The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What about this awful crime that was committed among you? Now turn those wicked men of Gibeah over to us so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel."But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.  . . . At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns...  Read More

In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite . . . took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.   . . . She left him and went back to her parents' home in Bethlehem . . .  After she had been there for four months, her husband went to her to persuade her to return. . . . Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman's father, said . . .  "Spend ...  Read More

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. . . . When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; He brought me into a spacious place.The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?The LORD is with me; He is my helper. I look in triumph over my enemies.It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. I was pushed back and about to fall, but...  Read More

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!  . . . The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. . . . "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I wi...  Read More

But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." . . . While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them...  Read More

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of ...  Read More