8 Then the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem. They captured it after striking it with the sword and they set the city on fire. 9 After this the sons of Judah fought against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the lowland. 10 So Judah went against the Canaanites in Kirjatharba, later known as Hebron, and slew Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.

11 Then they went against Debir, formerly known as Kirjathsepher. 12 Caleb said, "To the one who attacks and takes Kirjathsepher I will give my daughter Achsah as wife." 13 Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it and Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 14 When she was given to him, she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. As she got down from her donkey, Caleb said, "What do you want?" 15 She said to him, "Give me a blessing, since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also the springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is south of Arad, and lived among the people.

17 Then Judah went with his brother Simeon and struck the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was Hormah. 18 And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Askelon and Ekron with their territories. 19 Now the LORD was with Judah, for they took possession of the hill country. But they could not drive the people out living in the valley because they had chariots of iron.

20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised, and he drove out the three sons of Anak.

21 But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So they have continued to live with Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph went up against Bethel and the LORD was with them. 23 They spied out the city formerly known as Luz. 24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city. They said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city and we will show you mercy." 25 So he showed them the entrance and they struck the city with the sword, but let the man and his family go free. 26 The man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city which he named Luz. That is it name to this day.

27 Manasseh did not take possession of Bethshean and its villages, nor Taanach, or Dor, or Ibleam, or Megiddo or their towns and inhabitants. And the Canaanites continued lived in that land. 28 But when the Israelites became strong they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

29 Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or Nahalol, but let them live among them and they became forced labor for them.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, or Sidon, or Ahlab, or Achzib, Helbah, Aphik or Rehob. 32 So the Asherites did not drive out the Canaanites, but lived among them.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath, but lived among them making them pay tribute.

34 Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan out of the valley into the hill country, 35 and the Amorites continued to live in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and Shaalbim. But as the house of Joseph became strong they were forced to pay tribute. 36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Judges 2 - RWB Paraphrase (23 V)
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The Lord Did Not Drive Out All the Nations Around Israel
1 Now the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and brought you into this land which I swore to your fathers. And I said I will never break My covenant with you." 2 "And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall tear down their altars. But you have not done this. Why?" 3 "So I said, 'I will not drive them out for you. Instead they will become a thorn in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.'" 4 When the Angel of the LORD has spoken these words to the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim and they sacrificed to the LORD there.

6 When Joshua had dismissed the people they each went to possess their own inheritance. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived him and had seen the LORD's great works for Israel.

8 At the time Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD died, he was one hundred and ten years old. 9 They buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 All of that generation eventually died and were followed by a generation that did not know the LORD, or remember the works He had done for Israel. 11 It was then that the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD by serving Baal. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, Who had brought them out of Egypt, and they followed other gods from among the people who lived around them. They bowed down to these gods and provoked the LORD to anger.

COMMENT: How did this happen? How does it happen today? The children do not have the experience of their parents and do not appreciate what motivated the former generation. The worship of these foreign gods was alluring to them as many things are alluring to us in our day. How can parents instill their values and understanding in their offspring? Certainly not by providing everything their children desire. They must find a way to give their children something greater than themselves. Today that would be the Bible and their own experience with the Lord.

13 So they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth, 14 and the anger of the LORD burned against Israel. He gave them into the hands of those who plundered them and they were no longer able to withstand their enemies. 15 Wherever they went the hand of the LORD was against them, just as the LORD had warned would happen to them if they sinned.

16 Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them from those who plundered them. 17 Yet they still did not listen to their judges, but played the harlot by going after other gods and worshiping them. They quickly turned aside from the way of their fathers and from obeying the commandments of the LORD. 18 When the LORD would raise up a judge for them, He would be with that judge and deliver them from their enemies all the days of that judge, for the LORD was moved with pity at their groaning because of those who afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, they quickly turn back and acted even worse in following other gods and serving them. They were very stubborn in their practices.

20 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel. He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant with their fathers, and has not listened to My voice," 21 "I will no longer drive out any of the nations which Joshua left when he died." 22 "I will use these nations to test Israel, to see if they will keep My ways and walk as their fathers walked.'" 23 So the LORD allowed those nations to remain and did not quickly drive them out. This is why He had not given them to Joshua.

COMMENT: Everyone needs something to overcome. If our parents have done everything for us, we do not value the core elements of living well. Dissipation and self-centeredness rule and we are worse off then if we still had things to conquer.

Judges 3 - RWB Paraphrase (31 V)
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Othniel Delivered Israel Followed by Shamgar
1 These are the nations the LORD left to test those in Israel who had not experienced war in Canaan. 2 This was to teach the generations of the children of Israel because they knew nothing of war. 3 The nations were: the five Lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon as far as Hamath. 4 They were left to test Israel to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.

5 The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. 6 Israel took their daughters as wives and gave their own daughters to the sons of this people who served their own gods. 7 And the children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot Him as they served the Baals and Asheroth. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel and He sold them into the hands of Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. And they served him for eight years.

9 When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, He raise up Othniel as their deliverer. He was the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand he prevailed against him. 11 Then the land had rest for forty years. After that Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 Once again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel. 13 Eglon gathered the sons of Amalek to himself and defeated Israel and took the city of palm trees.

14 The children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, He raised up Ehud as their deliverer. He was the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a lefthanded man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Ehud made a two edged sword a cubit long and bound it to his thigh under his clock. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon who was a very fat man. 18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away those who had come with him. 19 But he turned back from the quarries by Gilgal, and said to Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, O king. No one must hear it but you." So everyone left him. 20 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And he said to Eglon, "I have a message from God for you." Then he arose from his seat, 21 stretched out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon's belly. 22 The handle followed the blade into his belly and the fat closed over it, for he did not draw the sword back out, and the refuse began to come out. 23 Then Ehud went out and shut the doors behind him and locked them. 24 When Ehud had gone out, Eglon's servants went up to check on him and found the doors to the chamber locked. They thought he must be relieving himself and did not go in. 25 They waited until they became anxious because he did not open the doors. They took a key and opened the doors and found their master fallen to the floor dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying and went to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. The children of Israel came down to him and he went before them. 28 He said to them, "Pursue the Moabites, for the LORD has given your enemies into your hands." So they went down and seized the fords of the Jordan and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all valiant men, and no one escaped.

30 So Moab was subdued by Israel at that time, and the land was undisturbed for eighty years.

31 After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath. He saved Israel by striking down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.

Judges 4 - RWB Paraphrase (24 V)
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Deborah the Prophetess Judged Israel
1 After Ehud died the children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. Sisera was the commander of his army. He lived in Harosheth which belonged to the Gentiles. 3 The children of Israel cried to the LORD because he had nine hundred chariots and oppressed Israel severely for twenty years.

4 Deborah was a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth. And she judged Israel in those days. 5 She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel would come to her for judgment.

6 Deborah summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedeshnaphtali, and said to him, "Behold, the LORD God of Israel has commanded you to take ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and the sons of Zebulun and march to Mount Tabor." 7 "I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, out to you. He will come with his chariots and many troops and I will give him into your hand."

COMMENT: Remember, this is God speaking through Deborah. God will draw Jabin's army out to Barak.

8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me I will go. If you will not then I will not go." 9 Deborah replied, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on this journey you are about to take, for the LORD will give Sisera into the hands of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kadesh. Ten thousand men went with him. And Deborah went too.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses. He had pitched his tent on the plain of Zaanaim which is by Kedesh.

12 It was told to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera call together all his chariots. There were nine hundred of them made of iron. He also called all the people with him from Harosheth to the river Kishon.

14 Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! This is the day which the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Behold, the LORD has gone before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 The LORD routed Sisera, all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot, 16 while Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Gentiles. All of Sisera's army fell by the sword with not one man left.

17 Now Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between the king of Hazor and Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Rest here, my master. Do not fear." And he went into her tent and she covered him with a rug. 19 Being thirsty he asked for a little water. So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him some before she covered him. 20 He said, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and if anyone comes looking for me and asks if anyone is here, say 'No.'"

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and a hammer, and went into the tent quietly. Sisera was exhausted and sound asleep. She drove the tent peg into his temple and into the ground. And so he died.

22 As Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said, "Come and I will show you the man you are looking for." He went into the tent with her and found Sisera lying dead with a tent peg in his temple.

23 So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the children of Israel, 24 and they pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until he had been destroyed.

Judges 5 - RWB Paraphrase (31 V)
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The Song of Deborah and Barak
1 Here is the song that Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day. 2 "Praise the LORD for avenging Israel, for the people willingly offered themselves." 3 "Hear, O kings, give ear O rulers! I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel."

COMMENT: All of the praise rightly belongs to God.

4 "Lord, when You went out from Seir, and You marched from the field of Edom, the earth quaked, the heavens dripped, even the clouds dripped water." 5 "The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, even as it did at Sinai at the presence of the God of Israel." 6 "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and travelers followed less traveled roads." 7 "Village life in Israel ceased until Deborah arose as the mother of Israel." 8 "New gods were chosen. Then war was in the gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel." 9 "My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, and the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!" 10 "You who ride on white donkeys, who sit on rich carpets, and travel on the road, sing!" 11 "At the sound of those who water their flocks at the various watering places, there will be a recounted of the righteous acts of the LORD, of His deeds for the inhabitants of Israel. Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates." 12 "Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, sing a song. Arise Barak, and lead captivity captive, O son of Abinoam." 13 "Then survivors came to the nobles. The LORD gave me dominion over the mighty." 14 "From Ephraim came those whose fathers fought Amalek. Then came Benjamin out of Machir, and out of Zebulun those who handle the paperwork." 15 "And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah. Barak sent all these on foot into the valley. Among the divisions of Reuben were those of great resolve." 16 "Why did you sit in your sheepfolds? To hear the bleating of the flock? Those in Reuben searched their hearts." 17 "Gilead remained across the Jordan. And why did Dan stay in his ships? Asher sat by the seashore at its landings." 18 "Zebulun and Naphtali jeopardized their lives even if it meant death."

19 "The kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder in silver." 20 "The stars fought from heaven against Sisera." 21 "The ancient torrent of Kishon swept them away, marching on with strength." 22 "Then the hooves of his valiant steeds were broken." 23 "Curse Meroz," said the angel of the LORD."Utterly curse its inhabitants, because they did not come to help the LORD against the mighty." 24 "Most blessed of women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Most blessed is she of women in the tent." 25 He asked her for water and she gave him milk, curds in a magnificent bowl. 26 "She reached for a tent peg and in her right hand took a hammer. Then she struck Sisera, smashing his head and piercing his temple." 27 "He bowed between her feet and lay where he fell." 28 "The mother of Sisera looked out through the lattice of her window and lamented, 'Why does his chariot delay in coming home?'" 29 "Her wise princesses answer her but she repeats the words to herself." 30 "Are they not dividing the spoil with a maiden, or two, for every warrior. And to Sisera, a spoil of dyed cloth with embroidery on both sides." 31 "Thus let Your enemies perish, O LORD. Let those who love you be like the rising sun in its might."

And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

Judges 6 - RWB Paraphrase (40 V)
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God Calls Gideon
1 Once again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years. 2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel, and the children of Israel hid in the mountains in dens and caves.

COMMENT: People let their wishes take control of their lives and they become prisoners of their own failings. There comes a time when they hide from debt collectors, or whatever is their master but they cannot get away.

3 For when Israel had sown a crop, the Midianites would come with the Amalekites against Israel. 4 They would destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave nothing for Israel, not even any sheep, oxen or donkeys. 5 They came in like locust with their livestock and devastated the land. 6 So Midian brought Israel very low and the children of Israel cried to the LORD.

7 Now it came about that when the children of Israel cried to the LORD because of Midian, 8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I was the one who brought you up out of Egypt from the house of slavery.'" 9 "I delivered you from the Egyptians and all who oppressed you. I took what was theirs and gave it to you." 10 "I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live. But you have not obeyed Me.'"

11 Then the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in an effort to save it from the Midianites. 12 The Angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." 13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are the LORD's miracles which our fathers told us about? Now the LORD has abandoned us into the hands of the Midianites." 14 The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" 15 Gideon said, "O LORD, how shall I deliver Israel? My family is the least in Manasseh and I am the youngest in my father's house."

COMMENT: God often chooses the who are little in their own eyes.

16 But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian." 17 So Gideon said to Him, "If I have found favor in Your sight, show me a sign that I may know that it is You who is speaking with me." 18 "Please do not leave this place until I bring out my offering and lay it before you." And He said, "I will stay here until you return." 19 Then Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He presented these with a pot of broth to the angel of the LORD under the oak. 20 And the Angel of the LORD told him to place the meat and the unleavened bread on a rock and pour the broth over them. And he did this. 21 Then the Angel of the LORD reached out with his staff and touched the meat and unleavened bread. Fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. 22 When Gideon perceived that he had been talking with the Angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O LORD God! I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."

COMMENT: Gideon recognizes that he has been talking with God.

23 The LORD said to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear. You will not die."

24 Then Gideon built an altar to the LORD in that place and named it, Jehovahshalom. It is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 On the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull that is seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father. Then cut down the Asherah which is beside it."

COMMENT: Gideon was called to confront his family. God could not bless him unless he was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him.

26 Then build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock. Take the second bullock and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which you shall cut down.

COMMENT: The grove was common in the type of worship Gideon was removing.

27 Then Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had told him. He was afraid of his father's household and the men of the city, so he did it at night instead of during the day.

28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down, the Asherah cut down and the second bull had been offered on the altar which had been built. 29 They said to one another, "Who did this?" And when they had inquired about they learned that Gideon, the son of Joash, had done it. 30 The men of the city asked Joash to bring his son out that he might be put to death, because he had torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it. 31 But Joash said to all those who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal to deliver him? Whoever pleads for Baal shall be put to death. If he is a god, let him contend for himself when his altar has been torn down." 32 On that day Gideon was named Jerubbaal, because it had been said, "Let Baal contend against him, because he has thrown down his altar."

33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites with the children of the east assembled themselves in the valley of Jezreel. 34 The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon and he blew the trumpet. The Abiezrites gathered to him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh to call the people to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him. 36 Then Gideon said to God, "I want to test You to see if You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said." 37 "I will put out a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on it and the ground around it is dry, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me as You have said." 38 And it happen that when he arose the next morning, he squeezed a bowl full of dew out of the fleece. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me if I ask for one more proof. Tomorrow let the ground be wet and the fleece be dry." 40 So God did this for Gideon. The next morning the ground was wet and the fleece was dry.

Judges 7 - RWB Paraphrase (25 V)
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Gideon and His 300 Men
1 Then Jerubbaal, also known as Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped by the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was in the valley to the north of them by the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, for this would cause Israel to boast of its own power when they win this battle." 3 "Tell the people that anyone who is afraid is to depart from Mount Gilead." So 22,000 went home and 10,000 remained. 4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water and I will test them. Watch to see who I will let go with you." 5 So Gideon brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "Separate them into two groups. Choose between the men who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel to drink." 6 Now the number of those who lapped the water, cupping it in their hand, was 300. All the rest of the people knelt to drink water. 7 The LORD said to Gideon, "I will deliver you with the 300 men who drank from their hand give the Midianites into your hand." So Gideon let all the people who knelt down to drink return home.

8 So the 300 men took their provisions and their trumpets and Gideon sent all the others home. And the host of Midian were spread out below him in the valley.

9 That evening the LORD said to Gideon, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands."

COMMENT: Do you suppose it was a long day for Gideon waiting for the Lord to tell him what to do with only three hundred men? It is good that he waited!

10 "But if you are afraid to go down against them, take your servant Purah and go down to the camp," 11 "and you will hear what they are saying. Afterwards your hands will be strengthened to go against the Midianite camp." So Gideon and his servant went down to the outposts of the Midianite camp.

12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were in the valley as numerous as locusts, and they had camels beyond counting. 13 When Gideon came near the outpost, a man was relating a dream to his friend. He said, "Behold, I had a dream. A loaf of bread came tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and flattened it." 14 His friend replied, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given all the host of Midian into his hands."

COMMENT: Here is a clear example of the inspiration of a foreigner and its interpretation be a foreigner.

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream, and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. Returning to the camp of Israel, he said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands."

16 He divided the 300 men into three companies, and gave each one man a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a burning torch inside of it. 17 He said, "Watch me and do what you see me do as we come to the outskirts of their camp." 18 "When I and those with me blow our trumpets, all of you do the same. And shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

COMMENT: Scripture does not say that God gave Gideon the game plan. But it surely was inspired.

19 So Gideon and the hundred men with him came to the outskirts of the Midianite camp. It was at the beginning of the middle watch when the guards had just been posted. Gideon's men blew their trumpets and smashed the pitchers that covered their torches. 20 When all three companies blew their trumpets and broke their pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets with their right hands. After blowing their trumpets they shouted, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!" 21 Each of them held his ground around the camp and the army within cried out as they fled. 22 As they blew all three hundred trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one man against another throughout the whole army. The army fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah by Tabbath. 23 The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian and take the waters before them. Go as far as Bethbarah and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim did this." 25 They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they continued to pursue Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

Judges 8 - RWB Paraphrase (35 V)
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Gideon Finishes the Job
1 Then the men of Ephraim were very angry as they said to him, "Why did you leave us out when you went to fight Midian?" 2 But he said to them, "What have I done in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?" 3 "God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands. By comparison, what was I able to do?" And so their anger was assuaged.

4 Then Gideon and the 300 men with him crossed the Jordan being weary from the pursuit. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some bread to these people with me, for they are weary from pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." 6 The leaders of Succoth said, "You have not yet captured Zebah and Zalmunna and we will not give bread to your army." 7 Gideon said, "All right. When the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with thorns and briers from the wilderness."

8 He went up from there to Penuel and asked them for bread. They gave him the same answer as Succoth had answered. 9 So he told them that when he returned he would tear down their tower.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with about fifteen thousand men, the only ones left of all the army from the east. An hundred and twenty thousand had already fallen. 11 Gideon came at them by way of their tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote them, for they were not expecting him from that direction. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian and routed their whole army. 13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle before the sun was up. 14 They enquired of a young man from Succoth and he described the princes of Succoth and seventy seven elders. 15 Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, "Remember Zebah and Zalmunna, of whom you taunted me, saying that they are not yet in your hands and we will not give you bread?" 16 He then took the elders of the city and disciplined them with thorns and briers from the wilderness. 17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" They said, "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king." 19 Gideon said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. If you had let them live I would not kill you." 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise up and kill them." But his son did not do it because he was a youth and afraid. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength." So Gideon killed both Zebah and Zalmunna and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camel's necks. 22 Then the men of Israel said, "Rule over us, both you and your son and your son's sons, for you have delivered us from Midian." 23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you and neither shall my son. The LORD shall rule over you."

COMMENT: Good answer!

24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would like to request of each of you an earring from your spoil." For the Ismaelites wore gold earrings. 25 They agreed to this and they spread out a garment and everyone of them threw an earring on it from his spoil. 26 The total weight of the earrings was 1,700 gold shekels. Gideon also had the crescent ornaments, the pendants and the purple robes that the Midianite kings had worn, besides the neck bands on their camels.

COMMENT: 1,700 gold shekels comes to about 42 pounds of gold.

27 Gideon made these into an ephod and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it. It became a snare to Gideon and his household.

28 So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel and they did not cause trouble any more. Israel had peace for the next forty years while Gideon lived.

29 Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, the son of Joash moved out of his father's house to live on his own. 30 He had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine who lived in Shechem bore him a son and he named him Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in his father's tomb in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 As soon as Gideon was dead, his sons played the harlot with the Baals, making Baalberith their God. 34 So the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of their enemies on every side. 35 Neither did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, or remember all the good he had done for Israel.

Judges 9 - RWB Paraphrase (57 V)
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Abimelech Takes Over for a While
1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and spoke with the whole clan, saying, 2 "I ask you in the hearing of the leaders in Shechem, which is better for you, that the seventy sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one man be your ruler? Remember that I am your flesh and bone." 3 His mother's relatives thought they would be inclined to follow Abimelech because he was their relative. 4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baalberith with which he hired worthless fellows to follow him. 5 He went to his father's household and killed all but one of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal on one stone. Jotham, the youngest son hid himself and did not die. 6 All the men of Shechem and all the house of Millo made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar which is in Shechem.

7 When Jotham learned of this he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, calling out loudly, saying, "Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you." 8 "There was a time that the trees went out to anoint a king over them. They said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'" 9 "But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness where I am honored by God and men to be promoted over the trees?'" 10 "Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You, come and reign over us!'" 11 "But the fig tree replied, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and be promoted over the trees?'" 12 "Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and reign over us!'" 13 "But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to be promoted over the trees?'" 14 "Finally all the trees said to the bramble, 'You, come and reign over us!'" 15 "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me as your king, then come and take refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'"

16 "Now, therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have done right by Jerubbaal and his house, treating him as he deserved," 17 "for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from Midian," 18 "and you have risen against my father's house today and killed his sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother," 19 "and if you have dealt in truth and integrity with the house of Jerubbaal this day, then you and Abimelech should rejoice in each other." 20 "But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and the house of Millo, and let fire come out from them as well and consume Abimelech."

21 Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer and remaining there because of Abimelech. 22 So Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and they dealt treacherously with him, 24 so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be laid on Abimelech who had killed them, and on the men of Shechem who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 The men of Shechem set men to wait in ambush against Abimelech. They were robbing all who passed by and it was told to Abimelech. 26 Gaal the son of Ebed came to Shechem with his relatives and the men of Shechem trusted him. 27 They gathered grapes, made juice, and held a festival. They went into the house of their god, ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn't Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why serve Abimelech?" 29 "I wish that these men were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech." And he challenged Abimelech to come out with his army.

30 Zebul, the ruler of the city, was angry when he heard Gaal's words. 31 He sent messengers to warn Abimelech, saying, "Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives are stirring up the city of Shechem against you." 32 "Arise by night with the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field." 33 "In the morning at sunrise rush the city. When Gaal and those with him come out of the city to deal with you, then you deal with them as you are able." 34 So Abimelech divided his men into four companies and went out at night and lay in wait against Shechem. 35 The next morning Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate. It was then that Abimelech and his people got up from their ambush. 36 As Gaal saw them coming, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountain tops." But Zebul replied, "You are seeing only shadows that look like men." 37 Gaal spoke again, saying, "Look, people are coming from the highest places and others are coming by the plain of Meonenim." 38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where now is your boasting when you asked, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is this not the people whom you despise? Go out and fight with them.'" 39 So Gaal went out leading the leaders of Shechem and they fought with Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased Gaal and he fled. Many fell wounded in the entrance to the gate. 41 So Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives and none remained in Shechem.

42 The next day the people went out to the field and Abimelech was told about this. 43 So he divided his people into three companies and laid in wait. When the people came out of the city he rose up and slew them. 44 They ran to the city gate and the other two companies fought against those in the field, killing all of them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, killing all the people in it and capturing the city. Then he razed the city and sowed it with salt. 46 When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of this, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of the god Berith. 47 Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem had gathered there. 48 So he went up to Mount Zalmon taking all the people with him. And he took an axe and cut a branch from a tree and laying it on his shoulder and said to the people, "Do as I am doing and be quick about it." 49 Each of the people also cut a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire. So about a thousand men and women died in the tower of Shechem.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and camped there and captured it. 51 There was a strong tower in the center of the city. All the men and women with the leaders shut themselves in and went up on the roof of the tower. 52 So Abimelech fought against the tower and approached the entrance to the tower to burn it with fire. 53 A certain woman threw the upper millstone down on Abimelech's head, and this crushed his skull. 54 Abimelech called quickly to his armor bearer and asked him to kill him with his sword, saying to him, "I do not want it said that a woman killed me." So the young man pierces him through, and he died.

55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each one departed for his own home. 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech toward his father when he killed his seventy brothers. 57 And God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their own heads, for the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

Judges 10 - RWB Paraphrase (18 V)
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Tola and Jair Lead Israel. After That Israel Serves Other gods
1 After Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel for twenty three years before he died and was buried in Shamir.

3 After him Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. They had thirty cities in Gilead which are called Havothjair to this day. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

6 Then the children of Israel once again did evil in the sight of the LORD, serving the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon and the Philistines. They forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. 7 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of the Philistines and the sons of Ammon. 8 These afflicted the children of Israel for eighteen years. This went on beyond the Jordan in the land of Gilead and in the land of the Amorites. 9 The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. This greatly distressed Israel. 10 Then the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against You, for we have forsaken our God and served the Baals." 11 The LORD said to them, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, Ammon and the Philistines?" 12 "And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me and I delivered you from them." 13 "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. This is why I will not deliver you." 14 "Go cry out to the gods you have been serving. Let them deliver you from your distress."

15 The children of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us today."

16 So they put away the foreign gods and served the LORD, and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

COMMENT: They repented and got rid of those things that offended God.

17 Then the children of Ammon camped at Gilgal and the children of Israel camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of Gilgal said to each other, "Who is the man who will begin the fight against the children of Ammon? He shall become our leader in Gilead."

Judges 11 - RWB Paraphrase (40 V)
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Jephthah Is Called Back to Save Israel
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of an harlot and Gilead was his father. 2 Gilead's wife bore him sons and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out. They said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house because you are the son of another woman." 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, where worthless men attached themselves to him. 4 After some time the children of Ammon fought against Israel. 5 It was then that the elders of Gilead went looking for Jephthah in the land of Tob. 6 They said to him, "Come and be chief over us, that we may fight the children of Ammon." 7 Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "You hated me and drove me out from my father's house. So why call on me now that you are in trouble?" 8 The elders of Gilead said to him, "We need you now to fight against the children of Ammon and become the head of the inhabitants of Gilead." 9 So Jephthah said to them, "If you take me back to fight against the children of Ammon and the LORD gives them into my hand, will I indeed become your leader?" 10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is witness between us. We will surely keep our word with you." 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead and the people made him chief over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah.

12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "Why have you come to fight against my land?" 13 The king of Ammon sent messengers back, saying, "Because Israel took my land when they came up from Egypt, from Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. Therefore, return the land peaceably now." 14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon, 15 and they said, "Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon." 16 "For when Israel came up from Egypt they went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh." 17 "Then Israel asked the king of Edom for permission to pass through the land, but the king of Edom would not listen. They also asked the king of Moab for permission to pass though, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh." 18 "Then they went through the wilderness and around Edom and Moab coming to the east of Moab. They camped beyond the Arnon, but did not enter Moab, for Arnon was its border." 19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, at Heshbon, saying, "Please allow us to pass through your land to our own place." 20 "But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel." 21 "The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they were defeated. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites and its inhabitants." 22 "They possessed all the territory from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan." 23 "Since the God of Israel drove out the Amorites from before His people, are you then to possess it?" 24 "Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And so what the LORD our God has given to us we will possess." 25 "Are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? How did he fare when he fought against Israel?" 26 "While Israel possessed Heshbon and its villages, and in all the cities on the bank of the Arnon, why did you never recover the land during the three hundred years since that time?" 27 "I have not sinned against you, but you are doing wrong by making war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon." 28 But the king of Ammon disregarded Jephthah's message.

29 The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and after going to Mizpah of Gilead, he went on to Ammon.

30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, saying, "If You will give the children of Ammon into my hand," 31 "then whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it as a burnt offering."

32 So Jephthah crossed over against the children of Ammon to fight with them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. 33 He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 When Jephthah came to his own house at Mizpah, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas my daughter! You have brought me very low and I am troubled because of you. For I have given my word to the LORD, and cannot take it back." 36 She said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have promised, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the children of Ammon." 37 She said to her father, "Let this thing be done to me, only give me two months to go into the mountains and weep with my companions, because I will never have children." 38 And he said, "Go." So he sent her away for two months, and she went to the mountains with her companions to bewail her loss. 39 At the end of two months she returned to her father who did to her according to his vow to the LORD, and she never married. Thus it became a custom in Israel, 40 that the daughters of Israel would lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days each year.

Judges 12 - RWB Paraphrase (15 V)
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Jephthah Fights with Ephraim. Other Judges Follow
1 And the men of Ephraim gathered together and went north to see Jephthah. They asked him, "Why did you fight with the children of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house with fire." 2 Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had great strife with the children of Ammon. When I called you, you did nothing to help." 3 "When I saw that you would not help me, I took my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon. And the LORD delivered them into my hand. So why are you coming to fight against me?"

4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim. 5 They captured the fords of the Jordan next to Ephraim. When a fugitive of Ephraim wanted to cross over they would question them as to who they were. 6 If a person said they were not of Ephraim, they would say, "Pronounce "Shibboleth" for a man of Ephraim could not pronounce it correctly. And when he could not say it correctly, they would kill him. Thus 40,000 of Ephraim fell at that time." 7 Jephthah judged Israel six years until he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 It was Ibzan of Bethlehem who next judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside the family. And he brought in thirty daughters from outside his family for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 After him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel for ten years. 12 Then he died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Judges 13 - RWB Paraphrase (25 V)
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Samson, a Miracle Birth
1 Once again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. 2 There was a man whose name was Manoah of Zorah of the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren. 3 The Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said, "Behold, though you are barren, you shall conceive and bear a son."

COMMENT: Here is case where God spoke directly to a woman like He would with Mary the mother of Jesus.

Luke 1:30-31 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God." [31] "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. You will name Him Jesus."

4 "So be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or eat anything unclean." 5 "For you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazarite from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines." 6 Then the woman came to her husband, and said, "A man of God came to me. His appearance was like that of an Angel of God. It was awesome. I did not ask him where he came from and he did not tell me." 7 "He said to me, 'Behold, you shall have a son, and you shall not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to his death.'" 8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, saying, "O LORD, please let the Man of God you sent to my wife come to both of us that He may teach us what to do for this boy who is to be born to us." 9 God listened to Manoah and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran and told him, saying, "The Man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again." 11 Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, "Are you the Man who spoke to my wife?" And He said, "I am."

12 Manoah said, "When he is born, and grows up, what will be his vocation?" 13 The Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Let the woman pay attention to everything I say." 14 "She should not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor strong drink or any unclean thing. She must observe everything I have commanded." 15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you." 16 The Angel of the LORD said, "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but you may prepare a burnt offering to the LORD." For Manoah did not know that he had been talking to the Angel of the LORD. 17 Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, so that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?" 18 The Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is a secret?" 19 So Manoah took the young goat and offered it to the LORD on the rock with the grain offering while his wife watched. 20 When the flame went up from the alter toward heaven, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell to the ground on their faces.

21 The Angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah and his wife no more, and they knew that it was the LORD Who had visited them. 22 Then Manoah said to his wife, surely we will die for we have seen God. 23 But his wife said, "If the LORD had wanted to kill us He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from us. Neither would He have made known to us what He has shown us."

24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson, and the child grew up with the blessing of the LORD. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir Samson from time to time in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 14 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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Samson Plans to Marry a Philistine Woman
1 Samson went down to Timnah where he saw a daughter of the Philistines. 2 He came home and asked his father to get her for him as a wife. 3 His father and mother argued with him, saying, "Isn't there a woman among your relatives, or somewhere else in Israel? Why take a wife from among the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson's only reply was, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me." 4 His father and mother did not know that this development was from the LORD and that Samson was seeking an occasion against the Philistines, who were ruling over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his parents. When they had come to Timnah's vineyards, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion as though it was a young goat. His parents were not with him at the time and he did not tell them about what he had done.

7 So Samson went down and talked with the woman and she looked good to him. 8 When he came back later to take her as his wife, he turned aside to see what had become of the lion. He was surprised to see that a swarm of bees was in the dead lion making honey inside of it. 9 He took some of the honey in his hands. He ate some and gave some to his father and mother and they ate it. But he did not tell them where he had gotten it.

10 His father went and made arrangements for the marriage. And Samson made a great feast for the young men as was the custom. 11 In all there were thirty of them.

12 Samson proposed a riddle, which if they could solve it before the end of the seven day feast, he would give each of them a linen wrap and a change of clothes. 13 But if they could not solve the riddle, they would owe him thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. They agreed, saying, "We want to hear your riddle." 14 So he said to them, "Out of the eater came something to eat. And out of the strong came something sweet." After three days they still had not figured out the riddle. 15 On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to tell you the riddle so that you can then tell it to us. Otherwise we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Is it your intention to impoverish us?"

16 So Samson's wife wept before him, saying, "You must not love me for you have not made the riddle known to me." But he said to her, "I haven't even told it to my father or mother. So should I tell you?" 17 However, she continued to weep before him for the rest of the days of the feast. On the seventh day she pressed him so hard that he told her the riddle and she told it to her own people. 18 So the men of the city said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" And Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer you would not have found out my riddle." 19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men there, and took their spoil so that he could give the changes of clothes to those who told him his riddle. And his anger burned and he returned to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to his friend who had been his best man.

Judges 15 - RWB Paraphrase (20 V)
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Samson Burns the Philistine's Wheat Fields
1 After a while, during the time of wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife and brought a young goat. He said, "I will go in to my wife in her room." But her father said he could not enter. 2 He said, "I thought you wanted nothing more to do with her, so I gave her to your companion. Her younger sister is more beautiful. Let me give her to you." 3 Samson then said, "Now no one can blame me for what I am going to do to the Philistines." 4 He caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails together, two by two with a torch between their tails. 5 He then set fire to each torch and released them into the standing grain of the Philistines. Thus he burned their shocks as well as the standing grain. The vineyards and groves also burned. 6 When the Philistines learned that Samson had done this because his wife had been given to one of his companions, they burned her and her father with fire. 7 Samson then said, "Now I will take revenge for what you have done, then I will quit." 8 He struck them with a great slaughter and after that went down to live in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

9 The Philistines then went up to Judah and camped by Lehi. 10 The men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" They answered, "We have come to bind Samson and take him away with us." 11 So 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam. They said to him, "Do you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?" And Samson said, "I have only done to them what they did to me." 12 The men of Judah said, "We have come to bind you and give you into the hands of the Philistines." So Samson said to them, "Promise me that you will not kill me." 13 They promised that they would only bind him and give him to them. So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. 14 When he came to Lehi and the Philistines saw him they gave a great shout. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Samson mightily so that the ropes on his arms were as flax burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. 15 Looking about he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey. Picking it up, he killed a thousand men.

16 Then Samson said,
"With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps.
With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men."

17 When he had finished speaking, he threw down the jawbone and named that place Ramathlehi. 18 He was very thirsty and called to the LORD, saying, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant. Shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" 19 So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi and water came out. When he drank from it his strength returned and he was revived. He named the place Enhakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. 20 So Samson continued to judge Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

Judges 16 - RWB Paraphrase (31 V)
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Samson and Delilah
1 Samson went to Gaza where he saw a harlot, and he stayed with her. 2 When the people of Gaza heard of this they surrounded the house and lay in wait all night at the city gate thinking they would kill him in the morning. 3 Samson stayed with the woman until midnight. Then he got up and taking hold of the city gate, pulled it up with its posts and carried it on his shoulders to the top of a mountain opposite Hebron.

COMMENT: Men were waiting for him by the gate. Was there more than one gate? Or when he pulled up the city gate with its posts did they decide to watch from a distance?

4 Sometime after this he loved a woman named Delilah in the valley of Sorek. 5 The lords of the Philistines came to her and asked her to get him to tell her where his great strength came from, and how they could overpower him. They hoped to bind him and afflict him. They offered her eleven hundred pieces of silver.

6 So Delilah began to work on Samson, saying, "Please tell me why you are so strong and how you can be bound and afflicted?" 7 Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will become as weak as any other man." 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought her the seven undried cords and she bound him with them. 9 She had arranged for men to lie in wait in an inner room. She called out, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the cords as though they were threads. And so, his source of strength was not discovered.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me telling me lies. Please tell me how you may be bound."

COMMENT: How interesting that we can be tricked by Satan and then tricked again and again.

11 He said to her, "If they bind me tightly with ropes that have never been used for anything, then I will become as weak as any other man."

COMMENT: Of course, Samson thought he had total control.

12 So Delilah bound him with new ropes and said to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!." For the men were once again lying in wait in an inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms as though they were threads.

13 Then Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me with lies. Tell me how you may be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my hair in the cloth on a loom, I will then be weak like any man."

COMMENT: He was now coming closer to his strength given by God by mentioning his hair.

14 So while he slept Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into cloth on a loom. Then she said to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he woke up and pulled free from the loom.

15 Then she said to him, "How can you say that you love me when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me three times and not told me where your great strength comes from."

16 She pressed him daily, urging him to tell her, until his soul was vexed to death.

COMMENT: Yet vexed as he said he was, he stayed around.

17 So he told her all that was on his heart. He said, "A razor has never come to my head. I am a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, my strength will leave me and I will be like any other man."

COMMENT: He must have thought no one could cut his hair without his consent.

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was on his heart, she sent for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come at once, for he has told me all that is on his heart." Then the lords came up and brought her the money.

19 Delilah made Samson sleep on her knees and then called for a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength had left him. 20 She said, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you." And he awoke and thought, "I will go out as I always have and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. 21 The Philistines seized him, put out his eyes and brought him to Gaza. They bound him with bronze chains and made him grind at the mill in prison.

22 As time passed his hair began to grow.

23 Now the lords of the Philistines assembled for a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were rejoicing, for they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands." 24 And whenever the people saw him, they said, "Our god has given our enemy into our hands. He was the destroyer of our country as well as many of us." 25 When they were in high spirits, they called for Samson to be brought out from prison to amuse them. They had him stand between the center pillars while they made sport of him. 26 Then Samson said to the boy holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests that I may lean against them."

COMMENT: This had to be a God inspired thought.

27 The house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there. And there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof looking on as Samson amused them.

28 Then Samson called to the LORD, and said, "O LORD God, please strengthen me only this once, that I may be avenged upon the Philistines for my two eyes." 29 As he stood between the two middle pillars on which the house rested, Samson placed a hand on each pillar, 30 and said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bowed himself with all his might against the pillars so that the house fell on the lords and all the people with them. So in his death he killed more than all the people he had killed in his lifetime.

31 His brothers and all his father's house came down and took him up to be buried between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years.

Judges 17 - RWB Paraphrase (13 V)
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Micah
1 There was a man from the hill country in Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2 He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver which was taken from you, about which I heard you uttered a curse, is actually with me. I took it." She said, "Be blessed of the LORD, my son." 3 He then returned all eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother who then dedicated some of it to make a graven image. 4 She took two hundred pieces of silver to the silversmith who made them into a graven image which was placed in Micah's house. 5 Micah had a shrine and made an ephod and household idols and he consecrated one of his sons to become his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own eyes.

7 A young Levites from Bethlehem of Judah was staying there. 8 He had departed from Bethlehem to find a place where he might stay and ended up at Micah's house. 9 Micah asked him, "Where have you come from?" He answered, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah and I am looking for a place to stay." 10 Micah then said, "You may stay with me, and be a father and a priest to me. Each year I will give you ten pieces of silver, a suit of clothes and your food." So the Levite remained with him, 11 becoming like one his sons. 12 So Micah consecrated the Levite and the young man became his priest and lived with him. 13 Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me because I have a Levite as priest."

Judges 18 - RWB Paraphrase (31 V)
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The Tribe Dan Gets Its Inheritance
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And the tribe of Dan was seeking an inheritance for themselves, for none had yet been aloted them among the tribes of Israel.

COMMENT: This strong evidence that the stories in the book of Judges are not in order.

2 So the children of Dan sent five valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land. They came to the hill country of Ephraim and lodged in the house of Micah. 3 As they came near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite man and stopped to ask him, "How did you come to be here? What are you doing in this place?" 4 He explained what Micah had been doing for him and that he had become his priest. 5 They then asked him to inquire of God that they might know if God was going to bless them where they were going. 6 The priest said to them, "Go in peace. The LORD approves of where you are going."

7 The five men departed and came to Laish and saw that the people there were living without any concern, much like the Sidonians. They had no magistrate and lived far for the Sidonians. They had no dealings with anyone. 8 When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers wanted a report of what they had seen. 9 The spies said, "Arise. Let's be on our way. We have seen the land it is very good. We must not delay in possessing it." 10 "When you enter the land you will see a secure people with a spacious dwelling place. God has given it into our hand. It has everything we need."

11 Six hundred armed men from Dan and Eshtaol set out. 12 They went up and camped at Kirjathjearim in Judah. They called that place Mahanehdan as it is called to this day. It is behind Kirjathjearim. 13 From there they passed to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. 14 Then those five men who had spied out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you realize that in this house there is an ephod and a graven image? Consider what you should do." 15 They turned aside and came to the house of the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. 16 The six hundred armed men of the tribe of Dan stood by the entrance at the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went in and took out the graven image, the ephod and all the household idols while the priest stood by the gate with the six hundred men of war. 18 While they were taking out the graven image and the ephod, the priest said, "What are you doing?" 19 They said to him, "Be quiet and come with us. Be a father to us. Is it better to be a priest to one man, or to be priest to a tribe in Israel?" 20 The priest was glad to take the ephod and the household idols and go with them. 21 When they left they took the little ones, the livestock and the valuables. 22 When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, his neighbors assembled and overtook the sons of Dan. 23 They cried to the sons of Dan, and the men of war asked Micah, "What have you come for?" 24 He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest with them. How can you ask me what I have come for?" 25 Then the sons of Dan said, "Be quiet, or our men will fall upon you and you will die and so will your household." 26 So the sons of Dan continued on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him and he returned to his house.

27 So the sons of Dan took what Micah had made and his priest and came to Laish, to a quiet and secure people. They then smote them with the edge of the sword and burned their city. 28 There was no one to deliver them for they were far from Sidon and kept to themselves. The place was in the valley near Bethrehob and they built a city and lived there. 29 They named the city Dan after the father of their tribe. Its former name had been Laish.

30 And the sons of Dan set up the graven image for themselves, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, with his sons were priests to the tribe of Danites until the day of captivity of the land. 31 And all the time that the house of God was at Shiloh, the Danites had Micah's graven image for themselves.

Judges 19 - RWB Paraphrase (30 V)
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The Levite and His Concubine
1 In those days when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him and then went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She remained there for four months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her and bring her back. He took a servant and a pair of donkeys with him. When he got there she brought him into her father's house and her father was glad to see him. 4 Her father detained him and they ate and drank and he stayed the night. 5 On the fourth day they got up early to prepare to leave. Once again the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Have a piece of bread and then you may go." 6 So they sat down together and ate and drank. The girl's father said to the man, "Please spend the night and let you heart be merry." 7 The man arose as though to go but the father-in-law urged him to stay, so he spent the night there. 8 On the fifth day he got up early to go but the girl's father said, "Please have a little food and wait until afternoon." So they both ate. 9 Later in the day when he was about to leave, his father-in-law said to him, "Behold, the day is almost gone. Please spend the night and tomorrow you can arise early and be on your way." 10 But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he left with his concubine, his servant and his two saddled donkeys. They came to a place opposite Jebus, which is now known as Jerusalem. 11 When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone. The servant said, "Master, come, let us stay in this city for the night." 12 His master, however, did not want to lodge with foreigners. So he said, "We will go on as far as Gibeah," 13 "and spend the night there or in Ramah." 14 So they passed on and the sun set as they neared Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 15 They turned aside to find lodging and sat in the open square of the city. But no one offered to let them spend the night in his house. 16 Finally when it was evening an old man came in from working in his field. Though he was from the hill country of Ephraim, he was staying in Gibeah. The men of the place were Benjamites. 17 When he saw the traveler in the open square he asked him, "Where did you come from and where are you going?" 18 The Levite replied, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim where I live. No one has offered to take me to his house." 19 "This place has plenty of straw and fodder for the donkeys and bread and wine for us. There is plenty of everything." 20 The old man said, "Peace be with you. I will take care of you. Only do not stay in the open square tonight."

21 So he took the Levite into his house and gave their donkeys fodder. They washed their feet and ate and drank. 22 While they were enjoying their meal together, some worthless men of the city surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him." 23 The owner of the house went out to reason with them, saying, "Please do not act so wickedly. This man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this act of folly." 24 Let me bring out my virgin daughter and his concubine that you may do whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man.

COMMENT: Lot made the same offer to those in Sodom who wanted to molest the men lodging with him. It appears that sodomy was considered even worse than molesting women.

Genesis 19:5-8 They called to Lot saying, "Where are the men you took home with you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may misuse them." [6] Lot went outside shutting the door behind him. [7] He said to the men, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly." [8] "You know that I have two daughters who are virgins. Let me bring them out to you to do with them as you please. But, please, do nothing to my guests who have come under my roof."

25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite seized his concubine and brought her out to them. They raped her all night until morning and then left as dawn approached. 26 The woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man's house and remained there until full daylight. 27 When her master got up and opened the door to be on his way, he found his concubine lying with her hands on the threshold. 28 He told her to get up but she did not answer. He placed her on the donkey and headed for his home. 29 When he entered his house, he took a knife and cut his concubine in twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 All who witnessed this said, "Nothing like this has ever happened since Israel came up from the land of Egypt. Consider what should be done?"

Judges 20 - RWB Paraphrase (48 V)
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The Levite Does Something Terrible
1 All the children of Israel assembled before the LORD in Mizpah, including the land of Gilead. 2 The chiefs of all the people in all the tribes took their stand in the assembly. There were 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword. 3 The children of Benjamin heard that all Israel had gone to Mizpah and was asking about the wickedness of the city where the Levite had stayed. 4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, stood up and said, "I came with my concubine to spend the night at Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin." 5 "But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me. Instead, they ravish my concubine until she died." 6 "I cut her in pieces and sent her throughout Israel because of the lewd and disgraceful thing that was done in Israel." 7 "Behold, all you children of Israel, give your advice and counsel."

8 Then all the people arose as one man, and said, "None of us will return to his own dwelling." 9 "We must go up against Gibeah by lot." 10 "One out of every ten men in our army shall be responsible for feeding the rest of the army as they go up against Gibeah of Benjamin to punish them for the disgraceful act they have committed in Israel." 11 So all the men of Israel came against the city as one man. 12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?" 13 "Deliver to us the worthless men of Gibeah that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel." But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the rest of the children of Israel.

14 The children of Benjamin gathered for battle against the children of Israel. 15 They had 26,000 soldiers beside 700 inhabitants of Gibeah, all choice men. 16 Each of the 700 choice men were left handed and could sling a stone at a hair breadth and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel who came against them numbered 400,000, all men of war. 18 Now the children of Israel went to the house of God and asked counsel of Him. They asked, "Who of us shall go first to battle with the children of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."

19 So the children of Israel rose up and camped against Gibeah, 20 preparing themselves for battle. 21 Then the children of Benjamin came out and destroyed 22,000 men of the children of Israel that day. 22 But the men of Israel encouraged themselves for battle on the following day. 23 And they went before the LORD until evening and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, "Should we go again against the children of our brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him." 24 So the children of Israel came against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 Benjamin came out against them and destroyed 18,000 men of Israel. 26 Then all the children of Israel came again to the house of the LORD, and wept and fasted until evening before the LORD. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, 27 and enquired of the LORD, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days. 28 In those days Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, ministered before the ark. The children of Israel asked again, "Shall we go out against the sons of our brother Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will be with you and deliver them into your hand." 29 So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30 The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day. 31 The army of Benjamin came out against them as before and were drawn away from the city. When they had killed about thirty of Israel's men, 32 the children of Benjamin said to themselves, "They are falling before us as on the other days." And the children of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city." 33 When Benjamin had followed the army of Israel, then men of Israel came out of their hiding places where they had waited in ambush. 34 Ten thousand choice men of Israel had come against Gibeah and the battle was fierce. Benjamin did not know what was happening in the city behind them. 35 And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that Israel struck down 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. 36 After this the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. 37 The men in ambush had rushed against Gibeah and struck it down with the sword. 38 The army of Israel had been told to wait for a sign from the men left in ambush. It was to be a great cloud of smoke rising from the city. 39 When the men of Israel turned and ran before the men of Benjamin, the men of Benjamin thought the battle was going their way again. 40 But when Benjamin saw the column of smoke rising above the city, 41 the men of Israel turn about and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they realized that disaster had come to them. 42 They turned and ran before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but were overtaken and destroyed by the men of Israel. 43 The men of Benjamin were surrounded and pursued east of Gibeah. 44 Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell, all valiant warriors. 45 Those still alive fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. 5,000 were destroyed on the highway and 2,000 more were killed at Gidom. 46 So all the men of Benjamin that fell that day were 25,000, every one of them a valiant warrior. 47 In the end, 600 men turned and fled to the rock of Rimmon, and remained there for four months. 48 The men of Israel turned back and mopped up those still alive from the tribe of Benjamin, striking them with the sword, their cities, their cattle and all that they found. And they set fire to all the cities they found.

Judges 21 - RWB Paraphrase (25 V)
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Wives for the Surviving Men of Benjamin
1 The men of Israel had sworn that none of them would give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin. 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat before the LORD until evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, 3 saying "O LORD God of Israel, what has happened that one of the tribes is missing in Israel today?" 4 The next day the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 They began looking around and asking, "Who did not come up to the assembly of the LORD at Mizpah from among the tribes of Israel?" For they had taken a great oath that whoever did not come should be put to death. 6 The children of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin. They said, "It is wrong for one of the tribes to be cut off from Israel." 7 "What shall we do for wives for those of Benjamin who are left, since we have sworn to the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?" 8 And they asked among themselves, "Who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah?" It was discovered that no one had come to the assembly from the camp of Jabeshgilead. 9 They numbered the people and found that not one of the people from Jabeshgilead had come. 10 The congregation sent 12,000 valiant warriors there with instructions to strike down the inhabitants with the sword, including the women and children. 11 They were told to utterly destroy every man and every woman who had had relations with a man. 12 Four hundred young virgins were found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead and brought to the camp at Shiloh. 13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the surviving men of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. 14 Those men of Benjamin returned and were given the women kept alive from Jabeshgilead. But it turned out there were not enough women. 15 The people were sorry for those who did not have wives. 16 They discussed what they could do about those without wives. 17 They said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin so that their tribe will not be blotted out in Israel." 18 "But, we cannot give them wives from among our daughters." For they had bound themselves with an oath against anyone who gave his daughter to Benjamin. 19 So they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD each year in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel." 20 They told the men of Benjamin without wives to lie in wait in the vineyards. 21 They were to watch for the daughters of Shiloh coming out to take part in the dances. When they came out each of the men of Benjamin was to catch a wife for himself and return to the land of Benjamin. 22 They were told, "If their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, 'Give them voluntarily, else you will be guilty.'" 23 The sons of Benjamin did this and carried away wives from those who came out to dance and they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt their cities. 24 The children of Israel departed, each man to his own tribe, family and inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what seemed right in his own eyes.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21