Then she begged of her father to let her have two months to mourn over her early separation from the world, and that she should die without being a mother, which was a great grief to a woman of Israel; as each one hoped that the Messiah or Christ should be born in her family.

"At the end of the two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow.”

Now some suppose that she was slain and offered up for a burnt-offering; but it is strange that any, and more so that many, have had such a notion. The heathen offered human sacrifices, but God would have abhorred so brutal and unnatural a deed. Besides, Jephthah might have paid a ransom, and have rescued his daughter from death, if she had even been so vowed to the Lord. (See Leviticus, chap. xxvii. 4.) But she was only separated for ever from the world, and made a kind of priestess to serve God all the days of her life. And every year the daughters of Israel went to condole with her on her misfortune, in being separated from the mothers of Israel.

The Ephraimites, who had before quarrelled with Gideon, now quarrelled with Jephthah. They were offended that they had not been called to share in the triumphs of Jephthah, when he went out to battle, though, when he had before asked them, they would not go. So, they abused Jephthah and the Gileadites, and called them hard names, and represented them as a set of vagabonds. From words they came to blows, and a great battle was fought. The Ephraimites were beaten and ran away, and as they had to pass some of the fords of Jordan, where the water was most shallow, in order to get home, the Gileadites went and stopped there to meet them. And, as they tried to pass, they asked them if they were Ephraimites. To save their lives, they told a lie, and said-No. But this would not do. For there was a word which means a river or stream, which the Ephraimites pronounced in a particular way: this word was Shibboleth, but they called it Sibboleth, and could not sound the h. So, you know, in our own country, people of different counties sound some letters in different ways.

Well, when the Ephraimites denied who they were, "Then," said the Gileadites, "say now Shibboleth," but they said Sibboleth, for they could not frame their mouths to speak the word. So they were discovered, and were all slain. And a shocking havoc it was, for "there fell at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty and two thousand."

And Jephthah judged Israel six years, "and he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead."

After Jephthah, Ibzan was judge for seven years.

After him, Elon for ten years.

After him, Abdon for eight years.

Then followed the famous strong man, Samson, of whose exploits we shall next tell you.

History of the Wonderful Deeds of Samson.

JUDGES XIII.-XVI.

The old and sad story is here again repeated, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years."

While these evil doings were going on, God still had designs of mercy towards this guilty people. And he sent an angel to the wife of "a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah," and he told her that she should have a son, and that she must bring him up as a Nazarite; that is, set him apart for God's service, as he wanted to employ him. You remember reading about the law concerning the Nazarites in the sixth chapter of Numbers.

So Samson was born, and grew up, "and the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan."

When Samson became a young man, he went to a place called Timnath, which belonged to the Philistines, and there he saw a young woman that he chose for his wife. This was against the commands of God (See Deut. vii. 3.), but in this case "it was of the Lord," to permit him to please his eye, as God overruled this event to make Samson the avenger of Israel against the Philistines.

Samson's father and mother told him that if he married a heathen woman, he would do a very wrong thing; but he would have his own way, and he felt the consequences of breaking God's commands. "Get her for me," said he, "for she pleaseth me well."

Finding it of no use to argue with him, Manoah and his wife yielded, and went to Timnath to settle the matter.

On the way to Timnath, Samson was met by a young lion that ran roaring at him. "And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he told not his father or his mother what he had done."

Then he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased

Samson well:" he liked her conversation as well as her person, and having settled matters," after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion," for he meant to make a riddle from it, and that would have given them the clue.

Samson's father and mother went with Samson, and he made a feast on the occasion of his marriage, and thirty young men were invited to be at it.

Then they passed their time in making riddles, and Samson gave one

M

Deborah and Barak judge Israel-Jael kills Sisera-Song of Deborah and Barak-Gideon's Exploits and Death.

JUDGES IV.-VIII.

"And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead."

As former punishment did not cure the children of Israel, they were made slaves, and obliged to work to pay heavy taxes to a foreign king called Jabin, who reigned in a place called Hazor, and he was very powerful, "for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel."

So God raised up Deborah a prophetess, a woman to whom he gave his Spirit to foretell things. And, when Israel again cried unto the Lord, she foresaw their deliverance. And she sent for Barak, and told him to command the armies, and what he should do, and how God would help him. So at her desire he collected "ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun," and at Barak's request she went with them to direct them, because God had given her so much wisdom.

Now Sisera, the chief general, or commander-in-chief of the armies of Jabin, soon heard what Barak was doing, and he collected all his chariots of iron, nine hundred in number, and a large army of foot-soldiers; and he thought probably that he could surround the Israelites who were on the Mount Tabor.

So Barak went "And the Lord

Jewish writers say, that when Barak saw the large army of Jabin, he was quite frightened, but Deborah encouraged him, and said, "This is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand." down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. discomfited, or defeated, Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword, before Barak;" so that, in order to get away faster, "Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host." "And all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a man left."

Sisera ran away from his army, and, being invited by a woman named Jael, he hid himself in her tent, and "she covered him over with a mantle or cloak."

As soon as Sisera was asleep, Jael took a long nail, which was used in fastening the tent, and she boldly drove it into his temples, so as to fasten his head into the ground.

Barak was seeking after Sisera, but could not find him. At last he came near Jael's tent, and she ran to meet him, and told him she would show him his enemy; and there lay the general dead, with the nail driven through his head.

And now the Israelites were resolved to rid the country of this tyrant of Canaan." And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin, king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan."

Then, according to the custom of the times, the conquerors made a song of victory to sing of the defeat of Sisera; and that this deliverance might not be forgotten, but be remembered as in a history. You may read this song in the fifth chapter of Judges.

Again we find Israel doing evil," and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years." And the Israelites were so cruelly treated, that they left their towns, and went and hid in caves or hollow places in the rocks. For, when they had sown their land, the Midianites wantonly destroyed the crop, and left no food for man or beast.

Now, Israel cried again to God; and God sent a prophet to the children of Israel, to tell them of their sins in forsaking him, and to cheer them. And an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, the son of Joash, as he threshed wheat by the wine-press, that the Midianites might not find it ont. "And the Lord looked upon him and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; have not I sent thee ?"

And Gideon asked for some sign, that he might be sure he was right in trying to become a judge of Israel. Then he went and got something for the angel to eat, not knowing that he was an angel, as he looked like a man. And when he brought out a kid and some cakes, the angel told him to put them on a rock which was close by, and he touched them with a staff, which he had in his hand, and fire came out of the rock and consumed them.

Then the angel vanished away, and Gideon knew by this sign that he was not a man.

Gideon was now frightened, and he thought as he had seen an angel that he should die, but God spoke to his mind, "Thou shalt not die." And Gideon was then satisfied, and built an altar to praise God, and he called it Jehovah-shalom, which means, The Lord peace; or, as we understand it, "The Lord send peace."

On the same night God commanded Gideon to throw down his father's