Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.

The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord, for he is our God!”

He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely.

When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.

That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites – all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped.

May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!” And the land had rest for forty years.

I rescued you from Egypt’s power and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you.

That night God did as he asked. Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

Gideon used all this to make an ephod, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

The Israelites did not remain true to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them.

Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family,

All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.

The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting bandits in the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it.

Abimelech and his units attacked and blocked the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down.

God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.

But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.

Now the temple was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain.

They worshiped Micah’s carved image the whole time God’s authorized shrine was in Shiloh.