Study Desk

Neuertheles whan the iudge dyed, they turned backe, and marred all more the their fathers, so that they folowed other goddes to serue them and to bowe them selues vnto them: they wolde not fall from their purposes, ner from their obstinate waye.

The cried they vnto the LORDE. And the LORDE raysed the vp a sauioure, namely Ehud the sonne of Gera ye sonne of Iemini, which was a man that mighte do nothinge with his righte hande. And wha the childre of Israel sent a present by him vnto Eglon the kynge of the Moabites,

and he himselfe turned backe from the Idols at Gilgall, & caused to saye thus (vnto the kynge:) I haue a secrete thinge to tell the O kynge. And he commaunded to kepe sylence, & all they that stode aboute him, wente out from him.

Now whan he was gone, his seruauntes came in, and sawe that the dore of the Sommer perler was lockte, and they sayde: peraduenture he is gone to the preuye in the syled Sommer perler.

But whan they had wayted so loge tyll they were ashamed (for no man opened the perler dore) they toke the keye, and opened it. Beholde, then laye their lorde deed vpo the earth.

As for Ehud, he was gotten awaye, whyle they made so longe tariege, & he wente ouer by the Idols, and ranne his waye vnto Seirath.

and he saide vnto them: Folowe me, for the LORDE hath delyuered the Moabites youre enemies in to yor hande. And they folowed him, & wanne ye ferye of Iordane, yt goeth towarde Moab, & suffred no man to go ouer,

and at ye same tyme they smote of the Moabites vpo a ten thousande men, all nobles and men of armes, so that there escaped not one.

In the tyme of Sanger the sonne of Anath: In the tyme of Iael the wayes fayled: and they that shulde haue gone in pathes, walked thorow croked wayes.

Thus all thine enemies must perishe O LORDE: but they that loue the, shal be euen as the Sonne rysinge vp in his mighte. And the londe had peace fortye yeares.

For they came vp with their catell and tentes, as it had bene a greate multitude of greshoppers (so that nether they ner their camels mighte be nombred) and fell in to the londe, that they mighte destroye it.

& one sayde vnto another: Who hath done this? And whan they soughte & made searche, it was sayde: Gedeon the sonne of Ioas hath done it.

& he sent messaungers vnto all Manasse, & called them, yt they shulde folowe him also: and he sent messaungers likewyse vnto Asser & Zabulon & Nephtali, which came vp to mete him.

And they toke vytayles with them for ye people, and their trompettes: but the other Israelites let he go, euery one vnto his tente. And he strengthed himselfe with the thre hundreth men, and the Madianites hoost laye before him beneth in the valley.

yt thou maiest heare what they saie: after that shalt thou be bolde, and thy honde stronge, that thou mayest go downe in to the hoost. Than wente Gedeon downe with his sernaunt vnto ye uttemost parte of ye watchme of armes yt were in ye hoost.

So all the thre companies blewe with ye trompettes, and brake the pitchers. But the lampes helde they in their lefte hande, and the trompettes in their righte hade, so that they blewe, and cried: Here the swerde of the LORDE and Gedeon.

And Gedeon sent messaungers vp vnto all mount Ephraim, sayenge: Come downe against the Madianites, and stoppe the water from them vnto Beth Bara and Iordane. And then cryed all they that were of Ephraim, and stopped the water from them vnto Bethbara and Iordane,

And the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him: Wherfore hast thou done this vnto vs, that thou hast not called vs, wha thou wentest forth to fight agaynst ye Madianites? and they chode sore with him.

Now whan Gedeon came vnto Iordane, he wente ouer with the thre hundreth me that were with him, and they were weery, and folowed vpon their chace.

And he sayde vnto the men of Sucoth: I praye you geue the people that are with me, some loaues of bred (for they are weery) that I maye folowe vpon Zebea and Salmana the kinges of the Madianites.