And the Angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay on this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

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.

Then Gideon built an altar there to Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom. It is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites to this day.

And it happened on that night Jehovah said to him, Take your father's young bull, even the second bull of seven years, and throw down the altar of Baal which your father has, and cut down the pillar by it.

And build an altar to Jehovah your God upon the top of this rock, in an orderly manner, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which you shall cut down.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had said to him. And so it was, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day. So he did it by night.

And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the pillar which was by it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered upon the altar that was built.

Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out your son so that he may die (because he had cast down the altar of Baal, and because he had cut down the pillar by it).

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 Gideon said to God, Let not Your anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once. I pray You, let me test but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

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 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.

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 when Gideon had come, behold, a man told a dream to his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and struck it so that it fell, and overturned it, so that the tent lay along.

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.

And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise. And, behold, when I come to the edge of the camp, it shall be, as I do, so you shall do.

And the men of Israel were called out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and ran after the Midianites.

Then they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they rebuked him sharply.

And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their spirits toward him went away when he had said that.

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

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 they answered, We will gladly give. And they spread a cloth, and each man threw the earrings of his prey in it.

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 made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went there lusting after it, which thing became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

And it happened as soon as Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel turned again and went lusting after the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god.

And the sons of Israel did not remember Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons who followed him.

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.

And now, if you have done truly and sincerely in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to what his hands did,

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 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 they went out into the fields and gathered their vineyards and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

And I wish this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase your army, and come out!

And now come up by night, you and the people with you, and lie in wait in the field.

And it shall be in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, it shall be that you shall rise early and set upon the city. And behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as you desire.

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

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and the people with him, from lying in wait.

And Zebul said to him, Where is your mouth now, with which you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom you have despised? I pray you, go out now and fight with them.

And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

And Abimelech lived at Arumah. And Zebul put Gaal and his brothers out, so that they should not live in Shechem.

And it happened on the next day the people went out into the field. And they told Abimelech.

And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And they looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city. And he rose up against them, and struck them.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city and killed the people in it. And he beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a limb from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise.

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 went to Thebez, and camped against Thebez, and took it.

But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and women, and all the leaders of the city, fled there, and shut it behind them, and got up to the top of the tower.

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 the Sidonians and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you. And you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore, I will deliver you no more.

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 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.

Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. And worthless men were gathered to Jephthah, and went out with him.

And it happened after some time the sons of Ammon made war against Israel.

And when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Have you not hated me and thrown me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?

And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, What have you to do with me, that you have come against me to fight in my land?

And the king of the sons of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even to Jabbok, and to Jordan. Now therefore restore those lands peaceably.

So now Jehovah, the God of Israel has put out the Amorites before His people Israel, and should you possess it?

Will you not possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whomever Jehovah our God shall drive out from before us, we will possess them.

then it shall be that whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, surely it shall belong to Jehovah, or I will offer it up instead of a burnt offering.

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. And she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

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 it happened at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her his vow which he had vowed. And she knew no man. And it is a custom in Israel,

And Jephthah said to them, My people and I were at great strife with the sons of Ammon. And when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.

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.

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.

Then Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy ass colts. And he judged Israel eight years.

And now, please take heed, and do not drink wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing.

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 prayed to Jehovah and said, O, my Lord, let the Man of God, whom You sent, come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the boy that shall be born.

And Manoah said, Now let Your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and what shall we do to him?

She may not eat of all that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her do all that I commanded her.

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.

And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, What is Your name, so that when Your sayings come to pass we may do You honor?

And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Why do you ask after My name in this way? Yea, it is Wonderful.

And Manoah took a kid with a food offering, and offered it upon a rock to Jehovah, and did wonderfully. And Manoah and his wife looked on.

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.

But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a food offering at our hands, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor have told us such things as these at this time.

And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

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 the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he tore it as he would have torn a kid; and nothing was in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

And he took some of it in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother. And he gave to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the dead body of the lion.

And it happened when they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you. If you certainly tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen blouses and thirty changes of garments.

But if you cannot tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen blouses and thirty changes of garments. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle so that we may hear it.

And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And in three days they were not able to declare the riddle.

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 Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You only hate me, and do not love me. You have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told my father nor to my mother, and shall I tell you?

And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey, and what stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.

And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to them who told what the riddle meant. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.