They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; they worshiped their gods as well.

Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

He also threatened the men of Penuel, warning, “When I return victoriously, I will tear down this tower.”

Then Jotham ran away to Beer and lived there to escape from Abimelech his half-brother.

He led Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.

They threw away the foreign gods they owned and worshiped the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.

But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.

Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

The Lord’s spirit began to control him in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.

The priest said to them, “Go with confidence. The Lord will be with you on your mission.”

So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.

The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace.

and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there.

Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the Lord.

So the Israelites removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.

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

So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.

Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin looked on as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another.