Study Desk

So Delilah took new ropes and tied Samson. Some men were hiding in another room. She called out to him, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" But he broke the ropes as easily as if they were threads.

So he told her everything. He said, "I have never had my hair cut, because I have been set apart to God as a Nazirite since I was born. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength and be as weak as any other man."

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything sincerely, she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, "Come back one more time, because he has told me everything." So the Philistine rulers came back to Delilah and brought the silver with them.

While the people were enjoying the celebration, they said, "Bring Samson out to perform for us." So they brought Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand between the pillars.

Samson said to the servant holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars that hold up the temple so I can lean against them."

Then Samson prayed to the Lord , "Lord God , remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I can pay these Philistines back for putting out my two eyes!"

Samson said, "Let me die with these Philistines!" Then he pushed as hard as he could, causing the temple to fall on the rulers and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than when he was alive.

Micah gave the twenty-eight pounds of silver to his mother. Then she said, "I will give this silver to the Lord . I will have my son make an idol and a statue. So I will give the silver back to you."

At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right.

Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and my priest. I will give you four ounces of silver each year and clothes and food." So the Levite went in.

So, from their family groups, they chose five soldiers from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, "Go, explore the land." They came to the mountains of Ephraim, to Micah's house, where they spent the night.

When they came near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they stopped there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, like the people of Sidon. They thought they were safe and had plenty of everything. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.

So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ready for war.

So they stopped at the Levite's house, which was also Micah's house, and greeted the Levite.

This made the priest happy. So he took the holy vest, the household idols, and the idol and went with the Danites.

Then the Danites went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.

The father-in-law, the young woman's father, asked him to stay. So he stayed for three days and ate, drank, and slept there.

So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. After that, the father said to him, "Please stay tonight. Relax and enjoy yourself."

When the man got up to go, his father-in-law asked him to stay. So he stayed again that night.