and the children of the eaft, were gathered together. and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the fpirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered after him. And he fent messengers throughout all Manaffeh; whỏ a'fo was gathered after him: and he fent meffengers une t Afher, and unto Zebulon, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet him.

15....Then Gideon and all the people who were with him, rofe up early, and pitched befide the well of Há. rod: So that the host of the Midianites were on the north fide of them, in the valley. And the Lord faid unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are ton many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, left Ifrael vaunt themselves against me, faying, Mine own hand hath faved me.

16....Now, therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, faying, Wholoever is fearful and afraid, let him return, and depart early from Mount Gilead and there returned of the people, twenty and two thousand, ard there remained ten thousand.

7....And the Lord laid unto Gideon, the people are yet too many bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there and it fhall be, of whom I lay unto thee, This thall go with thee, the fame thalt goth thee; and of whomfoever I fay unto thee, This thall not goth thee, the fame fhall not go,

18...So he brought down the people unto the water and the Lord faid unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue thou fhalt fet by himself g likewife every one who boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them who lapped, put, ting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men : but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water,

*

19....And the Lord faid unto Gideon, By the three hundred men, who lapped wit! I fave you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other people go every man to his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and the trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Ifrael, every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men. And the hoft of Mi. dian was beneath him in the valley.

20....And it came to pafs the fame night, that the Lord faid into him, Arife, get thee down into the host, for I will deliver it into thine hand. But if thefe tear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy fervant down to the host. Then went he down with Phurah his fervant into the outfide of the armed men that were in the hoft. And the Midianites, and the Amalekites lie along the valley like grasshoppers or multnades.

21....And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man who told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the hoft of Midian, and came unto a tent, and fmote it that it fell, and overturned it, and the tent lie along. And his fellow anfwered and faid, This is nothing elfe but the fword of Gideon, the fon of Joath, a man of Ifrael; for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the hoft.

22....And it was fo, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the hoft of Ifrael, and faid, Arife, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the hoft of Midian. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he faid unto them, Look on me, and do likewife: when I blow with the trumpet,

then blow ye the trumpets alfo on every fide of the camp, and fay, The fword of the Lord, and of Gideon.

23...So Gideon, and the three hundred men, who were with him, came unto the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, which were in their hands; and they cried, The fword of the Lord and of Gideon. And they flood, every man in his place. round about the camp, and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the men of Ifrael purfued after the Midianites.

24....Thus was Midian fubdued before the children of Ifrael, so that they lifted up their heads no more ; and the country was in quietnefs forty years in the days of Gideon. And the men of Ifrael faid unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy fon, and thy fon's fon alfo ; for thou half delivered us out of the hand of the Midianites. And Gideon had three fcore and ten fons by his wives. And his concubine who was at Shechem, fhe also bare him a fon, and fhe called his name Abimelech,

25....And Gideon died in a good old age: and after Gideon was dead, the children of Ifrael remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every fide ; neither thewed they kindness to the houfe of Gideon, according to all the goodnels which he fhewed to Ifrael.

CHAPTER XVII.

JOTHAM'S PARABLE; IN CONNECTION WITH THE HISTORY OF ABIMELECH.

A. M. about 2835.

Now,

OW, after the death of Gideon,"Abimelech, the ion of the concubine, went to Shechem, unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the houfe of his mother's father, faying, peak, I pray you, in the ears of the men of Shechem, whether it is better for you either that all the fons of Gideon, who are three fcore and ten perfons reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember alfo that I am your bone and your flesh.

2....And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of the men of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech ; for they faid, He is our brother. And they gave him three score and ten pieces of filver, out of the houfe of Baalberith; where. with Abimelech hired vain and light perfons, who followed him.

3....And he went unto his father's houfe at Ophrah, and flew his brethren, the fons of Gideon, being three fcore and ten perfons, upon one ftone; notwithflanding, yet Jotham the youngest fon of Gideon, was left; for he hid himfelf. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the houfe of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

4....And when they told it to Jotham, he went and flood in the top of mount Gerizim, and litted up his voice, and cried, and laid unto them, Hearken unto

me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

5....The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they faid unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive-tree faid unto them, Should I leave my fatnefs, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

6....And the trees faid unto the figtree, Come thou and reign over us. But the fig-tree said unto them, fhould I forfake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then faid the trees unto the vine, Come thou and reign over us. And the vine faid unto them, Should I leave my wine which cheereth every one,and go to be promoted over the trees?

7....Then faid all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble faid unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come, and put your truft in my fhadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

8....Now, therefore, if ye have done truly and fincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt wel! with Gideon and his house, and have done unto him according to the deferving of his hands; then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let bim alfo rejoice in you. But it not let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the houfe of Millo: and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. And Jotham ran away and fled for fear of Abimelech his brother.

9....And when Abimelech had reigned three years over Ifrael, then God fent an evil fpirit between Abimclech and the men of Shechem; and the men of She