Study Desk

The men of Judah said to the men of Simeon, their relatives, "Come and help us fight the Canaanites for our land. If you do, we will go and help you fight for your land." So the men of Simeon went with them.

Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes had been cut off used to eat scraps that fell from my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.

When Acsah came to Othniel, she told him to ask her father for a field. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What do you want?"

Now I tell you, ‘I will not force out the people in this land. They will be your enemies, and their gods will be a trap for you.'"

The people served the Lord during the lifetime of Joshua and during the lifetimes of the elders who lived after Joshua and who had seen what great things the Lord had done for Israel.

After those people had died, their children grew up and did not know the Lord or what he had done for Israel.

When their enemies hurt them, the Israelites cried for help. So the Lord felt sorry for them and sent judges to save them from their enemies. The Lord was with those judges all their lives.

So the Lord was angry with Israel and allowed Cushan-Rishathaim king of Northwest Mesopotamia to rule over the Israelites for eight years.

So the land was at peace for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

So the people of Israel were ruled by Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

When he passed the statues near Gilgal, he turned around and said to Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, King Eglon." The king said, "Be quiet!" Then he sent all of his servants out of the room.

Ehud went to King Eglon, as he was sitting alone in the room above his summer palace. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king stood up from his chair,

They waited for a long time. Finally they became worried because he still had not opened the doors. So they got the key and unlocked them and saw their king lying dead on the floor!

So that day Moab was forced to be under the rule of Israel, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.

Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and was very cruel to the people of Israel for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

"Of course I will go with you," Deborah answered, "but you will not get credit for the victory. The Lord will let a woman defeat Sisera." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

Then Deborah said to Barak, "Get up! Today is the day the Lord will hand over Sisera. The Lord has already cleared the way for you." So Barak led ten thousand men down Mount Tabor.

At that very moment Barak came by Jael's tent, chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, "Come. I will show you the man you are looking for." So Barak entered her tent, and there Sisera lay dead, with the tent peg in his head.

Why did you stay by the sheepfold? Was it to hear the music played for your sheep? The Reubenites thought hard about what they would do.

Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk. In a bowl fit for a ruler, she brought him cream.