Judges Chapter 13
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.
2
And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
3
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
4
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
5
And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them.
6
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
7
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
8
And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
9
And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
10
And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
11
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
12
But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower.
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And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
14
And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull.
15
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
16
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
17
Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren;
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and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
19
And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim.
20
And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
21
And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty and two years.
22
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
23
And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
24
And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not.
25
And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2
And there was a certain man of Zoreah, of the family of the Danites, and his name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and did not bear.
3
And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, thou art barren and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.
4
And now beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
5
For lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head; for the boy shall be a Nazarite ofGod from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6
And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man ofGod came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel ofGod, very terrible; but I did not ask him whence he was, neither did he tell me his name.
7
And he said to me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and now drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not anything unclean; for the boy shall be a Nazarite ofGod from the womb to the day of his death.
8
Then Manoah prayed to Jehovah, and said, Ah Lord! let the man ofGod which thou didst send come again unto us, I pray thee, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9
AndGod hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the Angel ofGod came again to the woman whilst she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10
Then the woman hasted and ran, and informed her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, that came to me that day.
11
And Manoah rose up and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Art thou the man that didst speak to the woman? And he said, I am.
12
And Manoah said, When thy words then come to pass, what shall be the child's manner and his doing?
13
And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware:
14
she shall not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither shall she drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean: all that I commanded her shall she observe.
15
And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, and we will make ready a kid of the goats for thee.
16
And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though thou shouldest detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou shalt offer it up to Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the Angel of Jehovah.
17
And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy word cometh to pass we may do thee honour?
18
And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, How is it that thou askest after my name, seeing it is wonderful?
19
Then Manoah took the kid and the oblation, and offered it up to Jehovah upon the rock. And he did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20
And it came to pass, as the flame went up from off the altar towards the heavens, that the Angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoah and his wife looked on, and fell on their faces to the ground.
21
And the Angel of Jehovah appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that it was the Angel of Jehovah.
22
And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seenGod.
23
But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and an oblation at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would he at this time have told us [such things] as these.
24
And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.
25
And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at Mahaneh-Dan, between Zoreah and Eshtaol.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
And the children of Israel yet again committed iniquity before the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Phylistines forty years.
2
And there was a man of Saraa, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoë, and his wife was barren, and bore not.
3
And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, thou art barren and hast not born; yet thou shalt conceive a son.
4
And now be very cautious, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing;
5
for behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phylistines.
6
And the woman went in, and spoke to her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his appearance [was as] of an angel of God, very dreadful; and I did not ask him whence he was, and he did not tell me his name.
7
And he said to me, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing; for the child shall be holy to God from the womb until the day of his death.
8
And Manoë prayed to the Lord and said, I pray thee, O Lord my Lord, [concerning] the man of God whom thou sentest; let him now come to us once more, and teach us what we shall do to the child about to be born.
9
And the Lord heard the voice of Manoë, and the angel of God came yet again to the woman; and she sat in the field, and Manoë her husband was not with her.
10
And the woman hasted, and ran, and brought word to her husband, and said to him, Behold the man who came in [the other] day to me has appeared to me.
11
And Manoë arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Art thou the man that spoke to the woman? and the angel said, I [am].
12
And Manoë said, Now shall [thy] word come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and our dealings with him?
13
And the angel of the Lord said to Manoë, Of all things concerning which I spoke to the woman, she shall beware.
14
She shall eat of nothing that comes of the vine yielding wine, and let her not drink wine or strong liquor, and let her not eat anything unclean: all things that I have charged her she shall observe.
15
And Manoë said to the angel of the Lord, Let us detain thee here, and prepare before thee a kid of the goats.
16
And the angel of the Lord said to Manoë, If thou shouldest detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wouldest offer a whole-burnt-offering, to the Lord thou shalt offer it: for Manoë knew not that he [was] an angel of the Lord.
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And Manoë said to the angel of the Lord, What [is] thy name, that [when] thy word shall come to pass, we may glorify thee?
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And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why dost thou thus ask after my name; whereas it is wonderful?
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And Manoë took a kid of the goats and its meat-offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord; and [the angel] wrought a distinct work, and Manoë and his wife were looking on.
20
And it came to pass when the flame went up above the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord went up in the flame; and Manoë and his wife were looking, and they fell upon their face to the earth.
21
And the angel appeared no more to Manoë and to his wife: then Manoë knew that this [was] an angel of the Lord.
22
And Manoë said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23
But his wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to slay us, he would not have received of our hand a whole-burnt-offering and a meat-offering; and he would not have shewn us all these things, neither would he have caused us to hear all these things as at this time.
24
And the woman brought forth a son, and she called his name Sampson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.
25
And the Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him in the camp of Dan, and between Saraa and Esthaol.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Rursumque filii Israel fecerunt malum in conspectu Domini: qui tradidit eos in manus Philisthinorum quadraginta annis.
2
Erat autem quidam vir de Saraa, et de stirpe Dan, nomine Manue, habens uxorem sterilem.
3
Cui apparuit Angelus Domini, et dixit ad eam: Sterilis es et absque liberis: sed concipies et paries filium:
4
Cave ergo ne bibas vinum ac siceram, nec immundum quidquam comedas:
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quia concipies, et paries filium, cuius non tanget caput novacula: erit enim nazaræus Dei ab infantia sua, et ex matris utero, et ipse incipiet liberare Israel de manu Philisthinorum.
6
Quæ cum venisset ad maritum suum, dixit ei: Vir Dei venit ad me, habens vultum angelicum, terribilis nimis. Quem cum interrogassem, quis esset, et unde venisset, et quo nomine vocaretur, noluit mihi dicere:
7
sed hoc respondit: Ecce concipies et paries filium: cave ne vinum bibas, nec siceram, et ne aliquo vescaris immundo: erit enim puer nazaræus Dei ab infantia sua, ex utero matris suæ usque ad diem mortis suæ.
8
Oravit itaque Manue Dominum, et ait: Obsecro Domine, ut vir Dei, quem misisti, veniat iterum, et doceat nos quid debeamus facere de puero, qui nasciturus est.
9
Exaudivitque Dominus deprecantem Manue, et apparuit rursum Angelus Dei uxori eius sedenti in agro. Manue autem maritus eius non erat cum ea. Quæ cum vidisset Angelum,
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festinavit, et cucurrit ad virum suum: nunciavitque ei, dicens: Ecce apparuit mihi vir, quem ante videram.
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Qui surrexit, et secutus est uxorem suam: veniensque ad virum, dixit ei: Tu es qui locutus es mulieri? Et ille respondit: Ego sum.
12
Cui Manue: Quando, inquit, sermo tuus fuerit expletus, quid vis ut faciat puer? aut a quo se observare debebit?
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Dixitque Angelus Domini ad Manue: Ab omnibus, quæ locutus sum uxori tuæ, abstineat se:
14
et quidquid ex vinea nascitur, non comedat: vinum et siceram non bibat, nullo vescatur immundo: et quod ei præcepi, impleat atque custodiat.
15
Dixitque Manue ad Angelum Domini: Obsecro te ut acquiescas precibus meis, et faciamus tibi hœdum de capris.
16
Cui respondit Angelus: Si me cogis, non comedam panes tuos: si autem vis holocaustum facere, offer illud Domino. Et nesciebat Manue quod Angelus Domini esset.
17
Dixitque ad eum: Quod est tibi nomen, ut, si sermo tuus fuerit expletus, honoremus te?
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Cui ille respondit: Cur quæris nomen meum, quod est mirabile?
19
Tulit itaque Manue hœdum de capris, et libamenta, et posuit super petram, offerens Domino, qui facit mirabilia: ipse autem et uxor eius intuebantur.
20
Cumque ascenderet flamma altaris in cælum, Angelus Domini pariter in flamma ascendit. Quod cum vidissent Manue et uxor eius, proni ceciderunt in terram,
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et ultra eis non apparuit Angelus Domini. Statimque intellexit Manue, Angelum Domini esse,
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et dixit ad uxorem suam: Morte moriemur, quia vidimus Deum.
23
Cui respondit mulier: Si Dominus nos vellet occidere, de manibus nostris holocaustum et libamenta non suscepisset, nec ostendisset nobis hæc omnia neque ea, quæ sunt ventura, dixisset.
24
Peperit itaque filium, et vocavit nomen eius Samson. Crevitque puer, et benedixit ei Dominus.
25
Cœpitque Spiritus Domini esse cum eo in castris Dan inter Saraa et Esthaol.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.
3
The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4
Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
5
for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;
7
but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
8
Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”
9
God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.
10
The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”
11
Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”
12
Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”
13
The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
14
She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”
15
Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
16
The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was the LORD’s angel.
17
Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
18
The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”
19
So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.
20
For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21
But the LORD’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the LORD’s angel.
22
Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
23
But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”
24
The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25
The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2
And there is a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danite, and his name <FI>is<Fi> Manoah, his wife <FI>is<Fi> barren, and hath not borne;
3
and a messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto the woman, and saith unto her, `Lo, I pray thee, thou <FI>art<Fi> barren, and hast not borne; when thou hast conceived, then thou hast borne a son.
4
And, now, take heed, I pray thee, and do not drink wine, and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing,
5
for, lo, thou art conceiving and bearing a son, and a razor doth not go up on his head, for a Nazarite to God is the youth from the womb, and he doth begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.'
6
And the woman cometh and speaketh to her husband, saying, `A man of God hath come unto me, and his appearance <FI>is<Fi> as the appearance of a messenger of God, very fearful, and I have not asked him whence he <FI>is<Fi> , and his name he hath not declared to me;
7
and he saith to me, Lo, thou art pregnant, and bearing a son, and now do not drink wine and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing, for a Nazarite to God is the youth from the womb till the day of his death.'
8
And Manoah maketh entreaty unto Jehovah, and saith, `O, my Lord, the man of God whom Thou didst send, let him come in, I pray thee, again unto us, and direct us what we do to the youth who is born.'
9
And God hearkeneth to the voice of Manoah, and the messenger of God cometh again unto the woman, and she <FI>is<Fi> sitting in a field, and Manoah her husband is not with her,
10
and the woman hasteth, and runneth, and declareth to her husband, and saith unto him, `Lo, he hath appeared unto me--the man who came on <FI>that<Fi> day unto me.'
11
And Manoah riseth, and goeth after his wife, and cometh unto the man, and saith to him, `Art thou the man who spake unto the woman?' and he saith, `I <FI>am<Fi> .'
12
And Manoah saith, `Now let thy words come to pass; what is the custom of the youth--and his work?'
13
And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Manoah, `Of all that I said unto the woman let her take heed;
14
of anything which cometh out from the wine-vine she doth not eat, and wine and strong drink she doth not drink, and any unclean thing she doth not eat; all that I have commanded her she doth observe.'
15
And Manoah saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, `Let us detain thee, we pray thee, and prepare before thee a kid of the goats.'
16
And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Manoah, `If thou detain me--I do not eat of thy bread; and if thou prepare a burnt-offering--to Jehovah thou dost offer it;' for Manoah hath not known that He <FI>is<Fi> a messenger of Jehovah.
17
And Manoah saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, `What <FI>is<Fi> thy name? when thy words come to pass, then we have honoured thee.'
18
And the messenger of Jehovah saith to him, `Why <FI>is<Fi> this--thou dost ask for My name? --and it <FI>is<Fi> Wonderful.'
19
And Manoah taketh the kid of the goats, and the present, and offereth on the rock to Jehovah, and He is doing wonderfully, and Manoah and his wife are looking on,
20
and it cometh to pass, in the going up of the flame from off the altar toward the heavens, that the messenger of Jehovah goeth up in the flame of the altar, and Manoah and his wife are looking on, and they fall on their faces to the earth,
21
and the messenger of Jehovah hath not added again to appear unto Manoah, and unto his wife, then hath Manoah known that He <FI>is<Fi> a messenger of Jehovah.
22
And Manoah saith unto his wife, `We certainly die, for we have seen God.'
23
And his wife saith to him, `If Jehovah were desirous to put us to death, He had not received from our hands burnt-offering and present, nor shewed us all these things, nor as <FI>at this<Fi> time caused us to hear <FI>anything<Fi> like this.'
24
And the woman beareth a son, and calleth his name Samson, and the youth groweth, and Jehovah doth bless him,
25
and the Spirit of Jehovah beginneth to move him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).