Bible in 90 Days

¹³ And they spoke unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their yad; but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two avotim chadashim (new ropes), and brought him up from the rock.

¹⁴ And when he came unto Lechi, the Pelishtim shouted against him; and the Ruach of Hashem came mightily upon him, and the avotim that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with eish, and his binding loosed from off his hands.

¹⁵ And he found a new jawbone of a chamor, and put forth his yad and took it and slaughtered a thousand men therewith.

¹⁶ And Shimshon said, With the lechi (jawbone) of a chamor heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of a chamor have I slain a thousand men.

¹⁷ And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking that he cast away the jawbone out of his yad, and called that place Ramat Lechi (Jawbone Hill).

¹⁸ And he was very thirsty, and called on Hashem, and said, Thou hast given this teshu’ah hagedolah (great victory, rescue, salvation) into the yad of thy eved; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the yad of the arelim?

¹⁹ But Elohim split open the hollow place that is at Lechi, and there came mayim thereout; and when he had drunk, his ruach came again, and he revived; wherefore he called the shem thereof En HaKorei (Spring of the Caller), which is in Lechi unto this day.

²⁰ And he judged Yisroel in the days of the Pelishtim esrim shanah.

16 Then went Shimshon to Azah (Gaza), and saw there a zonah, and went in unto her.

² And it was told the Azah people, saying, Shimshon is come here. And they surrounded him, and laid wait for him kol halailah in the sha’ar HaIr, and were quiet kol halailah, saying, In the ohr haboker, we shall kill him.

³ And Shimshon lay till khatzot halailah, and arose at khatzot halailah, and took the daletot sha’ar HaIr, and the two mezuzot, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Chevron.

⁴ And it came to pass afterward, that he fell in love with an isha in the Sorek Valley, whose shem was Delilah.

⁵ And rulers of the Pelishtim came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, see wherein his ko’ach gadol lieth, by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of kesef.

⁶ And Delilah said to Shimshon, Tell me, now, wherein thy koach gadol lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to subdue thee.

⁷ And Shimshon said unto her, If they bind me with shivah fresh bowstrings that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as any adam.

⁸ Then the rulers of the Pelishtim brought up to her shivah fresh bowstrings which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

⁹ Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the cheder. And she said unto him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he broke the bowstrings, as a piece of thread is broken when it toucheth the eish. So his ko’ach was not known.

¹⁰ And Delilah said unto Shimshon, Hinei, thou hast mocked me, and told me kezavim (lies); tell me, now, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

¹¹ And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with avotim chadashim that never were used, then shall I be weak, and be as any adam.

¹² Delilah therefore took avotim chadashim, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. For there were ambushers lying in wait abiding in the cheder. And he broke them from off his arms like thread.

¹³ And Delilah said unto Shimshon, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me kezavim; tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the sheva braids of my head with the web [fabric on the loom],

¹⁴ And fasten it with the pin... Again she called to him, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he awakened out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the loom, and with the web.

¹⁵ And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine lev is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy ko’ach gadol lieth.

¹⁶ And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his nefesh was vexed unto death;

¹⁷ That he told her all his lev, and said unto her, There hath not come a morah (razor) upon mine head; for I have been a Nazir Elohim from my mother’s beten; if I be shaven, then my ko’ach will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other adam.

¹⁸ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his lev, she sent and called for the rulers of the Pelishtim, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his lev. Then the rulers of the Pelishtim came up unto her, and brought kesef in their yad.

¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for an ish, and she caused him to shave off the sheva braids of his head; and she began to torment him, and his ko’ach went from him.

²⁰ And she said, The Pelishtim be upon thee, Shimshon. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before and shake myself. And he knew not that Hashem was departed from him.

²¹ But the Pelishtim took him, and gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Azah (Gaza), and bound him with fetters of nechoshet; and he did grind in the prison house.

²² Howbeit after he was shaven, the hair of his head began l’tzameach [to spring up; Tzemach is Moshiach] again.

²³ Then rulers of the Pelishtim gathered them together for to offer a zevach gadol unto Dagon eloheihem, and to rejoice; for they said, eloheinu hath delivered Shimshon oyveinu (our enemy) into our yad.

²⁴ And when the people saw him, they praised eloheihem; for they said, eloheinu hath delivered into our hands oyveinu, and the destroyer of our country, which slaughtered many of us.

²⁵ And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Shimshon, that he may entertain us. And they called for Shimshon out of the prison house; and he entertained them; and they set him between the ammudim.

²⁶ And Shimshon said unto the na’ar that held him by the yad, Put me where I may feel the ammudim whereupon the bais standeth, that I may lean upon them.

²⁷ Now the bais (temple) was full of anashim and nashim; and all the rulers of the Pelishtim were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand ish and isha, that beheld while Shimshon entertained.

²⁸ And Shimshon called unto Hashem, and said, Adonoi Hashem, remember me, now, and strengthen me, now, only this once, O HaElohim that I may be at once avenged of the Pelishtim for my two eyes.

²⁹ And Shimshon took hold of the two middle ammudim upon which the bais stood and he braced himself against them, one with his right yad, and the other with his left.

³⁰ And Shimshon said, Let me die with the Pelishtim. And he pushed himself with all his ko’ach; and the bais fell upon the rulers, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slaughtered at his death were more than they which he slaughtered in his life.

³¹ Then his brethren and all the bais of his av came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Tzorah and Eshtaol in the kever of Manoach his av. And he judged Yisroel esrim shanah.

17 And there was an ish from har Ephrayim, whose shem was Mikhay’hu.

² And he said unto his em, The eleven hundred pieces of kesef that were taken from thee, about which thou did utter a curse, and spoke of also in mine ears, Hinei, the kesef is with me; I took it. And his em said, Baruch beni LaHashem.

³ And when he had restored the eleven hundred pieces of kesef to his em, his em said, I had wholly set apart as kodesh the kesef unto Hashem from my hand for beni (my son), to make a pesel (carved image, idol [See Ex 20:4]) and a masekhah (an image cast from a mold [See Ex 32:4]); now therefore I will return it unto thee.

⁴ So he restored the kesef unto his em; and his em took two hundred pieces of kesef and gave them to the tzoref (goldsmith), who made thereof a pesel and a masekhah; and they were in the bais Mikhay’hu.

⁵ And the ish Mikhay’hu had a bais elohim, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and ordained one of his banim, who became his kohen.

⁶ In those yamim there was no melech in Yisroel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

⁷ Meanwhile there was a na’ar from Beit-Lechem Yehudah of the mishpakhat Yehudah, who was a Levi, and he sojourned there.

⁸ And the ish departed out of the Ir from Beit-Lechem Yehudah to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to har Ephrayim to the bais Mikhay’hu, as he made his derech.

⁹ And Mikhay’hu said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levi of Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

¹⁰ And Mikhay’hu said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me an av and a kohen, and I will give thee ten pieces of kesef a year, and a set of begadim, and mikhyah (maintenance, livelihood). So the Levi went in.

¹¹ And the Levi agreed to dwell with the ish; and the na’ar was unto him as one of his banim.

¹² And Mikhay’hu ordained (literally, filled the hands of, consecrated, appointed as his own priest) the Levi; and the na’ar became his kohen, and was in the bais Mikhay’hu.

¹³ Then said Mikhay’hu, Now I have da’as that Hashem will do me good, seeing I have a Levi as my kohen.

18 In those days there was no melech in Yisroel; and in those days the shevet (tribe) of the Dani sought them a nachalah to dwell in; for unto that day none had fallen for him [Dan] among the Shivtei Yisroel.

² And the Bnei Dan sent of their mishpakhat five anashim out of their whole number, anashim, Bnei Chayil, from Tzorah, and from Eshta’ol, to spy out the land, and to explore it; and they said unto them, Go, explore the land; and when they came to har Ephrayim, to the bais Mikhay’hu, they lodged there.

³ When they were at the bais Mikhah, they recognized the voice of the na’ar the Levi; so they turned in there, and said unto him, Who brought thee here? And what doth thou in this place? And what is thy business here?

⁴ And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Mikhah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his kohen.

⁵ And they said unto him, Ask counsel of Elohim, that we may have da’as of whether our derech shall succeed.

⁶ And the kohen said unto them, Go in shalom; your derech wherein ye go is nokhach Hashem (straight in the sight of Hashem).

⁷ Then the five anashim departed, and came to Layish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the mishpat of the Tzidonim, quiet and unsuspecting; and there was no one in authority in the land, that might put them to shame for anything; but they were far from the Tzidonim, and had no ties with adam.

⁸ And they returned unto their achim to Tzorah and Eshta’ol; and their achim said unto them, Mah atem (What do you [report]?)

⁹ And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them; for we have seen ha’aretz, and, hinei, it is tovah me’od; and will ye do nothing? Be not slothful to go, but enter in to possess ha’aretz.

¹⁰ When ye go, ye shall come unto an Am bote’ach (unsuspecting people), and to ha’aretz rachavat; for Elohim hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no lack of any thing that is in ha’aretz.

¹¹ And there went from thence of the mishpakhat HaDani, out of Tzorah and out of Eshta’ol, 600 men armed with keli milchamah.

¹² And they went up, and encamped in Kiryat-Yearim, in Yehudah; wherefore they called that place Machaneh Dan unto this day; hinei, it is behind Kiryat-Yearim.

¹³ And they passed thence unto har Ephrayim, and came unto the bais Mikhah.

¹⁴ Then answered the five anashim that went to spy out ha’aretz Layish, and said unto their achim, Do ye know that there is in these batim ephod, teraphim, pesel, and maskhah? Now therefore consider what ye have to do.

¹⁵ And they turned thitherward, and came to the bais hana’ar haLevi, even unto the bais Mikhah, and gave him a shalom greeting.

¹⁶ And the 600 men armed with their keli milchamah, which were of the Bnei Dan, stood by the petach hasha’ar.

¹⁷ And the five anashim that went to spy out ha’aretz went up, and came in thither, and took the pesel, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the masekhah; and the kohen stood in the petach hasha’ar with the 600 men that were armed with keli milchamah.

¹⁸ And these went into bais Mikhah, and fetched the pesel, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the masakhah. Then said the kohen unto them, What are ye doing?

¹⁹ And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine yad upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be to us an av and a kohen; is it better for thee to be a kohen unto the bais ish echad, or that thou be a kohen unto a shevet and a mishpakhat in Yisroel?

²⁰ And the lev hakohen was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the pesel, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹ So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the mikneh and the belongings in front of them.

²² And when they were a good way from the bais Mikhah, the men that were in the batim (houses) near to bais Mikhah were gathered together, and overtook the Bnei Dan.

²³ And they cried unto the Bnei Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Mikhah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

²⁴ And he said, Ye have taken away my g-ds which I made, and the kohen, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? And what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

²⁵ And the Bnei Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry anashim run upon thee, and thou lose thy nefesh, with the nefesh of thy household.

²⁶ And the Bnei Dan went their way; and when Mikhah saw that they were chazakim, too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his bais [T.N. By now we are seeing the point of the story, which is how Dan became infected with apostate religion; see their omission Rev chp 7].

²⁷ And they took the things which Mikhah had made, and the kohen which he had, and came unto Layish unto a people that were peaceful and unsuspecting and they struck them with the edge of the cherev, and burnt the ir with eish.

²⁸ And there was no matzil (deliverer, rescuer), because it was far from Tzidon, and they had no tie with adam (any man); and it was in the valley that lieth near Beit-Rechov. And they built an ir, and dwelt therein.

²⁹ And they called the shem of the Ir Dan, after the shem of Dan their av, who was born unto Yisroel; howbeit the shem of the Ir was Layish previously.

³⁰ And the Bnei Dan set up the pesel; and Y’honatan ben Gershom ben Menasheh, he and his banim were kohanim to the shevet haDani until the yom Golus HaAretz [722 B.C.E.].

³¹ During all the time that the Bais HaElohim was in Shiloh they set up for them pesel Mikhah, which he made.

19 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no melech in Yisroel, that there was a certain Levi sojourning in the remote har Ephrayim country, who took to him a pilegesh out of Beit-Lechem Yehudah.

² And his pilegesh played the zonah against him, and went away from him unto her bais av to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and was there four whole months.

³ And her ish arose, and went after her, to speak unto her lev, and to bring her back, having his na’ar (servant) with him, and a couple of donkeys; and she brought him into her bais av; and when the avi hana’arah saw him, he had simcha to welcome him.

⁴ And his khoten (father-inlaw), the avi hana’arah, held him fast; and he abode with him shloshet yamim; so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

⁵ And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the boker, that he rose up to depart; the avi hana’arah said unto his choson (sonin-law), Refresh thine lev with a morsel of lechem, and afterward go your way.

⁶ And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together; for the avi hana’arah had said unto the ish, Be pleased, and tarry all night, and let thine lev be content.

⁷ And when the ish rose up to depart, his khoten (fatherin-law) urged him; therefore he lodged there again.

⁸ And he arose early in the boker on the yom hachamishi to depart; and the avi hana’arah said, Refresh now thine lev. Tarry till the yom turns [past midday], and they did eat both of them.

⁹ And when the ish rose up to depart, he, and his pilegesh, and his na’ar, his khoten (father-in-law), the avi hana’arah, said unto him, Hinei, now the yom draweth toward erev, tarry the night now; hinei, the yom groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine lev may be content; and makhar (tomorrow) get you early on your derech, that thou mayest go to your ohel.

¹⁰ But the ish would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came to nokhach (straight before, in the direction of) Yevus, which is Yerushalayim; and there were with him two donkeys saddled, his pilegesh also was with him.

¹¹ And when they were near Yevus, the yom was far spent; and the na’ar said unto his adon, Come, now, and let us turn in into ir haYevusi, and lodge in it.

¹² And his adon said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the ir nochri, that is not of the Bnei Yisroel; we will pass over to Giv’ah.

¹³ And he said unto his na’ar, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Giv’ah, or in Ramah.

¹⁴ And they passed on and went their way; and the shemesh went down upon them when they were near Giv’ah, which belongeth to Binyamin.

¹⁵ And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge the night in Giv’ah; and when he went in, he sat him down in the rechov of the ir; for there was no ish that took them into his bais to lodge the night [T.N. See Iyov 31:32 regarding the sin here, made more shameful in that it was committed against a Levi].

¹⁶ And, hinei, there came an ish zaken from his work out of the sadeh at erev, and the ish was also from har Ephrayim; and he sojourned in Giv’ah; but the anashim of the place were Bnei Yemini (Benjamites).

¹⁷ And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw haish haoreach (the wayfaring man, traveling man) in the rechov haIr; and the ish hazaken said, Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?

¹⁸ And he said unto him, We are passing from Beit-Lechem Yehudah toward the remote har Ephrayim country; from thence am I; and I went to Beit-Lechem Yehudah, but I am now going to the Bais Hashem [see 18:31]; but there is no ish that receiveth me into the bais.

¹⁹ Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys; and there is lechem and yayin also for me, and for thy amah (maidservant), and for the na’ar which is with thy avadim; there is no machsor (want, need) of any thing.

²⁰ And the ish hazaken said, Shalom lach; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the rechov.

²¹ So he brought him into his bais, and mixed fodder for the donkeys; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

²² Now as they were making their hearts content, hinei, the anshei haIr, anshei bnei Beliya’al, surrounded the bais, and pounded incessantly on the delet, and shouted to the ish, the Ba’al HaBayit, the zaken, saying, Bring out the ish that came into thine bais, that we may know him [T.N. a thin line drawn between homosexual rape and murder].

²³ And the ish, the Ba’al HaBayit, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, do not so wickedly; seeing that this ish is come into mine bais, do not this nevalah (outrage).

²⁴ Hinei, here is my bat a betulah, and his pilegesh; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth hatov unto your eyes; but unto this ish do not so devar hanevalah (vile, wicked a thing).

²⁵ But the anashim would not pay heed to him; so the ish took his pilegesh, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her kol halailah until the boker; and when the shachar (dawn) came, they let her go.

²⁶ Then came the isha at the break of haboker, and fell down at the petach bais haish where her adon was, ad haohr (until daylight, sunrise).

²⁷ And her adon rose up in the boker, and opened the daletot habais, and stepped out to go on his derech; and, hinei, the isha, his pilegesh, was fallen at the petach habais! And her hands were upon the sahf (threshold).

²⁸ And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then the ish took [the corpse] upon a donkey, and the ish rose up, and set out for his makom (place, home).

²⁹ And when he was come into his bais, he took a ma’akhelet (knife), and laid hold on his pilegesh, and divided her, together with her atzmot, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the territory of Yisroel.

³⁰ And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the yom that the Bnei Yisroel came up out of Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day; give ye heed unto it, make up your minds [about the punishment], and speak.

20 Then all the Bnei Yisroel came out, and HaEdah was gathered together as ish echad, from Dan even to Beer-Sheva, including Eretz HaGil`ad, unto Hashem at Mitzpah.

² And the Pinot (Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs) kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.

³ (Now the Bnei Binyamin heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gone up to Mitzpah.) Then said the Bnei Yisroel, Tell us, how this ra’ah came to be?

⁴ And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv’ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.

⁵ And the ba’alei haGiv’ah rose against me, and surrounded the bais upon me by lailah, and intended to have murdered me; and my pilegesh have they raped, that she is dead.

⁶ And I took my pilegesh, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout kol sedeh nachalat Yisroel; for they have committed zimmah (lewdness) and nevalah (wickedness, outrage, disgrace) in Yisroel.

⁷ Hinei, ye are all Bnei Yisroel; give here your advice and etzah (counsel, verdict).

⁸ And kol haAm arose as ish echad, saying, We will not any of us go to his ohel, neither will we any of us return into his bais.

⁹ But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Giv’ah; we will go up bigoral (by lot) against it;

¹⁰ And we will take ten anashim of a hundred throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to supply provisions for the troops, that they may do, when they come to Giv’ah of Binyamin, according to all the nevalah that they have wrought in Yisroel.

¹¹ So kol ish Yisroel were gathered against the Ir, k’ish echad chaverim (comrades as one man, united as one).

¹² And the Shivtei Yisroel sent anashim through all the shivtei Binyamin, saying, What ra’ah is this that is done among you?

¹³ Now therefore deliver us the anashim, the Bnei Beliyaal, which are in Giv’ah, that we may put them to death, and purge ra’ah from Yisroel. But the Bnei Binyamin would not pay heed to the voice of their achim the Bnei Yisroel.

¹⁴ But the Bnei Binyamin gathered themselves together out of the towns unto Giv’ah, to go out for milchamah against the Bnei Yisroel.

¹⁵ And the Bnei Binyamin mustered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men armed with cherev, beside the inhabitants of Giv’ah, which mustered seven hundred ish bachur (chosen men).

¹⁶ Among all this people there were seven hundred ish bachur every one could sling stones at the se’ar (the hair), and not miss.

¹⁷ And the ish Yisroel, apart from Binyamin, mustered 400,000 men armed with cherev; all these were ish milchamah.

¹⁸ And the Bnei Yisroel arose, and went up to Beit-El, and asked counsel of Elohim, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the milchamah against the Bnei Binyamin? And Hashem said, Yehudah shall go up first.

¹⁹ And the Bnei Yisroel rose up in the boker, and encamped against Giv’ah.

²⁰ And the Ish Yisroel went out to battle against Binyamin; and the Ish Yisroel put themselves in array to fight against them at Giv’ah.

²¹ And the Bnei Binyamin came forth out of Giv’ah, and cut down to the ground that day in Yisroel twenty and two thousand men.

²² And the HaAm Ish Yisroel took courage, and formed their battle line again in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

²³ (And the Bnei Yisroel went up and wept before Hashem until erev, and asked counsel of Hashem, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi? And Hashem said, Go up against him.)

²⁴ And the Bnei Yisroel came near against the Bnei Binyamin the second day.

²⁵ And Binyamin went forth against them from Giv’ah the second day, and cut down to the ground of the Bnei Yisroel another eighteen thousand men; all these were armed with the cherev.

²⁶ Then kol Bnei Yisroel, and kol haAm, went up, and came unto Beit-El, and wept, and sat there before Hashem, and did a tzom that day until erev, and offered olot and shelamim before Hashem.

²⁷ And the Bnei Yisroel inquired of Hashem, (for the Aron Brit HaElohim was there in those days,

²⁸ And Pinchas ben Eleazar ben Aharon stood ministering before it in those yamim,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the Bnei Binyamin achi, or shall I cease? And Hashem said, Go up; for makhar (tomorrow) I will deliver them into thine yad.

²⁹ And Yisroel set an ambush in wait round about Giv’ah.

³⁰ And the Bnei Yisroel went up against the Bnei Binyamin on the Yom HaShelishi, and put themselves in array against Giv’ah, as before.

³¹ And the Bnei Binyamin went out against HaAm, and were drawn away from the Ir; and they began to inflict casualties on HaAm, as at other times, in the sadeh and on the roads, of which one road goeth up to Beit-El, and the other road to Giv’ah, killing about sheloshim ish b’Yisroel.

³² And the Bnei Binyamin said, They are defeated before us, as at the first. But the Bnei Yisroel said, Let us retreat, and draw them from the Ir unto the roads.

³³ And Kol Ish Yisroel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar; meanwhile the ones of Yisroel waiting in ambush came forth out of their places, at Ma’areh Geva.

³⁴ And there came a frontal assault against Giv’ah by ten thousand ish bachur out of kol Yisroel, and the milchamah was fierce; but they [the Bnei Binyamin] had no da’as that for them ra’ah (evil, disaster) was near.

³⁵ And Hashem defeated Binyamin before Yisroel; and the Bnei Yisroel struck down from Binyamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred ish, all these armed with cherev.

³⁶ So the Bnei Binyamin saw that they were defeated; for the Ish Yisroel gave place before Binyamin, because they relied on the ones ambushing which they had positioned against Giv’ah.

³⁷ And the ones ambushing hasted, and rushed upon Giv’ah; and the ones ambushing drew themselves along, and struck kol HaIr with the edge of the cherev.

³⁸ Now there was a mo’ed (appointed agreement) between the Ish Yisroel and the ones ambushing, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the Ir.

³⁹ And when the Ish Yisroel turned in the milchamah, Binyamin began to inflict casualties on the Ish Yisroel about sheloshim ish; for they said, Surely they are defeated before us, as in the milchamah harishonah.

⁴⁰ But when the smoke cloud began to arise up out of the Ir with an ammud ashan (pillar of smoke), Binyamin looked behind them, and, hinei, the whole Ir ascended up in smoke to Shomayim.

⁴¹ And when the Ish Yisroel turned again, the Ish Binyamin were terrified; for they saw that ra’ah was come upon them.

⁴² Therefore they turned their backs before the Ish Yisroel unto the derech hamidbar; but the milchamah overtook them; and them which came out of the towns [of Binyamin] the ones [the Bnei Yisroel] cutting down him [Binyamin] in the midst of it.

⁴³ Thus surrounding those of Binyamin, they chased them, and trampled them down with ease nokhach Giv’ah (straight before Giv’ah) toward the rising of the shemesh.

⁴⁴ And there fell of Binyamin eighteen thousand ish; all these were anshei chayil.

⁴⁵ And they turned and fled toward the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon; and they cut down of them in the roads five thousand ish; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slaughtered two thousand ish of them.

⁴⁶ So that all which fell that day of Binyamin were twenty and five thousand ish armed with cherev; all these were anshei chayil.

⁴⁷ But six hundred ish turned and fled to the midbar unto the Rock of Rimmon, and abode unto the Rock of Rimmon four months.

⁴⁸ And the Ish Yisroel turned back upon the Bnei Binyamin, and struck them with the edge of the cherev, including every town, the people, the behemah, and all that remained; also they burned with eish all the towns that they came to.

21 Now the Ish Yisroel had taken an oath in Mitzpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his bat unto Binyamin as isha.

² And HaAm went to Beit-El, and abode there till erev before HaElohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept gadol;

³ And said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, why is this come to pass in Yisroel, that there should be today shevet echad lacking in Yisroel?

⁴ And it came to pass on the next day, that HaAm rose early, and built there a Mizbe’ach, and offered olot and shelamim.

⁵ And the Bnei Yisroel said, Who is there among kol Shivtei Yisroel that came not up with the Kahal unto Hashem? For they had made the shevuah hagedolah concerning him that came not up before Hashem to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

⁶ And the Bnei Yisroel had compassion for Binyamin their brother, and said, There is shevet echad cut off from Yisroel this day.

⁷ How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing we have taken an oath by Hashem that we will not give them of our banot as nashim?

⁸ And they said, What one is there of the Shivtei Yisroel that came not up to Mitzpah to Hashem? And, hinei, there came none to the machaneh from Yavesh-Gilead to the Kahal.

⁹ For HaAm were numbered, and, hinei, there were none of the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead there.

¹⁰ And HaEdah sent thither 12,000 ish of the Bnei HeChayil, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead with the edge of the cherev, with the women and the children.

¹¹ And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every zakhar, and every isha that hath da’as of lying with man.

¹² And they found among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead four hundred na’arah betulah, that had known no man by lying with any zakhar; and they brought them unto the machaneh at Shiloh, which is in Eretz Kena’an.

¹³ And the kol HaEdah sent some to speak to the Bnei Binyamin that were at the Rock of Rimmon, and to proclaim shalom unto them.

¹⁴ And Binyamin came again at that time; and they gave them nashim which they had saved alive of the women of Yavesh-Gilead; but they sufficed not for them.

¹⁵ And HaAm had compassion for Binyamin, because Hashem had made a breach in the Shivtei Yisroel.

¹⁶ Then the Ziknei HaEdah (Elders of the Congregation) said, How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing the isha are destroyed out of Binyamin?

¹⁷ And they said, There must be yerushah (heir) for them that be survivor of Binyamin, that a shevet be not destroyed out of Yisroel.

¹⁸ Howbeit we may not give them nashim of our banot; for the Bnei Yisroel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth an isha to Binyamin.

¹⁹ Then they said, Hinei, there is chag Hashem (feast of Hashem) in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beit El, on the east side of the road that goeth up from Beit El to Shechem, and on the south of Levonah.

²⁰ Therefore they commanded the Bnei Binyamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the kramim (vineyards);

²¹ And watch, and, hinei, if the Banot Shiloh come out to join in dances, then come ye out of the kramim (vineyards), and catch you every ish his isha of the Banot Shiloh, and go to Eretz Binyamin.

²² And it shall be, when their avot or their achim come unto us for riv (to complain), we [the Ziknei HaEdah] will say unto them, Give them to us, for we did not receive every ish his isha through the war; for ye have not given them unto them at this time; now would ye be guilty.

²³ And the Bnei Binyamin did so and took them nashim, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned unto their nachalah, and repaired the towns, and dwelt in them.

²⁴ And the Bnei Yisroel departed from there at that time, every ish to his shevet and to his mishpakhah, and they went out from thence every ish to his nachalah.

²⁵ In those days there was no melech in Yisroel; every man did that which was yashar (right) in his own eyes.

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramatayim Tzophim, of the hill country of Ephrayim, and his name was Elkanah ben Yerocham ben Elihu ben Tochu ben Tzuph, from Ephrat;

² And he had two wives; the name of the one was Channah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Channah had no children.

³ And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto Hashem Tzva’os in Shiloh. And the two banim of Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, the kohanim of Hashem, were there.

⁴ And when the time was that Elkanah offered sacrifice, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her banim and her banot, portions;

⁵ But unto Channah he gave a double portion; for he loved Channah; but Hashem had shut up her womb.

⁶ And her tzarah (adversary) also provoked her greatly, for to make her fret, because Hashem had shut up her womb.

⁷ And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the Bais Hashem, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

⁸ Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Channah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy lev bitter? Am not I better to thee than asarah banim?

⁹ So Channah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli HaKohen sat upon a chair by mezuzat Heikhal Hashem.

¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of nefesh, and davened unto Hashem, and wept greatly.

¹¹ And she vowed a neder (vow), and said, O Hashem Tzva’os, if thou wilt indeed look on the misery of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid zera anashim, then I will give him unto Hashem kol yamei of his chayyah, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

¹² And it came to pass, as she continued davening before Hashem, that Eli observed her mouth.

¹³ Now Channah, she davened in her lev; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought her to be shikkorah.

¹⁴ And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunk? Put away thy yayin from thee.

¹⁵ And Channah answered and said, No, adoni, I am an isha of a keshat ruach (oppressed spirit); I have drunk neither yayin nor strong drink, but have poured out my nefesh before Hashem.

¹⁶ Take not thine amah (handmaid, servant) for a bat Beliyaal; for out of the abundance of my anguish and ka’as (grief) have I davened hitherto.

¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, Go in shalom; and Elohei Yisroel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.

¹⁸ And she said, Let thine handmaid find chen (grace, favor) in thy sight. So the isha went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

¹⁹ And they rose up in the boker early, and worshiped before Hashem and returned, and came to their bais in Ramah; and Elkanah knew Channah his wife; and Hashem remembered her.

²⁰ And it came to pass in due time, after Channah had conceived, that she bore a ben, and called his name Shmuel (Heard of G-d) saying, Because from Hashem I have asked for him.

²¹ And the man Elkanah, and all his bais, went up to offer unto Hashem the zevach hayamim (sacrifice of the days), and his neder (vow).

²² But Channah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Hashem, and there abide forever.

²³ And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only Hashem make good (establish) His devar. So the isha stayed, and nursed her ben until she weaned him.

²⁴ And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of flour, and a skin of yayin, and brought him unto the Bais Hashem in Shiloh; and the child was young.

²⁵ And they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.

²⁶ And she said, Oh adoni, as thy nefesh liveth, adoni, I am the isha that stood by thee here, davening unto Hashem.

²⁷ For this child I davened; and Hashem hath given me my petition which I asked of Him;

²⁸ Therefore also I make him one lent to Hashem; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to Hashem. And he worshiped Hashem there.

2 And Channah davened, and said, My lev rejoiceth in Hashem, mine keren is exalted in Hashem; my mouth is opened wide over mine oyevim; because I rejoice with simchah in Thy Yeshuah (Salvation).

² There is none kadosh like Hashem; for there is none besides Thee; neither is there any Tzur like Eloheinu.

³ Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not atak (insolence) come out of your mouth; for Hashem is El De’ot (a G-d -who intensively knows), and by Him alilot (actions) are weighed.

⁴ Keshet gibborim are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with chayil (strength).

⁵ They that were full have hired out themselves for lechem; and they that were hungry are such no more; so that the barren hath born shivah; and she that hath rabbat banim withers in grief.

⁶ Hashem bringeth mot, and maketh chayyim; He bringeth down to Sheol, and raiseth up.

⁷ Hashem maketh poor, and bringeth oisher; He bringeth low, and lifteth up.

⁸ He raiseth up the dal (poor) out of the aphar (dust), and lifteth up the evyon (needy) from the dunghill, to seat them among nedivim (nobles), and to make them inherit the kisse kavod; for the pillars of the earth belong to Hashem, and He hath set the tevel (world) upon them.

⁹ He is shomer over the feet of His chasidim, and the resha’im shall be silenced in choshech; for by ko’ach shall no ish prevail.

¹⁰ Those striving against Hashem shall be shattered; out of Shomayim shall He thunder upon him [the contentious]; Hashem shall judge the afsei eretz (ends of the earth); and He shall give oz (strength) unto His Melech, and exalt the keren (horn, power) of His Moshiach.

¹¹ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his bais. And the na’ar was mesharet (minister) unto Hashem under Eli HaKohen.

¹² Now the Bnei Eli were Bnei Beliyaal; they knew not Hashem.

¹³ And the mishpat hakohanim (kohen’s custom) with the people was, that, when any ish offered zevach, the na’ar hakohen came, while the basar was cooking, with a mazleg (fork) of shlosh hashineayim (three prongs, lit. teeth) in his yad;

¹⁴ And he would plunge it into the kiyyor (basin) or dud (kettle) or kalakhat (caldron) or parur (pot); all that the mazleg brought up the kohen took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto kol Yisroel that came there.

¹⁵ Also before they burned the chelev, the na’ar hakohen came, and said to the ish hazove’ach (man making the sacrifice), Give basar to roast for the kohen; for he will not accept cooked basar of thee, only raw.

¹⁶ And if any ish said unto him, Let them first not fail to burn the chelev, and then take as much as thy nefesh desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt hand it over to me now; and if not, I will take it by chazakah (force).

¹⁷ Wherefore the chattat hane’arim was gedolah me’od before Hashem; for the anashim treated with contempt the minchat Hashem.

¹⁸ But Shmuel was mesharet (minister) before Hashem, being a na’ar, girded with an ephod bad (linen robe).

¹⁹ Moreover immo made him a me’il katon (a little robe), and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her ish to offer the zevach hayamim (yearly or annual sacrifice, Ex. 28:31f).

²⁰ And Eli put on Elkanah and his isha a brocha, and said, Hashem give thee zera of this isha in place of the she’elah (asked for [one] of) Hashem that was lent. And they went unto his makom (place, home).

²¹ And Hashem visited Channah, so that she conceived, and bore three banim and two banot. And the na’ar Shmuel grew before Hashem.

²² Now Eli was zaken me’od, and heard all that his banim did unto kol Yisroel; and how they lay with the nashim hatzove’ot (women in ministry service) at the petach Ohel Mo’ed.

²³ And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil deeds from kol HaAm (all the People).

²⁴ Nay, my banim; for it is no good report that I hear; ye make Am Hashem to transgress.

²⁵ If one ish sin against another ish, Elohim shall intervene as arbiter for him; but if an ish sin against Hashem, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they paid heed not unto the kol avihem (voice of their father), because Hashem willed to execute them.

²⁶ And the na’ar Shmuel was growing, and was in favor both with Hashem and also with anashim.

²⁷ And there came an Ish Elohim unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Did I not plainly reveal Myself unto the Bais Avicha, when they were in Mitzrayim under Bais Pharaoh?

²⁸ And did I not choose him out of kol Shivtei Yisroel to be Kohen to Me, to ascend Mine Mizbe’ach, to burn ketoret, to wear an Ephod in My presence? And did I give unto the Bais Avicha all the fire offerings of the Bnei Yisroel?

²⁹ Why kick scornfully at My zevach and My minchah, which I have commanded in My ma’on (habitation, dwelling [See Yn 14:2 OJBC]); and honorest thy banim above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of kol minchat Yisroel, before Ami (My People).