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So the messengers of Jephthah took this message back to Jephthah. Then Jephthah sent the messengers to the king of the Ammonites again.

The Israelites sent messengers to the king of Edom. The messengers asked for a favor. They said, ‘Let the Israelites cross through your land.' But the king of Edom didn't let us go through his land. We also sent the same message to the king of Moab. But the king of Moab would not let us go through his land either. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh.

But King Sihon of the Amorites would not let the Israelites cross his borders. So Sihon gathered all of his people and made a camp at Jahaz. Then the Amorites fought with the Israelites.

But the Lord , the God of Israel, helped the Israelites defeat Sihon and his army. So the land of the Amorites became the property of the Israelites.

Surely you can live in the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. So we will live in the land that the Lord our God has given to us.

Then his daughter said to Jephthah, "Father, you have made a promise to the Lord , so keep your promise. Do what you said you would do. After all, the Lord did help you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."

Then Jephthah's daughter said to her father, "But do this one thing for me first. Let me be alone for two months. Let me go to the mountains. I will not marry and have children, so let me and my friends go and cry together."

At the end of two months, Jephthah's daughter returned to her father, and Jephthah did what he had promised. His daughter never had sexual relations with anyone. So this became a custom in Israel.

Jephthah answered them, "The Ammonites have been giving us many problems. So my people and I fought against them. I called you, but you didn't come to help us.

I saw that you would not help us, so I risked my own life. I went across the river to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me defeat them. Now why have you come to fight against me today?"

they would say, "Say the word ‘Shibboleth.'" The men of Ephraim could not say that word correctly. They pronounced the word "Sibboleth." So if the man said, "Sibboleth," then the men of Gilead knew he was from Ephraim. So they would kill him at the crossing place. They killed 42,000 men from Ephraim.

Again the people started doing what the Lord said was wrong. So the Lord allowed the Philistines to rule over them for 40 years.

because you are pregnant, and you will have a son. He will be dedicated to God in a special way. He will be a Nazirite. So you must never cut his hair. He will be God's special person from before he is born. He will save the Israelites from the power of the Philistines."

So the woman ran to tell her husband, "The man is back! The man who came to me the other day is here."

So Manoah said, "May what you say happen. Tell me, what kind of life will the boy live? What will he do?"

Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord , "What is your name? We want to know so that we can honor you when what you have said really happens."

So the woman had a boy. She named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him.

So Samson went down to the city and talked to the Philistine woman. She pleased him.

Samson's father went down to see the Philistine woman. The custom was for the bridegroom to give a party. So Samson gave a party.

But if you cannot find the answer, you must give me 30 linen shirts and 30 changes of clothes." So the 30 men said, "Tell us your riddle, we want to hear it."