JUDGES 14 "SAMSON's PHILISTINE WIFE: SAMSON GROWS UP & WANTS A WIFE from the PHILISTINES EVEN though this DISAPPOINTED his PARENTS because she was a PHILISTINE & NOT one of their PEOPLE, but SAMSON insisted, saying, "SHE PLEASES ME WELL" ; & so they traveled to TIMNAH & along the way a LION ATTACKED SAMSON & his FAMILY but SAMSON TORE the LION to PIECES; LATER, SAMSON saw BEES & HONEY in the CARCASS of the LION & he SCOOPED some HONEY out with his HAND & ATE it & gave some to his PARENTS; then he made up a RIDDLE ABOUT IT which NOBODY could FIGURE OUT, & the people THREATENED SAMSON's wife to get the ANSWER or they would BURN her HOUSE; & SAMSON told her after 6 DAYS & SAMSON CONSUMED his ANGER by KILLING 30 MEN of ASHKELON & giving the CLOTHES from their BODIES to the MEN WHO SOLVED the RIDDLE ; & SAMSON's WIFE was given to his COMPANION, HIS BEST MAN" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

JUDGES 14 "SAMSON's PHILISTINE WIFE: SAMSON GROWS UP & WANTS A WIFE from the PHILISTINES EVEN though this DISAPPOINTED his PARENTS because she was a PHILISTINE & NOT one of their PEOPLE, but SAMSON insisted, saying, "SHE PLEASES ME WELL" ; & so they traveled to TIMNAH & along the way a LION ATTACKED SAMSON & his FAMILY but SAMSON TORE the LION to PIECES; LATER, SAMSON saw BEES & HONEY in the CARCASS of the LION & he SCOOPED some HONEY out with his HAND & ATE it & gave some to his PARENTS; then he made up a RIDDLE ABOUT IT which NOBODY could FIGURE OUT, & the people THREATENED SAMSON's wife to get the ANSWER or they would BURN her HOUSE; & SAMSON told her after 6 DAYS & SAMSON CONSUMED his ANGER by KILLING 30 MEN of ASHKELON & giving the CLOTHES from their BODIES to the MEN WHO SOLVED the RIDDLE ; & SAMSON's WIFE was given to his COMPANION, HIS BEST MAN" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

14:1 Samson's Philistine Wife
"Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife."

3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?"

And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well."

4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD — that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing."

And they said to him,"Pose your riddle, that we may hear it."
NKJV

JUDGES 13 "The BIRTH of SAMPSON:The CHILDREN of ISRAEL did EVIL again & GOD HANDED them over to the PHILISTINES; GOD APPEARED to a the WIFE of MANOAH & told her she would BEAR A SON & he would be a NAZIRITE, & she told MANOAH what the ANGEL SAID; & MANOAH prayed that the ANGEL would appear again & it did & they OFFERED a BURNT OFFERING to the LORD & as the FLAME ASCENDED so did the ANGEL of the LORD & they knew this was from GOD" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 13 "The BIRTH of SAMPSON:The CHILDREN of ISRAEL did EVIL again & GOD HANDED them over to the PHILISTINES; GOD APPEARED to a the WIFE of MANOAH & told her she would BEAR A SON & he would be a NAZIRITE, & she told MANOAH what the ANGEL SAID; & MANOAH prayed that the ANGEL would appear again & it did & they OFFERED a BURNT OFFERING to the LORD & as the FLAME ASCENDED so did the ANGEL of the LORD & they knew this was from GOD" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


13:1 The Birth of Samson (cf. Num 6:1-21)
Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."
6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying,"A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"
8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born."
9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!"
11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?"
And He said, "I am."
12 Manoah said, "Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?"
13 So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe."
15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You."
16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?"
18 And the Angel of the LORD said to him,"Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?"
19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on — 20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar — the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.
22 And Manoah said to his wife,"We shall surely die, because we have seen God!"
23 But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time."
24 So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
NKJV

JUDGES 12 "The MEN of EPHRAIM were ANGRY with JEPHTHAH that he did NOT take them with him to FIGHT AGAINST AMMON; so JEPHTHAH gathered his GILEADITES & FOUGHT the EPHRAIMITES ; & the remaining EPHRAIMITES who tried to DENY they were from EPHRAIM were required to say 'SHIBBOLETH" & if they could NOT do so (for all EPHRAIMITES can only say 'SIBBOLETEH') & if they could NOT say it correctly they were KILLED, a total of 42,000 DIED ; JEPHTHAH RULED ISRAEL for SIX YEARS" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

JUDGES 12 "The MEN of EPHRAIM were ANGRY with JEPHTHAH that he did NOT take them with him to FIGHT AGAINST AMMON; so JEPHTHAH gathered his GILEADITES & FOUGHT the EPHRAIMITES ; & the remaining EPHRAIMITES who tried to DENY they were from EPHRAIM were required to say 'SHIBBOLETH" & if they could NOT do so (for all EPHRAIMITES can only say 'SIBBOLETEH') & if they could NOT say it correctly they were KILLED, a total of 42,000 DIED ; JEPHTHAH RULED ISRAEL for SIX YEARS" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


12:1 Jephthah's Conflict with Ephraim
Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!"

2 And Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?" 4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites." 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would say to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," 6 then they would say to him, "Then say,'Shibboleth'!" And he would say, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

8 Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon


After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

13 After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.
NKJV

JUDGES 11 "JEPHTHAH's VOW: JEPHTHAH the GILEADITE was a MIGHTY MAN but the SON of a HARLOT; his FATHER's OTHER SONS from his TRUE WIFE did NOT consider him to be a TRUE BROTHER & told JEPHTHAH that he would have NO INHERITANCE so JEPTHAH FLED; but when there was WAR the ELDERS of GILEAD pleaded with JEPHTHAH to RETURN & FIGHT for them; JEPHTHAH would ONLY DO SO if they PROMISED to MAKE HIM LEADER & they AGREED; JEPHTHAH plans to ATTACK AMMON & RASHLY PROMISES to GIVE GOD as a BURNT OFFERING whomever FIRST COMES OUT OF HIS HOME when he RETURNS from BATTLE; & GOD HANDED the AMMONITES over to JEPHTHAH & there was a 'GREAT SLAUGHTER'; then JEPHTHAH returned home & his ONLY DAUGHTER came out to meet him with 'TIMBRELS & DANCING' & JEPHTHAH told his DAUGHTER the AGREEMENT he made with GOD & SHE ASKED for TWO MONTHS to 'MOURN HER VIRGINITY' & then she was OFFERED UP TO GOD" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 11 "JEPHTHAH's VOW: JEPHTHAH the GILEADITE was a MIGHTY MAN but the SON of a HARLOT; his FATHER's OTHER SONS from his TRUE WIFE did NOT consider him to be a TRUE BROTHER & told JEPHTHAH that he would have NO INHERITANCE so JEPTHAH FLED; but when there was WAR the ELDERS of GILEAD pleaded with JEPHTHAH to RETURN & FIGHT for them; JEPHTHAH would ONLY DO SO if they PROMISED to MAKE HIM LEADER & they AGREED; JEPHTHAH plans to ATTACK AMMON & RASHLY PROMISES to GIVE GOD as a BURNT OFFERING whomever FIRST COMES OUT OF HIS HOME when he RETURNS from BATTLE; & GOD HANDED the AMMONITES over to JEPHTHAH & there was a 'GREAT SLAUGHTER'; then JEPHTHAH returned home & his ONLY DAUGHTER came out to meet him with 'TIMBRELS & DANCING' & JEPHTHAH told his DAUGHTER the AGREEMENT he made with GOD & SHE ASKED for TWO MONTHS to 'MOURN HER VIRGINITY' & then she was OFFERED UP TO GOD" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


11:1 Jephthah
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead's wife bore sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
4 It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon."
7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead,"Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?"
8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."
9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?"
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah,"The LORD will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words." 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying,"What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?"
13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah,"Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably."
14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, 15 and said to him, "Thus says Jephthah:'Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; 16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Please let me pass through your land." But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained in Kadesh. 18 And they went along through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land into our place." 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23'And now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess. 25 And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.'" 28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
29 Jephthah's Vow and Victory

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering."
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith — twenty cities — and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 Jephthah's Daughter

When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it."
36 So she said to him, "My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon." 37 Then she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I."
38 So he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man.
And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
NKJV

JUDGES 10 "TOLA JUDGED ISRAEL for 23 YEARS; JAIR JUDGED ISRAEL 22 YEARS & had 30 SONS WHO RODE on 30 DONKEYS & lived in 30 TOWNS; then ISRAEL did EVIL AGAIN so GOD HANDED them over to the PHILISTINES who OPPRESSED them for 18 YEARS; SO ISRAEL CRIED OUT again to the LORD but GOD said he was SICK & TIRED of their EVIL & would NOT save them this time; But ISRAEL put away their false gods & THE LORD "COULD NO LONGER ENDURE the MISERY of ISRAEL" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 10 "TOLA JUDGED ISRAEL for 23 YEARS; JAIR JUDGED ISRAEL 22 YEARS & had 30 SONS WHO RODE on 30 DONKEYS & lived in 30 TOWNS; then ISRAEL did EVIL AGAIN so GOD HANDED them over to the PHILISTINES who OPPRESSED them for 18 YEARS; SO ISRAEL CRIED OUT again to the LORD but GOD said he was SICK & TIRED of their EVIL & would NOT save them this time; But ISRAEL put away their false gods & THE LORD "COULD NO LONGER ENDURE the MISERY of ISRAEL" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


10:1 Tola
After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir.

3 Jair


After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called "Havoth Jair" to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

6 Israel Oppressed Again


Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon. 8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years — all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead. 9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

10 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!"

11 So the LORD said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? 12 Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."

15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray." 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel. 17 Then the people of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled together and encamped in Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "Who is the man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

JUDGES 9 "ABIMILECH's CONSPIRACY; ABIMILECH, also a SON of GIDEON (but from a female servant), did NOT think the MEN of SHECHEM should be RULED by ALL 70 SONS of GIDEON & the question was asked to the MEN of SHECHEM & 'their HEART was INCLINED to FOLLOW ABIMELECH' & gave him 70 SHEKELS of SILVER with which he hired 'WORTHLESS & RECKLESS MEN' & they went & KILLED his BROTHERS, all 70 or 69, MINUS JOTHAM, the YOUNGEST, who HID; & ABIMELECH was MADE KING; JOTHAM went to the TOP of MT. GERIZIM & spoke the PARABLE of the TREES, ending with a REQUEST that if ABIMILECH & his MEN did NOT ACT IN 'TRUTH in SINCERITY' then 'LET FIRE DEVOUR the MEN of SHECHEM & BETH MILLO...& ABIMELECH' & for THREE YEARS ABIMELECH REIGNED, but then there were SEVERAL SKIRMISHES between REBELLIOUS SHECHEM & ABIMELECH & ABIMELECH had some VICTORIES but FINALLY A WOMAN DROPPED a MILLSTONE on ABIMELECH's HEAD, but BEFORE he DIED, ABIMELECH asked his SOLDIER to KILL him with the SWORD, so that it would NOT be REMEMBERED that he was KILLED by a WOMAN; then GOD ALSO KILLED the 70 BROTHERS of ABIMELECH according to the CURSE of JOTHAM " by vanderKOK

JUDGES 9 "ABIMILECH's CONSPIRACY; ABIMILECH, also a SON of GIDEON (but from a female servant), did NOT think the MEN of SHECHEM should be RULED by ALL 70 SONS of GIDEON & the question was asked to the MEN of SHECHEM & 'their HEART was INCLINED to FOLLOW ABIMELECH' & gave him 70 SHEKELS of SILVER with which he hired 'WORTHLESS & RECKLESS MEN' & they went & KILLED his BROTHERS, all 70 or 69, MINUS JOTHAM, the YOUNGEST, who HID; & ABIMELECH was MADE KING; JOTHAM went to the TOP of MT. GERIZIM & spoke the PARABLE of the TREES, ending with a REQUEST that if ABIMILECH & his MEN did NOT ACT IN 'TRUTH in SINCERITY' then 'LET FIRE DEVOUR the MEN of SHECHEM & BETH MILLO...& ABIMELECH' & for THREE YEARS ABIMELECH REIGNED, but then there were SEVERAL SKIRMISHES between REBELLIOUS SHECHEM & ABIMELECH & ABIMELECH had some VICTORIES but FINALLY A WOMAN DROPPED a MILLSTONE on ABIMELECH's HEAD, but BEFORE he DIED, ABIMELECH asked his SOLDIER to KILL him with the SWORD, so that it would NOT be REMEMBERED that he was KILLED by a WOMAN; then GOD ALSO KILLED the 70 BROTHERS of ABIMELECH according to the CURSE of JOTHAM " recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

JUDGES 9:1 Abimelech's Conspiracy
Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 2 "Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember that I am your own flesh and bone."
3 And his mother's brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." 4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. 5 Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.
7 The Parable of the Trees

Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them:
"Listen to me, you men of Shechem,That God may listen to you!
8 "The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them.And they said to the olive tree,'Reign over us!' 9 But the olive tree said to them,'Should I cease giving my oil,With which they honor God and men,And go to sway over trees?'
10 "Then the trees said to the fig tree,'You come and reign over us!' 11 But the fig tree said to them,'Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit,And go to sway over trees?'
12 "Then the trees said to the vine,'You come and reign over us!' 13 But the vine said to them,'Should I cease my new wine,Which cheers both God and men,And go to sway over trees?'
14 "Then all the trees said to the bramble,'You come and reign over us!' 15 And the bramble said to the trees,'If in truth you anoint me as king over you,Then come and take shelter in my shade;But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!'
16 "Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves — 17 for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; 18 but you have risen up against my father's house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother — 19 if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!" 21 And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22 Downfall of Abimelech

After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23 God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers. 25 And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said,"Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech." So he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out!"
30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you. 32 Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33 And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity."
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!"
But Zebul said to him, "You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men."
37 So Gaal spoke again and said, "See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners' Terebinth Tree."
38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now."
39 So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.
42 And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech. 43 So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them. 44 Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them. 45 So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
46 Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done." 49 So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women — all the people of the city — fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower. 52 So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" So his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
NKJV

JUDGES 8 "EPHRAIM is UPSET that GIDEON did NOT INCLUDE them in the ATTACK on MIDIAN but GIDEON APPEASES them with WISE WORDS; STILL IN HOT PURSUIT of the MIDIANITES GIDEON ASKS the MEN of SUCCOTH & then PENUEL for some BREAD but they REFUSE, SO GIDEON FOREWARNS them that they WILL PAY ! FINALLY, GIDEON & the 300 CAPTURE ZEBAH & ZALMUNNAH, the 2 KINGS of MIDIAN, & GIDEON RETURNS for REVENGE on SUCCOTH & PENUEL who had REFUSED TO PROVIDE BREAD during the PURSUIT; GIDEON ORDERS his SON, JETHER, to KILL ZEBAH & ZALMUNNAH, but JETHER REFUSES, being so young; so GIDEON KILLS them himself; then ISRAEL asked GIDEON to be their LEADER but he REFUSED; HE REQUESTED their GOLD EARRINGS & MADE AN EPHOD from it, but 'ISRAEL PLAYED the HARLOT with it there' & it was a 'SNARE' to GIDEON; but MIDIAN WAS SUBDUED and the COUNTRY WAS QUIET for 40 years; GIDEON (also called JERUBBAAL) had 70 SONS & DIED, but ISRAEL PLAYED the HARLOT again" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 8 "EPHRAIM is UPSET that GIDEON did NOT INCLUDE them in the ATTACK on MIDIAN but GIDEON APPEASES them with WISE WORDS; STILL IN HOT PURSUIT of the MIDIANITES GIDEON ASKS the MEN of SUCCOTH & then PENUEL for some BREAD but they REFUSE, SO GIDEON FOREWARNS them that they WILL PAY ! FINALLY, GIDEON & the 300 CAPTURE ZEBAH & ZALMUNNAH, the 2 KINGS of MIDIAN, & GIDEON RETURNS for REVENGE on SUCCOTH & PENUEL who had REFUSED TO PROVIDE BREAD during the PURSUIT; GIDEON ORDERS his SON, JETHER, to KILL ZEBAH & ZALMUNNAH, but JETHER REFUSES, being so young; so GIDEON KILLS them himself; then ISRAEL asked GIDEON to be their LEADER but he REFUSED; HE REQUESTED their GOLD EARRINGS & MADE AN EPHOD from it, but 'ISRAEL PLAYED the HARLOT with it there' & it was a 'SNARE' to GIDEON; but MIDIAN WAS SUBDUED and the COUNTRY WAS QUIET for 40 years; GIDEON (also called JERUBBAAL) had 70 SONS & DIED, but ISRAEL PLAYED the HARLOT again" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


8:1 Gideon Subdues the Midianites
Now the men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?" And they reprimanded him sharply.
2 So he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
4 When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. 5 Then he said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."
6 And the leaders of Succoth said,"Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"
7 So Gideon said, "For this cause, when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!" 8 Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!"
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11 Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt secure. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?'" 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17 Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?"
So they answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king."
19 Then he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them!" But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22 Gideon's Ephod

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon,"Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."
23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you." 24 Then Gideon said to them, "I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder." For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.
25 So they answered, "We will gladly give them." And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels' necks. 27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Death of Gideon

Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30 Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 Now Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. 34 Thus the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
NKJV

JUDGES 7 "GIDEON's VALIANT 300 : GOD told GIDEON that there were TOO MANY with him to ATTACK the MIDIANITES lest they think that it was their OWN STRENGTH that saved them rather than GOD, so he TOLD GIDEON to ALLOW THOSE who are 'FEARFUL' to DEPART, & 22,000 DEPARTED, while 10,000 REMAINED; but this was STILL TOO MANY, so GOD tells them to GO TO THE RIVER & WHOEVER LAPS the WATER like a DOG shall be SET APART & IT was 300 who LAPPED LIKE A DOG & THEY were SET APART to SAVE ISRAEL; Then GIDEON OVERHEARD A DREAM being INTERPRETED re a LOAF of BARLEY --which was INTERPRETED as the SWORD of GIDEON DEFEATING the MIDIANITES; GIDEON DIVIDED HIS MEN INTO THREE GROUPS & PROVIDED TRUMPETS, TORCHES INSIDE PITCHERS; then they SURROUNDED MIDAN, BLEW the TRUMPETS, BROKE the PITCHERS, EXPOSED the TORCHES & the MIDIANITE ARMY FLED " by vanderKOK

JUDGES 7 "GIDEON's VALIANT 300 : GOD told GIDEON that there were TOO MANY with him to ATTACK the MIDIANITES lest they think that it was their OWN STRENGTH that saved them rather than GOD, so he TOLD GIDEON to ALLOW THOSE who are 'FEARFUL' to DEPART, & 22,000 DEPARTED, while 10,000 REMAINED; but this was STILL TOO MANY, so GOD tells them to GO TO THE RIVER & WHOEVER LAPS the WATER like a DOG shall be SET APART & IT was 300 who LAPPED LIKE A DOG & THEY were SET APART to SAVE ISRAEL; Then GIDEON OVERHEARD A DREAM being INTERPRETED re a LOAF of BARLEY --which was INTERPRETED as the SWORD of GIDEON DEFEATING the MIDIANITES; GIDEON DIVIDED HIS MEN INTO THREE GROUPS & PROVIDED TRUMPETS, TORCHES INSIDE PITCHERS; then they SURROUNDED MIDAN, BLEW the TRUMPETS, BROKE the PITCHERS, EXPOSED the TORCHES & the MIDIANITE ARMY FLED " recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

7:1 Gideon's Valiant Three Hundred
Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.' 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying,'Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.'" And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' the same shall not go." 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink." 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the LORD said to Gideon,"By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place." 8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
13 And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, "I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed."
14 Then his companion answered and said, "This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp."
15 And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand." 16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. 17 And he said to them, "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, 'The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!'"
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers — they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing — and they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!" 21 And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites.
24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan." Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
NKJV

JUDGES 6 "MIDIANITES OPRESS ISRAEL: Then ISRAEL did EVIL AGAIN so the LORD DELIVERED them INTO the HANDS of the MIDIANITES for SEVEN YEARS; & ISRAEL HID in the MOUNTAINS, but every time THEY had SOWN, the MIDIANITES would COME & DESTROY their PRODUCE, keeping ISRAEL IMPOVERISHED ; & GIDEON was THRESHING WHEAT in the WINEPRESS to KEEP it HIDDEN from the MIDIANITES & an ANGEL APPEARED & TOLD GIDEON HE was CHOSEN by the LORD to SAVE ISRAEL; & GIDEON DESTROYS BAAL & the MEN of the CITY were ANGRY at GIDEON but GIDEON's FATHER said LET BAAL PLEAD for himself; & GIDEON BLEW his TRUMPET & his SUPPORTERS GATHERED BEHIND HIM; & to GOD GAVE GIDEON the SIGN of the FLEECE to CONFIRM HE WOULD BE with GIDEON IF HE SAVES ISRAEL" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 6 "MIDIANITES OPRESS ISRAEL: Then ISRAEL did EVIL AGAIN so the LORD DELIVERED them INTO the HANDS of the MIDIANITES for SEVEN YEARS; & ISRAEL HID in the MOUNTAINS, but every time THEY had SOWN, the MIDIANITES would COME & DESTROY their PRODUCE, keeping ISRAEL IMPOVERISHED ; & GIDEON was THRESHING WHEAT in the WINEPRESS to KEEP it HIDDEN from the MIDIANITES & an ANGEL APPEARED & TOLD GIDEON HE was CHOSEN by the LORD to SAVE ISRAEL; & GIDEON DESTROYS BAAL & the MEN of the CITY were ANGRY at GIDEON but GIDEON's FATHER said LET BAAL PLEAD for himself; & GIDEON BLEW his TRUMPET & his SUPPORTERS GATHERED BEHIND HIM; & to GOD GAVE GIDEON the SIGN of the FLEECE to CONFIRM HE WOULD BE with GIDEON IF HE SAVES ISRAEL" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

6:1 Midianites Oppress Israel
Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. 6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of the Midianites, 8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; 9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 Also I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice.'"
11 Gideon

Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"
13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."
14 Then the LORD turned to him and said,"Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"
15 So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
16 And the LORD said to him,"Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."
17 Then he said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You."
And He said, "I will wait until you come back."
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. 20 The Angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.
21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face."
23 Then the LORD said to him,"Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die." 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, "Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down." 27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.
28 Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built. 29 So they said to one another, "Who has done this thing?" And when they had inquired and asked, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing." 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it."
31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!" 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar."
33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36 The Sign of the Fleece

So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said — 37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said." 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God,"Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew." 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
NKJV

JUDGES 5 "The SONG of DEBORAH: Then DEBORAH SANG HER FAMOUS SONG to COMMEMORATE the VICTORY OVER CANAAN & the DEATH of SISERA" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 5 "The SONG of DEBORAH: Then DEBORAH SANG HER FAMOUS SONG to COMMEMORATE the VICTORY OVER CANAAN & the DEATH of SISERA" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

Gen 1:1 - Judg 5:31
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
2 "When leaders lead in Israel,When the people willingly offer themselves,Bless the LORD!
3 "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!I, even I, will sing to the LORD;I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4 LORD, when You went out from Seir,When You marched from the field of Edom,The earth trembled and the heavens poured,The clouds also poured water; 5 The mountains gushed before the LORD,This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
6 "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,In the days of Jael,The highways were deserted,And the travelers walked along the byways. 7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,Until I, Deborah, arose,Arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods;Then there was war in the gates;Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart is with the rulers of IsraelWho offered themselves willingly with the people.Bless the LORD!
10 "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys,Who sit in judges' attire,And who walk along the road. 11 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD,The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates.
12 "Awake, awake, Deborah!Awake, awake, sing a song!Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,O son of Abinoam!
13 "Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;The LORD came down for me against the mighty. 14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek.After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,From Machir rulers came down,And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;As Issachar, so was BarakSent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of ReubenThere were great resolves of heart. 16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,To hear the pipings for the flocks?The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore,And stayed by his inlets. 18 Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 "The kings came and fought,Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;They took no spoils of silver. 20 They fought from the heavens;The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away,That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.O my soul, march on in strength! 22 Then the horses' hooves pounded,The galloping, galloping of his steeds. 23'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD,'Curse its inhabitants bitterly,Because they did not come to the help of the LORD,To the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
24 "Most blessed among women is Jael,The wife of Heber the Kenite;Blessed is she among women in tents. 25 He asked for water, she gave milk;She brought out cream in a lordly bowl. 26 She stretched her hand to the tent peg,Her right hand to the workmen's hammer;She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head,She split and struck through his temple. 27 At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;At her feet he sank, he fell;Where he sank, there he fell dead.
28 "The mother of Sisera looked through the window,And cried out through the lattice,'Why is his chariot so long in coming?Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?' 29 Her wisest ladies answered her,Yes, she answered herself, 30'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil:To every man a girl or two;For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments,Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed,Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?'
31 "Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD!But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength."
So the land had rest for forty years.
NKJV

JUDGES 4 "DEBORAH: AFTER EHUD, the ISRAELITES did EVIL AGAIN & GOD gave them up to JABIN, KING of CANAAN, whose ARMY COMMANDER was SISERA , & for 20 YEARS he 'HARSHLY OPPRESSED ISRAEL' ; MEANWHILE DEBORAH was the LEAD JUDGE of ISRAEL & SAT UNDER A PALM TREE & MADE DECISIONS; BARAK, AN ISRAELITE, had been COMMANDED to ATTACK CANAAN but he said he would NOT GO unless DEBORAH goes with him; so DEBORAH joined BARAK & they DEFEATED CANAAN & CHASED SISERA; SISERA HID in the TENT of HEBER, & HEBER's WIFE, JAEL's POUNDED A PEG into the HEAD of SISERA as he slept" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 4 "DEBORAH: AFTER EHUD, the ISRAELITES did EVIL AGAIN & GOD gave them up to JABIN, KING of CANAAN, whose ARMY COMMANDER was SISERA , & for 20 YEARS he 'HARSHLY OPPRESSED ISRAEL' ; MEANWHILE DEBORAH was the LEAD JUDGE of ISRAEL & SAT UNDER A PALM TREE & MADE DECISIONS; BARAK, AN ISRAELITE, had been COMMANDED to ATTACK CANAAN but he said he would NOT GO unless DEBORAH goes with him; so DEBORAH joined BARAK & they DEFEATED CANAAN & CHASED SISERA; SISERA HID in the TENT of HEBER, & HEBER's WIFE, JAEL's POUNDED A PEG into the HEAD of SISERA as he slept" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

4:1 Deborah
When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 7 and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?"
8 And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!"
9 So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh.
12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.
17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear." And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket.
19 Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. 20 And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?' you shall say, 'No.'"
21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man whom you seek." And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.
23 So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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JUDGES 3 "NATIONS REMAINING in the LAND: The ISRAELITES CONTINUED to do EVIL so GOD ALLOWED EGLON, KING of MOAB, to CONTROL the ISRAELITES , but ISRAEL CRIED OUT to GOD & GOD sent EHUD who MADE A DAGGAR & HID IT UNDER HIS CLOTHES as he was sent to DELIVER A TRIBUTE to the KING of MOAB; after giving the TRIBUTE, EHUD told the KING he had a SECRET MESSAGE, SO the KING CLEARED the ROOM at which point EHUD PULLED out the DAGGAR & THRUST it into KING EGLON's BELLY, KILLING HIM & ESCAPED out the PORCH; & ISRAEL KILLED 10,000 MOABITES that DAY & the ISRAEL was at PEACE for 80 YEARS; SHAMGAR also DELIVERED ISRAEL v PHILISTINES " by vanderKOK

JUDGES 3 "NATIONS REMAINING in the LAND: The ISRAELITES CONTINUED to do EVIL so GOD ALLOWED EGLON, KING of MOAB, to CONTROL the ISRAELITES , but ISRAEL CRIED OUT to GOD & GOD sent EHUD who MADE A DAGGAR & HID IT UNDER HIS CLOTHES as he was sent to DELIVER A TRIBUTE to the KING of MOAB; after giving the TRIBUTE, EHUD told the KING he had a SECRET MESSAGE, SO the KING CLEARED the ROOM at which point EHUD PULLED out the DAGGAR & THRUST it into KING EGLON's BELLY, KILLING HIM & ESCAPED out the PORCH; & ISRAEL KILLED 10,000 MOABITES that DAY & the ISRAEL was at PEACE for 80 YEARS; SHAMGAR also DELIVERED ISRAEL v PHILISTINES " recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK


3:1 The Nations Remaining in the Land
Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan 2(this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), 3 namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 4 And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.
7 Othniel

So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9 When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 Ehud

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17 So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) 18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."
He said, "Keep silence!" And all who attended him went out from him.
20 So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." So he arose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. 23 Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
24 When he had gone out, Eglon's servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, "He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber." 25 So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.
26 But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. 28 Then he said to them, "Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
31 Shamgar

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.
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JUDGES 2 "ISRAEL's DISOBEDIENCE: & GOD was ANGRY that ISRAEL did NOT COMPLETELY DRIVE OUT all the INHABITANTS & REMINDS them that these INHABITANTS 'WILL BE THORNS' in their side, & 'their gods will be a SNARE' ; REVIEW of the DEATH of JOSHUA; AS PREDICTED, ISRAEL begin to SERVE the BAALS & GOD was 'HOT against ISRAEL' & they 'COULD NO LONGER STAND before the ENEMIES' by vanderKOK

JUDGES 2 "ISRAEL's DISOBEDIENCE: & GOD was ANGRY that ISRAEL did NOT COMPLETELY DRIVE OUT all the INHABITANTS & REMINDS them that these INHABITANTS 'WILL BE THORNS' in their side, & 'their gods will be a SNARE' ; REVIEW of the DEATH of JOSHUA; AS PREDICTED, ISRAEL begin to SERVE the BAALS & GOD was 'HOT against ISRAEL' & they 'COULD NO LONGER STAND before the ENEMIES' recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

2:1 Israel's Disobedience
Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said:"I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you. 2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'" 4 So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD. 6 And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land.
7 Death of Joshua
(Josh 24:29-31)
So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel. 8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. 10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.
11 Israel's Unfaithfulness

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. 13 They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so. 18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
20 Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, 21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not." 23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
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JUDGES 1.1-26 "AFTER JOSHUA DIED, the ISRAELITES asked GOD who should ATTACK the CANAANITES & GOD tells them 'JUDAH shall GO UP' ; so JUDAH went with SIMEON & 'THEY KILLED 10,000 MEN' & they CUT the THUMBS & TOES off of ADONI-BEZEK;Then they ATTACKED JERUSALEM & DEFEATED IT; CALEB says WHOEVER DEFEATS KIRJATH SEPHER can have HIS DAUGHTER & so OTHNIEL DEFEATED KIRJATH SEPHER & took CALEB's DAUGHTER, ACHSAH, as WIFE; JUDAH also took GAZA; & the HOUSE of JOSEPH took BETHEL after a SPY showed them the SECRET ENTRANCE" by vanderKOK

JUDGES 1.1-26 "AFTER JOSHUA DIED, the ISRAELITES asked GOD who should ATTACK the CANAANITES & GOD tells them 'JUDAH shall GO UP' ; so JUDAH went with SIMEON & 'THEY KILLED 10,000 MEN' & they CUT the THUMBS & TOES off of ADONI-BEZEK;Then they ATTACKED JERUSALEM & DEFEATED IT; CALEB says WHOEVER DEFEATS KIRJATH SEPHER can have HIS DAUGHTER & so OTHNIEL DEFEATED KIRJATH SEPHER & took CALEB's DAUGHTER, ACHSAH, as WIFE; JUDAH also took GAZA; & the HOUSE of JOSEPH took BETHEL after a SPY showed them the SECRET ENTRANCE" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

Judg 1:1-26
1:1 The Continuing Conquest of Canaan (Josh 15:13-19)
Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?"
2 And the LORD said,"Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand."
3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 And Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me." Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland. 10 Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)
12 Then Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife." 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 14 Now it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?" 15 So she said to him,"Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water."
And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
16 Now the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. 17 And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron. 20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak. 21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23 So the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy." 25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
NKJV

JUDGES 1.27-36 "The ISRAELITES, however, did NOT MAKE A COMPLETE CONQUEST of CANAAN & some of the INHABITANTS CONTINUED to DWELL amongst the ISRAELITES & were 'PUT UNDER TRIBUTE" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

JUDGES 1.27-36 "The ISRAELITES, however, did NOT MAKE A COMPLETE CONQUEST of CANAAN & some of the INHABITANTS CONTINUED to DWELL amongst the ISRAELITES & were 'PUT UNDER TRIBUTE" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

Judg 1:27-36

27 Incomplete Conquest of the Land


However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.

29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.

31 Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32 So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; 35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under tribute.

36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
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JOSHUA 24 "The COVENANT at SHECHEM: JOSHUA REVIEWS the HISTORY of the ISRAELITES beginning with TERAH the FATHER of ABRAHAM down to the CURRENT MOMENT, & RECOUNTS HOW GOD DELIVERED the ENEMY into the HANDS of ISRAEL; & then JOSHUA tells them to CHOOSE WHO they will CONTINUE to SERVE, the ONE & ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD or the gods of the nations; & ISRAEL INSISTS they WILL SERVE & WORSHIP ONLY the GOD & JOSHUA SETS A LARGE STONE as 'WITNESS' to the MOMENT; then JOSHUA DIED, 110 YEARS OLD" by vanderKOK

JOSHUA 24 "The COVENANT at SHECHEM: JOSHUA REVIEWS the HISTORY of the ISRAELITES beginning with TERAH the FATHER of ABRAHAM down to the CURRENT MOMENT, & RECOUNTS HOW GOD DELIVERED the ENEMY into the HANDS of ISRAEL; & then JOSHUA tells them to CHOOSE WHO they will CONTINUE to SERVE, the ONE & ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD or the gods of the nations; & ISRAEL INSISTS they WILL SERVE & WORSHIP ONLY the GOD & JOSHUA SETS A LARGE STONE as 'WITNESS' to the MOMENT; then JOSHUA DIED, 110 YEARS OLD" recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

24:1 The Covenant at Shechem (cf. Ex 24:9-18)
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel:'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.
6'Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 So they cried out to the LORD; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time. 8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you — also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. 12 I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. 13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'
14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
16 So the people answered and said: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God."
19 But Joshua said to the people,"You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good."
21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!"
22 So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him."
And they said, "We are witnesses!"
23 "Now therefore," he said, "put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel."
24 And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!"
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26 Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God." 28 So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.
29 Death of Joshua and Eleazar

Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.
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JOSHUA 23 "JOSHUA's FAREWELL ADDRESS: JOSHUA tells ISRAEL that he is GETTING OLD & wants them to BE COURAGEOUS & DO ALL that is WRITTEN in the BOOK of the LAW of MOSES; JOSHUA REMINDS them that ALL GOOD THINGS PROMISED by GOD were FULFILLED, but that IF, or WHEN, they GO ASTRAY, & "TRANSGRESSED the COVENANT' then also ALL THE HARMFUL THINGS PROMISED by GOD will also be FULFILLED, & they shall 'PERISH QUICKLY' by vanderKOK

JOSHUA 23 "JOSHUA's FAREWELL ADDRESS: JOSHUA tells ISRAEL that he is GETTING OLD & wants them to BE COURAGEOUS & DO ALL that is WRITTEN in the BOOK of the LAW of MOSES; JOSHUA REMINDS them that ALL GOOD THINGS PROMISED by GOD were FULFILLED, but that IF, or WHEN, they GO ASTRAY, & "TRANSGRESSED the COVENANT' then also ALL THE HARMFUL THINGS PROMISED by GOD will also be FULFILLED, & they shall 'PERISH QUICKLY' recorded for your spiritual enrichment by vanderKOK

23:1 Joshua's Farewell Address
Now it came to pass, a long time after the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2 And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them:

"I am old, advanced in age. 3 You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you. 4 See, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. 5 And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you. 6 Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, 8 but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day. 9 For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. 11 Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. 12 Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations — these that remain among you — and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, 13 know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.

14 "Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. 15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 16 When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you."
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