But one time [L But] Hannah did not go with him. She told her husband, “When the boy is ·old enough to eat solid food [weaned], I will take him to Shiloh [1:3]. Then I will give him to [… and present him before] the Lord, and he will ·always live there [stay there permanently/forever].”
23 Elkanah, Hannah’s husband, said to her, “Do what you think is best. ·You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat [Stay until you have weaned him]. May the Lord ·do what you have said [bring about his promise; L confirm/establish his word].” So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was ·old enough to eat [weaned].
24 When Samuel was ·old enough to eat [weaned], [L though still very young,] Hannah took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh [1:3], along with a three-year-old bull, ·one-half bushel [L an ephah] of flour, and a ·leather bag filled with [skin of] wine. 25 After they had ·killed the bull for the sacrifice [L slaughtered the bull], they brought Samuel to Eli. 26 Hannah said to Eli, “As surely as you live, sir, I am the same woman who stood ·near [beside] you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord answered my ·prayer [request; petition] and gave him to me. 28 Now I ·give him back [dedicate him; L lend him] to the Lord. He ·will belong [is dedicated/given over/lent] to the Lord all his life.” And ·he [or they] worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah Gives Thanks
2 Hannah prayed [L and said; C Hannah’s prayer is similar to Psalm 113 and Mary’s song in Luke 1:46–55]:
“·The Lord has filled my heart with joy [L My heart rejoices/exults in the Lord];
·I feel very strong in the Lord [My strength/L horn is exalted/lifted up in the Lord; C a lifted horn symbolizes strength, based on an animal lifting its head triumphantly]
·I can laugh at [L My mouth mocks/derides] my enemies;
I ·am glad [rejoice/delight] because you have ·helped [saved; rescued; delivered] me!
2 “There is no one ·holy [set apart] like the Lord.
There is no ·God but [one besides] you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “·Don’t continue bragging [Talk/Boast no more so proudly/haughtily],
·don’t speak proud words [don’t let such arrogance come out of your mouth].
The Lord is a God who ·knows everything [is wise],
and he ·judges [weighs] what people do.
4 “The bows of ·warriors [the mighty] ·break [are shattered],
but ·weak people [L those who stumbled/tottered] ·become strong [L gird on strength].
5 Those who ·once had plenty of food [were well fed] now ·must work [hire themselves out] for ·food [bread],
but people who were hungry ·are hungry no more [grow fat].
The woman who ·could not have children [was barren] now ·has [L gives birth to] seven,
but the woman who had many children now ·is sad [L wastes away; languishes].
6 “The Lord ·sends death [kills],
and he ·brings to [gives] life.
He ·sends people to the grave [brings down to Sheol; C the grave or the place of the dead],
and he raises ·them to life again [L up].
7 The Lord makes some people poor,
and others he makes rich.
He ·makes some people humble [brings low/down],
and others he ·makes great [lifts up; exalts].
8 The Lord ·raises [lifts] the poor up from the dust,
and he lifts the needy from the ·ashes [garbage heap].
He ·lets the poor sit [sets/seats the poor] with princes
and ·receive [L they inherit] a throne of honor.
“The ·foundations [pillars] of the earth belong to the Lord,
and the Lord ·set [poised] the world upon them.
9 He ·protects [L guards the feet/steps of] those who are ·loyal [faithful] to him,
but ·evil people [the wicked] will ·be silenced [disappear] in darkness.
·Power is not the key to success [L For no one succeeds/prevails by strength alone].
10 The Lord ·destroys [shatters] ·his enemies [those who oppose/fight against him];
he will thunder ·in [from] heaven against them.
The Lord will judge ·all [throughout; L the ends of] the earth.
He will give ·power [strength] to his king
and ·make his appointed king strong [L exalt the horn of his anointed/anointed one; 2:1].”
Eli’s Evil Sons
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah [1:1], but the boy ·continued to serve [ministered to/before] the Lord ·under [in the presence of] Eli the priest.
12 Now Eli’s sons were ·evil men [scoundrels; good-for-nothings]; they did not ·care about [know; respect; regard] the Lord. 13 ·This is what the priests would normally do to [… nor about their duties as priests for] the people: Every time someone ·brought [offered] a sacrifice, the meat would be ·cooked [L boiled] in a pot. The priest’s servant would then come carrying a fork that had three prongs. 14 He would plunge the fork into the pot or the kettle or cauldron or pan. Whatever the fork brought out of the pot belonged to the priest. But this is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh [1:3] to offer sacrifices. 15 Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come to the person offering sacrifices and say, “Give the priest some meat to roast. He won’t accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.”
16 If the one who offered the sacrifice said, “Let the fat be burned up first as usual, and then take anything you want,” the priest’s servant would answer, “No, give me the meat now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17 ·The Lord saw that [In the Lord’s sight] the sin of the servants was very ·great [serious] because they ·did not show respect for [treated with contempt; despised] the offerings ·made to [L of] the Lord.
Samuel Grows Up
18 But Samuel ·obeyed [L served; ministered before] the Lord. As a boy he wore a linen ·holy vest [ephod; C a special garment worn only by priests; Ex. 28:6–14]. 19 Every year his mother made a little ·coat [robe] for him and took it to him when she went with her husband to Shiloh [1:3] for the [annual] sacrifice. 20 When Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, he would say, “May the Lord ·repay you with [or give you] ·children [an heir; L seed] through Hannah ·to take the place of [in exchange for] the boy Hannah ·prayed for and gave back [dedicated] to the Lord.” Then Elkanah and Hannah would go home. 21 The Lord was ·kind to [gracious to; or visited] Hannah, so she ·became the mother of [L conceived and bore] three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up ·serving [in the presence of; before] the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all ·the Israelites [Israel] and how his sons ·had sexual relations [lay] with the women who served at the ·entrance [doorway] to the Meeting Tent. 23 Eli said to them, “Why do you do these evil things that the people tell me about? 24 No, my sons. The Lord’s people are spreading a bad report about you. 25 If you sin against someone, God can ·help [intercede/mediate/arbitrate for] you. But if you sin against the Lord himself, ·no one [who…?] can ·help [intercede/mediate/arbitrate for] you!” But Eli’s sons would not listen to ·him [L the voice/words/rebuke of their father], because the Lord ·had decided [desired; wanted] to put them to death.
26 The boy Samuel grew ·physically and pleased [in stature and in favor with] the Lord and the people.
27 A man of God [C a prophet] came to Eli and said, “·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord]: ‘·I [L Did I not…?] clearly showed myself to the ·family [L house] of your ·ancestor Aaron [father] when in Egypt they were slaves to ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh’s house]. 28 ·I chose [L Did I not choose…?] them from all the tribes of Israel to be my priests. I wanted them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ·holy vest [L ephod in my presence/before me]. ·I [L Did I not…?] also let the ·family [L house] of your ·ancestor [father] have ·part of all [all] the offerings by fire sacrificed by the Israelites. 29 So why ·don’t you respect [do you scorn/trample/look greedily at; L kick at] the sacrifices and ·gifts [offerings that I have commanded/prescribed]? You honor your sons ·more than [above] me. You ·grow fat [fatten yourselves] on the ·best [choicest] parts of the meat the Israelites bring to me.’
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