They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king!'

9 But the olive tree responded, 'Should I stop producing oil, which people use to honor gods and humans, in order to rule the trees?'

10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!'

11 But the fig tree responded, 'Should I stop producing my good, sweet fruit in order to rule the trees?'

12 Then the trees said to the grapevine, 'You come and be our king!'

13 But the grapevine responded, 'Should I stop producing my wine, which makes gods and humans happy, in order to rule the trees?'

14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'You come and be our king!'

15 But the thornbush responded to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me to be your king, then come and take shelter in my shade.

But if not, fire will come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.'

16 "If you acted with sincerity and integrity when you made Abimelech king, be happy. If you treated Jerubbaal and his family well, if you treated him as he deserved, be happy. 17 My father fought for you. He risked his life and rescued you from Midian. 18 But today you have attacked my father's family. You have executed his 70 sons. You have made Abimelech, who is the son of my father's slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem just because he's your brother. 19 So if you are now acting with sincerity and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his family, then be happy with Abimelech and let Abimelech be happy with you. 20 But if that's not the case, let fire come out of Abimelech and burn up citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo. Also let fire come out of citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech."

21 Then Jotham ran away quickly. He went to Beerah and lived there to avoid his brother Abimelech.

Abimelech's Battles 22 Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. 23 Then Elohim sent an evil spirit to cause problems between Abimelech and citizens of Shechem. So citizens of Shechem turned against Abimelech. 24 God did this so that the bloody violence committed against Jerubbaal's 70 sons would happen to Abimelech and citizens of Shechem. Citizens of Shechem had helped Abimelech execute his brothers.

25 So citizens of Shechem set ambushes for Abimelech on top of the mountains. They also robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.

26 Then Gaal (son of Ebed) and his brothers moved into Shechem. Citizens of Shechem trusted him. 27 They went into the country and harvested grapes in the vineyards to make wine. Then they made an offering of praise in the temple of their gods. They ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28 Gaal (son of Ebed) said, "Who's Abimelech, and who are we, the people of Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he Jerubbaal's son, and isn't Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech? 29 How I wish I controlled these people! Then I'd get rid of Abimelech. I would tell him,a 'Get yourself a big army and come out.'"

30 Zebul, Shechem's ruler, heard what Gaal (son of Ebed) had said, and he became angry. 31 He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech. "Watch out! Gaal (son of Ebed) and his brothers have come to Shechem. They have turned the city against you. 32 You and your men must start out tonight. Set an ambush for them in the fields around Shechem. 33 In the morning, when the sun rises, get up quickly and raid the city. When Gaal and his men come out to attack you, do whatever you want to him."

34 Abimelech and all his troops started out at night. He used four companies to set ambushes around Shechem. 35 Gaal (son of Ebed) went out and stood at the entrance to the city. Then Abimelech and his troops rose from their ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the troops, he said to Zebul, "Look, troops are coming down from the mountaintops!"

Zebul replied, "The shadows of the mountains look like men to you."

37 Gaal spoke again, "No, there are troops coming down from Tabbur Haares. One company is coming along the road by the Fortunetellers' Tree."

38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big mouth now? You were the one who said, 'Who's Abimelech that we should serve him?' Aren't these the troops whose ruler you despised? Now go out and fight him."

39 Then Gaal led citizens of Shechem out to fight Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased Gaal so that he ran away from him. Many were killed at the entrance of the city. 41 Abimelech continued to live at Arumah. Zebul threw Gaal and his brothers out and would not let them live in Shechem.

42 The next day the people of Shechem went into the fields. Abimelech was told about it. 43 So he took his troops, divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the fields. He watched and saw the people coming out of the city. Then he began to attack them. 44 Abimelech and his company charged the city and captured its entrance. The other two companies charged at everyone in the fields and attacked them. 45 Abimelech attacked the city all day long. He captured the city and killed the people in it. He also tore down the city and scattered salt all over the land.

46 All the citizens of Shechem's Tower heard about it and went into the basement of the temple of El Berith. 47 When Abimelech was told that they had gathered there, 48 he and all his men went to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took an ax, cut some brushwood, and carried it on his shoulder. He told his men, "Hurry and do what you've seen me do!" 49 So all his troops also cut brushwood and followed Abimelech. They piled the brushwood on top of the basement and set it on fire with the people inside. So all the people in Shechem's Tower died too. There were about a thousand men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, camped there, and captured it. 51 Now, there was a strong tower inside the town. All the men, women, and leaders of the town fled to it. They locked the door behind them and went up on the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came to the tower. He began to fight against it and went near the entrance of the tower to burn it down. 53 Then a woman threw a small millstone that hit Abimelech on the head and cracked his skull. 54 He quickly called his armorbearer. He told him, "Take your sword and kill me! I don't want anyone to say, 'A woman killed Abimelech.'" His armorbearer did as he said, so Abimelech died. 55 When the people of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

56 So Elohim paid back Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father when he killed his 70 brothers. 57 Elohim also paid back the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham, son of Jerubbaal, came true.

Tola Serves as Judge 10 1 After Abimelech, Tola, who was the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo, came to rescue Israel. Tola was from Issachar and lived in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel for 23 years. Tola died and was buried in Shamir.

Jair Serves as Judge 3 After Tola, Jair from Gilead became a judge. He judged Israel for 22 years. 4 Jair had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. He also had 30 towns that are still called Havvoth Jair to this day. They are in the region of Gilead. 5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

Israel Sins Again 6 The people of Israel again did what Yahweh considered evil. They began to serve other gods and goddesses-the Baals and the Astartes-and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned Yahweh and did not serve him.

7 Yahweh became angry with the people of Israel. So he used the Philistines and Ammonites to defeat them. 8 They oppressed and crushed the people of Israel that year. For 18 years they oppressed all who lived east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites in Gilead. 9 Ammon also crossed the Jordan River to fight the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. So Israel suffered a great deal.

10 Then the people of Israel cried out to Yahweh for help. They said, "We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our Elohim and served other gods-the Baals."

11 Yahweh said to the people of Israel, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to me for help. Didn't I rescue you from them? 13 But you still abandoned me and served other gods. That's why I won't rescue you again. 14 Cry out for help to the gods you chose. Let them rescue you when you're in trouble."

15 The people of Israel said to Yahweh, "We have sinned. Do to us whatever you think is right. But please rescue us today!" 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods they had and served Yahweh . So Yahweh could not bear to have Israel suffer any longer.

17 The troops of Ammon were summoned to fight, and they camped at Gilead. The people of Israel also gathered together and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever starts the fight against Ammon will rule everyone who lives in Gilead."

Jephthah Called to Be Judge 11 1 Jephthah was a soldier from the region of Gilead. Jephthah's father was named Gilead. His mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead's wife also gave birth to sons. When his wife's sons grew up, they threw Jephthah out. They told him, "You'll get no inheritance from our father. You're the son of that other woman." 3 Jephthah fled from his brothers. He went to live in the land of Tob. Worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went out on raids with him.

4 Later, Ammon waged war with Israel. 5 When the Ammonites attacked Israel, Gilead's leaders went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander so that we can wage war against Ammon."

7 But Jephthah replied to Gilead's leaders, "Don't you hate me? Didn't you throw me out of my father's house? So why are you coming to me now when you're in trouble?"

8 Gilead's leaders answered Jephthah, "The reason we've turned to you now is that we want you to go with us and wage war against Ammon. You will be the ruler of everyone who lives in Gilead."

9 Jephthah told them, "If you take me back to fight against Ammonites and Yahweh gives them to me, I will be your leader."

10 Gilead's leaders said to Jephthah, "Yahweh is a witness between us. We will certainly do what you say." "Jephthah went with them, and the people made him their leader and commander. So Jephthah went to Mizpah and repeated all these things in the presence of Yahweh.

The King of Ammon Refuses to Deal with Jephthah 12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked the king, "Why did you invade my land and wage war against me?"

13 The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers, "When the people of Israel left Egypt, they took my land. It stretched from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and the Jordan River. Now give it back peacefully."

14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of Ammon. 15 They said, "This is what Jephthah says: The people of Israel didn't take away the land belonging to Moab or Ammon. 16 When the people of Israel left Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 The people of Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom. They said, 'Please let us go through your country.' But the king of Edom wouldn't listen to them. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab. But he wouldn't allow it, either. So the people of Israel remained at Kadesh.

18 "Then they went through the desert, bypassing Edom and Moab. They camped east of Moab-east of the Arnon River. They did not cross the Arnon River because it was Moab's border.

19 "Then the people of Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites. Sihon ruled from Heshbon. The people of Israel said to him, 'Please let us go through your land to our own.' 20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelites enough to let them go through his territory. Sihon assembled all his troops. He camped at Jahaz and attacked Israel. 21 But Yahweh Elohim of Israel handed Sihon and all his people over to Israel. Israel defeated them and took possession of all the land of the Amorites who lived there. 22 Israel took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and from the desert to the Jordan River.

23 "Yahweh Elohim of Israel forced the Amorites out of the way of his people Israel. So what right do you have to take it back? 24 Shouldn't you take possession of what your god Chemosh took for you? Shouldn't we take everything Yahweh our Elohim took for us? 25 You're not any better than Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, are you? Did he ever have a case against Israel? Or did he ever fight against Israel? 26 Israel has now lived in Heshbon, Aroer, all their villages, and in all the cities along the Arnon River for 300 years. Why didn't you recapture these cities during that time? 27 I haven't sinned against you. But you have done wrong by waging war against me. Yahweh is the Shophet who will decide today whether Israel or Ammon is right."

28 But the king of Ammon didn't listen to the message Jephthah sent him.

Jephthah's Vow 29 Then the Ruach Yahweh came over Jephthah. Jephthah went through Gilead, Manasseh, and Mizpah in Gilead to gather an army. From Mizpah in Gilead Jephthah went to attack Ammon.

30 Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh. He said, "If you will really hand Ammon over to me, 31 then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from Ammon will belong to Yahweh. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

32 So Jephthah went to fight against Ammon. Yahweh handed the people of Ammon over to him. 33 He defeated them from Aroer to Minnith and on to Abel Keramim, 20 cities in all. It was a decisive defeat. So the Ammonites were crushed by the people of Israel.

34 When Jephthah went to his home in Mizpah, he saw his daughter coming out to meet him. She was dancing with tambourines in her hands. She was his only child. Jephthah had no other sons or daughters. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes in grief and said, "Oh no, Daughter! You've brought me to my knees! What disaster you've brought me! I made a foolish promise to Yahweh. Now I can't break it."

36 She said to him, "Father, you made a promise to Yahweh. Do to me whatever you promised since Yahweh has punished your enemy Ammon." 37 Then she said to her father, "Do me a favor. Give me two months for my friends and me to walk in the mountains and mourn that I will never have an opportunity to get married."

38 "Go!" he said, and he sent her off for two months. She and her friends went to the mountains, and she cried about never being able to get married. 39 At the end of those two months she came back to her father. He did to her what he had vowed, and she never had a husband. So the custom began in Israel 40 that for four days every year the girls in Israel would go out to sing the praises of the daughter of Jephthah, the man from Gilead.

Ephraim's Jealousy 12 1 The men of Ephraim were summoned to fight. They crossed the Jordan River to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you fight against Ammon without inviting us to go with you? Now we're going to burn your house down with you in it."

2 Jephthah answered, "My people and I were involved in a legal dispute with Ammon. I asked you for help, but you didn't rescue me from them. 3 When I saw that you would not rescue me, I risked my life and went to fight the people of Ammon. Yahweh handed them over to me. So why did you come to fight against me today?"

4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim. They did this because Ephraim had said, "You people from Gilead are nothing but fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh."

5 The men of Gilead captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River leading back to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, "Let me cross," the men of Gilead would ask, "Are you from Ephraim?" If he answered, "No," 6 they would tell him, "Say the word shibboleth." If the fugitive would say sibboleth, because he couldn't pronounce the word correctly, they would grab him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. At that time 42,000 men from Ephraim died.

7 Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah of Gilead died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Ibzan Serves as Judge 8 After Jephthah, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. His sons and daughters married people from outside their own families. He judged Israel for seven years. 10 When Ibzan died, he was buried in Bethlehem.

Elon Serves as Judge 11 After Ibzan, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel. He judged Israel for ten years. 12 When Elon died, he was buried in Aijalon in the territory of Zebulun.

Abdon Serves as Judge 13 After Elon, Abdon, son of Hillel, from Pirathon judged Israel. 14 He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who rode on 70 donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. 15 When Abdon died, he was buried in Pirathon, in the territory of Ephraim, in the mountains of Amalek.

The Messenger of the LORD Appears to Samson's Parents 13 1 The people of Israel again did what Yahweh considered evil. So Yahweh handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.

2 There was a man from Zorah named Manoah. Manoah was from the family of Dan. His wife was not able to have children. 3 The Messenger of Yahweh appeared to her and said, "You've never been able to have a child, but now you will become pregnant and have a son. 4 Now you must be careful. Don't drink any wine or liquor or eat any uncleana food. 5 You're going to become pregnant and have a son. You must never cut his hair because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to Elohim from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines."

6 The woman went to tell her husband. She said, "A man of Elohim came to me. He had a very frightening appearance like the Messenger of Elohim. So I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. 7 He told me, 'You're going to become pregnant and have a son. So don't drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to Elohim from the time he is born until he dies.'"

8 Then Manoah pleaded with Yahweh, "Please, Adonay , let the man of Elohim you sent come back to us. Let him teach us what we must do for the boy who will be born."

9 Elohim did what Manoah asked. The Messenger of Elohim came back to his wife while she was sitting out in the fields. But her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman ran quickly to tell her husband. She said, "The man who came to me the other day has just appeared to me again."

11 Manoah immediately followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?"

"Yes," he answered.

12 Then Manoah asked, "When your words come true, how should the boy live and what should he do?"

13 The Messenger of Yahweh answered Manoah, "Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her to do. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevines, drink any wine or liquor, or eat any unclean food. She must be careful to do everything I commanded."

15 Manoah said to the Messenger of Yahweh, "Please stay while we prepare a young goat for you to eat."

16 But the Messenger of Yahweh responded, "If I stay here, I will not eat any of your food. But if you make a burnt offering, sacrifice it to Yahweh." (Manoah did not realize that it was the Messenger of Yahweh.) 17 Then Manoah asked the Messenger of Yahweh, "What is your name? When your words come true, we will honor you."

18 The Messenger of Yahweh asked him, "Why do you ask for my name? It's a name that works miracles."

19 So Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and sacrificed them to Yahweh on a rock he used as an altar. While Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did something miraculous. 20 As the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Messenger of Yahweh went up in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they immediately bowed down with their faces touching the ground.

21 The Messenger of Yahweh didn't appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah knew that this had been the Messenger of Yahweh. 22 So Manoah said to his wife, "We will certainly die because we have seen Elohim ."

23 But Manoah's wife replied, "If Yahweh wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He would not have let us see or hear all these things just now."

24 So the woman had a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and Yahweh blessed him. 25 The Ruach Elohim began to stir in him while he was at Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson Marries a Philistine 14 1 When Samson went to Timnah, he saw a young Philistine woman. 2 He went home and told his father and mother, "I've seen a Philistine woman at Timnah. Now get her for me so that I can marry her."

3 His father and mother asked him, "Aren't there any women among our relatives or all our people? Do you have to marry a woman from those godless Philistines?"

But Samson told his father, "Get her for me! She's the one I want!" 4 His father and mother didn't know that Yahweh was behind this. Yahweh was looking for an opportunity to do something to the Philistines. (At that time the Philistines were ruling Israel.) 5 Samson went with his father and mother to Timnah. When they were coming to the vineyards of Timnah, a young roaring lion met Samson. 6 The Ruach Yahweh came over him. With his bare hands, he tore the lion apart as if it were a young goat. He didn't tell his parents what he had done.

7 Then he went to talk to the young woman. She was the one he wanted. 8 Later he went back to marry her. On his way he left the road to look at the lion he had killed. He saw a swarm of bees and some honey in the lion's dead body. 9 He scraped the honey into his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he came to his father and mother, he gave them some of the honey to eat. He didn't tell them he had scraped it out of the lion's dead body.

10 After his father went to see the woman, Samson threw a party. (This is what young men used to do.) 11 When her family saw him, they chose 30 of their friends to be with him.

12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve it during the seven days of the party, I'll give you 30 linen shirts and 30 changes of clothes. 13 But if you can't solve it, you will give me the same things."

They responded, "Tell us your riddle! Let's hear it!"

14 So Samson said to them, "From the eater came something to eat.

From the strong one came something sweet."

For three days they couldn't solve the riddle. 15 On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us. If you don't, we'll burn you and your family to death. Did the two of you invite us just to make us poor?"

16 So Samson's wife cried on his shoulder. She said, "You hate me! You don't really love me! You gave my friends a riddle and didn't tell me the answer."

Samson replied, "I haven't even told my father and mother, so why should I tell you?"

17 But she cried on his shoulder for the rest of the seven days of the party. Finally, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she made his life miserable. Then she told her friends the answer to the riddle.

18 So before sundown on the seventh day, the men of the city said to him, "What is sweeter than honey?

What is stronger than a lion?"

Samson replied, "If you hadn't used my cow to plow, you wouldn't know my riddle now."

19 When the Ruach Yahweh came over him, he went to Ashkelon and killed 30 men there. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who solved the riddle. He was angry, and he went to his father's house. 20 Samson's wife was given to his best man.

Samson Serves as Judge 15 1 Later, during the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife. He took a young goat along for her. He said, "I'm going to sleep with my wife in her bedroom."

But her father would not let him go in. 2 Her father said, "I thought you hated her. So I gave her to your best man. Isn't her younger sister better looking? Marry her instead!"

3 Samson said to him, "This time I won't be guilty when I get even with the Philistines, even though I'm going to do something terrible to them." 4 So Samson caught 300 foxes. He tied them together in pairs by their tails. Then he fastened a torch between their tails. 5 He set the torches on fire and released the foxes in the Philistines' grain fields. So he set fire to all their grain, whether it was stacked or in the fields. Their olive orchards also caught on fire.

6 Some Philistines asked, "Who did this?"

They were told, "Samson! He's the son-in-law of the man at Timnah. Samson did it because the man at Timnah took Samson's wife and gave her to his best man." So the Philistines burned Samson's wife and her father to death.

7 Samson said to them, "If that's how you're going to act, I'll get even with you before I stop." 8 So he attacked them violently and slaughtered them. Then he went to live in a cave in the cliff at Etam.

9 The Philistines came, camped in Judah, and overran Lehi. 10 The men of Judah asked, "Why did you come to fight us?"

The Philistines answered, "We've come to tie up Samson and do to him what he did to us."