They said, &#8220;Why, O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?&#8221; An entire<n id="1" /> tribe has disappeared from Israel today!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Warriors<n id="1" /> were scarce,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they were scarce in Israel,p> <p class="poetry">until you<n id="3" /> arose, Deborah,p> <p class="poetry">until you arose as a motherly protector<n id="4" /> in Israel.p>

Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the <sc>Lordsc> for help.p>

Since<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel has driven out<n id="2" /> the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">After him Elon the Zebulunite led<n id="1" /> Israel for ten years.<n id="2" />

The Israelites regretted what had happened to<n id="1" /> their brother Benjamin. They said, &#8220;Today we cut off an entire<n id="2" /> tribe from Israel!

<t /><p class="bodytext">Abimelech commanded<n id="1" /> Israel for three years.

<p class="bodytext">So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah.

Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, &#8220;Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.&#8221;<n id="1" />

But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He<n id="1" /> assembled his whole army,<n id="2" /> camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, &#8220;Explain how this wicked thing happened!&#8221;

I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces<n id="1" /> throughout the territory occupied by Israel,<n id="2" /> because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity<n id="3" /> in Israel.

The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they<n id="1" /> arranged their battle lines against Gibeah.

<n id="1" /> All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah.

<p class="poetry">&#8220;When the leaders took the lead<n id="1" /> in Israel,p> <p class="poetry">When the people answered the call to war &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">Praise the <sc>Lordsc>!p>

<p class="poetry">My heart went out<n id="1" /> to Israel&#8217;s leaders,p> <p class="poetry">to the people who answered the call to war.p> <p class="poetry">Praise the <sc>Lordsc>!p>

<p class="bodytext">It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel.

<t /><p class="bodytext">After him Ibzan of Bethlehem<n id="1" /> led<n id="2" /> Israel.

<p class="bodytext">After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led<n id="1" /> Israel.

Samson led<n id="1" /> Israel for twenty years during the days of Philistine prominence.<n id="2" />p>