Bible Verses About The Jews

Then the men who had been lying in wait rushed in on Giv'ah, drew their swords and destroyed the city.

The army of Isra'el and the ambushers had agreed that as a signal they would make a huge cloud of smoke rise from the city,

at which time the men of Isra'el would turn back. When this happened, Binyamin began to attack. They killed about thirty of Isra'el's men and said, "Clearly we're defeating them again, as in the first battle."

But when the smoke signal began rising from the city, the men of Binyamin looked behind them and saw the whole city going up to the sky in smoke.

Then, as the men of Isra'el reversed direction, those of Binyamin were overcome with terror. When they saw that disaster had come upon them,

they turned their backs on the men of Isra'el and made for the road to the desert. But the battle followed them, and those who came out of the city destroyed them from the rear.

They surrounded the men of Binyamin, chased them and trampled them down across from Giv'ah on the east.

Eighteen thousand men of Binyamin fell, all of them experienced soldiers.

They turned and fled toward the desert to the Rock of Rimmon; and 5,000 of them were killed on the roads. They followed them to Gid'om and killed another 2,000.

Thus the total number from Binyamin who fell that day was 25,000 experienced, sword-bearing soldiers.

But 600 turned and fled toward the desert to the Rock of Rimmon, and lived there four months.

The men of Isra'el turned back on the people of Binyamin and killed them with the sword, the entire city, the cattle and everything they found. Moreover, they set on fire all the cities they encountered.

Y'honatan said to his armor-bearer, "Come on, let's go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised people. Maybe ADONAI will do something for us, since ADONAI can rescue with a few people as easily as with many."

His armor-bearer replied, "Do everything you think you should; I'm with you, whatever you decide."

Y'honatan said, "Here, we'll cross over to those men and let them know we're there.

If they say, 'Wait till we come to you,' we'll stand still where we are and not go up to them.

But if they say,'Come up to us,' we'll go on up; and that will be the sign that ADONAI has given us victory over them."

So both of them let their presence be known to the garrison of the P'lishtim; and the P'lishtim said, "Look, some Hebrews coming out of the holes they've been hiding in!"

Then the men of the garrison said to Y'honatan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us; we want to show you something." Y'honatan told his armor-bearer, "Come on up after me, for ADONAI has handed them over to Isra'el."

Y'honatan climbed up, using his hands as well as his feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. The P'lishtim fell before Y'honatan, and his armor-bearer following him finished them off.

In the first year of Koresh king of Persia, in order for the word of ADONAI prophesied by Yirmeyahu to be fulfilled, ADONAI stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, which he also put in writing, as follows:

"Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth; and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah.

Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! He may go up to Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah, and build the house of ADONAI the God of Isra'el, the God who is in Yerushalayim.

Let every survivor, no matter where he lives, be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, goods and animals, in addition to the voluntary offering for the house of God in Yerushalayim."

From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah,