Study Desk

But there was a strong tower in the center of the city. All the men and women and leaders of the city ran to it and shut themselves in. And they went up on the roof of the tower.

But a certain woman threw a grain-crushing stone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

The people of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned. Do to us whatever You think is good. But we beg of You, take us out of this today."

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a powerful soldier. But he was the son of a woman who sold the use of her body. Jephthah's father was Gilead.

But Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon again,

Then Israel sent men to the king of Edom, saying, "We ask you to let us pass through your land." But the king of Edom would not listen. They asked the king of Moab also. But he would not let them pass through. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

'Then Israel went through the desert and around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab. There they set up their tents on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not go into the land of Moab. For the Arnon flowed along the side of Moab.

But Sihon did not trust Israel. He would not let them pass through his land. Sihon gathered all his people together. They set up their tents in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

I have not sinned against you. But you are doing wrong to me by making war against me. The Lord is the judge. May He decide today between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.'"

But the king of the people of Ammon would not listen to what Jephthah said

But do this for me. Let me alone for two months. So I and my friends may go to the mountains and cry because I will never have a man."

Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were having much trouble with the people of Ammon. I did call you, but you did not take me away from them.

they would say to him, "Then say ‘Shibboleth.'" But he would say, "Sibboleth," for he could not say it right. So they would take hold of him and kill him at the crossing places of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed.

Then the angel of the Lord came to the woman and said to her, "See, you have not been able to have any children. But the Lord will make it possible for you to have a child and you will give birth to a son.

But he said to me, ‘See, it will be possible for you to have a child and give birth to a son. Do not drink wine or strong drink or eat anything that is unclean. For the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the time he is born to the time he dies.'"

God listened to Manoah. The angel of God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.

The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "I will stay, but I will not eat your food. But if you get a burnt gift ready, then give it to the Lord." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.

But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my name? It is a name of wonder."

But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had wanted to kill us, He would not have received a burnt gift and grain gift from us. He would not have shown us all these things, or let us hear these things."

But his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your family or among all our people? Must you take a wife from the Philistines who have not gone through the religious act of the Jews?" Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me."