The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 7: Judges
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Unknown >> The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 7: Judges
19:11. And now they were come near Jebus, and the day was far spent: and
the servant said to his master: Come, I beseech thee, let us turn into
the city of the Jebusites, and lodge there.
19:12. His master answered him: I will not go into the town of another
nation, who are not of the children of Israel, but I will pass over to
Gabaa:
19:13. And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least
in the city of Rama.
19:14. So they passed by Jebus, and went on their journey, and the sun
went down upon them when they were by Gabaa, which is in the tribe of
Benjamin:
19:15. And they turned into it to lodge there. And when they were come
in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to
lodge.
19:16. And behold they saw an old man, returning out of the field and
from his work in the evening, and he also was of mount Ephraim, and
dwelt as a stranger in Gabaa; but the men of that country were the
children of Jemini.
19:17. And the old man lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his
bundles in the street of the city, and said to him: Whence comest thou?
and whither goest thou?
19:18. He answered him: We came out from Bethlehem Juda, and we are
going to our home, which is on the side of mount Ephraim, from whence we
went to Bethlehem: and now we go to the house of God, and none will
receive us under his roof:
19:19. We have straw and hay for provender of the asses, and bread and
wine for the use of myself and of thy handmaid, and of the servant that
is with me: we want nothing but lodging.
19:20. And the old man answered him: Peace be with thee: I will furnish
all things that are necessary: only I beseech thee, stay not in the
street.
19:21. And he brought him into his house, and gave provender to his
asses: and after they had washed their feet, he entertained them with a
feast.
19:22. While they were making merry, and refreshing their bodies with
meat and drink, after the labour of the journey, the men of that city,
sons of Belial (that is, without yoke), came and beset the old man's
house, and began to knock at the door, calling to the master of the
house, and saying: Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we
may abuse him:
19:23. And the old man went out to them, and said: Do not so, my
brethren, do not so wickedly: because this man is come into my lodging,
and cease I pray you from this folly.
19:24. I have a maiden daughter, and this man hath a concubine, I will
bring them out to you, and you may humble them, and satisfy your lust:
only, I beseech you, commit not this crime against nature on the man.
19:25. They would not be satisfied with his words; which the man seeing,
brought out his concubine to them, and abandoned her to their
wickedness: and when they had abused her all the night, they let her go
in the morning.
19:26. But the woman, at the dawning of the day, came to the door of the
house, where her lord lodged, and there fell down.
19:27. And in the morning the man arose, and opened the door, that he
might end the journey he had begun: and behold his concubine lay before
the door with her hands spread on the threshold.
19:28. He thinking she was taking her rest, said to her: Arise, and let
us be going. But as she made no answer, perceiving she was dead, he took
her up, and laid her upon his ass, and returned to his house.
19:29. And when he was come home, he took a sword, and divided the dead
body of his wife with her bones into twelve parts, and sent the pieces
into all the borders of Israel.
19:30. And when every one had seen this, they all cried out: There was
never such a thing done in Israel, from the day that our fathers came up
out of Egypt, until this day: give sentence, and decree in common what
ought to be done.
Judges Chapter 20
The Israelites warring against Benjamin are twice defeated; but in the
third battle the Benjamites are all slain, saving six hundred men.
20:1. Then all the children of Israel went out, and gathered together as
one man, from Dan to Bersabee, with the land of Galaad, to the Lord in
Maspha:
20:2. And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel,
met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand
footmen fit for war.
20:3. (Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of
Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite, the husband of the woman
that was killed being asked, how so great a wickedness had been
committed,
20:4. Answered: I came into Gabaa, of Benjamin, with my wife, and there
I lodged:
20:5. And behold the men of that city, in the night beset the house
wherein I was, intending to kill me, and abused my wife with an
incredible fury of lust, so that at last she died.
20:6. And I took her and cut her in pieces, and sent the parts into all
the borders of your possession: because there never was so heinous a
crime, and so great an abomination committed in Israel.
20:7. You are all here, O children of Israel, determine what you ought
to do.
20:8. And all the people standing, answered as by the voice of one man:
We will not return to our tents, neither shall any one of us go into his
own house:
20:9. But this we will do in common against Gabaa:
20:10. We will take ten men of a hundred out of all the tribes of
Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten
thousand, to bring victuals for the army, that we may fight against
Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it for its wickedness, what it
deserveth.
20:11. And all Israel were gathered together against the city, as one
man, with one mind, and one counsel:
20:12. And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, to say to
them: Why hath so great an abomination been found among you?
20:13. Deliver up the men of Gabaa, that have committed this heinous
crime, that they may die, and the evil may be taken away out of Israel.
But they would not hearken to the proposition of their brethren the
children of Israel:
20:14. But out of all the cities which were of their lot, they gathered
themselves together into Gabaa, to aid them, and to fight against the
whole people of Israel.
20:15. And there were found of Benjamin five and twenty thousand men
that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa,
20:16. Who were seven hundred most valiant men, fighting with the left
hand as well as with the right: and slinging stones so sure that they
could hit even a hair, and not miss by the stone's going on either side.
20:17. Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were
found four hundred thousand that drew swords and were prepared to fight.
20:18. And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo:
and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to
go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered
them: Let Juda be your leader.
20:19. And forthwith the children of Israel rising in the morning,
camped by Gabaa:
20:20. And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to
assault the city.
20:21. And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa slew of the
children of Israel that day two and twenty thousand men.
20:22. Again Israel, trusting in their strength and their number, set
their army in array in the same place, where they had fought before:
Trusting in their strength... The Lord suffered them to be overthrown
and many of them to be slain, though their cause was just; partly in
punishment of the idolatry which they exercised or tolerated in the
tribe of Dan, and elsewhere; and partly because they trusted in their
own strength; and therefore, though he bid them fight, he would not give
them the victory, till they were thoroughly humbled and had learned to
trust in him alone.
20:23. Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until
night: and consulted him and said: Shall I go out any more to fight
against the children of Benjamin my brethren or not? And he answered
them: Go up against them, and join battle.
20:24. And when the children of Israel went out the next day to fight
against the children of Benjamin,
20:25. The children of Benjamin sallied forth out of the gates of Gabaa:
and meeting them, made so great a slaughter of them, as to kill eighteen
thousand men that drew the sword.
20:26. Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God,
and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the
evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings,
20:27. And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark
of the covenant of the Lord was there,
20:28. And Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was over the
house. So they consulted the Lord, and said: Shall we go out any more to
fight against the children of Benjamin, our brethren, or shall we cease?
And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into
your hands.
20:29. And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of
Gabaa:
20:30. And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as
they had done the first and second.
20:31. And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and
seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and
kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst
they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel and the other
to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men:
20:32. For they thought to cut them off as they did before. But they
artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city,
and by their seeming to flee, to bring them to the highways aforesaid.
20:33. Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where
they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called
Baalthamar. The ambushes also, which were about the city, began by
little and little to come forth,
20:34. And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten
thousand men chosen out of all Israel, attacked the inhabitants of the
city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they
understood not that present death threatened them on every side.
20:35. And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and
they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred,
all fighting men, and that drew the sword.
20:36. But the children of Benjamin, when they saw themselves to be too
weak, began to flee. Which the children of Israel seeing, gave them
place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared,
which they had set near the city.
20:37. And they that were in ambush arose on a sudden out of their
coverts, and whilst Benjamin turned their backs to the slayers, went
into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
20:38. Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they
had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should
make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the
city was taken.
20:39. And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle, (for the
children of Benjamin thought they fled, and pursued them vigorously,
killing thirty men of their army)
20:40. And perceived, as it were, a pillar of smoke rise up from the
city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that
the flames ascended on high:
20:41. They that before had made as if they fled, turning their faces,
stood bravely against them. Which the children of Benjamin seeing,
turned their backs,
20:42. And began to go towards the way of the desert, the enemy pursuing
them thither also. And they that fired the city came also out to meet
them.
20:43. And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies,
and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down
on the east side of the city of Gabaa.
20:44. And they that were slain in the same place, were eighteen
thousand men, all most valiant soldiers.
20:45. And when they that remained of Benjamin saw this, they fled into
the wilderness, and made towards the rock that is called Remmon. In that
flight also, as they were straggling, and going different ways; they
slew of them five thousand men. And as they went farther, they still
pursued them, and slew also other two thousand.
20:46. And so it came to pass, that all that were slain of Benjamin, in
divers places, were five and twenty thousand fighting men, most valiant
for war.
20:47. And there remained of all the number of Benjamin only six hundred
men that were able to escape, and flee to the wilderness: and they abode
in the rock Remmon four months.
20:48. But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the
city to the sword, both men and beasts, and all the cities and villages
of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.
Judges Chapter 21
The tribe of Benjamin is saved from being utterly extinct, by providing
wives for the six hundred that remained.
21:1. Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None
of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
21:2. And they all came to the house of God in Silo, and sitting before
him till the evening, lifted up their voices, and began to lament and
weep, saying:
21:3. O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy
people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?
21:4. And rising early the next day, they built an altar: and offered
there holocausts, and victims of peace, and they said:
21:5. Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with
the army of the Lord? for they had bound themselves with a great oath,
when they were in Maspha, that whosoever were wanting should be slain.
21:6. And the children of Israel being moved with repentance for their
brother Benjamin, began to say: One tribe is taken away from Israel.
21:7. Whence shall they take wives? For we have all in general sworn,
not to give our daughters to them.
21:8. Therefore they said: Who is there of all the tribes of Israel,
that came not up to the Lord to Maspha? And, behold, the inhabitants of
Jabes Galaad were found not to have been in that army.
21:9. (At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was
found there,)
21:10. So they sent ten thousand of the most valiant men, and commanded
them, saying: Go and put the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad to the sword,
with their wives and their children.
21:11. And this is what you shall observe: Every male, and all women
that have known men, you shall kill, but the virgins you shall save.
21:12. And there were found of Jabes Galaad four hundred virgins, that
had not known the bed of a man, and they brought them to the camp in
Silo, into the land of Chanaan.
21:13. And they sent messengers to the children of Benjamin, that were
in the rock Remmon, and commanded them to receive them in peace.
21:14. And the children of Benjamin came at that time, and wives were
given them of Jabes Galaad: but they found no others, whom they might
give in like manner.
21:15. And all Israel was very sorry, and repented for the destroying of
one tribe out of Israel.
21:16. And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have
not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead.
21:17. And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that
one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
21:18. For as to our own daughters we cannot give them, being bound with
an oath and a curse, whereby we said: Cursed be he that shall give
Benjamin any of his daughters to wife.
21:19. So they took counsel, and said: Behold, there is a yearly
solemnity of the Lord in Silo, which is situate on the north of the city
of Bethel, and on the east side of the way, that goeth from Bethel to
Sichem, and on the south of the town of Lebona.
21:20. And they commanded the children of Benjamin and said: Go, and lie
hid in the vineyards,
21:21. And when you shall see the daughters of Silo come out, as the
custom is, to dance, come ye on a sudden out of the vineyards, and catch
you every man his wife among them, and go into the land of Benjamin.
21:22. And when their fathers and their brethren shall come, and shall
begin to complain against you, and to chide, we will say to them: Have
pity on them: for they took them not away as by the right of war or
conquest, but when they asked to have them, you gave them not, and the
fault was committed on your part.
21:23. And the children of Benjamin did as they had been commanded: and,
according to their number, they carried off for themselves every man his
wife of them that were dancing: and they went into their possession, and
built up their cities, and dwelt in them.
21:24. The children of Israel also returned by their tribes, and
families, to their dwellings. In those days there was no king in Israel:
but every one did that which seemed right to himself.