The Lord said to him, “Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.”

The Lord said to him, “You are safe! Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!”

But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant

Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.

Manoah’s wife gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord empowered him.

Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.

Samson said to them, “This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!”

Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and went in to have sex with her.

Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.

But she replied to them, “Don’t call me ‘Naomi’! Call me ‘Mara’ because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly.

So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

So the guardian said to Boaz, “You may acquire it,” and he removed his sandal.

Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children.

The Lord both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!”

Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”

But his sons did not follow his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.

Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”

Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] years.