The <sc>Lordsc> turned them over to<n id="1" /> King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor.<n id="2" /> The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.<n id="3" />

She would sit<n id="1" /> under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel<n id="2" /> in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled.<n id="3" />p>

That very day Gideon&#8217;s father named him Jerub-Baal,<n id="1" /> because he had said, &#8220;Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.&#8221;p>

He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well.<n id="1" /> He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.p>

That night God did as he asked.<n id="1" /> Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.p>

and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave<n id="1" /> and attack the camp.&#8221; So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp.<n id="2" />

So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family<n id="1" /> today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness!<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">After Abimelech&#8217;s death,<n id="1" /> Tola son of Puah, grandson<n id="2" /> of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar,<n id="3" /> rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country.

<p class="bodytext">Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father.<n id="1" />

He said, &#8220;You may go.&#8221; He permitted her to leave<n id="1" /> for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.<n id="2" />

God answered Manoah&#8217;s prayer.<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s angelic messenger visited<n id="2" /> the woman again while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her.

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s messenger did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. After all this happened Manoah realized that the visitor had been the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s messenger.<n id="1" />

She said, &#8220;The Philistines are here,<n id="1" /> Samson!&#8221; He woke up<n id="2" /> and thought,<n id="3" /> &#8220;I will do as I did before<n id="4" /> and shake myself free.&#8221; But he did not realize that the <sc>Lordsc> had left him.

But the man did not want to stay another night. He left<n id="1" /> and traveled as far as<n id="2" /> Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).<n id="3" /> He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.<n id="4" />p>

The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.<n id="1" />p>

That day twenty-five thousand<n id="1" /> sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.<n id="2" />

The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites<n id="1" /> gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.<n id="2" />p>

Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property.<n id="1" />

The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Gideon again, &#8220;There are still too many men.<n id="1" /> Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more.<n id="2" /> When I say, &#8216;This one should go with you,&#8217; pick him to go;<n id="3" /> when I say,<n id="4" /> &#8216;This one should not go with you,&#8217; do not take him.&#8221;<n id="5" />

That entire generation passed away;<n id="1" /> a new generation grew up<n id="2" /> that had not personally experienced the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.<n id="3" />p>