but ye should have made no covenant with the inhabiters of this land, ye should have broken down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye this done?

And even so, all that generation were put unto their fathers. And there arose another generation after them which neither knew the LORD, nor yet the works which he did unto Israel.

Wherefore the LORD waxed angry with Israel, and delivered them unto the hands of raveners to spoil them and sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they had no power any longer to stand before their enemies.

Only, for the learning of the generation of the children of Israel, which before knew nothing of war,

Those remained to prove Israel by, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And when they had tarried till they were ashamed, for no man did the doors of the parlor open: then they took a key and opened them. And behold, their lord was fallen down dead upon the earth.

And he said unto her, "Stand in the door of thy tent, and if any man come and ask thee, or enquire of thee whether there be any man here, say, 'Nay.'"

"God chose new fashions of war, for when they had war at their gates: there was not seen, among forty thousand, either shield or spear in Israel.

Now the archers did cry, where men draw water; there shall they tell of the justice of the LORD, and of the justice of his uplandish folk in Israel. And then the people of the LORD went down unto the gates.

and destroyed the increase of the earth even unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel; neither sheep, ox or ass,

And Gideon answered him, "Oh my Lord; if the LORD be with us, why is all this come upon us? Yea, and where be his miracles which our fathers told us of and said, 'The LORD brought us out of Egypt'? But now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

Now therefore make a proclamation in the ears of the people and say, 'If any man dread or be afraid, let him return and get him soon from mount Gilead.'" And there departed and returned of the people twenty two thousand, and there abode ten thousand.

And the lords of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hands that we should give bread unto thy company?"

And Gideon went through them that dwell in tabernacles on the east side of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host did cast no perils.

Thus were the Midianites brought low before the children of Israel, so that they lift up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

And even so, now: if ye have done truly and uncorruptly to make Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands,

Now, therefore, up by night, both thou and all the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the fields.

Then said Zebul unto him, "Where is now thy mouth that said, 'What fellow is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' These are the people that thou so despisest. Go out now a fellowship and fight with them."

And for all that, ye have forsaken me, and serve strange gods, wherefore I will help you no more.

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, "Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? How happeneth it then that you come unto me now in time of your tribulation?"

And the elders of Gilead answered Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabiters of Gilead."

And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land, when they came out of Egypt, even from Arnon unto Jabbok and from thence unto Jordan, now therefore restore those lands again with fair means."

So now seeing the LORD God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before his people, shouldest thou possess the land?

Nay, but what people Chemosh thy god driveth out, that land possess thou. But whatsoever nations the LORD our God expelleth, that land ought we to enjoy.

And after the two months she turned again unto her father, which did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and so she knew no man.

Moreover, the men of Gilead took the passages of Jordan from the Ephraimites. And when those Ephraimites that were escaped said, "Let us go over," then the men of Gilead said unto them, "Ye are Ephraimites." And they said, "Nay."

And now beware, and drink no wine nor strong drink; neither eat any unclean thing.

For see, thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And there may no razor or shearers come on his head: for the lad shall be an abstainer unto God, even from the time of his birth. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines."

And he said unto me, 'Behold, thou shalt be with child and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the lad shall be an abstainer to God even from his birth to the day of his death.'"

Then Manoah said, "Now when thy saying is come to pass: what shall be the manner of the child, and what shall he do?"

But the angel of the LORD did no more appear unto Manoah and his wife. And then Manoah knew that it was an angel of the LORD,

and came up and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. And now give her me to wife."

Then said Samson unto them, "Now I am blameless concerning the Philistines, though I do them evil."

And they said, "We will not hurt thee, save only bind thee and deliver thee unto their hands: But we will not kill thee." And so they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock.

And he was sore a thirst, and called on the LORD and said, "Thou LORD hath given this great victory, through the hand of thy servant. And now I must die for thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised."

Then said Delilah to Samson, "See: thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Now yet tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound."

And he said, "If I were bound with new ropes that never were occupied, then should I be weak, and as another man."

And Delilah took new ropes and bound him therewith, and said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And there were layers of wait in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms, as they had been but a thread.

And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep and thought to go out as at other times before and shake himself, and knew not that the LORD was departed from him.

And so he restored the eleven hundred silverlings to his mother again. And his mother said, "I vowed the silver unto the LORD of mine hand for my son: to make a graven image and an image of metal. Now therefore I give it thee again."

For in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did what thought him best.

Then said Micah, "Now I am sure that the LORD will be good unto me, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritance to dwell in, for unto that time there fell none inheritance unto them among the tribes of Israel.

And when they were come unto the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in thither, and said unto him, "Who brought thee hither? And what makest thou in this place? And what hast thou here?"

And they said unto him, "Ask of God, I pray thee, that we may know whether the way which we go, shall be prosperous or no."

Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, and after the manner of the Sidonians: still, and without casting of perils, and that no man made any trouble in the land or usurped any dominion, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with any nation.

When ye be come, ye shall come unto a people that casteth no perils, and unto a large country: for God hath given into your hands a place wherein is no lack of anything that is in the world."

Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, "Know ye not that there is in these houses an ephod and images; and a graven image and an image of metal? Now therefore consider what ye have to do."

And there was no man to help, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no meddling with any other nation. And the city stood in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

It chanced in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, took to wife a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah:

And they turned thitherward to go and lodge all night in Gibeah. And when they came in, they sat them down in a street of the city, for there was no man took them in to lodge.

And the other answered him, "We come from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of mount Ephraim: from thence am I, and went to Bethlehem Judah and go now to the house of the LORD. But there is no man that receiveth me to house:

And as they were making their hearts merry, the men of the city which were wicked, set the house round about, and thrust at the door, and spake to the man of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him."

But the man of the house went out to them and said unto them, "Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly seeing that this man is come into mine house: do not this folly.

And all that saw it said, "There was no such deed done or seen since the children of Israel came out of Egypt unto this day. Consider the matter, give counsel and say your minds."

And now this is it that we shall do to Gibeah, and cast lots against it.

Now therefore deliver us the men, those wicked wretches of Gibeah that we may slay them, and put away evil from Israel." Neverthelater, the children of Benjamin would not hearken unto the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

and came before Gibeah: ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and there was sore battle. But the other knew not that evil was so nigh them.

And they found among the inhabiters of Jabeshgilead four hundred damsels; virgins that had known no man by lying with any male. And they brought them unto the host to Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan.

In those days there was no king in Israel: but every man did what seemed him right.