When he gave the silver back to his mother, she ¹  took two hundred pieces of silver ²  to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house. ³ 

But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky. ¹ 

The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass ¹  of Heres.

Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. ¹ 

After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led ¹  Israel.

When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. ¹ 

The Gazites were told, ¹  “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town ²  and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave. ³  They relaxed ⁴  all night, thinking, ⁵  “He will not leave ⁶  until morning comes; ⁷  then we will kill him!”

Gilead stayed put ¹  beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? ²  Asher remained ³  on the seacoast, he stayed ⁴  by his harbors. ⁵ 

When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places.

Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled ¹  the city and spread salt over it. ² 

The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison.

Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple. ¹  Then I can lean on them.”

Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple ¹  and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.

The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹  They worshiped ²  the Baals and the Ashtars, ³  as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, ⁴  Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. ⁵  They abandoned the Lord and did not worship ⁶  him.

The Lord’s spirit empowered him ¹  and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. ² 

When Ehud had left, Eglon’s ¹  servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself ²  in the well-ventilated inner room.” ³ 

They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹  they follow ²  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came ³  the ones who march carrying ⁴  an officer’s staff.

May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!” ¹  And the land had rest for forty years.

When they invaded ¹  with their cattle and tents, they were as thick ²  as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. ³  They came to devour ⁴  the land.