All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. ¹  Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

She said, “The Philistines are here, ¹  Samson!” He woke up ²  and thought, ³  “I will do as I did before ⁴  and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.

Everyone who saw the sight ¹  said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since ²  the Israelites left the land of Egypt! ³  Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”

Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten.

The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!”

Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. ¹ 

my father fought for you; he risked his life ¹  and delivered you from Midian’s power. ² 

Gaal son of Ebed ¹  came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. ² 

He led ¹  Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.

Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!” ¹ 

The Ammonites assembled ¹  and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

Jephthah led ¹  Israel for six years; then he ²  died and was buried in his city in Gilead. ³ 

Manoah’s wife ¹  gave birth to a son and named him Samson. ²  The child grew and the Lord empowered ³  him.

Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye. ¹ 

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard ¹  and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life. ² 

The Benjaminites attacked ¹  the army, leaving the city unguarded. ²  They began to strike down their enemy ³  just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, ⁴  the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down ⁵  about thirty Israelites.

That entire generation passed away; ¹  a new generation grew up ²  that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. ³ 

He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’”

The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

God answered Manoah’s prayer. ¹  God’s angelic messenger visited ²  the woman again while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her.