When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.

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

Jair the Gileadite rose up after him; he led Israel for twenty-two years.

The Lord was furious with Israel and turned them over to the Philistines and Ammonites.

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

The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh.

Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

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

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

All you Israelites, make a decision here!”

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

The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites.

The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days;

The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush sent up a smoke signal from the city,

When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.

The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.”

The people regretted what had happened to Benjamin because the Lord had weakened the Israelite tribes.

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

The Lord was furious with Israel and turned them over to King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects for eight years.