But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is the right one for me.”

That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.

When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords throughout the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion, and he died.

When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us, we’ll say to them, “Do us a favor and let them be, for we could not get each one a wife through battle. Don’t worry about breaking your oath! You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’”

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

So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah.

The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!

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

They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.

When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.

All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah.

They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

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

Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.

Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center of the land. A unit is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.”

“The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’

So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children.

So he brought the men down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.”

When he got home, he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife.”