Judges, Chapters 18-21, American Standard Version

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapters eighteen through twenty one of Judges American Standard version.
This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
the public domain. For more information and to find out
how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Sam Stinson, Chapter eighteen. In those days there was

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no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe
of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in,
for unto that day their inheritance had not fallen unto
them among the tribes of Israel. And the children of
Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number,
men of Valor, from Zorah and from Esch to all
to spy out the land and to search it. And

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they said unto them, go search the land. And they
came to the hill country of Ephraim, unto the house
of Micah, and lodged there. When they were by the
house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man,
the Leephyte, and they turned aside thither and said, unto
him who brought thee hither, what doest thou in this place?

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And what hast thou here? And he said, unto them thus,
and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath
hired me, and I am become his priest. And they
said unto him, ask counsel, we pray thee of God,
that we may know whether our way which we go
shall be prosperous. And the priest said unto them, go
in peace before Jehovah is your way wherein ye go.

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Then the five men departed and came to layish, and
saw the people that were therein how they dwelt in
security after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure,
for there was none in the land possessing authority that
might put them to shame in anything. And they were
far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with any man.

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And they came unto their brethren, to Zorah and Esch
to all. And their brethren said unto them, what say ye?
And they said, arise, and let us go up against them,
For we have seen the land, and behold it is
very good. And are ye still be not slothful to
go and to enter in to possess the land? When
ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, And

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the land is large, for God hath given it into
your hand, a place where there is no want of
anything that is in the earth. And there set forth
from thence of the family of the Danites, out of
Zorah and out of eshta Al six hundred men girt
with weapons of war. Then they went up and encamped
in Kaireth Jiram in Judah, wherefore they called that place

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mahanat dan Unto this day behold, it is behind Kaireth Jirim.
And they passed thence unto the hill country of Ephram,
and came unto the house of Micah. Then answered the
five men that went to spy out the country of
Layish and set unto their brethren, do ye know that
there is in these houses an ephod and Taraphim, and

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a graven image and a molten image. Now therefore consider
what ye have to do. And they turned aside thither
and came to the house of the young man the Levite,
even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of
his welfare. And the six hundred men girt with their
weapons of war, who were of the children of dan
stood by the entrance of the gate, and the five

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men that went to spy out the land went up
and came in thither and took the graven image and
the Ephod, and the Tarafem and the molten image. And
the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with
the six hundred men, girt with weapons of war. And
when these went into Micah's house and fetched the graven image,
the Ephod, and the Tarafim and the molten image, the

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priest said, unto them, what do ye? And they said
unto him, hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth,
and go with us, and be to us a father
and a priest. Is it better for thee to be
priest unto the house of one man, or to be
priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And
the priest's heart was glad, and he took the Ephod

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and the Tarafem and the graven image went in the
midst of the people. So they turned and departed, and
put the little ones in the cattle and the goods
before them. When they were a good way from the
house of Micah, the men that were in the houses
near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the
children of Dan. And they cried unto the children of Dan,
and they turned their faces and said unto Micah, what

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aileth thee that thou comest with such a company. And
he said, ye have taken away my gods which I made,
and the priest, and are gone away? And what have
I more? And how then, say ye unto me, what
aileth thee? And the children of Dan said unto him,
let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry
fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life with

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the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan
went their way, And when Micah saw that they were
too strong for him, he turned and went back unto
his house. And they took that which Micah had made,
and the priest whom he had, and came o to
layish unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them
with the edge of the sword. And they burnt the

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city with fire, and there was no deliverer, because it
was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with
any man. And it was in the valley that lieth
by Bethrihamp and they built the city and dwelt therein,
and they called the name of the city Dan, after
the name of Dan, their father, who was born unto Israel,
howbeit the name of the city was Leyish at the

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first and the children of dan set up for themselves
the graven image, and Jonathan the son of Gersham, the
son of Moses. He and his sons were priests to
the tribe of the Danites until the day of the
captivity of the land. So they set them up Micah's
graven image, which he made all the time that the
house of God was in Shiloh end of chapter eighteen,

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Chapter nineteen, and a king to pass in those days
when there was no king in Israel, that there was
a certain Levite journing on the farther side of the
hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine
out of Bethlehem. Judah and his concubine played the harlot
against him and went away from him unto her father's house,

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to Bethlehem Judah and was there at the space of
four months, and her husband arose and went after her
to speak kindly and to her to bring her again,
having his servant with him and a couple of asses,
and she brought him into her father's house. And when
the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to
meet him, and his father in law. The damsel's father

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retained him, and he abode with him three days. So
they did eat and drink, and lodged there, and it
came to pass in the fourth day that they arose
early in the morning, and he rose up to depart,
and the damsel's father said, unto his son in law,
strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward
ye shall go your way. So they sat down and

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did eat and drink, both of them together, and the
damsel's father said, unto the man, be pleased, I pray
thee to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.
And the man rose up to depart, but his father
in law urged him, and he lodged there again. And
he arose early in the morning on the fifth day
to depart, and the damsel's father said, strengthen thy heart,

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I pray thee and tarry ye until the day declineth.
And they did eat, both of them, And when the
man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and
his servant his father in law. The damsel's father said,
unto him, behold now the day draweth toward evening, I
pray you tarry all night, behold the day groweth to
an end. Lodge here, that thy heart may be merry,

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and tomorrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayst go home. But the man would not tarry that night.
But he rose up and departed, and came over against Jibas,
the same as Jerusalem. And there were with him a
couple of asses saddled. His concubine also was with him.
When they were by Jeebus, the day was far spent,

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and the servant said, unto his master, come, I pray thee,
and let us turn aside into this city of the
Jebusites and lodge in it. And his master said unto him,
we will not turn aside into the city of a
foreigner that is not of the children of Israel. But
we will pass over to Gibea. And he said unto
his servant, come and let us draw near to one

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of these places, and we will lodge in Gibea or
in Raima. So they passed on and went their way,
and the sun went down upon them nearer to Gibea,
which belongeth to Benjamin, and they turned aside thither to
go in to lodge in Gibea, and he went in
and sat him down in the street of the city.
For there was no man that took them into his

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house to lodge. And behold, there came an old man
from his work out of the field at even now.
The man was of the hill country of Ephraim. And
he sojourned in Gibea, that the men of the place
were Benjamines. And he lifted up his eyes and saw
the wayfaring man in the street of the city. And
the old man said, whither goest thou, and whence comest thou?

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And he said, unto him, we are passing from Bethlehem
Judah unto the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim.
From thence am I And I went to Bethlehem Judah.
And I am now going to the house of Jehovah.
And there is no man that taketh me into his house.
Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses.
And there is bread and wine also for me, and

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for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is
with thy servants. There is no want of anything. And
the old man said, peace be unto thee. Howsoever, let
all thy wants lie upon me, only lodge not in
the street. So he brought him into his house and
gave the asses fodder, and they washed their feet, and

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did eat and drink. As they were making their hearts merry. Behold,
the men of the city, certain base fellows beset the
house round about, beating at the door. And they spake
to the master of the house, the old man, saying,
bring forth the man that came into thy house, that
we may know him. And the man the master of

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the house, went out unto them and said, unto them, nay,
my brethren, I pray you do not so wickedly, seeing
that this man is come into my house, do not
this folly. Behold, here is my daughter, a virgin, and
his concubine them. I will bring out now and humble
ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you.

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But unto this man, do not any such folly. But
the men would not hearken to him. So the man
laid hold on his concubine and brought her forth unto them,
And they knew her and abused her all the night
until the morning, And when the day began to spring,
they let her go. Then came the woman in the

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dawning of the day, and fell down at the door
of the man's house where her lord was, till it
was light. And her lord rose up in the morning
and opened the doors of the house, and went out
to go his way, and behold the woman, his concubine
was fallen down at the door of the house, with
her hands upon the threshold. And he said, unto her

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up and let us be going, but none answered. Then
he took her upon the ass, and the man rose
up and gat him unto his place. And when he
was come into his house, he took a knife and
laid hold on his concubine, and divided her limb by limb,
and to twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the

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borders of Israel. And it was so that all that
saw it said, there was no such deed done nor
seen from the day that the children of Israel came
up out of the land of Egypt. Unto this day.
Consider it, take counsel and speak. End of Chapter nineteen,
Chapter twenty. Then all the children of Israel went out,

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and the congregation was assembled as one man from Dan
even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead unto Jehovah
at Mizpah, and the chiefs of all the people, even
of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the
assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen
that drew sword. Now the children of Benjamin heard that

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the children of Israel were gone up to Mispah. And
the children of Israel said, tell us, how was this
wickedness brought to pass? And the Levite, the husband of
the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came
into Gibea, that belongeth to Benjamin. I and my concubine
to lodge. And the men of Gibea rose against me
and beset the house round about me. By night me

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they thought to have slain, and my concubine they forced,
and she is dead. And I took my concubine and
cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the
country of the inheritance of Israel. For they have committed
lewdness and folly in Israel. Behold, ye, children of Israel,
all of you give here your advice and counsel. And

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all the people arose as one man, saying, we will
not any of us go to his tent. Neither will
we any of us turn unto his house. But now
this is the thing which we will do to Gibea.
We will go up against it by lot, and we
will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the
tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand and
a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for

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the people that they may do when they come to
Gibea of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they
have wrought in Israel. So all the men of Israel
were gathered against the city, knit together as one man,
and the tribes of Israel sent men through all the
tribe of Benjamin, saying, what wickedness is this that is

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come to pass among you? Now, therefore, deliver up the
men the base fellows that are in Gibea, that we
may put them to death and put away evil from Israel.
But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren.
The children of Israel and the children of Benjamin gathered
themselves together out of the cities unto Gibea to go
out to battle against the children of Israel. And the

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children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of
the cities, twenty and six thousand men that drew sword,
besides the inhabitants of Gibea, who were numbered seven hundred
chosen men. Among all this people there were seven hundred
chosen men left handed. Every one could sling stones at
a hair breadth and not miss. And the men of Israel,
besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword.

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All these were men of war. And the children of
Israel arose and went up to Bethel and asked counsel
of God. And they said, who shall go up for
us first to battle against the children of Benjamin. And
Jehovah said, Judah shall go up first. And the children
of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibea.
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin.

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And the men of Israel set the battle in array
against them at Gibea. And the children of Benjamin came
forth out of Ghibia and destroyed down to the ground
of the Israelites. On that day twenty and two thousand
men and the people. The men of Israel encouraged themselves
and set the battle again in array in the place
where they set themselves in array the first day, and

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the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah
until even, and they asked of Jehovah, saying, shall I
again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin
my brother? And Jehovah said, go up against him. And
the children of Israel came near against the children of
Benjamin the second day. And Benjamin went forth against them
out of Gibea the second day and destroyed down to

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the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men.
All these drew the sword. Then all the children of
Israel and all the people went up and came unto
Bethel and wept and sat there before Jehovah and fasted
that day until even, and they offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings before Jehovah. And the children of Israel asked
of Jehovah, for the ark of the Covenant of God

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was there in those days, and fineas the son of Aliezer,
the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying,
shall I yet again go out to battle against the
children of Benjamin my brother? Or shall I cease? And
Jehovah said, go up for tomorrow I will deliver him
into Thy hand. And Israel set liars in wait against

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Gibea round about. And the children of Israel went up
against the children of Benjamin on the third day and
set themselves in array against Gibea, as at other times.
And the children of Benjamin went out against the people
and were drawn away from the city. And they began
to smite and kill of the people as at other times,
in the highways, of which one goeth up to Bethel

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and the other to Gibea. In the field about thirty
men of Israel, and the children of Benjamin said, they
are smitten down before us, as at the first. But
the children of Israel said, let us flee and draw
them away from the city unto the highways. And all
the men of Israel rose up out of their place
and set themselves in arrays at bil Tamar. And the

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liars in wight of Israel break forth out of their place,
even out of Murrah Giba. And there came over against
Gibea ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel. And
the battle was sore, but they knew not that evil
was close upon them. And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel,
and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day
twenty and five thousand and one hundred men. All these

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drew the sword. So the children of Benjamin saw that
they were smitten, For the men of Israel gave place
to Benjamin because they trusted unto the liars in Wait,
whom they had set against Gibea. And the liars in
wait hasted and rushed upon Gibea, and the liars in
weight drew themselves along and smote all the city with
the edge of the sword. Now the appointed sign between

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the men of Israel and the liars in Wait was
that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise
up out of the city. And the men of Israel
turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and
kill of the men of Israel, about thirty persons. For
they said, surely they are smitten down before us, as
in the first battle. But when the cloud began to

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arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke,
the Benjamines looked behind them, and behold, the whole of
the city went up and smoked to heaven. And the
men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed,
for they saw that evil was come upon them. Therefore
they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto
the way of the wilderness. But the battle followed hard
after them, and they that came out of the cities

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destroyed them in the midst thereof they enclosed the Benjamines
round about and chased them and trod them down at
their resting place as far as over against Gibea towards
the sun rising, and there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men.
All these were men of valor. And they turned and
fled toward the wilderness unto the Rock of Rimen. And

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they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men,
and followed hard after them unto Giedom, and smote of
them two thousand men, so that all who fell that
day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that
drew the sword. All these were men of valor. But
six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness unto
the rock of Rimen, and abode in the rock of

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Rerimen four months and the men of Israel turned again
upon the children of Benjamin and smote them with the
edge of the sword, both the entire city and the cattle,
and all that they found. Moreover, all the cities which
they found they set on fire. End of chapter twenty
Chapter twenty one. Now the men of Israel had sworn

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in Mispas, saying, there shall not any of us give
his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. And the people came
to Bethel and sat there till even before God, and
lifted up their voices and wept sore. And they said, Oh, Jehovah,
the God of Israel, why is this come to pass
in Israel? That there should be to day one tribe

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lacking in Israel. And it came to pass on the
morrow that the people rose early and built there an
altar and offered burnt offering and peace offerings. And the
children of Israel said, who is there among all the
tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly
unto Jehovah. For they had made a great oath concerning
him that came not up unto Jehovah, to Mispah, saying

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he shall surely be put to death. And the children
of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said,
there is one tribe cut off from Israel this day?
How shall we do for wives for them that remain,
Seeing we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not
give them of our daughters to wives. And they said,
what one is there of the tribes of Israel that

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came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah. And behold, there
came none to the camp from Jabiesh Gilead to the assembly.
For when the people were numbered, behold there were none
of the inhabitants of Jabish Gilead there. And the congregation
sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantist and commanded them, saying,
go and smite the inhabitants of Jabiesh Gilead with the

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edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
And this is the thing that ye shall do. Ye
shall utterly destroy every male and every woman that hath
lain by man. And they found among the inhabitants of
Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins that had not known
man by lying with him. And they brought them unto
the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

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And the whole congregation sent and spake to the children
of Benjamin that were in the rock of women, and
proclaimed peace unto them. And Benjamin returned at that time,
and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive,
of the women of Jebish Gilead. And yet so they
sufficed them not, and the people repented them for Benjamin,
because that Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes

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of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, how
shall we do for wives for them that remain, Seeing
the women are destroyed out of Benjamin. And they said,
there must be an inheritance for them that are escaped
of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters,

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for the children of Israel had sworn saying, cursed be
he that giveth the wife to Benjamin. And they said, behold,
there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year
in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on
the east side of the highway that goeth up from
Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebona. And
they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, go and lie

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and wait in the vineyards and see and behold. If
the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances,
then come ye out of the vineyards and catch you
every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and
go to the land of Benjamin. And it shall be
when their fathers or their brethren come to complain unto us,
that we will say unto them, grant them graciously unto us,

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because we took no for each man of them his
wife in battle. Neither did ye give them unto them,
else would ye now be guilty. And the children of
Benjamin did so and took them wives according to their number,
of them that danced, whom they carried off. And they
went and returned unto their inheritance, and built the cities
and dwelt in them. And the children of Israel departed

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thence at that time every man to his tribe and
to his family. And they went out from thence every
man to his inheritance. In those days there was no
king in Israel. Every man did that which was right
in his own eyes. End of Chapter twenty one and
also the end of Judges American Standard Version