God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."

And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content.

But I took your father Abraham from the other side of the water, and brought him into the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

And now, fear the LORD and serve him in pureness and truth: And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the water, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

Then Joshua said unto the folk, "Ye are witnesses unto yourselves, that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, whom they buried in Gibeah that pertained to Phinehas his son and was given him in Mount Ephraim.

Then Judah said unto Simeon his brother, "Come with me into my lot, and let us fight against the Cananites: And I likewise will go with thee into thy lot." And so Simeon went with him.

And they found Adonibezek in Bezek. And they fought against him, and slew the Cananites and Perezites.

But Adonibezek fled, and they followed after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

Then Adonibezek said, "Three score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table wherefore as I have done so God hath done to me again." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kiriathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife."

and as they went she counseled him to ask of her father a field. And then she lighted off her ass, and Caleb said unto her, "What aileth thee?"

She said unto him, "Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a southward and a dry land. Give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her springs both above and beneath.

And Judah went and Simeon with him, and they slew the Cananites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it, and called the name of the city Hormah.

And the spies saw a man come out of the city and they said unto him, "Show us the way into the city, and we will show thee mercy."

And the spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he judged Israel, and went out to war. And the LORD sold Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. So that his hand was mighty over Cushanrishathaim.

And this Eglon gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and the Amalekites, and went and smote the children of Israel, and conquered the city of palm trees.

And then they cried unto the LORD. And the LORD stirred them up a saver, Ehud the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, a man that could do nothing handsomely with his right hand. And when the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of the Moabites,

Ehud made him a two-edged dagger of a span long, and girded it under his garment upon his right thigh;

and he himself turned back from the idols at Gilgal, and caused to say thus: "I have a secret thing to tell thee, O king." And the king commanded to keep silence, and all they that stood about him went out from him.

And Ehud came in unto him in a summer parlor, of which he had several unto himself alone, and said, "I have a message unto thee from God." And he arose out of his seat.

so that the hilt went in also, and the fat closed upon the hilt: for he drew not the dagger out of his belly. And filthiness departed from him.

But Ehud gat him out at the back door, and put to the door after him, and locked it.

And when he was come, he blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel went down with him off the hill and he before them.

And he said unto them, "Follow me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites into your hands." And they descended after him and took the passages of Jordan from the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.

And after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad, and delivered Israel also.

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam, out of Kadesh in Naphtali, and said unto him, "The LORD God of Israel commandeth thee, that thou go and draw to mount Tabor and take with thee ten thousand men, of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kadesh. And he went up afoot with ten thousand men: and Deborah went with him.

Then said Deborah unto Barak, "Up, for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hands: for the LORD is gone out before thee." And so Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

And Jael went out against Sisera and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord. Turn in to me and fear not." And he turned in unto her tent: and she covered him with a mantle.

And he said unto her, "Give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink and covered him.

Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail thorough the temples of his head into the ground, as he slumbered being weary: And so he died.

And behold, as Barak followed after Sisera, Jael came out against him, and said unto him, "Come and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail through his temples.

And the hand of the children of Israel prospered and was sore upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had brought him to nought.

He asked water, but she gave him milk, and brought butter in a goodly dish.

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said, "The LORD is with thee, thou man of might."

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."

And the LORD looked upon him and said, "Go hence in this thy might and deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites: Behold, I have sent thee."

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."

But then the LORD said unto him, "I will be with thee: and thou shalt smite the Midianites, as they were but one man."

And he answered him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign, that thou art the LORD that talketh with me.

And Gideon went and made ready a kid, and sweet cakes of an Ephah of flour, and put the flesh in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it.

And the angel of God said unto him, "Take the flesh and the sweet cakes and put them upon this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.

And the LORD said unto him, peace be with thee and fear not, for thou shalt not die.

And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Take an ox of thy father's and another of seven years old, and destroy the altar of Baal that belongeth unto thy father, and cut down the grove that is about it,

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD bade him. But because he durst not do it by day for fear of his father's household and of the men of the city, he did it by night.

And Joash said unto all that stood by him, "Will ye fight for Baal, or will ye be his defenders? He that striveth for him shall die this morning. If he be a god, let him strive with him that cast down his altar!"

And he called Gideon "Jerubbaal" the same time, saying "Let Baal strive with him because he hath broken down his altar."

the spirit of the LORD entered into Gideon. And he blew a trumpet, and called Abiezer to follow him;

and sent messengers throughout all Manasseh and called them up to follow him also. And he sent messengers unto Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, which came also to meet him.

Then Jerubbaal, otherwise called Gideon, rose early, and all the people that were with him, and pitched beside the well of Harod, so that the host of the Midianites were in a valley on the north side of the hill Moreh.

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 they took victuals with them for the folk, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man unto his tent, and kept the three hundred with him. And the host of Midian was beneath him in a valley.

And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Up, and go down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand.

And so Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, came unto the side of the host in the beginning of the middle watch, and raised up the watchmen. And they blew with their trumpets and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chode with him a good.

God hath delivered into your hands the lords of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do like as you have done?" And then their spirits abated from off him, when he had said that.

And then Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, both he and the three hundred men that were with him, very faint and yet followed the chase.

And he went thence to Phanuel, and spake unto them likewise. And the men of Phanuel answered him as did the men of Succoth.

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, the sun being yet up, and caught a lad of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him.

And he wrote him, of the lords and elders of Succoth: seventy seven men.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ophrah. And all Israel went a whoring after him there, which thing was the ruin of Gideon's house.

And his concubine that dwelt in Shechem bare him a son also, whose name he called Abimelech.

And his mother's brethren rehearsed of him in the audience of all the citizens of Shechem, all these words, and moved their hearts to follow Abimelech, in that they said how he was their brother.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons which went with him.

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,

If, then, ye have dealt purely and truly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day: then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

and wished that the wickedness done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come on him, and laid the blood of them unto Abimelech their brother which slew them, and unto the other citizens of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

And the citizens of Shechem set men to lay await for him in the top of the mountains, which men robbed all that came along the way by them. And it was told Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren went and gat them to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

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?

And rise early in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, and come upon the city. And when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, do to him what thine hands shall be able."

And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night. And they laid await to the city in four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up and the folk that were with him, from lying await.

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains." And Zebul said unto him, "The shadow of the hills seem men unto thee."

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 Abimelech chased him that he fled before him and many were overthrown and slain, even until they came unto the entering of the gate.

And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, ran and stood in the entering of the gate of the city. And the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields and slew them.

he gat him to mount Zalmon, both he and all that were with him, and took axes with him and cut down an arm of a tree, and took it up, and put it on his shoulder, and said unto the folk that were with him, "Whatsoever ye see me do: speed yourselves and do likewise."

Then Abimelech called hastily unto the young man that bare his harness, and said unto him, "Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, 'A woman slew him.'" And his lad thrust him through and he died.

And after him arose Jair a Gileadite, which judged Israel twenty two years.

And the children of Israel wrought wickedness yet again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and served him not.

But Gilead's wife bare him sons, which when they were come to age, thrust out of Jephthah, and said unto him, "Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman."

Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob. And there gathered idle people to Jephthah, and went out with him.

and said unto him, "Come and be our captain, and let us fight with the children of Ammon."

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him head and ruler over them. And Jephthah rehearsed all his words in Mizpeh.

and said unto him, "Thus sayeth Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.

And then Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, and king of Heshbon, and said unto him, 'Let us pass through thy land unto our own country.'

Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Then Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house. And see, his daughter came out against him, with timbrels and dances, which was his only child: so that beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And she said unto him, "My father, if thou have opened thy mouth unto the LORD, then do with me according to that proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD hath avenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon."

And after him, Elon a Zebulunite judged Israel ten years,

And after him, Abdon the son of Hillel a Pirathonite judged Israel.

Then the wife went and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came unto me, and the fashion of him was like the fashion of an Angel of God, exceeding fearful. But I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name.

Then the wife made haste and ran and showed her husband and said to him, "Behold, the man appeared unto me that came the other day unto me."

And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, "Art thou the man that spakest unto my wife?" And he said, "Yea."

And the angel of the LORD said unto him, "Why askest thou after my name, when it is wonderful?"

But his wife said unto him, "If the LORD would kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering of our hands; neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would have told us as he hath of things to come."

And the wife bare a son, and called his name Samson. And the lad grew, and the LORD blessed him.

Then his father and mother said unto him, "Is there never a woman of the daughters of thy brethren, among all my people: but that thou must go and fetch a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said unto his father, "Give me this woman for she pleaseth me well."