Monthly Archives: July 2017

1-4 These are the nations thatGodleft there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war. He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the […]

Deborah 1-3 The People of Israel kept right on doing evil inGod’s sight. With Ehud dead,Godsold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of his army. The People of Israel cried out toGodbecause he had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred […]

1 That day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 2 When they let down their hair in Israel, they let it blow wild in the wind. The people volunteered with abandon, blessGod! 3 Hear O kings! Listen O princes! ToGod, yes toGod, I’ll sing, Make music toGod, to the God of Israel. […]

Gideon 1-6 Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil inGod’s sight.Godput them under the domination of Midian for seven years. Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and forts. When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade […]

1 Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod’s Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. 2-3 Godsaid to Gideon, “You have too large an army with you. I can’t turn Midian […]

1 Then the Ephraimites said to Gideon, “Why did you leave us out of this, not calling us when you went to fight Midian?” They were indignant and let him know it. 2-3 But Gideon replied, “What have I done compared to you? Why, even the gleanings of Ephraim are superior to the vintage of […]

1-2 Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother’s relatives and said to them, “Ask all the leading men of Shechem, ‘What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you—all those sons of Jerub-Baal—or that one man rule? You’ll remember that I am your own flesh and […]

Tola 1-2 Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, was next after Abimelech. He rose to the occasion to save Israel. He was a man of Issachar. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. He judged Israel for twenty-three years and then died and was buried at Shamir. Jair 3-5 After […]

1-3 Jephthah the Gileadite was one tough warrior. He was the son of a whore, but Gilead was his father. Meanwhile Gilead’s legal wife had given him other sons, and when they grew up, his wife’s sons threw Jephthah out. They told him: “You’re not getting any of our family inheritance—you’re the son of another […]

1 The men of Ephraim mustered their troops, crossed to Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go out to fight the Ammonites without letting us go with you? We’re going to burn your house down on you!” 2-3 Jephthah said, “I and my people had our hands full negotiating with the Ammonites. And […]