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 he answered him, "Oh Lord, wherewith should I save Israel? Behold my kindred is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."

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?"

Then he came unto the men of Succoth and said, "Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, with which ye cast me in the teeth saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy fainty men?'"

But the olive tree said unto them, 'Should I leave my fatness which both God and man praiseth in me, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

And the fig tree answered them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and should go to be promoted over the trees?'

And the vine answered, 'Should I leave my wine that cheereth both God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "What is Abimelech, and what is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve such as come of Hamor the father of Shechem. For what reason is it that we should serve him?

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 it became an ordinance in Israel, year by year, that the daughters of Israel should go and lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.

Then Samson's wife wept unto him and said, "It cannot be but that thou hatest me and lovest me not: for thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my folk and wilt not tell me what it meaneth." And he said, "Behold, I have not told it my father, nor my mother, and should I tell it thee?"

And Samson said unto them, "Should ye do so? For I will surely be avenged of you; and then I will cease."

And Samson said unto her, "If men bound me with seven ropes of fresh sinews that were never dried, I should be weak and as another man."

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

And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, "There never came razor nor shears upon mine head, for I have been an abstainer to God even from my mother's womb. If mine hair were cut off, my strength would go from me, and I should wax and be like all other men."

And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and asked of God, who should begin the battle against the children of Benjamin, and the LORD said, "Judah shall begin."

And the appointment of the men of Israel with the layers in wait to run upon Benjamin with the sword, was when they should make the smoke rise up out of the city.

and said, "O LORD God of Israel, why is this chanced in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?"

And the children of Israel asked, "Who are they among all the tribes of Israel that came not with the congregation unto the LORD?" For they had made a great oath concerning them that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying that they should surely die.