The one who committed manslaughter<n id="1" /> should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.<n id="2" /> They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.<n id="3" />

Now the <sc>Lordsc> your God has made your fellow Israelites secure,<n id="1" /> just as he promised them. So now you may turn around and go to your homes<n id="2" /> in your own land<n id="3" /> which Moses the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant assigned to you east of the Jordan.

<p class="bodytext">When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders and clan leaders who accompanied him heard the defense of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the Manassehites,<n id="1" /> they were satisfied.<n id="2" />

Joshua said to all the people, &#8220;Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the <sc>Lordsc> said to us.<n id="1" /> It will be a witness against you if<n id="2" /> you deny your God.&#8221;

So Gideon took ten of his servants<n id="1" /> and did just as the <sc>Lordsc> had told him. He was too afraid of his father&#8217;s family<n id="2" /> and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime.<n id="3" />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" />

It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?&#8221;<n id="1" /> When he said this, they calmed down.<n id="2" />p>

&#8220;Tell<n id="1" /> all the leaders of Shechem this: &#8216;Why would you want<n id="2" /> to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal&#8217;s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />

His mother&#8217;s relatives<n id="1" /> spoke on his behalf to<n id="2" /> all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal.<n id="3" /> The leaders were drawn to Abimelech;<n id="4" /> they said, &#8220;He is our close relative.&#8221;<n id="5" />

So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement<n id="1" /> before the <sc>Lordsc> in Mizpah.p>

then they said to him, &#8220;Say &#8216;Shibboleth!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> If he said, &#8220;Sibboleth&#8221; (and could not pronounce the word<n id="2" /> correctly), they grabbed him and executed him right there at the fords of the Jordan. On that day forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell dead.

<p class="bodytext">Delilah said to Samson, &#8220;Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued.&#8221; He said to her, &#8220;If you weave the seven braids of my hair<n id="1" /> into the fabric on the loom<n id="2" /> and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.&#8221;

her husband came<n id="1" /> after her, hoping he could convince her to return.<n id="2" /> He brought with him his servant<n id="3" /> and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father&#8217;s house and the girl&#8217;s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.<n id="4" />

Everyone who saw the sight<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since<n id="2" /> the Israelites left the land of Egypt!<n id="3" /> Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Boaz went up<n id="1" /> to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian<n id="2" /> whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth!<n id="3" /> Boaz said, &#8220;Come<n id="4" /> here and sit down, &#8216;John Doe&#8217;!&#8221;<n id="5" /> So he came<n id="6" /> and sat down.

So Eli said to Samuel, &#8220;Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, &#8220;Speak, <sc>Lordsc>, for your servant is listening.&#8221; So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.p>

But the servant said to him, &#8220;Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.<n id="1" /> Now let&#8217;s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Saul replied, &#8220;Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel&#8217;s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work.<n id="1" /> He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the <sc>Lordsc>. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes.