and took good care to recover their former happy state. And thus
was this tribe of the Benjamites, after they had been in danger
of entirely perishing, saved in the manner forementioned, by the
wisdom of the Israelites; and accordingly it presently
flourished, and soon increased to be a multitude, and came to
enjoy all other degrees of happiness. And such was the conclusion
of this war.

CHAPTER 3.

How The Israelites After This Misfortune Grew Wicked And Served
The Assyrians; And How God Delivered Them By Othniel, Who Ruled
Over The Forty Years.

1. Now it happened that the tribe of Dan suffered in like manner
with the tribe of Benjamin; and it came to do so on the occasion
following: - When the Israelites had already left off the
exercise of their arms for war, and were intent upon their
husbandry, the Canaanites despised them, and brought together an
army, not because they expected to suffer by them, but because
they had a mind to have a sure prospect of treating the Hebrews
ill when they pleased, and might thereby for the time to come
dwell in their own cities the more securely; they prepared
therefore their chariots, and gathered their soldiery together,
their cities also combined together, and drew over to them
Askelon and Ekron, which were within the tribe of Judah, and many
more of those that lay in the plain. They also forced the Danites
to fly into the mountainous country, and left them not the least
portion of the plain country to set their foot on. Since then
these Danites were not able to fight them, and had not land