The old man said, “Everything is just fine! ¹  I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.”

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

The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose ¹  me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! ²  Otherwise ³  may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’

Now, hand over the good-for-nothings ¹  in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” ²  But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers.

Her father said, “I really thought ¹  you absolutely despised ²  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ³ 

They said, “Come on, let’s attack them, ¹  for ²  we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic, ³  but don’t hesitate ⁴  to invade and conquer ⁵  the land.

The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite ¹  grabbed his concubine and made her go outside. ²  They raped ³  her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn.

Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave ¹  my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?”

He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, ¹  I will become weak and be just like any other man.”

The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men ¹  will attack you, and you and your family will die.” ² 

Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s ¹  concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like. ²  But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!”

So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died.

Do this: ¹  exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. ²  But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed. ³ 

Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, ¹  my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera ²  stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him.

the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian ¹  when they oppressed you? ²  You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. ³ 

The Ephraimites assembled ¹  and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight ²  with the Ammonites without asking ³  us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” ⁴ 

They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male. ¹  They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

On the fourth ¹  day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. ²  If you refuse, ³  we will burn up ⁴  you and your father’s family. ⁵  Did you invite us here ⁶  to make us poor?” ⁷ 

The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. ¹  The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. ² 

The Lord’s angelic ¹  messenger appeared to the woman and said to her, “You ²  are infertile and childless, ³  but you will conceive and have a son.