Then the  Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans for ever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’

Then the  Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions.

But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the  Lord judge between you and me.’

And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the  Lord judge between you and me!”

Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

‘Get out of our way,’ they replied. ‘This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.’ They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

Then Rachel said, ‘God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.’ Because of this she named him Dan.

Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’

So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,

‘Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.

“Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.

The man said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘What I did must have become known.’

He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”

and they said, ‘May the  Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.’

and they said to them, “The  Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood round him from morning till evening.

The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.

Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.’

when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”

Let them serve as judges for the people at all times, but let them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

‘If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.

‘“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favouritism to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly.

“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, ‘Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.’

And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations.

then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.

And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.

And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.

Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the  Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the  Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Enquire of them and they will give you the verdict.

And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.

Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the  Lord your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.

The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the  Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.

the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the  Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.

then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the  Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.

The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,

The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,

your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighbouring towns.

then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities.

When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.

“If there is a dispute between men and they come into court and the judges decide between them, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty,

If the guilty person deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves,

then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a number of stripes in proportion to his offense.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.

For their rock is not like our Rock,
as even our enemies concede.

For their rock is not as our Rock;
our enemies are by themselves.

The  Lord will vindicate his people
and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.

For the  Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
and there is none remaining, bond or free.

All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the  Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the  Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the  Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the  Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.

summoned all Israel – their elders, leaders, judges and officials – and said to them: ‘I am very old.

Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God.

Then the  Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.

Then the  Lord raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the  Lord’s commands.

Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the  Lord, and they did not do so.

Whenever the  Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the  Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.

Whenever the  Lord raised up judges for them, the  Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the  Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.

But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshipping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

The Spirit of the  Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The  Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.

The Spirit of the  Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the  Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

He led Israel for twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel for twenty-two years.

After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.

I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the  Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.’

I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The  Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.”

Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel.

After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel for seven years.

He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel for ten years.

After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years.

After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel.

After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years.

Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel for twenty years.

Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

those who oppose the  Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the  Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
‘He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.’

The adversaries of the  Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The  Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons uttered blasphemies against God, and he failed to restrain them.

And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel for forty years.

As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the  Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the  Lord.’ Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.

So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the  Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the  Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places.

And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places.

But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the  Lord.

Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the  Lord.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.

The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.