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.

Then He made me tread on the remnant of the nobles among the people. Jehovah made me have dominion over the mighty.

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east were gathered together, and went over and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

And Gideon came to Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

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 will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. Jehovah shall rule over you.

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.

The trees went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.

But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness with which they honor God and man by me, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the trees said to the fig tree, You come and reign over us.

But the fig tree said to them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then the trees said to the vine, You come and reign over us.

And the vine said to them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then all the trees said to the bramble-bush, You come and reign over us.

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.

And you have risen up against my father's house today, and have killed his sons, seventy persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;

And Abimelech reigned three years over Israel.

And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

And the sons of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed.

And the people and rulers of Gilead said to one another, What man is there who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

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 Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And Jephthah uttered all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.

Then the Spirit of Jehovah came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead passed over to the sons of Ammon.

And Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them. And Jehovah delivered them into his hand.

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.

When I saw that you did not deliver me, I took my life in my hand and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand, and why have you come up against me, to fight against me today?

And the Gileadites took the fords of Jordan before the Ephraimites. And it happened that when one of those Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? And he said, No.

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.

Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us? And he said to them, As they have done to me, so I have done to them.

But the man would not stay that night, but he rose up and left, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And there were with him two saddled asses. His concubine also was with him.

And his master said to him, We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger that is not of the sons of Israel. We will pass over to Gibeah.