And it happened after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?

And the sons of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and had struck it with the edge of the sword, and had set the city on fire.

And Caleb said, He who strikes Kirjath-sepher and takes it, I will give Achsah my daughter to him for a wife.

And Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.

And it happened when she came, she moved him to ask for a field from her father. And she dismounted from the ass. And Caleb said to her, What do you desire?

And she said to him, Give me a blessing. For you have given me a south land. Give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

And Manasseh had not taken possession of Beth-shean and its daughter-villages, nor Taanach and its daughter-villages, nor struck the inhabitants of Dor and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its daughter-villages. For the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.

But the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, those who lived in the land, for they did not expel them.

And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the mountain. For they would not allow them to come down to the valley.

And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of Jehovah that He did for Israel.

And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know Jehovah, nor even the works which He had done for Israel.

Wherever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had said, and as Jehovah had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

And yet they would not listen to their judges, but they went lusting after other gods, and bowed themselves to them. They turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, for they had obeyed the commandments of Jehovah; these did not do so.

And when Jehovah raised judges up for them, then Jehovah was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For Jehovah took pity because of their groanings before their oppressors and their crushers.

But he himself turned again from the graven images by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message for you, O, king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting in the cool roof room which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he rose out of his seat.

And he said to them, Follow after me. For Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and did not allow a man to pass over.

And the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron. And he mightily oppressed the sons of Israel twenty years.

And she lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim. And the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.

And she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, Has not Jehovah, the God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun?

And she said, I will surely go with you. But the journey that you take shall not be for your honor, for Jehovah shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

And Deborah said to Barak, Up! For this is the day in which Jehovah has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not Jehovah gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

And Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. For there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in my lord, turn in to me. Do not fear. When he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a rug.

And he said to her, Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink, and covered him.

Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a peg of the tent and put a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the peg into his temple, and beat it into the ground. For he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Praise Jehovah for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

And the rulers of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak. He was sent on foot into the valley. There were great thoughts of heart for the divisions of Reuben.

Why did you stay among the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of the flocks? For in the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

He asked for water, and she gave him milk. She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

Do they not find and divide the spoil? A womb, two wombs to a man's head, to Sisera a prize of dyed garments, a prize of embroidered dyed garments for the necks of those that take the spoil.

And they camped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. And they left no food for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts for multitude, both they and their camels were without number. And they entered into the land to destroy it.

And I said to you, I am Jehovah your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed My voice.

Then the Angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in His hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there rose up fire out of the rock and burned up the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the Angel of Jehovah went away out of his sight.

And Jehovah said to him, Peace to you. Do not fear. You shall not die.

And Joash said to all that stood against him, Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? He who contends for him shall be killed by the morning. If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because one has cast down his altar.

And it was so. For he rose up early in the morning and gathered the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

And God did so that night. For it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel boast themselves against Me, saying, My own hand has saved me.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will separate them for you there. It shall be that of whom I say to you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you. And of whomever I say to you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

And it happened on that night, Jehovah said to him, Arise, go down to the army, for I have delivered it into your hand.

But if you fear to go down, go with Phurah your servant down to the army.

And you shall hear what they shall say. And afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down to the army. Then he went down with Phurah his servant to the edge of the ranks in the army.

And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels without number, like the sand by the seaside for multitude.

And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. For into his hand God has delivered Midian and all the army.

And it happened, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the meaning of it, he worshiped. And he returned to the army of Israel, and said, Arise! For Jehovah has delivered the host of Midian into your hand.

When I blow with a ram's horn, I and all who are with me, then you blow the ram's horns also on every side of all the camp, and shout, For Jehovah and for Gideon!

And the three companies blew the ram's horns and broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands and the ram's horns in their right hands to blow. And they cried, A sword for Jehovah and for Gideon!

And he said to the men of Succoth, I pray you, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me. For they are tired, and I am chasing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

And Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the armies of the sons of the east. For a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword fell.

And Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army. For the army was at ease.

And he said to Jether his first-born, Up! Kill them! But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared, because he was still a youth.

And Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise and fall upon us. For as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments on their camels' necks.

And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both you and your son, and your son's son also. For you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.

And Gideon said to them, I would desire a favor of you, that each man of you would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked for was seventeen hundred of gold, besides ornaments, and pendants, and purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains around their camels' necks.

And Gideon had seventy sons, begotten of his body. For he had many wives.

I pray you, speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem: Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem with all these words. And their hearts were bent toward Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.

And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, upon one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was still left; for he hid himself.

And the bramble-bush said to the trees, If you truly anoint me king over you, come put your trust in my shadow. And if not, let fire come out of the bramble and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.

in which my father fought for you and much endangered his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian.

But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and the house of Millo. And let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and burn up Abimelech.

And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there for fear of Abimelech his brother.

And the men of Shechem set men lying in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed by. And it was told to Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people with him, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

And all the people also, each man, cut down a limb for themselves, and followed Abimelech, and set them at the stronghold, and set on fire the stronghold. And about a thousand men and women, all the men of the tower of Shechem, died also.

And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and went hard to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

And that year they troubled and oppressed the sons of Israel; all the sons of Israel on the other side of Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead, for eighteen years.

And Gilead's wife bore him sons. And his wife's sons grew up, and they threw Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not inherit in our father's house. For you are the son of another woman.

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, For this reason we turn again to you now, so that you may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be our head over all the people of Gilead.

And they went along through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but they did not come within the border of Moab; for Arnon was the border of Moab.

when Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities which are along by the borders of Arnon, for three hundred years? Why then did you not deliver them in that time?

And it happened when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me. For I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I cannot go back.

And she said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to that which has come out of your mouth, because Jehovah has taken vengeance for you upon your enemies, even of the sons of Ammon.

And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, so that I may go up and down upon the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months. And she went with her companions and wept for her virginity upon the mountains.

that the daughters of Israel went yearly to tell again of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.

And the men of Ephraim were called together and went northward, and said to Jephthah, Why did you go over to fight against the sons of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you with fire.

And they said to him, Please say Shibboleth. And he said, Sibboleth, for he could not manage to pronounce it right. Then they took him and killed him at the passages of Jordan. And there fell at that time forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites.

And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

For lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

But He said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, I pray You, let us keep You until we have made a kid ready for You.

And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though you keep Me, I will not eat of your bread. And if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to Jehovah. For Manoah did not know that He was the Angel of Jehovah.

For it happened when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, the Angel of Jehovah went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground.

And he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And now get her for me for a wife.

And his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she pleases me very much.

But his father and his mother did not know that it was from Jehovah, that He was looking for an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had the rule over Israel.

And his father went down to the woman. And Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

And it happened on the seventh day they said to Samson's wife, Lure your husband so that he may tell the riddle to us, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to take what we have? Is it not so?

And her father said, I truly thought that you utterly hated her, and I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she is? Please, let her be for you instead of her.

And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took fire brands, and turned tail to tail, and put a fire brand in the middle between two tails.

And he set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and also the standing grain, with the vineyards and olives.

And the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

He came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted against him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the cords on his arms became as flax that has been burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

The Gazites were told, saying, Samson has come here. And they surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then we shall kill him.

And the ambush was sitting for her in the inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the cords like a thread of tow when it smells fire. And his strength was not known.