Study Desk

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, "O Lord God, I beg You. Remember me. Give me strength only this once, O God. So I may now punish the Philistines for my two eyes."

Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his strength so that the building fell on the leaders and all the people in it. He killed more at his death than he killed in his life.

He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And she said, "I set apart all the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son. It is to be used in making an object to look like a god. So I will return the silver to you."

Then Micah said to him, "Live with me. Be a father and a religious leader to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, new clothes, and your living." So the Levite went in.

So Micah set apart the Levite. The young man became his religious leader and lived in Micah's house.

So the people of Dan sent five men from all those in their family. They were men with strength of heart, from Zorah and Eshtaol, sent to look over the land. The people of Dan said to them, "Go and look over the land." And the men came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. They stayed there.

Then the five men who had gone to look over the country of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that in these houses there are gods, a holy vest, and objects made to look like gods? So think about what you should do."

Then the sons of Dan went on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him. So he returned to his house.

Then her husband got up and went after her. He was gentle in speaking to her, asking her to return with him. He brought his servant and two donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father's house. When her father saw him, he was glad to meet him.

His father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there.

So both of them sat down and ate and drank together. The girl's father said to the man, "I beg you, agree to stay the night. Let your heart be happy."

The man stood up to go. But his father-in-law begged him so that he stayed another night there.

He got up to go early in the morning on the fifth day. But the girl's father said, "I beg you, get your strength first. Wait until later in the day." So both of them ate.

Then the man stood up to leave with his woman and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Now see, the day is ending. I beg you, stay the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here through the night so your heart may be happy. Get up early tomorrow to go on your way home."

So they passed Jebus and went on their way. The sun went down when they were near Gibeah, a city of Benjamin.

So he took him into his house and gave food to the donkeys. The people washed their feet and ate and drank.

While they were having a happy time, certain sinful men of the city gathered around the house. They beat on the door and said to the old man, the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house so we can have sex with him."

The man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said, "No, my brothers. I beg you not to be so sinful. This man has come into my house. Do not do this sinful thing.

But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his woman and brought her out to them. The men had sex with her all night until morning. When the sun came up, they let her go.

But the men of Gibeah came against me. They gathered around the house at night because of me. They wanted to kill me. But they did sex with my woman instead, so she died.