You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the <sc>Lordsc> our God has driven out before us.<n id="1" />

Now the temple<n id="1" /> 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<n id="1" /> Micah&#8217;s carved image<n id="2" /> the whole time God&#8217;s authorized shrine<n id="3" /> was in Shiloh.p>

The old man said, &#8220;Everything is just fine!<n id="1" /> I will take care of all your needs. But don&#8217;t spend the night in the town square.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba<n id="1" /> and from the land of Gilead<n id="2" /> left their homes<n id="3" /> and assembled together<n id="4" /> before the <sc>Lordsc> at Mizpah.

<p class="bodytext">All Israel rose up in unison<n id="1" /> and said, &#8220;Not one of us will go home!<n id="2" /> Not one of us will return<n id="3" /> to his house!

Among this army<n id="1" /> were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers.<n id="2" /> Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.<n id="3" />

The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.<n id="1" />p>

The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash<n id="1" /> to Gibeah. They<n id="2" /> attacked<n id="3" /> and put the sword to the entire city.

<p class="bodytext">The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.<n id="1" />

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>

When the <sc>Lordsc> raised up leaders for them, the <sc>Lordsc> was with each leader and delivered the people<n id="1" /> from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The <sc>Lordsc> felt sorry for them<n id="2" /> when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.<n id="3" />

But he went back<n id="1" /> once he reached<n id="2" /> the carved images<n id="3" /> at Gilgal. He said to Eglon,<n id="4" /> &#8220;I have a secret message for you, O king.&#8221; Eglon<n id="5" /> said, &#8220;Be quiet!&#8221;<n id="6" /> All his attendants left.

Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera&#8217;s whole army died<n id="1" /> by the edge of the sword; not even one survived!<n id="2" />p>

Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it<n id="1" /> is dry, then I will be sure<n id="2" /> that you will use me to deliver Israel,<n id="3" /> as you promised.&#8221;

Gideon said to God, &#8220;Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign.<n id="1" /> Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So he brought the men<n id="1" /> down to the water. Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to Gideon, &#8220;Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.&#8221;<n id="2" />

The men<n id="1" /> who were chosen<n id="2" /> took supplies<n id="3" /> and their trumpets. Gideon<n id="4" /> sent all the men of Israel back to their homes;<n id="5" /> he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites<n id="6" /> were camped down below<n id="7" /> in the valley.p>

The other man said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Without a doubt this symbolizes<n id="2" /> the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.<n id="1" />