a dread of him that some of his enemies fell, and the rest ran away upon his use of the jaw-bone." But when a great thirst came upon him, he considered that human courage was nothing, and bare his testimony that all is to be ascribed to God, and besought him that he would not be angry at any thing he had said, nor give him up into the hands of his enemies, but afford him help under his affliction, and deliver him from the misfortune he was under. Accordingly, God was moved with his entreaties, and raised him up a plentiful fountain of sweet water at a certain rock; whence it was tha Sampson called the place The Jaw-bone, and so it is called to this day." * 10. After this fight, Sampson had the Philistines in contempt, and came to Gaza, and took up his lodgings in a certain inn. When the rulers of Gaza were informed of his coming thither, they seized upon the gates, and placed men in ambush about them, that he might not escape without being perceived: but Sampson, who was acquainted with their contrivances against him, arose about midnight, and ran by force upon the gates, with their posts and beams, and the rest of their wooden furniture, and carried them away on his shoulders, and bare them to the mountain that is over Hebron, and there laid them down. 11. However, he at length transgressed the laws of his country, and altered his own regular way of living, and imitated the strange customs of foreigners, which thing was the beginning of his miseries; for he fell in love with a woman that was a harlot among the Philistines: her name was Delilah, and he lived with her. So those that administered the public affairs of the Philistines came to her, and with promises induced her to get out of Sampson what was the cause of that his strength, by which he became unconquerable to his enemies. Accordingly, when they were drinking, and had the like conversation together, she pretended to admire the actions he had done, and contrived to get out of him by subtlety, by what means he so much excelled others in strength. Sampson, in order to delude Delilah, for he had not yet lost his senses, replied, that if he were bound with seven such green withs of a vine as might still be wreathed, he should be weaker than any other man. The woman said *This fountain called Lehi, or, the jaw-bone, is still in being, as travellers assure us, and was known by this very name in the days of Josephus, and has been known by the same name in all these past ages. See Antiq. B. vii. c. xii. sec. 4. vol. ii. See this justly observed in the Apostolical Constitutions, B. vii. c. Xxxvii. that Sampson's prayer was heard, but that it was before this his transgression. no more then, but told this to the rulers of the Philistines, and hid certain of the soldiers in ambush within the house, and when he was disordered in drink and asleep, she bound him, as fast as possible, with the withs; and then upon her awakening him, she told him some of the people were upon him, but he broke the withs and endeavoured to defend himself, as though some of the people were upon him. Now this woman, in the constant conversation Sampson had with her, pretended that she took it very ill that he had such little confidence in her affections to him, that he would not tell her what she desired, as if she would not conceal what she knew it was for his interest to have concealed. However, he deluded her again, and told her, that if they bound him with seven cords, he should lose his strength. And when, upon doing this, she gained nothing, he told her the third time, that his hair should be woven into a web; but, when upon doing this, the truth was not yet discovered. At length Sampson, upon Delilah's prayer, (for he was doomed to fall into some affliction,) was desirous to please her, and told her, that "God took care of him, and that he was born by his providence, and that thence it is that I suffer my hair to grow, God having charged me never to poll my head, and thence my strength is according to the increase and continuance of my hair. When she had learned thus much, and had deprived him of his hair, she delivered him up to his enemies when he was not strong enough to defend himself from their attempts upon him; ; so they put out his eyes, and bound him, and had him led about among them. 12. But in process of time, Sampson's hair grew again, and there was a public festival among the Philistines, when the rulers, and those of the most eminent character, were feasting together (now the room wherein they were, had its roof supported by two pillars,) so they sent for Sampson, and he was brought to their feast that they might insult him in their cups. Hereupon he, thinking it one of the greatest misfortunes if he should not be able to revenge himself when he was thus insulted, persuaded the boy that led him by the hand, that he was weary, and wanted to rest himself, and desired he would bring him near the pillars; and as soon as he came to them, he rushed with force against them, and overthrew the house by overthrowing its pillars, with three thousand men in it, who were all slain and Sampson with them. And such was the end of this man, when he had ruled over the Israelites twenty years. And indeed this man deserves to be admired for his courage and strength, and magnanimity at his death, and that his wrath against his enemies went so far as to die himself with them But as for his being ensnared by a woman, that is to be ascribed to human nature, which is too weak to resist the temptations to that sin; but we ought to bear him witness, that in all other respects he was one of extraordinary virtue. But his kindred took away his body, and buried it in Sarasat, his own country, with the rest of his family. CHAPTER IX. HOW, UNDER ELI'S GOVERNMENT OF THE ISRAELITES, BOOZ MARRIED RUTH, FROM WHOM CAME OBED, THE GRANDFATHER OF DAVID. 1. Now after the death of Sampson, Eli the high-priest was governor of the Israelites. Under him, when the country was afflicted with a famine, Elimelech of Bethlehem, which is a city of the tribe of Judah, being not able to support his family under so sore a distress, took with him Naomi his wife, and the children that were born to him by her, Chilion and Mahlon, and removed his habitation into the land of Moab; and upon the happy prosperity of his affairs there he took for his sons wives of the Moabites, Orpha for Chilion, and Ruth for Mahlon. But in the compass of ten years, both Elimelech, and a little while after him, the sons died; and Naomi being very uneasy at these accidents, and not able to bear her lonesome condition, now those that were dearest to her were dead, on whose account it was that she had gone away from her own country, she returned to it again, for she had been informed it was now in a flourishing condition. However, her daughters-in-law were not able to think of parting with her, and when they had a mind to go out of the country with her, she could not dissuade them from it; but when they insisted upon it, she wished them a more happy wedlock than they had with her sons, and that they might have prosperity in other respects also: and seeing her own affairs were so low, she exhorted them to stay where they were, and not to think of leaving their own country, and partaking with her of that uncertainty under which she must return. Accordingly, Orpha stayed behind, but she took Ruth along with her, as not to be persuaded to stay behind her, but would take her fortune with her whatsoever it should prove. 2. When Ruth was come with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, Booz, who was near a kin to Elimelech, entertained her; and when Naomi was so called by her fellow citizens, according to her true name, she said, "You might more truly call me Mara." Now Naomi signifies in the Hebrew tongue happiness, and Mara sorrow. It was now reapingtime; and Ruth, by the leave of her mother-in-law, went out to glean, that they might get a stock of corn for their food. Now it happened that she came into Booz's field; and after some time Booz came thither, and when he saw the damsel, he inquired of his servant, who was set over the reapers, concerning the girl. The servant bad a little before inquired about all her circumstances, and told them to his master, who kindly embraced her, both on account of the affection to her mother-in-law, and her remembrance of that ⚫ son of hers, to whom she had been married, and wished that she might experience a prosperous condition; so he desired her not to glean, but to reap what she was able, and gave her leave to carry it home, He also gave it in charge to that servant who was set over the reapers, not to hinder her when she took it away, and bid him give her her dinner, and make her drink, when he did the like to the reapers. Now what corn Ruth received of him she kept for her mother-in-law, and came to her in the evening, and brought the ears of corn with her; and Naomi had kept for her a part of such food as her neighbours had plentifully bestowed upon her. Ruth also told her mother-in-law what Booz had said to her; and when the other had informed her that he was near of kin to them, and perhaps was so pious a man as to make some provision for them, she went out again on the days following to gather the gleanings with Booz's maid-servants. 3. It was not many days before Booz, after the barley was winnowed, slept in his threshing-floor. When Naomi was informed of this circumstance, she contrived it so that Ruth should lie down by him, for she thought it might be for their advantage that he should discourse with the girl. Accordingly, she sent the damsel to sleep at his feet, who went as she bade her, for she did not think it consistent with her duty to contradict any command of her mother-in-law. And at first she lay concealed from Booz, as he was fast asleep; but when he awaked about midnight, and perceived a woman lying by him, he asked who she was; and when she told him her name, and desired that he whom she owned for her lord, would excuse her, he then said no more, but in the morning, before the servants began to set about their work, he awaked her, and bid her take as much barley as she was able to carry, and go to her mother-in-law, before any body there should see that she had lain down by him, because it was but pru, dent to avoid any reproach that might arise on that account, especially when there had been nothing done that was ill. But as to the main point she aimed at, the matter should rest here, "He that is nearer of kin than I am, shall be asked whether he wants to take thee to wife; if he says he does, thou shalt follow him; but if he refuse it, I will marry thee according to the law." 4. When she had informed her mother-in-law of this, they were very glad of it, out of the hope they had that Booz would make provision for them. Now about noon, Booz went down into the city, and gathered the senate together, and when he had sent for Ruth, he called for her kinsman also; and when he was come, he said, Dost not thou retain the inheritance of Elimelech and his sons? He confessed that he did retain it, and that he did as he was permitted to do by the laws, because he was their nearest kinsman. Then said Booz, "Thou must not remember the laws by halves, but do every thing according to them; for the wife of Mahlon is come hither, whom thou must marry, according to the laws, in case thou wilt retain their fields." So the man yielded up both the field and the wife to Booz, who was himself of kin to those that were dead, as alleging that he had a wife already, and children also: so Booz called the senate to witness; and bid the woman to loose his shoe, and spit in his face, according to the law and when this was done, Booz married Ruth, and they had a son within a year's time. Naomi was herself a nurse to this child; and by the advice of the woman called him Obed, as being to be brought up in order to be subservient to her in her old age, for Obed in the Hebrew dialect signifies a servant. The son of Obed was Jesse, and David was his son, who was king, and left his dominions to his sons for one and twenty generations. I was therefore obliged to relate this history of Ruth, because I had a mind to demonstrate the power of God, who, without difficulty, can raise those that are of ordinary parentage to dignity and splendour, to which he advanced David, though he were born of such mean parents. : CHAPTER X. CONCERNING THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL; AND HOW HE FORETOLD THE CALAMITY THAT BEFELL THE SONS OF ELI. 1. AND now, upon the ill state of the affairs of the Hebrews, they made war upon the Philistines. The occasion was this: Eli the high-priest had two sons, Hophni and Phineas. These sons of Eli were guilty of injustice toward men, and of impiety toward God, and abstained from no sort of wickedness. Some of their gifts they carried off, as be |